Land Deal Will Expand National Parks

(TALLASSEE, Tenn.) -- In what is considered a major development in land conservation, The Nature Conservancy is set to acquire a 4,000 acre block of land that will connect Cherokee National Forest to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Canada-based energy company Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners agreed in 2004 to turn over 10,000 acres of land to The Nature Conservancy in exchange for federal re- licensing, 6,000 of which have already been turned over.

The final 4,000 acres is expected to be turned over to the U.S. Forest Service or the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in the coming weeks.

The News Sentinel reports that there are plans to create hiking trails and add signs detailing the history of the region on the property.

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Police Investigating Shooting of South Memphis Man

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- A man was shot and killed outside his home in a quiet South Memphis neighborhood on Wednesday morning.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the 50-year-old victim suffered at least one gunshot wound behind his left ear. He was apparently shot while entering his pickup truck before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

One neighbor told the Commercial Appeal that he heard multiple gunshots Wednesday morning, which is uncommon for the neighborhood.

Police are investigating the shooting. The name of the victim has not been released.

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Tennessee Increasingly Bike-Friendly

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Tennessee was named the second most bicycle friendly state in the southeast, and the 17th friendliest overall by the League of American Bicyclists.

Tennessee’s national ranking in 2012 was 26th, so the new ranking shows a marked improvement, and one that the Tennessee Department of Transportation is proud of.

“With all the competing transportation needs we have, Tennessee is proud to be making gains in the area of bicycle friendliness,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “The network of bike lanes across the state is growing each and every year and we will continue to dedicate funding for important programs such as Safe Routes to School.”

Rankings are determined based on bike-friendly infrastructure, enforcement of cycling laws and education programs, according to the League of American Bicyclists.

Washington State was ranked the most bike-friendly state in the nation. North Dakota ranked last.

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Gov. Haslam: Educator Survey Results Show Improvement

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- The results from a survey of Tennessee educators show improvement following two years of rapid reform and change, Gov. Bill Haslam announced Tuesday.

This was the second time the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (or TELL,) has been administered in the state. Eighty two percent of educators in the state responded, up five percent since the initial survey in 2011.

The survey showed improvement across the board for Tennessee teachers. The percentage of teachers who felt they had to do less routine paperwork now was up 10.3 points from 2011. Nearly 90 percent of Tennessee’s teachers believe they are trusted to make professional decisions about instruction, and 83 percent believe the community supports teachers, up five percent since 2011.

“We know that when educators feel good about the culture and climate of their school, that leads to increased results for our students,” Haslam said. “We want to hear from our teachers, and I am grateful that so many of them took the time to respond.”

The survey was administered by the New Teacher Center, which has conducted similar surveys in other states.

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Flooding after Weekend Storms, Stewart County Hardest Hit

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Middle Tennessee was hit by severe storms over the weekend, causing creeks and rivers to flood, according to The Tennessean.

Most of the area received between 3 to 4 inches of rain on Saturday and Sunday, but Stewart County got as much as six inches of rain. The flooding damaged bridges, roads, and homes, and even destroyed some houses completely.

There were no reported injuries or deaths as a result of the flooding.

“The damage from the flash flood is certainly worse than what we saw in 2010 and will be more costly,” said director of Stewart County’s Office of Emergency Management Clint Mathis. “We knew it was going to rain quite a bit, but this kind of hit us by surprise. We are in the cleanup process, and damage assessments are ongoing. We will get those numbers to the state to pass up the chain hopefully for disaster declaration.”

Luckily, the Cumberland River did not flood despite the heavy rainfall.

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