Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s “Director of New and Indigenous Americans” finally became a U.S. citizen on Thursday after living in the country for apparently many years.
O’Connell posted the news to X that the Nashville government staffer, Jacky Gomez, was naturalized.
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Digital marketing expert and creator of the conservative TennVoterGuide.com Craig Huey joins host Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to outline who – among the 12 candidates – has a real chance to win the Nashville mayoral election; who is running the smartest campaign; and who is behind the well-financed efforts to push Nashville – and Tennessee – to the far Left.
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For this week’s installment of Clint Brewer’s Winners and Losers, the Nashville-area public policy expert and recovering journalist lauded the First Amendment as the big winner, while once again Nashville Mayor John Cooper makes the Loser list as the Speedway project flounders on Thursday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report’s with Michael Patrick Leahy.
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Recovering journalist Clint Brewer appeared on The Tennessee Star Report Thursday morning, June 23, on TalkRadio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC to discuss the week’s winners and losers.
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Ten candidates for Metro Nashville Mayor answered questions by fellow Nashvillians Tuesday night at a televised forum hosted by WKRN.
Natisha Brooks, Heidi Campbell, Jim Gingrich, Sharon Hurt, Stephanie Johnson, Freddie O’Connell, Alice Rolli, Vivian Wilhoite, Matt Wiltshire, and Jeff Yarbro fielded questions during the two-hour event from citizen representatives, selected by the station, from the north, south, east west, and downtown Nashville.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed former congressional candidate Natisha Brooks in studio to announce her run for mayor of Nashville.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Carol Swain in studio to discuss whether or not she would consider a run for the mayor of Nashville in the 2023 August election.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed former TN5 GOP candidate Baxter Lee to comment on the Nashville mayoral candidates and recent endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police of incumbent John Cooper.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed former TN5 GOP candidate Baxter Lee in studio to handicap the mayoral candidates for Nashville’s Davidson County.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in studio to discuss the proposed reduction of Metro Council members from 40 to 20 and how a support staff would make it more efficient.
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At its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening, Metro Council gave approval for Mayor John Cooper’s office to pursue a solicitation for development of a portion of the Nissan Stadium campus.
By voice vote, an amended RS2022-1828 was approved unanimously, having advanced through three committees unanimously after it had been deferred at a previous Council meeting.
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WeGo Public Transit, which offers public transportation in Nashville and the surrounding areas, broke ground Thursday on its latest Transit Center.
“Today, we celebrate the groundbreaking of the Dr. Ernest Rip Patton, Jr. North Nashville Transit Center,” WeGo Public Transit said on Twitter. “Thanks to everyone who attended and all who have made this possible.”
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At the end of the November 7 meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, a representative for the Tennessee Titans came forward and agreed to make public a plan to renovate Nissan Stadium developed on behalf of the team that Mayor John Cooper’s office has claimed is “proprietary.”
After questioning by several of the committee members, James Weaver, partner at Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LP and representing the Titans said they would be happy to share the plan with council.
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The Nashville mayor’s office presented to the Fair Board the tax deal for a $75 million renovation of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in hopes of bringing a NASCAR race back to the site.
The Fair Board will be asked to vote on the lease, term sheet and approval of bonds in early 2023. If approved, it will next go to Nashville’s Metro Council for approval and then the Sports Authority before returning to Mayor John Cooper for his signature.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in the studio to comment upon the taxpayer-funded Titan stadium deal.
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Members of the Metro Nashville City Council will be asked to approve a term sheet and legislation to enact a 1% hotel-motel tax starting Feb. 1 with its initial consideration of both to begin at the board’s Nov. 1 meeting.
The term sheet outlines plans for the projected $2.1 billion new stadium for the Titans, including the order of financing and how a fund that includes the hotel tax and sales tax at the stadium and outside the stadium can be used. The stadium is expected to be ready for the 2026 NFL preseason. The lease will be for the term of the bonds — about 30 years — with three five-year renewal options.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in the studio to handicap the new deal for a new Titans’ Stadium involving Mayor John Cooper’s office, and Nashville Metro City Council.
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The Nashville Metro Council voted on Tuesday night to approve Mayor John Cooper’s $50 million four-part “Housing First” plan to address homelessness.
Following the Metro Council’s approval, Mayor Cooper issued the following statement, “I am grateful to Council for overwhelmingly approving my $50 million plan to get our most vulnerable off the streets and into the stable housing. Homelessness is a decades-old challenge for Nashville, and I believe the size, scope, and sophistication of this plan meets the magnitude of the problem.”
