Matt Shafer Powell

A survey of 1200 Tennesseans shows they know the importance of eating right and exercising.  They know they shouldn’t smoke.  They even say they’re ready to make changes in their habits. 

But few are actually going through with it.

The survey was conducted on behalf of the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness, part of Governor Bill Haslam’s Healthier Tennessee initiative.

In a state that has only executed six death row inmates since 1960, Tennessee appears ready to enter a period in which executions become more common.

The University of Tennessee announced today it will raise the starting minimum wage for its workers by $.50 per hour in January, with another $.50 raise to follow six months later. 

Ask a newlywed couple what they think about each other and chances are, they’ll present a rosy picture.  That’s not a surprise, since cultural norms suggest newlyweds should act as if they’re head-over-heels in love with each other.

But for some couples, it’s just that—an act.

What does it mean to be a man in the year 2013?  How does today’s man adjust to changing attitudes about sexuality, gender identity and masculinity?  How does it change the way he interacts with his family and circle of friends?  What’s the relationship between masculinity and violence, fatherhood, feminism and intimacy?  On this episode of Dialogue, Matt Shafer Powell speaks with Roane State Community College Psychology Professor Jim Doyle, who has spent decades researching the roles of men in American society. 

If Lamar Alexander is conflicted about the FCC's rule banning the use of cell phones on commercial flights, he hides it well.

In comments released Tuesday, Tennessee's senior senator vowed to introduce legislation to keep the ban in place if the FCC decides to remove it. 

School and Business Closings for Monday, March 3:

Closings via WBIR here 

Closings via WATE here 

Closings via WVLT here 

Closings via Knoxville News Sentinel here

Huge street fairs can present all kinds of logistical and public safety problems.  So for the last few years, the city of Knoxville has been turning down requests for those types of events on Gay Street. The one obvious exception is the annual Rossini Festival, the street carnival that shuts down a large portion of Gay Street to accommodate as many as 100,000 visitors.

A new agreement between Rossini organizers Knoxville Opera and the city guarantees the festival will continue to be the one exception.

With a 5-to-3 vote Tuesday night, Chattanooga city council approved an ordinance on second reading that officially makes the city the third in Tennessee to extend city employee benefits to unmarried domestic partners, either gay or straight.  The ordinance also updates Chattanooga’s discrimination clause to prohibit the city from firing workers based on sexual orientation or gender identity and protects them from workplace harassment. 

After months of fiery public debate, the council approved the first reading of the ordinance last week by a single vote.

In a press alert sent to local media Monday night, Oak Ridge Police Chief James Akagi described an email phishing scam in which the recipient was informed of a red light camera violation and given a false hyperlink to see photos of the violation and pay the fine.  Akagi’s alert suggested those receiving the email should immediately delete it.

As it turns out, no such scam existed.