Sat., May 5 News Summary
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SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 TN No. 4 in Biz Climate Survey (TN Report)
Tennessee held steady at #4 in a ranking of the states for their business climate by Chief Executive magazine, which conducts the annual survey of business leaders. Texas, Florida and North Carolina bested the Volunteer State. The magazine singled out this comment from a respondent: “Recently moved from New York state to Tennessee. Differences in ambience/climate/cost of living/attitude of government towards business are outstanding!” Tennessee got high marks in the categories surveyed: taxation and regulation, workforce quality and living environment. The magazine also provided state snapshots on migration, tax burden, unemployment and other indicators. Chief Executive sees a correlation between people’s choices about where they live and the rankings, noting that dead-last California lost almost 1.5 million people in the 10 years to 2009, while #1 Texas gained more than 800,000 in the same time frame. Tennessee gained almost 260,000. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/04/tn-no-4-in-biz-climate-survey/
Haslam Defends ‘All Comers’ Veto (TN Report)
Gov. Bill Haslam said he’s getting “some” grief over his call to veto a bill that would have targeted Vanderbilt University’s discrimination policy imposed on student clubs. But he says he stands by his call that the legislation was meddling in the business of a private organization. “I think when we explain to folks, ‘Hey, if the Legislature wanted to impose their will on a private institution that you didn’t like, how would you feel about that?’” he told reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for Middle Tennessee State University’s Science Building Thursday. “I think once you explain it that way, people tend to understand.” Haslam announced Wednesday he would use his his first veto to strike down the bill that required public colleges and universities and Vanderbilt to let religious student clubs dictate membership and leadership, or else require all clubs — including those based on gender — to admit anyone wishing to join. The governor said he was OK with the bill when it was aimed at public colleges, such as MTSU, but adding Vanderbilt to the bill was going too far. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/04/haslam-defends-all-comers-veto/
Fallen Soldier Honored, Funeral Planned (WTVF-TV Nashville)
Governor Bill Haslam ordered that flags fly at half-staff across the state of Tennessee Friday in honor of Specialist Jason Edens. Edens was a soldier from Middle Tennessee who died last week of injuries he received from an attack in Afghanistan. His body was flown home to Middle Tennessee on Thursday. A visitation was held at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home in his hometown of Franklin on Friday evening. His funeral is set for Saturday at 12 noon and the funeral procession is expected to leave around 1:15 p.m. For anyone who would like to like to line the street in his honor the route from the funeral home will be north on Columbia Avenue. http://www.newschannel5.com/story/18149945/fallen-soldier-honored-funeral-planned
Newport woman charged with two counts of TennCare fraud (WVLT-TV Knoxville)
A Cocke Co. woman is facing TennCare fraud charges for allegedly doctor shopping, according to the Tennessee Office of the Inspector General. Desiree McIntyre, of Newport, faces two counts of fraudulently using TennCare to obtain controlled substances. The twenty-three year-old case up to 2 years for each count. "The mission of the Office of Inspector General is go after anyone who commits fraud and abuse of the TennCare program especially as it relates to prescription drugs," Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. "People should know we will meet our mission by vigorously prosecuting anyone who abuses or attempts to abuse this program." McIntyre is accused of not telling her doctor that she had seen other physicians and received prescriptions for the painkiller Hydrocodone and paying for the visits with her TennCare benefits. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/Newport_woman_charged_with_two_counts_of_TennCare_fraud_1
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Lakeshore funds to be reinvested into community mental-health (NS/Nelson)
The $20.5 million that the state is projected to save from closing Lakeshore Mental Health Institute on June 30 will be reinvested in community-based mental-health services, rather than being returned to the state's general fund, said Grant Lawrence, communications director for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health. In addition, Lawrence said, "We are allowed to carry over any monies left over from (Lakeshore) funds to cover expenses associated with the transition from" Lakeshore into community services. The money that would have funded Lakeshore operations will go to East Tennessee mental-health providers — tentatively, Helen Ross McNabb Center, Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital, Cherokee Health Systems and Covenant Health's Peninsula in the Knoxville area, along with Frontier Health and W oodridge Hospital in Upper East Tennessee — for an "East Tennessee Community Behavioral Health Transformation Plan." This plan, for which Lawrence said contracts are still being negotiated, would put $22.4 million ($20.5 reallocated from Lakeshore's budget and the $1.9 million from a state pilot program to divert Lakeshore patients to other facilities) toward inpatient hospitalization, monitored alcohol/drug detoxification programs, intensive long-term support services, liaisons for jailed mentally ill people, crisis services, and respite, peer support and transitional support services. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/05/lakeshore-funds-to-be-reinvested-into-community/
Nashville State admits first student at new Clarksville location (Leaf Chronicle)
Nashville State Community College officially enrolled its first student at the new campus in Clarksville this week. Tyreco Nolton completed the admissions process Tuesday and enrolled in classes, which begin Aug. 25, according to an NSCC news release. “Tyreco was very diligent in getting his information to the college in order to start classes this fall. He is clearly excited about beginning his education at Nashville State,” Kathy Ragan, the Nashville State admissions representative at the campus, said in the release. The expansion of Nashville State to Clarksville has been discussed for several years. Construction to renovate the former Saturn dealership at 1760 W ilma Rudolph Blvd. is under way and on schedule, the release said. “Having a quality two-year community college such as Nashville State affords Clarksville a competitive advantage with regard to recruiting businesses and bringing high-quality jobs to Montgomery County,” said state Rep. Joe Pitts, who has been instrumental in establishing the new campus. Eileen Crane, executive assistant to President George Van Allen at Nashville State, said the expansion will be beneficial for everyone involved. “The addition of the Clarksville campus will afford us the opportunity to offer both transfer degrees and technical certificates to the citizens of Montgomery and surrounding counties,” Crane said in the release. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120504/NEWS01/305040012/Nashville-State-admits-first-student-newClarksville-location
THP urges Cinco de Mayo safety (Daily News Journal)
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will increase its highway traffic safety enforcement efforts on Saturday, May 5, to coincide with Cinco de Mayo celebrations. During the 24-hour holiday period, State Troopers will focus heavily on seat belt safety and DUI enforcement. The 2012 Cinco de Mayo holiday period begins at midnight Saturday and ends tat 11:59 p.m. One person was killed on Tennessee roadways during last year’s Cinco de Mayo period. The only fatality was wearing a seatbelt and alcohol was not involved. In 2010, four people were killed on state roadways during the 24-hour Cinco de Mayo holiday. A roadblock will be set up along South Rutherford Boulevard Saturday night. “Sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols have remained an effective strategy for removing impaired drivers from the roadways,” THP Colonel Tracy Trott said. “We will utilize these measures and strictly enforce seat belt violations to ensure everyone arrives at their destinations safely this Cinco de Mayo weekend.” http://www.dnj.com/article/20120504/NEW S01/120504002/THP-urges-Cinco-de-Mayo-safety
TBI says 3 sisters have been in Mississippi (Associated Press)
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Friday said three Hardeman County girls who have not been seen for a week have been with a man in Mississippi. Kristin Helm, a spokeswoman for the TBI, said late Friday afternoon authorities are trying to locate the three sisters. She said there is no evidence of a crime. An endangered child alert issued for 14-year-old Adrienne Bain, 12-year-old Alexandria Bain and 8-year-old Kyliyah Bain said they may be accompanied by their mother, Jo Ann Bain. Helm said they have been with Adam Mayes, who was last seen in Guntown, Miss., on Tuesday. He has a warrant on file in Hardeman County for a false report stemming 2
from information he gave investigators about the case. Adrienne, Alexandria, and Kyliyah were last seen on April 27. Adrienne is a white female. She has brown hair and brown eyes, is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 129 pounds. Alexandria is a white female. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120505/NEWS01/305050009/Briefly-TBI-says-3-sisters-been-MississippiHass-transferred-county-jail-Crockett-Co-man-killed-accident
Critics bemoan social legislation (Associated Press)
Republican leaders coordinated in the recent legislative session to pass new laws that spotlight Tennessee’s business-friendly reputation, while a spurt of social issue measures from lawmakers have critics arguing the state looks so backward it will hurt economic development. In 1999, Tennessee made national news with the so-called “road kill bill” that allowed highway carcasses to be taken home for dinner. Talk show host Jay Leno mocked the measure, saying the state’s motto should be changed to “fender-licking good.” More than a decade later, Tennessee is again the butt of jokes in national forums for proposals ranging from undermining the teaching of evolution to barring classroom discussion of gay issues. Republicans passed business-focused proposals eliminating the estate tax, restructuring regulatory boards and increasing the amount of cash grants available to companies looking to invest in Tennessee. Some bills drew considerable national notice. Those include bills that required abstinence-focused sex education; and kept students from sagging their pants. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS02/120505004/Critics-bemoan-social-legislation? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
