Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two Knoxville state representatives who were running unopposed for re-election this year could wind up with challengers from the Green Party.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/Mw1Y0y ) the Green Party of Tennessee last month nominated candidates for several offices after a federal judge ruled the state may not enforce several rules that minor political parties claim are roadblocks to their candidates getting elected.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro will be allowed to continue construction of its new mosque, but may not be allowed to use the building once it’s complete.

Rutherford County Chancellor Robert Corlew last month voided construction approval for the mosque, saying the county didn’t provide proper notice for the meeting where it was approved.

However, county officials have not acted to stop mosque construction. At a hearing yesterday, plaintiffs asked presiding judge Robert Corlew to order county officials to do so.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A group that has attacked the construction of a mosque in Murfreesboro is now taking aim at a recent hire by Gov. Bill Haslam based on her religion.

The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/Mrtu2Q ) the Center for Security Policy and the 8th District Tea Party Coalition have urged their members to put pressure on the state to dump Samar Ali, an attorney appointed last month as the new international director for the state's Economic and Community Development office.

NASHVILLE, Tenn (AP) — Tennessee's tea party activists hope to expand their influence with the fall election, but the movement's various groups may be too divided to have much impact.

The Tennessean reports tea party groups hope to pick off a few members of the state legislature, with the idea of reshaping its leadership. But the groups have not agreed to which members to go after. Nor have they settled on a slate of candidates to support.

The situation in Tennessee may also indicate a broader problem for the tea party movement.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Middle Tennessee State University is making efforts to increase its graduation rate. Just over half its students are currently completing college within six years.

According to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 53 percent of MTSU students who began in fall 2004 graduated by 2010. That was fourth best among the state's four-year public universities. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was tops with 67 percent. Tennessee Tech had a 55 percent graduation rate, and UT-Martin's rate was 54 percent.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — The Department of Defense has announced four units, including two from Fort Campbell, that will deploy to Afghanistan this year.

The scheduled rotation announced Thursday includes more than 11,000 soldiers from the four units who will start deploying between spring and winter.

More than 3,000 soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Riley, Kan., will deploy in the spring.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Rutherford County judge has ruled that construction of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro’s new mosque can continue for now. 

Opponents of the Murfreesboro Mosque convinced Judge Robert Corlew to nullify the county planning commission decision that approved it, but they lost their bid to stop construction immediately.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (AP) — A Fort Campbell soldier has turned his lifelong passion for finding military artifacts into a mission to discover what happened to a young World War II pilot who had been missing since 1945.

Sgt. First Class Danny Keay (KAY), who is serving with the 101st Airborne Division, grew up in Germany and has worked for years uncovering war crash sites. He has helped recover the remains of eight service members missing in action, including an American fighter pilot found in 2005.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — With federal stimulus funds drying up, the availability of summer jobs in Middle Tennessee will be limited.

That means there will be more competition for jobs that usually go to teens and young adults with little or no real working experience.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Soaring temperatures in Middle Tennessee have broken a record set in 1911.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Richards told The Tennessean that the temperature on Saturday hit 95 degrees. That's one degree more than the record temperature of 94 that was set more than a century ago. Richards said the data was recorded at the Nashville International Airport.

The normal temperature of the area near the end of May is 81 degrees.