KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 4 [TNSbiologyresearch-Nature journal] -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: * * * - Six Scientists with UT Involved in Effort to Assess 1 Billion Years of Plant Evolution * * * A new study published in Nature traces the genetic histories of the last billion years of plant life on Earth. Yes, that's billion with a "b." Nicknamed 1KP, the One Thousand Plant Transcriptomes Initiative involves a global collaborati  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 8 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt University will celebrate 2019 GIS Day Nov. 13 with the theme "Mapping Tennessee from the Civil War to the Present." The day-long event features hands-on technology workshops followed by two sessions with experts on geographic information system (GIS) technology. The first session brings together local experts to discuss the challenges and successes of using GIS in Civil War mapping projects. The second  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Nov. 6 -- Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, a law firm, issued the following news release: * * * - 45 Named to Mid-South Rising Stars * * * Seventy-seven attorneys with Baker Donelson have been named to the 2019 edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers, which recognizes attorneys in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The following attorneys were named to the list: Ben C. Adams Jr., Katherine M. "Kay" Anderson, D. Keith Andress, David L. Bearman, Leo   more

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, Nov. 5 -- Burr and Forman, a law firm, issued the following news: Burr & Forman announces that 81 of its Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee attorneys have been selected for inclusion among Mid-South Super Lawyers for 2019. This also includes 33 attorneys who were recognized as "Rising Stars," up-and-comers under the age of 40. Only five percent of the lawyers in the state are named by Super Lawyers, and no more than two-and-a-half percent of the lawyers in the state are Ris  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Nov. 6 -- Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz, a law firm, issued the following news release: Alan J. Mogol of Baker Donelson has been elected to serve on the board of directors of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), a national trade association that represents companies in the equipment finance sector. A shareholder in Baker Donelson's Baltimore office, Mr. Mogol concentrates his practice in structuring and negotiating equipment finance trans  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, Nov. 7 -- Alston and Bird, a law firm, issued the following news release: Alston & Bird client SmartFinancial Inc., parent company of SmartBank, has announced a proposed agreement to acquire Progressive Financial Group Inc., parent company of Progressive Savings Bank, in a cash and stock transaction valued at $41.4 million. Based in Jamestown, TN, Progressive Savings has six full-service offices in central Tennessee and more than $300 million in total assets. SmartFinancial   more

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, Nov. 5 -- Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, a law firm, issued the following news release: Bradley is pleased to announce that 151 attorneys across the firm's offices in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee have been selected as 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers or Rising Stars. The complete list of the firm's ranked attorneys, organized by metropolitan market/Bradley office, is provided below. In addition, the following Bradley attorneys in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee were na  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 [TNSgrants] -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt researcher Ethan Lippmann, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, learned in December that he'd won $2.5 million as part of a wider grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to fund his work on neurodegenerative diseases. However, it was a family history with Parkinson's that had originally made Lippmann focus on the topic. "My father-in-law, uncle, and great-uncle, no  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 7 -- Bridgestone, a tire and rubber company, issued the following news release: Bridgestone Americas, Inc. today announced the results of its annual charitable and volunteer campaign in support of the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville. Now in its 27th partnership year, Bridgestone, its employees, and its vendors generated donations of more than $2 million that will be used to make a positive impact on thousands of lives in the Nashville community. The record-breaki  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- Bridgestone, a tire and rubber company, issued the following news release: Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone), a subsidiary of the world's largest tire and rubber company and a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, today announced its support for a group of five inspiring athletes from Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina on the road to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. The celebrated roster includes Aida Roman (archery) and Rommel Pacheco (d  more

