Monthly Archives: December, 2011
Bright & Early: Don’t Take Our Fair Edition
Good morning, Nashville. If you heard a strange noise last night, it might’ve been the death rattle of the Tennessee State Fair. After an impressive 103-year run, the fair was hoping to make a comeback this time around by going green, adding some newer attractions, stepping up security, and not having this on the menu (just kidding!) Unfortunately, the eight inches of rain we’ve gotten this month caused attendance to plummet and may have put the final nail in the coffin. Though a few efforts are already in the works to save the annual event, things aren’t looking real good.
- District 5 drama continues. Councilwoman Pam Murray is stepping up the drama over in East Nashville’s District 5 by filing a lawsuit to stop the recall election scheduled for November that could unseat her.
- Blast off. Remember all that blasting that had I-24 backed up for 10 miles on Friday during rush hour? A man who lives nearby is claiming that the explosions, which are apparently code-compliant, have been leaving cracks in his home for nearly a year.
- Bits & pieces. We love our sign-spinners … Happy 150th birthday to our State Capitol … In case we needed something to appeal to the OCD in all of us, mid-state doctors are calling Titans games “breeding grounds for H1N1″ … John Rich has officially endorsed Zach Wamp for guv, on Twitter.
Photo by ryan2013.
Good morning, Nashville. If you heard a strange noise last night, it might’ve been the death rattle of the Tennessee State Fair. After an impressive 103-year run, the fair was hoping to make a comeback this time around by going green, adding some newer attractions, stepping up security, and not having this on the menu [...]
Happy Hour: Slick Ride Home
- The recall election for East Nashville Councilwoman Pam Murray is slated for November, and the guy who led the effort to have her ousted is running against her. [Tennessean & WTVF]
- A construction blasting mishap showered rock debris all over I-24 this afternoon, shutting down two eastbound lanes and causing a nearly 10-mile traffic backup. TGIF? [WKRN]
- Mechelle McNair is requesting 40% of Steve McNair’s estate, for which he didn’t leave a will. By law, she is entitled to 40% while his children are left with 60%. [WZTV]
- Mark your calendars: The H1N1 vaccine should be available in Tennessee by the middle of next month. [WKRN]
- And in case you missed it, tomorrow’s Great Nashville Duck Race is canceled. :( [Tennessean]
Photo by Silenus81.
The recall election for East Nashville Councilwoman Pam Murray is slated for November, and the guy who led the effort to have her ousted is running against her. [Tennessean & WTVF] A construction blasting mishap showered rock debris all over I-24 this afternoon, shutting down two eastbound lanes and causing a nearly 10-mile traffic backup. [...]
This Weekend: The Great Nashville Duck Race
UPDATE [3:22 pm]: It seems all of this rain was a bit too much for our ducks and the race has been canceled. Due to the river being much higher than usual, organizers decided it probably wouldn’t be safe to have folks gathering near the riverfront. The winning ducks will be chosen on 9/22.
We’re feeling a bit like ducks already with the rainy weather this week, but the Great Nashville Duck Race is coming up tomorrow at the downtown riverfront, and we can’t wait to watch 10,000 rubber ducks go racing away down the Cumberland. Now in its second year, the Great Nashville Duck Race is a fundraiser that benefits Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, and was also the beneficiary of the most recent Twestival Nashville.
Participants can ‘adopt’ a duck (or multiple ducks) for $5, and the first ducks to cross the finish line will be awarded with some pretty crazy prizes. The grand prize? $10,000.00 cash.
There’s still time to adopt some ducks, so head over to GreatNashvilleDuckRace.com to throw your name in the hat and support a great cause. The fun starts tomorrow at 11am, and the ducks drop at 1pm. We’ll be there cheering on our ducks from Twestival, and we’d love to have Nashvillest readers join us.
UPDATE [3:22 pm]: It seems all of this rain was a bit too much for our ducks and the race has been canceled. Due to the river being much higher than usual, organizers decided it probably wouldn’t be safe to have folks gathering near the riverfront. The winning ducks will be chosen on 9/22. We’re [...]
Bright & Early: ICE ICE Baby Edition
Good morning, Nashville. After a few weeks of uncertainty, Sheriff Daron Hall has decided that Nashville’s 287(g) immigration enforcement (ICE) program is probably here to stay. A new federal revision would’ve required that detainee records remain inaccessible to the public, which would be a violation of Tennessee state law. Nashville’s Sheriff’s Office has submitted that they hope will make the program feasible in Tennessee.
