• Hundreds of Vanderbilt University students signed a petition asking the university to return to a “hybrid” learning model because COVID-19 infections are still high in the region.
• A Vanderbilt University Medical Center infectious disease expert is “cautiously optimistic” that the coronavirus pandemic will become endemic in Tennessee by the middle of next month, meaning that the virus spread will slow as it becomes common among a population. He cautions that the unvaccinated are likely to require hospitalization if infected.
• Nashville’s jails are continuing to grapple with a surge in cases, with more than 20 percent of those incarcerated currently infected and more than half listed as potentially exposed to the virus.
• Mayor John Cooper announced that curbside recycling will return February 1 following its suspension in mid-December because of issues with a contractor failing to complete its routes due to staff shortages and bankruptcy. Cooper also pledged to begin every-other-week service by July.
• A state ethics board has levied $360,000 in fines against current Metro Council member Jonathan Hall and barred him from running for any office again after he failed to appear before the group. There were 36 complaints against Hall, carrying a maximum fine of $10,000 each.
• More than 720 people died of suspected drug overdoes in Nashville last year according to the Nashville Health Department, a 15 percent increase over 2020. Public health officials are advocating for wider availability of Narcan, a nasal drug used to rapidly counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.
• The Tennessee Titans will face the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs at 3:30 p.m. this Saturday at Nissan Stadium. The Titans had the automatic bye week while the Bengals defeated the Oakland Raiders 26-19.
• Bengals fans may find it a bit more difficult to get into Nissan Stadium after the Titans altered their ticket transfer rules in a bid to keep most of the tickets in local hands.
• The game will push the start time back by 30 minutes for Saturday’s game between the Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings.
• As for the Preds, they have dropped four in a row, including a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Cannucks at home. They face the Winnipeg Jets tonight at home.
• An industry report says that Nashville will see its highest growth in apartment inventory this year as housing demand continues to outpace supply.
• The Osh Restaurant and Grill off Thompson Lane has been named the ninth best restaurant in the country according to Yelp, featuring authentic cuisine from Uzbekistan and the former Soviet Union. Skulls Rainbow Room and the Caracasville Venezuelan food truck also finished in the top 100.
• A woman stole about $500 worth music equipment from an East Nashville store before escaping to a waiting SUV.
• Almost 6,000 guns were confiscated at BNA last year, ranking fifth in the country according to the Transportation Security Administration. Attempting to bring a weapon onto a commercial flight caries a substantial penalty and possible jail time.
• In better news, the internet-created Betty White Challenge has raised $3,000 for the Nashville Humane Association, honoring the late actress who would have turned 100 on January 17.

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