Primary Hostilities (TN Report)
Legislators may have fled Capitol Hill this week for the friendly confines of their home districts, but many of them face election opponents who’ll be looking to cast their leadership and voting records in as unflattering a light as possible. Twenty-six out of 33 legislative primary races this year are match-ups between GOP incumbents. Ten sitting Democratic lawmakers also face primary elections — and as a result of redistricting, in four races against fellow incumbents. The primary election is Aug. 2. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/04/primary-hostilities/
Political giving plunges in TN (Tennessean/Bewley)
50 percent drop could indicate lower interest in presidential candidates If fundraising numbers are any indication, Tennesseans are about half as excited about the field of presidential candidates this year as they were in 2008. Tennessee contributions to presidential candidates reached $3.65 million by the end of March, down from $7.3 million at the same time four years ago, according to a Tennessean Washington Bureau analysis of campaign finance data. The donations to candidates don’t include money flowing to various super PACs, which are largely pulling funds from bigger states and swing states. Fundraisers peg much of the blame on the economy, which scraped bottom between elections. As the state’s unemployment rate climbed to a peak of 11 percent in the summer of 2009, donors closed their wallets — and many of them haven’t opened them again, fundraisers say. “People that used to be able to give $5,000 now give $2,500,” said Chris Devaney, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. “The people involved are still donors, but it’s just not as strong as it once was. Political donations are disposable income.” Devaney said he has noticed a particular dip in donations from the construction and real estate industries, which were hit hard by the recession. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS02/305050072/Political-giving-plunges-Tennessee? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
Burchett makes county budget rounds (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Vines)
Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett got an earful Friday on the need to get parents behind children and schools when he took his budget message to the "fellowship" breakfast hosted by former Knox County Commissioner Paul Pinkston at Shoney's in South Knoxville. Some of the two-dozen attendees also had questions on why schools continue to sell coupon books and have other fund-raising programs when the Knox County school system continues to get increased money even if it isn't the amount the superintendent and the school board wants. Pinkston, who chaired the county finance committee when he was a commissioner, blamed the federal government and its requirements for increased paperwork that teachers say they have. Directing his comments to Pam Trainor, the 9th District's school board member, Pinkston said the county needs to stop taking federal money and then using available funds "to run schools the way you want to." Trainor said she got his point but that the Title I money the county receives goes for free lunches at certain schools. Burchett summarized the new fiscal budget of $673.7 million, a $20.8 million increase from the 2011-12 budget. County Commission must 3
bless it. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/04/georgiana-vines-burchett-makes-budget-rounds/
Andy Berke running for Chattanooga mayor (Times Free-Press/Hightower)
State Sen. Andy Berke will announce he is running for Chattanooga mayor on Tuesday, a source close to the campaign said. Berke, an attorney and Democrat, will have an announcement about "Chattanooga's future" at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. He becomes the first of several potential candidates to take official steps to get into the race. Other names floated for the city's top job include City Council Chairwoman Pam Ladd; Hamilton County Commissioner Warren Mackey; Roger Tuder, executive director of Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee; Todd Womack, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker's chief of staff; Citizens to Recall Mayor Littlefield leader Jim Folkner; longtime city employee Guy Satterfield; and former mayoral candidate Rob Healy. Under law, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield cannot run for a third term. Berke will step down from his state Senate seat at the end of the year. He announced that he will not run for re-election after the GOP-controlled Tennessee General Assembly redrew the District 10 boundaries earlier this year and included heavily Republican Bradley County while dropping primarily Democratic Marion County. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/tennessee-andy-berke-running-for-chattanooga-mayor/?local
Corker delivers Weekly Republican Address (Tennessean)
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, delivers the Weekly Republican Address, calling for pro-growth tax reform to broaden the tax base, lower rates for everyone and provide Americans the opportunity to succeed. Senator Corker says “families and state governments are making tough decisions every day in order to make ends meet. And businesses are crying out for clarity on tax rates and regulation. This uncertainty is what’s weighing down the recovery and preventing the investment needed to create jobs…” The Weekly Republican Address is available in both audio and video format and is embargoed until 5:00 a.m. Central, Saturday, May 5, 2012. A full transcript of the address follows: “I’m Bob Corker, and I’m proud to represent Tennessee in the United States Senate. “When I was 25 years old, I saved $8,000 and started my own construction company. I worked hard, and my business expanded. Our country’s free enterprise system gave me the opportunity to earn success and to live the American Dream. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS02/120505003/Corker-deliversWeekly-Republican-Address-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
Vice President Biden's visit to cause road closures Monday (City Paper)
Vice President Joe Biden will be in Nashville Monday to attend a private luncheon fundraiser at the home of businessman and longtime Democratic Party activist Bill Freeman. The visit comes six months after Biden came to Nashville for a fundraiser at the Belle Meade residence of Andrew Byrd and three weeks after First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a downtown Nashville fundraiser for her husband’s re-election campaign. Biden’s motorcade will necessitate intermittent road closures from late morning through mid-afternoon, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department, which plans on utilizing more than 140 police personnel to assist with security. Affected roadways will include: • Interstate 40 near the airport • I-24 near I-440 • I-44 • I-65 south • Old Hickory Boulevard west of I-65 in the Brentwood area • Hillsboro Pike http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/vice-president-bidens-visit-cause-road-closures-monday
Joe Biden's Nashville visit will close roads Monday (Tennessean/Humbles)
Vice President Joe Biden plans to visit Nashville on Monday for a fundraiser at a private residence. Road closures and delays are expected late morning through midafternoon for security purposes. They include: Interstate-40 around Nashville International Airport, I-24 near I-440, I-65 southbound, Old Hickory Boulevard west of I-65 in the Brentwood area, and Hillsboro Road. Roadways will be reopened once the vice president’s motorcade has passed. Exact details of the visit are not being disclosed for security reasons. The vice president plans to leave Nashville before the start of the afternoon rush hour. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS01/305050066/Joe-Biden-s-Nashville-visit-will-close-roadsMonday?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
TVA trimming 1,000 jobs and delaying some capital projects (TFP/Sohn)
With a net loss for the second quarter and a projected loss for the budget year, TVA officials said the utility's "diet and exercise plan" involves trimming about 1,000 jobs and delaying some capital projects -- including work to 4
complete Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant. The 1,000 eliminated positions will include about 700 TVA workers and 300 contractors, according to an announcement made Friday to TVA employees after the utility filed its earnings statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "TVA is achieving about $100 million in labor savings as we work to reduce costs to meet the challenges of the lower revenues we are currently experiencing. This will help us to maintain financial health in the near term, while improving competitiveness over the longer term," said Janet Herrin, executive vice president and chief administrative officer. The federal utility reported a net loss for the first half of fiscal 2013 of $267 million on sales of less than $5.2 billion. In the same period a year ago, the Tennessee Valley Authority, a wholesale electricity maker, earned $205 million on sales of nearly $5.8 billion. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/tva-diet-trims-jobs-chattanooga/?local
Natural Gas a Bright Spot for TVA Finances (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
Executives of the Tennessee Valley Authority say they won’t be wooed by cheap natural gas and a new power plant that was built for less than expected. The federal utility reviewed results from the first half of the fiscal year Friday. One of the few bright spots is the completion of the John Sevier Combined Cycle natural gas plant in upper East Tennessee. It was finished ahead of schedule and $30 million under budget. At the same time, TVA is trying to figure out a way to pay for $2 billion in cost overruns at a nuclear reactor that’s also years behind schedule. CEO Tom Kilgore says TVA plans to stay the course and has not considered replacing nuclear with natural gas. “W e still believe that a balanced portfolio is the best thing to aim for and then fuel prices will come and go.” However, the recent low cost of natural gas has helped TVA reduce its dependency on coal by more than a third. TVA also announced a nearly 11 drop in revenue over the last six months, citing an unusually warm winter. Chief financial officer John Thomas says TVA will trim expenses by spending less on building projects and cutting as many as 1,000 positions. http://wpln.org/?p=36917
