Tennessee Schools May Increase Tuition 9.5%

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Students attending Tennessee colleges and universities may have to stretch their wallets a bit more to pay for tuition.

According to officials from the state's Board of Regents, tuition for state's schools may increase by 9.5 percent or more this fall.

However, some officials note that if the state revenue improves between now and the fall, increases may not be as high.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Hope Scholarships Can Be Used for Summer Courses

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- On Wednesday, Gov. Bill Haslam signed the HB 2010/SB 1529 into law, a measure that allows students to use lottery scholarships to fund summer courses.

"The HOPE scholarships retain the best and brightest students in the state, and working to ensure we have a highly-trained and educated workforce is the most important step we can take to attracting high quality jobs to Tennessee," Haslam said.

Last year legislators passed the Complete College Tennessee ACT (CCTA) whose goal for students to attain college completion. The new law, which can be use by students enrolled from the Fall of 2009, provides a 120-hour cap on the number of hours a student can use the scholarship money.

"Extending summer eligibility makes the scholarship more user-friendly for students while allowing higher education institutions to better utilize their buildings and campuses throughout the course of the year," Haslam added. "We worked hard to make this legislation as student-friendly and fiscally responsible, while making sure we created the right incentives to improve time-to-completion and to graduate more Tennesseans."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival to Bring Extra Traffic

(NASHVILE, Tenn.) -- As thousands of music lovers are getting ready to head to Tennessee for the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) are also gearing up for the extra traffic on roadways caused by the event.

"Our priority is to maintain a safe and secure festival," said THP Colonel Tracy Trott in a statement. "With the help of TDOT and local law enforcement agencies, State Troopers will work around the clock to manage increased traffic volume on Interstate 24 and ensure motorists are obeying the traffic laws in Tennessee."

The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival runs from Thursday through Sunday.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

E. Coli Confirmed In Virginia and Tennessee

(DRYDEN, Va.) -- According to Virginia Department of Health officials, lab results confirm the presence of E. coli in a Virginia child that died this weekend.

Health officials explain that the strain of E. coli found was one that causes severe illness.

Officials also note that a similar strain was discovered in Northeast Tennessee. In Tennessee, seven cases of E. coli have been confirmed recently.

This comes as an E. coli outbreak continues in Europe, taking the lives of 23 and infecting nearly 22,000 people to date.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

University of Tenn. Athletic Director Hamilton Resigns

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- University of Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton resigned on Tuesday in the light of an NCAA ethics investigation.

Hamilton had served as Tennessee's athletic director for eight years. Tennessee coaches Bruce Pearl and Lane Kiffin were both found guilty of committing recruitment violations. Pearl left the school in March, and Kiffin took a job at the University of Southern California.

The University announced that Hamilton will leave by the end of the month, but he will be paid a total of $1.3 million over the next three years.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio