August 4, 2011 News Summary

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011 Haslam tours bases in Afghanistan after Iraq visit (Associated Press)
Gov. Bill Haslam has toured bases in Afghanistan and met with Tennessee troops stationed there, calling the U.S. role in that country a "tough, tough deal." Haslam said in a conference call that Afghanistan presents a series of challenges to the U.S. mission there, including the high illiteracy rate and that the country has been at war for more than three decades. But the governor said that in meetings with Tennessee soldiers, many stressed the view that the situation in improving in Afghanistan. The governor visited Kabul, Kandahar and Bagram on Wednesday, a day after making similar visits to bases in Iraq and Kuwait. Haslam said he plans to return to Tennessee this weekend. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37135067.story

Haslam Lands in Afghanistan on War Zone Tour (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
Governor Bill Haslam flew into the cities of Kabul, Kandahar and Bagram today. The Tennessee governor is on a Department of Defense tour that took him to Afghanistan after visiting Kuwait and Iraq on Monday. In a conference call with reporters, Haslam said he was impressed with the mission Americans have taken up in Afghanistan . U.S. troops are rebuilding an economy in a country scarred by 30 years of war, where one of every four citizens is literate. “… you can’t help but see significant progress that’s being made, whether its schools that are being opened or women that are allowed to have right that they didn’t have earlier, to villages that are being made safe. There is significant progress, but it is a tough, tough deal that we are in the middle of.” The Tennessee National Guard has about 450 soldiers and airmen deployed in Afghanistan. http://wpln.org/? p=29404

Gov. Bill Haslam travels to Afghanistan (Tennessean/Sisk)
Gov. Bill Haslam is now visiting Afghanistan in his weeklong tour of military bases in combat zones overseas. Haslam said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday that he had visited Kabul, Kandahar and Bagram Airfield in the last day, after flying from Kuwait to Afghanistan. Haslam has been meeting with troops in an educational tour arranged and paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense. Haslam described Afghanistan as cooler than Iraq — temperatures reached only the 90s, as opposed to nearly 130 degrees in Baghdad on Tuesday — but he said the country seems to be less safe. The Tennessee governor visited Kandahar only a week after that city’s mayor was killed in a suicide bombing. “It’s obviously still a very difficult environment and people understand that,” Haslam said. “There’s a very active hospital on the base.” Haslam said he will continue his tour until the weekend, but he declined to give more details, citing security rules. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110804/NEWS0201/308040053/Gov-Bill-Haslam-travels-Afghanistan? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Haslam meets troops overseas (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Humphrey)
On his second full day abroad in Asia, Gov. Bill Haslam received briefings in key Afghan regions and dined with troops on duty from his home state. The governor said he took a four-hour flight Wednesday from Kuwait to Kabul, the Afghan capital, where he and fellow governors from Kentucky, Utah and Nevada met with Gen. John Allen, commander of American forces in the country. From there they went to Kandahar, the southern command center, and then to Bagram, the eastern regional command. At each locale, they received briefings. "Every one of those generals made clear how incredibly helpful it is to have the (National) Guard here," said Haslam, who as governor is commander of the Tennessee National Guard. At Bagram, Haslam said he had supper with Tennessee soldiers with homes "from Tri-Cities to Memphis and everywhere in between." Among them, he said, were troops from "a civil-affairs unit in Knoxville." Haslam said that about 20 percent of American forces in Afghanistan are guardsmen.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/03/haslam-meets-troops-overseas/

Haslam Visits Tenn. Troops Overseas (Memphis Daily News)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said it was so hot he felt like he was “living all day with your hairdryer on high and turned in your face.” It was so hot, he put the debt-ceiling debate in Congress on a backburner even though he had been in Washington Monday morning, Aug. 1. But Haslam wasn’t feeling the heat in Tennessee. He was in Iraq and Kuwait Monday and Afghanistan Tuesday with three other governors on a U.S. Department of Defense trip. Haslam will return to the state this weekend. Haslam, Monday morning, left the state without advance notice for Washington, where he boarded the flight for the Middle East. There, he and the governors of Kentucky, Utah and Nevada visited with National Guard troops from their states as well as active-duty military. “It’s been an incredibly eye-opening experience,” he said in a telephone conference call Tuesday, Aug. 2, with reporters from across the state. “I have a huge appreciation for the work our men and women are doing over here.” http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/4/haslam-visits-tenn-troops-overseas/

Haslam continues Middle East trip, visits troops in Afghanistan (Nooga)
Gov. Bill Haslam phoned reporters from Afghanistan on Wednesday, where he spent the day visiting servicemen and women from Tennessee. Haslam, who is on a Department of Defense sponsored trip to the Middle East this week, traveled to bases in Kabul, Kandahar, and Bagram. Calling the environment in Afghanistan "as difficult but different" from his earlier stops in Iraq and Kuwait, the governor described the experience as a "tough assignment" for soldiers. "There's no days off here," Haslam said. "Days are 12 to 18 hours long, seven days a week, in really difficult conditions, but they're grateful for all of the support they feel. " The governor reiterated that the purpose of his trip was drawn from the high percentage rate of Tennessee soldiers deployed to the Middle East. Records show that about 730 total National Guardsmen are currently serving in the region, with 380 in Kuwait and Iraq, 254 in Afghanistan, and 100 in various other parts of the Middle East. http://www.nooga.com/11926_haslam-continues-middle-east-trip-visits-troops-in-afghanistan/

Local Iraq Vets want others to remember troops still fighting (WBIR-TV Knoxville)
Governor Bill Haslam is getting a firsthand look at the war taking place right now in Afghanistan and how Tennessee troops are holding up. He continued his Middle East Trip with a visit to several Afghan cities and bases W ednesday. Troops from Tennessee told Haslam they're seeing progress especially when it comes to improving education for Afghan children. "In the past young girls weren't even allowed to go to school and that's changing. You're seeing the Tennessee Guard and other units being very active in addressing that. Obviously if this country is going to make progress like anywhere else you can't have a 20% literacy rate and grow the kind of economy you need to in today's world," said Governor Haslam. He also visited troops in Iraq during his overseas trip. The conflict has faded from the spotlight since combat troops were pulled from the country last year. But violence there continues. Several people were killed in an attack on Wednesday. http://www.wbir.com/news/article/178845/2/Local-Iraq-Vets-want-others-to-remember-troops-still-fighting

