Tag: Nashville

Memphis, Nashville School Districts to Make Education Savings Accounts Available to Families

Peter D'Abrosca

According to the governor’s office and the cities of Memphis and Nashville, more than 40 independent have committed to allowing families to enroll in Education Savings Account (ESA) programs beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year. 

“There was an urgent need for school choice in 2019, and finally, parents in Memphis and Nashville won’t have to wait another day to choose the best educational fit for their children,” said Gov. Bill Lee (R). “I thank each school that has partnered with us to swiftly implement a program that will change the lives of Tennessee students, and I invite interested families to begin the enrollment process today.” 

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1,000 Guns Stolen in Nashville This Year, Mostly from Cars, Despite Police Warnings

Peter D'Abrosca

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is once again pleading with Nashvillians to be careful if they plan on leaving weapons in their cars. 

“MNPD’s continuing Park Smart message is to urge motorists to lock their automobile doors, secure any valuables—especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS,” MNPD spokeswoman Kristin Mumford told The Tennessee Star. 

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Report: Nashville Will Ask for $700 Million in Revenue Bonds for New Tennessee Titans Stadium

The Center Square

Metro Nashville is expected to ask for $700 million in revenue bonds that will go toward a new estimated $2.2 billion Tennessee Titans stadium, according to a report from The Tennessean.

Those bonds, as shown in Mayor John Cooper’s Capital Improvements Budget, as an expense that will be paid for “by user-generated sales tax, tourism-oriented sources such as the Hotel Occupancy Tax and related funds.”

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Train Strikes Pure ‘AM Gold’ in Nashville

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – June 21 marked the summer solstice, hence the first official day of summer. For the many who braved the extreme heat and high humidity at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, Summer began precisely at 7:00 p.m. central time. That is the moment John Popper and Blues Traveler took the stage and ignited an amazing night of music, with John Popper and company bringing the groove to the party.

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Report: Potential MLB Stadium in North Nashville Would Be Built with ‘Almost All Private Funding’

The Center Square

If Music City Baseball brings a Major League Baseball to Nashville, the team’s stadium will be build with “almost all private funding,” a potential ownership group led by Dave Stewart told the Tennessean.

The stadium is planned for North Nashville near Tennessee State University and would be set to open for the 2026 or 2027 season if the Nashville Stars management group is able to bring an expansion franchise or move a current franchise to the city, the group told the paper.

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Former President Trump Speaks to Energized Crowd at FFC Road to Majority Conference in Nashville

Aaron Gulbransen

Former President Donald Trump addressed an energized crowd at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference on Friday.

While the former president addressed many issues during his address, Trump took strong aim at the January 6 Commission, blasting it in his speech.

“The committee is taking the testimony of witnesses who defended me for eight hours, chopping it up and truncating sound bites to make it sound like what they said was absolutely terrible,” he said.

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Moms for America Launch MomVote Initiative During Press Conference in Nashville

Kaitlin Housler

Moms for America launched its new initiative, MomVote, during a press conference in Nashville Saturday. The group’s newest initiative “empowers moms around the country to find voter information quickly and easily.”

Moms for America, founded in 2004, is a nonprofit educational corporation with a mission to “empower moms to raise patriots and promote liberty for the healing of America.”

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Music Spotlight: Michael Shaw

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- After interviewing nearly 200 artists, you think I would learn not to be surprised when I delve into someone’s “How they got to Nashville” story, but hearing country-western singer/songwriter Michael Shaw’s story even stunned me.

Michael Shaw was born in Indiana but remembers growing up in Kentucky and Michigan, and later, Ohio.

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Anti-Gun Group to Host Protests in Six Tennessee Cities

Peter D'Abrosca

An anti-gun group will host protests in five cities later this month, as part of a nationwide effort to push gun control in the wake of a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

“What we are demanding from our state’s legislators should not be controversial, and will help to prevent preventable deaths in our communities,” said Carson Ferrara, a rising senior at Vanderbilt University and representative of March For Our Lives. “Last year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a law that allows anyone to carry a loaded gun in public without a permit. He signed it at a weapons manufacturing plant.”

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Nashville Police Say Guns Mostly Being Stolen from Vehicles, But Recoveries Have Increased

Peter D'Abrosca

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is once again seeing an increase of stolen weapons this year. 

