• The Nashville Health Department is adding a new bureau specifically aimed at reducing the racial and socioeconomic disparities that become more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Employment experts say that the pandemic has led to a dramatic shift in how individuals view work, with many putting a greater emphasis on mental health and time with their family instead of higher pay or career advancement.
• A real estate listing featuring a photo of a mobile home recently sold for $1.5 million, though it was actually for 1.23 acres of land surrounding the home. Developers are banking on a housing boom in the area from Oracle Corporation’s decision to expand to Nashville.
• Parler, a social media network popular with right-wing users, has announced plans to move from Nevada to Nashville, saying that the state “shares [its] vision of individual liberty and free-expression.” The company has been booted by several hosting vendors for its role in the January 6 riots at the US Capitol.
• A citywide fundraising effort has begun to assist the estimated 300 Afghan refugees that are expected to settle in Middle Tennessee in the coming months.
• The International Market that called the Belmont neighborhood home for 45 years before closing in 2019 has returned across the street, restaurateurs Anna and Arnold Myint announced in Facebook post. The restaurant is in its soft opening phase right now.
• The Nashville Fire Department is investigating after video shows a band playing at the Springwater Supper Club setting their instruments on fire (as it turns out, they are known to do). As it happens, that bit of risky behavior is frowned upon by authorities.
• The search for a 28 year-old Nashville man has investigators searching the Cumberland River after surveillance video from the evening of his disappearance shows a man struggling to stay afloat in the swift current. His wallet was found near the Marathon dock with cash and cards still inside.
• The WeGo Star sinkhole that has disrupted service for the last week has been filled, with a safety inspection to happen in the coming days and full service expected to resume by the middle of next week.
• A state board has overruled the MNPS Board of Education’s decision not to allow charter school Nashville Classical’s application to open a second location in West Nashville. Local leaders were dismayed by the decision, while the company applauded the board’s move.
• The Nashville Rescue Mission has received a $1 million donation from HCA to build and support a new women and children’s shelter for those experiencing homlessness.
• Amazon is donating $50,000 to benefit Church Street Park for continued programming, maintenance, security and beautification efforts. The park was briefly earmarked as the footprint of a new skyscraper before talks collapsed with the developer.
• The Nashville Scene has an obituary of sorts for the Gerst Haus restaurant, whose former building near Nissan Stadium recently met its fate with a bulldozer after its closure in 2018.
• Buchanan Street in North Nashville will be closed to auto traffic this Sunday, October 17 as part of Walk Bike Nashville’s Open Streets program. The program aims to show what a neighborhood is like when it is isn’t just for cars.
• The Community Oversight Board is seeking public input on a proposed rule change by MNPD related to their reporting around their use of non-lethal force in taking suspects into custody.
• The Nashville Predators open their regular season tonight as they host the NHL’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken (0-1-0). The team then hosts the Carolina Hurricanes (0-0-0) Saturday night.
• The Predators also reportedly signed defenseman Mattias Ekholm to a four-year $25 million contract after a year of speculation as to whether he would be traded.

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