The Williamson County School Board voted to purchase 25 new school busses for the 2022 school year. The board met Monday night, where they discussed the school’s need for the new vehicles.
During the meeting, it was said that due to the country’s supply chain shortages, the school board decided that it was best to order the buses now. Superintendent Jason Golden added that it was because of their current busses age and millage.
Read the full story
Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced in a press release the new director for the Nashville Department of Transportation. Diana Alarcon will begin her new position on January 10. Cooper said he was grateful for Alarcon to be taking over the position.
“With her deep experience in guiding cities through important periods of transportation and infrastructure growth,” Cooper said, “Diana’s leadership will be central to creating Nashville’s own mobility future.”
Read the full story
Tennessee college students and some staff members gathered last week to protest their school’s loosening COVID regulations. Belmont students gathered last Thursday, and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) students and staff gathered Saturday before the school’s football game.Â
At MTSU, FoxNews 17 reported that labor union workers, staff, and students gathered in front of the Floyd Stadium to encourage the use of masks again on campus. One professor, Elyce Helford, said in an interview with Fox that “faculty are not allowed, now that there’s no mask mandate, for example, to put their class online instead. If their class has been in a classroom, they have to continue teaching it.”
Read the full story
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — The Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel exhibit officially opened its doors late last week at the Opry Mills Mall. The exhibition, located in the former Bed Bath and Beyond location, showcases Michelangelo’s frescos from the Sistine Chapel on large panels that allow viewers to see details up close.Â
Tickets are priced at $17.50 for regular admission and $24.50 for a VIP experience. The exhibit is self-guided, with audio packages available for purchase at the front desk. The VIP ticket includes the audio package (at no extra charge), a free poster from the gift shop, and the ability to skip the line if needed.
Read the full story
Residents gathered at the Children’s Memory Garden of Nashville this week in the Centennial Park to celebrate the groundbreaking of the garden’s redevelopment. The group, organized by the nonprofit You Have the Power, stated on their website that the redevelopment would be “undergoing new design to restore its dignity and peace, and to make it accessible to all.”
Part of the redevelopment is due to the Nashville Metro Parks and Recreation’s Centennial Park Concept Plan. The plan, which was originally created in 2015, said that the redevelopment will be finished in Spring 2022.Â
Read the full story
The Williamson County school board voted to end their mask mandate after Governor Bill Lee passed the new COVID legislation. The school board reportedly voted Friday evening but met Thursday night to discuss the possible outcomes of their mask mandate following the signing of the new COVID legislation.Â
The Communiy Impact Newspaper reported that Friday evening, parents received an email from the Williamson County School Board Executive Director of Communications Carol Birdsong.
Read the full story
Metro Nashville’s first day of administering COVID vaccinations to children ages 5 to 11 ended after it reached capacity Monday. Two locations offered the shots, Maplewood High School and Cane Ridge High School from 3 pm to 6:30 pm.
The Metro Public Health Department tweeted, “We are encouraged by the response at our drive-thru vaccination event at Maplewood High School. Our team is working as fast as they can to get to everyone as soon as possible. Everyone currently in line will be served, but no more vehicles will be joining the line tonight.”
Read the full story
Mayor John Cooper released a statement Tuesday defending his decision to organize tours with Metro Council members of homeless encampments in Nashville. Councilman Colby Sledge tipped the public to the goings-on by the mayor’s office, which prompted citizens’ angry responses.
Cooper’s statement explained the tours were “to help in understanding the intended use of the proposed funding and the installation of cameras in particular. Metro agencies will be present to answer questions, and all visits will be conducted in a manner respectful of the individuals who may be present in the encampments.”
Read the full story
State Representative Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna) was the first to sign the American Federation for Children (AFC) “Education Freedom Pledge” this week. The pledge seeks to unite lawmakers, candidates for office, and voters around the important issue of education freedom.
In a statement shared with The Tennessee Star, Representative Sparks said that “Parents should be in control of their child’s education, and they have the right to not only make their voices heard, but choose the best educational option that fits their child’s needs. I was proud to sign the pledge, and lend my support to this important cause.”
Read the full story
Mayor John Cooper and the Metro Department of Health are offering two plane tickets in a raffle for their ‘Refer to Win!’ program. The raffle, which officially kicked off Monday, is offered for referring others to get the COVID vaccine.
Details about the contest are displayed at the Nashville.gov COVID-19 website.
Read the full story
Recently Nashville Metro Parks and Recreation and the Nashville Department of Transportation asked residents about their experiences with e-bikes on Metro greenways. The Nashville agencies are working with Greenways of Nashville, a local nonprofit, to bring e-bikes to Music City.