“[To] date, 823 guns have been reported stolen this year compared to 578 at this time last year,” MNPD spokeswoman Kristin Mumford told The Tennessee Star. “I will add that through PRISM efforts (Precision Recovery Initiative Securing Munitions/Motor Vehicles), recovered firearms are up 27% or 217 more guns recovered than last year at this same time. Regarding PRISM, this is an effort to combat violent crime by working to recover guns and stolen vehicles which are often used in the commission of these crimes.”

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Nashville Breaks Ground on First Permanent Supportive Housing Complex

Peter D'Abrosca

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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Music Spotlight: Scott Stevens

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Once my friend told me about a tribute that Scott Stevens had written about his grandfather and uncle, I knew I had found the perfect song to share on Memorial Day.

Scott Stevens is a country music singer/songwriter from East Tennessee who recently released the single “Missin’ You” to country radio off his debut country record Every Hat Is A Cowboy Hat. He is also a Civil Rights attorney and lawyer.

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Music Spotlight: Alyssa Jacey

Bethany Bowman

I keep writing my Music Spotlight column because of the stories. And while we all appreciate the music that these singer/songwriters bring to us, it is the stories of these tireless individuals that keep me coming back to my computer to share what I have learned with my readers.

For the first 25 years of her life, San Diego native Alyssa Jacey trained to be a dancer. She took her first dance class at age 4. She started in ballet and later added tap and jazz. Hip-hop was the craze, and that’s what the young performer aspired to be: a hip-hop dancer. She began competitive dancing with a troupe and performed all over the west coast.

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Music Spotlight: Sammy Arriaga

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A lot of people, myself included, are trying to wrap their heads around Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and exactly how they work. When I got asked to interview a country artist, Sammy Arriaga, who was successfully using NFTs in promoting his music, I was interested.

Sammy Arriaga is a Miami-born Cuban American. While his father occasionally sang and played guitar, he discovered his love for music on his own. He has been writing lyrics and downloading instrumentals from the internet since his early teens. He taught himself how to play guitar by watching YouTube videos.

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Exclusive: Adam Warner Releases ‘Reason to Redneck’ Lyric Video

Bethany Bowman

Adam Warner hails from the farm country of southern Illinois, quite near to where my mother and her family lived. This area is so consumed by farming, specifically corn and soybeans, that you really do feel as if you are in the middle of nowhere.

Just like my mother and aunts, both of Warner’s grandmothers played piano and sang at church. His mother was involved in theater and singing as well. He was certainly not the only one in the family who did music but would be the only one who chose it as a career path.

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Davidson County Republican Party Vice Chair Bart Smith Promotes ‘High Steaks’ Fundraiser for School Board Candidate Kelli Phillips; Salutes U.S. Liberties Uncommon in His U.K. Homeland.

Julie Carr

Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Davidson County Republican Party Vice Chair Bart Smith to the newsmakers line to discuss his background, why he immigrated to the United States and his upcoming High Steaks fundraiser for school board candidate Kelli Phillips.

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Music Spotlight: Ainsley Costello

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Ainsley Costello comes from a musical background. When her dad, James Costello, was young, he moved to Los Angeles to “do the whole music thing” in much the same way that Costello has moved to Nashville. At one point he was in a touring band and toured the world. And even though he now has a day job, he was always in revolving bands, playing shows and playing music in the house.

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Music Spotlight: Dakota Poorman

Bethany Bowman

From Maple Valley, Washington, 29-year-old singer/songwriter Dakota Poorman is a breath of fresh air in the stale pop-country atmosphere.

As a child he recalls, “I really loved music. I was bathed in a very eclectic taste in music. I listened to Bob Seger, John Fogerty, Pink Floyd, The Doors, the Eagles, and even Patsy Cline and Muddy Waters. I was exposed to a ton of great music back when music was music and had meaning.”

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Music Spotlight: Karissa Ella

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee- Even though I am not much of a whiskey drinker, I am always drawn to a good whiskey song. Something about the solace of sipping the stuff leads to a deeper examination of one’s true self.

Karissa Ella’s newest single “Whiskey Whispers Your Name” is all that and more. They led me to further delve into this rising singer/songwriter and find out what drives her.

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