Tuesday, August 30 News Summary

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011 Camden gets $352K grant (Jackson Sun)
Funds to be used for downtown sidewalks, lighting, landscaping Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer have announced the award of a $352,052 transportation enhancement grant to the town of Camden for Phase III of the Downtown Improvements Project, according to a news release. Phase III of the Downtown Improvements Project includes the construction and reconstruction of sidewalks along East Main Street, Church Street, Forrest Avenue and East Lake. New decorative lighting and landscaping also will be installed in the project area. The improvements are designed to enhance the character of downtown Camden while creating a more pedestrian-oriented environment. "Revitalization projects like this enhance the lives of citizens and promote economic growth in our towns and cities," Haslam said in the release. "I am pleased the state of Tennessee can help implement this new vision for Downtown Camden." http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110830/NEWS01/108300316/Camden-gets-352K-grant

State accepting applications for business grants (Associated Press)
The state is accepting applications for a competitive grant to support nine regional business accelerators across Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the grants will award $250,000 to a regional entrepreneurial accelerator in each economic development region. The regional accelerators were announced in June as part of Gov. Bill Haslam's INCITE plan, designed to drive innovation across the state. Tennessee has partnered with Startup America to form Startup Tennessee, which will form a network of the accelerators and mentor entrepreneurs. Information is at www.tn.gov/ecd . Applications are due Sept. 30.http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37340215.story

State initiative plans grants for regional business accelerators (Nooga)
As part of Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to create jobs, state leaders are now accepting applications for grants to support nine regional business accelerators throughout Tennessee. “The accelerators will provide education, training, mentoring, strategic and technical support and expanded access to capital to support innovation and regional entrepreneurship,” Tennessee Economic & Community Development spokeswoman Valerie Somerville said in an email. “Each accelerator will support and grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the area it serves and be incorporated into the strategic plan being developed for each Jobs4TN region.” The accelerator program is part of Haslam’s INCITE initiative, which is a component of the Jobs4TN plan. The Jobs4TN plan, which Haslam announced in April, involves four major strategies, which are: prioritizing “target clusters and existing industries,” establishing nine regional “job base camps,” investing in innovation and reducing business regulation. http://www.nooga.com/14533_state-initiative-plans-grants-for-regional-business-accelerators/

Gov. issues appreciation certificate to missing children's advocate (C. Chronicle)
Scott Davis has been and advocate for missing children for close to a decade and he has had the opportunity to work with all forms of law enforcement as well as John W alsh and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in assisting with missing children’s cases. For the last three years Davis has produced and hosted an online program, The Missing to help gain exposure for missing children in the United States as well as around the globe. If this is not enough Davis is also a deputy with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s department. He holds the position as the sex offender registry compliance officer for the department and is a team member of the court security division. Just recently Davis received a Certificate of Appreciation from the office of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam being recognized for his efforts in assisting missing children. Davis has covered multiple cases of missing children within the state of Tennessee; the most recognized is the case of Tabitha Tuders. http://crossville-chronicle.com/local/x975851130/Governor-issues-appreciation-certificate-to-Crossville-missing-

childrens-advocate

Tennessee, neighboring states join to fight prescription drug abuse (Daily Herald)
Tennessee has joined a multi-state alliance to curb prescription drug abuse and trafficking. Representatives for Gov. Bill Haslam, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Department of Mental Health attended the first meeting of the Interstate Prescription Drug Task Force in Ashland, Ky., on Aug.24. Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia are the other participating states. During the meeting, representatives from each state discussed prescription drug monitoring, addiction treatment, educational strategies and data collection. “This is a battle Tennessee can’t fight by itself,” said Department of Safety and Homeland Security commissioner Bill Gibbons in a press release. “We are seeing an increasing number of prescription drugs coming in from other states on our interstates, especially I-75 http://www.c-dh.net/articles/2011/08/29/top_stories/03briefs.txt

September is suicide prevention awareness month (Herald-Courier)
In Tennessee, an estimated 800 men, women, and children die by suicide each year. More people die by suicide each year than from homicide, AIDS, or drunk driving. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15-24 in Tennessee and throughout the entire nation. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there were 965 recorded suicide deaths in our state, at a rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people. Both this number and the rate are the highest ever recorded for Tennessee. The last national rankings, published in 2007 by the American Association of Suicidology, placed Tennessee at 20th in the nation for suicides. In almost all cases, suicide can be traced to unrecognized, untreated, or poorly treated mental illness. It can happen to people of either gender, any race or ethnicity, and any economic status. The average suicide death leaves behind six survivors—family and friends of the deceased—all of who are at increased risk for a suicide attempt themselves. As if the emotional and psychological toll were not enough, suicide and suicide attempts cost the state of Tennessee $1 billion a year in medical treatment, lost wages, and lost productivity. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/aug/29/september-suicide-prevention-awareness-month-ar-1271754/

Loudon County woman charged with TennCare fraud (Knoxville News-Sentinel)
A Loudon County woman is charged with TennCare fraud involving "doctor shopping," or using TennCare public health care insurance to go to multiple doctors in a short time period to obtain controlled substances. The state Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, arrested Daphine L. Webb, 31, of Lenoir City, and charged her with two counts of fraudulently using TennCare to obtain controlled substances. Webb failed to disclose to her health care providers that she had seen other physicians within a 30day period. She received prescriptions for the painkillers Endocet and Lortab and used TennCare to pay for both the drugs and the clinical visits. TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years per charge in prison. District Attorney General Russell Johnson is prosecuting. To date, nearly 1,500 people have been charged with TennCare fraud. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/29/loudon-county-woman-charged-with-tenncare-fraud/

