• The State’s Comptroller appeared at a Metro Council to issue a rather dire warning that the city is operating with insufficient cash reserves and questionable budget practices in terms of revenue and spending. His office’s analysis suggested that the city would be unable to pay its bills by June 2020 without significant changes, and would put the city’s budget under threat of a state takeover.
• The city’s teachers union is voicing concerns about a comment from Mayor John Cooper’s administration Friday evening that the promised three percent raise for teacher salaries won’t happen in January as intended while the city reviews its funding source. The raises were scheduled by former Mayor David Briley in the waning weeks of his campaign.
• Transit advocates say that the failure of a federal BUILD grant for a North Nashville transit center should be a “wake-up call” to the city’s leaders that they will have to work to fix the city’s transit system on their own. It was the second year in a row the application had been denied. ?
• A WSMV investigative report shows that Metro Water officials feared being “found out” for concealing the financial woes of the agency, which has lead to a condemnation from the State’s Comptroller office and a proposed rate increase to shore up finances.
• The Tennessee Riverkeeper removed another 2,600 lbs. of litter from the Cumberland River, including 42 tires capable of leaching deadly toxins into the waterways. The group is up to 17,400 lbs. of removed litter in 2019.
• Lyft is pulling its dockless scooters out of several cities including Nashville as of November 22, the company announced Friday. The decision follows new rules for operators from the Metro Council. ?
• Speaking of those rate increases, Metro Water plans roll out a conservation program as well to help consumers adjust to the rising cost.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center will study whether receiving a flu shot measurably reduces the chances of severe illness requiring hospitalization, the results of which will help health departments nationwide make better decisions about promoting flu shots in certain populations. Vanderbilt is one of 10 ICUs participating.
• Speaking of VUMC, the Nashville Scene has an interview with the director of the institution’s LGBTQ Health director Del Ray Zimmerman about transgender healthcare in Nashville.
• Skyscraper developer Tony Giarratana announced over the weekend that he has purchased the Elliston Place Soda Shop and plans to restore it to a “period-correct 1939 soda shop”. The shop will be closed for several months, and he doesn’t say he will put a skyscraper there out of habit.
• The Nashville Predators (9-7-3) were routed by the Chicago Blackhawks (8-7-4) 7-2 Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena, and we’re blaming Lee Greenwood. The team hosts the Winnipeg Jets (12-8-1) tomorrow night at home.
• A hockey tournament at Bellevue Ice Center raised $2,500 for Metro Animal Care & Control and lead to three adoptions during the event say, organizers say. ?
• A mystery donor cleared off a good chunk of a women’s shelter’s Amazon wish list, and they want to thank them for it.
• The former owners of Charlie, a one year-old emu at McGavock High School who died last week, are speaking out against the former caretaker and program as a whole. The man and his late wife took turns rotating the egg for Charlie in an incubator before he hatched.
• Radley Balko for the Nashville Scene has an interview with the immigrant owners of Caracasville, a popular food truck serving Venezuelan arepas, about how they got started and what they’re up to next.
• A Nashville skate park received a $10,000 grant from Ryan Sheckler’s foundation over the weekend, with the aim to support a woodworking apprenticeship program for Nashville’s youth. ?

Photo by Sharon Mollerus. Want to see your photo featured here?