Monthly Archives: December, 2011
Happy Hour: You Are What You Eat
- Gone are the days when you could hop on the internet and check the latest Health Department score or heinous kitchen violation online in Tennessee. As of July 1, the state’s contract with the company responsible for keeping all of that information online expired. [WZTV]
- If you see a few thousand little people trekking through downtown, they’re probably here for the Little People of America National Convention that’s being held here this week. [WKRN]
- Metro really, really, really wants you to use rain barrels. This week, they rolled out several different models available for rent. [WKRN]
- Looks like water main breaks aren’t just for the winter/flood/sinkhole-season anymore. [WTVF]
- The Preds inked a deal with FOX Sports Tenessee and SportSouth, which means we should be seeing much more of them on the teevee for the next couple of seasons. [Tennessean]
Photo by dbgg1979.
Gone are the days when you could hop on the internet and check the latest Health Department score or heinous kitchen violation online in Tennessee. As of July 1, the state’s contract with the company responsible for keeping all of that information online expired. [WZTV] If you see a few thousand little people trekking through [...]
Bright & Early: Keep On Singin’ Edition
Good morning, Nashville. Metro is looking at an ordinance that would throw some additional flood recovery money at Gaylord; the only catch is that it can only be used to fix the Grand Ole Opry House and not the Opryland Hotel. While the damage estimate for the hotel is about 10 times that of the Opry House, the new deal could generate more than a million dollars annually to help with recovery. Three years ago, Metro approved a 1% hike in the city’s hotel tax mostly to pay for the convention center, but part of it was designated to help out with an expansion at the Opryland Hotel. The new ordinance would redirect that money to instead fund the repairs.
- Sales tax holiday! Tennessee’s annual Sales Tax Holiday is all set for August 6-8 and it applies to clothing, school supplies and computers. And since Tennessee’s sales tax is hovering around 10% these days, that’s quite a bargain.
- Head to head. An Islamic group and a community college are vying for the purchase of an old theater in Antioch to convert into a mosque or satellite campus, respectively. We’ll let you guess which one has inspired a 1000-signature protest petition.
- Someone get this man a fan club. Here’s some more about that Columbia super hero we mentioned yesterday. Surprisingly, he sounds sort of sane.
- Bits & pieces. The health care industry may employ more Nashvillians than you think … Metro padlocked a South Nashville hotel this morning for housing a lot of drug use, prostitution and other charming things … Habitat for Humanity is helping flood victims repair and rebuild their damaged homes … Chris Johnson might actually show up to practice before we are all old and grey, if these negotiations go through.
Photo by sduck409.
Good morning, Nashville. Metro is looking at an ordinance that would throw some additional flood recovery money at Gaylord; the only catch is that it can only be used to fix the Grand Ole Opry House and not the Opryland Hotel. While the damage estimate for the hotel is about 10 times that of the [...]
Happy Hour: You Can’t Touch This
- The Sommet Group–the very company who put the “Sommet” in the Nashville Gaylord Sommet Bridgestone Entertainment Center Arena–was raided by the FBI and the IRS today out at their Cool Springs office. Apparently they made quite the scene. [WTVF]
- For those playing along at home, Tennessee has issued exactly 19 texting-while-driving citations for the entire year the law has been in effect. [Tennessean]
- Nashville will soon be getting some solar car-charging stations for all those folks with fancy cars that plug into the wall or whatever. [WSMV]
- We can all rest easy tonight, for News Channel 5 is conducting a thorough investigation about suspicious teeth whitening. [WTVF]
- Our July 4th DUI numbers were down a bit this year, but we suppose that number does not include the boat DUIs, of which there were 28. [WPLN]
- Oprah’s dad is planning a mixed-use development right smack in the middle of Cleveland Park in East Nashville, where his historic barbershop stood until a few months ago. He’ll be reopening the shop as the retail anchor, so we sure as heck hope he’s installing a fancy fish tank and maybe also some sort of giant Oprah tribute. [WSMV]
- Some of you Brentwood folks were without power this morning, and we still don’t know why. We suspect it had to do with a bird getting a little friendly with a transformer, though. [WKRN]
Photo by urbanwoodchuck.
