After a lengthy discussion about each proposed charter amendment, Metro Council ultimately deferred the legislation that would put amendments on the ballot to 2026. The council considered the changes that the Charter Revision Commission proposed for each charter amendment and voted to adopt the first one, which dealt with succession for the finance director, and the fourth, which would pause council meetings in September. However, the resolution as a whole was deferred to January 2026 so that the council could further discuss each of the proposed amendments that did not pass and give
more time to educate voters on each issue.
Many council members did not want to overburden voters with several issues on the ballot and wanted instead to focus efforts on the transit referendum.
The plans for the Global Mall redevelopment passed second reading without any comments during a public hearing at the meeting.
Redevelopment of the Global Mall site has already gone through community engagement efforts ahead of the release of a draft plan for the future site.
The plan includes a performing arts center, daycare, hotel, artist housing,
education facilities, and green space. A transit center that has already received funding is also planned for the development.
Councilmember Joy Styles thanked the rest of the council for supporting the plan so that they could get to work.
Metro Planning previously approved the legislative items, which include changing the zoning from a shopping center to a specific plan, canceling part of the planned unit development, and imposing building material restrictions.
The legislation will still have to go through a third reading, but once it has fully passed, Metro Planning will be
The driver of a dump truck has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by intoxication after a Sunday night crash killed two people in Bellevue.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, 23-year-old Nicholas Sterling, of Ashland City, drove a Freightliner dump truck through a flashing red stop light heading southbound on Old Hickory Boulevard. The truck hit the driver’s side of a Ford Focus as it traveled on Charlotte Pike around 11 p.m.
The driver of the Focus, 38-year-old Kendall Cartwright, of Nashville, died at the scene. Cartwright’s passenger, 46-yearold Eduardo Benitez-Alamillo, died of his injuries on Monday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“Sterling was also transported to Vanderbilt with minor injuries,” a news release reads. “There was an odor of alcohol on his breath and an open beer bottle was seen by responding officers on the floorboard of the dump truck.”
Sterling was released from the hospital and booked in jail on $40,000 bond.
Nicholas Sterling PHOTO: MNPD
Council amendments
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
able to request proposals from developers to determine which group will eventually become the site’s master developer.
Metro Council also approved the second reading of legislation that adds an East Bank subdistrict to the Downtown Code and changes the East Bank initial development area zoning to that new code.
One person came to speak in opposition to the legislation that develops the East Bank subdistrict. They pointed out several pieces from building heights seeming to close off East Nashville to parking restrictions. Ultimately, Councilmember Jacob Kupin still moved the amendment forward but said there would be continued engagement with the public on these issues and stressed again that this would only be for the 30 acres currently in the initial development area.
Previously, Kupin told the Post that much of the new East Bank subdistrict was modeled after what had already been discussed when the council passed the Master Developer Agreement with the Fallon Company for what the East Bank would become. The subdistrict code will not apply to the future Titans stadium.
Some details of the subdistrict include a maximum height of 40 stories set for some portions of the property, while others are capped at 30 or 20 feet. Above-ground parking is not allowed except when located below a building with an active use on an elevated frontage, making that parking screened from the public. The subdistrict allows for a plaza to be as small as 1,000 square feet and bigger than 20,000 square feet as appropriate to the area.
Cyclist killed in West Meade traffic crash
FBI seizes Ogles’ cellphone in campaign finance investigation
Tennessee congressman under fire for financial discrepancies from primary reporting
NICOLLE S. PRAINO
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles has confirmed his cellphone was confiscated by the FBI on Aug. 2 after he won the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District once again.
NewsChannel 5 was the first to report that the FBI issued a search warrant for Ogles, who has received attention for changes in his campaign financial filings.
G. Kline Preston, the lawyer representing Ogles, initially told the media organization he would not confirm or deny the search warrant. Later, the lawyer told the Washington Post the warrant was issued by a court order and was limited in asking only for Ogles’ cellphone.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Ogles said, “It has been widely reported for months that my campaign made mistakes in our initial financial filings. We have worked diligently with attorneys and reporting experts to correct the errors and ensure compliance going forward.
“Last Friday, the FBI took possession of my cell phone. It is my understanding that they are investigating the same well-known facts surrounding these filings.”
The FBI declined to comment to NewsChannel 5 and instead referred the media outlet to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, which also gave no comment.
Maryam Abolfazli, Ogles’ Democratic opponent in the forthcoming general
election for the 5th Congressional District, issued the following statement on Tuesday: “The FBI’s execution of a search warrant and confiscation of Andy Ogles’ cell phone is deeply upsetting, especially given an ongoing pattern of misappropriated funds and falsehoods regarding his education and work history. Congressman Ogles continues to bring scandal and embarrassment to the 5th (District), and he needs to go.”
Ogles amended nearly a dozen past campaign finance reports in May to show a personal loan of $320,000 to his campaign in 2022 never happened. The amended filings instead reported Ogles loaned his campaign $20,000. He also made significant changes to his contributions and disbursements for the first quarter of 2024. His original report showed he raised nearly $86,000 but the amended filing reported no money was raised in the first quarter.
Campaign finance watchdog group the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics and included information from Ogles’ personal financial disclosures to back up its accusations that a personal loan of several thousand was not possible. The complaint stated Ogles’ financial reports contained discrepancies worth more than $1 million.
Ogles has said he will “fully cooperate” with the FBI and has been doing the same with the Federal Election Commission.
“I am confident all involved will conclude
that the reporting discrepancies were based on honest mistakes, and nothing more,” Ogles said.
Sinema to close following 10-year run
Owners of restaurant located in former Melrose Theater space cite financial factors for decision
STAFF REPORTS
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, at approximately 7:15 p.m., 64-year-old Ronald Laird was traveling north on Robin Hill Road when he “cycled through the stop sign and collided with the passenger door of a Kia Optima that was eastbound on Jocelyn Hollow Road.”