“We need your input!” the Parks and Recreation Department wrote on their Facebook page; adding, “The Metro Nashville Department of Parks and Recreation and Nashville Department of Transportation are conducting this survey regarding electric bike usage on Metro greenways. You can access the survey at http://ebikesurvey.nashville.gov. The results of this survey will help the city inform policy on the greenways.”
Read the full story
Nashville’s Goo Goo Clusters reopened its 3rd Ave location after a $2 million renovation. The renovation took a few months for the company, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Beth Sachan told Fox News 17.
Now dubbed the Goo Goo Chocolate Co., she said that “we put a lot of thought into designing this space, we opened this store in 2014, and obviously, just kind of opened as a retail store, to sell our candy and sell some merchandise, and we learned quickly over time that people wanted more, they wanted to learn more about what a Goo Goo Cluster was.”
Read the full story
The Wilson County School Board (WCSB) recently voted to end the mask mandate for students. In a unanimous vote, the board agreed to remove masks in schools was enforced, that it would end its mandate as well.
During this week’s WCSBÂ meeting, Board Director Jeff Luttrell said that based on the low amount of new COVID cases, “I’m going to recommend that we go back to, that we relieve the mask mandate, and we relieve the quarantine. But I do think… that our COVID policy will adhere to state law.”
Read the full story
Last month the Ukrop and Dole companies have issued recalls on some of their products. The Dole company recalled one of their bagged salads in Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee; the Ukrop company recalled seven products in the state of Tennessee.
Ukrop announced a recall on some of its products. The company said in late October that while preparing their products that they “found a couple of pieces of brown hard plastic in a supplier ingredient, which could be a choking hazard.”
Read the full story
Nashville’s Metro Parks asked the Metro Council for $1.9 million to clean and manage some of the cities parks. Metro Parks requested the money in October during the COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee.
From the $1.9 million, about $850,000 will be put towards renovating Brookmeade Park. Brookmeade has become a permanent campsite to many in the homeless community after Nashville “evicted” people who were living under the Jefferson Bridge.
Read the full story
The Tennessee Department of Education held its third Town Hall meeting on November 1, 2021, at the University of Tennessee Southern’s Curry Athletic Complex. The meeting was also live-streamed on their FaceBook page.
Similar to the first town hall held in Hendersonville, a representative from the Tennessee Department of Education announced that the discussion at the meeting was not intended to replace the current Basic Education Plan, or BEP, until a new funding plan was passed by the General Assembly.Â
Read the full story
Mayor John Cooper announced on his Twitter that part of the New Capitol Spending plan would allocate $30 million for a new 14-acre campus. The campus will be located on Brick Church Pike— close to public transportation and community organizations— where Cooper said that it “will be home to green space, sports facilities, and Davidson County’s Juvenile Court.”
Judge Shiela Calloway, from the Davidson County’s Juvenile Court, said “I am immensely thankful to Mayor Cooper for prioritizing this project to benefit families and young people in Nashville for years to come. I believe this investment will pay off exponentially, through improved public safety and positive outcomes for our community’s young men and women.”
Read the full story
A parade of party buses protested Nashville’s downtown over the new legislation that was put in place on October 19. The buses gathered on Friday, October 29 where they protested against the new rules set in place, mainly the rules for alcohol on the buses.Â
One video from the protest showed a group singing “you’ve got to fight for your right to party.” Many buses had posters on their vehicles that read “Save our Jobs,” “Don’t lose the Booze,” and “We want beer!”
Read the full story
Radnor lake state park has just announced its installation of colorblind correcting viewfinders. The state park announced on their FaceBook Thursday about their new additions. The viewfinders cost the Tennessee Department of Tourism $3,000 but the special lenses that correct colorblindness were donated by EnChroma.Â
EnChroma is also the company that created the colorblind corrective glasses and sunglasses. With technology designed by UC Berkley mathematician and Ph.D. Scientist, the company has received many five-star ‘life-changing reviews.Â
Read the full story
Wayne County has begun to build its new Agriculture (Ag) Center. The Ag Center will cost the county $1,238,000.00 after the amount was approved in a September Wayne County Commissions meeting.Â
The Ag center will be built within the Wayne County Industrial Park that has been used for hay production for more than 30 years. The Wayne County website, states that the center will “house the local UT Extension and Soil and Conservation offices, a 125-person training/meeting room, commercial kitchen, and a covered pavilion to provide outdoor classroom and event space. The grounds around the facility will be used for ag-related shows, demonstrations, and eventually, community gardens.”