The Sommet Group–the very company who put the “Sommet” in the Nashville Gaylord Sommet Bridgestone Entertainment Center Arena–was raided by the FBI and the IRS today out at their Cool Springs office. Apparently they made quite the scene. [WTVF] For those playing along at home, Tennessee has issued exactly 19 texting-while-driving citations for the entire [...]
Bright & Early: Beer, Barbecue And Blowing Things Up Edition
Good morning, Nashville. We hope that all of you had a safe and long weekend and that none of you partook in activities like these. Speaking of things like that, Nashville area hospitals treated more than 50 folks for fireworks-related injuries over the weekend, many of which resulted from “people playing games, firing them at each other, firing them at the neighbors, bottle rocket wars” and people who played with them while drunk. And with a few decades of southern living under our belts, our calculations suggest that we’ve got at least two more weeks of listening to our neighbors blow things up at all hours of the day and night, so keep those earplugs handy.
- Party downtown, be there. The good news is that 100,000 people turned out for the city’s weekend of July 4th festivities. As with CMA, this was great news for downtown businesses who are still reeling from the flood.
- We don’t even know. A little further down south, folks in Columbia, TN have discovered that they have a for-real superhero living in their midst. Some anonymous college student has decided to dress up in spandex and drive around town looking for criminals to report. When questioned by the local newspaper, he stated simply, “I am just a guy trying to do what is right, in tights.” We would urge you to head to source and read the entire story.
- Bits & pieces. The Metro Council will vote on an ordinance that would ban tour buses from Love Circle. We’ll give you one guess about who that one’s targeting … It’s tough for any Nashvillian to go through July 4th without remembering Steve McNair … If we had our little way, we’d eat peaches everyday … The new GM truck coming to the Spring Hill plant is just a rumor … Despite Metro’s $250 million flood damage tally, taxpayers shouldn’t feel any of it … This week will be hot and dry … We’ve heard this story before.
Photo by wjb13.
Good morning, Nashville. We hope that all of you had a safe and long weekend and that none of you partook in activities like these. Speaking of things like that, Nashville area hospitals treated more than 50 folks for fireworks-related injuries over the weekend, many of which resulted from “people playing games, firing them at [...]
The Weekendist: 4th Of July Edition
It’s a holiday! And a long weekend! And… exploding things! Here are our top picks for 4th of July fun, and be sure to let us know if we’ve missed anything in the comments. We’ll see you on Tuesday!
FRIDAY
- General Jackson Showboat 25th Anniversary Celebration. Riverfront park, 8pm, free. Get a head start on the fireworks by heading downtown tonight at 8pm for a free Chuck Wicks concert, followed by fireworks. It’ll be less crowded than downtown on the 4th, but you’ll still get the thrill of seeing giant exploding things and country singers crooning on the river.
- Summer Celebration & Fireworks. Lipscomb University, 4:30-10pm, free. Lipscomb has fireworks plans of their own tonight after a fun day of inflatable bouncy things, Chick-fil-a and very family-friendly music. Come down early with the kids to enjoy the games and food, or show up at 9pm for the, ahem, “Professionally designed fireworks display.”
- Dive-in Movie: Independence Day. Nashville Shores, 8:30pm, regular admission prices apply. Swim up to the shore of Percy Priest Lake at Nashville Shores and watch the only movie fit for such a weekend: Independence Day.
- Nashville Sounds v. New Orleans Zephyrs. Greer Stadium, 7pm, regular ticket prices apply. Baseball and beer… Happy Independence Day! The Sounds take on the Z’s tonight hoping to win the second of this three-game series, and they need you there to cheer them on. If you can’t make it tonight, try tomorrow instead!
