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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Welcome news on the jobs front.

Tennessee's October unemployment rate dropped to 9.6 percent in October, down from 9.8 percent the previous month. 

Tennessee's unemployment rate is still well above the national average of 9 percent.

State Labor Commissioner Karla Davis says jobs added in education and health services fueled the employment hike.

Dr. Murat Arik with the Middle Tennessee State Center for Business and Economic Research says the numbers are mostly good news.  

A lobbyist for the conservative Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) is standing his ground following revelations that he helped orchestrate the passage of a new state law that nullified Nashville’s anti-gay bias regulations.

A string of emails between FACT's David Fowler and state legislators came to light as part of a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act, signed into law in May.

A CD featuring the work of the Middle Tennessee State University School of Music Wind Ensemble was recently released by the Naxos recording label.

Headquartered in nearby Franklin, Tennessee, Naxos is now the world’s largest distributor of classical recordings.

MTSU's Dr. Reed Thomas directed the 55-member ensemble, made up primarily of undergraduate MTSU students. He said the CD,entitled "Angels in the Architecture" has been so well-recieved that Naxos is asking when the school of music will have another recording ready to distribute.

Tennessee university students could see a tuition increase again next year.

Some students saw double-digit increases this year. Tuition at U.T. Knoxville went up by 12 percent. At Middle Tennessee State, a Board of Regents school, tuition rose this year by just under eight percent.

Now, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission is once again recommending tuition increases statewide.

Possibly making it even more difficult for Tennessee students, state legislators are talking about raising the eligibility threshold for lottery funded Hope scholarships.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The UCLA Bruins haven't seen days this dark since Steve Lavin was winding down his coaching tenure in Westwood.

LaRon Dendy led five players in double figures with 16 points, and Middle Tennessee State rode its hot shooting to an 86-66 victory on Tuesday night, the Bruins' second stunning loss in four days.

Marcos Knight tied his career high with 15 points for the third straight game, and junior college transfer Bruce Massey had a career-high 14 for the Blue Raiders, who shot 71 percent from the floor and were 10 of 11 from 3-point range.

MEMPHIS — A charter school and a private education company will take over two Memphis schools.

The schools to be run by the new operators have not been identified.

Gestalt Schools, which is based in Memphis, and private Cornerstone Prep received state approval on Tuesday to run one school each, according to The Commercial Appeal. The schools are among those which failed to meet student achievement benchmarks.

Gestalt runs the Power Center Academy charter school in Hickory Hill.

MURFREESBORO -- A Middle Tennessee State University student was injured Tuesday night on campus during an armed robbery.

MTSU issued an emergency alert at 8:48 Tuesday evening saying that a robbery had taken place outside Scarlett Commons. It was later learned the robbery actually took place inside one of the apartments.