TVA revenue down on warm winter, higher expenses (Associated Press)
The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday that it lost $94 million in the last quarter as electricity sales slumped during an unusually warm winter and it faces an over-budget project to finish building a nuclear reactor in Tennessee. TVA officials said they would seek to cut fewer than 1,000 positions in an effort to trim spending, but didn't immediately offer details. The electric supplier brought in nearly $2.6 billion in revenue during the threemonth period ending in March, a drop of more than 12 percent compared to the same period last year, according to federal filings. Power sales were down about 7 percent for the quarter. The electric supplier blamed the bulk of those losses on an unusually warm winter, which cut both the demand for electricity and the prices that TVA can charge for it. TVA officials stood by the board's recent decision to approve adding $1.5 billion to $2 billion to the estimated cost of building a second nuclear reactor at its Watts Bar power plant in Spring City, Tenn. That brings the final cost of the project to as much as $4.5 billion. "While we still believe that will be a low-cost option and help balance our portfolio for our fleet, the increased spending on that certainly is a hard spot," said John Thomas, the TVA's chief financial officer, in a conference call with reporters and analysts. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/04/tva-revenue-down-on-warm-winter-higher-expenses/
Saks Fifth Avenue kicking off hiring for 250 jobs (Nashville Business Journal)
Saks Fifth Avenue will kick off hiring Monday for its new La Vergne distribution center, where it hopes to fill 250 jobs before the center opens in July. Saks is taking over a 564,000-square-foot warehouse that was previously occupied by Borders. Applicants are invited to apply Monday at one of two Tennessee Career Centers between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.: 2200 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. in Nashville and 1313 Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro. According to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, "The majority of position openings are hourly and include material handling, quality control, receiving/returns and picking/packing. All jobs are permanent and full-time, and all shifts are available. Applicants must pass a basic skills assessment test, have at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent, and pass a drug test and background check." http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2012/05/04/saks-fifth-avenue-kicking-off-hiring.html
Erlanger chief medical officer Cy Huffman resigns (Times Free-Press)
Dr. Cy Huffman resigned the post of chief medical officer of Erlanger Health System on Friday, according to interim CEO Charlesetta Woodard-Thompson. "I plan to name an interim CMO in the next few days," WoodardThompson said in an email. "Erlanger will continue to remain strongly focused on physician relationships and 5
physician engagement, as well as quality initiatives. We feel well prepared to address Dr. Huffman's departure, and fortunate to have a number of talented individuals who can have a positive impact on quality and physician oversight." She said she was grateful for Huffman's work over the past four years and admires his passion for community health and his dedication to improving disparities in health care. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/b5-erlanger-chief-medical-officer-resigns/?local
Nashville schools' rezoning case nears $1 million cost (Tennessean/Hubbard)
The Metro schools rezoning case currently on trial in federal court has grown costly. So far, the case has racked up a $950,000 tab, said Saul Solomon, Metro schools’ legal director. A year ago, the district had spent about $200,000 in fees. “Obviously it’s a very complex case, and we are doing it as inexpensively as we can,” he said. The case has required hiring at least two national experts on desegregation, rezoning and school choice. It also has required the district to retain an attorney from Washington skilled in trying similar cases. Frances Spurlock sued nearly three years ago, alleging Metro’s 2009 rezoning plan intentionally moved black North Nashville families out of majority-white neighborhood schools. Spurlock, a retired telephone operator, wanted her daughter, then in fifth grade, to stay at Bellevue Middle because her friends were there, and it met academic testing goals while her other options did not. “Sometimes these (North Nashville) parents don’t know that it’s up to the board to break that cycle,” she said. On Friday, Chris Weber, Metro schools director of student assignment, was called to testify. He said the school district was declared in 1998 to have achieved desegregation and was no longer required to bus inner-city children to the suburbs. Spurlock’s neighborhood was one of the last remaining zones to be bused across town. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS04/305050068/Nashville-schools-rezoning-case-nears-1million-cost?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
Superintendent appoints two principal positions (Knoxville News-Sentinel)
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre has appointed two principals for next school year — Jessica Birdsong at Pleasant Ridge Elementary and Gina Byrd at Farragut Primary School. Birdsong joined Knox County Schools in 2006 as a special-education teacher at Northwest Middle School. Before her time in Knox County, she taught in Montana and New Hampshire. In 2008, she accepted a leadership position in the district's special education department. Birdsong is member of the second class of the district's Principal Leadership Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in special education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Education degree in education leadership from the University of Montana. Byrd, who has been assistant principal at Farragut Primary since 2009, started with Knox County Schools in 2002 as a kindergarten teacher at A.L. Lotts Elementary School. She taught for more than 10 years in Alabama and Florida. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/05/superintendent-appoints-two-principal-positions/
‘Different Avenue’ (Memphis Daily News)
Vocational-technical schools experience growth as learning alternative Rudy Williams always knew she wanted to work in a hospital, but after a short stint in community college and a few years in the workforce, the path to her goal was looking like a long haul. So a little more than a year ago, she gave it another try, enrolling in the 60week medical assisting program at Vatterott Career College’s campus near her home in Bartlett. Now, she’s getting ready for an externship in a local clinic that could lead to a job in her field. “I plan on being in a hospital setting in the next five years,” she said, taking a break after a hands-on venipuncture lesson at Vatterott’s classroom clinic. As recent graduates of four-year colleges face dim job prospects, thousands of students in the Memphis area have turned to vocational and technical schools, training for careers in cutting-edge medical and information technology fields, as well as reliable trades such as welding and HVAC repair. Many of these vocational schools boast job placement rates of 70 percent to 100 percent for graduates in some skill areas. By contrast, 53.6 percent of traditional college graduates younger than 25 were unemployed or underemployed last year, and median wages for bachelor’s degree holders have declined since 2000, according to an Associated Press analysis. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/different-avenue/
Students Take Hutchison Leads In Unexpected Directions (Memphis Daily News)
Mary Elizabeth Kakales has been grappling with school reform concepts like how to scale reforms so that they can prevail in different schools in different communities. And she has thought through teacher accountability standards. She’s talked with those leading reform efforts in private schools, charter schools and conventional public schools. And Kakales has spent a lot of time in different classrooms as well as the ones she knows so well 6
at Hutchison School, where she is a student. The Hutchison senior has put together a still evolving prototype for her ideal school as part of the Hutchison Leads program that just turned a year old. The program was made possible by a gift from Hutchison alumna Abbie W are Williams and her husband, Duncan Williams. “I developed more friendships with students from other schools – public, charter and private,” Kakales said of the origins of her fellowship. “I realized everything is so different, it was interesting. I really wanted to learn more.” With that in mind, she developed a fellowship program and this school year immersed herself in the volatile and burgeoning education reform discussion. She visited as many schools as she could. She spent 40 to 50 hours at The Collegiate School of Memphis. She went to Power Center Academy in Hickory Hill, Veritas Academy and Cornerstone Schools as well as talked with teachers and administrators at other schools. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/students-take-hutchison-leads-in-unexpected-directions/
Taylor Dedicated to Enriching Lives Of St. George’s Independent Students (MDN)
When the people who know and work with Bill Taylor speak of him, they describe the president of St. George’s Independent School in a variety of ways. Colleagues say he’s a hard-working man of character. Parents of some of the school’s students refer to him as a motivating and supportive educator. But despite the different contexts of their relationships, there’s one quality they all emphasize: He’s not one to back away from a challenge. “With Bill, the bottom line is to help students to be good citizens, and he is dedicated to pushing that mission forward,” said Rick Ferguson, former president and current student ambassador for St. George’s. “He came here from New York because of that mission, and it was not without risk.” When Taylor arrived in Memphis in 2001, the small independent school was headed down a path toward a very ambitious vision for the future. Founded in 1959 by parishioners of St. George’s Episcopal Church, the private, coeducational elementary school in Germantown served students from primarily affluent backgrounds for 40 years. Then in 1999, big things started happening. The school kicked off its plans to expand with a Collierville campus for middle and high school students.http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/taylor-dedicated-to-enriching-lives-of-st-georgesindependent-students/