SATURDAY
- First Saturday Art Crawl. Downtown art galleries, 6-9pm, free. This weekend isn’t all fireworks and red-and-blue food coloring (not that there’s anything wrong with either of those things). Nashville’s monthly First Saturday Art Crawl is happening tomorrow, because it’s the first Saturday of the month and all, so use your handy-dandy list of road closures to figure out how to get there, and enjoy some good art.
- Red, White and Zoo. Nashville Zoo, 11am-4pm, regular admission prices apply, hot dog buffet is $10. Face-painting, fun festival games, a pie eatin’ contest, fresh watermelon and an unlimited hot dog buffet (yes, you heard that right) are just a few of the things the Nashville Zoo has up their sleeve for their 4th of July bash.
- A Prelude to the 4th. Riverfront park, 12pm-10pm, free. Scraping the bottom of the event-names barrel (was “Pregaming the 4th” not available?), downtown Nashville continues to host a weekend-long celebration. Yes, there will be more country music – Julianne Hough will perform a free concert at 8pm, and then more fireworks! And it’s not even the 4th yet!
SUNDAY
- Fourth of July Music City 5K/10K. Country Music Hall of Fame, 7am, $35. If waking up early on a holiday weekend and going for a run is your idea of fun, well, more power to you! Register in advance online to save a few bucks, or register in-person the morning of (that means you’ll have to wake up earlier).
- Music City Hot Chicken Festival. East Park (700 Woodland Street), 12-5pm, free. It wouldn’t be the 4th of July in Nashville without the Music City Hot Chicken Festival, now in its fourth year. The really crazy truly dedicated hot chicken fans will start lining up early, because the first 500 people get free hot chicken and a free hot sunburn (as experienced by one of your Nashvillest editors last year)! Hot chicken is kind of a big deal in Nashville.
- National Hot Dog Month Kick Off Party. Mercy Lounge, 7pm, $5/21+, $8/18-20. Well, nothing says “independence” like hot dogs, right? Something like that. The first 300 people get a free hot dog, a bunch of bands are playing, and we hear that the Mercy Lounge’s patio has a view of the fireworks (we’d just like to see 300 people – and their hot dogs – fit on it).
- Franklin on the Fourth. Historic downtown Franklin, 12-10pm, free. Franklin’s 4th of July street festival is one of our favorites, combining food, music, artisan street vendors and of course fireworks for an all-day shindig. Great for the kids with plenty of tasty treats to eat and no shortage of fun. Catch Franklin’s fireworks display from the Park at Harlinsdale, opening just for the occasion, or try your luck at finding a good spot on top of a parking garage.
- Brentwood’s 4th of July Celebration. Crockett Park, 7:30pm, free. For a less-intense fireworks experience, head south to our neighbors in Brentwood. They’ll have a fireworks display of their own at 9pm, and free musical entertainment throughout the night. It’s a great celebration for the kids!
- Music City July 4th: Let Freedom Sing! Riverfront Park, 12-10pm, free. Last but not least, the 4th of July celebration that we really don’t need to tell you about because you already know! Nashville pulls out all the stops on the 4th, with free concerts all day leading up to the evening’s headlining acts: the Nashville Symphony, Julianne Hough, Jaci Velasquez and Trace Adkins. Oh, and fireworks. Don’t forget the Family Fun Zone, open all day with attractions like the Musical Petting Zoo!
Photo by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker.
It’s a holiday! And a long weekend! And… exploding things! Here are our top picks for 4th of July fun, and be sure to let us know if we’ve missed anything in the comments. We’ll see you on Tuesday! FRIDAY General Jackson Showboat 25th Anniversary Celebration. Riverfront park, 8pm, free. Get a head start on [...]
Bright & Early: Alert! Alert! Edition
Good morning, Nashville. We know many of you are getting a head start on the weekend today, and we’d like to get started on ours as well. Your abbreviated Bright & Early is below, and we’ll be back later today with The Weekendist for all of your 4th of July needs!
