Tennessee
Tennessee funneling resources to eradicate rape kit backlog
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – In response to nationwide criticism about main delays in rape package testing, the state is spending hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to workers up Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) forensic labs, and the federal authorities is sending help, too.
Tennessee’s three state forensic labs are taking wherever from 28 weeks to 49 weeks to course of rape kits, and a backlog of greater than 900 rape kits awaits testing.
The TBI had requested state leaders for more cash to rent extra folks, however that request went unanswered till a horrific tragedy in Memphis made nationwide information.
The time, consideration and cash now being put into the TBI’s rape package testing is lengthy overdue, says Deborah Clubb with the Memphis Space Ladies’s Council, an advocacy group for rape survivors.
”It’s the suitable transfer,” Clubb instructed Motion Information 5, “It ought to have been executed years in the past. We want it. And now let’s make certain it will get executed.”
On Thursday, Governor Invoice Lee introduced state funding for 25 new TBI lab staff: eight in Jackson, which handles Memphis’ testing wants, 11 in Nashville and 6 in Knoxville.
“When TBI processes are working successfully and effectively,” Lee mentioned, “the crime might be decreased.”
To instantly velocity up testing, the TBI will:
- Present extra time to present workers
- Broaden operations to weekends
- Outsource eligible kits to personal labs
- Contract with retired TBI brokers to assist prepare new workers sooner
Additionally Thursday, U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen introduced a $2.9 million federal grant to handle the backlog of rape kits in Tennessee.
”For some crime victims,” Cohen mentioned, “this funding comes too late, however it’s important to carry out well timed DNA pattern testing if justice is to be executed.”
The push for sooner testing comes after the high-profile homicide of Memphis college instructor Eliza Fletcher.
The person charged in her killing, Cleo Abston Henderson, can be charged with raping a younger mom, Alicia Franklin.
Her rape package sat on a shelf, untested for almost a 12 months after her assault. Henderson wasn’t charged along with her rape till after Fletcher’s abduction.
Franklin’s now suing the Metropolis of Memphis, her legal professional insisting if Franklin’s rape case had been dealt with expeditiously final 12 months when it occurred, Eliza Fletcher would nonetheless be alive.
”He (Cleotha Abston Henderson) could be in custody. He wouldn’t be on the streets of Memphis at 4:20 a.m. on September 2,” mentioned legal professional Jeff Rosenblum, “it’s particular Eliza Fletcher wouldn’t be useless.”
For Deborah Clubb, who went to work in 2014 with the Memphis Sexual Assault Activity Drive shaped by Mayor A C Wharton, after a backlog of greater than 12,000 rape kits was present in Memphis police storage, rushing up TBI rape package testing is the ultimate hurdle to serving to sexual assault victims in Tennessee.
”Let’s get all of them executed. Let’s get all the pieces again to zero and strengthen TBI,” Clubb mentioned, “in order that this doesn’t proceed to occur, these builds ups of untested proof.”
TBI Director David Rausch mentioned with all of those new steps, inside the subsequent 12 months, the company ought to be nearer to reaching its purpose of testing all proof inside eight to 12 weeks.
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Tennessee
Tennessee Lands Two Players in MLB Mock Drat
The Tennessee Volunteers’ baseball program has landed two players in the latest 2024 MLB mock draft.
The Tennessee Volunteers took home the 2024 national championship after a historic season and the celebrations don’t look like they will be slowing down any time soon. The 2024 MLB draft is just a little over two weeks out from kicking off and the Volunteers have a couple of candidates that could go in the first round.
MLB.com released their latest version of a first-round 2024 MLB mock draft and two Volunteers were included on the list. Christian Moore was pinned as the 12th overall selection to the Boston Red Sox and Billy Amick 33rd overall to the Minnesota Twins in the supplemental first-round selections. Here is what the outlet wrote about Moore:
“Barring a surprise fall — perhaps Griffin or Rainer? — the Red Sox figure to dip into the second tier of college bats that begins with Tibbs and Moore, though Yesavage is also enticing. This is the ceiling for other members of that group, including Florida State third baseman Cam Smith, Wake Forest third baseman/outfielder Seaver King, Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge, Louisiana State third baseman Tommy White, North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt and Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.”
Moore was one of the best players in Omaha this year. In the first game against Florida State, he became just the second player in college World Series history to hit for the cycle. He was a crucial piece to Tennessee’s national championship-winning team. Over his three years at Tennessee, Moore finished with a .338 batting average, 61 home runs, 160 RBI and 162 starts, which is ironically the same number of games in a full MLB regular season.
Since the college football season came to an end, it has been an eventful offseason for Tennessee athletics. The men’s basketball team made a deep run in the March Madness tournament, the baseball program won its first-ever national title, Dalton Knecht was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA draft and now it looks like the Volunteers will add to that list when the MLB draft rolls around.
The MLB draft will start on July 14th and will run until July 16th. The draft will last 20 total rounds which will allow plenty of other opportunities for more Volunteers to be selected into the major league. The Volunteers have a history of success when it comes to the professional baseball league and it doesn’t look like the 2024 MLB draft will be any different than the previous years.
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Tennessee
8 of the Best Places to Retire in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee Army National Guard puts on Boot Camp for students
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WHNT) — One step at a time, a group of seven students are seeing if they have what it takes to join the Tennessee Army National Guard.
They’re participating in a week-long “boot camp” summer program put on by the Tennessee Army National Guard at Lincoln County High School.
“We just wanted to make sure we had something for the kids in the area to do something over the summer,” said Specialist Bree Bailey, a Recruiter with the Tennessee Army National Guard.
She said that it is rewarding to see the students’ eyes open to new career opportunities within the military because of the camp.
“You see a light bulb go off, that’s for sure,” she said. “They realize that it’s not all about getting deployed and going overseas and all the scary things and the stories that they hear….You’re able to kind of educate them a little bit further on what the military actually is and what it does have to offer, opportunities, doors that can be opened” .”
Throughout the week, the students, who range from 12 to 18 years old, have learned basic medical skills, weapons systems, squad movements, and more.
Specialist Bailey said, “Pretty much by the end of the week, they will be able to run a full mission from start to finish.”
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On Thursday, a Deputy from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office gave the students a hands-on lesson on basic combative skills. That included foot positioning, how to throw a punch and protect yourself.
“We’re going to be soft with it,” Bailey said. “We’re not here to hurt each other, but just to give them a little bit of taste.”
This is the first year that the Tennessee Army National Guard has put on this camp in several years. Specialist Bailey said she looks forward to growing their presence in Lincoln County and hopes next year’s camp is double in size.
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