Orgel’s Experience Helps Him Lead School Board (Memphis Daily News)
Billy Orgel was no stranger to the ways of an elected legislative body by last year when he was appointed to become a member of the countywide school board. For years, getting the approval of the Memphis City Council or the Shelby County Commission to locate a cell tower has been part of his business, Tower Ventures. Orgel contributed to political campaigns and some of those who considered running for office even sought his advice on immersing themselves in the sometimes roiling water of local politics. His own experience has been a new chapter in the local political textbook. He is chairman of a school board that includes all nine members of the old Memphis City Schools board, all seven members of the old Shelby County Schools board and seven new board members appointed last year by the Shelby County Commission. The 23- member board is by far the largest local legislative and policymaking body in the county. Orgel is running unopposed in the August nonpartisan elections for the seven school board seats created by federal court order and settlement of the federal lawsuit over schools consolidation. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/orgels-experience-helps-him-lead-school-board/
Arizona: Traffic Stop Highlights Arizona Law (Wall Street Journal)
A week after Supreme Court arguments over Arizona's illegal-immigration law, the arrest, detention and subsequent release of an undocumented woman following a traffic stop added a real-world example to the courtroom debate about how the statute could play out. Araceli Mercado Sanchez, who is married to an American soldier and is in the process of legalizing her U.S. residency, was pulled over Tuesday for making an illegal turn, and sent to immigration authorities when she couldn't produce a driver's license or Social Security card requested by a sheriff's deputy. Federal authorities released her late Thursday after she had spent two nights in detention. Arizona's law, enacted in 2010 and tangled up in court ever since, would give local police the power to check the immigration status of anyone they lawfully stop. People who cannot prove they are in the U.S. legally are detained, and federal immigration authorities are notified. The Obama administration, challenging the Arizona law, argued before a skeptical court that the state exceeded its powers by directing police to enforce immigration law, traditionally the purview of the federal government. Arizona's lawyer and some Justices suggested the state was merely picking up illegal immigrants and turning them over to the federal government, which then could decide what to do with them. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304020104577384330512691956.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 7
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Massachusetts: Same State, New Stab at Health Care (W all Street Journal)
Massachusetts is laying the groundwork for an ambitious new effort to rein in health spending that would be closely watched nationally in a state that's become a health-policy bellwether. Key state legislative leaders unveiled a bill Friday that proposes setting a target for the rate at which overall health spending should rise—a step that would once again put the state in the forefront of efforts to remake the American health-care system. Massachusetts draws unique scrutiny because its high-profile health coverage law, which was enacted in 2006 and extended health insurance coverage to virtually all residents, was the main model for the national health overhaul. The state is seen by many health experts as a laboratory for health system change; if it manages to successfully slow health care spending, that initiative too could eventually be imitated elsewhere. Both President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who signed the Massachusetts coverage bill as the state's then-governor, will likely have to grapple with the problem of rising health care costs during this year's campaign. Mr. Romney has pledged to repeal the national law, and having the Massachusetts health system that he helped create in the spotlight may make it trickier to criticize Mr. Obama's federal plan. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304020104577384213578601218.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUB)
OPINION Editorial: University's building will boost science field (Daily News Journal)
Finally. By the time MTSU broke ground on its new science building Thursday, it had taken about 18 years to push shovels into the dirt. The long-awaited, much-needed building has been discussed for about two decades. And while they may have gotten discouraged, the administration at MTSU and local lawmakers never stopped fighting to get the project started. The beginning of this new building marks an exciting new chapter in an already thriving school’s story. Though the building has been No. 1 on the state’s higher education capital projects list for the last eight years, it continued to get pushed back. But, as House Speaker Beth Harwell said Thursday, the Rutherford County legislative delegation lobbied relentlessly before eventually getting the Generally Assembly to fork over about $126.7 million of the needed $147 million for the new MTSU science building. MTSU is raising the remaining balance by reallocating funds, setting up a student fee and raising private funds, with donations and a bequest coming from supporters such as George and Charlotte Gardner, Dr. Liz Rhea and the ChristyHouston Foundation. The impact of the building, which is slated to open in spring of 2015, is far reaching. An estimated 80 percent of all MTSU students will take at least one class in the building. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120505/OPINION/305050032/EDITORIAL-University-s-building-will-boost-sciencefield
Guest columnist: Recycling creates more jobs than landfills (Tennessean)
On April 22, The Tennessean printed a major investigative report on recycling. BURNT (Bring Urban Recycling to Nashville Today) would like to add some lessons we have learned in 23 years working on solid waste. The real issue is the vacant storefronts and unemployed voters across Tennessee. Landfilling 10,000 tons creates one job. Recycling and composting 10,000 tons creates four to 10 jobs, which are multiplied as the products move into the economy. Solid waste is a raw material and should be given the same support for job creation as making cars or solar panels. Jobs or landfills? A constant theme of the article was low landfill costs. Tennessee government subsidizes landfills by waivers from legal requirements to remediate polluted groundwater. The fines for violating landfill laws are minimal. No other industry hurts citizens and local tax bases across the state by devaluing real estate. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) created scores of landfills with the loophole that counts landfilled construction waste as recycled. Environmental injustice is very real. Landfills migrate to the poorest and unhealthiest who suffer the dust, noise, odors and polluted wells. There are no landfills in Belle Meade. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/OPINION03/305050010/Recyclingcreates-more-jobs-than-landfills?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p
Free-Press Editorial: Ethanol, steak, lawnmowers (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)
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Your lawnmower won't start. You're paying more for a wide range of groceries and for eating out. Your car gets poorer mileage than it once did. While a range of factors can be behind any one of these problems, a common thread runs through them: They all can be linked at least to some degree to the federal government's multibilliondollar subsidies for ethanol. The 46-cent-per-gallon subsidy for ethanol made from corn ended this year, but subsidies for ethanol made with other ingredients remain on the books, and large quantities of ethanol still are required by law to be mixed into the nation's fuel supply. As such, it should come as no particular surprise when we read that the government-driven diversion of corn from food production to ethanol production still is making us all pay more for food that is linked in any way to corn -- such as beef from corn-fed cattle. It's a simple matter of supply and demand. "[G]rowers who would grow feed corn have grown corn for ethanol instead," the sales manager of a meat company in West Palm Beach, Fla., told Cox Newspapers. "Since corn is the primary feed for beef, that means cattle prices have reached an all-time high." Then there is the small-engine damage and the lower mileage for which ethanol is responsible. The owner of a lawnmower repair shop in Tuscaloosa, Ala., told a newspaper there that he had seen increasing numbers of lawnmowers that will not start because of the damage caused by ethanol. In fact, that accounted for more than 20 percent of the repairs in his shop. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/ethanol-steak-lawnmowers/?opinionfreepress
Editorial: Infrastructure needs attention (Commercial Appeal)
Neglecting repairs to the nation's aging roads and bridges carries a risk. No, talking about rusting bridges isn't as exciting as rehashing the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. Debating whether President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is the tougher cowboy when it comes to taking down terrorists is a topic that raises hackles and stirs emotion. Rusty bridges? Not so much. But allowing the integrity of the nation's infrastructure to languish as one of those important but boring issues that nobody talks about has created a potentially dangerous situation. Chaotic events in places as different as Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina have shown that when a community's infrastructure fails, public health and safety are at risk. Americans are living in blissful ignorance of this issue because our water supply, power grid and roads all have been top-notch. When you turn the faucet and drinkable water flows, you are enjoying a functioning infrastructure -- but not thinking about it. Ditto for turning on the light switch, and for driving your car up from DeSoto County to work in Memphis. Most people today don't remember when roads were muddy ruts. They know little about the cholera outbreaks that flourished in the 19th century, when sewers ran in the streets. They can't imagine a time when the sun set and the city went dim under the dull glow of gas lights. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/05/editorial-infrastructure-needs-attention/ (SUB) ###