- There’s an Air Quality alert out for today, which means that ozone levels have gotten dangerously high. [City Paper]
- The biggest news in Nashville today seems to be the 3-4 foot tall weeds plaguing many area schools. Metro schools director, Dr. Jesse Register, says they’ll be gone in 7-10 days. [WKRN]
- Under a new federal ruling, state hospitals can now pay an enhanced coverage fee of 3.52 percent to avoid TennCare cuts. [WZTV]
- Murfreesboro’s new Sports Com Water Park is open for business just in time for the holiday, and admission is only $3. [WKRN]
- The heat and humidity will be making a dramatic return tomorrow and Sunday with 90 degree temperatures. [Nashville WX]
Photo by monoglot.
Good morning, Nashville. We know many of you are getting a head start on the weekend today, and we’d like to get started on ours as well. Your abbreviated Bright & Early is below, and we’ll be back later today with The Weekendist for all of your 4th of July needs! There’s an Air Quality [...]
Happy 4th: We Hope You Know Your Back Roads [Road Closures]
It’s a holiday weekend, and you know what that means… Road closures! Check out the road closures below, commit them to memory (or print them out) and enjoy being in the know while your friends sit in traffic all day. And stay safe!
Closing Friday, July 2:
- Acme Alley
- WB lane on 1st Avenue from Broadway to Church
- Riverfront Park Arrival Court
Closing Saturday, July 3:
- 1st Avenue from Demonbreun to Church Street
- Broadway from 1st to 2nd Avenue
Closing Sunday, July 4:
- 4th Avenue from Broadway to Demonbreun (5-8am only)
- Broadway and sidewalks from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue
- 2nd Avenue and sidewalks from Demonbreun to Church Street
- 1st Avenue from Church to Union
- Commerce between 2nd and 3rd Avenue
- Bank Street and sidewalks between 1st and 2nd Avenue
- Church Street and sidewalks between 1st and 2nd Avenue
- Gay Street Connector
- Sidewalks under/side of Shelby Pedestrian Bridge, 1st to 3rd Ave
- Victory Lane from Titan Way to South 2nd Street
- South 1st Street from Victory Lane to South 2nd Street
- Woodland Street and Gateway/Korean Veterans Memorial bridges (closed to vehicles from 8pm to post-fireworks only)
All streets will re-open no later than 5am Monday, July 5.
Photo by ryantron.
It’s a holiday weekend, and you know what that means… Road closures! Check out the road closures below, commit them to memory (or print them out) and enjoy being in the know while your friends sit in traffic all day. And stay safe! Closing Friday, July 2: Acme Alley WB lane on 1st Avenue from [...]
Bright & Early: A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood Edition
Good morning, Nashville. How about this weather? We often gripe and moan about melting and such, so we figure that it’s only appropriate to acknowledge the beautiful weather Mother Nature has bestowed on us this week. It even – dare we say – got a little chilly at Movies in the Park last night! Fun fact: The last time we went more than four days without rain was in April, and it’s looking pretty dry until next Wednesday. Time to put those rain barrels to good use!
- Oops. One of our shiny new public-art-meets-bike-rack installations has a teeny tiny problem: It doesn’t fit many standard bike locks, including heavy-duty cable locks and U-locks. On the bright side, it looks nice!
- Sad irony. File this under Things That Make Us Sad: After making it through the flood unscathed, a leaky pipe flooded Gruhn Guitars yesterday, damaging $100,000 worth of instruments, including some irreplaceable vintage pieces. Get better soon, Gruhn.
- Bits & pieces. Practice safe fireworks this weekend … First bedbugs, now brown recluse spiders, what’s next? … The crime rate in Tennessee elementary and secondary schools has dropped, but violent crime rates are on the rise … The US Senate (finally) extended the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30.
Photo by Kittywinks Peeks.
Good morning, Nashville. How about this weather? We often gripe and moan about melting and such, so we figure that it’s only appropriate to acknowledge the beautiful weather Mother Nature has bestowed on us this week. It even – dare we say – got a little chilly at Movies in the Park last night! Fun [...]
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