The Optima did not have a stop sign, and according to witnesses, the unidentified driver “appeared to be going the speed limit of 25 mph.”
Laird, who was wearing a helmet, was the last of four riders who traveled through the intersection, all of whom ran the stop sign. Laird was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center where he died from injuries sustained during the crash.
Sinema — perhaps best recognized as having reinvented the space long home to the grand Loews Melrose Theater — is closing on Aug. 31 after a 10-year run.
According to The News sister publication the Nashville Scene, the Sinema ownership team is closing the business because of financial considerations.
Sinema opened in 2014 as a 120-seat restaurant in Berry Hill at 2600 Eighth Ave. S. The interior space originally featured a restaurant and bar on the main level and a lounge and private dining space on two other levels.
Sinema was originally owned and operated by Reed family members Colin, Brenda, Sam, and Ed; Q-Juan Taylor (as an operator); Austin Ray (known for his M.L. Rose Craft
Beer and Burgers, located across the street from Sinema); and Dale Levitski (chef).
It will close under the ownership of the Reeds and Taylor, who are also known for their cafe concept 8th & Roast.
The team issued the following statement to the Scene
“Our team successfully navigated the pandemic, supported our staff during wage inflation, and adjusted to the rising cost of real estate, all of which led to this venture being uneconomical. With the end of our current lease approaching, it is time to close on a high note. We invite the community to help us celebrate 10 incredible years by dining with us over the next two weeks as we make our final toasts to Sinema.
“As for what’s next, our sister company
8th & Roast is growing rapidly and we are focused on supporting our farmer relationships and our community of wholesale and individual customers. And who knows? We may see you in another dining room again soon.”
The Melrose Theater opened in 1942, with its features providing various interior elements for Sinema, including a curved staircase, mirrored walls and lobby. Franklin-based Parkes Development Group and Nashville-based Fulcher Investment Properties co-developed the site of The Melrose, which includes Sinema, other restaurants and retail, and apartments. This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles speaks at a Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition meeting, Aug. 15, 2023
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
A Nashville cyclist was killed in a traffic collision in West Meade on Aug. 6.
Montgomery Bell Academy students win 2024 National Conservation Foundation Envirothon
Montgomery Bell Academy’s Envirothon team won the 2024 National Conservation Foundation Envirothon, an international environmental and natural resources academic competition for high school students.
This year’s topic was “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future.” The event saw 50 high school teams from across the United States, Canada, China, and Singapore compete in Geneva, N.Y., with MBA earning its first-ever championship.
MBA’s winning team consisted of recent 2024 graduates team captain Luke Keller, Emmett Adams, Nate Holder, Michael Kong, and Whit Uden and was led by faculty advisor and head coach Chris Spiegl and assistant coach Tyler Blystone.
“This was a total team effort with all five young men playing key roles and being integral to the successful outcome,” Spiegl said in a news release. “Their support of each other, positivity, and unselfishness was amazing to watch.”
Winning teams were awarded $50,000 in scholarships and prizes, with the top three teams receiving $30,000 donated by Smithfield Foods. Teams from New York and Maryland came in second and third
place, respectively. “I am very excited to congratulate the winners of the 35th annual NCFEnvirothon
competition,” NCF Executive Director Jeremy Peters said in a news release. “It is encouraging to see young individuals, who
MBA Envirothon Championship, August 2024 PHOTO: MBA
WeGo Star improvements will take more than just Nashville to fund
Increased service to Lebanon and the Riverfront could be part of the new plan
NICOLLE S. PRAINO
Expansion of the WeGo Star regional train service has been studied for the last year. WeGo staff is now preparing recommendations for the Regional Transportation Authority after the second round of community meetings for the ongoing WeGo Star study were held during July in Donelson, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet.
At the same time, Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Choose How You Move transportation plan was moving through the council to end up on the November ballot. The plan would take a half-cent sales tax increase to improve sidewalks, bus service, signals and safety. The plan also mentions improvements to the WeGo Star, so some funding for the future improvements WeGo (formerly called the Metro Transit Authority) has been studying could be funded by the transit referendum if it passes on Nov. 5.
At the community meetings, WeGo presented a “preferred option” plan to the public for expansion of service that includes continued peak period morning and afternoon service, the addition of evening and Saturday service, and running all Star trains to Lebanon (some stop in Mt. Juliet).
The plan also suggests regional bus trips between Lebanon and the Riverfront on weekdays to fill in when the Star service cannot run based on track scheduling limitations. Another option WeGo is considering is last-mile van service or WeGo Link Ubers which connects more people to
Wilson County stations.
WeGo CEO Steve Bland said at the MTA board meeting on July 25 that the department expects to send final recommendations to the RTA board in October. At about that time, the MTA board will also receive a briefing.
Felix Castrodad, WeGo director of planning and grants, told The News sister publication the Nashville Post that the RTA will have to approve a plan based on the recommendations. Then, elected officials across the region’s jurisdictions can begin discussing funding the plan.
“Funding is going to be the biggest challenge in all this,” Castrodad said. “The capital is usually a one-time expense, and we can identify some grant sources that we can tap into. But, when it comes to the operating, that’s a recurring expense. And so that’s going to be a harder challenge to overcome.”
The Star’s current operating and management costs are about $5.4 million. Expansion of the Star service alone adds $4.3 million to O&M costs. The other bus and last-mile service options would add an extra $2.2 million to that cost.
“The majority of the operating funding has to come from the jurisdictions that are served,” Castrodad said. “That means Metro and then in Wilson County, the city of Lebanon and the city of Mount Juliet. That will have to be a discussion that we haven’t had yet. We’ve had meetings with the
mayors. We’ve been keeping them informed through this process, and we’ve heard that they are interested, that they understand that this is an important service and they would like to see it improve.”
