• Well, things sure got testy on the Hill yesterday! Protesters (aka constituents) crashed a press conference by Sen. Mae Beavers and Rep. Mark Pody where they were supposed to be answering questions about their proposed bill that would re-establish heterosexual marriage as the only legally-recognized kind of marriage in Tennessee. There was a lot of shouting and some hallway confrontations, and eventually Sen. Beavers and Rep. Pody fled the building escorted by State Troopers.
• Meanwhile in Shelby County, Rep. Mark Lovell lasted a whole month and some change before stepping down from his seat due to allegedly groping a woman at a legislative event. Now we, the tax payers, get to foot the $120,000 bill to elect a replacement. Great news!
• Speaking of protests, more than 200 demonstrators marched from Cayce Homes to City Hall on Monday night to protest the shooting death of Jocques Clemmons by MNPD officer Joshua Lippert.
• Tennessee is really topping the charts in flu activity, as evidenced by all the school closures this week. It’s not too late to get your flu shot, though! They’re even free at county health departments.
• Tennessee Highway Patrol and Metro Police are joining forces to crack down on texting while driving. THP spots the drivers, Metro pulls them over. Careful out there, and put down your dang phones!
• It was a valiant rebranding effort, but it turns out that no one in East Nashville wanted to eat at a Sheryl Crow-themed bar after all.
• This person is surprised that he received a citation for his bumper sticker depicting two stick figures having sex. Keep it classy, Tennessee.
• Hooray! It’s now illegal for bots to jam up all the Ryman pre-sales.
• Nashville fever has finally hit American Girl with the introduction of their Nashville dolls–Tenney Grant the aspiring musician, and Logan Everett the drummer (and first ever boy doll from American Girl.)
• Here’s your weekly story about Nashville’s growth possibly hurting its identity.
• We knew it: Sinkholes are gonna kill us all.

Photo by Matthew Hardman.