News Tipoffs - Tennessee Editors
'AMERICAN IDOL' RENEWED FOR LANDMARK 25TH SEASON ON ABC AND DISNEY+
BURBANK, California, July 29 [Category: BizArts/Cultural] -- ABC, a division of Walt Disney, posted the following news release:
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'AMERICAN IDOL' RENEWED FOR LANDMARK 25TH SEASON ON ABC AND DISNEY+
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* "American Idol," the iconic series that revolutionized the television landscape by pioneering the music competition genre, returns for a monumental 25th
* The search for a superstar begins when "American Idol" premieres next year on ABC and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Once liv
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'Communication is not a luxury': APSU's speech-language pathology program earns national accreditation
CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee, July 29 -- Austin Peay State University posted the following news:
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'Communication is not a luxury': APSU's speech-language pathology program earns national accreditation
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APSU's newly accredited Master of Speech-Language Pathology (MSLP) program combines rigorous coursework with hands-on clinical training, preparing students to meet the needs of individuals with communication disorders. | Photo by Sean McCully
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -As Tennessee faces a growing s
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2026 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan Recognized in Cars.com's Best Cars for Car Seats
HERNDON, Virginia, July 30 -- Volkswagen Group of America issued the following news release:
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2026 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan recognized in Cars.com's Best Cars for Car Seats
* Tiguan receives a perfect score in its Car Seat Check
* Atlas returns as top finisher
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Reston, VA -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan has been named one of two winners in Cars.com's Best Cars for Car Seats testing, while Atlas earned recognition as a Top Finis
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AG Skrmetti Opens Arguments in Meta Trial
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 28 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Tennessee Bar Association posted the following commentary blog:
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AG Skrmetti Opens Arguments in Meta Trial
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Tennessee's trial against Meta Platforms opened Monday in Nashville, with Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti arguing that Instagram was designed to be addictive and harmful to children, and that the company concealed those risks, The Tennessee Journal reports.
The state presented internal Meta documents and emails
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Attorney General Alan Wilson pushes federal government to strengthen "Know Your Customer" rules in effort to combat illegal robocalls
COLUMBIA, South Carolina, July 28 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news:
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Attorney General Alan Wilson pushes federal government to strengthen "Know Your Customer" rules in effort to combat illegal robocalls
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(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - Attorney General Alan Wilson and a bipartisan coalition of 49 other attorneys general are pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules to help prevent scammers from usin
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Attorney General Brenna Bird Continues Fight to Combat Illegal Robocalls
DES MOINES, Iowa, July 28 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Brenna Bird Continues Fight to Combat Illegal Robocalls
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DES MOINES-Attorney General Brenna Bird joined a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general today urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules to help prevent scammers from using the U.S. communications network to make illegal robocalls. KYC rules require ph
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Attorney General James Urges Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules to Stop Illegal Robocalls
ALBANY, New York, July 29 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release:
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Attorney General James Urges Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules to Stop Illegal Robocalls
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July 29, 2026
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 49 other attorneys general urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules to help prevent scammers from making illegal ro
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Attorney General Jeff Jackson Leads Bipartisan AGs Pushing Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules to Combat Illegal Robocalls
RALEIGH, North Carolina, July 28 -- North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jeff Jackson Leads Bipartisan AGs Pushing Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules to Combat Illegal Robocalls
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RALEIGH-Attorney General Jeff Jackson is leading a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules to help prevent scammers fro
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Attorney General Rayfield Pushes for Stronger Rules to Combat Illegal Robocalls
SALEM, Oregon, July 28 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Rayfield Pushes for Stronger Rules to Combat Illegal Robocalls
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#Last year, Americans received more than 29.6 billion scam robocalls and texts and lost nearly $2 billion to these scams
At best, robocalls are a growing and persistent nuisance. At worst, they're the source of scams that steal millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims. Today, Attorney General Dan Rayfie
