Author
With growth comes the need for new drinking water sources in Marshall County
Marshall County, located outside what was once considered the boundary edge of growing suburbs circling Nashville, has seen explosive growth of its own in recent years — call it the Williamson County overflow effect, says County Mayor Mike Keny. Drawn by more affordable housing, jobs and the rural character of the county — about an hour […]
Wilson County residents push back against state efforts to approve limestone quarry
Marsha Midgett and her husband have been raising livestock on family land owned for generations in east Wilson County, but she now worries that the state’s steps toward approving a permit for rock mining quarry may put the future of their farm in jeopardy. The Midgetts rely on wells for drinking water. Ponds on their […]
Controversial plan to expand Middle Point Landfill rejected
A regional board, meeting in Murfreesboro on Friday evening, rejected plans to expand a household waste landfill in Rutherford County — a decision with far-reaching consequences for surrounding counties that rely on the Middle Point facility to take in residents’ trash. The landfill is the only facility in Middle Tennessee that takes in household garbage. […]
Lookout in Brief: USDA seeks public comment on racial justice and equity in program access
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking public input on its record of racial justice, equity and access for underserved communities. The federal agency oversees a vast amount of programs that include SNAP — commonly referred to as “food stamps,” summer food programs for kids in poverty and loans and subsidies for farmers. The public […]
Tennessee turns to Portland, Oregon model for ending rape kit backlog
In Portland, Oregon, more than 5,000 untested rape kits were discovered in evidence storage lockers in 2015. Three years later, the backlog in testing those kits was down to almost zero and five suspects had been convicted. Tennessee law enforcement officials are now looking to the Portland model to provide justice and accountability for sexual […]
Unemployed Tennesseans may now qualify for free heath insurance
Tennesseans who collected as little as one week in unemployment insurance in 2021 can now qualify for free — or nearly free — health insurance through the federal healthcare marketplace. As part of the American Rescue Plan COVID relief package signed into law by President Joe Biden, individuals who received — or are approved to […]
State regulators plan to loosen runoff rules at construction sites
A state plan to rollback longstanding regulations for construction site runoff is drawing opposition from environmental groups who fear that Tennessee creeks ands streams will suffer. Stormwater discharges from construction sites —rainwater that sweeps soil or other particles off-site — can flow into nearby waterways, often creating silt deposits that impact aquatic life and water […]
‘Y’all are crappy neighbors’: Rutherford County residents slam landfill expansion plan at public hearing
Rutherford county residents on Monday evening blasted a plan to expand a regional landfill located in fast-growing Murfreesboro suburbs that serves as the final destination for trash from 27 surrounding counties. Republic Services, operators of the Middle Point Landfill, have proposed expanding the controversial landfill by nearly 100 acres, lengthening its estimated 7 years of […]
Law enforcement officials investigating report of abuse at Chattanooga facility for migrant kids
State and federal authorities, along with local law enforcement, are investigating a report of child abuse at a Chattanooga facility that has come under fire from Tennessee’s Republican lawmakers for housing migrant children picked up by federal border authorities. The abuse was reported to officials with the Department of Children’s Services, accompanied by an interpreter, […]
Report: Essential workers, parents lose out on state’s refusal to expand TennCare
Of the 119,000 Tennesseans who would qualify for state-funded healthcare insurance under a state Medicaid expansion, 28,000 are essential workers and 11,000 are parents with children at home, a new analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found. Tennessee is one of 12 states that has refused to expand its Medicaid program under […]
State lawmakers cut big oil a big break
Two weeks after the formal close of the Tennessee legislative season, a committee of lawmakers agreed to give the state’s petroleum companies a big break. The Joint Government Operations Committee approved new rules that shift the financial burden of cleaning up toxic spills at gas stations and truck stops from business owners to taxpayers for […]
In Giles County, private probation companies profited from probationers
Karen McNeil was arrested in 2015 for the misdemeanor offense of driving on a revoked license in Giles County. What happened next nearly broke her. Sentenced to four months of probation under the supervision of a private, for-profit company, McNeil’s life soon revolved around the demands of her probation officer. Charged fees she could not […]