Monthly Archives: December, 2011
Bright & Early: Look Out Below Edition
Good morning, Nashville. We’re running a little behind this morning, so here’s your abbreviated edition of Bright & Early:
- A guy who was cruising down I-24 yesterday when the sinkhole opened up tells a harrowing tale about saving some lives by jumping out of his car and into oncoming traffic to warn them about the hole. He saw a truck driver nearly fall in and immediately pulled over and started flagging down other cars. As if our phobia of sinkholes could get any worse, this one measured 25 feet deep by 40 feet wide and happened right in the middle of a busy interstate. [Tennessean]
- The deadline for claiming lost pets at the Metro Animal Shelter is up today, which means they’ll start giving them up for adoption to those who will take them. And if someone doesn’t adopt the poor dog who was rescued along with a teddy bear he wouldn’t let go of, we might cry. [WKRN]
- An abandoned Germantown house caught fire this morning and investigators are calling the fire “highly suspicious.” [WTVF]
- A third-grader from Nashville is one of 40 kids in the running for Google’s Doodle 4 Google contest, which could win her the honor of having her illustration featured as their logo for one day in addition to a $25,000 technology grant for her school. [City Paper]
- As they say, you probably won’t want to buy a used car in Nashville for a very long time. [WKRN]
- Our city’s big July 4th shindig will be led by one Mr. Trace Adkins. [Tennessean]
Photo by PR9000.
Good morning, Nashville. We’re running a little behind this morning, so here’s your abbreviated edition of Bright & Early: A guy who was cruising down I-24 yesterday when the sinkhole opened up tells a harrowing tale about saving some lives by jumping out of his car and into oncoming traffic to warn them about the [...]
Happy Hour: Birds Of A Feather
- The Titans give us an up-close and personal look at LP Field during and after the flood. Also, the Pinnacle building is reopening. [WPLN]
- Speaking of! Metro Officials are pretty sure that the city’s insurance coverage should be enough to cover the water damage at LP Field and the Bridgestone Arena. [WPLN]
- Governor Phil nixed the Guns In Bars bill this afternoon, but the veto will most likely be overturned as soon as next week. [Tennessean]
- A huge congrats to the Nashville Symphony for being booked at Carnegie Hall for the 2012 Spring for Music Festival! This is only the second time they will have played Carnegie. [WPLN]
- We are officially afraid of sinkholes thanks to both of the gaping ones that appeared today. [Tennessean & Tennessean]
- Downtown businesses are bracing for more power outages courtesy of the convention center blasting. [WKRN]
Photo by urbanwoodchuck.
The Titans give us an up-close and personal look at LP Field during and after the flood. Also, the Pinnacle building is reopening. [WPLN] Speaking of! Metro Officials are pretty sure that the city’s insurance coverage should be enough to cover the water damage at LP Field and the Bridgestone Arena. [WPLN] Governor Phil nixed [...]
The Tuesdayist: Wait, What Do You Mean It’s Not The Weekend Yet?
If you can peel yourself away from LOST and/or Glee tonight, there’s so many great events happening in this city tonight that you’d almost think it’s a weekend. We thought we’d take a few minutes to run through the highlights. Hey, Tuesday is the new hump day, right?
The Swell Season at the Ryman. 7:30pm, $29.50 – $49.50. We caught The Swell Season when they came to the Ryman back in 2008, on the heels of an Oscar win with Once. Less than two years later, they’re coming back to the Ryman, but it won’t be a repeat of last time. We’re expecting less from Once and more from their latest record, Strict Joy, which released late last year. And lest you think you waited too long and only the crappy seats are left, we have good news! Some killer seats in the balcony are still available for the show tonight. Justin Townes Earle and local singer-songwriter Sarah Siskind will open the show. We’ll be there!