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Tennessee held steady at #4 in a ranking of the states for their business climate by Chief Executive magazine, which conducts the annual survey of business leaders. Texas, Florida and North Carolina bested the Volunteer State. The magazine singled out this comment from a respondent: “Recently moved from New York state to Tennessee. Differences in ambience/climate/cost of living/attitude of government towards business are outstanding!” Tennessee got high marks in the categories surveyed: taxation and regulation, workforce quality and living environment. The magazine also provided state snapshots on migration, tax burden, unemployment and other indicators. Chief Executive sees a correlation between people’s choices about where they live and the rankings, noting that dead-last California lost almost 1.5 million people in the 10 years to 2009, while #1 Texas gained more than 800,000 in the same time frame. Tennessee gained almost 260,000. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/04/tn-no-4-in-biz-climate-survey/
Haslam Defends ‘All Comers’ Veto (TN Report)
Gov. Bill Haslam said he’s getting “some” grief over his call to veto a bill that would have targeted Vanderbilt University’s discrimination policy imposed on student clubs. But he says he stands by his call that the legislation was meddling in the business of a private organization. “I think when we explain to folks, ‘Hey, if the Legislature wanted to impose their will on a private institution that you didn’t like, how would you feel about that?’” he told reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for Middle Tennessee State University’s Science Building Thursday. “I think once you explain it that way, people tend to understand.” Haslam announced Wednesday he would use his his first veto to strike down the bill that required public colleges and universities and Vanderbilt to let religious student clubs dictate membership and leadership, or else require all clubs — including those based on gender — to admit anyone wishing to join. The governor said he was OK with the bill when it was aimed at public colleges, such as MTSU, but adding Vanderbilt to the bill was going too far. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/04/haslam-defends-all-comers-veto/
Fallen Soldier Honored, Funeral Planned (WTVF-TV Nashville)
Governor Bill Haslam ordered that flags fly at half-staff across the state of Tennessee Friday in honor of Specialist Jason Edens. Edens was a soldier from Middle Tennessee who died last week of injuries he received from an attack in Afghanistan. His body was flown home to Middle Tennessee on Thursday. A visitation was held at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home in his hometown of Franklin on Friday evening. His funeral is set for Saturday at 12 noon and the funeral procession is expected to leave around 1:15 p.m. For anyone who would like to like to line the street in his honor the route from the funeral home will be north on Columbia Avenue. http://www.newschannel5.com/story/18149945/fallen-soldier-honored-funeral-planned
Newport woman charged with two counts of TennCare fraud (WVLT-TV Knoxville)
A Cocke Co. woman is facing TennCare fraud charges for allegedly doctor shopping, according to the Tennessee Office of the Inspector General. Desiree McIntyre, of Newport, faces two counts of fraudulently using TennCare to obtain controlled substances. The twenty-three year-old case up to 2 years for each count. "The mission of the Office of Inspector General is go after anyone who commits fraud and abuse of the TennCare program especially as it relates to prescription drugs," Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. "People should know we will meet our mission by vigorously prosecuting anyone who abuses or attempts to abuse this program." McIntyre is accused of not telling her doctor that she had seen other physicians and received prescriptions for the painkiller Hydrocodone and paying for the visits with her TennCare benefits. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/Newport_woman_charged_with_two_counts_of_TennCare_fraud_1
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Lakeshore funds to be reinvested into community mental-health (NS/Nelson)
The $20.5 million that the state is projected to save from closing Lakeshore Mental Health Institute on June 30 will be reinvested in community-based mental-health services, rather than being returned to the state's general fund, said Grant Lawrence, communications director for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health. In addition, Lawrence said, "We are allowed to carry over any monies left over from (Lakeshore) funds to cover expenses associated with the transition from" Lakeshore into community services. The money that would have funded Lakeshore operations will go to East Tennessee mental-health providers — tentatively, Helen Ross McNabb Center, Ridgeview Psychiatric Hospital, Cherokee Health Systems and Covenant Health's Peninsula in the Knoxville area, along with Frontier Health and W oodridge Hospital in Upper East Tennessee — for an "East Tennessee Community Behavioral Health Transformation Plan." This plan, for which Lawrence said contracts are still being negotiated, would put $22.4 million ($20.5 reallocated from Lakeshore's budget and the $1.9 million from a state pilot program to divert Lakeshore patients to other facilities) toward inpatient hospitalization, monitored alcohol/drug detoxification programs, intensive long-term support services, liaisons for jailed mentally ill people, crisis services, and respite, peer support and transitional support services. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/05/lakeshore-funds-to-be-reinvested-into-community/
Nashville State admits first student at new Clarksville location (Leaf Chronicle)
Nashville State Community College officially enrolled its first student at the new campus in Clarksville this week. Tyreco Nolton completed the admissions process Tuesday and enrolled in classes, which begin Aug. 25, according to an NSCC news release. “Tyreco was very diligent in getting his information to the college in order to start classes this fall. He is clearly excited about beginning his education at Nashville State,” Kathy Ragan, the Nashville State admissions representative at the campus, said in the release. The expansion of Nashville State to Clarksville has been discussed for several years. Construction to renovate the former Saturn dealership at 1760 W ilma Rudolph Blvd. is under way and on schedule, the release said. “Having a quality two-year community college such as Nashville State affords Clarksville a competitive advantage with regard to recruiting businesses and bringing high-quality jobs to Montgomery County,” said state Rep. Joe Pitts, who has been instrumental in establishing the new campus. Eileen Crane, executive assistant to President George Van Allen at Nashville State, said the expansion will be beneficial for everyone involved. “The addition of the Clarksville campus will afford us the opportunity to offer both transfer degrees and technical certificates to the citizens of Montgomery and surrounding counties,” Crane said in the release. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120504/NEWS01/305040012/Nashville-State-admits-first-student-newClarksville-location
THP urges Cinco de Mayo safety (Daily News Journal)
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will increase its highway traffic safety enforcement efforts on Saturday, May 5, to coincide with Cinco de Mayo celebrations. During the 24-hour holiday period, State Troopers will focus heavily on seat belt safety and DUI enforcement. The 2012 Cinco de Mayo holiday period begins at midnight Saturday and ends tat 11:59 p.m. One person was killed on Tennessee roadways during last year’s Cinco de Mayo period. The only fatality was wearing a seatbelt and alcohol was not involved. In 2010, four people were killed on state roadways during the 24-hour Cinco de Mayo holiday. A roadblock will be set up along South Rutherford Boulevard Saturday night. “Sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols have remained an effective strategy for removing impaired drivers from the roadways,” THP Colonel Tracy Trott said. “We will utilize these measures and strictly enforce seat belt violations to ensure everyone arrives at their destinations safely this Cinco de Mayo weekend.” http://www.dnj.com/article/20120504/NEW S01/120504002/THP-urges-Cinco-de-Mayo-safety
TBI says 3 sisters have been in Mississippi (Associated Press)
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Friday said three Hardeman County girls who have not been seen for a week have been with a man in Mississippi. Kristin Helm, a spokeswoman for the TBI, said late Friday afternoon authorities are trying to locate the three sisters. She said there is no evidence of a crime. An endangered child alert issued for 14-year-old Adrienne Bain, 12-year-old Alexandria Bain and 8-year-old Kyliyah Bain said they may be accompanied by their mother, Jo Ann Bain. Helm said they have been with Adam Mayes, who was last seen in Guntown, Miss., on Tuesday. He has a warrant on file in Hardeman County for a false report stemming 2
from information he gave investigators about the case. Adrienne, Alexandria, and Kyliyah were last seen on April 27. Adrienne is a white female. She has brown hair and brown eyes, is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 129 pounds. Alexandria is a white female. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120505/NEWS01/305050009/Briefly-TBI-says-3-sisters-been-MississippiHass-transferred-county-jail-Crockett-Co-man-killed-accident
Critics bemoan social legislation (Associated Press)
Republican leaders coordinated in the recent legislative session to pass new laws that spotlight Tennessee’s business-friendly reputation, while a spurt of social issue measures from lawmakers have critics arguing the state looks so backward it will hurt economic development. In 1999, Tennessee made national news with the so-called “road kill bill” that allowed highway carcasses to be taken home for dinner. Talk show host Jay Leno mocked the measure, saying the state’s motto should be changed to “fender-licking good.” More than a decade later, Tennessee is again the butt of jokes in national forums for proposals ranging from undermining the teaching of evolution to barring classroom discussion of gay issues. Republicans passed business-focused proposals eliminating the estate tax, restructuring regulatory boards and increasing the amount of cash grants available to companies looking to invest in Tennessee. Some bills drew considerable national notice. Those include bills that required abstinence-focused sex education; and kept students from sagging their pants. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS02/120505004/Critics-bemoan-social-legislation? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
