• Happy Hanukkah! The holiday runs from evenings of Sunday, December 2 to Monday, December 10. ?
• After an interview Friday morning where he called a daytime talk show host a bitch, organizers of the Nashville Christmas Parade removed him as the Grand Marshal, replacing him with local hero James Shaw, Jr. who is credited with saving lives during a shooting at an Antioch Waffle House in April. The owner of several downtown bars (including one where Kid Rock is the partner) threatened a lawsuit against multiple parties for the move, and had at one point said Kid Rock would appear in the parade regardless.
• As for Kid Rock and those legal threats, it sounds like everyone is willing to move past it, with the ousted grand marshal watching the parade from his bar on Lower Broadway. And Christmas was saved. ?
• The mayor’s office reversed course Thursday afternoon and released the details of their failed proposal to land one of the second headquarters for retailer Amazon. The city did end up getting a consolation prize of sorts that will bring 5,000 jobs to the area.
• Unions representing Nashville’s public employees are speaking out about the plan to offer incentives for that Amazon office, saying it is inappropriate given that the new budget did not fulfill a promise to provide a raise for workers.
• Former Mayor Megan Barry spoke at a TEDxWomen talk last week about her admitted affair, felony charge, subsequent resignation and the death of her only son last year.
• The Davidson County Sheriff’s office is warning residents against a rise in phone scams where a caller claims the victim will soon be arrested for fake unpaid court costs. Police say people should report incidents to the Metro Police Department Fraud Unit.
• The Green Hills Trade Joe’s was closed for part of Saturday after a suspicious package was found inside the store earlier in the afternoon. No word on what it was.
• The Policing Project report, which found that more frequent traffic stops had not reduced crime in the city, will not be used by officials in the short term to enact changes in the department, with them saying they are focused on implementing the recently approved community oversight board. The Metro Council is still working through details on that front.
• Former Nashville Judge Casey Moreland is headed to prison to serve a 44-month sentence stemming from a corruption and witness tampering case that toppled one of the more recognizable faces in the city’s legal community.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center is working with federal officials to preserve its ability to serve patients on Medicare after a review found the hospital had not done enough to prevent the death of a patient who was given the wrong drug by a nurse. The patient died the following day after the incorrect drug was administered.
• The Tennessee Titans (6-6) picked up a crucial win in a come-from-behind game against the New York Jets (3-9) at Nissan Stadium Sunday. The team has a short turnaround to play Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8) at home this Thursday. ?
• In case you missed that last part, downtown traffic around game time at 7 p.m. is not going to be great.
• The Nashville Predators dropped a 0-3 shutout against the Arizona Coyotes Thursday night at home before lighting up the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night 5-2, also at home. The team hosts the Buffalo Sabres tonight to close out their long home-stand.
• The Vanderbilt football team (6-6) will play Baylor University (6-6)  December 27 in Houston in the Texas Bowl, an award for their second bowl-eligible season under current head coach Derek Mason. It is Vanderbilt’s first appearance at the 12 year-old bowl game.
• In other bowl news, Nissan Stadium downtown will host the Music City Bowl on December 28, featuring Auburn University (7-5) and Purdue University (6-6).
• WPLN’s “Curious Nashville” takes a look at the Masonic Children and Women’s home in the Inglewood are of East Nashville, a building with an interesting history and a very uncertain future.
• That huge indoor waterpark at Opryland is now open, FYI. ?‍♀️

Photo by Paul Felton. Want to see your photo featured here?