Haslam Tours Bases in Afghanistan After Iraq Visit (WTVC-TV Chattanooga)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has toured bases in Afghanistan and met with Tennessee troops stationed there, calling the U.S. role in that country a "tough, tough deal." Haslam said in a conference call that Afghanistan presents a series of challenges to the U.S. mission there, including the high illiteracy rate and that the country has been at war for more than three decades. But the governor said that in meetings with Tennessee soldiers, many stressed the view that the situation in improving in Afghanistan. The governor visited Kabul, Kandahar and Bagram on Wednesday, a day after making similar visits to bases in Iraq and Kuwait. Haslam said he plans to return to Tennessee this weekend. http://www.newschannel9.com/news/tennessee-1003574-haslamafghanistan.html

Crissy Haslam hosts event for Tenn. Guard spouses (Associated Press)
First lady Crissy Haslam is hosting a gathering at the governor's mansion in Nashville for the spouses of deployed members of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard. The Thursday evening event will also include Maj. Gen. Max Haston, the commander of the Tennessee National Guard; state Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder; and country singer Josh Thompson. Gov. Bill Haslam will not be able to attend because he has been on a tour of U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is scheduled to 2

return to Tennessee over the weekend. Kentucky first lady Jane Beshear held a similar event for military spouses on Tuesday at Fort Campbell, which straddles the state line between Tennessee and Kentucky. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37138963.story

Tennessee sales tax holiday begins Friday (Memphis Business Journal)
Tennessee retailers are bracing for an uptick in sales this weekend as shoppers ready to take advantage of the three-day sales tax holiday. Consumers in Memphis will save 9.25 percent — once state and local sales taxes are waived — on eligible purchases which include clothing items priced at $100 or less, school supplies priced at $100 or less and computers priced at $1,500 or less. The sale will begin Friday at 12:01 a.m. and conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. It is available to individuals but items purchased for use by a trade or business are not exempt. Tennessee is one of at least 16 states that offer sales tax holidays, including Arkansas and Mississippi. Most of the holidays are held in August and are designed to help make back-to-school shopping more affordable. Tennessee first initiated its sales tax holiday in 2006. Shoppers have saved $8 million to $10 million each year since the incentive was put in place. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2011/08/03/tennessee-sales-tax-holiday-begins.html

Flood of shoppers Sentinel/Harrington)

expected

for

sales

tax

holiday

(Knox.

News-

Tennessee shoppers are expected flood retail stores this weekend to take advantage of a three-day sales tax holiday, but don't count Maureen Houston and her daughter among them. Maeve Houston, a fourth-grader at Bluegrass Elementary School, already has finished her back-to-school shopping and has her backpack filled and ready to go. "The crowds are terrible in my opinion, but a lot of people like to do it," Maureen Houston said. "Stores have offered such unbelievable deals earlier that we decided to go ahead and do it." Many retailers began stocking their shelves with merchandise after the Fourth of July, but parents looking to save on Tennessee's 9.25 percent state and local sales tax have held off from buying school supplies until this weekend. For three days beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ending at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, shoppers can save nearly 10 percent on tax-free clothing, school and art supplies and computers. The sixth annual sales tax holiday is expected to save shoppers between $8 million and $10 million. Last year's holiday provided consumers $8.6 million in savings. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/03/flood-of-shoppers-expected-for-sales-tax-holiday/

Tax holiday won't bring buying spree (Tennessean/Allyn)
A three-day, tax-free shopping weekend that cranks up just after the witching hour tonight may get a few more back-to-school shoppers in a buying mood despite dismal economic news nationally. But most retail analysts don’t expect a huge buying spree here. Many consumers remain leery of big purchases, and they’re stretching dollars wherever they can. W hile shopping at Dollar General this week, Teresa Phillips said her family is reusing last year’s school supplies before they start shopping for the fall. “This year’s about looking at what we have as a way to save,” said Phillips, whose son, Montrell, is a rising eighth-grader at JT Moore Middle School. “When we are looking for something new, it’s got to be a bargain.” Families this year will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, just a few dollars more than the 2010 average, according to the National Retail Federation, which recently surveyed consumers on the topic. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110804/BUSINESS01/308040034/Tax-holiday-won-t-bring-buying-spree? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

State officials visit Bradley Central (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Higgins)
Some state government leaders got a preview Wednesday of Bradley Central High School's new $3 million fine arts building. Tennessee Treasurer David Lillard, Secretary of State Tre Hargett and state Rep. Eric Watson, RCleveland, toured the 600-seat auditorium, band rooms and related classrooms. Before the tour, Lillard and Hargett spoke to a room full of school administrators at the county schools' central office. Lillard told teachers the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System is one of the highest-rated such systems in the nation. "During the downturn we took losses like everybody else did," he said. "But we have about 45 percent of our assets in fixed income, so we took less losses than most people did." Lillard also promoted the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission created in 2010 by the General Assembly. A college savings program for Tennessee families is coming soon and will create "tax advantaged" savings accounts for future college educations, he said. The program will involve teachers, school systems and families, Lillard said. 3

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/04/state-officials-visit-bradley-central/?local

Jackson Says School System Is Embracing Change (WKSR-Radio Pulaski)
Tennessee Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman and Tennessee’s Governor Bill Haslam recently submitted a request to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law, after learning nearly half of the states schools did not meet the requirement. Two Giles County schools will be affected. The U.S. Education Secretary has signaled a willingness to grant waivers and asked congress to rewrite No Child Left Behind to avert what he calls a “slow motion train wreck for children parents and teachers.” Commissioner Huffman said in a quote in Sundays Tennessean newspaper, “If we do not get a waiver and if Congress fails to act, we will be back here in a year announcing that the vast majority of the schools in the state failed to meet average yearly progress.” Giles County Director of Schools Tee Jackson alerted WKSR of the latest information concerning the issue. “We received information in 2009 concerning the additional rigor and the increased academic requirements students in Tennessee could expect,” Jackson stated. “We were told that our standardized student test scores might take a plunge over the next four years.” Jackson says this has become a reality for many schools in the state. Jackson went on to say, “Education is changing and we are changing with it. It has been said that change is necessary for survival. You can fear change or you can welcome and embrace it. We have chosen to embrace http://www.wksr.com/wksr.php?rfc=src/article.html&id=28153 it.”