Primary Hostilities (TN Report)
Legislators may have fled Capitol Hill this week for the friendly confines of their home districts, but many of them face election opponents who’ll be looking to cast their leadership and voting records in as unflattering a light as possible. Twenty-six out of 33 legislative primary races this year are match-ups between GOP incumbents. Ten sitting Democratic lawmakers also face primary elections — and as a result of redistricting, in four races against fellow incumbents. The primary election is Aug. 2. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/04/primary-hostilities/
Political giving plunges in TN (Tennessean/Bewley)
50 percent drop could indicate lower interest in presidential candidates If fundraising numbers are any indication, Tennesseans are about half as excited about the field of presidential candidates this year as they were in 2008. Tennessee contributions to presidential candidates reached $3.65 million by the end of March, down from $7.3 million at the same time four years ago, according to a Tennessean Washington Bureau analysis of campaign finance data. The donations to candidates don’t include money flowing to various super PACs, which are largely pulling funds from bigger states and swing states. Fundraisers peg much of the blame on the economy, which scraped bottom between elections. As the state’s unemployment rate climbed to a peak of 11 percent in the summer of 2009, donors closed their wallets — and many of them haven’t opened them again, fundraisers say. “People that used to be able to give $5,000 now give $2,500,” said Chris Devaney, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. “The people involved are still donors, but it’s just not as strong as it once was. Political donations are disposable income.” Devaney said he has noticed a particular dip in donations from the construction and real estate industries, which were hit hard by the recession. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS02/305050072/Political-giving-plunges-Tennessee? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
Burchett makes county budget rounds (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Vines)
Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett got an earful Friday on the need to get parents behind children and schools when he took his budget message to the "fellowship" breakfast hosted by former Knox County Commissioner Paul Pinkston at Shoney's in South Knoxville. Some of the two-dozen attendees also had questions on why schools continue to sell coupon books and have other fund-raising programs when the Knox County school system continues to get increased money even if it isn't the amount the superintendent and the school board wants. Pinkston, who chaired the county finance committee when he was a commissioner, blamed the federal government and its requirements for increased paperwork that teachers say they have. Directing his comments to Pam Trainor, the 9th District's school board member, Pinkston said the county needs to stop taking federal money and then using available funds "to run schools the way you want to." Trainor said she got his point but that the Title I money the county receives goes for free lunches at certain schools. Burchett summarized the new fiscal budget of $673.7 million, a $20.8 million increase from the 2011-12 budget. County Commission must 3
bless it. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/04/georgiana-vines-burchett-makes-budget-rounds/
Andy Berke running for Chattanooga mayor (Times Free-Press/Hightower)
State Sen. Andy Berke will announce he is running for Chattanooga mayor on Tuesday, a source close to the campaign said. Berke, an attorney and Democrat, will have an announcement about "Chattanooga's future" at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. He becomes the first of several potential candidates to take official steps to get into the race. Other names floated for the city's top job include City Council Chairwoman Pam Ladd; Hamilton County Commissioner Warren Mackey; Roger Tuder, executive director of Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee; Todd Womack, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker's chief of staff; Citizens to Recall Mayor Littlefield leader Jim Folkner; longtime city employee Guy Satterfield; and former mayoral candidate Rob Healy. Under law, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield cannot run for a third term. Berke will step down from his state Senate seat at the end of the year. He announced that he will not run for re-election after the GOP-controlled Tennessee General Assembly redrew the District 10 boundaries earlier this year and included heavily Republican Bradley County while dropping primarily Democratic Marion County. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/tennessee-andy-berke-running-for-chattanooga-mayor/?local
Corker delivers Weekly Republican Address (Tennessean)
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, delivers the Weekly Republican Address, calling for pro-growth tax reform to broaden the tax base, lower rates for everyone and provide Americans the opportunity to succeed. Senator Corker says “families and state governments are making tough decisions every day in order to make ends meet. And businesses are crying out for clarity on tax rates and regulation. This uncertainty is what’s weighing down the recovery and preventing the investment needed to create jobs…” The Weekly Republican Address is available in both audio and video format and is embargoed until 5:00 a.m. Central, Saturday, May 5, 2012. A full transcript of the address follows: “I’m Bob Corker, and I’m proud to represent Tennessee in the United States Senate. “When I was 25 years old, I saved $8,000 and started my own construction company. I worked hard, and my business expanded. Our country’s free enterprise system gave me the opportunity to earn success and to live the American Dream. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS02/120505003/Corker-deliversWeekly-Republican-Address-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
Vice President Biden's visit to cause road closures Monday (City Paper)
Vice President Joe Biden will be in Nashville Monday to attend a private luncheon fundraiser at the home of businessman and longtime Democratic Party activist Bill Freeman. The visit comes six months after Biden came to Nashville for a fundraiser at the Belle Meade residence of Andrew Byrd and three weeks after First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a downtown Nashville fundraiser for her husband’s re-election campaign. Biden’s motorcade will necessitate intermittent road closures from late morning through mid-afternoon, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department, which plans on utilizing more than 140 police personnel to assist with security. Affected roadways will include: • Interstate 40 near the airport • I-24 near I-440 • I-44 • I-65 south • Old Hickory Boulevard west of I-65 in the Brentwood area • Hillsboro Pike http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/vice-president-bidens-visit-cause-road-closures-monday
Joe Biden's Nashville visit will close roads Monday (Tennessean/Humbles)
Vice President Joe Biden plans to visit Nashville on Monday for a fundraiser at a private residence. Road closures and delays are expected late morning through midafternoon for security purposes. They include: Interstate-40 around Nashville International Airport, I-24 near I-440, I-65 southbound, Old Hickory Boulevard west of I-65 in the Brentwood area, and Hillsboro Road. Roadways will be reopened once the vice president’s motorcade has passed. Exact details of the visit are not being disclosed for security reasons. The vice president plans to leave Nashville before the start of the afternoon rush hour. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS01/305050066/Joe-Biden-s-Nashville-visit-will-close-roadsMonday?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
TVA trimming 1,000 jobs and delaying some capital projects (TFP/Sohn)
With a net loss for the second quarter and a projected loss for the budget year, TVA officials said the utility's "diet and exercise plan" involves trimming about 1,000 jobs and delaying some capital projects -- including work to 4
complete Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant. The 1,000 eliminated positions will include about 700 TVA workers and 300 contractors, according to an announcement made Friday to TVA employees after the utility filed its earnings statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "TVA is achieving about $100 million in labor savings as we work to reduce costs to meet the challenges of the lower revenues we are currently experiencing. This will help us to maintain financial health in the near term, while improving competitiveness over the longer term," said Janet Herrin, executive vice president and chief administrative officer. The federal utility reported a net loss for the first half of fiscal 2013 of $267 million on sales of less than $5.2 billion. In the same period a year ago, the Tennessee Valley Authority, a wholesale electricity maker, earned $205 million on sales of nearly $5.8 billion. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/tva-diet-trims-jobs-chattanooga/?local
Natural Gas a Bright Spot for TVA Finances (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
Executives of the Tennessee Valley Authority say they won’t be wooed by cheap natural gas and a new power plant that was built for less than expected. The federal utility reviewed results from the first half of the fiscal year Friday. One of the few bright spots is the completion of the John Sevier Combined Cycle natural gas plant in upper East Tennessee. It was finished ahead of schedule and $30 million under budget. At the same time, TVA is trying to figure out a way to pay for $2 billion in cost overruns at a nuclear reactor that’s also years behind schedule. CEO Tom Kilgore says TVA plans to stay the course and has not considered replacing nuclear with natural gas. “W e still believe that a balanced portfolio is the best thing to aim for and then fuel prices will come and go.” However, the recent low cost of natural gas has helped TVA reduce its dependency on coal by more than a third. TVA also announced a nearly 11 drop in revenue over the last six months, citing an unusually warm winter. Chief financial officer John Thomas says TVA will trim expenses by spending less on building projects and cutting as many as 1,000 positions. http://wpln.org/?p=36917
