Monthly Archives: December, 2011
Bright & Early: Keeping Our Options Open Edition
Good morning, Nashville. Yesterday, we heard news from Sumner County that the school system would be giving parents the option of opting their children out of President Obama’s address to school kids next week. Williamson and Wilson counties have now decided not to show the speech in any of their schools, citing the importance of maximizing instructional time. Metro Schools will make a decision today and will most likely leave it up to each school.
- NAACP suit continues. As predicted, more plaintiffs are coming forward in the NAACP’s civil rights suit against Metro Schools over the controversial zoning measure. The injunction hearing is slated for September 16th.
- Let’s go Titans! Congrats to the Titans for plowing right over the Packers last night in a 27-13 win. Having wrapped up the preseason, they’ll be taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers next Thursday in the season opener.
- Bits & pieces. The weather is looking great for the holiday weekend … If you think any of the 1500 stolen items recovered by Metro a few weeks ago are yours, this is your last chance to claim them … A police dog got loose and attacked a Murfreesboro Middle Schooler yesterday … A former WAY-FM staffer is suing the station for allegedly firing her for pointing out some shady business practices.
Photo by Peppysis.
Good morning, Nashville. Yesterday, we heard news from Sumner County that the school system would be giving parents the option of opting their children out of President Obama’s address to school kids next week. Williamson and Wilson counties have now decided not to show the speech in any of their schools, citing the importance of [...]
Happy Hour: Change We Need
- Next Tuesday morning, President Obama will be addressing school-aged kids on C-SPAN and some parents in Sumner County aren’t real happy about it. The school system has decided to give parents the choice to opt their kids out of hearing the speech, which is supposed to be about staying in school and succeeding. No word yet on whether other area school districts will be following suit. [Tennessean]
- Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall has threatened to opt the city out of the 287(g) immigration enforcement program if the feds don’t ease up on the new standards that keep information about arrests out of the public eye. [WSMV]
- Almost 150 students were absent from Maxwell Elementary School following the death of a kindergartner due to the Swine Flu last week. Metro health officials held a public meeting at the school about the incident this morning. [WKRN]
- Following the same incident, Metro is also wiping down and disinfecting its entire fleet of school buses to hopefully help prevent the spread of the virus. [WTVF]
- Tickets to Keith Urban’s show benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame are being scalped on StubHub for as much as $5,000. The sold-out tickets originally went for $25 and included some of the biggest names in country music. [WPLN]
- The Nashville Zoo got a little bit cuter today! [WSMV]
- Tennessee’s State Election Coordinator is mandating that the Republican candidates be listed first on all ballots statewide beginning next month. [WSMV]
Photo by urbanwoodchuck.
Next Tuesday morning, President Obama will be addressing school-aged kids on C-SPAN and some parents in Sumner County aren’t real happy about it. The school system has decided to give parents the choice to opt their kids out of hearing the speech, which is supposed to be about staying in school and succeeding. No word [...]
Tonight: Titans Preseason Shuts Down The Town [Road Closures]
The Titans preseason is upon us, and that means that all of the standard downtown road closures apply. So before you head out, be sure to check the list of road closures to save yourself a headache or two. And also, go Titans!
The following roads will be closed at 4 p.m.:
- Woodland Street from 5th Avenue North to the 1-65 northbound on-ramp
- Unnamed alley connecting Interstate Drive and North 1st Street, running South of James Robertson Parkway
- South 4th Street at Shelby Street
- South 2nd Street between Russell Street and James Robertson Parkway
- Oldham Street at North 1st Street
- North 2nd Street at Woodland Street
- I-65 southbound on-ramp from Spring Street eastbound
- Left-turn lane from Westbound James Robertson Parkway to southbound Interstate Drive
- Interstate Drive Northbound at Shelby Street
- Entrance into Lot B from Shelby Avenue
- Entrance/Exit ramps into gas station on Shelby Avenue
- 1st Avenue North from Church Street to Union Street
- 2nd Avenue North from Church Street to Union Street
- I-24 West Exit ramp onto James Robertson Parkway
After the game the following will be closed and remain closed for 1 1/2 hours:
- Woodland Street from 5th Avenue North to the 1-65 northbound on-ramp
- Unnamed alley connecting Interstate Drive and North 1st Street, running South of James Robertson Parkway
- South 4th Street at Shelby Street
- South 2nd Street between Russell Street and James Robertson Parkway
- I-65 South off-ramp to Shelby Street
- Shelby Street Westbound lanes between South 5th and Street
- Oldham Street at North 1st Street
- North 2nd Street at Woodland Street
- North 1st Street southbound at Spring Street
- Interstate Drive southbound at Jefferson Street
- Entrance/Exit ramps into gas station on Shelby Street
- Shelby Street westbound at I-65 northbound entrance ramp
- 1st Avenue North from Church Street to Union Street
- 2nd Avenue North from Church Street to Union Street
- I-24 West Exit ramp onto James Robertson Parkway
- Gateway Bridge will be closed on the west side from half time until 1 1/2
For more information about parking, shuttles, and all that good stuff, head over to WKRN and check out the Tennessean’s helpful map.
