Free Republic

KNOXVILLE — A clerk at a Sunoco convenience store pulled a gun on a would-be robber Sunday evening, apparently thwarting the crime, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Wilson County’s Sen. Mae Beavers on Wednesday withdrew her bill tackling the Affordable Care Act. She said she did so to instead propose a simpler version closer in language to what other states are doing. “We made it much simpler, and that’s just that state employees cannot be commandeered to enact federal laws,” said Beavers following Wednesday’s senate session. The new bill, which is also called the Tennessee Health Care Freedom and ACA Noncompliance Act, is based on similar legislation already introduced in Georgia. It would still prohibit any cooperation by the state or its agencies in implementing or administering...

Library agrees to allow display of full nativity scene after ADF letter to library officials prompts mayor to make request BARTLETT, Tenn. - Officials with the Memphis Public Library System have agreed to allow figures representing the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the wise men back into a nativity scene on the Bartlett Public Library's community shelves. News of a letter to the library by an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund apparently prompted the mayor of the city of Bartlett to ask the library to reverse their decision to exclude the figures. "I'm sure just about everyone would rather...

A detained Mexican woman who had been shackled to her hospital bed while giving birth in Nashville will receive $490,000 in a settlement and also has the prospect of a resident visa.The monetary settlement, which was approved on Tuesday by the council governing Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn., closes a five-year legal battle that began when the woman, Juana Villegas, was arrested in July 2008 after a traffic stop in a Nashville suburb. And in an unusual move, a federal judge has urged immigration authorities to give Ms. Villegas a special visa that is generally offered to crime victims. The...

In 2006, then-Governor Phil Bredesen signed CoverTennessee into law giving thousands of people not purged off TennCare access to some type of health care. It not only helped small business owners, but also struggling families and children. Fast forward to today the state says the looming Affordable Care Act means the program has to go away because it doesn't meet new federal guidelines that begin January 1st.

This heartening news just came in from the Middle Tennessee Chapter of ACT! For America. The anti-Shariah activists of Middle Tennessee managed to persuade the state textbook commission not to approve the purchase of high school textbooks that sanitize the history and doctrines of Islam. The efforts of these dedicated folks in Tennessee demonstrate that pushback can be effective. But you have to fight smart. You have to educate yourself, and join forces with other like-minded activists. You have to show public officials — who, after all, work for you — that you mean business, and you’re not going away....

Police say the man was shot by a homeowner who caught him coming through his bedroom window. (snip) Police say the homeowner heard a noise coming from his bedroom, grabbed his gun and shot a man as he was coming through his window. Police say the burglar tried to run for it, but the homeowner was able to get the drop on him and hold him in the backyard until officers arrived.

A sign in front of a church in Tennessee is causing quite a buzz in the community over its message. The sign at St. John’s United Methodist Church reads, “Jesus had two dads and he turned out just fine.” …

Here is what happened at  a local bookstore in Tennessee, according to booksbikesboomsticksblog:    (now you see the anti-defense sign) Now you see it gone! Quite a bit more detail at the blog site.  It looks to be a pretty good one. This is what I have noticed all over the country.  Stores put up signs, realize that they are losing business and money, and take them down. The most resistant seem to be non-profits and government agencies. Dean Weingarten Link to Gun Watch

An unusual case in Tennessee shows the utility of guns for home defense, as well as the danger of pursuing criminals alone.  A 16-year-old girl used her mothers pistol to prevent a criminal from entering the house. From  WKRN: Harvell eventually tried entering through one of the home's windows, that's when Davasha Chambers, 16, grabbed her mother's pistol and pointed it at him as he was halfway through the window.   The criminal left, and then is when the young woman made a tactical error.  She not only pursued the home invader, but she allowed him to get too close...

Leonard Embody, a gun activist whose open carrying and self-representation in the past have produced legal responses as well as no small amount of criticism from some “pro-gun” advocates, was arrested yesterday in Nashville and charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, WKRN News 2 reported this morning. (snip UPDATE Per Leonard Embody, via email: The Form 3 paperwork for the silencer was in the sealed and locked rifle case. Tenn. law only requires the possessor "retain" the paperwork, not present it to the law enforcement officer upon demand. The NFA documents are federal tax forms. ------------The latest GUNS Magazine...