TVA revenue down on warm winter, higher expenses (Associated Press)
The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday that it lost $94 million in the last quarter as electricity sales slumped during an unusually warm winter and it faces an over-budget project to finish building a nuclear reactor in Tennessee. TVA officials said they would seek to cut fewer than 1,000 positions in an effort to trim spending, but didn't immediately offer details. The electric supplier brought in nearly $2.6 billion in revenue during the threemonth period ending in March, a drop of more than 12 percent compared to the same period last year, according to federal filings. Power sales were down about 7 percent for the quarter. The electric supplier blamed the bulk of those losses on an unusually warm winter, which cut both the demand for electricity and the prices that TVA can charge for it. TVA officials stood by the board's recent decision to approve adding $1.5 billion to $2 billion to the estimated cost of building a second nuclear reactor at its Watts Bar power plant in Spring City, Tenn. That brings the final cost of the project to as much as $4.5 billion. "While we still believe that will be a low-cost option and help balance our portfolio for our fleet, the increased spending on that certainly is a hard spot," said John Thomas, the TVA's chief financial officer, in a conference call with reporters and analysts. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/04/tva-revenue-down-on-warm-winter-higher-expenses/
Saks Fifth Avenue kicking off hiring for 250 jobs (Nashville Business Journal)
Saks Fifth Avenue will kick off hiring Monday for its new La Vergne distribution center, where it hopes to fill 250 jobs before the center opens in July. Saks is taking over a 564,000-square-foot warehouse that was previously occupied by Borders. Applicants are invited to apply Monday at one of two Tennessee Career Centers between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.: 2200 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. in Nashville and 1313 Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro. According to a news release from the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, "The majority of position openings are hourly and include material handling, quality control, receiving/returns and picking/packing. All jobs are permanent and full-time, and all shifts are available. Applicants must pass a basic skills assessment test, have at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent, and pass a drug test and background check." http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2012/05/04/saks-fifth-avenue-kicking-off-hiring.html
Erlanger chief medical officer Cy Huffman resigns (Times Free-Press)
Dr. Cy Huffman resigned the post of chief medical officer of Erlanger Health System on Friday, according to interim CEO Charlesetta Woodard-Thompson. "I plan to name an interim CMO in the next few days," WoodardThompson said in an email. "Erlanger will continue to remain strongly focused on physician relationships and 5
physician engagement, as well as quality initiatives. We feel well prepared to address Dr. Huffman's departure, and fortunate to have a number of talented individuals who can have a positive impact on quality and physician oversight." She said she was grateful for Huffman's work over the past four years and admires his passion for community health and his dedication to improving disparities in health care. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/b5-erlanger-chief-medical-officer-resigns/?local
Nashville schools' rezoning case nears $1 million cost (Tennessean/Hubbard)
The Metro schools rezoning case currently on trial in federal court has grown costly. So far, the case has racked up a $950,000 tab, said Saul Solomon, Metro schools’ legal director. A year ago, the district had spent about $200,000 in fees. “Obviously it’s a very complex case, and we are doing it as inexpensively as we can,” he said. The case has required hiring at least two national experts on desegregation, rezoning and school choice. It also has required the district to retain an attorney from Washington skilled in trying similar cases. Frances Spurlock sued nearly three years ago, alleging Metro’s 2009 rezoning plan intentionally moved black North Nashville families out of majority-white neighborhood schools. Spurlock, a retired telephone operator, wanted her daughter, then in fifth grade, to stay at Bellevue Middle because her friends were there, and it met academic testing goals while her other options did not. “Sometimes these (North Nashville) parents don’t know that it’s up to the board to break that cycle,” she said. On Friday, Chris Weber, Metro schools director of student assignment, was called to testify. He said the school district was declared in 1998 to have achieved desegregation and was no longer required to bus inner-city children to the suburbs. Spurlock’s neighborhood was one of the last remaining zones to be bused across town. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS04/305050068/Nashville-schools-rezoning-case-nears-1million-cost?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
Superintendent appoints two principal positions (Knoxville News-Sentinel)
Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre has appointed two principals for next school year — Jessica Birdsong at Pleasant Ridge Elementary and Gina Byrd at Farragut Primary School. Birdsong joined Knox County Schools in 2006 as a special-education teacher at Northwest Middle School. Before her time in Knox County, she taught in Montana and New Hampshire. In 2008, she accepted a leadership position in the district's special education department. Birdsong is member of the second class of the district's Principal Leadership Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in special education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Education degree in education leadership from the University of Montana. Byrd, who has been assistant principal at Farragut Primary since 2009, started with Knox County Schools in 2002 as a kindergarten teacher at A.L. Lotts Elementary School. She taught for more than 10 years in Alabama and Florida. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/05/superintendent-appoints-two-principal-positions/
‘Different Avenue’ (Memphis Daily News)
Vocational-technical schools experience growth as learning alternative Rudy Williams always knew she wanted to work in a hospital, but after a short stint in community college and a few years in the workforce, the path to her goal was looking like a long haul. So a little more than a year ago, she gave it another try, enrolling in the 60week medical assisting program at Vatterott Career College’s campus near her home in Bartlett. Now, she’s getting ready for an externship in a local clinic that could lead to a job in her field. “I plan on being in a hospital setting in the next five years,” she said, taking a break after a hands-on venipuncture lesson at Vatterott’s classroom clinic. As recent graduates of four-year colleges face dim job prospects, thousands of students in the Memphis area have turned to vocational and technical schools, training for careers in cutting-edge medical and information technology fields, as well as reliable trades such as welding and HVAC repair. Many of these vocational schools boast job placement rates of 70 percent to 100 percent for graduates in some skill areas. By contrast, 53.6 percent of traditional college graduates younger than 25 were unemployed or underemployed last year, and median wages for bachelor’s degree holders have declined since 2000, according to an Associated Press analysis. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/different-avenue/
Students Take Hutchison Leads In Unexpected Directions (Memphis Daily News)
Mary Elizabeth Kakales has been grappling with school reform concepts like how to scale reforms so that they can prevail in different schools in different communities. And she has thought through teacher accountability standards. She’s talked with those leading reform efforts in private schools, charter schools and conventional public schools. And Kakales has spent a lot of time in different classrooms as well as the ones she knows so well 6
at Hutchison School, where she is a student. The Hutchison senior has put together a still evolving prototype for her ideal school as part of the Hutchison Leads program that just turned a year old. The program was made possible by a gift from Hutchison alumna Abbie W are Williams and her husband, Duncan Williams. “I developed more friendships with students from other schools – public, charter and private,” Kakales said of the origins of her fellowship. “I realized everything is so different, it was interesting. I really wanted to learn more.” With that in mind, she developed a fellowship program and this school year immersed herself in the volatile and burgeoning education reform discussion. She visited as many schools as she could. She spent 40 to 50 hours at The Collegiate School of Memphis. She went to Power Center Academy in Hickory Hill, Veritas Academy and Cornerstone Schools as well as talked with teachers and administrators at other schools. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/students-take-hutchison-leads-in-unexpected-directions/
Taylor Dedicated to Enriching Lives Of St. George’s Independent Students (MDN)
When the people who know and work with Bill Taylor speak of him, they describe the president of St. George’s Independent School in a variety of ways. Colleagues say he’s a hard-working man of character. Parents of some of the school’s students refer to him as a motivating and supportive educator. But despite the different contexts of their relationships, there’s one quality they all emphasize: He’s not one to back away from a challenge. “With Bill, the bottom line is to help students to be good citizens, and he is dedicated to pushing that mission forward,” said Rick Ferguson, former president and current student ambassador for St. George’s. “He came here from New York because of that mission, and it was not without risk.” When Taylor arrived in Memphis in 2001, the small independent school was headed down a path toward a very ambitious vision for the future. Founded in 1959 by parishioners of St. George’s Episcopal Church, the private, coeducational elementary school in Germantown served students from primarily affluent backgrounds for 40 years. Then in 1999, big things started happening. The school kicked off its plans to expand with a Collierville campus for middle and high school students.http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/taylor-dedicated-to-enriching-lives-of-st-georgesindependent-students/