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Attorney General Tong Pushes Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules in Effort to Combat Illegal Robocalls
HARTFORD, Connecticut, July 28 -- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Tong Pushes Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules in Effort to Combat Illegal Robocalls
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Press Releases
(Hartford, CT)- Attorney General William Tong and a bipartisan coalition 49 other attorneys general are pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules to help prevent scammers from
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Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF and Hanover Family Foundation Invest $530,000 in Nursing Student Success
MEMPHIS, Tennessee, July 29 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center posted the following news:
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Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF and Hanover Family Foundation Invest $530,000 in Nursing Student Success
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The Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF and the Hanover Family Foundation have made a combined $530,000 gift to the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Nursing to strengthen student success initiatives that help undergraduate students thrive academically, persist to gra
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Blackburn to Newsmax: Senate Should Remain Until SAVE America Act Passes
WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release:
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Blackburn to Newsmax: Senate Should Remain Until SAVE America Act Passes
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called on the Senate to remain in session until it passes the SAVE America Act during an appearance on Newsmax's Wake Up America. Last week, Senator Blackburn led her colleagues in taking to the Senate floor to urge the Senate to pass the bill following P
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Built to last: Alumnus Stephen Shankles '08 transforms a passion for woodworking into a gift to the College that shaped him
MARYVILLE, Tennessee, July 29 -- Maryville College posted the following news:
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Built to last: Alumnus Stephen Shankles '08 transforms a passion for woodworking into a gift to the College that shaped him
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Who knows what it was about Mountain Sage Gallery that whispered to Stephen Shankles '08, but it may well have been the ties to his alma mater that convinced him to pull in that day during his senior year at Maryville College.
The shop, one of those bucolic little treasure troves of h
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CAIR Urges Tenn. State Lawmaker Who Calls for Banning Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism to Visit Mosque, Temples
WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on July 29, 2026:
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CAIR Urges Tenn. State Lawmaker Who Calls for Banning Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism to Visit Mosque, Temples
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, today urged a Tennessee state lawmaker who called for banning Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other non-Christian religions to visit a local mosque, Buddhis
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Center on Budget & Policy Priorities: To Better Serve Participants, States Should Maximize Choice and Flexibility in the WIC Food Package
WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued the following commentary on July 29, 2026, by Ashley Blair, a community health advocate:
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To Better Serve Participants, States Should Maximize Choice and Flexibility in the WIC Food Package
As part of a family that thrives on a plant-based diet of nutritious foods, the groceries I'm able to get with my WIC benefits have made a huge difference in both my life and my children's lives. I especially value how the varie
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Dr. Sherryl Byrd King Study Abroad Endowment expands international education opportunities for Tennessee Tech students
COOKEVILLE, Tennessee, July 29 -- Tennessee Technological University issued the following news release:
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Dr. Sherryl Byrd King Study Abroad Endowment expands international education opportunities for Tennessee Tech students
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A Tennessee Tech University alumna's passion for global learning is creating new opportunities for students to explore the world through the Dr. Sherryl Byrd King Study Abroad Endowment.
Sherryl Byrd King ('80 clothing merchandising, '82 M.A.) created the endowmen
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ETSU medical student named 2026 Tillman Scholar
JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, July 29 -- East Tennessee State University posted the following news:
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ETSU medical student named 2026 Tillman Scholar
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Jake Berens, a medical student at East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine, was named a 2026 Tillman Scholar.
Since its launch in 2008, the Tillman Scholar Program has supported active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses by providing academic scholarships, professional development opportunities and access
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Execution Challenge Tests State Secrecy Law
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 28 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Tennessee Bar Association posted the following commentary blog:
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Execution Challenge Tests State Secrecy Law
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The question of whether Dr. Mark Walton Fowler will perform the scheduled Aug. 13 execution of Darrell Hines is testing a state law requiring that participants in executions remain anonymous.
