Free Republic

After a daylong manhunt, police in Athens, Tennessee, have made an arrest in a shooting downtown on Wednesday that killed one and wounded another. Carlos A. Quintana was captured by Bradley County and McMinn County deputies, federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, Athens police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service and others, according to a statement from McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy. Quintana, 24, was located at a residence in northeast Bradley County, Guy said. Court orders include requirements for an ankle monitor if Quintana makes bail. Quintana has been detained for investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement...

The Battle of Athens (sometimes called the McMinn County War) was a rebellion led by citizens in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee, United States, against the local government in August 1946. The citizens, including some World War II veterans, accused the local officials of political corruption and voter intimidation. Here is what happened: Following World War II in 1946, violence erupted when returning American soldiers discovered their Tennessee county had been taken over by political corruption. Their plan to take it back involved bullets—lots of bullets—and dynamite. Why Athens in McMinn County, Tennessee became a battleground was due to Paul Cantrell,...

A television movie like An American Story couldn't get greenlit today. In fact, it's still surprising the Hallmark Hall of Fame and CBS joint production actually got broadcast back in 1992.  Yet this fictionalization of the Battle of Athens, the last and best modern example of American citizens forcefully asserting their Second Amendment rights, was actually shown only 21 years ago. The telepicture earned two Primetime Emmy nominations, one for music and another for cinematography.This well made TV movie, starring Brad Johnson and directed by John Gray, depicted the last time in modern American history when a large group of...