Ultimately, Castrodad said, the amount of changes WeGo and the RTA can make to the Star will come down to what the jurisdictions are willing to pay for. There are also capital costs to consider that could reach $10 million. Castrodad said funding the capital side is easier because there are several grant opportunities they can work on to aid in finding the funds to cover those costs.
“Even though we call this short term, in reality, this will take at least a few years minimum,” Castrodad said. “We think about three years because you have to start looking into the budget cycles.”
He added that conversations about the land use around local stations will play an important factor in communities’ decisions to invest in the Star.
“This will be hard conversations to have, but the reality is that one of the things that we’re trying to do with the train is position it in a way that it can serve more of what people want to see,” Castrodad said. “How can we maximize the opportunities for development to take place around the stations that can help build up the ridership? But at the same time if you don’t have the service, it’s hard. So it’s the chicken or the egg.”
RTA is currently negotiating with H.G.
Hill Realty Company and Southeast Ventrue about plans for the Donelson Station. Castrodad said that WeGo officials hope to create a joint development agreement to enhance the options and opportunities for future growth. He added they are counting on that joint venture with developers and the private sector for continued evolution along the Star route.
“I think any of the stations along the Star has this potential,” Castrodad said. “The way that this is moving and now and how it’s happening with the bus side — the stability of the rail makes it a more attractive option. But, if we don’t start working toward improving the service, it’s not going to be very attractive.”
Ridership numbers have been inching back up since the COVID-19 slump in 2020. The numbers are based in a fiscal year calendar from July to June. While just under 206,000 riders chose the Star in 2019, only about 35,000 rode the train in 2020. Since then numbers have begun climbing again with an estimated 102,000 riders for the 2023 fiscal year, having just ended in June 2024.
WeGo is still accepting feedback from the community on Star service via a survey until Aug. 11.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Trio of Texans arrested for Bellevue bank robbery
STAFF REPORTS
Three Houston men were arrested for “committing a substantial robbery” of a Bank of America ATM in Bellevue on Aug. 7.
According to a Metro Nashville Police Department news release, Jayveon Q. White, 23, and Michael Austin Murphy and Trevion D. Rice, both 24, were arrested in Cheatham County after they approached an ATM repairman around 4 p.m. and stole “thousands of dollars” of cash before fleeing the area.
“The three suspects are accused of approaching the repairman with a gun or an object to make the victim think they were armed,” a news release reads. “They demanded that he step away from the machine and quickly stole cash containers from it.”
Police tracked a stolen car that the trio was traveling in, locating the vehicle from an LPR camera near Kingston Springs.
“Kingston Springs police responded to a shots fired call. It seems that the men had pulled behind an old bank building near a
woman’s home. She yelled at them, and they yelled back threatening her. She reported being in fear and fired shots at the car. The men sped away from that location and, a short time later, were spotted by Kingston Springs police and Cheatham County
deputies. The three bailed from the car and were almost immediately apprehended.”
All three men were booked in the Cheatham County Jail and charged with resisting arrest and issued warrants for aggravated robbery in Nashville.
Police said that the men have criminal histories in Texas and Florida, adding that the men refused to be interviewed by MNPD detectives and FBI agents.
Jayveon White PHOTO: MNPD
Michael A. Murphy PHOTO: MNPD Trevion D. Rice PHOTO: MNPD
CONNOR DARYANI, NASHVILLE BANNER
This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and The News. The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news. Visit nashvillebanner.com for more information.
Plaza Mariachi is moving forward with a plan to sell off its exterior shops to pay off more than $10 million in debt.
When First Financial Bank initiated foreclosure proceedings against Plaza Mariachi in early June, the future of the beloved Nolensville Pike institution, which has been a center for Nashville Latino culture and commerce since its opening in 2017, became uncertain. A month later, on the eve of the scheduled foreclosure, Plaza Mariachi filed for bankruptcy, staving off foreclosure proceedings and buying time to work out the business’s financials.
More than a month into bankruptcy proceedings, an image of Plaza Mariachi’s future is beginning to materialize.
On Monday, Judge Charles Walker approved Plaza Mariachi’s application to hire a real estate broker as part of the business’s plan of reorganization. The intent is to sell off the exterior properties of Plaza Mariachi, dubbed “The Shops at Plaza Mariachi,”
which currently is home to a number of businesses — from Little Caesars to a dry cleaner to T-Mobile. Plaza Mariachi itself, consisting of event spaces, a radio station and several shops and restaurants, would not change hands.
According to bankruptcy court filings, Plaza Mariachi owes First Financial Bank $8.2 million and Capital One $6.6 million. Plaza Mariachi’s application says that before bankruptcy proceedings, it had already been working with the broker on this plan, and had received “significant interest and a number of offers” on a list price of $12.5 million after being on the market for only two weeks.
Plaza Mariachi’s pitch is that the sale of the exterior shops would net enough to pay off First Financial Bank and some smaller tax-related debts. This would leave only the Capital One debt, which Plaza would be able to make a significant down payment on before working out a new financing plan to pay off the rest.
Attorneys for Plaza Mariachi tell the Nashville Banner that future events such as the Mexican Independence Day celebration, which is Plaza Mariachi’s most significant event and uses the entirety of the parking lot, would not be affected by the sale of The Shops
at Plaza Mariachi and would go on as usual.
Despite its tenuous financial situation, the site has continued to host hundreds of people from across the city every night for soccer game watch parties, salsa dancing and a wide array of other events. The liveliness of the space would cause anyone to question how it could be in bankruptcy.
