The Tennessee Board of Parole on Tuesday recommended a pardon for country music star Jelly Roll, a Nashville native who has spoken openly about his criminal history and what it has taken to overcome it. The board’s action leaves the final decision on a pardon up to Gov. Bill Lee.
Paul House, who spent two decades on Tennessee’s death row before he was freed, has died
Attorney Emily Elison says he died on March 22 of complications from pneumonia after living for years with multiple sclerosis. He was 63.
Viral videos of Nashville dogs called a ‘Himalayan fur goblin’ and ‘teacup werewolf’ boost adoptions
When the COVID pandemic practically shut down Nashville’s animal shelters, a volunteer photographer tried something different to get more dogs adopted. She posted videos to showcase the different dogs’ personalities. Their popularity has led to an increase in both donations and adoptions.
A hidden gem of whitewater rafting faces an uncertain future after Hurricane Helene
Whitewater outfitters on the Nolichucky River are facing an uncertain future after Hurricane Helene. The storm washed a CSX rail line into the river. Now heavy equipment is crawling all over the wild, remote gorge, and outfitters haven’t heard whether the U.S. Forest Service plans to issue permits for them to operate.
Tennessee reverses course, releases redacted execution manual with vague details
Tennessee’s Department of Correction has released a redacted version of its newly completed execution manual after initially refusing to do so. The 44-page document blacks out sporadic titles and team names, and omits previously detailed steps on carrying out the death penalty in the Volunteer State.
Tennessee is refusing to release its new execution manual. Here is why it matters
Tennessee prison officials say they won’t publicly release the the state’s latest manual for executing death row inmates. In an email Monday, Tennessee correction official Kayla Hackney denied a public records request from The Associated Press.
In Tennessee case, federal appeals court says there is no fundamental right to change one’s sex on a birth certificate
The majority opinion of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel found, “There is no fundamental right to a birth certificate recording gender identity instead of biological sex.”
Judge says Nashville school shooter’s writings can’t be released as victims’ families have copyright
The withholding of the writings has been particularly controversial because some people see the shooting as a hate crime against Christians and believe the journals will prove it.
Federal judge sentences 4 anti-abortion activists for a 2021 Tennessee clinic blockade
All four were convicted of serious felony conspiracy charges, leading to sentences that were below what prosecutors requested. Six co-defendants have yet to be sentenced.
For the endangered Nashville crayfish, its rebound is both good and bad news
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering removing the Nashville crayfish from the endangered species list.
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