• PSA: Monday, February 3 is the final day to register to vote in Tennessee for the March presidential preference primaries. If you’re already registered, double check it online. ?
• Dan Jernigan, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee, abruptly resigned Wednesday, one day after Metro Schools demoted one of its top administrators and asked for an investigation into questionable contracts. He had worked for the organization for 22 years.
• Belmont University has agreed to absorb Watkins College of Art & Design in MetroCenter, with the art school’s students and programs moving to the Belmont campus and their Fountain Square property being put up for sale to fund scholarship endowments. Some students have protested the merger with the former Baptist-affiliated university.
• WPLN has found that Metro Police officer Matthew Delke received a verbal reprimand from supervisors failing to draw his weapon on a dispatch call nine months prior to the 2018 incident where he shot and killed Daniel Hambrick. The reporting is part of a larger series on the use of deadly force by police.
• Local universities are activating plans to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, though only five cases have been reported nationwide. The spread has been rapid across parts of China. ?
• More council members are speaking in support of a tax increase to help resolve the city’s budget issues. The mayor has not indicated that a tax increase will be part of his proposed budget.
• The Nashville Convention & Visitor’s Bureau says the city set new records for the city in tourism, with more than 16 million out-of-town folks dropping by 2019 and a six percent increase over 2018.
• Vanderbilt University has added to its massive portfolio of continuous property along West End Avenue by acquiring the current site of a Wendy’s restaurant for $5 million. The restaurant will continue to operate, as the university does not have current intentions for the site.
• Lipscomb Academy, the private school adjacent to the university, has angered Nashville’s favorite cartoon villain John Rich because of how a new administrator has approached racism and white privilege in the curriculum.
• Public Works has introduced traffic “armadillos” at bicycle crossing areas on an East Nashville street in an effort to slow drivers down and keep them out of the bike lanes. The department plans to install hundreds along the roadway. ?‍♀️
• The Nashville Predators (23-19-7) stumbled out of the gate after the All Star break with a 2-5 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs (27-17-7) Monday at home, but picked up a 5-4 win over the league-leading Washington Capitals (34-12-5) Wednesday night on the road. The Predators are on the road tonight against the New Jersey Devils (18-24-7) before returning home to host the Vegas Golden Knights (25-20-7) Saturday.
• Preds management still has a lot of decisions to make ahead of next month’s trade deadline, with some familiar faces possibly heading elsewhere if the team sinks further in the standings.
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center says it will have less donor livers for locals in need after a group of academic medical centers were unsuccessful in convincing a federal judge to block a new rule that mandated the organs go to the person with the greatest need rather than remaining nearby. The court case is still pending.
• MNPD is offering a free class to teach teens the dangers of distracted driving, though it will be held in a classroom instead of a car. ?
• Organizers say a non-partisan voter drive increased voter registration among high school students by 59 percent at at participating schools.

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