Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Department of Education is planning a statewide School Safety Summit next month.

Department spokeswoman Kelli Gauthier says the meeting is a result of concerns following the deadly elementary school shooting in Connecticut last week. Twenty children and six adults were slain by a gunman packing a high-powered rifle.

Gauthier says the summit will gather hundreds of district and community leaders from across Tennessee to discuss how to ensure the proper training and implementation of safety measures in schools.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says Tennessee will not create a state-run health insurance exchange, but the Republican governor says he remains undecided about whether to expand Medicaid.

Haslam said the lack of information from the federal government about the insurance marketplaces was "scary" and that that he considered it a business decision to let the federal government run the program.

Haslam acknowledged that getting a state-run exchange approved by the Legislature would be a difficult prospect.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee health officials are once again alerting patients who received tainted steroid injections after finding that some have abscesses at the injection site that could lead to fungal meningitis.

Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner announced Tuesday that since Thanksgiving officials have identified 22 new cases of these localized infections and one case of meningitis without an abscess. Two patients with the injection site infections also showed early signs of meningitis.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — The president of East Tennessee State University says the school might begin a football program.The Johnson City Press (http://bit.ly/UHZdBL ) reported university President Brian Noland said intercollegiate football was among recommendations of committees who looked at the school's future.

Others to be considered are opening a dental school and building a performing arts center.

Noland said as the recommendations are discussed, ETSU will gauge community support as well as campus reaction.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — Athletic director Chris Massaro says Middle Tennessee was forced to announce that the Blue Raiders were leaving the Sun Belt Conference sooner than the university wanted to make the news public because the league was considering increasing the exit fee to as much as $10 million.

The AD detailed the realignment move Monday in a letter posted on the school website.

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee legislators are getting a pay raise.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports the increase of more than 6 percent took effect Nov. 6 — the day of the general election. The new salary for lawmakers is $20,203 and it will remain fixed until the 108th Tennessee General Assembly ends in November 2014.

A 2005 statute requires automatic increases in lawmakers' pay every two years, based on raises given to state employees during that time.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A tax expert is warning state officials that Tennessee will be among the hardest-hit states if federal officials don't resolve the so-called fiscal cliff.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports Dr. Stan Chervin updated Gov. Bill Haslam and other state officials yesterday, saying states that depend heavily on sales taxes for revenue would feel the most stress if tax breaks are not extended.

Chervin is a senior research consultant with the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a group of Catholic nonprofits in Nashville that challenged a provision of the new federal health care law.

An attorney for the nonprofits said in court earlier this month that the agencies have a religious objection to providing health care coverage for their employees that includes services like contraception and sterilization.

He asked U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell to issue an injunction, preventing the government from enforcing the so-called contraceptive mandate.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Members of the House Republican caucus have nominated Speaker Beth Harwell for another term in charge of the chamber but ousted Rep. Judd Matheny from the No. 2 slot.

Matheny, of Tullahoma, was defeated Monday by Rep. Curtis Johnson of Clarksville in a secret ballot.

Matheny had publicly mulled challenging Harwell for the top post before deciding to focus on another term as speaker pro tempore.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee health officials will start contacting hundreds of people who received steroid injections for back pain linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak to warn them about another infection.

Dr. David Reagan, chief medical officer for the Tennessee Department of Health, says the new round of calls will start next week to about 900 patients who have not developed fungal meningitis but who may be at risk for a localized infection or abscess near the injection site.