Good morning, Nashville. We had a late night hanging out in our “safe place” as tornado warnings for Davison and Williamson county and thunderstorms with 70-80mph winds rolled through in the wee hours of the morning. A possible tornado was reported in Dickson, although no tornadoes have been confirmed in the Middle Tennessee area and it seems we escaped with just tree damage and power outages. Birmingham, AL wasnt so lucky, with two confirmed deaths from last night’s storms. Possible tornadoes have also been reported in several Arkansas counties. We’d like to give a big thanks to Twitter for keeping us informed and even amused during last night’s storms.
- Dollyland. Since we last checked in, Dolly Parton and Gaylord Opryland have announced plans to bring the US of A’s first water-and-snow-themed amusement park to Nashville. And everyone rejoiced! $50 million will go into Phase 1 of the park, scheduled to open in 2014 across Briley Pkwy from the Opryland hotel & resort (here’s a map). More here, here and here.
- BREAKING NEWZ. Senator Rand Paul is currently, as of this writing and not four days ago like the other news we are writing about, being detained by the Nashville airport TSA for refusing a full body patdown after setting off a full body scanner.
- Building it up. More building permits for Opry Mills have been issued, including Tommy Hilfiger, Aeropostale, Build-a-Bear, Vera Bradley, IT’SUGAR, Journey’s, Off Broadway Shoes, Gap, Bose, Panda Express, Pyramid’s Cafe, Ann Taylor Factory Store and Lego. The mall is still scheduled to reopen on March 29.
- Bits & pieces. A SUV crashed through the front of a South Nashville laundromat at 5am, and the driver took off on foot … Dave Ramsey has purchased a strip mall in Spring Hill for $1.8 million (cash, we presume) … East Nashville consignment boutique Old Made Good has had several unfortunate brushes with crime this month … Two teens behind a recent rash of car break-ins at LP Field have been caught … A new black bear hunting season is part of wildlife officials’ black bear management plan in Middle Tennessee … Brentwoodians do not enjoy the new electronic billboard at Old Hickory and Franklin Road, placed just 12 feet outside of the Brentwood city limits … This year’s Restaurant Week was a success … Dan McGuiness on Demonbreun is getting a remodel … If you trust Complex Magazine, Tootsies is one of the 25 best nightclubs of all time … Speaking of nightclubs, an 11-year-old child was shot inside one on Jefferson Street this weekend.
Photo by Peppysis.
Good morning, Nashville. Fun day we had yesterday with the weather, wasn’t it? Heavy rain, high winds, dropping temperatures and a brief tornado warning across Davidson, Williamson and surrounding counties had many people on Twitter saying “WTF, tornadoes in January?” Yes, it’s true – The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-0 tornado did indeed touch down in Rutherford County yesterday. In January.
- Cluck cluck. The “Backyard Chickens” measure is a go, passed by Metro Council last night with a 21-15 vote. No roosters will be permitted, and residents will be limited to 2-6 chickens, depending on the size of the property.
- SOPA-what-uh? If you haven’t stumbled across something about SOPA or PIPA on the interwebs today, well, we’re honored that Nashvillest.com is the only place on the interwebs that you visit. No, Wikipedia is not against cleanliness – technology companies are using today to speak out against the Stop Online Piracy Act and its Senate counterpart, the PROTECT IP Act. Locally in Nashville, the issue is a big one. Copyright owners support the acts in order to protect their intellectual property, but local tech companies are just as passionate about protecting the internet from censorship.
- Bits & pieces. The plan of attack against synthetic drugs, including “bath salts,” has been halted for a week … Franklin is toying with allowing horse-drawn carriage rides … Granite City Food & Brewery will open in Cool Springs this summer … 128 live dogs, 1 dead dog and 1 cat were found in a U-Haul pulled over in West Tennessee … Merle Haggard is hospitalized in Georgia … The Preds lost to the Rangers 3-0 last night … Whoops! Tipton County was left out of the new Tennessee Senate redistricting measure.
Photo by Ray Sundusky © 2012.
Good morning, Nashville. Metro flood buyouts are still chugging along at a slow & steady pace, with 78 homeowners still waiting to complete their buyouts. Metro Water spokesperson Sonia Harvat says that the city is close to closing on another 25 homes, which will leave just over 50 to go. In other “recovery” news:
- Jobs! Massachusetts-based roadside assistance company Agero is considering bringing 500 jobs to Clarksville, and will hold a job fair Tuesday & Wednesday from 8am-6pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clarksville to gauge the demand for jobs. Sam’s Club of Madison is also holding a job fair on Wednesday at the Tennessee Career Center.
- All For The Hall. Keith Urban’s annual “All for the Hall” Country Music Hall of Fame benefit has been rescheduled for April 10. Tickets go on sale January 27, and performers include Vince Gill, Alabama, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert’s Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Band Perry, Thompson Square and of course, Keith Urban.
