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NASHVILLE -- As many as 5,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday night after an explosion at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville -- where hundreds of the nation's sheriffs are attending a conference. The blast occurred in a mechanical room at the convention center about 8:30pm local time, WSMV-TV reported, adding that no injuries had been reported. The convention center suffered significant damage from the blast and a Nashville Fire Department spokesperson told the station there was a smell of natural gas in the area. Gas was switched off in the building as officials responded to the scene.

Violence has flared for a second night at a sectarian interface near a Catholic enclave in east Belfast. Petrol bombs, missiles and fireworks have been thrown at police lines in the lower Newtownards Road-Short Strand area of east Belfast on Tuesday. Two water canon vehicles have been brought to the area but have not been used yet. The trouble has been reported as the most serious in the area for a decade.

Please pray for girlangler and her mom Naomi. Naomi has esophageal cancer. Quoting girlangler.... "Mom will be going into the hospital there Friday night to have a feeding tube inserted, and a port in a main artery to receive chemo. They have a treatment plan of mostly radiation, but some chemo. The radiation will cause the tumor to swell, closing her esophagus, so she won’t be able to eat at all — therefore the feeding tube is to provide nourishment. She is scheduled for five to six weeks of treatments, and we’ll be taking her to (****) five days a...

Statement From Chris W. Cox, Executive Director NRA - Institute for Legislative Action On Governor Bredesen's Veto Of House Bill 962 Along with more than 200,000 law-abiding Right-to-Carry permit holders in Tennessee, I am disappointed Governor Phil Bredesen vetoed House Bill 962. This bill would extend self-defense rights of permit holders to restaurants. This is a shock and a major disappointment to gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment because Governor Bredesen had committed to supporting this legislation. 36 other states, including seven states that border Tennessee, provide this protection to law-abiding citizens. During the 2006 campaign, Governor Bredesen...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - State health authorities call it the first probable case of the Swine Flu in Tennessee. Governor Phil Bredesen said he expected to make this kind of announcement at some point. State health leaders said Wednesday night they are 95 percent sure that the child, who is a student at Harding Academy in Belle Meade will be a confirmed Swine Flu case. The child's identity is being withheld under privacy laws and this is being called a mild case of the virus. Harding Academy leaders closed the school for seven days, under guidelines specified by the Centers For...

Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) Implements De Facto Gun Registration Scheme! Please Stand-Up and Make Your Voices Heard! The Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) is currently sending letters to all firearms instructors requiring them to complete and return a copy of a Handgun Safety School Class Roster within 24 hours of the completion of a handgun permit certification class, effective immediately. This new roster requires a student to provide information concerning the name of the firearm owner, the name of the student using the firearm, as well as the make, model, and serial number of firearms used. Currently, there are...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee lawmakers voted Wednesday on a proposal that would allow guns in businesses that served alcohol such as bars and restaurants. There will be some restrictions. The vote affects people who have state gun carry permits. The vote was 24-6 in favor of allowing people with handgun carry permits to carry that gun into a place where alcohol is served. Senator Doug Jackson of Dickson sponsored the bill in the Senate. He said 34 other states allow citizens with gun carry permits into businesses that serve alcoholic beverages.

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For the second time in six months Focus on the Family Founder James Dobson has launched an ambush-style attack on Fred Thompson – before ducking for cover behind his “spokesmen.” (snip) What inspired Dobson’s vitriol? Apparently, it is Thompson’s belief that citizens in the individual states should make important public policy decisions -- like defining marriage, restricting abortion and setting education standards. Dobson disagrees, and prefers that the Federal government be the repository of absolute power and decision-making in the country. It is a debate that has raged since the inception of our nation, but Thompson’s view is the one...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The Clarksville Police Department has been quarantined and specialists from Fort Campbell were summoned to identify a suspicious package found near the station. Citing scanner traffic, the Leaf-Chronicle reported that "the station may be contaminated by an undisclosed hazardous biological substance."

Gore Goes Green Bill HobbsApril 13, 2007 at 7:34 am | Filed under solar, Al Gore, alternative energy, renewable energy Hugg this Sign seen in front of Al Gore’s mansion in Nashville’s posh Belle Meade neighborhood Thursday afternoon. Here’s the link to the meeting agenda for the next meeting of the Belle Meade Board of Zoning Appeals, which includes Gore’s solar project. (Belle Meade is a section of the city of Nashville that governs its own zoning.) No details on the size of the solar panels, how much power they’ll generate, or whether or not they’ll be tied into the...

Friends, Last night the DrudgeReport.com posted a link to an article in U.S. News & World Report titled: Dobson Offers Insight on 2008 Republican Hopefuls, Focus on Family Founder Snubs Thompson, Praises Gingrich. The calls and emails were fast and furious and I do mean furious! This morning I had an opportunity to speak with Brad Miller, Director of Family Policy Council at Focus. We had a great conversation and Brad confirmed what many of us had been suspecting - the article was not an accurate representation of the conversation. Dr. Dobson had never actually spoken with Fred and did...

NewsChannel 5's learned Wednesday afternoon that the TBI is questioning Williamson County Sheriff Ricky Headley in connection with a prescription drug case. Sources told NewsChannel 5 Sheriff Headley was taken into custody by Metro's Specialized Investigations Unit for questioning. There was no word on criminal charges, and he has not been booked by police. Sources told NewsChannel 5 Headley was apparently under surveillance for several days by the TBI. The TBI is executing a search warrant at a Nashville pharmacy in connection with the investigation. Attempts to reach Sheriff Headley were unsuccessful. He was elected sheriff in 2002. One of...