UT dedicates new College of Pharmacy building (Associated Press)
University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro says the school's pharmacy graduates help form the backbone of the state's health care system. He commented as the UT Health Science Center dedicated a new 183,857 square-foot College of Pharmacy building in Memphis. DiPietro said the building will help pharmacy grads achieve even more. Officials said the pharmacy school, with 637 students, is the largest in the state and region. It has more than 5,800 graduates. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37340253.story

Tennessee to study congestion, safety of I-24 (Times Free-Press/Walton)
Anyone who's ever crept bumper to bumper along Interstate 24 for an hour to get past a crash or a breakdown on the shoulder knows what "congestion" means. For that matter, people stretching their defensive driving skills to the limit weaving through the crush of roaring big rigs, whizzing commuters and slow-rolling visitors on the old and narrow artery have a pretty solid definition of "highway safety." State planners think I-24 needs more of the latter and less of the former and are looking for a consultant to help make it happen. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is seeking proposals for a study of the 178-mile I-24 corridor from Chattanooga to Nashville. The road is "one of a set of key strategic corridors where travel demands, including heavy freight and goods movements, have increased significantly over the past 20 years and are projected to continue to grow," according to the state's request for proposals. 2

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/30/830-a1-state-to-study-congestion-safety-of-i-24/?local

State helping people quit smoking (WVLT-TV Knoxville)
Did you know that in the past year, one in five Knox County teens has smoked a cigarette? The state also earned an "F" last year in tobacco prevention and cessation coverage. But TennCare and others are working to change that. In July, the state expanded TennCare's coverage for smoking cessation agents from just teens and pregnant women, to all people enrolled trying to quit. "The governor has been very vocal about wanting to improve the health status of Tennessee. And this is one step toward that goal," said Kelly Gunderson, director of Communications with TennCare. "If you think about the people that die every year from smoking-related illnesses, even those who are non-smokers. It's just a huge huge impact on our state's health," said Sarah Harder with the Metropolitan Drug Commission. Now the Tennessean reports the TennCare Pharmacy Advisory Committee is recommending that more anti-smoking agents be added to the preferred drug list. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/State_helping_people_quit_smoking_128617853.html

New plans set for new Gatlinburg Wastewater Treatment basin (NS/Alund)
Demolition of a basin that collapsed at the Gatlinburg Wastewater Treatment Plant, killing two workers and sending millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Little Pigeon River, is set for this fall, a plant spokeswoman said. The plan after that? To rebuild. "Demolition of the basin wall will start in October in anticipation of starting construction on a new basin," said Karole Colangelo, director of communications for Veolia Water North America, the company that runs the plant owned by the city of Gatlinburg. The plant has remained operational but the equalization basin that failed April 5 has not yet been repaired, according to information from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which handles much of the regulation of sewage treatment plants. Since the failure at the Banner Road plant, the city has been using a temporary system . Veolia Water North America employees John Eslinger, 53, and Don Storey, 44, died in the basin collapse that sent about 2 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the nearby Little Pigeon. The workers were adjusting valves after a night of heavy rain, Veolia Water officials have said. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/30/new-plans-set-for-new-gatlinburg-wastewater/

TBI investigates transmission shop for environmental wrongdoing (CA/McKenzie)
One of the major figures involved in a state investigation of official misconduct, bribery and gambling in Millington is facing a separate probe of alleged environmental wrongdoing. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and state Department of Environment and Conservation officials are investigating a report that unregistered underground fuel storage tanks were removed illegally from the Transmission Doctors, a firm owned by Marlin Roberts, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. Investigators used a backhoe Monday on the Transmission Doctors property at 5076 Easley, searching for evidence of the fuel tanks, including contaminated soil, debris, valves and fuel, Helm said. On Aug. 19, armed with a search warrant, authorities found three of the fuel tanks at Roberts' residence at an Atoka address, 570 Cullum, she said. With a search warrant on Aug. 22 at the Transmission Doctors, soil samples were taken to test for contamination left by the tanks. Last week, soil analysis showed elevated levels of the chemical benzene, a known carcinogen, Helm said. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/29/tbi-investigates-transmission-shop-again-environme/

Pub owners fined, gambling machines ordered removed (Daily News Journal)
Investigation shows units held money Owners of a local pub will be fined about $2,000 by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission after its law enforcement arm discovered money inside gambling machines at the facility. Bunganut Pig owners Rudy Arn and Tony Gainous Jr. were also ordered to dispose of six gambling machines. The ABC began an investigation Aug. 16 after an anonymous tipster contacted the agency claiming illegal gambling machine pay-outs were taking place at the Northfield Boulevard pub, according to ABC Chief Law Enforcement Officer Mark Hutchens. No pay-outs were observed by an investigating agent and no charges were filed against Arn or Gainous, according to Hutchens. However, an investigator did discover money inside three of six machines on the premises. "We received information about possible gambling material inside the establishment and an agent went by for an inspection," Hutchens said. "One owner told our agent the machines belonged to an amusement company and that they didn't have a key. When the agent tried to have him contact the amusement company, the guy said that information was at his residence." http://www.dnj.com/article/20110830/NEW S01/108300308/Pub-owners-fined-gambling-machines-orderedremoved 3