- Bits & pieces. We thought we’d heard the last from Luau Louie’s, but they’re still making headlines months after closing for serving alcohol to a minor who was then involved in a deadly car crash … A tractor trailer carrying 38 horses overturned early this morning on I-40. Four of the horses died … Tennessee is exploring placing stricter licensing requirements on senior citizens … “Don’t Say Gay” will make its first appearance in the 2012 legislative session tomorrow … On today’s agenda at Capitol Hill – “Bath salts” and meth … Is everyone looking forward to the cold front that will turn this 60-degree morning into a 20-degree evening? … Jeff Fisher was the first to stop and help at the scene of a serious car crash involving two teens on Sunday night … A 59 year old Franklin man is one of the oldest people to ever play in the NCAA.
Photo by Denise Mattox.
We’re prepping ourselves for some serious eating this week, as Nashville’s first Restaurant Week of 2012 is upon us. Restaurant Week, for the unfamiliar, is a week of fixed-price meals at nearly 50 of Nashville’s finest local restaurants, mostly at $20.12 or $30.12 price points. We like to use the semi-annual event as an opportunity to try newcomers to the list of participating restaurants, but we have a little problem – it seems that every single menu is calling our names this time around.
Even at special reduced prices, Restaurant Week could easily wreak havoc on our bank accounts if we’re not careful. Our plan this time around is to make the most of it by partaking in some of the fantastic (and lower-priced) lunch offerings – $20.12 for a two-person lunch at Fido or Noshville, $2.12 for a cup of soup and bread at Provence, $12.12 for burgers for two at McCabe Pub, or $10.12 for a generous lunch at either Sunset Grill or Fish & Co. We may splurge on a dinner or two - we’re dying to try the mysterious and much-blogged-about Mama Myint’s House Salad at ChaChah - but the lunch deals should keep us fat and happy.
Check out all of the Restaurant Week participating restaurants and their menus here. The first Restaurant Week of 2012 runs January 16-22, but check individual restaurants for operating hours and days (most recommend reservations).
Photo by Keith Gallagher.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Frist Center is offering free admission today! This drizzly, dreary weather may keep us inside on our day off, but at least we’ll be getting cultured instead of sitting on the couch watching Netflix all day. (Who are we kidding, we’ll be doing that too.)
We’ve been itching to check out the current exhibits at the Frist, including Tracey Snelling’s “Woman on the Run” and “A Divine Light, a collection of Northern Renaissance paintings. Today’s the day! The Frist is open until 5:30pm on Mondays.
Photo by EAndJsFilmCrew.
Good morning, Nashville. We’re a bit short on time this morning, so here’s your roundup of the day’s news:
- It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Nashvillians are observing in a variety of ways, including the annual 11am King Day March. [WSMV]
- The food truck craze in Nashville is still going strong. More than a dozen mobile food vendors camped out in Germantown on Saturday for the first Wanderland FEASTival, and as we learned the hard way, they were so popular that the entire festival packed up several hours early as trucks ran out of food. If you missed out like we did, keep an eye out for “Food Truck February” weekends next month. [WKRN]
- Two men with parachutes jumped off the downtown Sheraton Hotel onto Legislative Plaza in the wee hours of Sunday morning, landing safely but getting snatched up by Metro police. [WSMV]
- Cracker Barrel founder Danny Evins passed away this weekend. [WSMV]
- Downtown retail recruiters hope to attract 40 new businesses to downtown Nashville in 2012, a tall order for a part of town that added just two retailers in the past year. [Tennessean]
- News 2 producer Monica Volante was scheduled to be on the Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Italy this weekend, but postponed her trip after being hired by News 2 late last year. [WKRN]
- Two new breweries are working to open locations in Nashville. Cheers! [Nashville Post]
- Construction on Jefferson Street’s “Gateway to Heritage” project has begun. The project includes a plaza at the I-40 overpass with historical displays featuring the African-American history of the area. [The City Paper]
- Four deaths occurred in Nashville this weekend. [Tennessean]
- Brace yourself for a rainy couple of days. [Nashville WX]
Photo by Sabrosa Vintage.
Good morning, Nashville, and happy first snow day of the year to the kiddos! Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner and a host of other school systems in Middle Tennessee are closed for the day, making it the luckiest Friday the 13th to ever grace our state (for kids, at least). The dusting of snow we got yesterday afternoon gave way to slippery roads and black ice as the sun went down, and with temps in the teens overnight and into this morning, roads may still be slick. Stay safe!
- Bye bye. Just days after hitting the 600,000 room mark, the Music City Center has lost at least two conventions over concerns that the convention center will not be ready in time. The Southern Baptist Convention is backing out, as is the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.
