Investigates
State appeals ruling that warrantless searches by wildlife officers are unconstitutional
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will appeal a judicial panel’s ruling that warrantless searches on private lands to enforce hunting, fishing and wildlife laws are unconstitutional. The ruling last month by the three-judge panel concluded that TWRA’s searches without permission or notice to property owners — and without appearing before a judge to show probable […]
Murfreesboro mortuary settles suit in corpse “abuse” case
A Murfreesboro funeral home named in a federal lawsuit for allegedly abusing the bodies of deceased immigrants has settled with the victim’s family. On April 6, Nelson and Sons Memorial Chapel settled with the family of Freddy Aroldo Cristotomo, who died in October 2019. Nelson was one of five funeral homes named by multiple families […]
Tennessee Health Department, TDEC, confirm toxic waste at Anderson County playground
State regulators have confirmed the presence of Tennessee Valley Authority radioactive coal ash waste at a playground in Anderson County — confirming the findings last year of a Duke University study that first revealed the threat to children playing there. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Department of Health issued a […]
OSHA officials admit to shredding documents in Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash case
For two months, teams of workers had been toiling around the clock to clean up a colossal spill of toxic coal ash unleashed in East Tennessee when a containment wall buckled, loosing millions of tons of the sludge across the landscape. They were working unprotected, secure in the knowledge they were safe because the Tennessee […]
Knox County taxpayers off the hook for bill from San Francisco law firm
Knox County taxpayers were at risk of footing the legal bills of a San Francisco law firm their elected leaders didn’t hire or approve to fight a judicial mask mandate their own government is already fighting on their dime — until the Tennessee Lookout asked their mayor about it. The Tennessee Lookout on Thursday morning […]
Federal judge in Tennessee dismisses suits on behalf of Gatlinburg wildfire victims
A federal judge has dismissed a slew of lawsuits filed on behalf of hundreds of victims of a deadly wildfire that swept through Gatlinburg more than five years ago. U.S. District Court Judge Ronnie Greer says the wildfire victims failed in preliminary claim forms to warn the National Park Service that they intended to accuse […]
City of Knoxville forcing Netflix, Hulu fee case to Tennessee Supreme Court
The City of Knoxville is leading an effort in Tennessee to use the judicial system to try to force video streaming providers Netflix and Hulu to pay local governments the same operational fees assessed to cable television firms, court records show. If the city’s proposed class-action lawsuit is successful, it could impact both the pricing […]
Tennessee Rep. Bud Hulsey confirms he was served with federal subpoena
Only one state House member other than Speaker Cameron Sexton admitted Wednesday to being subpoenaed this week to testify before a federal grand jury. Rep. Bud Hulsey confirmed to the Tennessee Lookout he was served Tuesday as part of a federal probe into corruption on Capitol Hill. Hulsey speculated the grand jury wants to interview […]
Wildlife officials scale down deforestation plans in White County
State wildlife officials have reluctantly scaled back plans to raze large portions of forest on public land in rural White County after blowback from local residents, a threatened lawsuit and the demand last week from a bipartisan group of 34 Tennessee lawmakers to “stop all action on the plan immediately.” The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, […]
$200M TNInvestco program winds down, serving as a cautionary tale for some Tennessee lawmakers
Steve Berneman began working on a gaming startup in Austin, Texas. In 2012, he moved to Nashville, where he could access investment capital for the company through a new $200 million program funded by the state of Tennessee called TNInvestco. His company, Overdog, grew to about 15 employees before it was acquired by a New […]
Ford megasite atop ‘recharge zone’ for underregulated Memphis Sands aquifer
Ford Motor Co. promises a green future at its Blue Oval campus, where it will produce zero-emissions pickup trucks with advanced batteries. But forthcoming plans and actions in the new year will prove whether the company and the state are committed to protecting the existing environment at the megasite – like the Memphis Sands aquifer […]
Rogue funeral director continues operation
About three months ago, Guliana Miranda and her husband learned they were the only family members in the U.S. who could oversee the funeral proceedings of a recently departed family member and heard about a Spanish-speaking funeral director, Reid Van Ness, who could help them. They knew Dolores Jimenez Garcia, a relative of her husband, […]