Tenn. Court of Appeals to hear Hamilton County sheriff pay dispute (TFP/Burger)
The Tennessee Court of Appeals will now take up the issue of whether the Hamilton County sheriff must equalize the pay of six sergeants. On Monday, Chancery Court records were sent to the Court of Appeals for a case in which a chancellor ruled last month that the Hamilton County Civil Advisory Service Board did not have the authority to make Sheriff Jim Hammond equalize the salaries of six sergeants. Hammond declined to comment on the appeal. The sergeants -- Chris Harvey, Ricky Jones, Mark Kimsey, Mark King, Mark W illiams and Jody Mays -- filed a grievance with the civil service board on Sept. 22, 2010. The board, made up of three civilian members who examine departmental grievances, ruled unanimously in January that the sergeants' pay should be equalized. Sergeants' pay at the sheriff's office ranges between $43,867 and $49,840, according to 2009 salary data. It would cost about $80,000 to equalize the pay for the six, according to previous reports. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/30/b1-appeals-court-to-hear-pay-dispute/?local

Proposal would end ACT-only path to scholarships (Associated Press/Schelzig)
A special legislative panel is considering a proposal that would end high school graduates' ability to qualify for Tennessee lottery scholarships through their ACT scores alone. The Senate Lottery Stabilization Task Force has been assigned by Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville to find ways to stem losses in the scholarship fund's reserves. "Our ultimate goal is to reverse the negative trajectory of the program," Senate Education Chairwoman Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, said at the panel's first meeting Monday. Students must currently earn either a 3.0 grade point average or score a 21 on their ACT to qualify for a scholarship worth $4,000 at four-year schools. David Wright, who heads the Tennessee Higher Education Commission's policy and planning division, told the panel that without any changes, the lottery's reserves would be depleted to the statutory minimum of $50 million by 2024. About 15 percent of lottery scholarships are awarded to students who qualify based on their ACT scores but did not average a B in high school, Wright said. Of those, only one in five do well enough their first year in college to retain their scholarships. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37337527.story

Panel explores changes to Hope Scholarship requirements (C. Appeal/Locker)
Tennessee legislators Monday began evaluating ways to tighten eligibility for lottery-funded scholarships, including one proposal that would disqualify 15 percent of a typical year's first-year Hope Scholarship recipients. But state Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis said lawmakers should instead use some of the scholarship program's $373 million in reserves, which won't drop to the legally mandatory $50 million minimum until 2024 even if no eligibility changes are made. "W e're locking up all the money in a savings account. People need jobs today and they need education to get jobs," said Kyle, D-Memphis. "This is like not feeding your infant child because you're saving up to buy him a car at age 18." A commission of state senators and public and private Tennessee higher education officials held its first meeting and began reviewing some 15 proposals to close a shortfall between the scholarship program's income and spending. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission says the program is now spending about $20 million to $22 million more than the proceeds. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/29/panel-explores-changes-hope-scholarship-requiremen/

Chattanooga attorney chosen for Judicial Nominating Commission (N. Post)
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has chosen a Chattanooga employment attorney to fill the Judicial Nominating Commission seat that will be vacated Thursday by Bill Young, who will then become Tennessee Solicitor General. Ramsey chose Bartlett Quinn from a group of nominees that included former Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers as well as a number of downtown-based attorneys. Quinn is a shareholder at Chambliss Bahner & Stophel, which houses about 90 attorneys. A graduate of the University of Tennessee’s Law School, he practices primarily in the areas of employment law and workers’ compensation areas and has represented large employers in employment discrimination cases. “The health of the judicial branch of state government is crucial to the long-term health of Tennessee,” Ramsey said. “Bart Quinn is an outstanding lawyer committed to an exemplary judiciary. I’m proud to appoint him and have every expectation that he will strengthen Tennessee’s judiciary.” http://nashvillepost.com/news/2011/8/29/chattanooga_attorney_chosen_for_judicial_nominating_commission

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Dean to Harwell: Don’t split up Nashville’s congressional district (CP/Garrison)
As the Republican-dominated state legislature embarks on the ultra-politicized process of redistricting, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper and Mayor Karl Dean have joined forces in delivering a united message: Keep Nashville primarily within one congressional district. In a letter sent last month to Republican Speaker of the House Beth Harwell of Green Hills, Dean wrote that while Harwell has made a “commitment to a fair, transparent process,” others such as state Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) and Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney have suggested "Davidson County should be divided to achieve particular political goals." Dean makes the case severing Tennessee’s 5th congressional district, held by Cooper and encompassing the bulk of Davidson County, could have harmful economic ramifications. “Splitting Davidson County would not only divide business interests and industry concerns, but would drive a stake in the heart of a cohesive and diverse (ethnically and politically) social and civic unit,” Dean wrote. “In addition, Davidson County's role as a regional leader could be significantly diminished.” http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/dean-harwell-don-t-split-nashville-s-congressional-district-0

Mayor Dean, Rep. Cooper fear redistricting could divide Nashville (TN/Sisk)
Dems say 3-way split would reduce city's political clout Nashville’s representation in Congress could be split, possibly three ways, Mayor Karl Dean and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper said Monday. Republicans in the state legislature are considering a plan to shunt Davidson County voters into districts dominated by its suburbs, Cooper and Dean told a meeting of The Tennessean’s editorial board. That plan would reduce Nashville’s clout in Congress. Senior Republicans said afterward that they have not even begun to decide on congressional lines. But they also would not rule out the possibility of dividing Cooper’s 5th Congressional District, which includes most of Davidson County, as well as portions of Cheatham and Wilson counties. “I know that Congressman Cooper is concerned about his job,” state House Speaker Beth Harwell said. “W e are going to do what’s best for the citizens of all of Tennessee.” Some Republicans have floated the idea of moving a portion of Davidson County, most likely Antioch and a few other communities, into a new 5th Congressional District shared with Rutherford County, a Republican stronghold. That could give Republicans a chance to capture another seat in Tennessee’s congressional delegation. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110830/NEWS0201/308270076/Mayor-Dean-Rep-Cooper-fearredistricting-could-divide-Nashville?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Dean Discourages Multiple Congressional Districts, Turner Says Bring It On (WPLN)
As the General Assembly redraws political lines, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is asking that the city remain primarily under one congressional district. Dean sent a letter to the Speaker of the House last month. Dean says splitting up Davidson County would divide business interests and potentially diminish the city’s role as a regional leader. It would also dilute the consolidation of Democrats in Nashville with the Republican-leaning suburbs, though Dean doesn’t make that point in the letter. Congressman Jim Cooper has also cautioned against splitting up his district. Rep. Steve McDaniel chairs the House Redistricting Committee and says he will listen to mayors when it comes to drawing lines. “Keeping cities whole is a consideration, but there’s no law that requires congressional districts to cover an entire metropolitan area.” While there are outside proposals floating around that split Davidson County two and three ways, McDaniel says his committee has not started work on congressional districts. http://wpln.org/?p=29889