Commissioner speaks at school meeting (Jackson Sun)
Kevin Huffman, state commissioner of education, spoke to a full room of teachers and administrators Wednesday at Christ Church in Brownsville about the true focus of education. Huffman, 40, spoke as part of the Haywood County Schools System's annual state of the schools meeting. Governor Bill Haslam appointed the Ohio native with three children as commissioner in April. Since then, Huffman said he's been visiting as many of the 136 school districts across the state as he can. Part of the education commissioner's message was to encourage educators before the school year starts in Haywood County Monday. "The goals of the Race to the Top are more ambitious than people think," he said. "It is going to take a massive amount of work to meet the goals we need to meet." While meeting goals is important, the focus needs to remain on the children and their families, Huffman said. "I know that seems like a given thing to say," he said. "But I can't tell you how often, in all the talk about policy, never once is the word 'kid' uttered." http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110804/NEWS10/108040303/Haywood-County-Schools-Commissionerspeaks-school-meeting?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Rare Tennessee Sentinel/Simmons)

coneflower

makes

a

comeback

(Knoxville

News-

A rare and lovely flower with a fondness for Tennessee's harshest growing environments has been removed from the federal endangered species list. The Tennessee coneflower's de-listing will be announced today at Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Lebanon, one of only a handful of sites in the state where the coneflower is known to grow. On hand to celebrate the recovery will be representatives from various public and private agencies, including the U.S. Fish and W ildlife Service, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and The Nature Conservancy, which participated in a 30-year recovery campaign that brought the Tennessee coneflower back from the brink of extinction. "It's nice to win one every now and then," said Gina Hancock, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee. "This shows what can be accomplished when people put their minds, hearts, and money together." A member of the sunflower family, the Tennessee coneflower is found only in the limestone barrens and cedar glades of Middle Tennessee where the soil is dry and rocky. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/04/rare-tennessee-coneflower-makes-comeback/

Memphis Area Unemployment Hits 10.9 Pct. (Memphis Daily News)
Unemployment in the Memphis area ticked up almost a full percentage point in June. Memphis’ unemployment rate, according to preliminary non-seasonally adjusted figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 10.9 percent in June. That’s up from 10.1 percent in May and up from 10 percent in June of 2010. The increase is a reflection that while the ranks of the civilian labor force in Memphis is growing, the number of unemployed workers is growing, too. The civilian labor force grew from 620,000 in June 2010 to almost 630,000 in June 2011. But during that same period, the ranks of the unemployed in Memphis grew from about 62,300 to 68,700.http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/4/memphis-area-unemployment-hits-109-pct/ 4

Inmate seeks state files on judge (Associated Press)
A man convicted of raping a child is asking for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s files on the judge who sentenced him to 38 years in prison. Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner resigned from the bench in March after pleading guilty to buying prescription painkillers from a felon on probation in his court. In a motion filed Tuesday, Jayson Bailey seeks a copy of the TBI’s files on Baumgartner, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Bailey’s attorney, Gregory Isaacs, also asks that prosecutors not have a say in whether the files are released, claiming they are potential witnesses to the judge’s misconduct. Bailey was convicted in April 2010. He vehemently denied the charge and is seeking a new trial. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/04/inmate-seeks-state-files-judge/?local

Prosecution: Turn over entire file on former judge (News-Sentinel/Satterfield)
The quartet of defendants convicted in the January 2007 torture-slaying of a Knox County couple should have access to what other defendants and the public so far cannot — whatever secrets a probe of former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner revealed, prosecutors said Wednesday. Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Leland Price filed a motion Wednesday stating that he would not object to the release of the entire Tennessee Bureau of Investigation file on Baumgartner to the four defendants convicted in the slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23. Although Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood opined at a hearing in June that the defendants — ringleader Lemaricus Davidson and cohorts Letalvis Cobbins, George Thomas and Vanessa Coleman — should get a chance to review the file, Price's motion indicates he only made a portion of that file available to their respective defense teams. It's not clear from his motion whether the state had resisted a release of the entire file. But Price says the state now, at least, has no objection to its release so long as it is kept under wraps from the public. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/04/prosecution-turn-over-entire-file-former-judge/

Court Limits Banks’ Immunity (Memphis Daily News)
A recent ruling from the Tennessee Court of Appeals has limited the immunity banks in the state once had when it comes to liability for withdrawals of money under powers of attorney. The July 26 ruling comes in the Memphis case of the estate of Robert Stokes West, which sued Regions Bank in 2008 over the issue. Shelby County Chancery Court Chancellor Walter L. Evans ruled that even though a nephew, James West Jr., had withdrawn money from his uncle’s bank accounts and deposited them in two accounts the nephew had – also at Regions, it was covered by immunity because of the power of attorney. The appeals court reversed Evans’ decision to grant summary judgment to the bank, but it stopped short of ruling on the key issue of “conversion” – the claim by the plaintiff that the nephew breached his fiduciary duties. “The Bank argues that (the state law) should be interpreted so that a power of attorney operates as a talisman of sorts, to insulate the bank from liability in any transaction that involves a power of attorney,” wrote Appeals Court Judge Holly M. Kirby of Memphis for a unanimous majority. “W e decline to do so.” http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/4/court-limitsbanks-immunity/

GOP Showing Little Taste for Lower Food Tax (TN Report)
Now that Tennessee Republicans are “large and in charge” of state government, as minority Democrats like to snidely put it, they seem to have lost their appetite for cutting the state’s sales tax on food. Even though Tennessee is looking at $62.3 million in excess revenues over the last 11 months, lowering the tax isn’t likely to happen any time soon, say powerful majority-party politicians. Nevertheless, Tennessee Democrats are floating a plan to give part of the overage back to taxpayers — by reducing the 5.5 percent tax on food and making additional funds available for “needs-based” college scholarships. The Volunteer State now charges a 7 percent sales tax on items other than food and is one of seven that offers a reduced rate on groceries, although 31 states exempt most non-restaurant food purchases from sales taxes. Republicans, who consolidated their political power in the 2010 election promising a more fiscally disciplined, taxpayer-friendly state government, last month scoffed at Democrats for offering up a plan to reduce the tax on food. http://www.tnreport.com/2011/08/gop-leadership-showing-little-taste-for-lower-food-tax/

Haslam criticized Paper/W oods)

for

denying

pay

raises

to

disciplined

workers

(City

A state House Democratic leader criticized Gov. Bill Haslam Wednesday for denying supposedly across-the5

board pay raises to state employees who had been disciplined in the past year. “It’s wrong,” Rep. Mike Turner of Nashville said. “If a state worker does something wrong, there’s a process you go through. This is piling on. The intent of the legislature was to give those raises to everybody. It appears the governor has usurped some legislative power.” On July 1, Haslam denied the 1.3 percent raises to 771 employees who either had been disciplined or had received poor performance evaluations in the past year. It was the first pay raise for state employees in three years. The Tennessee State Employees Association protested Haslam’s decision, saying it amounted to punishing the workers twice. More of them might have challenged their disciplinary actions if they had known they would lose the pay raises, TSEA officials said. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/haslam-criticized-denying-pay-raises-disciplined-workers