Mark Janbakhsh bought the building, formerly home to a Kroger, for $1.9 million in 2013. But at the same time he was developing what would become Plaza
Mariachi, Janbakhsh was also the majority owner and CEO of the Tennessee car dealership chain Auto Masters. He and Steven Piper, the CFO, allegedly defrauded banks for millions of dollars, some of which went toward the development of Plaza Mariachi. Janbakhsh was indicted on 18 counts of fraud in 2022. That case was set to go to trial in June but was recently postponed and has not yet been rescheduled.
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Plaza Mariachi PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS
Columbia man convicted after running over Franklin police officer in 2022
Roy Nicholson was convicted of four felonies following a three-day trial that could have statewide impact
HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
A Columbia man has been found guilty of reckless aggravated assault and other crimes after he ran over a Franklin police officer on Interstate 65 in 2022.
Initially, 28-year-old Roy Gene Nicholson, III, was charged with aggravated assault on a first responder, for which he was found not guilty, instead being found guilty of the lesser charge above.
Nicholson was also found guilty of three other charges: evading arrest with a deadly weapon (vehicle), possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Nicholson’s convictions were returned after nearly three hours of jury deliberation on Friday, the last of a three-day trial presided over by Williamson County Circuit Judge Deanna Johnson.
Defense attorney E. Kendall White IV White told The News that he was “disappointed” with the verdict and plans on appealing the verdict, citing numerous “constitutional issues.”
As previously reported, Nicholson was arrested on Sunday, April 24, 2022, minutes after the incident that was recorded on an FPD dash camera and later released to the public. This week, a recording of the entire incident was played for the jury.
Nicholson was pulled over around 10:20 a.m. by FPD Officer (now Sargent) Dustyn
Stevens for his illegal window tint and driving slow in the fast lane, despite no other cars being immediately around him.
Stevens asked Nicholson to step out of the white Infiniti sedan after he saw a partially concealed semi-automatic pistol in the passenger seat and a pistol magazine visible in the car’s open center console.
That gun was later seen on another officer’s body-worn camera following Nicholson’s arrest.
Nicholson had a legal handgun carry permit and presented it to Stevens while they spoke outside of their vehicles, a conversation that began with a literal handshake.
Stevens was the first witness to take the stand and testified to smelling the “very strong odor of unburnt cannabis” coming from Nicholson’s car when he approached the passenger-side window.
Another officer testified that he didn’t smell cannabis when he was attempting to help Stevens pull Nicholson from the car.
The first day of the trial included testimony from law enforcement and witnesses and the playing of several police body-worn and in-car camera recordings.
In the video, Nicholson denied having any marijuana – a term that drew an objection from White throughout the trial; the court instead favored the term cannabis.
Stevens then attempted to handcuff Nicholson after suspecting that he was about
to flee. Nicholson pulled away and resisted the physical detainment, leading Stevens to take Nicholson to the ground on the side of the interstate.
Nicholson continued to pull away from Stevens, who had dropped his handcuffs during the struggle, with Nicholson pleading
with Stevens to let him go.
“Hold up – we’re talking – chill, chill. … You don’t gotta slam me. ...I’m not trying to fight. …I swear I’m not going anywhere,” Nicholson yelled in the videos.
At points, Nicholson held onto Steven’s patrol vehicle to try and stop Stevens’ from using what he said were “soft-hands techniques” against what White called Nicholson’s “passive noncompliance.”
Stevens’ body-worn camera was knocked off his uniform during the struggle, which was captured both visually and audibly from the body-worn camera and his dash camera.
Nicholson eventually pulled free of Stevens and ran to his car. A second FPD officer arrived on scene and both officers attempted to pull Nicholson from the driver’s seat.
Nicholson accelerated, knocking both officers to the ground. The rear driver’s side wheel then ran over Stevens’ legs and left hand, all of which was captured on camera.
Stevens testified that his hand was “crushed” and he is now in “constant back pain” from numerous fractures. He also suffered cuts, bruising and road rash in what he said was “certainly the worst pain I’ve ever experienced.”
Stevens was transported by ambulance to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The other officer suffered minor injuries to his knee and refused medical treatment at the scene.
Two civilian witnesses to the scuffle were later passed by Nicholson’s car
Dash camera footage of the 2022 incident where : Roy Nicholson, III ran over a Franklin Police officer plays in Williamson County court on Aug. 7, 2024.
PHOTO: FRANKLIN POLICE 2022
Roy Gene Nicholson, III
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
on West McEwen Drive and called 911 to report that the car was driving “aggressively,” not realizing at the time that the car was the same one involved in the traffic stop gone wrong.
The witnesses followed Nicholson’s car in their vehicle, ending at the Mallory Lane Walmart parking lot, where Nicholson, who was wearing a blue Walmart employee shirt, had been heading when he was pulled over by Stevens.
Police arrested Nicholson in the Walmart parking lot, and he was transported to a local hospital after complaining of difficulty breathing.
In another body-worn camera footage of his arrest, Nicholson told police that Stevens was “choking me out,” a claim that Stevens denied. Nicholson was released from the hospital with no injuries.
None of the police videos show Stevens choking Nicholson. For several moments, Stevens and Nicholson are not in the video’s frame.
Nicholson denied running anyone over, and while he initially didn’t consent to his vehicle being searched, he soon gave consent in the Walmart parking lot.
Police seized Nicholson’s gun, three magazines and several bullets from his car, as well as a “large amount of cash” from Nicholson’s pockets, initially reported by FPD in 2022 as approximately $3,600.
A Minnie Mouse-themed backpack containing approximately 199.5 grams (just under half a pound) of dry cannabis plant in several plastic bags was also found on a sidewalk around half a mile away on West McEwen Drive.
Stevens testified to seeing the backpack, which was also captured on his body-worn camera, in Nicholson’s car.
Police were only able to pull one fingerprint from a small plastic package inside the book bag, but the fingerprint matched that of another person unrelated to the case.
Assistant District Attorney Carlin Hess also introduced into evidence 15 pages of text messages recovered from Nicholson’s phone, which featured a conversation about a planned sale of cannabis.
