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TOP STORIES:
WINE IN SUPERMARKETS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The full Senate is scheduled to vote next week on a proposal to allow wine to be sold in Tennessee supermarkets, while a House committee that killed last year’s version is set to consider reviving the measure. Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville says the upper chamber has scheduled a Jan. 30 vote on the bill seeking to authorize cities to hold referendums on whether to allow wine to be sold outside of liquor stores. By Erik Schelzig. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 400 words by 3 p.m. CST.
SCHOOL VOUCHERS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Republican state lawmakers have proposed a school voucher bill they hope will be acceptable to Gov. Bill Haslam, who has repeatedly said he favors a more limited version of the program that gives parents another option for educating their children. Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown said Thursday that he spoke with the Republican governor Wednesday night about the proposal, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville and is supported by Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville. By Lucas L. Johnson II. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 350 words by 4 p.m. CST.
USDA INVESTMENT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Agriculture Department has announced more than $4 million in grants and loans for four rural development projects in Tennessee. The projects include a $1 million loan to help expand a manufacturing plant in Selmer, a $2 million loan to build a manufacturing plant in New Tazewell, a $1.36 million loan to turn the old Carthage General Hospital into an assisted living facility and a $42,000 grant to build a regional farmers market in Brownsville. By Travis Loller. SENT: 120 words. UPCOMING: 300 words by 3 p.m. CST.
EARTHQUAKES-NEW MADRID
LOS ANGELES — The New Madrid fault zone in the nation’s midsection is active and could spawn future large earthquakes, scientists reported Thursday. It’s “not dead yet,” said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough, who was part of the study published online by the journal Science. By Alicia Chang. SENT: 410 words.
ALSO:
TVA-POWER USAGE
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking customers to reduce their power usage in an effort to deal with subfreezing temperatures that are causing a high demand for electricity across the southeast. TVA said in a statement that it expects demand to peak Thursday night and again Friday morning. The nation’s largest public utility said it is using all generating resources to meet the demand. SENT: 220 words.
KNOXVILLE OFFICERS INVESTIGATED
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville officials have agreed to pay $200,000 to a homeless man beaten by police officers. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports city officials reached the out-of-court settlement this month with Michael Allen Mallicoat. SENT: 180 words.
HOMETRUST BANCSHARES-JEFFERSON BANCSHARES
UNDATED — HomeTrust Bancshares Inc. plans to acquire Jefferson Bancshares Inc. in a deal worth $51.2 million, the two companies said Thursday. The deal will bring together two regional banks in the South and give HomeTrust access to the east Tennessee market. The combined company will have approximately $2.1 billion in assets. SENT: 180 words.
IN BRIEF:
PLANE ACCIDENT — An autopsy report says the pilot of a small, private plane that crashed and burned at Nashville International Airport was legally drunk. SENT: 100 words.
JUDICIAL EVALUATION — The state attorney general’s office is appealing a ruling by a Nashville judge that the seven-man, two-woman makeup of a state commission is discriminatory and makes the commission invalid. SENT: 130 words.
TENNCARE FRAUD — Authorities say three Parsons residents have been charged with fraud related to TennCare. SENT: 130 words.
FLU DEATHS — Officials at Vanderbilt University Medical Center say at least 17 Middle Tennesseans have died from the flu. SENT: 130 words.
WEATHER ALLERGIES — People who suffer from allergies could be feeling miserable with the roller-coaster weather. SENT: 130 words.