Orgel’s Experience Helps Him Lead School Board (Memphis Daily News)
Billy Orgel was no stranger to the ways of an elected legislative body by last year when he was appointed to become a member of the countywide school board. For years, getting the approval of the Memphis City Council or the Shelby County Commission to locate a cell tower has been part of his business, Tower Ventures. Orgel contributed to political campaigns and some of those who considered running for office even sought his advice on immersing themselves in the sometimes roiling water of local politics. His own experience has been a new chapter in the local political textbook. He is chairman of a school board that includes all nine members of the old Memphis City Schools board, all seven members of the old Shelby County Schools board and seven new board members appointed last year by the Shelby County Commission. The 23- member board is by far the largest local legislative and policymaking body in the county. Orgel is running unopposed in the August nonpartisan elections for the seven school board seats created by federal court order and settlement of the federal lawsuit over schools consolidation. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/7/orgels-experience-helps-him-lead-school-board/
Arizona: Traffic Stop Highlights Arizona Law (Wall Street Journal)
A week after Supreme Court arguments over Arizona's illegal-immigration law, the arrest, detention and subsequent release of an undocumented woman following a traffic stop added a real-world example to the courtroom debate about how the statute could play out. Araceli Mercado Sanchez, who is married to an American soldier and is in the process of legalizing her U.S. residency, was pulled over Tuesday for making an illegal turn, and sent to immigration authorities when she couldn't produce a driver's license or Social Security card requested by a sheriff's deputy. Federal authorities released her late Thursday after she had spent two nights in detention. Arizona's law, enacted in 2010 and tangled up in court ever since, would give local police the power to check the immigration status of anyone they lawfully stop. People who cannot prove they are in the U.S. legally are detained, and federal immigration authorities are notified. The Obama administration, challenging the Arizona law, argued before a skeptical court that the state exceeded its powers by directing police to enforce immigration law, traditionally the purview of the federal government. Arizona's lawyer and some Justices suggested the state was merely picking up illegal immigrants and turning them over to the federal government, which then could decide what to do with them. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304020104577384330512691956.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 7
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Massachusetts: Same State, New Stab at Health Care (W all Street Journal)
Massachusetts is laying the groundwork for an ambitious new effort to rein in health spending that would be closely watched nationally in a state that's become a health-policy bellwether. Key state legislative leaders unveiled a bill Friday that proposes setting a target for the rate at which overall health spending should rise—a step that would once again put the state in the forefront of efforts to remake the American health-care system. Massachusetts draws unique scrutiny because its high-profile health coverage law, which was enacted in 2006 and extended health insurance coverage to virtually all residents, was the main model for the national health overhaul. The state is seen by many health experts as a laboratory for health system change; if it manages to successfully slow health care spending, that initiative too could eventually be imitated elsewhere. Both President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who signed the Massachusetts coverage bill as the state's then-governor, will likely have to grapple with the problem of rising health care costs during this year's campaign. Mr. Romney has pledged to repeal the national law, and having the Massachusetts health system that he helped create in the spotlight may make it trickier to criticize Mr. Obama's federal plan. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304020104577384213578601218.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUB)
OPINION Editorial: University's building will boost science field (Daily News Journal)
Finally. By the time MTSU broke ground on its new science building Thursday, it had taken about 18 years to push shovels into the dirt. The long-awaited, much-needed building has been discussed for about two decades. And while they may have gotten discouraged, the administration at MTSU and local lawmakers never stopped fighting to get the project started. The beginning of this new building marks an exciting new chapter in an already thriving school’s story. Though the building has been No. 1 on the state’s higher education capital projects list for the last eight years, it continued to get pushed back. But, as House Speaker Beth Harwell said Thursday, the Rutherford County legislative delegation lobbied relentlessly before eventually getting the Generally Assembly to fork over about $126.7 million of the needed $147 million for the new MTSU science building. MTSU is raising the remaining balance by reallocating funds, setting up a student fee and raising private funds, with donations and a bequest coming from supporters such as George and Charlotte Gardner, Dr. Liz Rhea and the ChristyHouston Foundation. The impact of the building, which is slated to open in spring of 2015, is far reaching. An estimated 80 percent of all MTSU students will take at least one class in the building. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120505/OPINION/305050032/EDITORIAL-University-s-building-will-boost-sciencefield
Guest columnist: Recycling creates more jobs than landfills (Tennessean)
On April 22, The Tennessean printed a major investigative report on recycling. BURNT (Bring Urban Recycling to Nashville Today) would like to add some lessons we have learned in 23 years working on solid waste. The real issue is the vacant storefronts and unemployed voters across Tennessee. Landfilling 10,000 tons creates one job. Recycling and composting 10,000 tons creates four to 10 jobs, which are multiplied as the products move into the economy. Solid waste is a raw material and should be given the same support for job creation as making cars or solar panels. Jobs or landfills? A constant theme of the article was low landfill costs. Tennessee government subsidizes landfills by waivers from legal requirements to remediate polluted groundwater. The fines for violating landfill laws are minimal. No other industry hurts citizens and local tax bases across the state by devaluing real estate. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) created scores of landfills with the loophole that counts landfilled construction waste as recycled. Environmental injustice is very real. Landfills migrate to the poorest and unhealthiest who suffer the dust, noise, odors and polluted wells. There are no landfills in Belle Meade. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/OPINION03/305050010/Recyclingcreates-more-jobs-than-landfills?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p
Free-Press Editorial: Ethanol, steak, lawnmowers (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)
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Your lawnmower won't start. You're paying more for a wide range of groceries and for eating out. Your car gets poorer mileage than it once did. While a range of factors can be behind any one of these problems, a common thread runs through them: They all can be linked at least to some degree to the federal government's multibilliondollar subsidies for ethanol. The 46-cent-per-gallon subsidy for ethanol made from corn ended this year, but subsidies for ethanol made with other ingredients remain on the books, and large quantities of ethanol still are required by law to be mixed into the nation's fuel supply. As such, it should come as no particular surprise when we read that the government-driven diversion of corn from food production to ethanol production still is making us all pay more for food that is linked in any way to corn -- such as beef from corn-fed cattle. It's a simple matter of supply and demand. "[G]rowers who would grow feed corn have grown corn for ethanol instead," the sales manager of a meat company in West Palm Beach, Fla., told Cox Newspapers. "Since corn is the primary feed for beef, that means cattle prices have reached an all-time high." Then there is the small-engine damage and the lower mileage for which ethanol is responsible. The owner of a lawnmower repair shop in Tuscaloosa, Ala., told a newspaper there that he had seen increasing numbers of lawnmowers that will not start because of the damage caused by ethanol. In fact, that accounted for more than 20 percent of the repairs in his shop. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/05/ethanol-steak-lawnmowers/?opinionfreepress
Editorial: Infrastructure needs attention (Commercial Appeal)
Neglecting repairs to the nation's aging roads and bridges carries a risk. No, talking about rusting bridges isn't as exciting as rehashing the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. Debating whether President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is the tougher cowboy when it comes to taking down terrorists is a topic that raises hackles and stirs emotion. Rusty bridges? Not so much. But allowing the integrity of the nation's infrastructure to languish as one of those important but boring issues that nobody talks about has created a potentially dangerous situation. Chaotic events in places as different as Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina have shown that when a community's infrastructure fails, public health and safety are at risk. Americans are living in blissful ignorance of this issue because our water supply, power grid and roads all have been top-notch. When you turn the faucet and drinkable water flows, you are enjoying a functioning infrastructure -- but not thinking about it. Ditto for turning on the light switch, and for driving your car up from DeSoto County to work in Memphis. Most people today don't remember when roads were muddy ruts. They know little about the cholera outbreaks that flourished in the 19th century, when sewers ran in the streets. They can't imagine a time when the sun set and the city went dim under the dull glow of gas lights. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/05/editorial-infrastructure-needs-attention/ (SUB) ###
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