Dem leaders says Gov. Haslam may have ‘usurped’ power (Times FreePress/Sher)
A top House Democratic leader today questioned whether Gov. Bill Haslam “usurped” legislative authority by unilaterally denying 1.6 percent pay raises to hundreds of state workers disciplined over the past year. “I think it’s wrong,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner of Nashville told reporters. “There’s a disciplinary process for somebody who does something that is wrong or deemed wrong.” Haslam, a Republican, blocked across-the-board cost-of-living increases for 771 state employees. Of that number, 556 didn’t get the July 1 increases because of a decision by Haslam and his cabinet that they shouldn’t have a raise because they had been disciplined in the previous 12 months. Another 163 didn't get a raise because of poor performance evaluations, a provision long incorporated in budgetary language. Human Resources figures show 52 more workers didn't see the cost-of-living adjustment after receiving a low evaluation and also being the recipient of disciplinary action. “This was kind of like piling it on,” Turner said. “We didn’t talk about this when we put it [across the board pay increases] ... The intent of the legislature was to give those to everybody and it appears to me the governor has usurped some legislative power and that was not our intent.” http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/03/dem-leaders-says-haslam-may-have-usurped-power/? breakingnews

Satirical mints poking fun at Obama pulled from UT bookstore (N-S/Boehnke)
Breath mints are usually refreshing, but a Knoxville legislator believes a University of Tennessee bookstore's selling of novelty candies mocking President Barack Obama stinks. UT officials pulled the mints poking fun at Obama from store shelves after state Rep. Joe Armstrong, a Democrat, visited the bookstore and told the director he found the satirical mints offensive. "When you operate on state and federal dollars, you ought to be sensitive to those type of politically specific products," Armstrong said. "If it was a private entity or corporation or store, (that's different), but this is a state university. W e certainly don't want in any way to put the university in a bad light by having those political (products), particularly aimed at defaming the president." The tin can of mints has a blue and red image of the president with the words: "This is change? Disappointmints." Armstrong said he got a call from a student who was bothered by the depiction of the president, and the legislator followed up Tuesday with a visit to the bookstore in the basement of the University Center. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/04/other-products-poke-fun-at-variety-of-targets/

Republicans delay (CA/Connolly)

creation

of

committee

to

regulate

Election

Comm.

Four Republicans arrived at a Shelby County Commission meeting ahead of their Democratic colleagues Wednesday and delayed a plan to create a new committee to regulate the Republican-controlled county Election Commission. Commissioner James Harvey, the Democrat who proposed the new committee, wasn't present and couldn't object when Commissioner Mike Ritz moved to put off the matter for eight weeks. Breaks in the commission's schedule mean the group wouldn't take up the measure until Oct. 12, the week after the Oct. 6 municipal elections. The commission's General Government Committee began its work at 8:30 a.m. as scheduled, and Republican commissioners Mike Carpenter, Terry Roland and Ritz were the only ones present. A fourth Republican, Chris Thomas, arrived a short time later. The election issue was the last item on the committee agenda, and Ritz made his move to delay at about 8:35 a.m. "Well, I was trying to put it out there, frankly, so we wouldn't have to think about it for a while," Ritz said. "I think it's clearly a political campaign tactic by the sponsor and I didn't see why we should be a party to that." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/03/republicans-delay-creation-new-committee-regulate/

6

Dems unhappy with redistrict committee vote (Daily News Journal)
The Rutherford County Democratic Party has accused the County Commission's Steering, Legislative & Governmental Committee of "bowing to political pressure by recommending a highly partisan and politically slanted redistricting committee." "This is likely to result in unfair and partisan districts in the county, which could result in additional expensive lawsuits against the Election Commission and Rutherford County," local Democratic Party Chairman Justin St. Clair said in a news release Tuesday. "Our county cannot afford any more lawsuits and deserves better from its local elected officials." Rutherford County Commissioner Steve Sandlin stood by the steering committee's decision to include a Redistricting Committee with Democratic Election Commissioner Johnny Taylor and Republican Election Commissioner Jimmy Evans. "I don't know why the Democrats should be complaining," said Sandlin, who will serve as one of seven commissioners on the 11member committee. "We said we're going to have one Republican and one Democrat on the committee, and that's what we did. We're going to be fair on this. I was raised a Democrat, but now I'm a Republican. It's like my daddy said: 'Why can't we all get along?' Let's get along and work it out." http://www.dnj.com/article/20110803/NEW S01/108030315/Dems-unhappy-redistrict-committee-vote

Memphis court clerk Otis Jackson suspended with pay after indictment (CA/Buser)
General Sessions judges appoint Stanton as interim General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson, indicted on felony official misconduct charges, was suspended for 60 days with pay effective Friday by the General Sessions judges. They appointed Edward Stanton Jr. interim clerk. Jackson, a Democrat elected in 2008, was indicted last month on allegations that he coerced members of the clerk's staff into giving money to his 2012 re-election campaign. Each count carries a maximum six years in prison and a $3,000 fine. The 15 judges of General Sessions criminal and civil divisions met last Friday, with all but three of the judges voting for the suspension. Their order was filed Wednesday. Judges John Donald and Deborah Henderson did not sign the order and Judge Chris Turner, who held the clerk's job for 12 years before losing to Jackson, recused himself. He will continue to draw his salary of more than $106,000 per year. After his indictment last month, Jackson told reporters, "I was voted in to serve the citizens of Shelby County and I'm going to continue doing that." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/03/memphis-court-clerk-otis-jackson-suspended-pay/

Jackson Suspended as General Sessions Court Clerk (Memphis Daily News)
General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson has been suspended for 60 days by the judges of the civil and criminal divisions of General Sessions Court. The suspension was announced Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 3. Jackson’s suspension follows his indictment in July on four counts of official misconduct by the Shelby County grand jury. The judges appointed Ed Stanton Jr. to serve as temporary clerk. Stanton has run for the position before and is the father of U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton III. The judges met Friday, July 29, and a majority voted for the suspension with pay, effective Aug. 5. Jackson was told of the suspension Tuesday, Aug. 2. Jackson was elected to the clerk’s post in 2008 and has said he intends to seek re-election in 2012. He has said he did nothing wrong. The charges allege Jackson assembled workers in his office on county time and required them each to raise a certain amount of money for his 2012 re-election campaign. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/4/jackson-suspended-as-general-sessions-court-clerk/

Rep. Black Renews Push On Ryan Medicare Proposal (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
Questions over how to control federal healthcare costs took a back seat to this summer’s deficit debate, but Tennessee Congressman Diane Black hasn’t dropped the issue. In a teleconference with constituents last night, Black renewed her support for the so-called Ryan plan to change Medicare. Asked for her stance on cutting Medicare, Black began by saying for people 55 and over, nothing would change for Medicare recipients under Representative Paul Ryan’s proposal. Black says seniors are depending on a promise the government made and should keep. As to those 54 and younger, Black says something must change to keep Medicare sustainable. “Going forward, there would be a different plan called a ‘premium support.’ It would be much like you do with your employer, where your employer pays part of your premium. You would pay part of your premium. For those at the lower income, the government would pay more of your premium.”. http://wpln.org/?p=29395