- Potty talk. Tennessee Representative Richard Floyd has proposed a bill that would restrict public restroom and dressing room usage to members of the designated sex, and require birth certificate proof if there are any questions. Naturally, state transgender advocates are not pleased! The bill currently has no senate sponsor, but Rep. Floyd is “just sick and tired of society having to adjust to every little alternate life style, or little whim or someone who thinks they’re different” and plans to look for another senate sponsor.
- Bits & pieces. In other important news, “Will Ho Hos (and Twinkies) go the way of the dodo?” … The Preds are on a winning streak! … Metro Nashville Public Schools have hired a new coordinator of music … Tennessee business tax collections were way up in December, but officials don’t expect it to be a trend … Rutherford County made their first meth lab bust of 2012 … The owners of Hotel Indigo on West End are cranking the drama way, way up … Speaking of going up, that’s what airline prices are doing right now … Keith Urban’s first performance after vocal cord surgery will be at the Grand Ole Opry on February 3 … Nine mid-state Food Lions are among those closing nationwide … Governor Haslam has endorsed Republican candidate Mitt Romney for president.
Photo by raisinsawdust.
Good morning, Nashville. Rough morning out there on the roads, eh? Standing water, stranded drivers and diesel spills caused partial shutdowns of several busy roadways and interstates early this morning, although things seem to be moving along now. The heavy rain is gone, and we’ll get to mid-50′s temperatures this afternoon, but a cold front tomorrow will bring a chance of a rain/snow mix. Ah, Nashville weather.
Photo by Pam Morgan.
Good morning, Nashville. We’re running short on time this morning, so here’s your abbreviated Bright & Early:
- Lipscomb University is expanding, opening their first satellite campus in Cool Springs this year. [WSMV]
- The 2012 legislative session begins today, and Occupy Nashville plans to crawl out of their tents and protest by piling money and checks on the steps of the State Capitol. [WTVF]
- Amazon’s Chattanooga distribution center begins expansion construction this week. The expansion will eventually create hundreds of jobs in the area. [WSMV]
- Contrary to what you may think when you’re sitting on I-24 at 5:30pm every day, Nashville has the fifth best commute in Middle Tennessee, according to a study done by Nashville Business Journal affiliate On Numbers. [Nashville Business Journal]
- In other ranking news, the Bridgestone Arena was ranked sixth in the nation for concert attendance by Pollstar for the second year in a row. It’s also ranked the 8th busiest arena in North America and 20th busiest in the world. [The City Paper]
- East Nashville smartypants Stephanie Johnson walked off of The Price Is Right with $104,000 in cash, prizes and charity donations, making her the third highest winner in the show’s history. [WTVF]
- Metro Nashville has decided not to purchase the Nashboro Village golf course and convert it to a public park due to pressure from residents who live along the golf course. Now other residents in the area are worried that they’ll never get a public park, community center and other amenities. [Tennessean]
- Hillsboro Village residents are not too pleased that Central Parking’s 100 new employees are clogging up their street parking and driveways. [WTVF]
- The Music City Center is up to 600,000 room nights booked. [Post Business]
- A manager at the Sonic in Lebanon survived an armed robbery by throwing a bag of grease at the robber, who then grabbed the bag and made a getaway. [WTVF]
Photo by Vic James Photography.
Good morning, Nashville. Governor Haslam has announced his plan to improve public safety in Tennessee over the next few years. The plan of 11 objectives and 40 action steps targets drug crime, violent crime and the rate of repeat offenders in Tennessee. Several steps of the plan are already underway, including a database to track the purchase of products used to make meth, a statewide meth lab cleanup system and a new anti-meth communications campaign.
- Metro Water on the interwebs. If you’ve ever tried to pay your water bill online, well, you’ll be pretty excited about Metro Water’s new WebConnect system which will let customers view bills from the past 12 months, open service requests, see payment and consumption history and more. Everyone will be getting a new account number in January, so keep an eye out for that in your bills this month.
- Opry Mills update. More construction permits have been issued for Opry Mills stores looking to open this spring, including the Disney Store, Bath & Body Works, Saks Off 5th, Old Navy and two new restaurants. Several stores are also looking for employees, so if you’re in need of work head over to the Opry Mills Facebook page for more info.
- Bits & pieces. The December unemployment rate was the lowest since February 2009, at 8.5% … TripAdvisor says Nashville is the top travel hotspot for 2012 … The Tennessee Tea Party is no more … We let you know earlier this week, but don’t forget that MTA fares increase today … The legend of Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee moonshine will be featured on the Discovery Channel’s show Moonshiners … More than $4.5 million in rebates has been doled out to 19,000 Tennesseans using Energy Star appliances … A 17 year old was shot and killed in downtown Nashville last night.
Photo by Sabrosa Vintage.
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