Murfreesboro mosque wins again (Gannett)
The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has a right by law to build a bigger place of worship, Chancellor Robert Corlew III decided Monday in upholding his May ruling, although he left mosque foes a path in which to continue their efforts. “Those who are adherents to Islam are entitled to pursue their worship in the United States just as are those who are adherents to more universally established faiths,” Corlew wrote in response to a request from plaintiffs to reconsider his earlier ruling. But Corlew also reaffirmed that mosque opponents can try to overturn his earlier decision that said 17 plaintiffs suing Rutherford County government can challenge only whether an open meeting violation occurred over the mosque’s approval. No trial has been scheduled on whether the county failed to provide sufficient public notice before its Regional Planning Commission met May 24, 2010, and approved plans for a community center with a mosque on Veals Road. Corlew’s ruling recognized that the county’s land use rules are somewhat unusual, but said it is up to lawmakers to revise the rules in a way fair to 5

all religions. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110830/NEWS01/308300027/Murfreesboro-mosque-wins-again? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Cooper: Time to Rethink How We Train Doctors (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
The current system for training doctors takes far longer than it needs to, says Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper. He was speaking to medical students and doctors at Vanderbilt. Cooper says it also steers too many students into specialties, “whether they’re helping us live longer or not.” Cooper says the country doesn’t have enough primary care doctors because so many medical students are lured into narrow specializations with bigger paychecks. He figures those earnings bear particular importance in the minds of future doctors in debt for around eight years of tuition. And in many cases that eight years is too long, Cooper says, based on his time as a trustee of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “There was a pretty strong consensus on the board that you didn’t need eight years of medical education to be an ophthalmologist, unless you’re one of the five percent of ophthalmologists that’s a super-sub-specialist – that basically three years would do it. But you know what also the consensus on the board was? That they had to go through it, so why not make you go through it? (laughter) Well that’s pretty primitive in my book.” http://wpln.org/?p=29865

House GOP aims to relax coal ash rules (Tennessean/Bewley)
Scaling back environmental regulations on coal ash and power plant pollution will be a top priority for House Republicans when they return from summer recess next week, according to a memo that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor sent fellow Republicans on Monday. Several proposed or recently enacted Environmental Protection Agency rules addressing coal ash disposal and emissions from power plants number among Cantor’s list of 10 “job-destroying regulations” that the GOP will seek to undo in the next few months, his memo said. Also on the list is a push by the National Labor Relations Board to require Boeing to return an airplane assembly line to Washington state from South Carolina — a move opposed by Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander. “These regulations are reflective of the types of costly bureaucratic handcuffs that Washington has imposed upon businesspeople who want to create jobs,” Cantor wrote. Emissions first up The first EPA regulation to be taken up next month requires Tennessee and 26 other states to cut power plant emissions that cause air quality problems in downwind states. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110830/NEWS11/308300023/House-GOP-aims-relax-coal-ash-rules? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Money, commissions dry up for adult day centers (News-Sentinel/Nelson)
Most years, well more than half of Sunshine Industries' budget comes from the contract work its clients, who also get paid, do daily in its workshop. But the recent U.S. recession has meant less work for the 120 or so developmentally disabled adults Sunshine serves, which translates into less money for the nonprofit, said Executive Director Judy Wohlwend. Less than half of the money in the coming year's operating budget comes from work contracts, Wohlwend said. "We need work. We want to earn our own way," she said. Add that to cuts in state and federal government funding, regular donors with less money to give, grants, even United Way — "You're being bombarded on all sides," Wohlwend said. And "it's really hard to go out and ask people for money. You know they don't have any, either." Just before Christmas, Sunshine, which is in Knoxville, made its first public appeal for funds, a citrus sale that did better than expected. But it's also had to cut its Independent Living Program. The state stopped funding that type of program, and after more than a year of trying, Wohlwend was unable to retool it into a financially feasible program that also met current requirements for state funding. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/30/bombarded-on-all-sides/

Steep Rises in Health Premiums Scrutinized (Wall Street Journal)
A new federal and state program on health-insurance rates will determine whether bad publicity alone is enough to stop insurers from levying steep increases. Starting Thursday, the Obama administration and states will automatically scrutinize any proposed health-premium increase of 10% or more as part of the 2010 healthoverhaul law. The change applies to an estimated 34.8 million insurance policies that Americans buy on their own or get through a small employer—two markets where consumers have faced particularly hefty increases in recent years. America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry's main lobbying group, found that about half of all increases in the individual-insurance market exceeded 10% each year for the past three years. Before an insurer raises rates, it will now have to submit a seven-page form justifying the increase to regulators, who will determine whether the increase in rates is reasonable. But there's a big catch. Even if regulators find the rate increase is 6

