The Nashville office of Thompson Burton recently hosted a reception to honor Stephanie Williams being sworn in as a 20th Judicial District Circuit Court judge on Sept. 1. The event was held at the firm's West End location. Attorneys and staff from the Franklin office also attended. See photos from the event from the Nashville Post.

McDonald’s was sued on Tuesday by consumers in a proposed class action following an E.coli outbreak linked to onions in the fast-food chain's Quarter Pounders, Reuters reports. Plaintiffs Amanda McCray of Illinois and William Michael Kraft of Florida said they experienced symptoms associated with E.coli infection after buying Quarter Pounders this month, and would not have purchased the burgers had they known of the risk. They are hoping to represent any U.S. consumer who purchased a contaminated hamburger. The lawsuit comes after at least four people sickened in the outbreak filed individual lawsuits in both state and federal courts, court records show. Last week, McDonald's halted Quarter Pounder sales in one-fifth of its 14,000 U.S. restaurants after the outbreak killed at least one person and sickened 75 people.

Early voting at Casa Azafrán, a Nashville community center offering Spanish-language assistance, has seen significant turnout since early voting began on Oct. 16. According to the Nashville Banner, long lines have formed daily as voters seek assistance from Spanish-speaking staff. “A lot of people who recently became citizens and know one of our partners here [come to vote],” said Elizabeth Almaraz, an information and referral officer at the center. “They know staff in the building are able to speak Spanish and help them out.” In related news, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes, a voter assistance group, says it has fielded over 3,200 calls statewide, with 125 requests for language interpretation at polling places. While roughly half of those were requests for Spanish language translation, the other half were for Korean, Amharic and Somali, among others.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments Dec. 10 over the future of a proposed pipeline supplying the planned Cumberland Gas Plant in Stewart County, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The 32-mile pipeline would cut through parts of Dickson, Houston and Stewart counties. Earlier this month in a 2-1 decision, a panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily froze two permits issued to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company to begin construction of the pipeline. TVA’s plans to open more natural gas plants have brought opposition from advocates seeking a redirection from fossil fuels and into solar and other renewable energy.

The city of Memphis has launched a new initiative that will focus on investing in more environmental and sustainable urban development, according to ABC News 24. Green Bank aims to provide cleaner energy, lower costs and green infrastructure upgrades for small businesses. Memphis Mayor Paul Young told the paper that the initiative launched on Tuesday through a $150,000 investment from the Tennessee Valley Authority. "It's one of those things that has a triple bottom line. It benefits the families that are in the home, it benefits their pockets and it benefits the environment," Young said. The Green Bank plans to launch a capital campaign to establish a revolving loan fund and open the loan application process by early next year.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has granted a German family in Morristown a reprieve from deportation for another year. The Romeike family moved to East Tennessee to homeschool their five children for religious reasons after being fined for doing so in Germany, reports the Tennessean. After pushback from the family's attorney Kevin Boden with the Home School Legal Defense Association and public outcry that included a bill being introduced in Congress, ICE in October 2023 delayed the family's deportation until October 2024. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that the agency determined after a thorough review that the Romeike case "does not meet current enforcement priorities. Accordingly, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has approved a one-year order of supervision for the Romeike family."

A federal judge in New York has blocked the pending $8.5 billion merger of Tapestry — which owns the brands Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman — and Capri, owner of the Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors and Versace brands. According to Reuters, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which sued to block the deal in April, argued the merger would eliminate fierce head-to-head competition between the top two U.S. handbag makers and create a massive company with the power to unfairly raise prices. The companies argued that "handbags are nonessential items whose price consumers can control by not buying them if they become too expensive," and that by consolidating the brands, they would have a stronger position in the competitive U.S. handbag industry as well as the European market.

Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk Jamita Swearengen is requesting a 14% raise for her office staff from the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. Swearengen proposed that 6% of the raise be covered by the raise all county employees get in January while 8% would come from her own budget. The Daily Memphian reports that the commission deferred action on a plan to shift $215,693 in office revenues to pay the raises for 28 full-time employees and one temporary employee, and will discuss the matter further at its Nov. 13 committee sessions.

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Judge Kimberly Lund was recently appointed to the 19th Judicial District Chancery Court which serves Robertson and Montgomery counties. In this new role, she will work in the county where she lives, which she has not done previously in her legal career. "I’m excited to work in the county where I live. I haven’t had that experience, so I’m looking forward to serving those folks." Prior to the appointment, Lund served as an assistant district attorney for the 19th Judicial District. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.