LEBANON, Tennessee, Nov. 4 -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, a chain of combined restaurant and gift stores, issued the following news: For 50 years now, on every Thanksgiving, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(R) has invited guests to gather around its table so they can spend less time in the kitchen and more time together with their loved ones. Since the first Cracker Barrel store was opened in 1969, every Cracker Barrel store has been open on Thanksgiving. Today, that legacy of welcoming g  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 8 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Dr. Andre L. Churchwell, interim vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, co-led a half-day summit recently for black men interested in pursuing health professions. The event, co-led by Dr. James Hildreth, president of Meharry Medical College, attracted more than 100 high school and college students from across the state and region. The second annual "Navigating the Pre-Heal  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 8 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: "I want to help you." In a moving but chilling scene, that line is uttered by HAL 9000, the all-knowing computer system depicted in the classic 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, as it pleads with Dr. Dave Bowman not to disconnect the rogue machine for the final time. Now, more than a half-century after that movie was released, a group of interdisciplinary researchers from across Vanderbilt University believe HAL m  more

BRISTOL, Tennessee, Nov. 8 -- Contura Energy, a coal supplier, issued the following news release: Contura Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CTRA), a leading U.S. coal supplier, today announced upcoming changes to its executive leadership team as approved by Contura's board of directors on November 6, 2019. On November 15, 2019, Kevin Stanley, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, and Scott Kreutzer, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, will leave their positions at the compa  more

KINGSPORT, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- Eastman Chemical issued the following news release: * * * - Winner will be announced during Hygienix 2019 on Nov. 14. * * * Regalite UltraPure from Eastman, a new class of clean tackifying hydrocarbon resins, is one of three game-changing products nominated for the 2019 Hygienix Innovation Award, which will be presented during the hygiene and personal care industry conference Nov. 11-14 in Houston. The Regalite UltraPure resin family addresses consumer concer  more

KINGSPORT, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- Eastman Chemical issued the following news release: Eastman has reached an agreement to give new life to one of the most problematic waste materials in U.S. landfills. Post-consumer carpet will now be recycled through Eastman's carbon renewal technology and converted into new materials to serve new and useful purposes. Eastman has partnered with Circular Polymers, a company that reclaims post- consumer waste products for recycling. Through this agreement, Eastma  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- Epstein Becker Green, a law firm, issued the following news: Epstein Becker Green (EBG) is pleased to announce that Richard W. Westling, Member of the Firm, in the firm's Nashville office, has been named to the 2019 Mid-South Super Lawyers list. Mr. Westling joins colleagues in EBG's Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, Princeton, San Francisco, Stamford, St. Petersburg, and Washington, DC, offices who were selected for other regional Super Lawyers an  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Nov. 4 -- Fisher Phillips, a law firm, issued the following news: Fisher Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm representing employers, announces that Marilyn Higdon has been named an associate in the firm's Memphis office. At Fisher Phillips, Marilyn works alongside the firm's employment practitioners and assists clients with wage and hour audits, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims, Department of Labor investigations and arbitration agreements. Mar  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 7 -- Lipscomb University issued the following news: * * * - Lipscomb boasts three pharmacy residency programs that have been awarded eight-year accreditations. * * * The American Society of Health System Pharmacy has awarded Lipscomb's four PYG1 residency programs in community pharmacy with a full three-year extension of accreditation through the year 2022. In addition, the university's combined PGY1 and PGY2 health care informatics residency program at LifePoint   more

ATLANTA, Georgia, Nov. 4 -- Constangy Brooks, Smith and Prophete, a law firm, issued the following news release: Constangy congratulates the following attorneys recognized in the 2019 Tennessee Super Lawyers rankings: * Zan Blue (employment & labor) * Teresa Bult (employment & labor) * Mary Dohner Smith (employment & labor) The following attorney has been recognized as Super Lawyers Rising Star: * Mallory Schneider Ricci (employment & labor) * * * About Super Lawyers Each year, no more  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 -- Jones Lang LaSalle issued the following news release: * * * - Creative office has taken storm in the periphery of urban Nashville * * * JLL announced today that it has arranged a $42.9 million capitalization for 3040 Sidco Drive, a 157,000-square-foot creative office conversion project in Nashville, Tennessee. JLL arranged a joint venture equity partnership between Forstone Capital and an institutional private equity fund for the development, as well as a four-year, fl  more