unjustified, the law gives them no new powers to block the insurer from charging it. Instead, federal regulators say they are hoping that disclosure of large increases—which will be posted on the Department of Health and Human Services' website—will be enough to discourage carriers. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903352704576538873548366708.html?mod=ITP_pageone_2 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Health care fraud prosecutions on pace to rise 85% (USA Today)
New government statistics show federal health care fraud prosecutions in the first eight months of 2011 are on pace to rise 85% over last year due in large part to ramped-up enforcement efforts under the Obama administration. The statistics, released by the non-partisan Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, show 903 prosecutions so far this year. That's a 24% increase over the total for all of fiscal year 2010, when 731 people were prosecuted for health fraud through federal agencies across the country. Prosecutions have gone up 71% from five years ago, according to TRAC. "This was a fairly dramatic number of prosecutions," said David Burnham, co-director of TRAC. TRAC is a research organization at Syracuse University that submits Freedom of Information Act requests for government data, and then reports the results. Justice Department officials said the increase runs parallel with what they're seeing when looking at health care fraud broadly, in part because of a couple of big busts this year, as well as several cases involving fraud in the private sector. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-08-29/Health-care-fraud-prosecutions-on-pace-to-rise85/50180282/1

New Road Signs Will Now W ait (New York Times)
It is a sign of the times: The Obama administration is planning to yield to strapped states and local governments who urged them to slow or be prepared to stop federal safety requirements that they replace thousands of road signs with bigger, brighter, more legible signs by 2018, arguing it would be the wrong way to make them to spend their limited money. The administration plans to issue a proposal Tuesday to eliminate dozens of deadlines for replacing traffic signs to comply with safety standards initiated under the Bush administration, saying that communities should not be forced to install the new signs until the old ones wear out, officials said. “A specific deadline for replacing street signs makes no sense and would have cost communities across America millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “After speaking with local and state officials across the country, we are proposing to eliminate these burdensome regulations. It’s just plain common sense.” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/us/30cuts.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUB)

Federal disaster funds for tornado relief halted due to Hurricane Irene (TFP/Martin)
Federal funding for some future long-term disaster relief in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama to help rebuild after the April tornadoes has been halted. Instead, the money will be used for immediate disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Irene, officials said Monday. The shift in funding will not affect individual assistance for tornado victims or projects that already have been submitted or approved, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Craig Fugate told reporters Monday during a news conference about Hurricane Irene. "If it's been submitted and approved, it already has the funding," Fugate said. "But if any work has not been submitted yet for permanent work -- and this would be the repairs and rebuilding -- we will not be able to fund those based upon on our remaining dollars, as we are now responding to Hurricane Irene." FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is running low, with less than $1 billion left, officials said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/30/830-a1-hurricane-scoops-up-funding/?local

Tally of Damages Put at $12 Billion, but That Number Could Yet Rise (WSJ)
The economic damage wrought by Hurricane Irene—everything from washed-out roads to lost hotel bookings— could hit $12 billion or more. That's the initial assessment of economists and insurance-industry officials who are beginning to count what was lost in the storm. Tallying hurricane costs means looking both at the physical damage as well as lost economic output. At this point, insurers are estimating they will pay out between $3 billion to $6 billion in claims. As a rule of thumb, economists figure the total economic losses from such storms are roughly equal to twice the size of the insured losses. The wild card that could push the total up even further is flooding, which is continuing. "The wind is not going to be the story with this thing," said Jonathan Hall, executive vice president of commercial insurer FM Global. "The worst of the flooding really hasn't happened yet," he said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903352704576538930419422912.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION) 7

Future Still Cloudy for Flood Insurance (Wall Street Journal)
The flood damage from Hurricane Irene raises pressure on Congress as it debates how to overhaul the government's debt-strapped flood-insurance program, but lawmakers remain unlikely to thrash out a long-term agreement before the program is due to expire Sept. 30, insurance and real-estate industry lobbyists said. W ith Irene's winds weakening before the hurricane struck North Carolina, the worst of the damage as the storm marched north appeared to be from heavy rains and storm surge. Unlike wind damage, flood damage typically isn't covered under homeowners' policies. Instead, most homes and businesses buy coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program. A short-term extension of the program is considered likely. Congress has relied on temporary fixes since 2008 because of an inability to agree on how to overhaul the program, which has accumulated nearly $18 billion in debt, tied mostly to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904332804576538812001566264.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Schools fill budget holes with fracking revenues (Stateline)
In late July, the Blackhawk School District, 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, joined a handful of other school districts in Pennsylvania looking to cash in on the state’s natural gas boom. In a vote of seven-to-one, the school board agreed to lease 160 acres of the district’s land to Chesapeake Energy, the largest holder of mineral rights in the Marcellus Shale region, which lies underneath Pennsylvania and neighboring states. At $2,000 per acre, the lease terms grant the district more than $300,000 upfront. If Chesapeake successfully extracts gas from below the district’s property, the schools would earn an additional 15 percent royalty on the profits. School leaders say the decision was unrelated to major state cuts to education funding this year. But the school board vote was immediately followed by a discussion of the district’s budget — the district saw a reduction of around $800,000 in state funding to its $30 million budget. Jerry Wessel, the district’s business manager, says the natural gas lease will help the budget situation some in the short term but hopefully even more over the long haul. “That signing bonus could just be a decent drop in the bucket,” W essel says. “If there was a well under the high school — you could see a million dollars over a 20-year period.” http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story? contentId=597091