Photo by NateOne.
The Titans preseason is upon us, and that means that all of the standard downtown road closures apply. So before you head out, be sure to check the list of road closures to save yourself a headache or two. And also, go Titans! The following roads will be closed at 4 p.m.: Woodland Street from [...]
Nashville A Top Drinking City, Says GQ [Mixed Reviews By People Who Don't Live Here]
Drink up, Nashville! The September ’09 issue of GQ nominates Nashville as a Top 10 Drinking City, and has us holding our ground beside San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, Portland (OR), Austin, Denver, Portland (ME) and Salt Lake City. A full page article on Nashville accompanies the rankings, naming The Family Wash, 3 Crow Bar, The Basement, The Patterson House, Springwater and the Hermitage Hotel’s Oak Bar as essential stops on a drinking tour of Nashville. (Since, for some reason, it is September but the September articles from GQ have not been posted online, we’ll direct you to The Basement’s scan of the article.)
This nomination comes on the heels of Nashville’s own Arnold Myint (owner of PM, ChaChah and the brand new Suzy Wong’s House of Yum) claiming a spot as a 2009 Bombay/GQ Inspired Bartender finalist.
If we were planning a drinking tour of Nashville, there’s no way we’d forget the Yazoo brewery and taproom. So tell us, what spots would make it on your Nashville drinking tour itinerary?
Photo by -Kenny-.
Drink up, Nashville! The September ’09 issue of GQ nominates Nashville as a Top 10 Drinking City, and has us holding our ground beside San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, Portland (OR), Austin, Denver, Portland (ME) and Salt Lake City. A full page article on Nashville accompanies the rankings, naming The Family Wash, [...]
Bright & Early: Is This Real Life Edition
Good morning, Nashville. Parents are on edge today after the cause of death for a five-year old Maxwell Elementary School boy turned out to be the Swine Flu. Though Metro is urging everyone to be extra cautious and stay home if they start to develop any symptoms, they are allowing the school to remain open. Letters were sent home with the kids this week explaining the situation and notifying them of the special meetings with health officials set to take place tonight.
- Stimulus? Tennessee is getting a $15.6 million piece of the Pfizer pie thanks to the largest healthcare fraud suit in US history. The company was found to have illegally marketed a drug whose recommended dosages and usages were not approved for safety reasons.
- Student hit by train. A Paige High School senior is fighting for his life after his car was hit by a train on Trinity Lane earlier this week, although no one seems to know how he ended up on the tracks while the train was coming in the first place. He amazingly suffered no broken bones or organ damage, but the head trauma was enough to leave him with a 1% chance of survival.
- Bits & pieces. Keith Urban’s scheduled benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame is already nearly sold out … If you travel I-40 in west Nashville often, you may notice that things are slowing down a bit … The post office in the Arcade is on a tentative list of offices to be shut down.
Photo by ryan2013.
Good morning, Nashville. Parents are on edge today after the cause of death for a five-year old Maxwell Elementary School boy turned out to be the Swine Flu. Though Metro is urging everyone to be extra cautious and stay home if they start to develop any symptoms, they are allowing the school to remain open. [...]
Dancing Donuts: Operation Save-The-Sign A Success, We Hope
Last week, we all but called for a full-out revolt against the idea of trashing the city’s beloved old Donut Den sign in favor of a new, classier, and way more boring design. And boy, did the people speak! The Green Hills News reports the results, overwhelmingly in favor of retaining the trademark neon beacon of light at the intersection of Hillsboro and Abbott-Martin. And when we say “overwhelmingly,” what we really mean is 977 aye’s and 39 nay’s. Seriously.
The Green Hills News is also leveling with us about why, exactly, the Donut Den’s sign is even an issue in the first place. Though developers are committed to pursuing the option that the community selected, it would seem that since the sign was removed for renovations, replacing it constitutes a “sign change” and makes the Donut Den’s loveable eyesore subject to Green Hills UDO standards introduced in 2003. The debate revolves around whether the Donut Den sign will qualify as historically significant enough to bend the rules a bit, and allow the flashing donuts to keep on keeping on for many more years to come. We’re staying positive and hoping for the best. Great job, team!
Photo by geraldfigal.
