Zach Schmidt was one of the first artists I played when I started The Local Brew Hour two years ago. That was from his 2016 album The Day We Lost The War. To say his new album has been a long time coming would be stating it mildly. After losing two record deals and surviving the pandemic, release day for Raise A Banner is finally here!  I can definitely say, it was worth the wait. Zach plays a set at noon today for Finally Friday From Home on WMOT. We chatted about the obstacles he overcame to get this record out and the joy of making music.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mike Osborne) — If you currently have COVID-19 you might consider signing up for a new Vanderbilt Medical Center research study.

The Activ-2 study is a nationwide effort to find medications that can help patients recover from the virus faster, or prevent serious illness that requires a hospital stay.

Adults 18 years and older who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past seven days, are not in the hospital, and are symptomatic are encouraged to register.

A Tennessee mayor has asked for the release of video footage of a shooting at a high school that left a student dead and a police officer wounded, but the local district attorney denied the request.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said on Twitter that she requested release of redacted video footage of Monday’s shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School.

She said her request was denied by the district attorney, who told her the integrity of the investigation needed to be protected.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A spokesperson for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says he plans to sign a bill requiring school districts to alert parents of any instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity and let them opt their student out.

The bill cleared its last hurdle in the GOP-supermajority Legislature on Wednesday.

Supporters argued the bill strengthens parental rights, rebuffing concerns from opponents that it could further alienate already-marginalized students.

Authorities say a Tennessee police officer wounded during a confrontation with a student inside a high school bathroom was not shot by the student’s gun.

A statement released Wednesday by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation contradicts earlier law enforcement reports that the teenager fired the bullet that hit the officer, who is white.

The new report appears to indicate that the officer was shot by police.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Officials in Tennessee say the Texas-based Oracle Corporation plans to bring 8,500 jobs and a $1.2 billion investment to Nashville over coming years.

The office of Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s office said in disclosing details Wednesday that the project is “unrivaled” in the history of Tennessee economic development projects.

Cooper’s office also said that the computer technology company has requested a public hearing for its economic impact plan with a city development board.

SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) — A look at which U.S. states are leading at vaccinating against the coronavirus and which states are struggling is beginning to resemble America's electoral map.

Vaccination numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show states that tend to vote Democratic at the top in terms of the percentage of their adult population that have received at least one shot.

At the bottom are five Republican-leaning states, including Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT)  --  Gov. Bill Lee has added well over half-a-billion dollars in new spending to his state budget plan for the coming fiscal year.

In a press statement released Tuesday, Lee says $580 million in additional spending has been made possible by higher than expected tax collections.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Department of Health has announced that it will “pause” distributing the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following new guidance from the federal government.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating unusual and severe blood clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.

The FDA commissioner said she expected the pause to last a matter of days.

Authorities say a police officer wounded in a shooting at a Tennessee high school is a 20-year veteran of the force who worked as a resource officer at the school.

Officials say Knoxville Police Officer Adam Willson is recovering from surgery Tuesday after being shot in the upper leg at Austin-East Magnet School city on Monday.

Authorities say Willson was wounded when a student opened fire on officers responding to a report of a possible gunman at the school about 15 minutes before afternoon dismissal.