- School’s in. Rutherford County schools are back open after some pretty bad flooding yesterday. Several roads in the area, however, have been closed down due to high water. Wilson, Maury, and Lawrence counties have had to make similar road closures.
- Strangers with candy. Some shady strangers have been driving around Brentwood and talking to kids at bus stops or trying to lure them into cars with candy and money. Police are concerned but haven’t identified any suspects yet.
- Bits & pieces. Close to 36,000 Tennesseans have filed for the first-time home buyers tax credit … Montgomery Bell Academy rescheduled a big football game to honor the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, which starts this evening at sundown … Congrats to the Preds for winning their first preseason game against Atlanta 5-0 … I-440 eastbound westbound will be closed this weekend. You know the drill.
Photo by kittywinkspeeks.
Good morning, Nashville. After a few weeks of uncertainty, Sheriff Daron Hall has decided that Nashville’s 287(g) immigration enforcement (ICE) program is probably here to stay. A new federal revision would’ve required that detainee records remain inaccessible to the public, which would be a violation of Tennessee state law. Nashville’s Sheriff’s Office has submitted that [...]
Happy Hour: Turn Around Don’t Drown
- It’s raining! It’s raining so much, in fact, that it is flooding here, here, and here. So please heed the above warning when you’re out and about tonight and tomorrow and for all of eternity because that’s how long it will be raining in Nashville. [Nashville WX]
- If you don’t tear up at least a little when you read this article about how VY™ took Steve McNair’s kids to their school’s “Dear Dads Breakfast,” then you’re probably not human. [Tennessean]
- Unemployment figures for August are back up to 10.8% after decreasing for the past two months. [WTVF]
- Former state legislator Tommy Burnett passed away today at 67. He was a little before our time, but judging by the article, it sounds like he led a pretty colorful life. [Tennessean]
- Happy 100th birthday to the Hermitage Hotel and its award-winning men’s room! [Tennessean]
It’s raining! It’s raining so much, in fact, that it is flooding here, here, and here. So please heed the above warning when you’re out and about tonight and tomorrow and for all of eternity because that’s how long it will be raining in Nashville. [Nashville WX] If you don’t tear up at least a [...]
Bright & Early: Puddle Jumping Edition
Good morning, Nashville. Thanks to a few solid days of rain, most of the state has either flooded or probably will flood within 24-48 hours. Cookeville saw six inches of rain yesterday, causing Putnam County Schools to close early, and we’re not sure how much rain we got here in Davidson County but we’re feeling pretty soggy this morning. Weather forecasts indicate that it won’t be letting up anytime soon and will likely continue on well into the weekend. As for today, we’re in a flood watch until 7pm, so drive safe out there!
- ER visits on the rise. Doctors with Vanderbilt are reporting a 50-75% increase in folks showing up to the emergency room, and they blame the Swine Flu. And although you should definitely seek treatment for flu-like symptoms, they’re asking that you head to your primary care physician first.
- Discover Tennessee. The state is unveiling a fancy new plan to lure in the tourists and keep them here longer, hoping to give a boost to tourism and the revenue that comes with it. They’ve created a system of “Discover Tennessee” trails that they hope will give folks a way to explore the state.
- Bits & pieces. A Nashville mom is complaining that her 12-week old baby wasn’t allowed into ‘Wicked’ because it didn’t have a ticket … Roane County is going crazy with the $40 million they received from the TVA to give the county a makeover … A guy who was running around a Mt. Juliet elementary school naked says he was only flashing women and not the children … Governor Phil had a few choice words for President Obama’s healthcare plan.
Photo by theritters.
Good morning, Nashville. Thanks to a few solid days of rain, most of the state has either flooded or probably will flood within 24-48 hours. Cookeville saw six inches of rain yesterday, causing Putnam County Schools to close early, and we’re not sure how much rain we got here in Davidson County but we’re feeling [...]
Happy Hour: Splish Splash
- We may not have many snow days here in Tennessee, but darn it, we’re going to find a reason to close schools. And flood warnings are as good a reason as any. [Nashville WX]
- The great thing about all this rain, though, is that the Tennessee State Fair is pulling everything inside and dropping ticket prices to $5, which is a great deal unless you had your heart set on riding the ferris wheel because that one doesn’t fit indoors. [Tennessean]
- And while we’re on the topic of discounts, bring a can of food for the kind folks at Second Harvest Food Bank and save $15 on your Vanderbilt tickets for Saturday’s game. [WTVF]
- Gallatin High School had a rough afternoon after a student called in a threat and caused the entire school to be placed under lockdown. Fortunately, they called from their cell phone and the police had a pretty easy time tracking them down. [WKRN]
- A Mt. Juliet man is headed to outer space in November as part of NASA’s last mission to the space station. [WPLN]
- Is it too early to be hunting around for a Christmas tree? Murfreesboro doesn’t think so. [WSMV]
Photo by silenus81.