The defense argued that Stevens couldn’t smell the difference between legal lowTHC-level cannabis and higher-level THC cannabis that the state refers to as marijuana, even asking witnesses to smell a sample of legal cannabis to show the indecipherable odor. The prosecution asked why someone would throw out a bag of allegedly legal cannabis from a car fleeing a traffic stop.
The defense also argued that it was not Nicholson, but Stevens who ultimately escalated the traffic stop.
“He was supposed to be in control of that situation,” White said during the defense’s closing argument. “He lost control of that situation because he made bad judgment calls. He should have cited him and released him.”
“If he wanted to investigate further, he could have gotten a warrant, if he believed that there was something illegal going on,
because only smell is not enough. …This should have been a traffic citation, release him and move on, but officer Stevens made it more because he wanted it to be more and he got aggressive,” White said, calling the incident an “accident” committed by a “frightened” citizen who was attempting to flee after White said Nicholson was “assaulted” by Stevens.
Witnesses included a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) forensic scientist and two Tennessee Department of Agriculture scientists. The Department of Agriculture helped the TBI with testing of the cannabis samples, which detailed that the Delta-9 THC levels of the cannabis were at 13.666 percent, while the state only allows 0.3 percent for legal cannabis.
On the final day of the trial, the defense called several witnesses including a plant and soil science expert who testified that storage conditions and the time from when the cannabis was seized to when it was tested could have changed its THC levels from a legal amount of THC to an illegal amount.
That expert witness called TBI’s forensic cannabis testing “terrible science.”
The defense’s expert witness testimony came one day after NewsChannel 5 reported that a Gallatin man’s 2020 marijuana charge was overturned four years after he was convicted in a Sumner County court.
According to that story, the TBI is now saying that some of its past testing of cannabis has been deemed to be “inconclusive,” something that could have a statewide impact for those who have been convicted of marijuana crimes.
Despite the new questions surrounding TBI’s testing, the jury ruled that Nicholson was in possession of illegal marijuana and not any legal (or once-legal) variety of cannabis, as argued by the defense.
“The big takeaway here is that any time someone decides to possess a drug, whatever that drug is, for sale or distribution, and they carry a firearm with them, they put themselves at risk, they put the public at risk and they put law enforcement at risk,” Hess said.
“We continue to hope that in the future the state will work to educate the officers in their training to preserve citizen’s rights and hopefully we can avoid these situations in the future, in which people get hurt because of a lack of training,” White said.
Nicholson remains free on bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28. He is facing a mandatory three years in state prison for possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The remaining three charges are each Class D felonies, which carry two-to-four-year sentences at 30 percent with release eligibility.
In June of 2022, Nicholson was also indicted on federal charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. It’s unclear at this time how his state-level conviction may impact his federal case.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
West Nashville property known for distinctive sign listed for sale
Charlotte Park commercial building offers market, once accommodated laundry facility
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
A West Nashville commercial property recognized for its eye-catching modernist sign has been listed for sale for an undisclosed price.
Located at 6229 Robertson Ave., the 1942-constructed building is home to Robertson Avenue Market and sits at what many consider the geographic and commercial center of Charlotte Park.
Metro records note that in 2001, a family, the details of which The News sister publication the Nashville Post was unable to determine, paid $370,000 for the building and the 0.55 acres on which it sits. The one-story structure offers about 6,290 square feet and two retail spaces, with the space previously (and many years ago) occupied by Dutch Maid Cleaning.
The quirky Dutch Maid pole sign — which subtly takes design cues from Space
Age-influenced Googie futurist architecture (highlighting the car culture, jets and the Atomic Age) — is considered by many a Charlotte Park landmark of sorts.
Marketing materials note the property is suitable for redevelopment.
Sitting at the intersection of Robertson Avenue and Croley Drive, the property is located near multiple sites of recent commercial and residential building additions to Charlotte Park.
Shawn Haniff, a broker with Nashvillebased Commonwealth Properties LLC, is marketing the property for the owner.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Lipscomb appoints campus security chief
Lipscomb University has hired Mark Shafer as chief of campus security STAFF REPORTS
According to a release, Shafer succeeds Jeff Dale, who was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to be the executive director of the state’s Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy.
Shafer was previously a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He
began his FBI career in 1998 and worked in Miami before moving to Washington, D.C., in the the agency’s counterterrorism division. Shafer was assigned to Nashville for 15 years. He then returned to D.C. as a liaison to the congressional committee that has oversight of FBI operations.
Shafer earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami. He is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and a Certified Legal Advisor for the FBI.
“The safety and security of our students and the entire Lipscomb community is a top priority,” Lipscomb President Candice McQueen said in the release.
“His expertise in multiple facets of security, identifying and mitigating risk, and proactive response planning and execution of complex security initiatives — along with his commitment to Lipscomb’s mission — make Mark uniquely qualified to lead this office and will help us continue to expand our focus on this vitally important aspect of our community.”
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
OPINION
TICKED
OGLES FENDS OFF JOHNSTON IN GOP PRIMARY
Yes, but the lying, cheating, fraudster didn’t fend off the FBI who confiscated his cell phone due to him being investigated for campaign money issues.
UPGRADING NASHVILLE’S PUBLIC TRANSIT
Better check your math, sir or madam. Increasing the sales tax from 2.25% to 2.75% is a 22% hike, not a 0.5% increase.
The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.
LOGAN BUTTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS NEWS REPORTER AND PHOTOJOURNALIST
NICOLLE S. PRAINO STAFF REPORTER
LISA BOLD PRODUCTION MANAGER
CHELON HASTY SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER
ELIZABETH JONES CORPORATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
TODD PATTON CFO
MIKE SMITH PRESIDENT AND CEO
BILL FREEMAN OWNER
Dutch Main Cleaning sign PHOTO: SHAWN HANIFF
Mark Shafer PHOTO: LIPSCOMB
The Nashville area saw 3,166 home closings in July — a 5 percent increase from July 2023, when 3,001 residences changed ownership hands.
