Hi I'm Chase Matheson with the Patriot Punk Network bringing you the latest TN News in 3 minutes or less
This is our Today in Tennessee Segment
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Round 1
Ever feel like your job’s a little underpaid?
Well, investigators say three nursing home employees did… and took matters into their own hands.
The Comptroller just dropped a report on Obion County Nursing and Rehab, which says 3 staffers milked more than 500 grand in unearned pay and benefits.
They say Social Services Director Brianna Workman alone was paid for over 6,000 hours she didn’t work.
And HR Director Jade Eakes and interim Administrator Donna Childress added about 2,000 hours more to that total with fake overtime, sick days, and bonuses the board never approved.
But that’s not the worst of it. They didn’t just pad their own pockets—28 other employees also got pay and benefits they didn’t earn.
Plus, when you’re pulling extra time and pay out of a county‑owned nursing home, you’re also hitting the retirement benefits, and the Comptroller flagged them for that too.
Earlier this week, Workman, Eakes, and Childress were indicted but No word yet on the other 28 employees.
The nursing home also flagged for having terrible controls over their financials. And to their credit, the board says they’ve started fixing them.
But, when quality control is this bad, you’ve really got nowhere to go but up.
Round 2
Next, Have you ever wondered what it takes to get the FBI to a front porch in Franklin County?
Well, according to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a shots‑fired call that occurred inside a home, where the victim said the suspect had put hands on him and rounds through the walls.
But this was not your standard redneck meltdown.
The suspect, later identified as James Matthew Bell, already had two warrants on file, previous military training, and, according to the complainant, access to tactical gear
Deputies tried the usual playbook: phone calls, loudspeaker, the “we want to be your friend” routine, but Bell stayed inside
So, they called in EMA and the FBI.
The Feds breached the door, and at that point Bell knew it was over.
He came out peacefully and was taken into custody without any further incident,
By the time everything was said and done, Bell’s collection of pew‑pews and tactical toys was boxed up as evidence, and he was facing at a laundry list of charges.
Along with an August 3rd court date and a $300,000 bond, because the Feds don’t make house calls for free.
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Round 3
And Last, Are you claustrophobic?
How would you feel about spelunking in a mile-long tunnel under a mountain?
Hidden inside the rock at Watauga Dam in northeast Tennessee is a massive tunnel called a penstock, basically a giant pipe that carries water from the lake down to the powerhouse almost a mile away.
Every so often, TVA has to shut it down and drain it so somebody can go inside and make sure it’s not about to fall apart.
And that’s the Dam Safety team comes into play, and honestly, that damn safety team earns every syllable of that title.
As you can tell, the tunnel is not a very welcoming place. But, that what it takes to keep one TVA’s oldest hydro plants going.
And with today’s heat, I think we’re all pretty thankful for that
That's your TN News in 3 minutes or less
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