Budget Cuts Put Tennessee Fishing Industry in Jeopardy

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Federal budget cuts to fish hatcheries could threaten the vitality of the fishing industry, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

According to the TWRA, hatcheries are responsible for raising 60 percent of all trout in Tennessee, and proposed cuts are slated to affect two of the biggest hatcheries in the state. The Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery and Erwin National Fish Hatchery are scheduled to lose a large portion of their funding when cuts come into effect in October 2011.

The cuts could mean as many as 1.3 million fewer trout and 600,000 fewer eggs produced by the two hatcheries.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Grainger County Woman Charged with TennCare Fraud

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- A 31-year-old woman has found herself in trouble with the law, after she allegedly tried to fraudulently obtain medical services through TennCare.

Carole Lee Coffey of Grainger County, has been arrested and charged with allegedly trying to use another person's identity to obtain services paid for by TennCare, the state's public healthcare insurance program.

Coffey is charged with one count of TennCare fraud and one count of identity theft.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Report Says Tennessee VA Hospitals Failing Patients

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Two Veterans Affairs hospitals in Tennessee are failing their patients because of several deficiencies in quality management in areas of doctor monitoring, peer reviews, and tracking.

According to The Tennessean, the Office of the Inspector General released a report criticizing a Murfreesboro hospital, which was cited two years ago for exposing veterans to infections from unclean equipment. The other hospital cited in the new report is in Nashville. Both hospitals are run by the Tennessee Valley Health Care System which stated that they still maintain quality patient care and are working on addressing the issues cited.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Gay Rights Supporters Critical of New Legislation

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- New legislation in Tennessee, referred to by critics as the "Don't say gay" bill, is being met with heavy opposition from gay rights supporters.

The bill, approved by state senators Friday, bans teachers from discussing or educating students on the topic of homosexuality in elementary and middle schools.

Critics of the bill are saying the legislation goes beyond discrimination and that it creates a potentially hostile environment inside schools.

Gay rights supporters say the bill is sending a message to kids that by not talking about homosexuality in the school, it suggests that it's wrong and could open the door for even more schoolyard bullying.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio



Secretary of Agriculture Meets with Tennessee Industry Leaders

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was in Tennessee on Monday, where he met with Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson and industry leaders.

At the meeting, which was held in Nashville, officials discussed the impact of the recent storms that hit parts of the state. According to a news release from the Department of Agriculture, Vislack got first-hand accounts from farmers who were affected by flooding about the impact of the severe weather conditions. The agriculture secretary also viewed images of damage caused by tornadoes in East Tennessee.

Vislack said the U.S. Department of Agriculture would do all that it could to help Tennessee farmers with recovery efforts.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio