Good morning, Nashville. The controversial issue of allowing wine to be sold in grocery stores is certainly not a new one, but lawmakers and advocates are taking a slightly different approach this year. The current bill moving through the legislature would give individual counties the opportunity to vote on the issue as early as August. As such, Metro Councilman Charlie Tygard is trying to make sure we’re prepared for the vote by introducing a council resolution that would add the wine vote to the ballot in the next election rather than going to the trouble of having a special election. We’re getting a little excited!

• CoverKids back on track. The CoverKids part of the state health insurance program is finally taking new enrollees again after shutting its doors in November due to our state’s current budget woes. The program will now be dipping into Tennessee’s public health savings account every month to make ends meet.
• Vandy frat house raided. Early this morning, Metro police burst into a Vandy frat house with guns drawn in response to a disturbance call, handcuffing some students and holding them outside in the cold while they searched the house. The three officers are now on paid administrative leave while their actions are investigated.
• Bits & pieces. The vandalism of the Al-Farooq Mosque is making national news with coverage by CNN and the Poynter Institute. Also, a group is gathering at 11am today to help scrub and paint over the graffiti … The Musicians Hall of Fame is making one last-ditch effort to save themselves from being leveled for the new convention center … The TVA is raising rates again, effective March 1.

Photo by Brad Butcher.