Debt-Limit Fallout (Memphis Flyer)
Perhaps the oddest consequence of the entire debt-limit debacle is that U.S. senator Bob Corker, the Tennessean who did as much as anybody in Congress to re-orient thinking in Washington toward the 7

preeminence of spending reduction as a goal, may have thereby cinched his place on the hit list of Tea Party extremists. On Monday, the very day that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a cuts-only deficit-reduction package permitting a raise in the nation's debt ceiling, the D.C. newspaper The Hill carried an article that concluded thusly: "Republican senators who may face competitive primary challenges from the right include Senators Dick Lugar (IN) and Orrin Hatch (Utah). Other incumbents, including Senators Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Bob Corker (TN), have angered conservatives at times, but a credible candidate has not emerged to challenge either of them." Corker's adversaries on the Republican right cannot be faulted for not looking hard, though. In November of last year, a day after the resounding GOP sweep of congressional elections, the Tea Party blog RedState.com earmarked Corker for a purge, and this past May, the blog went after the senator again. http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/debt-limit-fallout/Content?oid=3033266

Nashville Airport Going Ahead with FAA Funded Projects (W PLN-Radio Nashville)
With the Federal Aviation Administration in a partial shutdown, a handful of projects at the Nashville airport are in reimbursement limbo. It’s not clear if the agency will ultimately pay out grant money for work that’s done right now. Funding for the Nashville airport’s largest and most visible construction project is secure. The new rental car facilities are paid for by user fees. But there are FAA grants for the taxiway reconstruction and security camera upgrades currently underway. Spokeswoman Emily Richard says the airport is continuing that work, at least for now. “We’re going to reevaluate in about 30 days to see where we are, the status of the projects and of course, how FAA funding is going, so they’re remaining in process at this point.” The problem is a little different at the John C. Tune airport in West Nashville, which serves corporate and private flights. The FAA has said the runway there must be extended, and the airport authority expects to win a construction grant. http://wpln.org/? p=29408

College Grants Spared From Spending Cuts (Wall Street Journal)
One federal program emerged with more money in the deficit-reduction deal signed into law this week: Pell grants, which help low-income students pay for college. The White House and its allies cited the increase when they urged Democrats to vote for the broader legislation, which was almost all about cutting government spending. The final deal "protects Pell grants from deep near-term cuts," Sen. Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) said Monday on the Senate floor. "I think most of us understand how important Pell grants are to providing opportunities to young, talented people all across America to improve themselves through higher education." It was a rare bright spot for a White House that pushed unsuccessfully for a variety of other provisions, including raising taxes on certain corporations and wealthy individuals, extending a payroll-tax cut, extending unemployment benefits and spending new money on infrastructure in hopes of stimulating the economy. The deal to raise the government's $14.29 trillion borrowing limit reduces federal spending by $917 billion over 10 years. It also creates a special congressional committee to shrink the government's budget deficit by an additional $1.5 trillion. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903885604576486511218885134.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Fewer cops, more potholes: How debt deal could hit states hardest (CSM)
Federal spending cuts mean fewer dollars will flow to the states for unemployment benefits, education, health care, and other state-run programs. Many states will have to cut services or raise taxes. The debt-and-deficit bill signed into law on Tuesday forestalled a dangerous federal government default. But it will also slash aid to states already reeling from the recession, almost certainly forcing them to curtail services and raise revenues to pay for programs once bankrolled by Congress. The bill, which the Senate approved and President Obama signed into law Tuesday, will eventually raise the government’s debt limit by more than $2 trillion in exchange for equivalent savings. Congress will achieve nearly $1 trillion of those savings by cutting domestic discretionary spending – including funds for education, health care, job training – to its lowest level in over half a century, as a share of the GDP. “State budgets are already devastated,” says Ethan Pollack, a senior policy analyst at the Economic Policy Institute. “This deal just makes it far worse and shifts a lot of the pain onto state and local governments.” The recession pummeled states, diminishing tax revenues while increasing demand for public aid. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0802/Fewer-cops-more-potholes-How-debt-deal-could-hit-stateshardest

Judge limits coal ash spill lawsuits (Associated Press/Poovey)
A federal court further limited lawsuits seeking damages from the Tennessee Valley Authority for its huge spill of 8

toxin-laden coal ash, but the judge ruled that claims related to property damages and reduced property values will go to trial. The court fight is over a Dec. 22, 2008, TVA dam collapse that spilled 5.4 million cubic yards of sludge in the Emory River and onto surrounding land in Roane County west of Knoxville. U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan’s order Tuesday granted TVA’s motion to dismiss claims for personal injury, emotional distress and inverse condemnation. A bench trial is set for Sept. 13 on dozens of damage suits and another trial possibly to follow in November. The judge’s order allows claims for property damages, trespass and nuisance to go forward. Dozens of other potential plaintiffs who have until December to file damage lawsuits are watching the case. While TVA since the spill has purchased almost 900 acres for $47 million and signed deals that include owners promising not to sue, hundreds of people who feel they have suffered losses have stakes in the court fight. Loretta Smith, 57, of Lyons, Ill., owns 25 acres near the spill site where TVA is continuing a $1.2 billion cleanup. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110804/NEWS21/308030126/Judge-limits-coal-ash-spill-lawsuits? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

River temperature forces plant to 50 percent power (Times Free-Press/Sohn)
Not even TVA can beat the heat. On Wednesday, the utility had to bring a third reactor at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant down to 50 percent power to avoid environmental sanctions because the water in the Tennessee River — where the plant's cooling water is discharged — already was at 90 degrees. "When the river's ambient temperature reaches 90 degrees, we can't add any heat to it," said TVA's nuclear spokesman Ray Golden. Similar problems last summer forced the Tennessee Valley Authority to spent $50 million for replacement power, according to Golden. The extra expense translated to something between 50 cents and $1 on most electric bills several months later, officials have said. To avoid similar heat problems this year, TVA in October began construction on a seventh cooling tower at Browns Ferry, which is near Athens, Ala., and officials expected the $80 million super tower to be complete in June or July. But weather stormed that plan, too. "It was delayed because of the impact of the tornadoes, and some spring storms and some heavy rains," Golden said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/04/river-temperature-forces-plant-to-50-percent/?local

