Tennessee
Tennessee lawmakers begin special session on public safety Monday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Monday the Tennessee General Assembly will be back at the State Capitol for a special session on public safety.
After the Covenant School shooting, protesters were at the Capitol demanding more gun laws. Metro Police have set up mobile cameras ahead of the special session to prepare for the possibility of more protests.
The shooting happened in March in the middle of the regular legislative session. However, Republican lawmakers refused to take up any gun safety bills in response to the shooting during that time.
Republicans especially shot down a bill Governor Bill Lee proposed himself that would allow someone to ask a judge to remove firearms from someone who poses a threat to themselves or others. Whether it’s known as a ‘Red Flag law,’ ‘Extreme Risk law,’ or an ’emergency order of protection,’ state Republicans have made it clear they want nothing like it.
That is why Governor Bill Lee announced a special session to make legislators focus on gun safety. Earlier this month, ahead of the special session, Lee laid out his legislative priorities. They focused on mental health, including keeping more mental health professionals in Tennessee and promoting safe storage of guns.
Dozens of otherbills have been filed ahead of the session that would create more severe consequences around guns and require more safety measures in schools.
Activist groups who were seen protesting at the Capitol following the Covenant School shooting, including Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, and Every Town for Gun Safety, said what they are seeing so far is not enough.
They said the language doesn’t allow for a meaningful Extreme Risk law and the proposed bills do not significantly address gun violence. The groups plan to hold a press conference at the Cordell Hull building ahead of the session tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. expressing this concern.
The special session starts at 4 p.m. tomorrow and NewsChannel 5 will have coverage on what is happening both inside and outside the Capitol throughout.
Tennessee
Tennessee father and son win big on $1M scratch-off: ‘I ain’t ever eating bologna again’
They won big, no baloney!
A Tennessee father and son duo vowed they’d be eating like kings after winning nearly $1 million on a $20 scratch-off ticket.
Jody — who chose not to share his last name — father purchased a $1 million Casino Nights Kentucky Lottery scratch-off game at a gas station in Adairville, Kentucky, on June 8, according to the Kentucky Lottery.
After purchasing the ticket, Jody’s father, whose name wasn’t revealed, couldn’t wait to play and began scratching the ticket right at the Adairville Market, which is roughly 12 miles away from Springfield, Tennessee, where Jody lives.
“I said [to the clerk], ‘If I hit this million dollars, I ain’t ever eating bologna again,’” the father said, according to lottery officials.
The top prize was revealed within the first couple of rows, and he matched the three key symbols next to the top prize amount.
“It kind of shocked me,” the father said.
Ecstatic over the win, Jody’s father said he called his son immediately to break the joyful news.
“He went, ‘You’ll never believe what I just did,’” Jody told lottery officials.
“And, I said, ‘what?’ He said, ‘We just won a $1,000,000!’ I was sitting there thinking, yeah right, I don’t believe you!”
Jody’s father then hightailed over to his son’s home, where the two planned on driving to Kentucky Lottery Headquarters that following Monday and discussed how they would claim the prize.
The father-son team arrived at headquarters in Louisville on June 10 and opted for the lump sum of $700k.
Large lotto winners can choose between taking their winnings home as a lump sum or annuity payments.
But while at the headquarters to claim their prize, finding out that they had won a life-changing amount of money didn’t stop the father from performing chores around the house.
Jody’s father shared that he still hopped on his lawnmower and mowed his yard while they waited over the weekend to cash in the ticket, according to officials.
Jody shared that the duo planned to invest their new money after paying off all their bills.
“Houses are paid off. Cars paid off, done. We will be bill-free probably next week,” Jody shared.
“You become debt free, and you don’t have any bills.”
Since the father and son opted for the lump sum, lottery officials said they took home a check for $504,000 after taxes.
The gas station where the lucky ticket was bought will also receive a check for $7,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Tennessee
Nashville gets first rainbow crosswalk to support LGBTQ community • Tennessee Lookout
Hundreds of Middle Tennesseans gathered near in East Nashville Saturday to paint the city’s first rainbow crosswalks as a celebration of LGBTQ pride.
The event, which was sponsored by Metro Councilman Clay Capp, drew scores of elected officials, community members and a couple of protesters.
The crosswalk intersection at 14 and Woodland Streets is in front of the Lipstick Lounge, which opened in 2003 is one of only 20 lesbian bars in the U.S.
Nashville elected officials begin painting a rainbow crosswalk outside the Lipstick Lounge in East Nashville.
(Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
A street preacher with his Bible admonished participants painting the rainbow crosswalk. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Metro Nashville Councilmember-at-Large Olivia Hill gives the peace sign to everyone before painting. (Photo:John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Heather Sapphire, Kennedy Ann Scott and others start painting the crosswalk. (Photo:John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Tennessee
James Pearce Jr. Headlines Top Returning Players List
Tennessee football’s James Pearce Jr. headlines a list of the top 25 returning players in college football for 2024 season.
The Tennessee Volunteers are entering an exciting 2024 season. They will have some new faces on both sides of the ball while also returning several key contributors from a season ago. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has garnered quite a bit of attention this offseason as he prepares to be the full-time starter, but edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is perhaps the most notable name amongst the group.
Pearce Jr. has been labeled as one of the top players in college football and as a potential first-overall pick for the 2025 NFL draft. He is the focal point of Tennessee’s defense and will play a huge factor in the Volunteers’ success this season. 247 sports released their list of top 25 returning players for the 2024 college football season, and Pearce Jr. came in at number one on the list. Here is what the outlet wrote about him:
“Pearce ranks in a tie for the fourth most sacks amongst returning players after he racked up 10 last season as the SEC’s top edge rusher. He is the early favorite to come off the board first at the 2025 NFL Draft.”
Last season, Pearce Jr. racked up 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 28 total tackles as a sophomore. Some outlets are claiming he is the best player in college football, and he is certainly one of, if not, the best edge defenders in the sport.
Brett Kollmann annually ranks hundreds of prospects for the NFL Draft cycle and has gotten an early start on his homework for next year’s class. He took to X on Tuesday afternoon to give Pearce an interesting NFL comparison. Aldon Smith.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Aldon Smith with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He made an All-Pro first-team during his second season in the NFL, tallying 19.5 sacks and becoming one of the league’s breakout stars. Off-field concerns derailed his career, but his playing heights were extremely high. Pearce was a consensus All-SEC first-team selection during his sophomore season and hopes to achieve even greater things next year.
If Pearce Jr. goes first overall, he would be the first Volunteer to do so since 1998 when quarterback Peyton Manning was the first name called. He has already joined an elite list of college football players, but he has the opportunity to do some very special things in 2024 and put him even higher up on those lists and deeper into Tennessee history books.
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