Federal safety board slams Y-12's (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Munger)
A federal safety board is again criticizing the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant for not following procedures, raising concern that the persistent problems are "systemic" and undermining the safety of plant operations. Staff of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board earlier this year conducted an extensive review of how the government's contractor, B&W Y-12, follows technical procedures and conducts operations. The review was prompted by a number of previous incidents, including a June 2010 fire that was caused when workers violated a procedure during a "routine dismantlement operation" involving a warhead component of depleted uranium. DNFSB Chairman Peter Winokur said the April review found more shortcomings. "The staff identified additional examples of weaknesses in procedures and their use by B&W personnel that have the potential to jeopardize the safety of workers and possibly that of the public and the environment," Winokur wrote in an Aug. 25 letter to Tom D'Agostino, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/30/federal-safety-board-slams-y-12s/

Summer sizzles for Nashville-area hotel bookings, too (Tennessean/Marsteller)
There’s been a lot less room at local inns this summer, and the crush of visitors has provided a much-needed boost to the Middle Tennessee economy. “We’ve had seven or eight months of growth,” said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “To me, that says we’re on the right path.” Special events drew a record number of overnight visitors in June, making it one of the best months ever for Nashvillearea motels and hotels. And with July’s figures nearly as strong, local tourism officials believe the hospitality industry has fully healed from last year’s devastating flood here. But they worry that room rates — which have climbed above prior-year levels only recently — could start slipping again if the economy slows. Local hotels sold a record 538,873 room nights — a night’s stay in one room, a key measure of demand — for roughly $58 million in June, according to Smith Travel Research, which tracks travel industry spending. Both are the Nashville market’s highest monthly figures since the Hendersonville-based company started keeping track of such data in 1987. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110830/BUSINESS/308300014/Summer-sizzles-Nashville-area-hotelbookings-too?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s 8

Corn Farmers Eye Weather, Growing Demand (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
It could be a profitable year for corn farmers in Tennessee. International demand from China is up, and while Texas languishes from a months-long drought, Tennessee is in relatively good shape. But some are worried higher corn prices might not be an entirely good thing. Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 90 percent of Tennessee’s corn is in decent shape. The state could use some rain, but it’s nothing to complain about next to drought-ravaged Texas, where the USDA said less than a third of corn crops are okay. Meanwhile, this summer China bought more corn in a month than U.S. officials figured it would for the year. That’s good news for farmers now, says Tim Edwards, but what about industries that depend on corn? Edwards is a kind of middleman; his mill in Lebanon turns corn into feed for livestock. “All these industries that use corn are the ones that are going to suffer and get to the point that they’re really going to hurt, and the public, the one that actually eats the food, is the one that’s going to suffer for it because it’s going to get so high.” http://wpln.org/?p=29861

Erlanger defends bid process after awarding Ritz-Carlton contract (TFP/Carroll)
Erlanger Health System spent at least $35,000 on Ritz-Carlton before it awarded the hospitality chain a $288,000 contract to provide customer service instruction at the public hospital, officials said Monday. The hospital initially branded all Ritz-Carlton expenses as a lump sum for training and implementation. Instead, a $35,000 contract paid a Ritz-Carlton corporate university representative for a 2 1/2 day preliminary trip to Erlanger. The trip included a meeting with top Erlanger executives, four sessions with a 45-member hospital team and tours that illustrated daily operations at Erlanger -- all of which made Ritz-Carlton's program "distinctively Erlanger's," according to a hospital news release. The hospital spent about $65,000 on other expenses as the hospital decided on Ritz-Carlton, Chief Nursing Officer Lynn Whisman said, but she didn't have exact details on how the money was spent. Had Erlanger officials decided against Ritz-Carlton, "we'd have [lost] $100,000," she said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/30/830-a1-erlanger-defends-ritz-bid-process/?local

Triton Systems moves operation to Mississippi (Associated Press)
A global manufacturer of automated teller machines is consolidating one of its operations, moving it from Bartlett, Tenn., to its headquarters in Long Beach, Miss. Triton Systems said Monday that moving its ATMGurus operations will result in the creation of at least 30 new jobs. Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Leland Speed says Triton's move reinforces the company's confidence in Mississippi's "business climate and its commitment to our dedicated workforce." Triton has been based on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1979 and is one of the largest employers in Harrison County. The company manufactures and sells a complete line of ATM products and has over 200,000 installations in over 24 countries worldwide. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/30/triton-systems-moves-operation-to-mississippi/

Irene to bring higher insurance premiums (Associated Press/Wagner)
The $7 billion in estimated losses from Hurricane Irene compound the vast damage caused by weather in the United States this year. Yet despite billions they’ve paid out for floods, tornadoes and earthquakes, big insurance companies can expect another profitable year. And their customers can expect higher premiums. The stocks of major insurers shot up on Monday as investors celebrated Irene’s less-than-expected damage. The storm didn’t even cause most analysts to adjust their profit estimates for insurers. In part, that’s because insurance companies have been raising premiums this year, especially for customers in high-risk areas. Homeowner and auto policies cost 5 to 10 percent more than they did a year ago, according to research by Gregory Locraft, an industry analyst with Morgan Stanley. The damage from Irene and other disasters means that property insurance premiums will likely rise across the board into 2012, Locraft said. “Irene is just another log on the fire,” he said. Costs are adding up The storm seems unlikely to hurt the overall U.S. economy. Analysts agree that damage from Irene will likely run less than $10 billion — a tiny fraction of the $14 trillion U.S. economy. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110830/BUSINESS/308300051/Irene-bring-higher-insurance-premiums? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

In 8-3 vote, (CA/McMillin)

