Lee gives update on wife’s cancer battle

Last year, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced his wife Maria had been diagnosed with lymphoma.

Thursday morning he offered a brief update.

“Maria and I are grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support we have received since her lymphoma diagnosis last August. The first phase of treatment went well, and we thank the medical team for their exceptional care and commitment. Later this month, Maria will begin the next phase of treatment, as she prepares to undergo a bone marrow transplant. While there are difficult days ahead, Maria and I have great trust in the Lord. We too are praying that God brings peace and comfort to all Tennesseans who are facing challenges in their own lives.”

Tennessee parks offering romantic Valentine’s Day dinners

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Love is in the air at Tennessee’s state parks.

Restaurants at seven parks across the state are offering romantic dinners for Valentine’s Day. The three-and-four-course meals range in price from $55.95 to $99.95 per couple.

The participating parks are Fall Creek Falls, Henry Horton State Park, Cumberland Mountain State Park, Pickwick Landing, Natchez Trace State Park, Paris Landing, and Montgomery Bell State Park.

The Restaurant at Fall Creek Falls is offering a lunch as well as dinner. And Montgomery Bell State Park is offering three separate dinners on Friday, Feb. 10, Saturday, Feb. 11, and Tuesday, Feb. 13.

Several of the parks require advance reservations. More information is available at tnstateparks.com.

Tenn. GOP lawmakers block questions on cuts to HIV funding

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee on Wednesday continued to block Democratic lawmakers from questioning the newly appointed health czar’s contentious decision to forgo nearly $9 million in federal funding designed to prevent and treat HIV.

Earlier this month, news broke that Tennessee would walk away from the funding at the end of May after state officials initially attempted to oust Planned Parenthood from the program in November amid Republican furor over the group’s long promotion of abortion access and transgender health care. Abortion is currently banned in Tennessee while Republicans are pushing to prohibit gender-affirming care to minors.

The move shocked health advocates, who argue Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s administration chose the “nuclear option” in order to avoid having to work with Planned Parenthood and other organizations that support abortion and transgender rights. They specifically point to Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis, as having one of the highest rates of HIV infections in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado has not answered many questions surrounding the decision, including why the state initially attempted to oust Planned Parenthood from the program.

Alvarado was appointed by Lee last fall, but didn’t take over the position until Jan. 16, just two days before the department announced it would cut off the HIV federal funding.