The Nashville Banner reports that the Fowler, a family medicine doctor from Union City, was first inadvertently unmasked to the
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Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Request Inclusion of All Students in Trump's School Choice Initiative
PIERRE, South Dakota, July 28 -- Gov. Larry Rhoden, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release:
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Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Request Inclusion of All Students in Trump's School Choice Initiative
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Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Request Inclusion of All Students in President Trump's School Choice Initiative
PIERRE, S.D. - Today, Governor Larry Rhoden and the America First Policy Institute's Governors' Council sent a letter to United States Department of the Treasury, requesting them t
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Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Support SAVE Act
PIERRE, South Dakota, July 29 -- Gov. Larry Rhoden, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release:
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Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Support SAVE Act
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PIERRE, S.D. - Today, Governor Larry Rhoden and 22 fellow Republican governors sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump, supporting his call for the United States Senate to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. You can find the letter here.
"America is back-but one critical challenge remains: no nation can re
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Montana State football to visit White House to celebrate national championship
BOZEMAN, Montana, July 28 -- Montana State University issued the following news:
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Montana State football to visit White House to celebrate national championship
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Montana State University defeated Illinois State University on Jan. 5, 2026, to claim their first national title since 1984.
BOZEMAN -The Montana State University Bobcats football team will be in Washington, D.C., tomorrow to be honored at the White House, capping a championship season that ended with the
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N.M. A.G. Torrez Pushes Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules in Effort to Combat Illegal Robocalls
SANTA FE, New Mexico, July 30 -- New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez issued the following news release on July 29, 2026:
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Attorney General Raul Torrez Pushes Federal Government to Strengthen Know Your Customer Rules in Effort to Combat Illegal Robocalls
Albuquerque, NM - Attorney General Raul Torrez, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general, is pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) rules to help prevent scam
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Nashville Council Weighs Tighter Oversight of Opioid Funds After Audit
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 28 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Tennessee Bar Association posted the following commentary blog:
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Nashville Council Weighs Tighter Oversight of Opioid Funds After Audit
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Nashville has received more than $13 million in opioid settlement funds, currently administered by the Metro Public Health Department, to support substance use treatment programs.
WPLN reports that a June audit flagged significant management concerns with the program, most notably inadequate
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Ninety Teachers Participate in National Education Initiative at Library of Congress
WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Library of Congress issued the following news:
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Ninety Teachers Participate in National Education Initiative at Library of Congress
Selected Teachers Represent 21 States
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Ninety educators from across the United States participated in the 2026 Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute, part of the Teaching with Primary Sources program. The educators were chosen from a pool of nearly 200 applicants.
Each year, the Library of Congress provides the opportuni
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Okafor named president-elect of ACVPM Epidemiology Specialty
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, July 29 -- The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release:
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Okafor named president-elect of ACVPM Epidemiology Specialty
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University of Tennessee Veterinary Public Health faculty member will help lead a national specialty in Veterinary Epidemiology before assuming the presidency in 2027
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Associate Professor and Director of Veterinary Public Health at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medici
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Pallone Demands Answers from SpaceXAI About Its Data Center Threats to Tennessee & Mississippi Communities
WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
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Pallone Demands Answers from SpaceXAI About Its Data Center Threats to Tennessee & Mississippi Communities
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Top Energy and Commerce Committee Democrat Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a letter to SpaceXAI Founder and CEO Elon Musk demanding answers for the threats that the company's Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 data centers are posing to Tennessee and Mississippi communities. The letter comes as
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Renowned scholar Pratim Biswas named to lead Vanderbilt Engineering initiatives at West Palm Beach campus
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 29 -- Vanderbilt University School of Engineering posted the following news:
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Renowned scholar Pratim Biswas named to lead Vanderbilt Engineering initiatives at West Palm Beach campus
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Pratim Biswas, a leading academic leader, member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a renowned aerosol scientist whose work has applications in energy and environmental nanotechnology, solar energy, air quality, medicine, and numerous other fields, has been named the i
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Rep. Van Epps Celebrates the Anniversary of NASA's Founding
WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on July 29, 2026:
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Rep. Van Epps Celebrates the Anniversary of NASA's Founding
Today, Rep. Van Epps Celebrates the Anniversary of NASA's Founding.