Read the full story
Law enforcement of Middle Tennessee has recently pitched for license plate readers to be allowed on Nashville streets. The group met on Thursday at the Midtown Hills Police Precinct and said that many of them already use license plate readers or LPRs.Â
Residents of Nashville have voiced their concerns about the technology, some worried that “the cameras will lead to over-policing, racial profiling and an unnecessary invasion of privacy.” Many also said that the city should spend its money on more pressing topics, such as health care and education issues.Â
Read the full story
New legislation has been discussed in the Tennessee General Assembly focusing on District Attorneys that do not enforce laws. On Wednesday, Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville-25) proposed new legislation.
Sexton’s proposed bill states that:
District Attorneys – As introduced, allows the attorney general and reporter to petition the court for appointment of a district attorney general pro tem if a district attorney general peremptorily and categorically refuses to prosecute all instances of a criminal offense without regard to facts or circumstances; requires the court to appoint a district attorney general pro tem if the court finds the district attorney general has refused to attend and prosecute according to law.
Read the full story
HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday night to discuss a student-centered public school funding strategy. The majority of the attendees that spoke were either current or former teachers, along with a few parents. Commissioner Penny Schwinn spoke at the event and said that she was happy to see so many people and students at the meeting.
“We want to make sure that everyone is heard. Whether you can come out here in person, whether you’re live streaming, whether you want to submit something on your phone,” Schwinn said. “This is really about a needs assessment. What do we want to be true for public education in this state?”
Read the full story
A local sheriff has responded to President Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees. Sheriff Tom Spangler, of Knoxville, Tennessee sent Biden a letter telling the President that he would not be enforcing the mandate on his staff.
Spangler said in his letter that enforcing the mandate was unconstitutional and was putting the lives of the people of Knoxville at risk.
Read the full story
Nashville will be hosting the immersive exhibit of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Tickets are available now, with prices starting at $17.50. The exhibit will be in Nashville from November 12 through January 16.
The walk through exhibit averages 60 – 90 minutes, with benches along the paintings for those who would like to sit and relax.Â
Read the full story
A three-day celebration was held in Franklin, Tennessee this past weekend to commemorate the African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The statue, made by Tennessee native Joe F. Howard ,was officially unveiled Saturday in front of Franklin’s Historic Courthouse.
Read the full story
At the fifth National Constitution Bee, held at the SpringHill Suites Marriott on Saturday, Team Tennessee ran away with the National Constitution Bee teams competition’s top prize.
This year, the National Constitution Bee had a total of twenty-two students competing for the Grand Championship that included a $10,000 education scholarship.
Read the full story
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) held a FaceBook Live where they discussed how to be aware of financial fraud schemes. The group, hosted by PBS Book’s Fred Nahhat, discussed how to spot scammers,Â
From 2020, Donna Lowry said that “the federal trade commission recorded more than 3.3 billon dollars lost to financial fraud schemes. It was up almost double from the year before.”
Read the full story
Braeden Farley, a home schooled senior from Spring Hill, Tennessee, won the 2021 National Constitution Bee held Saturday at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood.
Senior Braeden Farley of Spring Hill, Tennessee took home the Grand Champion prize of a $10,000 education scholarship. Braeden is the second in his family to bring home the Grand Champion prize. In 2017, Braeden’s older brother Noah Farley won the Grand Championship at The Tennessee Star Constitution Bee.
Read the full story
Downtown Nashville’s popular party bus services are set to face new rules issued by the Metro Council and Mayor John Cooper. One of the main effects of the new lawsuit, signed October 19th, is that alcohol will no longer be allowed on the busses, starting December 1st. Another change for the ‘transportainment ‘Â is that starting April of 2022, the party busses will be regulated by Metro’s Transportation Licensing Commission.Â
In the Substitute Ordinance that Metro released after the meeting, it states that the reason behind the new regulation is that, “the Metropolitan Council is concerned that a continued failure to regulate entertainment transportation vehicles will permanently erode the cultural character of Nashville’s neighborhoods that has made the city a vibrant and enjoyable place to live, work, and visit.”
Read the full story
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) took to Twitter on Monday to let Tennesseans know about a current scam. The TBI announced that someone has been making calls claiming to be an officer with the TBI following up on a complaint and asking for personal information.
The TBI also said that the scammers have been ‘spoofing’ (when someone hides their actual phone number) their calls and using the TBI’s phone number instead.
Read the full story
In Bristol, Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the United States Wildlife Services have agreed to continue the popular trout stocking program. The program focuses on funding for three federal fish hatcheries that have been providing both the state of Georgia and Tennessee with millions of trout.Â
The programs funding for the hatcheries began in 2013, witch have been managed by “the Service,” consisting of Dale Hollow and Erwin in Tennessee, and Chattahoochee Forest in Georgia. After the Service, the fish are then put into these main rivers and reservoirs: Apalachia (Hiwassee River), Blue Ridge, Boone, Cherokee, Fort Patrick Henry, Normandy, Norris, South Holston, Tims Ford and Wilbur. Trout-stocked reservoirs in the plan include Fort Patrick Henry, South Holston, Parksville, Watauga and Wilbur reservoirs.