BRENTWOOD, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- LifePoint Health, a healthcare company, issued the following news: LifePoint Health(R), a leading healthcare company dedicated to Making Communities Healthier(R), today announced that it has signed an agreement with Medical Properties Trust, Inc. ("MPT") (NYSE:MPW) for a sale-leaseback transaction in which it will transfer ownership of the real estate of 10 acute care hospitals in six of its markets to MPT. The aggregate purchase price of the transaction is $700   more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, Nov. 7 -- Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-Louisiana, issued the following statement: Gov. John Bel Edwards released the following statement about Louisiana's quarterly gross domestic product, which is the highest quarterly GDP on record for the state, according to data from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis released today. Louisiana's GDP grew at a rate of 1.7 percent, the 29th fastest in the nation, outpacing other Southern states like Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina a  more

KINGSPORT, Tennessee, Nov. 6 -- Eastman Chemical issued the following news release: Eastman Performance Films, LLC (Eastman) is excited to officially unveil a revolution in automotive film technology: Core by Eastman Performance Films, LLC. Core is a patent-pending, analytics-based software platform that goes beyond cutting software to support business operations, integrating desktop and mobile access for remarkable user freedom. "Core is a reinvention of film-cutting software," says Darrell R  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 4 [TNSbiologyresearch-Ecological Modelling journal] -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: * * * - Tennessee Researchers Help Discover Pathogen, Model Its Spread * * * Kudzu and emerald ash borer are widely known examples of an invasive plant and an invasive insect, respectively, that cause harm to our native plants. Their impacts are obvious in our landscapes. Not so well known are the invasive pathogens that a  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Nov. 5 [TNSgrants-NIH] -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Dr. Nick Hagemeier, an associate professor at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) subaward from Duke University for a grant submitted to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The award will continue to support his research into the role of pharmacists in preventing and treating substance use disorders  more

NORFOLK, Virginia, Nov. 7 -- Norfolk Southern issued the following news release: Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Alan H. Shaw will make a presentation at: Stephens Nashville Investment Conference Thursday, Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m. CST Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee Webcast URL: http://wsw.com/webcast/stph31/nsc/ The presentation will be posted at www.norfolksouthern.com in the Investors section. * * * About Norfolk Sout  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: The Mood, Emotion and Development Lab at Vanderbilt University is conducting a study to improve treatment for teen depression. Teens age 14 to 18 with symptoms of depression may be eligible to participate. Participants will complete interview and questionnaire assessments along with computer games. Participants will then be offered an eight-week research-based cognitive behavior therapy group that teaches skills t  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee., Nov. 8 [TNSgrants] -- Chattanooga State Community College issued the following news release: Rhea County was among 59 counties awarded Tennessee Economic and Community Development's ThreeStar competitive grant. TNECD ThreeStar Director, Jody Sliger, presented the award to John Bamber, Executive Director of Rhea Economic and Tourism Council, at the Governor's Conference on Friday, October 25. The award totaling $50,000 will be used to support an innovative twelve-week w  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Nov. 6 -- Sedgwick, a provider of technology-enabled risk and benefit solutions, issued the following news release: Sedgwick, a leading global provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions, today announced the launch of their new crisis care program as an enhancement to their industry leading field case management services. The crisis care program will provide 24/7/365 support and end-to-end resources to manage all aspects of care following  more

