Tennessee
Tennessee Black Caucus fires off at comptroller over comments made about TSU
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Black Caucus sent a blistering letter to Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower about his comments about the former Tennessee State University president and the idea of selling its downtown real estate footprint.
The state has been back and forth about the historic Black college since November about its financial footing. Throughout the fall, TSU was quietly asking the state to help keep it afloat, especially when it couldn’t make payroll in November without extra resources. The new board met and discussed that without intervention the school would face a $46 million deficit by the end of the school year.
However, the Tennessee Black Caucus — made up of Black Tennessee state legislators — has now called out Mumpower for his dealing with the situation as it unfolded across the last state building commission in December. That is when the school and state leaders talked about turning the school’s finances in a better direction.
“TSU has faced systemic, historic underfunding and it is troubling for the State of Tennessee to spend decades diverting resources from TSU while criticizing the institution’s financial stability,” lawmakers wrote collectively. “TSU’s challenges require collaboration and equitable support, not condemnation or divisive rhetoric.”
The state acknowledges it still owes TSU for underfunding in the past. The state said half a billion was owed in 2022, while the federal government said that number is actually $2.1 billion. By the state’s own calculation, it still owes TSU $250,000. Underfunding calculations boil down to the school’s status as a land-grant school, when Black students couldn’t attend the University of Tennessee-Knoxville during segregation.
Rather than allowing Black students to openly attend, Tennessee created a racially divided higher education system until the 1970s.
Through federal law, TSU was given the same funding status as the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in that the two were given resources for land and later should have been given the same state appropriations for agriculture extension offices and expanding their academic programs.
Though not focused on underfunding entirely in their letter, Black lawmakers said they were upset by Mumpower’s comments about former TSU president Glenda Glover, who was awarded a $1.7 million contract to both leave her top position at the school and become a president emeritus to the university the four years following. The contract started in the summer but with the former board’s approval. Gov. Bill Lee vacated that same board in March.
“I appreciate all of you who are here,” Mumpower said in the December State Building Commission. “I have great appreciation you dismissed your prior general counsel and your work with AG’s office to cancel the contract of someone who has made out like a bandit on a legacy of dysfunction. No parking place, Titans football tickets. Are you done?”
The Black Caucus said they found those comments disrespectful.
“Your aggressive line of questioning regarding whether TSU has severed all ties with its former president, Dr. Glenda Glover, even down to a
‘parking place’ demonstrated a lack of respect and understanding,” the caucus wrote together. “Your assertion that Dr. Glover ‘made out like a bandit while leaving only a legacy of dysfunction’ is deeply troubling. Dr. Glover has been an asset to the university in many ways and has brought national acclaim to the institution. During discussions about the future of the university, you seem to go out of your way to disparage and disrespect Dr. Glover. Your attempts to undermine her legacy are unwarranted and unacceptable.”
In Glover’s contract obtained by NewsChannel 5 through a records request, a clause is written for Glover’s parking spot, an executive assistant and access to the school’s seats at Nissan Stadium for both Tigers’ games and the Tennessee Titans.
The Black Caucus also wrote that the Comptroller should consider discontinuing the idea of selling the Avon Williams campus, which has a downtown footprint off Charlotte Avenue. TSU received the property during a 40-year lawsuit with the state for both TSU and UTK to have equal funding and to stop having dual higher education systems based on race.
The Avon Williams was originally owned by the University of Tennessee as a continuing education center that started in 1947.
Mumpower suggested TSU leadership look into selling their downtown campus to help their financial state.
“The suggestion of selling TSU assets to developers raises serious ethical concerns,” the lawmakers wrote. “Rather than proposing solutions that could destabilize the university further, we need to focus on supporting TSU, particularly given its long history of underfunding compared to peer institutions such as the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.”
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at emily.west@newschannel5.com.
What makes life worth living? These Nashville students have an idea
What makes life worth living? A Vanderbilt professor tasked his students with answering that question and Photojournalist Bud Nelson captures the beauty and hope of their answers. These students are wise beyond their years and a light in this world. Enjoy!
-Carrie Sharp
Tennessee
Tennessee AMC theater worker, 85, receives $146K from strangers for retirement after viral video
A viral Tennessee movie theater worker, 85, was surprised with $146K as strangers rallied together to help her “enjoy retirement.”
Mary Ellen Eron was seen hauling a heavy black garbage bag and pushing a cleaning cart during her shift at the theater in Maryville, Tenn., which has since been viewed more than 13 million times.
“Let’s secretly help retire this beautiful woman. No one deserves to work at this age,” movie customer Brooklyn Green, who filmed the video, captioned the post.
