Mike Osborne

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  After a lot of hard work, and a lot of help from the community, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department will dedicate its 9-11 memorial monument this coming Tuesday, September 11.

The centerpiece of the memorial is a 3,000-pound I-beam taken from the ruins of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. Deputy Sheriff Greg Dotson says each component of the monument holds special significance.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WMOT)  --  In what may be a sign that the latest run up in gasoline prices is at an end, the average cost for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline fell overnight in Tennessee by one cent.

According to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price for a gallon of gasoline stood at $3.65 Tuesday morning. That’s an increase of eight cents in the past week and 26 cents in the past month.

The current run up in prices began in early July when the average cost of a gallon of gas bottomed out at $3.13.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  Murfreesboro Police are investigating a deadly drive-by shooting that left one man dead early Monday morning.

Police say that just after midnight several shots were fired into a wedding celebration taking place in the front yard of a home near the intersection of East Chestnut Street and North Academy Street.

One man was killed in the incident. Police say he’s from Alabama, but haven’t released a name pending notification of the family. No other deaths or injuries have been reported at this point.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Murfreesboro Police believe road rage may be responsible for a fatal crash on Broad near Singer Road. The crash took place just after sunrise Friday morning.

Witnesses are telling police that a Ford truck and a white ”Oldsmobile type car” traveling north on Broad appeared to be engaged in a conflict and were driving erratically.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has wrapped up a series of meetings that focused on the future of the state’s higher education system.

Beginning in June, the governor held listening sessions in seven cities from Blountville in the far northeast to Memphis in the southwest. Haslam sought comment from educators, business leaders and legislators.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  The Tennessee Department of Labor has released the county-level unemployment numbers for July.

The state unemployment rate jumped last month by two-tenth to 8.4 percent. The national jobless rate also rose by a tenth to 8.3 percent.

Williamson County continues to have the mid-state’s lowest unemployment at just under six percent.  Davidson, Sumner, Rutherford and Wilson counties are all reporting jobless numbers at 7.4 percent or lower.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT/SIDELINES) – This is a big weekend for Middle Tennessee State University.

Friday morning the school’s new $65 million, 211,000 square foot Student Union opened to visitors. The facility boasts a ballroom, movie theater, restaurants, game room, bookstore, and a 700-plus seat dining hall.

Sarah Sudak is Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT/SIDELINES) -- A 211,000 square foot student union complete with ballroom, movie theater, restaurants, game room, bookstore and 700-plus seat dining hall opened about an hour ago here on the campus of Middle Tennessee State.

Sarah Sudak is the university's Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  A new report from the U.S. Department  of Commerce is likely good news for the Tennessee economy. Spending by international travelers visiting the U.S. jumped by 11 percent in the first half of the year.

The federal report says international visitors poured more than $82 billion into the U.S. economy through the end of June, putting the tourism industry on track for another record year. Commerce says international visitors could spend nearly $170 billion in the U.S. by year’s end.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  A new study suggests residents of the “Volunteer State” are not as generous with their time as the nickname suggests.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy magazine says that only about one-in-four Tennesseans volunteer their time, a full percentage point below the national average.

Tennesseans are more generous with their cash, ranking fourth among the 50 states, donating 6.6 percent of their disposal income annually.