3rd Annual Love Your Neighbor Benefit. 7pm, Fellowship Bible Church, donations accepted. Featuring Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram, tobymac, Mike Donehey of Tenth Avenue North and Britt Nicole, this annual fundraiser will benefit El Shaddai Church, one of many Nashville churches that suffered heavy flood damage. It’s free (but please donate to the cause), so round up some friends and head out to Franklin for a night of music and community.
International Museum Day at the Frist Center. Until 5:30pm. It’s International Museum Day, and the Frist Center is celebrating by offering free admission all day! They close at 5:30pm on Tuesdays, so you can even fit in a visit before heading to see one of the shows listed above!
Eat Out For Nashville at The Patterson House. On second thought, stay far, far away. We’d like a seat at the bar.
Photo by zach.stone.
If you can peel yourself away from LOST and/or Glee tonight, there’s so many great events happening in this city tonight that you’d almost think it’s a weekend. We thought we’d take a few minutes to run through the highlights. Hey, Tuesday is the new hump day, right? The Swell Season at the Ryman. 7:30pm, [...]
Bright & Early: Perfect Circle, Every Time Edition
Good morning, Nashville. Only two weeks after the flood, FEMA has doled out nearly $100 million in aid–about 90% of which has gone to home repairs and assistance for folks who were displaced. They’ve also approved more than $600,000 in small business loans. Meanwhile, some of the first accusations of price gouging are starting to emerge despite the Better Business Bureau’s insistence that no actual price gouging is taking place. We want to remind you guys that if you think you’re being ripped off or taken advantage of due to the flood, you can report it to the Tennessee Consumer Hotline at (800) 342-8385.
- It’s that time again. It’s election day in Davidson County, which was actually supposed to be two weeks ago were it not for that nasty flood. Up for grabs are Davidson County Sheriff, Circuit Court Judge, Public Defender, a couple of clerk positions, and a few others. Head over to the Davidson County Election Commission site to find out where to vote and see the list of candidates.
- Too early in the day to discuss beer? Metro Councilman Jamie Hollin is proposing an ordinance that would lift the restriction on neighborhood bars selling beer within 100 feet of residences. That law is the same one that kept Taco Mamacita from selling real Durty Sanchezes with real PBR and instead opting for high-octane beer because selling liquor near houses is perfectly legal. And anyway, bless you, Councilman Hollin.
- Bits & pieces. Some heartless scalpers are trying to cash in on the Nashville Is Rising benefit scheduled for the end of June … The folks at Metro Codes have their hands full trying to issue permits for rebuilding … Andrew Johnson’s historic home in Greenville, Tennessee was damaged by the flood and storms … And HOW THE HECK are we supposed to get two more inches of rain this weekend!? … Westboro Baptist will be making their way to Nashville this weekend and some scenesters will be there to greet them.
Photo by Peppysis.
Good morning, Nashville. Only two weeks after the flood, FEMA has doled out nearly $100 million in aid–about 90% of which has gone to home repairs and assistance for folks who were displaced. They’ve also approved more than $600,000 in small business loans. Meanwhile, some of the first accusations of price gouging are starting to [...]
Happy Hour: Have We Got A Show For You
- The State of Tennessee’s website got quite the makeover last week while no one was paying attention! Check out the new, improved and mostly idiot-proof redesign over at TN.gov. Thanks to Derek B. for the tip! [TN.gov]
- Things at the Department of Human Service descended into chaos today as hundreds of folks stormed the office to try to claim their emergency flood benefits. People got so angry at each other while standing in line that Metro’s finest actually had to step in and intervene. [WTVF]
- State Rep. Gary Odom is trying to pass a tax break for flood victims which would get them out of paying sales tax for stuff that had to be purchased to replace flood-damaged items. [WPLN]
- US Rep. Jim Cooper, meanwhile, wants to find out for sure that the flood wasn’t caused by the Army Corps of Engineers releasing water from the dams. [City Paper]
- Former First Lady Laura Bush is passing through Nashville to promote her new book and thank Red Cross volunteers at Davis-Kidd in Green Hills tomorrow. [Tennessean]
Photo by fallingwater123.
