A judge has declined an effort by the state to throw out a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s school funding formula. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman told attorneys in Nashville that the case will proceed, but she also declined class-action status to the case that would have allowed it to include all 141 school systems in the state. School districts in seven counties, including Coffee and Grundy Counties, are suing the state on claims they are not receiving enough money through the state funding formula to educate their students. If they win their case, the solution...

On Monday, Tennova Healthcare—one of the state’s largest health networks—announced its expansion to Tullahoma with the addition of Harton Regional Medical Center. With this alliance, Harton’s name changes to Tennova Healthcare – Harton. Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville, University Medical Center in Lebanon, Jamestown Regional Medical Center in Jamestown, Heritage Medical Center in Shelbyville and Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma join the system formed over four years ago to enhance access and improve coordination of care for patients in the communities they serve. Tennova is one of the largest healthcare systems in the Volunteer State with 17 hospitals...

Tennessee officials are teaming with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a renewed effort to combat trafficking of SNAP benefits. SNAP is the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. SNAP trafficking refers to the buying or selling of SNAP benefits in exchange for money, drugs, guns, ammunition or any other exchange of value. The Tennessee Department of Human Services is working with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to combat SNAP trafficking. The two agencies are signing a new State Law Enforcement Bureau agreement. The agreement empowers DHS to partner with state and local law...

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is proposing free college tuition for students, but unless or until that policy is put in place, Tennesseans are struggling with student debt. That’s according to an analysis of Experian credit data released by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Their map shows particularly high rates of student loan debt in non-metropolitan areas where incomes are lower. Beyond that, explains Kavya Vaghul, research analyst with the Center, minorities are disproportionately impacted. “Middle-class minorities, the people who are taking out debt to go to college but haven’t been able to find jobs post-graduation or don’t...

  According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, they were requested Sunday by 12th District Attorney General Michael Taylor to work with the Monteagle Police Department in investigating a death at the Monteagle Greene Apartment Complex at 48 Madison Avenue. Around 5 a.m. Sunday, Monteagle Police responded to a report of a woman’s body being found at that complex, having sustained what appeared to be injuries associated with being struck by a motor vehicle. The circumstances surrounding the death are currently being investigated by Agents of the TBI. The victim has been identified as Jennifer Layne, 24. She is...

Early Monday morning around 1:15am, Coffee County Deputy Harmon Campbell responded to a fire to an abandon residence at 751 Henry Cove road. When Deputy Harmon arrived the home was fully engulfed. Harmon says he contacted the power company to have them respond due to the flames getting close to the power lines. Harmon added in his report that he was advised by the Hillsboro Fire department that the power was still on at the house as they were fighting it. The home was a complete loss and it is undermined what started the...