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Nashville and Davidson County Mayor John Cooper announced five new hires on Monday who will serve in his administration.
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Mayor John Cooper announced that effective October 3, LaTanya Channel will serve as director of the refocused Mayor’s Office of Economic Growth and Small Business Development, previously known as the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelists, Crom Carmichael and Dr. Carol M. Swain in-studio to discuss Amendment One, what it does, and urged Davidson County voters to vote no.
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Metro Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee heard an overview of its obligations for stadium repairs, including the legal department’s definition of the key “first-class condition” term at its most recent meeting.
The terminology is key as the committee evaluates the city’s options related to the current Nissan Stadium and the Titans’ proposal for a new $2.2 billion stadium, which could include as much as $1.5 billion in public funding.
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Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee plans to parse information on a new projected $2.2 billion Tennessee Titans stadium deal once it’s announced, along with information on the city’s current lease obligations and a $200,000 stadium study the council has planned along with land-use requirements around Nissan Stadium.
But the group will not be producing its own economic impact and tax impact numbers related to the proposed project.
“I am guessing the council doesn’t have an appetite for spending $25M on its own professionals, or $5 million or $1 million or half a million,” committee chair Bob Mendes said in the group’s planning meeting. “So we’re, necessarily, going to have to rely on information from others on that. I assume we’re going to hear about that. When we’re going to get presented with an actual deal, there’s going to be a list of income streams and a look forward on what it generates over time. Sources and uses.
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Nashville Mayor John Cooper, in a news conference, declared July 31 ‘Ric Flair Day’ in honor of the 73 year-old 16 time world heavy champion professional wrestling legend and two time WWE Hall-of-Famers’ last match.
On July 31, the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair will enter the ring for the very last time. In honor of the occasion, Cooper also announced that the property at 500 Wedgewood Avenue for the weekend of July 29-31 will be known as the “Nashville FLAIRgrounds,” in conjunction with the three-day professional wrestling fanfest known as STARRCAST V.
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Nashville Tuesday broke ground on its first permanent supportive housing complex, complete with amenities to house the homeless, the drug-addicted, and those with mental health issues.
“Today is the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication by a number of leaders, many of whom are here today,” Mayor John Cooper (D) said at a press conference. “I am honored to be part of this official groundbreaking for Nashville’s first permanent supportive housing development.”
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Mayor John Cooper’s office is conducting customer experience surveys for Metro Nashville government services.
Mayor Cooper tweeted out the surveys on Sunday.
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Nashville Metro Council passed a resolution establishing a target of an 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 2014 levels by 2050.
Metro Council approved the resolution at its last meeting on Tuesday and Mayor John Cooper added his stamp of approval the following day.
The goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions is part of Cooper’s Sustainability Advisory Committee Report on the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County’s Climate Change Mitigation Action Plan that was issued in 2021. The report recommends that Davidson adhere to the Paris Climate agreement goal of limiting average global temperature rise to no higher than 2ºC “above preindustrial levels.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper is calling on small business owners in Bordeaux and North Nashville to join the participatory budgeting initiative by registering as Metro Nashville vendors and suppliers.
In a statement, Mayor Cooper also said those small business owners should be “ready for competitive procurement opportunities as these projects take shape.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced that a $3.65 million dollar grant of federal dollars will fully fund a new traffic management center.
The $3.65 million dollars in federal funds comes from a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program grant selected through the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper has announced additional funds are going to Nashville’s communities to “support grassroots violence reduction efforts” through his Community Safety Partnership program.
In a press release, Mayor Cooper said: “Community safety requires a community-wide effort,” Mayor Cooper said. “This work takes all of us, supporting one another and learning from each other. And it takes Metro government, championing that response and investing in the strategies that work best for our neighborhoods.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper held a live-streamed press conference on Monday to outline Metro’s latest COVID response. Cooper, Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of Metro’s COVID taskforce; Dr. Gill Wright, who directs Nashville’s public health department; and Director and Chief William Swann, of Emergency Management and Nashville Fire Department, all spoke during the conference.
“Cases here are rising quickly, and we know the Omnicron variant spreads easily. Even more easily than previous variants,” the mayor said.
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A new Beacon Center report shows while Tennessee’s truth-in-taxation law creates transparency in the process of property tax assessments, it lacks the power to prevent large property tax increases.
Tennessee was the first state with a truth in taxation requirement, but it is now one of four states without a cap on property tax increases.