Last week, we all but called for a full-out revolt against the idea of trashing the city’s beloved old Donut Den sign in favor of a new, classier, and way more boring design. And boy, did the people speak! The Green Hills News reports the results, overwhelmingly in favor of retaining the trademark neon beacon of [...]
Happy Hour: It Gets Real
- A 5-year old Antioch boy died as a result of the swine flu. [WSMV]
- Though the regular flu vaccine is already available, the CDC says that the H1N1-specific vaccine won’t be on the market until October. According to Google Flu Trends, Tennessee and the surrounding states seem to be already experiencing more flu cases than the rest of the country. [WKRN]
- A barge in Ashland City crashed into a bridge and sank into the Cumberland River this morning. [WSMV]
- An observant Nashvillian noticed a nasty, milky white substance is leaking into Richland Creek which turned out to be crushed limestone from a nearby facility. Officials are investigating since the material is well outside of permit limits. [WSMV]
- If you haven’t had enough of the public art debate today, the Tennessean has some more information about the approved project. [Tennessean]
Photo by Marshall Astor.
A 5-year old Antioch boy died as a result of the swine flu. [WSMV] Though the regular flu vaccine is already available, the CDC says that the H1N1-specific vaccine won’t be on the market until October. According to Google Flu Trends, Tennessee and the surrounding states seem to be already experiencing more flu cases than [...]
Sunset Grill & Midtown Cafe Have Mercy On Our Wallets
We love us some great deals and tasty food, and while we’re waiting for the next Nashville Originals discount gift certificate sale to roll around, Sunset Grill and Midtown Cafe have the perfect sale to keep our wallets padded and our bellies full. Through September 7, gift certificates good for both restaurants are 25% off. You can grab a $25 gift card for around $19, a $50 gift card for $37 and some change, or a $100 gift card for a clean $75. Pair one of these babies with Sunset’s 11am-10pm half-price Happy Hour on Wednesdays, and we could really do some serious damage.
We love us some great deals and tasty food, and while we’re waiting for the next Nashville Originals discount gift certificate sale to roll around, Sunset Grill and Midtown Cafe have the perfect sale to keep our wallets padded and our bellies full. Through September 7, gift certificates good for both restaurants are 25% off. [...]
Glass Giants: New Public Art Approved For Downtown [Nashvillest Polls]
This morning, we mentioned the approval of a new public art design destined for the Public Square downtown. Designed by North Carolina artist Thomas Sayre, this project was a redesign from the original plan that included “mock cranes and a fog machine” and the official rendering is shown in the image above. From WPLN:
Sayre’s new plan features two columns some thirty feet high. The bottom part of each column will be steel, with a rotatable top of radial glass sheets forming the outline of a larger-than-life person, with one hand pointing.
After dropping the link on Twitter, we noticed some pretty strong opinions on the project: Why couldn’t we keep it local? Why does it look like something out of the Neverending Story? What exactly are they pointing at? At least it doesn’t look like a roller coaster. So you tell us:
Loading ...This morning, we mentioned the approval of a new public art design destined for the Public Square downtown. Designed by North Carolina artist Thomas Sayre, this project was a redesign from the original plan that included “mock cranes and a fog machine” and the official rendering is shown in the image above. From WPLN: Sayre’s [...]
Bright & Early: Stop The Bus Edition
Good morning, Nashville. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff in NAACP’s civil rights lawsuit against Metro Nashville Public Schools and mandated that the child be transferred back to Bellevue Middle School, which is the school she went to before Metro’s controversial rezoning. The judge also ruled that John Early Middle needs to come up with some textbooks for its students within 24 hours since many students had gone book-less for the entire first week of school.
- New public art approved. We’re not sure what to think after seeing the approved renderings of the public art that will soon be placed outside of the Metro Courthouse. We’ll spare you the explanation and let you have a look for yourself. This design was the second attempt after the original plan “featured mock cranes and a fog machine.” Wait, what?
- No more urban chickens. The days of urban chicken coops are over for us here in Nashville. The Metro Council ruled last night that the health risks outweighed the benefits and voted to outlaw the practice. It was nice while it lasted.
- Bits & pieces. Metro Police are stepping it up around school zones and have already written over 60 speeding tickets … Breaking: Tennessee still can’t figure out an effective way to enforce the texting while driving ban … Metro wants to keep adult-oriented businesses downtown and away from the suburbs.
Photo by wheany.
Good morning, Nashville. A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff in NAACP’s civil rights lawsuit against Metro Nashville Public Schools and mandated that the child be transferred back to Bellevue Middle School, which is the school she went to before Metro’s controversial rezoning. The judge also ruled that John Early Middle needs to [...]
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