We may not have many snow days here in Tennessee, but darn it, we’re going to find a reason to close schools. And flood warnings are as good a reason as any. [Nashville WX] The great thing about all this rain, though, is that the Tennessee State Fair is pulling everything inside and dropping ticket [...]
BarCamp Nashville 2009: Open For Registration
The team over at BarCamp Nashville launched a shiny new site this morning, and with it, opened registration for the event! BarCamp this year will be held at Cadillac Ranch on October 17, and if you’re not familiar with BarCamp, start here:
BarCamp is Nashville’s “un”-conference for the digital and technical community. The BarCamp format was brought to Nashville by Marcus Whitney and Dave Delaney in 2007. It’s free to attend — thanks to our generous sponsors — and the un-conference format encourages community learning: attendees are also encouraged to sign up to present a session.
BarCamp has become the premier technology conference in Nashville, bringing together the best minds and representation of the hottest companies in the internet, entrepreneurial, new media, and software industries, among others.
Session creation will open on Friday, the 18th, but registration for the free event is open now. We’re all signed up and ready to go, so join us at BarCamp Nashville on October 17!
The team over at BarCamp Nashville launched a shiny new site this morning, and with it, opened registration for the event! BarCamp this year will be held at Cadillac Ranch on October 17, and if you’re not familiar with BarCamp, start here: BarCamp is Nashville’s “un”-conference for the digital and technical community. The BarCamp format [...]
Bright & Early: Discriminate Not Edition
Good morning, Nashville. The controversial non-discrimination measure passed Metro Council last night with a majority vote of 24 in favor, 15 against and one absent. The bill protects Nashville city workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Meanwhile, staffers on Capitol Hill sat through five hours of mandatory diversity training yesterday to learn how not to send offensive emails.
- Crisis averted. In happy contrast to last year’s astronomical gas prices and even that pesky little gas shortage, the low(er-) gas prices that we are currently enjoying are probably here to stay for a while.
- Weather the storm. Tennessee received its second installment of federal weatherization recovery funds, to the tune of $99 million. The money is to be used to improve the energy efficiency of up to 10,000 Tennessee low-income homes. Folks can apply for a piece of the pie here.
- Snip, snip. Mayor Dean wants to trim the new convention center budget by as much as $50 million, a 5% cut from the anticipated expenses, after pressure from the city council to reign in costs.
- Bits & pieces. A Dickson daycare owner is providing a little relief to unemployed parents in need of childcare while they job-hunt … Clarksville’s security cameras purchased a year ago are still sitting in boxes awaiting installation … Kenny Chesney is taking a break from performing for a while, but put your mind at ease, he’s not quitting.
Photo by mind on fire.
Good morning, Nashville. The controversial non-discrimination measure passed Metro Council last night with a majority vote of 24 in favor, 15 against and one absent. The bill protects Nashville city workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Meanwhile, staffers on Capitol Hill sat through five hours of mandatory diversity training yesterday to [...]
Happy Hour: The Last Fight
- Okay, we could’ve sworn that we’d heard the last of the urban chickens, but apparently the law hasn’t actually passed yet. Onward to city hall, citizens! [City Paper]
- The parents of the fourth graders who accidentally ended up at a Metro charter school where fourth grade didn’t actually exist are thinking about suing. [WKRN]
- Remember that horrible, terrible gas crisis during which our entire city ran out of gas and then gas stations started charging ridiculously for it? If you think you were a victim of price gouging, the Attorney General still wants to hear from you. [WSMV]
- The Council District 5 recall is a go, much to the chagrin of one Pam Murray. [WPLN]
- And so is the H1N1 vaccine! Which means that Vanderbilt no longer needs your infants for the trial vaccinations. [WKRN]
Photo by thomasaka.
Okay, we could’ve sworn that we’d heard the last of the urban chickens, but apparently the law hasn’t actually passed yet. Onward to city hall, citizens! [City Paper] The parents of the fourth graders who accidentally ended up at a Metro charter school where fourth grade didn’t actually exist are thinking about suing. [WKRN] Remember [...]
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