Fleischmann named to committee
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, has been named to serve on a bipartisan conference committee responsible for exploring border security solutions through appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security. He and nine other committee members from the U.S. House and Senate were appointed Friday by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The committee also is tasked with making appropriations to compensate DHS employees furloughed as a result of any lapse in appropriations that began on Dec. 22 due to the partial government shutdown.
"It is a privilege to be named as a conferee on the [House Joint Resolution 31] Conference Committee and to be tasked with putting forth a solution to remedy the ongoing crisis at our southern border," reads a Friday evening statement from Fleischmann. "I look forward to bringing my perspective and insight as Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee as well as hearing that of my colleagues on the conference committee. Together, we will work to deliver the border security plan that the American people want and deserve. Let's get to work."
Firefighters extinguish storage shed fire
Chattanooga firefighters responded to a fire in the 3600 block of Evergreen Court Thursday night, according to a news release from the Chattanooga Fire Department.
Firefighters arrived shortly after 9 p.m. to find an outside storage shed in the back of a home had caught fire. The flames were extinguished within a few minutes and no injuries were reported, the release states.
Multiple callers had reported that they had seen flames and heard what sounded like small explosions coming from the shed. The sounds could have been caused by cans of brake cleaner that were stored in the shed.
The shed, which the homeowners had used to store tools and other equipment, was a total loss. The owners also told firefighters they had been using a kerosene heater inside the shed, but it's undetermined if the heater caused the fire, according to the release.
Military park reopens as shutdown ends
The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military park fully reopened Saturday following the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Point Park and the visitor center were closed throughout the shutdown but fully opened at noon Saturday.
"We've missed the epic views from Point Park and the incredible exhibits in the Visitor Centers on Lookout Mountain and at Chickamauga Battlefield," reads an online post by National Park Partners, an organization put in place to help the park. "We've missed our Rangers sharing the stories of conflict and reconciliation that are deeply relevant in our lives today. Most of all, we missed the friendly faces of the dedicated public servants who care for our national treasures."
Doc gets 5 years for allergy drop scheme
A former Tennessee doctor guilty of billing taxpayer-funded and private insurance to the tune of $3.5 million has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison.
Robert Maughon pleaded with U.S. District Judge Pamela Reeves for leniency in a hearing on Friday. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports Maughon had struck a plea deal in an "allergy drop" scam and was seeking probation. The drops are administered under the tongue but have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Prosecutors argued that Maughon knew the allergy drops he was billing weren't approved by the FDA. Reeves called the crimes "serious, serious offenses" and said Maughon needed to be punished for them.
Reeves sentenced Maughon, who surrendered his medical license earlier this year, to 63 months in federal prison.