WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued the following article: * * * U.S. Obesity Rate Changes Differ for Rural and Urban Areas, as Well as Across Regions By Mariah Ehmke and Brandon J. Restrepo Highlights * Despite a slight decline in the U.S. overall obesity rate from March 2022-2023 to March 2023-2024, rural obesity rates rose 0.5 percentage points during the same time. * The U.S. obesity rates in rural areas were higher than urban rat  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- A licensed reactor operator at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Tennessee, has been terminated from their position and had their unescorted access revoked after a random drug test revealed a positive result for a controlled substance. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which operates the facility, informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the event, which is a violation of the plant's strict fitness-for-duty policy. The event, detailed in an NRC Event Notification Report (Ev  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- The National Science Foundation issued the following news release on Aug. 4, 2025: * * * Innovative traineeships prepare the next generation of STEM leaders in AI, quantum, biotech and more The U.S. National Science Foundation announced $45 million to fund 15 new awards through the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program, with projects focusing on artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology and translational science. These represent NRT's most significant annual inve  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Tennessee Company Pleads Guilty to Illegally Bypassing Waste Treatment and Discharging Industrial Wastes into Nashville Sewer System * Allwaste Onsite, doing business as Onsite Environmental (Onsite Environmental), entered two guilty pleas today in relation to federal Clean Water Act violations. As part of the plea, Onsite Environmental has agreed to pay a fine of $512,000 and serve a three-year ter  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Marshals Service issued the following news release: * * * Total Reward Reaches $32,500 in Search for Fugitive Austin Drummond * *Austin Drummond was Apprehended on August 5, 2025 in Jackson, TN* Jackson, TN - The total reward in the search for Austin Drummond, wanted on first degree murder and other counts, has reached a combined total of $32,500 for information leading to his arrest. U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller expressed his agency's   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, has published a report titled 'Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Floods at Ungaged Locations on Streams in Tennessee Through the 2013 Water Year'. The document, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5130, was authored by David E. Ladd and Paul A. Ensminger. The report, released in 2025, provides updated methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- A report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, details an effort to combat the spread of invasive carps (silver, bighead, grass, and black carp) in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The report, titled "Evaluating Deterrent Locations and Sequence in the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to Minimize Invasive Carp Occupancy and Abundanc  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey have released 'Decision-Support Modeling and Research Priorities for Establishing Baseline Conditions for Outstandingly Remarkable Values, Obed Wild and Scenic River, Tennessee,' a report issued in 2025. This publication, Open-File Report 2025-1035, was authored by Elena R. Crowley-Ornelas, Rebecca Schapansky, Tom Blount, and Niki S. Nicholas. Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a document titled 'Assessment and Validation of Depressions in Digital Elevation Models From Multiple Elevation Data Sources and Delineation of Depressions, Sinking Streams, and Their Watersheds in Tennessee and Parts of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.' The report, authored by David E. Ladd and John K. Carmichael, is designated as Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5134. The   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey have released a publication titled 'The 3D Elevation Program--Supporting Tennessee's Economy,' which was issued in July 2025. The report, Fact Sheet 2025-3037, was written by George F. Heleine. The document highlights the completion of statewide lidar data collection in Tennessee and its potential for driving economic growth and supporting management needs across the state's diverse physiographic r  more