Truth in taxation in Tennessee requires local governments to inform residents of any property tax rate increases and local entities to consider means that do not increase property taxes alongside rate or levy increases.
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper tweeted this week his frustration towards the city’s recycling collector for not being able to collect the city’s trash and recyclables in a timely matter. The Nashville Metro Water services released a statement earlier last week that Red River Waste Solutions had not been able to collect all of Nashville’s trash, and would have to halt collections to allow trucks and staff to be reassigned.
“Our city’s private trash collector, Red River, has failed us.” Cooper tweeted. “As Mayor and a resident, I share your frustration over the problem of collecting the garbage, resulting in a temporary delay in curbside recycling as we put all our resources in collecting the trash.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the Nashville Metro Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) announced they have finished the first draft of the ‘Vision Zero Action Plan.’ The plan aims to “achieve a goal of zero preventable roadway deaths” by keeping pedestrians, bikers, and motorists safe on Nashville streets.
“A great city is a walkable city and a bike-friendly city. That means – in a city that works for everyone – we must shape our transportation strategies and infrastructure around the safety and well-being of every person,” Cooper tweeted about the plan.
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Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in studio to discuss Mayor Cooper’s attempt at another vaccine incentive program, and the public health response in Maury County.
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced a new incentive for residents to get their COVID vaccine and flu shot. Cooper tweeted this week that anyone needing their annual flu shot or COVID vaccination could meet NFL alumni on December 14, from 3 – 6 pm at the Nissan Stadium.
He said he was grateful to the NFL health alumni, the Tennessee Titans, the Tennessee Department of Health, and Nashville Health for organizing the event.
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Mayor Cooper announced this week his plans for restoring Second Avenue after last year’s Christmas Day Bombing. In both a statement from his office, and in a live announcement, Cooper said that his plan included a restored tree canopy, better sidewalks, and a nod to local artists.
In the statement that was shared with The Tennessee Star, Cooper said Nashville Citizens turned a tragedy into an opportunity. “Our community came together, to create a shared vision for the future of our historic downtown. Generations from now, we want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren to look at what we created and say, ‘they did well.’ And that’s a destination we can only reach, all of us, working together.”
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Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Nashville Metro Council Member-At-Large Steve Glover to the newsmakers line to update his call to the Metro Department of Public Health looking for an apology in answer to the internal email against Rittenhouse verdict.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.”
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When speaking to reporters on Friday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper addressed the growing homeless population throughout the city.
Detailing that he often visits the West Nashville homeless camp at Brookmeade Park, Cooper claimed the city is still working to address the problem.
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In a unanimous vote, state leaders approved a measure to provide approximately $65 million in economic incentives for Oracle, the cloud technology company that provides computing infrastructure and software, to build a new campus in Nashville.
The grant from the state, meant to offset some of the cost of the $1.2 billion investment, was approved from the “Fast Track Economic Fund.”
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper backs school defiance of Governor Lee’s (R) executive order allowing parents to opt their kids out of mask mandates. Cooper called the order “disappointing.” The order follows the Nashville Metro Public Schools (MNPS) board voting to mandate masks in classrooms less than two weeks ago. As reported by The Tennessee Star, over 1,000 individuals signed a letter asking the Nashville Metro Public Schools to instate a mask mandate for the 2021 school year.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed MNPS District Six school board member Fran Bush in studio who expressed the priority of getting kids back on academic track instead of focusing on mask mandates.
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced on Wednesday that he will reinstate a mask mandate for all Metro Government buildings beginning Thursday.
The move will require all Metro employees and members of the public to wear a face covering, regardless of the individual’s vaccination status.
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Refugees and immigrants will have a share in Metro Nashville’s $4.9 million grant for COVID-19 health disparities in certain racial, ethnic, and rural demographics. Metro Nashville City Council adopted the resolution to accept the funds during its meeting last Tuesday. In its resolution, the council expanded the CDC’s definition of underserved populations to include refugees and immigrants.
“This [grant’s purpose] includes implementation of a collaborative, multilevel, culturally informed approach to expand access to COVID-19 testing and vaccine administration and to reduce disparities among Nashville’s underserved African American, Hispanic, immigrant, and refugee communities,” read the resolution analysis.
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced last week that $150,000 would be going to nonprofits that offered violence reduction strategies. A nonprofit could receive up to $5,000 for their work; the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Advisory Board will issue recommendations for who receives the grant awards throughout this month and August.
In a press release, Cooper asserted that this would allow communities to achieve safety solutions tailored to their local needs, particularly for gun violence.
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