Shelby

County

Commission

approves

school

merger

deal

Monday's discussion and vote by the Memphis-dominated Shelby County Commission on the schools merger 9

settlement followed a predictable pattern: Memphis members voting to move the process forward and suburban members futilely opposing efforts to give Memphis representation on the county school board. Memphis members like W alter Bailey provided the winning margin in the 8-3 vote, which sets up a new 23-member county board, and praised it as a real step toward unity. The three dissenting suburban members -- Republicans Wyatt Bunker, Terry Roland and Chris Thomas -- railed against the deal. Suburban Shelby County Schools board members unanimously approved it last week, saying that in light of a federal judge's Aug. 8 order, it was the best deal the suburbs could hope to get. Mike Ritz and James Harvey were not present for the vote. The commission joins SCS and Memphis City Schools in approving the settlement deal, and the Memphis City Council is expected to make it final next week. Bailey represented the commission during long mediation sessions and called the settlement one of the greatest achievements he has been part of in his nearly 40 years in public service. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/29/8-3-vote-shelby-county-commission-approves-school/

County Commission Approves Schools Settlement (Memphis Daily News)
The Shelby County Commission has approved the settlement of the schools consolidation case and set the process for selecting seven members of a new countywide school board at its Sept. 12 meeting. The Monday, Aug. 29, vote was 8-3 in favor with commissioners Wyatt Bunker, Terry Roland and Chris Thomas voting “no.” All three represent a county commission district that takes in all six of the suburban municipalities where opposition to schools consolidation has been the most vocal. Bunker said he voted “no” because the Aug. 8 court ruling by federal Judge Hardy Mays upheld the legality of the Norris-Todd law governing the consolidation process. But he said last week’s settlement by all parties does not follow the law because it makes the consolidation planning commission more advisory than it should be. Bunker also termed the coming consolidation “the dismantling and ultimate destruction of one of the best school systems in the United States,” referring to Shelby County Schools. On the other side of the debate was Commissioner Walter Bailey, who said the settlement represents “a legacy of ours of which we can all be proud.” http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/30/county-commission-approves-schools-settlement/

County Commission Endorses MOU (Memphis Flyer)
Despite a predictable rear-guard action from District 4 (suburban) members Wyatt Bunker, Chris Thomas, and Terry Roland, a Memorandum of Understanding on the merger of Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools was handily ratified by the Shelby County Commission at a special meeting Monday — leaving only the Memphis City Council to complete the cycle. After a mediation process presided over by U.S. District Judge Hardy Mays, the MOU was agreed upon last week by legal representatives of all the contending parties with an interest in the merger of Memphis City Schools with Shelby County Schools. Judge Mays had earlier mandated MCS-SCS merger, more or less along the lines provided for in the Norris-Todd bill, passed earlier this year by the legislature. The Commission also approved a framework of seven single-member districts for an all-county school board and arranged an interview date, September 7, for applicants interested in filling those seven slots on an interim basis, beginning October 1. Consistent with the Mays ruling, elections for the positions will be held in August 2012, pending completion of merger on September 1, 2013. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/08/30/county-commission-endorses-mou-setsground-rules-for-interim-board-appointments

Teacher compensation plan for low-performing schools finalized (CP/Garrison)
Parameters have been set outlining how teachers and principals in 22 low-performing Metro schools can qualify to cash in on financial bonuses based on their in-class performances. The Metro Nashville Board of Education approved last week the criteria teachers must meet locally to land financial incentives courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education’s five-year, $36 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant, dollars sprinkled across 13 Tennessee school districts. Metro’s proposal, dubbed “IMPACT,” had already gained state approval. Financial rewards, which be would added to the salaries of recipients, range from a few hundred dollars to approximately $10,000 each. “This grant is a part of our turnaround strategy as well as our human capital development strategy,” Merrie Clark, the district’s grant management coordinator, told board members last week. The past school year served as the planning year for the new initiative. Over the current 2011-12 school year, the district plans to distribute the first batch of funds — $1.75 million — to reward highly effective teachers inside some of Metro’s most academically challenged and poverty-stricken schools. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/teacher-compensation-plan-low-performing-schools-finalized

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Johnson City, Washington Co. School Boards to consider tax referendum (HC)
School board members in Washington County and Johnson City will soon decide whether or not they'll pursue a sales tax referendum. With the help of a joint committee, both districts are looking into the possibility of a quartercent sales tax increase to help battle a decrease in funding and a lack of revenue. "As the stimulus money rolls off and some grant money that we've used to plug some holes goes away this next year, we've got to do something to plug some holes in our budget," Johnson City School Board Chairwoman Kathy Hall said. "To keep programs where they are, just where they are now, not adding things, we're looking at a $2 million whole in the upcoming year." The current sales tax rate stands at 9.5%. The proposal would call for an increase to 9.75% If the idea is approved by both school boards, the Washington County Commission and Johnson City Commission would both have to sign off on the referendum. It'd then be up to voters to decide if they're willing to pay more when they shop. At the earliest, the referendum would appear on the March 6, 2012 ballot. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/aug/29/johnson-city-washington-county-school-boards-consi-ar-1272248/

Feds test teacher bonuses (Tennessean/Hubbard)
Metro, Lebanon among Tennessee districts in federal project If students at Hattie Cotton Elementary in Nashville really outdo themselves on spring testing, Principal Elnora Mitchell-Furdge could get a $5,500 lump-sum bonus check. “It would be nice to take a trip,” Mitchell-Furdge said. “I’m going to continue to give it my all, ... maybe try different strategies that weren’t used last year.” To win the full amount, it will take fourth-graders showing a year’s growth in reading, math, science and social studies; the whole school making adequate yearly progress under federal benchmarks — which it hasn’t done in three years; and Mitchell-Furdge earning above-average marks on her annual evaluation. This year, 1,500 Metro teachers and principals in 22 low-income, lowperforming schools could win a share of $1.75 million in performance-based bonuses. The Metro Nashville school district is participating in a federally funded pilot study to see if educator incentive pay will increase students’ test scores and teachers’ desire to stay in their jobs. Lebanon Special School District in Wilson County is also among 13 districts statewide testing the effectiveness of bonus pay as part of a U.S. Department of Education project. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110830/NEWS04/308300033/Feds-test-teacher-bonuses?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

