News Around Our Area

Nashville Are Teachers Getting Paid Enough? The Tennessee Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether the state of Tennessee is paying its teachers adequately. A judge last year dismissed a lawsuit by a coalition of small school systems saying Tennessee was doing all it could to make sure that funding for teacher salaries was fairly distributed. The schools then appealed. Pigeon Forge Cars to Complaints Members of a Pigeon Forge church, The First United Methodist Church, have given the city a petition asking police to crack down on wild behavior at local car shows. Over 1,000 citations were written in connection with the car shows. The church’s pastor Jerry McCarter is trying to put an end to the behavior so close to his church, which he described as lewd. Many who have attended the shows said they see nothing-wrong happening and that it’s probably just a few bad apples in the bunch. Nashville Security Advisor finally passes Nashville - After a seven-month wait, the state’s homeland security director has received top-secret security clearance. Wendell Gilbert said the FBI informed him he was cleared for briefings on sensitive national security information. Nashville Not Enough Money Nashville - Tax collections are up but year-to-date revenue remains well below what was expected, Finance Commissioner Warren Neel estimates that Tennessee will end the fiscal year with $475 million less than it budgeted to spend. Memphis Trail is on hold Frederick Williams, 43, a former Memphis firefighter is being evaluated at the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute at Nashville postponing his trial. Williams is accused of killing his wife and then setting fire to their house. When authorities arrived at the blaze, Williams allegedly shot two other firefighters and a deputy sheriff. Williams was charged with murder and arson in March 2000. He was a Memphis firefighter at the time and was off duty. Knoxville Duncan announces fellowship program Congressman Jimmy Duncan announced a new fellowship program in honor of the late George W. Fry, former Great Smoky Mountains Superintendent during a 10 a.m. press conference this week at McGhee Tyson Airport. The plan of the fellowship program is to benefit Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. Pigeon Forge Butterflies plentiful in Great Smoky Mountains Researchers have identified 860 species of moths and butterflies during the Lepidopteron Quest in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was held on June 10. Fifty-one of the species identified are new to science and 108 are new to the park and area.