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, Nov. 4 -- Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, a law firm, issued the following news release: Bradley is pleased to announce that six attorneys in the firm's Nashville office have been recognized by the Tennessee Supreme Court as 2019 "Attorneys for Justice." The firm's 2019 honorees are Brandon Bundren, Timothy L. Capria, Edmund S. Sauer, Jeffrey W. Sheehan, Caroline Dare Spore, and David K. Taylor. This marks the sixth consecutive year that the Tennessee Supreme Court has recog  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news release: Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn today presented the department's strategic plan to more than 1,000 statewide educators at the 2019 LEAD conference held in Nashville. The plan, called "Best for All," sets priorities for the department in serving Tennessee students, teachers, administrators, and families. "We want to ensure that every student is on a path to success," Schwinn said. "When  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 4 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news release: Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced today that a total of 63,829 students from Tennessee's 2019 graduating class took the ACT, earning an average composite score of 20. This represents a 98 percent participation rate, which is an all-time high in the state. Of those students, 41.7 percent earned a score of 21 or higher, making them eligible for the HOPE scholarship. The class of   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 6 -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the following news: The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today announced Shannon Bowles as director of hospitality for Tennessee State Parks. Bowles, who has been in the hospitality business for over 30 years and for the last 20 years was general manager of the Nashville Airport Marriott, will oversee six lodges, nine golf courses, eight restaurants and 372 cabins in Tenne  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 7 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news: Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced projects receiving funding through the Governor's Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) program which prioritizes learning opportunities in rural counties and enhances career and technical education statewide. "We are proud to work with the General Assembly to pass the GIVE initiative and expand career and technical education for Tennessee students," said Lee.  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the following news: Campers may register online or by phone to get the discount, which is valid only at the participating state parks. Those who register online should use the promotion code WINTER19 at payment to receive the offer. Those who register by phone must mention "Winter Camping Deal" when making a reservation. The discount is based on availability and is not valid with other discounts at   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 5 -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover is among Essence magazine's national list of women who are "inspiring communities around the world" and has been named to its "Woke 100 List." Framed as a "salute to women of color challenging the status quo," the list, published in Essence's November issue, features "100 women who exemplify the true meaning of being change agents and power players," accordin  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 8 -- The University of Tennessee System issued the following news release: Work on reunifying UT Knoxville and UT Institute of Agriculture continues as it does on planning for the Oak Ridge Institute, UT Interim President Randy Boyd informed UT Board of Trustees today. During the annual meeting in June trustees approved the initiatives and requested progress reports for the fall meeting. Both initiatives seek to increase collaboration and to raise UT in national rank  more

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 6 -- The University of Tennessee System issued the following news release: As part of its strategic plan, the University of Tennessee System has announced the creation of a "data dashboard" that will build on its commitment to providing greater and easier access to information for UT's faculty, staff, students and the communities it serves. The data dashboard provides frequently requested academic-related information about the University including enrollment, compo  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Nov. 7 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: The College of Graduate Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Wednesday hosted education leaders from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States to discuss educational relationships the college is developing with universities in China. Minister Counselor of Education Yang Xinyu and Zou Ying, Second Secretary, Department of Education,   more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Nov. 4 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: Clinicians and researchers from around the country gathered in Memphis Friday for the 2019 Frank M. Norfleet Forum for the Advancement of Health to discuss sickle cell disease research and treatment. They looked back at how the disease has developed over the last century and what the future holds for those born with it and those who are trying to cure it. Themed "More than 100 years of Si  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 7 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: The Oak Ridge National Laboratory collaboration with Vanderbilt University will grow stronger through a new faculty liaison and enhanced management of travel assistance awards. ORNL, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is the largest U.S. Department of Energy science and energy laboratory conducting research in energy security. Since 2004, ORNL has been working with Vanderbilt to offer opportunities for Vanderbilt Uni  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 8 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: * * * - Bethany Rittle-Johnson's 20 years of investigating how to improve learning outcomes for students, particularly in mathematics, has launched a new generation of scholars pursuing similar lines of inquiry. * * * Why do some kids learn math more easily than others? It's a simple question, and hardly a new one. Yet, understanding how the brain functions in a young child learning mathematical concepts--and h  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 4 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt University has renamed its early childhood care and education center The Acorn School to better reflect the program's focus on innovative care and learning. The Acorn School's curriculum is designed to empower children to construct their knowledge through wonder and discovery, with an emphasis on play as the most effective delivery system for learning. In addition, the new name identifies The Acorn Scho  more