Today, Rep. Van Epps released the following message in celebration of NASA's founding. As a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Rep. Van Epps is focused on ensuring the United States remains at the forefront of innovation, particular
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Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Sets Aug. 5 Business Meeting
WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued the following information for a business meeting at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2026, at 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building:
AGENDA
Legislation
1. S. Res. ____, an original resolution regarding Contempt of Congress;
2. S. 2732, Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2025;
3. S. 2733, Duplication Scoring Act of 2025;
4. S. 252/H.R. 1515, Guidance Out Of Darkness (GOOD) Act;
5. S. 164/H.R. 77, Midnight Rules Relie
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Taufer Leads Team Awarded $9M by NSF To Enable US Transition to AI-Driven Discovery
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, July 29 -- The University of Tennessee posted the following news:
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Taufer Leads Team Awarded $9M by NSF To Enable US Transition to AI-Driven Discovery
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A project led by Michela Taufer, MathWorks Professor in the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been awarded $9 million by the National Science Foundation. The project aims to accelerate AI-driven scientific discovery by enabling researchers to securely discover, access, ana
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Tenn. Economic Dept.: Bridgetown Natural Foods to Expand in Wilson County, Add New Production Line
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 30 -- The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development issued the following news on July 29, 2026:
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Bridgetown Natural Foods to Expand in Wilson County, Add New Production Line
Highlights
* Innovative and sustainable food producer to create 237 new jobs
* New product line included in new $24M+ investment
* Expansion comes two years after company's announcement to locate facility in Tennessee
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Deputy Gov. and Departme
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TVA Gift Helps Restore Ole Miss Tree Canopy
OXFORD, Mississippi, July 29 -- The University of Mississippi posted the following news:
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TVA Gift Helps Restore Ole Miss Tree Canopy
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OXFORD, Miss. - The Tennessee Valley Authority donated $50,000 to the University of Mississippi to help restore the campus tree canopy after the devastation caused by winter storm "Fern," reflecting TVA's commitment to environmental stewardship, community resilience and the long-term health of natural resources across the region.
The storm caused signi
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Two UTC students finding their route at Steam Logistics
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, July 29 -- The University of Tennessee Chattanooga Campus posted the following news:
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Two UTC students finding their route at Steam Logistics
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Steam Logistics Domestic Division President Jeff Wood (left), UTC student Lance Nelson, Steam Logistics Executive Vice President of Sales Travis Cook and UTC student Mason McKinnon meet on the company's rooftop patio during the students' summer internships.
When University of Tennessee at Chattanooga student Lance Nelson
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards Cherokee National Forest debris removal contract
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama, July 29 -- The U.S. Army Contracting Command posted the following news:
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards Cherokee National Forest debris removal contract
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Erwin, Tenn. (July 29, 2026) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District has awarded a critical contract to safely and effectively remove debris deposited by Hurricane Helene on federally owned lands and waters within the Cherokee National Forest.
Late Friday, July 24, USACE awarded the $33.7
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When a class of strangers becomes a community
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, July 29 -- Calvin University posted the following news:
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When a class of strangers becomes a community
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"People sometimes think cool stuff only happens in upper-division or specialized courses. But at Calvin, it begins in core classes," said Jennifer Holberg, professor of English. "We don't think of core as 'jumping through hoops,' but rather building really important skills and habits that are at the heart of the liberal arts."
At Calvin, English 101 is one of
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White House: Crime Plummets to Another Historic Low Under President Trump
WASHINGTON, July 30 (TNSrep) -- The White House issued the following news:
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Crime Plummets to Another Historic Low Under President Trump
Under President Donald J. Trump, violent crime is collapsing at a pace unmatched in modern American history. A new mid-year report confirms that homicides are again on track to reach the lowest level in more than a century -- building on last year's extraordinary progress and delivering on one of President Trump's core promises to restore law and order
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With Primary Win, Rep. Towns Unlikely to Remain in House
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, July 28 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Tennessee Bar Association posted the following commentary blog:
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With Primary Win, Rep. Towns Unlikely to Remain in House
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Longtime Rep. Joe Towns, D-Memphis, is unlikely to remain in the Tennessee House of Representatives after winning the Democratic primary for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk this spring, according to the Tennessee Journal.
Towns faces Republican Edquardo Jamison in the Aug. 6 general election for the cl
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