News

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Nashville based Hospital Corporation of America had a central role in a new medical study that the Centers for Disease Control says could save “tens of thousands of lives."

The CDC says about 100,000 Americans die each year from infections they aquire during hospital stays. HCA, Harvard, the University of California and the CDC partnered to conduct a multi-year study to find ways to reduce hospital infection rates.

The research was carried out exclusively in 43 HCA hospitals in 16 states and involved about 75,000 patients.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  A political advertising campaign aimed at evangelical Christians - designed to influence congressional debate on immigration reform - is underway in Tennessee and twelve other states.

The group Evangelical Immigration Table says its media campaign is intended to promote what it calls “broad, common sense immigration reform.”

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Some of the world’s top solo-guitarists will be in the mid-state this weekend for the 12th annual Tennessee Guitar Festival and Competition.

The event will be held at Middle Tennessee State University over three days beginning Thursday.  MTSU alumnus Silviu Ciulei, an internationally acclaimed classical and flamenco guitarist, will be the festival’s featured performer Friday night.

Other performers of note include Ben Bolt, Carlos Castilla, and Richard Todd.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  -- A group of 80 volunteers from Middle Tennessee were on the ground Wednesday in Oklahoma helping local residents clean up following last week’s devastating tornados.

About 80 Tennesseans from Cross Point Church in Nashville traveled west Tuesday. Children’s pastor J.T. Witcher is with the volunteers and says the group went prepared to help tornado survivors clean up their properties.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  A mid-state company paying up to  $28.94 dollars an hour for jobs in vehicle production will hold job fairs in Murfreesboro and Shelbyville on Saturday.

Yates Services will be accepting applications for Nissan vehicle assembly and electric vehicle battery plant jobs in Smyrna and Decherd.

The positions to be filled include assembly, materials handling, maintenance, warehousing, and tool and die workers.

After two years workers hired for the positions may be eligible to become Nissan employees as Main Line Production Associates.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association says the walking horse industry has "clearly lost the public."

According to The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/10H5Rbx ), association president Tracy Boyd posted a message this week on the group's website, stating he believes modern-day show horses are cleaner than they've ever been. But Boyd said no one outside the industry believes it after a series of horse soring cases came to light.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The TennCare Office of Inspector General says there have been more than 1,700 arrests for fraud against the state health care system since 2005.

The inspector general's office, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3.5 million paid in restitution to TennCare.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is scheduled to make four public appearances this week in Tennessee.

Alexander's office in Washington says he is the keynote speaker at the Better Business Bureau's annual lunch in Chattanooga on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Alexander is scheduled to appear at an economic and community development event in Kingsport.

Later that day, the Republican senator will discuss four principles for a competitive energy future at the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Oak Ridge.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Ten college students from across the country are taking part in a Middle Tennessee State University environmental research project.

The event runs from through July 26 and is funded by the National Science Foundation.

The school says the students will search for ancient inactive seismic faults, investigate water and air quality and explore the ecology of rare cedar glade habitats. The intensified research project involves the disciplines of Earth science, chemistry and biology.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a drug investigation led to a dog fighting operation in Chattanooga.

The agency said in a news release Tuesday that agents executing a narcotics search warrant discovered numerous pit bull dogs, a fight ring, a treadmill used in training and blood. Guns were also found.

Agents arrested 41-year-old Jackie Marcellus Sawyer of Chattanooga on Friday.