Relatedly, and according to a Greater Nashville Realtors release, the median price for a single-family home for the month was $506,750, up from the $505,000 mark of the previous month. This is the third straight month the $500,000 figure has been eclipsed.
The median price for a condominium in June was $359,900, up from the $350,010 figure from the same month of last year and up from the $345,000 mark of June.
For a recent comparison, the median prices for a residential single-family home and a condo in February were $478,870 and $339,990, respectively.
There were 2,551 sales pending at the end of July, compared to 2,693 pending sales at this time last year.
Inventory at the end of July was 11,844, a 20 percent increase from the 9,892 active listings reported for the same period in 2023. Currently, the area is seeing a four-month supply of inventory, GNR statistics show.
The GNR release notes the average number of days on the market for a residence in July was 42 days. That mark continues to drop a bit, as April and March saw an average number of 46 and 52 days, respectively, while February registered 59 and January recorded 57. In 2023, homes often sold in no more than 40 days.
“After sluggish activity in June, the Middle Tennessee housing market posted a strong rebound with an increase in nearly all categories in July,” Kevin Wilson, Greater Nashville Realtors president, said in the release.
“The momentum shown this month, combined with the continued softening of interest rates, is expected to spur strong housing sales through the third quarter of 2024.”
For comparison, existing home sales nationally in June fell 5.4 percent both month-over-month and year-over-year, online source bankrate.com reported in late July, citing National Association of Realtors information. Nationwide the median sale price in June was $426,900, up 4.1 percent from the June 2023 mark and the second record high in a row. Similarly, inventory in June nationwide rose to a 4.1-month supply,
a 3.1 percent increase compared to May.
A conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is offering an interest rate of about 6.7 percent, according to online source themortgagereports.com. It was about 6.6 percent in January, various sources note, and 7.2 in May, Forbes reports.
The GNR data was collected from Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
2024 High School Football Season Preview
KEVIN WARNER
In part two of our 2024 high school football season preview, we take a look at the rest of the teams in our coverage area, including those in southwest Nashville and the private schools in Williamson County.
For part one of our preview, which covers the Williamson County Schools teams, visit TheNewsTN.com.
BRENTWOOD ACADEMY
The Eagles head into 2024 coming off of a 2-10 season after which they moved on from head coach Jacob Gill following a loss to McCallie in the second round of the Division II-AAA playoffs.
New head coach Paul Wade brings a championship pedigree back to Brentwood Academy. Wade won three state titles at Davidson Academy and one at DCA before coming to BA.
Despite the lackluster record from a year ago, BA boasts some of the top talent in the state.
Senior quarterback George McIntyre, a University of Tennessee commit and the top-ranked player in the state, finds himself as one of the top quarterback recruits in the country by most recruiting services. The same can be said for one of his offensive linemen, Stephon Shivers, who recently committed to the University of Georgia. McIntyre will also have a nice corps of talented wide receivers in MTSU commit Nico Clifton and sophomore Kesean Bowman, who has several FBS offers. However, they will be missing out on Duke commit Kolbe Harmon who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last week.
The offense will have to fill the void
left along the line by the graduation of Wisconsin Hank Weber.
On defense, the Eagles will look to replace Luke Raab, who signed with Georgia. Linebacker Gavin Schaefer will look to help fill that role.
BA also returns one of the best punters in the country in London Bironas. Bironas, son of late Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas, recently committed to Princeton.
The Eagles will open the season at Christ Presbyterian Academy, hoping to avenge last season’s 17-16 loss to the Lions. BA will travel to McCallie to begin East Region play on Sept. 20.
BATTLE GROUND ACADEMY
The BGA Wildcats finished 2023 5-6 and suffered a first-round exit in the Division II-AA playoffs.
BGA hired four-time South Carolina state championship coach and Bobby Bentley to replace Jonas Rodriguez in the offseason. Bentley guided Byrnes High School to four consecutive state titles from 2002-2005.
In recent years, Bentley served as an assistant in the college ranks, most recently as an analyst at Central Florida.
BGA will open the season hosting The Webb School of Knoxville on Aug. 23. The Wildcats will open region play versus Davidson Academy on Sept. 13.
GRACE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
The GCA Lions finished last season right at .500, posting a 5-5 record and going 3-2 in the Division II-A Middle Region.
The Lions lost in the first round of the DII-A playoffs to First Assembly Christian
High School 56-42. GCA will be looking to replace do-it-all senior Kyle Davidson in head coach Bob Jordan’s second season.
This year, the Lions will open with Freedom Prep Academy on Aug. 23 at home. They will open region play on Sept. 20 when Clarksville Academy comes to town. The following week, the Lions will travel to NCS.
CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN ACADEMY
Head coach Ingle Martin and the CPA Lions will look to repeat as Division II-AA champions this season after a dominant run to the title in the program’s fifth consecutive championship game appearance.
The Lions will have to replace several key starters including, linebacker/running back and DII-AA Mr. Football winner Crews Law, a North Carolina signee; defensive back\ wide receiver Ondre Evans, who inked with Georgia; and offensive lineman John Wayne Oliver; who is headed to Ole Miss.
Senior offensive lineman Brady Smith, a Furman University commit, and junior athlete Owen Cabell will be among the players to watch this season.
CPA will open the season in The Den against Brentwood Academy on Saturday, Aug 24 before a home opener against Brentwood on Aug. 30. The defending champs will begin region play against Pope Prep on Sept. 6.
ENSWORTH
The Ensworth Tigers welcomed former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck as the program’s new head coach in the offseason.