The State of Tennessee’s website got quite the makeover last week while no one was paying attention! Check out the new, improved and mostly idiot-proof redesign over at TN.gov. Thanks to Derek B. for the tip! [TN.gov] Things at the Department of Human Service descended into chaos today as hundreds of folks stormed the office [...]
Turnip Truck “Urban Fare” Opening In The Gulch This October
We’ve always been jealous of East Nashville’s cozy neighborhood grocery, the Turnip Truck. But come October, we’ll have a little something on this side of the river that may just make those east-siders a little green. A brand-spanking-new Turnip Truck location is coming to the Gulch, and it’s going to be huge (well, relatively speaking – double the size of its East Nashville mothership). A full meat and seafood department? A café with a hot & cold food bar, gelato & juice bar, sandwiches prepared to order and a wide selection of prepared take-out foods? You’ll excuse us if we can hardly believe Nashville’s good fortune.
The new Turnip Truck location, billed as Turnip Truck Urban Fare, will open at 311 12th Ave. S. (just past the Urban Outfitters on 12th) this October.
Photo by Kate O.
We’ve always been jealous of East Nashville’s cozy neighborhood grocery, the Turnip Truck. But come October, we’ll have a little something on this side of the river that may just make those east-siders a little green. A brand-spanking-new Turnip Truck location is coming to the Gulch, and it’s going to be huge (well, relatively speaking [...]
Bright & Early: Too Many Tubes Edition
Good morning, Nashville. A few months ago, we congratulated Metro Nashville Public Schools for finally diving head-first into the world of Twitter and Facebook. Now we’re learning that they had something even bigger up their sleeves the whole time: M-Tube. MNPS officials have created their own version of YouTube that they plan to keep stocked with videos about some innovative and effective teaching methods. Since we all know that teachers are too busy during the day to visit each other’s classrooms, this allows them to do it virtually through this magical thing we call the internet. Please excuse us while we go try to dig up the video of the 20-foot inflatable cell with paper-mâché parts…
- Wettest month on record. May 2010 officially became the wettest month ever for Nashville with an impressive 15.44 inches of rain on record as of last night. The previous record, set in January 1937, was 14.75″. And did we mention it’s supposed to rain some more this afternoon?
- We are wetlands. In a healthy dose of irony, Tennessee was just awarded $6.1 million for wetlands protection from the United States Department of Agriculture. Does this mean we can use it to protect the entire midstate, perhaps from piranhas?
- Bits & pieces. The star-studded telethon at the Ryman Auditorium last night raised more than $1.7 million … Bless their hearts, we just love the Myint family so much … Vanderbilt is set to open a brand new vaccine center … If you’re out in Donelson or Hermitage, Roma Pizza & Pasta is donating 100% of today’s pizza sales to flood relief … ICE will be conducting some audits of government contractors in Tennessee to find out who’s not hiring legally.
Photo by Richard Call.
Good morning, Nashville. A few months ago, we congratulated Metro Nashville Public Schools for finally diving head-first into the world of Twitter and Facebook. Now we’re learning that they had something even bigger up their sleeves the whole time: M-Tube. MNPS officials have created their own version of YouTube that they plan to keep stocked [...]
Happy Hour: Still Waterlogged
- So how about those storms that rolled through town today and brought some baseball-sized hail with them? Too soon? [WKRN]
- Some businesses in Cool Springs including Belk and Macy’s are doing their part by offering generous discounts to flood victims. [WKRN]
- Kids at an East Nashville elementary school drew their flood memories as a way to get their feelings on paper. The results were all over the spectrum. [WPLN]
- This might be one of our favorite flood videos yet, courtesy of a Vanderbilt freshman with a sense of humor who found himself stranded on I-24 with his parents, waving goodbye to the family van. [YouTube]
- This one is not quite as funny, but it’s sort of terrifying and impressive at the same time. The Charlotte Pike Pep Boys flooding was actually caught on security camera. [Tennessean]
- Hate crimes in Tennessee dropped 14 percent in 2009, so hooray for that! [WZTV]
- The University of Tennessee issued Al Gore an honorary degree this morning, which attracted some predictable protests. [WSMV]
Photo by Malcolm MacGregor.