Dean: Land Costs May Alter Music City Center, Not Bust Budget (WPLN-Radio)
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is sounding confident that the new convention center will not go over budget, even if the city has to pay more for the land. Metro may have to pay a key land owner $15 million more than expected after a jury ruled in an eminent domain case last month. There are still two other property cases tied up in court. But Mayor Dean dismisses claims that additional land costs would bust the project’s budget, which has some contingency funds built in. “We’ll have to make decisions, and if we need to make any alterations, we’ll make alterations. We’ll just play it one day at a time. But in terms of a half-a-billion dollar project, this is not going to alter whether we come on in budget or not.” The total cost of the convention center was a sticking point to getting approval of the financing. The developer whittled the total price tag down to $585 million – in part – to make it more palatable to members of the Metro Council. Still, the council approved a bond issue of $650 million to pay for it. The city finance director says the extra money is for a debt service reserve fund. http://wpln.org/?p=29356

UTHSC Has $2.3B Impact in State (Memphis Daily News)
A recent study concludes that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s total economic contribution to the state of Tennessee amounted to more than $2.3 billion for the 2010 fiscal year. The main campus of UTHSC, which celebrates its centennial this year, is located in the Memphis Medical District. The study, designed to gauge the institution’s statewide economic impact, was jointly conducted by the Methodist Le Bonheur Center for Healthcare Economics and the Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Memphis. It reconfirms the findings of a 2001 study, and demonstrates that the economic impact of UTHSC’s statewide teaching, research and clinical practice activities continues to grow. The total output effect of $2.3 billion includes both direct expenditures by UTHSC and subsequent downstream employment earnings. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/4/uthsc-has-23b-impact-in-state/

Writer says Chattanooga has an ‘incredible stench’ (Times Free-Press/Pare)
In Chattanooga to test drive Volkswagen's new Passat, a New York writer for a national auto magazine has taken the city's downtown to task for what he called "the most incredible stench." In a column in the September 2011 issue, Jamie Kitman, Automobile Magazine's New York bureau chief, said the smell that at times hits downtown "makes recommending the city as a vacation destination -- or as a place to locate your heavy industry -- problematic." "One thing's certain: it's definitely not time for VW to launch its factory-delivery program here," wrote Kitman, an award-winning journalist who was in Chattanooga recently with other auto writers to critique the 9

Passat. Kitman won the 2009 National Magazine Award in the columns and commentary category. It is one of the country's most prestigious journalism competitions for magazines. Kitman's award, sponsored by the National Society of Magazine Editors, is believed to be the first of its kind won by an automotive magazine. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/04/citys-downtown-not-so-sweet-writer-says/?local

Superspeedway seeking no races in 2012, Dover eyes sale (Nashville Post/Lind)
Nashville Superspeedway will host no major racing events in 2012 and the Wilson County track's parent company is eyeing a sale. Dover Motorsports official on Wednesday notified NASCAR that they will not seek any 2012 race sanctions. The track hosted four NASCAR events this year — two truck series races and two stock car races at the association's second-level Nationwide series. From its opening in 2001 until 2008, it also hosted an IndyCar race. The track has never been able to secure a race in NASCAR's top-level Sprint Cup series and while the association would likely not have objected had Dover Motorsports moved one of its two Sprint Cup races from its other track in Delaware, the company never showed any willingness to do so. "Nashville is a tremendous market filled with passionate race fans. We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination, but the reality is, after ten years of effort, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue," track GM and Dover Vice President Cliff Hawks said. http://nashvillepost.com/news/2011/8/3/superspeedway_seeking_no_races_in_2012_dover_eyes_sale

Nashville Superspeedway gives up on NASCAR, explores sale (Nash. Biz Journal)
Dover Motorsports Inc. (NYSE: DVD) announced today that its Nashville Superspeedway subsidiary will not be seeking any NASCAR events for the 2012 season. “We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination, but the reality is, after ten years of effort, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue,” said Cliff Hawks, vice president and general manager of Nashville Superspeedway, in a news release. That release is currently the only item on the Superspeedway’s website, listed under a “Thanks for all the memories!” heading. Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, said the company is now evaluating all of its options for the track, “including its possible sale.” Nashville Superspeedway, which opened in 2001, was financed with $25.9 million in bonds issued by the Wilson County Sports Authority in 1999. $21 million worth of those bonds are outstanding. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/08/03/nashville-superspeedway-gives-up-on.html

Nashville Superspeedway will not host NASCAR events in 2012 (CP/Woody)
Seas of empty seats had spelled trouble for Nashville Superspeeday since it opened in 2001, and on Wednesday parent company Dover Motorsports announced it is giving up The company issued a statement saying it will seek no NASCAR races next year and will “evaluate all options for the track, including its possible sale.” The announcement could sound the death-knell for professional automobile racing in Middle Tennessee, a fixture for over a half-century. Should Dover sell the track, it is possible that the new owner could pursue future NASCAR races, although that failed to happen when Dover folded its tracks in Memphis and St. Louis. If the track is not sold, apparently it will be simply shut down “We have some extremely dedicated and talented employees who have made this track a great destination, but the reality is, after 10 years of effort, we have to face the fact that without a Sprint Cup race and/or a significant change in the operating model for other events, we simply cannot continue,” Cliff Hawks, who has served as vice president/general manager of the track since it opened, said. Hawks will stay on for an unspecified period to “assist with transition issues.” http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/nashville-superspeedway-will-not-host-nascar-events-2012

Race Over: Future uncertain for Nashville Superspeedway (Tennessean/Kreager)
The long-range future of Nashville Superspeedway and NASCAR-sanctioned racing in Middle Tennessee is clouded in uncertainty today, but the short-term future for both is clear. They do not exist. Nashville Superspeedway is closing its doors, and NASCAR — the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing — apparently will be disappearing from the area landscape for the first time since 1958. Financially troubled Dover Motorsports, parent company of Nashville Superspeedway, announced Wednesday that it will not seek to host NASCAR-sanctioned races in 2012, effectively ending its operation as a racing facility. And shortly after its announcement, it reduced its website to one page, carrying the announcement under the heading, “Thanks for all the Memories!” “I think this is a bad day,” said former Sprint Cup driver Sterling Marlin. “I had been hearing through the grapevine that they had been having trouble getting people in the stands.” The superspeedway 10

opened in 2001 in Gladeville on the W ilson-Rutherford county line, just off State Route 840. It has been host to NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series events since its inception. The track also has held IndyCar and Indy Light races through 2008, as well as a few lesser racing events. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110804/SPORTS09/308040039/Race-Over-Future-uncertain-NashvilleSuperspeedway?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Long NBA lockout Appeal/Veazey)

could

sap

FedExForum

arena

fund

(Commercial

A yearlong NBA lockout could send the fund used to pay off FedExForum bonds into the red by 2022, forcing the city and county to make up the difference. The shortfall could reach $10.6 million by 2029, or about $600,000 annually for each government. The lockout was one of three scenarios presented to the Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority at its Wednesday meeting by Lisa Daniel, managing director at Public Financial Management, the group that advises the authority. The other two scenarios each envisioned an uninterrupted NBA season but a prolonged weak economy -- with projections ranging from a small surplus to a shortfall starting in 2025. The bonds, authorized in 2002 by the sports authority, are paid with six different revenue streams. Sales tax rebates from NBA-related sales, such as tickets and concessions to Grizzlies games, and seat rental fees would be most affected by a lockout. With the loss of revenue associated with a lockout, projections show the current surplus fund of $10.8 million whittling into the red in time for the senior bonds' Nov. 1, 2022, payment. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/04/long-nba-lockout-could-sap-arena-fund/