Hasselbeck inherits a team that went 7-4 last season losing to McCallie in the first round of the playoffs.
The former NFL star will have several exciting players that are already garnering attention from colleges around the country.
Athlete Bishop Starling, junior athlete Justin Hopkins and junior offensive lineman Richard Thigpen all have several FBS offers.
Senior defensive lineman Ethan Utley has committed to Tennessee, while junior linebacker Sam Haley has committed to TCU.
The Tigers will open Division II-AAA West Region play at Memphis University School on Sept. 27. Ensworth’s opening week opponent has not yet been determined.
LIPSCOMB ACADEMY
The Lipscomb Academy Mustangs missed the playoffs last season due to TSSAA sanctions following recruiting violations, which came in the middle of a 4-6 season. Both events led to the departure of first-year head coach and former NFL player Kevin Mawae.
Former Vanderbilt and Whites Creek two-sport star Jamie Graham was hired as
the new head coach in the offseason. Graham spent time as an offensive coordinator, pass game coordinator, and wide receivers coach under previous LA head coach Trent Dilfer. He also served as UAB’s offensive quality control coach under Dilfer last season.
The Mustangs return some of the state’s top talent, especially on defense, including Colorado signee Chauncey Gooden, LSU signee CJ Jimcoily and West Virginia commit Amir Leonard-Jean Charles, and linebacker Kris Thompson, also has many colleges interested.
LA opens the season against Orlando, Florida’s First Academy followed by Thompson (Alabama) on Aug. 29. The Mustangs will open East Region play on Sept. 13 versus Baylor.
JAMES LAWSON
Lawson and head coach Brian Lilly enter the program’s second year trying to improve on a 4-6 record. Lawson transitioned to its new campus in Bellevue after moving from Hillwood last summer, culminating in a thrilling 18-15 win over Cheatham County in the first game at the new school.
The Lightning will open season on Aug. 23 against Cheatham County once again. Lawson opens Region 6-5A play on Sept. 13 at Centennial High School. They will face 5-A runner-up Page on Oct. 4, local rival Hillsboro on Sept. 27 and Nolensville on Oct 18.
FRANKLIN ROAD ACADEMY
The Franklin Road Academy Panthers finished the season 11-2 in 2023 and reached the third round of the Division II-AA playoffs. FRA will have to replace the talents of all-state running back Ty Clark III, now at Wake Forest, and versatile defensive lineman Bobby Council, Jr., who is suiting up for MTSU this season.
The Panthers open the season on Aug. 16 at Kenwood and host Franklin the following week. Middle Region play begins with a trip to The Webb School on Sept. 6.
MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY
Following a nearly perfect 2022, the Big Red strung together a 5-7 season in 2023, but one that included a surprising run to the Division II-AAA semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champs McCallie.
MBA opens the 2024 season against Pearl Cohn on Aug. 23. The following week, Ensworth comes to town. DII-AA runner-up CPA makes the trip on Sept. 13 followed by Father Ryan the following week.
The Big Red will travel to Lipscomb Academy on Oct. 4. They will look for revenge against Baylor on Oct. 25 before facing Brentwood Academy on Nov. 1.
Nashville Christian quarterback Jared Curtis PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
HILLSBORO
The Burros open the season with a nonregion away contest against McGavock on Aug. 23.
Hillsboro, 6-5 in 2023, hopes to improve on its first-round exit from the 5A playoffs a year ago. The Burros went 2-3 in Region 6-5A last season. It will open region play against crosstown rival Lawson on Sept. 27. Other important games include hosting Nolensville on Oct. 4 and visiting Page on Oct. 18 and Centennial on Nov. 1.
FATHER RYAN
The Fighting Irish look to improve on a disappointing 4-7 season a year ago, but they will have to do so without quarterback JoJo Crump, who signed with VMI, and receiver Charlie Becker, who inked with Indiana.
Father Ryan will travel to Overton on Aug. 23 for week one before facing local rivals Brentwood Academy on Sept. 13, MBA on Sept. 20 and visiting Ensworth on Oct.11.
Division II-AAA West region play will begin on September 27 with Briarcrest Christian coming to town.
NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
The NCS Eagles finished 2023 6-7 and lost in the third round of Division II-A playoffs, but a new season brings new opportunities.
The Eagles return one of the top juniors in the nation in Jared Curtis. Curtis, rated as the number one player in Tennessee and the number seven quarterback in the nation by 24/7 Sports composite rankings, committed to Georgia in the offseason.
Curtis will be joined by fellow junior wide receiver/defensive back TJ Ward, Jr., who transferred in to NCS. Ward has several major FBS offers.
The Eagles and the highly touted duo will face Davidson Academy at home on August 23.
NCS will begin East Region play when it hosts Mount Juliet Christian Academy on Sept. 20.
OVERTON
Overton finished with a 2-8 record and went winless in Region 6-6A last season. This led to a coaching change with Ron Lambert replacing Arcentae Broome. Broome took the job at Antioch after leading Overton to the playoffs in 2021 and 2022.
Lambert has an extensive coaching career in the area with his most successful stint coming from 2010-2016 when he posted a 36-38 record and earned three playoff appearances at Rossview.
Lambert and the Bobcats will open season against Father Ryan on August 23. They will open region play against Ravenwood on September 20.
Titans must shuffle offensive line following Charles’ retirement Decision could mean promotion for Radunz at right guard
JOHN GLENNON
Just as the Titans seemed to be finding some continuity on the right side of the line, the team will need to make an adjustment.
Tennessee placed offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles on the reserve/retired list Tuesday, one day after he was named the starting right guard on the Titans’ first unofficial depth chart.
The Titans had signed the 25-year-old Charles, a four-year veteran, to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million during the offseason.
The 6-4, 322-pound Charles had worked with the starters through most of the offseason and training camp. In his career, Charles had played in 35 games for Washington, starting 18 — including 10 last year.
