NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Shelley Thompson Gardner of Lebanon as public defender for the 15th Judicial District, which serves Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. She replaces Comer Donnell, whose retirement is effective November 1. Gardner, a lifelong resident of Wilson County, has served as assistant public defender in the 15th Judicial District since 2002.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced that Director of Legislation Katie Ashley will leave the administration on November 9 to join Bradley Arant Boult Cummings to serve as senior advisor for government affairs and economic development. As part of the governor’s legislative team for the past eight years, Ashley played an essential role in budget and policy development that led to Tennessee being recognized as a national leader in education, economic development, efficient and effective government, and fiscal strength.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed two additional members to the Board of Trustees of the University of Tennessee. Decosta Jenkins and Jamie Woodson join the board in advance of the meeting scheduled for November 2. The appointments follow passage of the University of Tennessee Focusing On Campus and University Success (FOCUS) Act earlier this year. The legislation restructured the UT Board of Trustees to enhance governance of the UT system.

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today the award of a transportation alternative grant for $1,865,149 to the city of Knoxville for the Northwest Greenway Connector - Phase 2. This project includes construction of a greenway beginning at a new trailhead at Middlebrook Pike (SR-169) and Third Creek Road and ending at the SR-62 Western Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The project also includes landscaping, a retaining wall, ADA upgrades and fencing.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today released new labor statistics that showed unemployment across Tennessee continued at near-historic low levels in September. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.6 percent in September mirrored the August 2018 rate and is just 0.3 of a percentage point higher than Tennessee’s all-time low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class William Franklin (Frank) Cavin of Hancock County, who was killed in the Battle of Tarawa on November 20, 1943. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division on Betio Island and was among 1,000 Marines and Sailors killed during the World War II battle with the Japanese. He was 18 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today made the following statement on death row inmate Edmund Zagorski: “I am granting to Edmund Zagorski a reprieve of 10 days from execution of the sentence of death imposed upon by him by a jury in 1984 which was scheduled to be carried out later today. I take seriously the responsibility imposed upon the Tennessee Department of Correction and me by law, and given the federal court’s decision to honor Zagorski’s last-minute decision to choose electrocution as the method of execution, this brief reprieve will give all involved the time necessary to carry out the sentence in an orderly and careful manner.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class William Campbell of Elizabethton. Campbell was serving on the USS Oklahoma at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 when it was attacked by multiple torpedoes which caused the battleship to sink and resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen to include Campbell. He was 20 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed Darrell L. Scarlett of Murfreesboro as Circuit Court judge for the 16th Judicial District, which serves Rutherford and Cannon counties. The appointment fills a new trial court judgeship established this year by the Tennessee General Assembly. “We are fortunate to have someone with Darrell Scarlett’s experience in the 16th Judicial District,” Haslam said. “That experience prepares him well to serve in this newly created position.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe recently approved more than $550,000 in Façade Improvement Grants to assist Tennessee communities with downtown improvements.

NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Andrew J. Gibbons of Kingsport as public defender for the Second Judicial District, which serves Sullivan County. Gibbons will replace Stephen Wallace, whose retirement is effective November 1. Gibbons has been an assistant public defender in the district since 2001. In that position, he handled a wide range of criminal defense cases. A lifelong resident of Sullivan County, Gibbons has worked closely with Wallace in his previous position.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development today announced that Gov. Bill Haslam, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Franklin businessman Bill Lee will be the keynote speakers at the 2018 Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today received a report from educators with feedback, recommendations and immediate action steps on how to improve the delivery of the state’s elementary and secondary assessments known as TNReady. The report was generated from a recent statewide roundtable listening tour with teachers, testing coordinators and school administrators, and from educators who submitted comments through an online feedback form.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today granted executive clemency to five current or former Tennesseans. “These five individuals have made exceptional positive contributions to their communities and will be able to contribute even further by these grants of executive clemency,” Haslam said. “After thoughtfully considering their cases, I believe these individuals are deserving of pardons.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the apprehension, arrest and conviction of Kirby Gene Wallace, doubling the $2,500 reward already offered by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Wallace is wanted for first degree murder, felony murder, aggravated arson, especially aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated burglary, and theft of property. Wallace is currently at large and is believed to be in the Stewart and Montgomery County area.