The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Thursday announced that Dollar General has agreed to pay a $12 million fine and improve conditions at its thousands of retail stores nationwide to make them safer for workers, reports the Associated Press. The Goodlettsville-based retailer in July reached a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to resolve alleged violations that included unsafe storage, blocked emergency exits and fire extinguishers and inaccessible electrical panels. That agreement states, in part, that if inspectors find similar problems in the future, Dollar General may be fined $100,000 a day for any that are not resolved within 48 hours.

Join colleagues online on Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon CDT for a webcast with attorney Jim Romer as he discusses the process of opening a University of Tennessee Medical Center in Jamestown. Register here and watch for more details coming soon.

There is still time to sign up for the 2024 Elder Law Forum, which will take place in person Friday, July 19, at Belmont University College of Law. This annual staple for Tennessee attorneys provides insight from top professionals while allowing attendees to meet with other lawyers in the practice area. This year’s forum features timely topics such as conservatorships, dementia, client intake, ethics, litigation in elder law and more. The event will run from from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to learn and earn CLE with colleagues.

Georgia lawyer Lauren Catherine Foster was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee effective June 25. Foster had been on inactive status since May 10, 2016. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition for reinstatement to be satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the order on July 10.

The Daily Memphian looks at three races that will be on the ballot for Aug. 1 primary in Shelby County. In state House District 96, five Democratic candidates will face off. They are Eric Dunn, Telisa Franklin, Gabby Salinas, Orrden Williams and David Winston. In House District 97, Republican incumbent John Gillespie faces a primary challenge from Christina Oppenhuizen. And in state Senate District 30, incumbent Sen. Sara Kyle faces a Democratic primary challenge from Erika Stotts Pearson. Read more about each of the races from the paper.

The State of Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday weekend will take place July 26-28, the Department of Revenue reports. On these days, Tennesseans may save nearly 10% on qualifying clothing and school supplies under $100 and computers priced $1,500 or less. Read more in a release. For more information about the sales tax holiday, including a list of qualifying items, visit www.tntaxholiday.com, call 615-253-0600 or email revenue.support@tn.gov.

The University of Tennessee College of Law has named Jordan Houser as associate director of the Bettye B. Lewis Career Center. Houser, who graduated from the law school in 2017, previously practiced in the Knoxville office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, where he served on the recruiting committee, and as a staff attorney with the Tennessee Valley Authority Office of the General Counsel. He also previously served as director of career services and alumni relations at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. Career Center Director Carol Anne Long said, “Jordan brings with him a wealth of experience in working with both students and employers, and we are delighted to welcome him to our team.”

Voters in Knox County will choose a criminal court judge and law director on Aug. 1. Judge Hector Sanchez is running unopposed for a second term as Division II criminal court judge. He was appointed in 2022 to serve the remainder of former Judge Kyle Hixon's term. In the race for county law director, attorney Jackson Fenner is challenging incumbent David Buuck. Read more about the candidates from Knox News.

Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges that he illegally profited from the work of jail inmates under his supervision and housed dozens of them in a home outside of the prison without permission. Thomas was indicted in May in Gibson and Davidson counties on 22 charges, including official misconduct, theft, forgery and computer crimes involving jail inmates in his custody. Arraignment for the charges in Davidson County will take place at a later date, the Associated Press reports.

U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman — who at age 97 is the oldest federal judge not to have taken senior status — continues to fight her suspension from the bench following allegations that she is no longer fit to serve. A federal judge this week dismissed a lawsuit Newman brought in an attempt to return to her seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which focuses on patents, trademarks and certain other matters. The circuit's judicial council suspended Newman last September for at least one year or until she sits for court-ordered medical examinations, based on signs of serious cognitive and physical impairment. The council also found that she refused to cooperate with inquiries into her mental health. Newman has vowed to appeal, according to Reuters.