SUMMARY: First Horizon Bank is teaching children valuable money-saving tips at the Boys and Girls Club in North Knoxville. The initiative emphasizes the importance of saving, whether with pennies or dollars, to set kids up for future financial success. Bart, president of the local Boys and Girls Club, praised First Horizon’s involvement, noting the importance of learning these lessons early. The club serves around 1,800 kids daily, helping them reach their full potential through opportunities and life skills. First Horizon’s “Teach Children to Save Day” aims to instill good financial habits for the future.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-22 10:07:00
(The Center Square) – Tennessee Democrats and Republicans joined together to support a bill that would allocate $80 million from the tire tax to fund road improvements.
The bill passed its final legislative hurdle Tuesday with a unanimous vote by the Senate after a unanimous vote in the House on Monday.
Gov. Bill Lee added $1 billion to the general fund budget as a first step to overcoming a $30 billion backlog of road projects that built up over decades.
“We have worked to maintain our roads and our bridges and our highways,” Lee said in response to a question from The Center Square. “We have not spent the money that we need to to expand those. We put a strong effort in maintaining, which is why we have a good road system that people are fairly satisfied with. We have congestion however and that has to be addressed.”
The Department of Transportation relies on the gas tax to fund roads.
“Inflation eats up the increase in time,” Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, said of the gas tax during a discussion on the floor. “Having a regular, additional source of funding from the general fund is very, very helpful.”
The allocation from the tire fund will increase to $95 million in the next two years. Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said the issue will be waiting for lawmakers when they return next year.
“I don’t think we should confuse ourselves that we are making a long-term fix here,” Yarbro said. “We’ve never been in a situation where we’ve been dependent on the general fund to fund our roads and we don’t want to be in that situation.”
In the final days of the 2025 legislative session, Tennessee officials are asking the U.S. Department of Education whether federal funds are being jeopardized by a bill that would restrict undocumented immigrant students from enrolling in K-12 schools.
The state’s Fiscal Review Executive Director Bojan Savic sent a letter Monday to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to determine whether the state could lose $1.1 billion in federal funds if the legislature passes bills that could force school districts to check the citizenship status of children and force them to pay tuition to enroll.
Hoping for a quick turnaround, House Majority Leader William Lamberth told the Lookout Monday he requested the letter because he wants to know whether the money is at risk before the end of the session, which is expected to be Tuesday.
The bill he is sponsoring, HB793, hit a roadblock, in part because of financial questions surrounding it and could be delayed until 2026, even though it passed the Senate. The Fiscal Review financial analysis says the funds could be in jeopardy because of federal laws prohibiting discrimination.
“We fully trust the Trump Administration will not withhold federal dollars from our schools due to the passage of House Bill 793/Senate Bill 836,” Lamberth said. “However, out of an abundance of caution, we want to be exceptionally careful before we move forward to ensure no federal taxpayer dollars are at risk. Our first obligation is to prioritize public dollars for students lawfully in the United States. The last thing we want to do is cause our schools to be further drained of much-needed resources.”
The House version of the legislation would give school districts the option to check students to determine whether they have permanent legal documentation, differing from the Senate version, which would require districts to check students’ immigration status and require tuition.
Federal Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origins in programs that receive federal funds, and violating the law could put the federal funds in danger. Those deal with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Carl Perkins Act and school nutrition.
Lamberth declined Monday to confirm that the bill could be dead for the year. The Lookout reported last week that the bill could be dead for the year, mainly because of financial questions.
Republican Sen. Bo Watson of Hixson, who has been feeling considerable pressure from opponents of the bill, said he would consider seeking a compromise on the measure, according to a Chattanooga TV report.
The bill is designed to go through the courts and challenge the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe that required school districts to education students regardless of their immigration status.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Assessment: Center-Right
The content discusses a proposed bill in Tennessee aimed at restricting undocumented immigrant students from enrolling in K-12 schools. The prominent voices in the text, including House Majority Leader William Lamberth and other Republican officials, clearly advocate for immigration restrictions and examine the financial implications of their legislation. The tone conveys a prioritization of lawfully residing students over undocumented ones, reflecting typical center-right or conservative viewpoints regarding immigration policy. Furthermore, references to potential legal challenges against established Supreme Court rulings, such as Plyler v. Doe, indicate a push towards more stringent immigration enforcement, commonly seen in right-leaning political stances.
SUMMARY: The Gentle Barn in Tennessee provides a sanctuary for both animals and people. With around 80 animals, many rescued from dire situations, it offers a healing experience for visitors, particularly those facing trauma, grief, or anxiety. Guests can interact with animals, including hugging cows, cuddling turkeys, and giving pigs tummy rubs, while learning their inspiring stories of resilience. The sanctuary promotes therapeutic healing, with “cow hug therapy” and other activities that help people reconnect with themselves. Volunteers assist in caring for the animals, fostering a loving, nurturing environment for both animals and humans alike.
The Gentle Barn is a sanctuary for both animals and humans. You can hug the cows, give the pigs tummy rubs, and cuddle the turkeys. Get involved in this special organization, visit GentleBarn.org