Resolution approval needed to rescind IQT tax incentive deal (C. Paper/Garrison)
To undo giving New York-based IQT Solutions tax incentives for previous plans to relocate to Nashville, the Metro Council will have to approve a resolution to rescind the prior agreement. Council attorney Jon Cooper told The City Paper a resolution has been filed that would officially renege on the $1.61 million in tax incentives offered to the call center company, a plan that blew up after Mayor Karl Dean and others learned of the abrupt closing of three IQT offices in Canada. In June, the council unanimously voted to approve the tax incentives, which came with the promise of IQT’s creation of 900 jobs in Nashville. The mayor’s office of economic and community development had orchestrated the agreement. But in light of the company’s unexpected mishaps, and Nashville’s dead deal, the council will now have to approve a resolution to retract the previous agreement. The resolution is to go before the council at its Aug. 16 meeting. “It’s basically just repealing the prior resolution and rescinding the council’s prior approval,” Cooper said. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/resolution-approval-needed-rescind-iqt-tax-incentive-deal

Coverstone has taken on private, charter and now, troubled schools (Tenn./Cass)
The man who will lead Metro’s turnaround efforts at 10 low-performing schools spent most of his career at a prestigious private school where some students’ biggest worry was whether they should choose Harvard or Stanford for college. No one else got a chance to interview for the new position. But supporters say Alan Coverstone, who joined the school district as charter school chief in 2009 after 14 years at Montgomery Bell Academy, is the right choice to lead the “innovation school cluster” consisting of some of the city’s most troubled schools. “He’s a true innovator,” said charter school leader Jeremy Kane, the founder and CEO of LEAD Public Schools and a longtime friend and colleague of Coverstone’s. “He’s one of the few in the state who’s truly pieced together the puzzle of being aggressive but not taking the throw-out-the-baby-with-the-bathwater approach of so many in education reform.” Schools Director Jesse Register announced Coverstone’s appointment last week. On Monday the district named the 10 schools that will make up the innovation cluster, putting their leaders in regular contact with Coverstone and a British consulting firm to develop turnaround plans. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110804/NEWS04/307290104/Coverstone-has-taken-private-charter-nowtroubled-schools?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Former Memphis mayor wants to open charter schools (Associated Press)
Former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton has filed letters of intent with the state to open nine charter schools in Memphis and Shelby County by next year. Herenton, who served as the superintendent for city schools before being elected mayor, is proposing four high schools, three middle schools and two elementary schools for his W.E.B. DuBois Consortium. "I want the most difficult and those students that are the most underserved. That's what I want," Herenton said told The Commercial Appeal. "That is the challenge in American education today." The seven schools inside the city limits would focus on art/technology, entrepreneurship and teacher education 11

and the two in Shelby County on leadership, ethics and public policy. He could qualify for part of $6.8 million in federal incentives that the state Department of Education announced it would divide among charter companies serving certain Memphis neighborhoods. The funds cannot be used to cover facility costs, but can be used for planning, supplies and salaries. Herenton will have to have approval from the Memphis City and Shelby County boards of education. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37133507.story

Roane schools resume Aug. 8 as renovation, expansion wrap up (N-S/Fowler)
While extensive school building upgrades are wrapping up at several Roane County schools, those construction projects won't interfere with students' scheduled return to classes on Aug. 8. So says Director of Schools Dr. Toni McGriff, who last week fretted that ongoing work might delay the resumption of classes at one elementary school in Harriman. Students will have to be detoured around some construction areas in some schools, but otherwise, it should be business as usual, she predicted. The Roane County School System is using $32 million from a special fund to make the upgrades. As part of the systemwide plan, one elementary school closed last year, another will be shuttered after this year, a new elementary school is under construction near Oliver Springs and numerous improvements are nearing completion at five other schools. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/04/roane-schools-resume-aug-8-as-renovation-wrap-up/

No school Thursday for Science Hill 9-12 students (Johnson City Press)
Science Hill High School students in grades 9-12 will not attend today’s scheduled first day of class due to lingering concerns by the state fire marshal’s office over two areas of the school where students must travel between the existing building and new construction. Science Hill is expected to be open for these grade levels on Friday, and students will be in class for a full day. The state fire marshal’s office, which operates under the state’s Department of Commerce and Insurance, must sign off on a safety plan before giving its seal of approval. Community Tectonics, the architect for the new construction on campus, is responsible for developing and gaining approval of what is called a “Life Safety Plan.” The glitch could affect about 2,000 students. State officials were reviewing the plan Wednesday as Director of Schools Richard Bales announced the news at a 12:30 p.m. news conference. “Every effort is being made to address those concerns and begin classes as soon as the approval is given,” Bales said at the afternoon news conference. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=93020#ixzz1U3XW 3mM

Oregon: Wu notifies governor, speaker of resignation (Associated Press)
Democratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon resigned his seat late Wednesday, making him the fourth member of Congress to quit this year in the wake of a sex scandal. W u, 56, already had announced his intention to resign after his hometown paper, The Oregonian, published allegations that he had an unwanted sexual encounter with an 18-year-old woman. In May, the woman left a voice mail message about the encounter at W u's Portland office. She has not pursued criminal charges. W u made his resignation official in a handwritten letter to Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber sent shortly before midnight Eastern Time. "With gratitude to the people of Oregon and confidence that our best days are yet to come, I hereby resign as their United States Congressman for the First District of Oregon, effectively immediately," Wu wrote. The resignation will set off a spirited special election for Wu's congressional seat. Kitzhaber called a primary election on Nov. 8 and a general election on Jan. 31 to choose a replacement for Wu. Wu said he also notified House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, of his resignation. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-08-03-david-wu-resignation_n.htm

