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Knoxville News Sentinel Data, Investigative and Sunday Editor

Steve Ahillen has been investigative data and Sunday editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel for the past two years. Among the investigative projects he helped direct were those on the huge meth problem in East Tennessee, state redistricting, blighted property issues in Knoxville, the area’s poorly regulated rural utility districts and an in-depth look at the Haslam family. He has contributed more than 150 databases to the newspaper’s website, KnoxNews.com. The University of Missouri graduate has worked at the newspaper since 1980. He was executive editor of the News Sentinel’s award-winning sports section, 1990-2009, and covered three Summer Olympics.

Featured Statements

Lamar Alexander
stated on November 13, 2012 in in a news release announcing support for the Sportsmen's bill.:

"More Tennesseans have hunting and fishing licenses than vote."

By Zack McMillin • November 18, 2012
Bill Haslam
stated on October 18, 2012 in an article for Time magazine.:

Says Tennessee’s higher education funding model "is 100 percent outcomes-based" and "we are already seeing this model changing the way our postsecondary institutions do business."

By Richard Locker • November 11, 2012
Stand For Children Tennessee
stated on October 24, 2012 in in a post on Facebook.:

Says that "Tennessee law requires that schools receive half of proceeds -- $31 million per year" -- from a half-cent increase in the Shelby County sales tax.

By Zack McMillin • November 4, 2012
George Flinn
stated on October 18, 2012 in in campaign mail piece:

Says that "when Congressman (Steve) Cohen took office in 2007, the unemployment rate was at 4.8 percent. The unemployment rate in Shelby County has reached 9.7 percent."

By Zack McMillin • October 28, 2012
John G. Morgan
stated on September 13, 2012 in Testimoney to the U.S. Senate Education Committee:

"Tennessee students now cover about 67 percent of the cost of their education at public universities, and some 60 percent at community colleges."

By Richard Locker • October 13, 2012
Jim Kyle
stated on September 29, 2012 in a story in the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle:

"All legislative mail, from the content to the timing, is approved by the speaker's office."

By Tom Humphrey • October 8, 2012
Andy Berke
stated on August 31, 2012 in a letter to state Senate education committee chairwoman Dolores Gresham.:

Says Tennessee is providing "millions of dollars" to virtual school company for "results at the bottom of the bottom."

By Zack McMillin • October 7, 2012
Chris Devaney
stated on September 4, 2012 in Tennessee Republican Party web site posting:

President Obama campaign surrogate Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley "acknowledged that we are not better off than we were four years ago."

By Michael Collins • September 21, 2012
Paul Summers
stated on September 2, 2012 in in an op-ed article written for Tennessee newspapers.:

Tennessee's appeals court judges "were selected by a handful of party officials in Nashville" before the system of "merit selection" was put into effect.

By Tom Humphrey • September 14, 2012
Tennessee Democratic Party
stated on August 17, 2012 in Tennessee Democratic Party press release sent via email in a version specifically cri:

The "Health Care Compact bill would end Medicare's guaranteed benefit for Tennessee's Medicare recipients and shift management of the federal health care plan to the state's TennCare program."

By Tom Humphrey • September 7, 2012

Opponent says DesJarlais voted against pay raises for veterans

By Michael Collins • November 3, 2012
University of Memphis claims it has "safest" big metro campus in state

By Zack McMillin • September 9, 2012
On Tennessee Lottery revenues, reserve funds and Gresham’s False ruling

By Zack McMillin • July 17, 2012
Is holding hands gateway sexual activity?

By Tom Humphrey • May 10, 2012
Introducing PolitiFact's Haslam-O-Meter

By Steve Ahillen • January 22, 2012