So how about those storms that rolled through town today and brought some baseball-sized hail with them? Too soon? [WKRN] Some businesses in Cool Springs including Belk and Macy’s are doing their part by offering generous discounts to flood victims. [WKRN] Kids at an East Nashville elementary school drew their flood memories as a way [...]
Lilith Fair Lineup (Finally) Announced, Coming To Nashville August 7
Like our friends over at the Scene, we’d been watching and waiting for Nashville’s Lilith Fair date to be released. But! When the date was released (August 7 at Bridgestone Arena, in case you were wondering), we still had to wait for the lineup. And wait we did. And wait, and wait, and wait. And then it rained a bunch (remember that?), and we didn’t even realize that the wait was over. The Nashville Lilith Fair lineup is here, and it includes:
And Janelle Monae, according to the Scene, but not according to the Lilith Fair website, which makes us sad, because we love her.
Also performing will be the winner of the Lilith Fair Local Talent Search OurStage competition, which means exactly what you think it means. One aspiring lady-rocker (or group of lady-rockers) from the area will perform at each Lilith Fair date, so get to submitting.
The local tie-in (which we love) is that $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to a local women’s charity, and the charity is chosen by your vote! Speaking of tickets, they go on sale next Saturday, May 22, and if ticket prices in other cities are any indication, they’ll start in the $30-40 range.
Like our friends over at the Scene, we’d been watching and waiting for Nashville’s Lilith Fair date to be released. But! When the date was released (August 7 at Bridgestone Arena, in case you were wondering), we still had to wait for the lineup. And wait we did. And wait, and wait, and wait. And [...]
Bright & Early: Here Comes The Rain Edition
Good morning, Nashville. According to the folks at Nashville WX, we’ve got another boatload of rain coming our way this weekend. Though they’re careful to stress that it will not be another major flooding scenario, they point out that this weather system looks an awful lot like the last one, but smaller. Rainfall totals could be has high as 2-3″ in some areas, making this officially the wettest May month in Tennessee’s history. But there is some good news! The next two weeks are looking warm and dry for us after this weekend, so we’re hopeful that we’ll have some time to wring our state out and let it dry before CMApocalypse. We can’t be looking all soggy and sad for our 56,000 guests, you know?
- Nashville is open for business. Many of the 2nd Avenue businesses that were flooded are slowly starting to reopen and try to bring some customers back in. Business has been pretty slow downtown since the flood, so when you’re planning your weekend, try to get down there and show those guys some love.
- Stripping (at) the Opry. The Opry House has been stripped to its foundation for repairs, making for some pitiful-looking photos. That also means that it’s well on its way to a full recovery, and we’re pretty excited about that.
- He just wants to graduate. We can’t really put this any better than WZTV already did, so we’ll just quote from them. “A black bear hanging out in a tree near a high school in the Smokies foothills is being monitored, but is barely a problem… The Daily Times reported that when deputy arrived, the bear was up a tree, eating leaves.”
- Bits & pieces. A Good Samaritan rescued a homeless man in a wheelchair who was being beaten and robbed behind a West Nashville business … Watch out for the ‘skeeters this year, thanks to this year’s unusually swampy May … A bill proposing more than $200 million in additional federal funds for flooding in Tennessee will go to the Senate … Buckle up, rural Tennesseans. They’re coming for you … Gas up at Shell today and they’ll donate 2 cents a gallon to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
Photo by Mr. Tooley.
Good morning, Nashville. According to the folks at Nashville WX, we’ve got another boatload of rain coming our way this weekend. Though they’re careful to stress that it will not be another major flooding scenario, they point out that this weather system looks an awful lot like the last one, but smaller. Rainfall totals could [...]
Active Discussions