NASHVILLE, Tenn. April 15, 2025 – Those in need of a screening for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, can receive a free screening at the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) on Thursday, April 17th and Friday, April 18th. The free screenings are being offered as part of STI Awareness week, a yearly observance highlighting STIs and their risk to the community. STI Awareness Week runs from April 13th through the 19th. “Testing, investigating and treating Sexually Transmitted Infections is one way the Metro Public Health Department works to prevent the spread of such infections, and thus protect the health of our residents as…
Author: Tribune Staff
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In the next few weeks, the brood of periodical cicadas that last emerged in 2008 will be singing and looking for mates before laying their eggs for the next emergence in 17 years. The 17-year periodical cicadas of Brood XIV will begin to emerge when the soil temperature at 8 inches deep reaches 64 degrees, which is estimated to be in late April to early May. Brood XIX of the 13-year periodic cicadas had a spectacular emergence in 2024 in middle and southeastern Tennessee. However, Brood XIV is expected to have a statewide coverage. Based on the…
NASHVILLE, TN – Tennessee faith leaders are reeling today after the state Senate voted to pass a bill to deny K-12 education to children based on immigration status. They urge fellow Christians to take action to help stop the bill before next week’s House subcommittee vote. The Southern Christian Coalition released the following statement in response to the Senate’s vote: “As Christians, we are called to defend the vulnerable, especially children. This bill flies in the face of Christian values; Sen. Watson and Rep. Lamberth are using this legislation to attack children, when we should be loving and supporting them. …
(Nashville, Tennessee ) attorneys for Tennessee death row prisoners Oscar Smith and Byron Black asked Governor Bill Lee to issue a reprieve preventing the State from conducting any executions while the courts are assessing the constitutionality of its new lethal injection protocol. Mr. Smith is scheduled to be executed on May 22 and Mr. Black Byron August 5. The Reprieve Letter, which was submitted to Governor Lee , states: “[Oscar] Smith was preparing to accept communion when you courageously and correctly halted his execution on April 21, 2022. After learning that members of your department of correction had failed to…
Pikeville, Tenn. – This week, Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee distributed 1,915 total pairs of shoes to students in Bledsoe County in partnership with Samaritan’s Feet International. The First Lady’s initiative, Tennessee Serves, and nonprofit, Samaritan’s Feet International, hosted distribution events at schools across Pikeville to provide a brand-new pair of shoes and socks to every student in the Bledsoe County School district. “It was a gift to spend time in Bledsoe County this week as we served this remarkable community with the help of so many volunteers,” said First Lady Maria Lee. “It is our prayer that these shoes…
As African-American leaders, advocates, and people of faith, we condemn HB 793/SB 836. Sponsored by Majority Leader William Lamberth and Senator Bo Watson, the bill will deny undocumented children access to a public education. The legislation is unconstitutional (illegal) as determined in the Plyler v. Doe (1982) case. It is a modern form of racial segregation, or Jim Crow as it was referred to years ago, that clearly targets Latino immigrant families. HB 793/SB 836 does more than punish undocumented children. It effectively de-certifies the citizenship rights of documented and second-generation children from mixed-status families (composed of documented and undocumented …
NASHVILLE, TN – The narrow passage of SB836 (Watson) in the Tennessee State senate makes one thing clear: the growing bipartisan opposition including constituents, faith leaders, business owners, veterans, lawmakers from both parties, children, and educators is weakening support for this cruel attack on children’s education ahead of its next consequential vote, Monday, April 14, at 9AM CT in the state House Finance Ways and Means Subcommittee. The Education For All Tennessee campaign of more than 60 partner organizations released the following statement in response to the Senate’s narrow passage of the bill: “For generations our country has ensured all…
Clinton, New York – Former President Barack Obama did not mince words on Thursday, April 3, when addressing the stark differences in how his administration was scrutinized compared to President Donald Trump’s current leadership approach. Speaking at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, Obama delivered pointed remarks about what he sees as a troubling double standard. “It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me or a whole bunch of my predecessors,” said Obama to applause from the audience during a speech where attendees were prohibited from recording. The former president’s comments, detailed…
NASHVILLE, TN – The Ninth Annual Harry T. Burleigh Spirituals Festival Scholarship Concert will take place on Monday, April 14th at 7:30 p.m. at the Laura Turner Concert Hall in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Presented by the Tennessee State University Department of Music and Big Blue Opera Initiatives (BBOI), in collaboration with the Nashville Black Music Association (NBMA), Burleigh Legacy Alliance of Erie, PA, and the Nashville Symphony, this special event honors the rich legacy of African American music and culture as well as raising funds to support deserving students. This year’s concert, themed “Sankofa Sonority: Sounds of Our History,…
WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN), a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, eighth generation farmer, and former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture reintroduced H.R. 2462, the Black Vulture Relief Act. The bipartisan legislation is being co-led by Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL), who serves on the Committee on Natural Resources. The legislation will allow livestock producers and their employees to take black vultures without a permit if they believe the vulture will cause death or injury to their livestock. It is currently illegal to take black vultures without a sub-permit from the authorizing state agency, encasing the issue in bureaucratic…