McMinn County (WBIR) - A Tennessee man was shot and killed by his wife last Saturday within 15 minutes of his release from jail. The man was arrested earlier in the day after police arrived on the scene at the Athens Super 8 Motel, responding to a report that Robert Vann Marshall, 34, was suicidal, armed and threatening to kill his wife and children.

(Shelby County, TN) An accused burglar shot by a homeowner has died at The Med. Deputies say 20-year-old Rashawn Calvin tried to break into a house Saturday night on Jonesy in Southeast Shelby County. Once inside, the homeowner shot him several times, including once in the head. The homeowner, who was inside with his son, will not face any charges. “The homeowner does not face any charges because he was protecting himself, his family and his home,” said Washington. Deputies say Calvin was not armed when he entered the house, but a weapon was later found inside his car. Deputies...

(Tipton Co., TN) A homeowner was shot in the leg by an intruder early Tuesday. The alarm system and sounds of someone downstairs woke the homeowner, who grabbed a handgun and went to the stairs. That’s where he encountered an armed intruder, who began shooting at him. The homeowner said he returned fire, and was shot in the leg. He was taken to the Med for treatment. Authorities say some of the details provided to them are still unclear. Detectives are questioning people and tracking down possible leads. “This was a very violent situation where luckily the homeowner wasn’t injured...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – A man has been charged after being shot by a homeowner during an alleged attempted burglary on Thursday morning. Murfreesboro Police charged 19-year-old Gage W. Dalling with one count of aggravated criminal trespass and two counts of burglary. The homeowner, Milton Heath, told police he was getting ready for his morning walk around 6:30 a.m. Thursday when he spotted a man trying to break into his home on W. Clark Boulevard. Heath grabbed his .22-caliber revolver and confronted the man, later identified as Dalling. Parkerson said Heath told him to keep his hands up, but when the...

(Memphis) Police say a man chased down a pair of burglars. The homeowner not only shot at them as they tried to break into his home, but actually followed them in his car to make sure they got caught. Two brothers are now in jail, charged with attempted burglary and attempted murder. “It all happened so fast,” said Mr. Hall. “They got out of the car and started shooting at me.” Not everyone would do what this man did. He didn’t want to be on camera and just wants to be called ‘Mr. Hall.” “How many times did they shoot...

(Shelby County) A home invasion suspect is in critical condition after getting shot in S.E. Shelby County. Shelby County Deputies were called to the scene in the 4400 block of Jonsey just before 9:00 p.m. Saturday night. When they arrived they found a male with multiple gunshot wounds. Shelby County Spokesperson, Chip Washington told WREG two suspects were trying to break into the home when someone from inside fired a gun, hitting one of the intruders. The other suspect is in custody but has not been charged at this time. We have a crew on the scene gathering information and...

A U.S. attorney in Tennessee is reportedly vowing to use federal civil rights statutes to clamp down on offensive and inflammatory speech about Islam. Bill Killian, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, was quoted by the Tullahoma News this week suggesting that some inflammatory material on Islam might run afoul of federal civil rights laws. "We need to educate people about Muslims and their civil rights, and as long as we’re here, they’re going to be protected," Killian told the newspaper. Killian, along with the FBI special agent that runs the Knoxville office, are set to speak next...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Spring rains cascade over the lip of the Norris Dam in a torrent of white foam and spray. A hundred yards downriver from this concrete waterfall, people stop at the little park to record the scene on their smart phones or digital cameras. It is an image made for a postcard -- a remarkable marriage of nature and technology. And a centerpiece of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Created in 1933 by President Roosevelt, the TVA brought electricity to Appalachia, with the goal that wiring up Tennessee, parts of North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi would help bring prosperity...

(Memphis) An elderly man in South Memphis woke up to a burglar in his home.Police say he didn’t cower in fear, he shot the man hitting the burglar twice!The alleged criminal is OK but he might have learned a lesson!Mr. John Lewis says he was sleeping in his bedroom when he heard a noise out in his living room.He peaked out his bedroom and found himself face-to-face with a burglar, “He told me about three times ‘close your door or I will shoot you. I got a gun.”Lewis says he obeyed the burglar and went back in his bedroom, but...