Green launched a fundraiser last weekend after watching Mary, who has been a movie theater staffer for 45 years, hard at work – even though she’s a stranger.
“I knew nothing about her. I didn’t even know her name when I went to the theater,” Green told WATE reported. “I just decided that she was working so hard, and I aspired to be like her one day.
“Her physical appearance didn’t look too comfortable, especially since the way she was working so hard.”
Green set a target of $200,000 – and she raised $146,317 before pausing donations. More than 7,500 people donated to the charitable cause.
On Wednesday, Green posted the moment that she presented Eron, who helps the homeless and her local church, with the total figures from the crowdfunding page.
“Oh my goodness. That’s a lot of money,” Eron said as she realized the number on the piece of paper.
“That’s a lot of money and you deserve every bit of it,” Green said.
The clip also featured a message from Eron, who addressed the people who had contributed.
“Thank you so very much to all the wonderful people that have donated money to the GoFundMe,” she said.
“I’m overwhelmed and certainly blessed by the Lord and you wonderful people. Thank you once more.”
The theater’s manager revealed it will be Eron’s decision when she retires.
The Tennessee Volunteers have had their fair share of bad news as of late when it comes to the college baseball transfer portal, but luckily, they have received some great news.
The great news that they have received is that they will be returning one of their breakout stars from this past college baseball season, as he has no intentions of entering the college baseball transfer portal.
Trent Grindlinger Will Return to Tennessee
The player who is set to return to Tennessee is Trent Grindlinger, who was electric this season and is expected to be a future top 10 MLB draft pick. This is expected for the first draft that he is eligible for, which is the 2027 MLB Draft rather than this upcoming draft that will feature multiple Vols, including Tennessee ACE, Tegan Kuhns.
Grindlinger finished last season with a batting average of .345, while hitting eight home runs and only striking out 28 times. This would be an electric season for the talented Volunteers’ batter, and he is set for a season that could and should be even better than that, which would be good enough to consider for some major college baseball end-of-the-season awards. He is just one of the few players who opted to stay and return rather than enter their name into the college baseball transfer portal, but if they were going to return anyone, he is the player they would want to return in the field.
Had he entered the transfer portal, there wouldn’t be a single college in the nation that wouldn’t want to add him, as every college would want to add the elite prospect. Not only that, but he would become the nation’s No. 1 player on the portal more than likely.
Luckily for the Vols, though, they don’t have to worry about that.
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Tennessee
Franklin police ticket 13-year-old after e-bike crash, and a new Tennessee law brings more changes July 1
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Franklin police cited a 13-year-old following a crash involving a motorized bike, and a new Tennessee law taking effect July 1 will bring additional restrictions for young riders.
On April 21, Franklin officers responded to a fender bender at the Interstate 65 off-ramp at the Goose Creek Bypass involving a 13-year-old on a motorized bike and a vehicle. Both the teen and the adult driver were waiting for officers when they arrived. The woman behind the wheel was visibly shaken and told officers the bike came out of nowhere while she was attempting to turn right on red.
The bike turned out to be more powerful than a standard e-bicycle. Under the law, it is not considered a bicycle at all — it is classified as a motor scooter, which falls under different laws than Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes.
“Downside is kids are about to get a bunch of tickets. He can’t ride that e-bike because it’s not just an e-bike — too much voltage, it’s a motor scooter,” Officer Spry with the Franklin Traffic Unit said.
“He can’t be on a sidewalk, he has to be in a bike lane, and it can’t be more than 28 miles an hour,” Spry said.
The driver of the car was cited for failure to exercise due care. The 13-year-old was cited for several violations, including not having a driver’s license, insurance, or registration. Franklin police say the citations issued to the teen are all appropriate under current law. Officers told the teen’s parent the citations would need to be answered in juvenile court. The family promised to trade the bike in for something safer.
Spry made clear this is not an isolated case.
“You’re not the only one that I’ve written this ticket to,” Spry said.
“This is probably one of the greatest opportunities for us to provide safety and save a life that we’ll ever see,” Franklin Alderman Greg Caesar said.
Starting July 1, only those 16 years and older will be legally allowed to ride Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour. The new law changes the age of those allowed to operate Class 3 e-bikes and does not affect the motor scooter classification that applied in this case.
Franklin city leaders are debating changes to local e-bike laws. Alderman Greg Caesar described it as a nuanced problem but said educating parents should start now.
“It needs to be considered, as some of these e-bikes and riders can do real and significant damage,” Caesar said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Students help relaunch donation drive for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don’t have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
– Lelan Statom
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