Read the full story
BRENTWOOD, Tennessee – The National Constitution Bee is set to convene Saturday, as students from across the state and the country gather in Brentwood to test their knowledge of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. At stake is the title of Grand Champion and a prize package that includes a $10,000 education scholarship which may be applied to college or university, or trade school programs. National Constitution Bee Executive Director Claudia Hennenberry said the event is a great way for students to gain knowledge of the Constitution and a free society. “The National Constitution Bee is for students who love the Constitution and Bill of Rights and are looking to challenge themselves – as well as earn scholarship dollars to help fund the next step in their education,” Hennenberry said. 2021 marks the fifth year for the competition to be held at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee, on October 23. While contestants are primarily high school students, The National Constitution Bee website says that “ambitious students in grades 8, 9, and 10 are welcome as well.” Students compete in person vying for six separate titles – each with its own prize package. The…
Read the full story
Juvenile Judge Donna Scott Davenport will no longer hold her position as adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) following a recent lawsuit. The suit claims that Davenport sent nearly 1,500 students to jail, regardless of the crime.
Individuals born after October 1997 who were jailed at the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center may file a claim to collect a portion of an $11 million settlement connected to the class action lawsuit.Â
Read the full story
Vanderbilt University and the Tennessee Department of Traffic (TDOT) are beginning development of what is being called ‘the smartest roadway in the world.’ While the development only spans about six miles of Nashville’s Interstate 24, leader Dan Work of Vanderbilt University said that,
This research will help make the world’s roadways smarter and safer, with the initial research conducted right here in Tennessee. Beyond the thrill of participating in this never-before-attempted project, we are confident that this work will attract the attention of automakers and contribute to the region’s economy
This project, called the I-24 Mobility Technology Interstate Observation Network — or, I-24 MOTION — consists of 300 ultra HD cameras to anonymously capture details of drivers on the road. Part of the cameras instillation had already begun this summer, and the I-24 MOTION team hopes to have the remaining cameras installed and running by summer 2022.
Read the full story
The Hendersonville, North Carolina Chick-fil-A is having a hard time finding employees, despite offering $19 an hour as a pay rate for full time positions. Along with the high wage pay, Chick-fil-A also offers other incentives as well.
In response to an Its Scoop Nashville Tweet about the restaurant’s struggle to find workers, one user replied, “say it with me, HENDERSONVILLE.” Implying that the location was what has been causing the lack of applicants.
Read the full story
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) met Monday morning to discuss the dangers of drug addiction and counterfeit medication. Director David Rausch said in the meeting, “let me be clear, if you’re buying pills on the street, in our state, you’re gambling.” Rausch gave a presentation showing examples of drugs like oxycodone, and compared them to the fake pills that people have been dying from. Most fake prescription pills contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. In 2017, fentanyl had attributed to 59 percent of drug overdose deaths. In 2019, Tennessee lost over two thousand people to drug overdoses, and of those over a thousand were fentanyl related.Â
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Commissioner Marie Williams said, “Our state doesn’t just have a counterfeit pill problem, or an opioid problem, or a methamphetamine problem, we have an addiction problem. Just like every other state in this country.”
Read the full story
Williamson county is calling on its residents to help name two of its new online schools. With many parents choosing online schooling due to Covid, Tennessee now has a total of fifty seven virtual schools.
Despite a number of problems being reported with online school last year– including the platform Zoom crashing before the school day could even begin; and with reports of students receiving more failing grades than passing– counties are still offering the option for students to attend class online.Â
Read the full story
Mayor John Cooper attended the grand opening of Project Return’s new Nashville headquarters Thursday. The organization focuses on helping former prison inmates find resources to return to the community.
Cooper thanked the organization’s hard work for the past forty years, and said that he was grateful to be celebrating the new 109 Lafayette St. location.
Read the full story
Last night former Nashville Mayor David Briley reflected on his role in the Occupy Wall Street movement on its tenth anniversary. In 2011, the movement took place at Nashville’s Legislative Plaza and Briley was one of its many attenders. Briley said that when “free speech and free association were being threatened at the most public forum of the state,” that he was proud to represent and preserve the rights of those in Nashville.
Briley announced his running for Circuit Court judge on July 15, 2021, saying that he’s running “to ensure that the law is enforced fairly, and [he] will always act with independence, integrity and impartiality.”
Read the full story