OPINION Free-Press Editorial: Low Tennessee, local test scores (Times Free-Press)
Especially at this time of year, as students have recently returned to school, there is high enthusiasm about their prospects for academic success -- as there very well should be. Our students are not dumb, after all. Young people from the most privileged backgrounds as well as those from the humblest of families are bright, capable and full of energy, and they can achieve amazing things with the right guidance, discipline and instruction. But we cannot get students on the right path if we do not first acknowledge that too many of them are not yet living up to their intellectual potential. It is troubling to learn that scores among Tennessee high school students who took the ACT college entrance exam this year were down. The average composite score fell from 19.6 to 19.5. 11

That put our state ahead of only Mississippi in achievement on the ACT. Unfortunately, things are even worse in Hamilton County. Students here got an average composite score of only 18.7, compared with the statewide average of 19.5. On the positive side, although scores here were lower than they were across the state, there was slight improvement in our local scores, which rose from 18.6 in 2010. But ACT also issued other warnings about Tennessee students' academic preparation. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/30/0830-b7-fp2-low-tennessee-local-test-scores/? opinionfreepress

Editorial: Changing family structures impact public education (Jackson Sun)
We hear a lot about family values, especially when it comes to raising and educating children. But, increasingly, the definition of family continues to evolve. In Tennessee, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, the trend toward different types of families has accelerated significantly since the 2000 Census. Perhaps the greatest impact of these changes is on public education. The 2010 U.S. Census revealed the following changes in family structure in Tennessee between 2000 and 2010: Children living in married couple family: 890,916 children in 2000 (64 percent); 867,313 children in 2010 (58 percent) Children living with single male parent: 64,134 children in 2000 (5 percent); 90,087 children in 2010 (6 percent) Children living with single female parent: 284,150 children in 2000 (20 percent); 327,808 children in 2010 (22 percent) Children living with grandparent: 101,510 children in 2000 (7.3 percent); 140,564 children in 2010 (9.4 percent.) With almost 40 percent of Tennessee children living in non-traditional home environments, the concept of parent involvement in public education must be redefined. Children living with a single parent have risen to 28 percent. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110830/OPINION01/108300308/Changing-family-structures-impact-publiceducation

Editorial: Lost Sea an example of the rich tapestry of tourist attractions (N-S)
The Lost Sea, it seems, has been found by tourists visiting East Tennessee — and it is high time. The natural attraction on State Highway 68 between Madisonville and Sweetwater has a history as interesting as it is long, and it fits well with other natural and human-made attractions in the area as well as the entire landscape, which offers remarkable sights for visitors as well as homegrown Tennesseans. The site attracts 170,000 visitors yearly. Tourism jolts the local and statewide economy with a $13.3 billion impact and accounts for the employment of about 175,000 people, according to the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. It is big business — and a successful one if our visitors enjoy what they see. The Lost Sea adds to the rich diversity of attractions in East Tennessee, ranging from the Tennessee Aquarium and Ruby Falls in Chattanooga to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville and the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. Add the Cherokee National Forest, Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the playground for tourists is almost endless. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/30/lost-sea-an-example-ofthe-rich-tapestry-of-in/

Guest columnist: Ketron's tie to ALEC shows real motive on Voter ID (DNJ)
When Sen. Bill Ketron's guest column on the new Voter ID law appeared in The Daily News Journal (Aug. 4), he was on his way to the ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) conference in New Orleans, arriving in time to attend some of the lavish parties paid for by large corporations who are also major contributors to ALEC. His column conveniently omitted a quote from Paul W eyrich, the founder of ALEC, "Now many of our Christians have what I call the goo-goo syndrome — good government. They want everybody to vote. I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." It's not about voter fraud as Sen. Ketron implies. It's clearly about voter suppression. Sen. Ketron, who is a member of ALEC, knows the truth and knows how ALEC has crafted this model legislation to make it more difficult for citizens who might not agree with ALEC's agenda to vote. W hy did Sen. Ketron go to New Orleans to sit in meetings not open to the public but open to representatives and lobbyists of large corporations? http://www.dnj.com/article/20110830/OPINION02/108300302/Guest-column-Ketron-s-tie-ALEC-shows-realmotive-Voter-ID

Editorial: Down and Out at the Post Office (New York Times)
Neither rain nor snow may stop the United States Postal Service, but will the abysmally divided Congress? The service is reeling toward default and urgently needs the Capitol’s help to modernize and pay its bills. Congress 12

allots no money to support the service. But lawmakers control its practices — particularly in shooting down repeated requests to eliminate costly Saturday mail deliveries. A combination of the recession and the public’s shift to e-mail and online bill payment has devastated the service. Amid steep declines in mail handling, deficits are running to $9 billion this year in a $67 billion budget. To stay in business, the Postal Service is again calling for doing away with Saturday deliveries to save an estimated $40 billion across a decade. It also wants to cut more than a third of its work force — 220,000 jobs over three years — and study the replacement of 3,650 of its 32,000 post offices with locally contracted retailers. The Postal Service has already maxed out on its borrowing limit and expects to default next month on a $5.5 billion prepayment for employee health benefits. There are proposals for a quick fix of more borrowing authority, but that hardly deals with the deepest problems. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/opinion/down-and-out-at-the-post-office.html?ref=todayspaper

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