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OPINION Editorial: From Lambuth Univ. to Univ. of Memphis an accomplishment (J. Sun)
When the Madison County Commission meets in a special called meeting today, it will vote on whether to provide $3 million (including $1 million from West Tennessee Healthcare) toward the purchase of the former Lambuth University campus. The campus would be turned over to the Tennessee Board of Regents to create a University of Memphis campus in Jackson. We urge commissioners to approve the funding. Although the deal must ultimately be approved in Bankruptcy Court, County Commission funding is the final key piece of complex negotiations, accomplished in a remarkably short time, to bring major long-term change to the community. From the closing of Lambuth University on June 30 to the start of classes at the Lambuth campus of the University of Memphis at the end of August will be a mere eight weeks. Credit for this accomplishment goes to Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist, Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris, W est Tennessee Healthcare CEO Bobby Arnold and Jackson Energy Authority CEO Jim Jerrell. They could not have succeeded without the help of U of M president Dr. Shirley Raines, Gov. Bill Haslam, the Lambuth University board of trustees and the legal team including local attorney Larry Butler, the court and other community leaders. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110804/OPINION01/108040310/From-Lambuth-University-UniversityMemphis-an-accomplishment

Editorial: Hot and homesick, our troops still show spirit (Paris Post-Intelligencer)
In Iraq, where Gov. Bill Haslam is making a surprise visit to U.S. troops, the temperature neared 130 degrees on Tuesday. At 9 p.m., when he spoke with reporters, it was still over 100. He was getting a taste of what the troops endure day after day. The governor had not slept in 24 hours. He had to be careful about being seen eating or drinking because Iraqis are observing the fast of the holy month of Ramadan. “You’re sitting on the ground and thinking, ‘Start the engines so we can get out of here,’” Haslam said. “And you look at these men and women who have been here for a year … and you’re thinking, ‘Don’t even think of complaining.’” The experience was eye-opening, he said, and that was what the military had in mind in organizing the trip for him and three other governors. Gov. Phil Bredesen visited Iraq in 2006. Haslam said he found soldiers to be homesick but professional. “Most of them have been over here since last winter or spring,” he said. “Most are gong to be here until the end of the year. … It’s a long time to be in a dangerous situation. It’s a long time to work in these conditions. http://www.parispi.net/articles/2011/08/03/opinion/editorials/doc4e39766450fe9581038821.txt

Clay Bennett Political Cartoon: “Out of Town” (Chattanoga Times Free-Press)
http://media.timesfreepress.com/img/news/tease/2011/08/03/110804_Out_of_Town_t618.jpg? ba5b5b122dd3d37cc13d83e92a6a0ec0d5bfa32a

Guest columnist: Student is advocate for Governor's School spirit (C. Appeal)
In November, I applied for a spot in Governor's School for the Humanities at the University of Tennessee at Martin. The humanities facility is just one school out of nine offered by Tennessee that provides summer programs to help enrich the minds of the most talented and gifted of the state. To my excitement, I found out I was accepted into the school along with 67 other students across Tennessee. That sleepless night before my hourlong trip to Martin was the four-month bubble of anticipation that had been building up inside of me since I had been handed that acceptance letter. But I don't believe four months could really be enough to predict the experience I would be lucky enough to share. The whole month of June was a whirlwind of homework, immediate friendships and activities. This summer, I hung out with students whom I wished and still wish to emulate. I had never met so many people who were so inspiring, who played various instruments, started their own charities and wrote original songs. Some were student council presidents, newspaper editors and soccer captains. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/03/opinion-student-is-advocate-for-governors-school/

Bill Ketron: Tennessee protecting elections via ID law (Daily News Journal)
13

Tennesseans are required to show photo identification for everything from making a purchase at the mall or boarding a plane to cashing a check, and we do it without complaint. So why shouldn't we do the same for something as precious as the right to vote? The process of electing our leaders is one of our most important duties as citizens. Many brave Americans fought and died for us to have this right. It is the cornerstone of our democracy and we must make every effort to ensure that it is fair and honest. This year, 20 states that didn't already have a voter ID law took up legislation to make sure that those voting are both legal residents and indeed the person registered to vote. Meanwhile, 14 of the 27 states that already had voter-identification laws on the books sought to further strengthen them, including Tennessee. Voter fraud is a problem in Tennessee that Democrats and Republicans alike should be concerned about. Recently, state election officials found 10,000 felons on Tennessee's voter rolls. They were able to identify several hundred of those who had actually voted in an election. In addition, thousands of individuals were registered not only in Tennessee, but also in other states. This is very alarming. http://www.dnj.com/article/20110804/OPINION02/108040306/Ketron-Tennessee-protecting-elections-via-ID-law

Guest columnist: Tennessee must have truth in sentencing (Leaf Chronicle)
It's time for Tennessee to tell the truth when it sentences criminals to prison. It's time for career criminals who are sentenced to 10 years in prison to spend 10 years in prison. If Tennessee had such a sentencing system, Troy Mitchell — a husband, father of seven, respected local businessman and decorated Marine veteran — would still be alive. Instead, Ameale Hudson, one of the people convicted in Mitchell's murder, served less than two years on a 10-year sentence. Twenty days after he was released, Hudson gave a gun to a teenager who shot and killed Mitchell. Mitchell's widow, Kelly, says Tennessee's prison system failed her husband and her family. She's right, and Tennessee lawmakers should take steps to prevent it from happening again. ... Reporting by The Jackson Sun's Public Service Editor Dan Morris has shown that our sentencing system is largely a lie. It is a source of frustration and anger for police, prosecutors and crime victims. It is a system in which convicts regularly serve less than 30 percent of their sentences in jail. Legislators resist change because of money. They don't know how they would pay for more prison beds if prisoners actually served their sentences in jail. We think they don't see the big picture. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110804/OPINION01/108040305/GUEST-EDITORIAL-Tennesseemust-truth-sentencing

Editorial: Congress flies; FAA grounded (Commercial Appeal)
It's costing the country jobs and the government revenue, but lawmakers decide to take a rest. Congress didn't need to prove how dysfunctional it was after staggering to a resolution of the debt ceiling crisis that failed to persuade anyone that the government was in steady hands. But there members were this week, heading home on their usual August recess, without extending funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. An extension would have returned 4,000 FAA employees and about 70,000 others to work, allowed progress to continue on important airport construction projects and averted the loss of $1.2 billion in revenue, a 7.5 percent federal tax on tickets having expired. In Memphis, failure to extend the life of the FAA means that progress is halted on a new, $55.9 million control tower, an $18,000 painting contract and an $88,500 contract for electrical work at Memphis International Airport, as well as construction projects at airports in Greenville and Greenwood, Miss., and Walnut Ridge, Ark. Although air traffic controllers remain on the job, 13 local FAA employees in Memphis will remain on furlough.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/04/editorials-congress-flies-faa-grounded/

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