But Charles had missed a number of practices recently for what coach Brian Callahan called personal reasons before informing the team he was walking away from the game.
The Titans would seem to have two immediate options to take Charles’ place as a starter.
One is Dillon Radunz, who was listed as the second-string right guard on the unofficial depth chart. A second-round pick in 2021, Radunz has played 177 snaps over three seasons at right guard.
Radunz spent most of his time (504 offensive snaps) at right tackle in 2023, playing just 19 at right guard, per Pro Football Focus.
The 6-6, 301-pound Radunz posted a 78.7 run-blocking grade last season, per PFF, but a 59.7 grade in pass-blocking, as he allowed 36 pressures — five sacks, five quarterback hits and 26 hurries in 16 games (11 starts).
The other option would be Daniel Brunskill, who started 14 games at right guard last season. The 6-5, 300-pound Brunskill, a five-year veteran, posted a 62.5 PFF run-blocking grade last season and a 67.7 pass-blocking grade. He surrendered 26 pressures — two sacks, five quarterback hits and 19 hurries — in 14 contests.
But Brunskill hasn’t played much right
guard under Callahan, as the team had shifted him to the backup center position, behind Lloyd Cushenberry.
Other non-starting guards on the roster include former Tennessee State standout Lachavious Simmons on the right side, as well as Andrew Rupcich and Brian Dooley on the left side — behind starter Peter Skoronski.
The Titans do have about $24 million under the salary cap, per overthecap.com, but there aren’t a lot of top talents available at guard.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Nashville’s Snedeker earns Payne Stewart Award
Former Vanderbilt and MBA golfer
Brandt Snedeker has earned this year’s Payne Stewart Award, given annually to a player whose values align with the character, charitable mindset and sportsmanship that Stewart showed.
Snedker will be honored Aug. 27 in downtown Atlanta at the Payne Stewart Award ceremony, which will be televised live from 6 to 7 p.m. CT on the Golf Channel.
“Brandt Snedeker exemplifies everything the Payne Stewart Award represents,” PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan said in a release. “As one of our game’s most respected players, Brandt has displayed a steadfast commitment to using his platform to better the lives of so many families in his home state of Tennessee. He and Mandy have worked tirelessly to build their family foundation and establish opportunities for
children on and off the golf course, and it’s inspiring to know those efforts will continue for years to come.”
The PGA TOUR presents the Payne Stewart Award annually to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity, and sportsmanship.
Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR and World Golf Hall of Fame member, died tragically 25 years ago during the week of the PGA tour championship in 1999. A year later, the PGA tour created the award.
The 43-year-old Snedeker, a Nashville native with nine tour victories, launched the Snedeker Foundation more than a decade ago.
The organization has focused on supporting youth initiatives on both the social and athletic fronts across middle Tennessee.
Our Kids, one of the foundation’s most prominent initiatives, provides expert medical
evaluations and crisis counseling services in response to concerns about child sexual abuse. Our Kids is one of the largest clinics of its kind in the country, with eight team members providing free 24/7 coverage to 47 counties in middle Tennessee. Since 1987, Our Kids has evaluated more than 30,000 children, 65 percent of whom are age 7 or younger.
“It’s an amazing honor and privilege to be a recipient of this award,” Snedeker said in the release. “With my family being from Springfield, Missouri, Payne’s hometown, he was my favorite golfer growing up and to have my name on this trophy is unbelievable. When you’re recognized for an award like this, it means not only are you a good player, but you’re a good person. This was one of my dreams and it came true.”
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Titans offensive line PHOTO: TENNESSEE TITANS.
Cheekwood announces packed fall ‘Harvest’ slate STAFF
REPORTS
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens announced the schedule for its annual fall festival Cheekwood Harvest. The event is set to run from Sept. 14 through Oct. 27.
Highlights for Cheekwood Harvest include Pumpkin Village, — which features more than 75,000 pumpkins and more than 4,000 chrysanthemums — the P’mumkin Topiary, and the Community Scarecrow Trail.
Tickets for the event are on sale at cheekwood.org/calendar-events/ cheekwood-harvest. View the full schedule of activities below.
Cheekwood Estate & Gardens announced the schedule for its annual fall festival Cheekwood Harvest. The event is set to run from Sept. 14 through Oct. 27.
Highlights for Cheekwood Harvest include Pumpkin Village, — which features more than 75,000 pumpkins and more than 4,000 chrysanthemums — the P’mumkin Topiary, and the Community Scarecrow Trail.
Tickets for the event are on sale here. View the full schedule of activities below.
FALL MUSIC LINEUP
The weekly Thursday Night Out concert series continues through October 24. Performances are from 5:30-9 p.m.
September 5 | Wild Bill and the Bruisers
September 12 | Hannah Juanita & The Hardliners
September 19 | Shaun Murphy
September 26 | Cristina Vane
October 3 | Take the Highway
October 10 | The Cowpokes
October 17 | End of the Line: A Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band
October 24 | Les Sabler with the Smoking Section Horns
Weekend Musical Performances in the Beer Garden
The Cheekwood Beer Garden will host weekend performances from from noon to 2 p.m. during Harvest.
Saturday Sounds in the Beer Garden
September 14 | Tim Gartland
September 21 | Lindsey Miller
September 28 | Austin John Organ Trio
October 5 | Pontoon Serenaders
October 12 | Charles Treadway Organ Trio
October 19 | Denny Jiosa
October 26 | Time Is Tight
Sunday Jazz in the Beer Garden
September 15 | Giovanni Rodriguez
September 22 | Les Sabler
September 29 | Pat Bergeson Trio
October 6 | Tudo Bem
October 13 | Andy Reiss Quartet
October 20 | Chester Thompson
The Harvest Plant Sale will take place Sept. 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the Arboretum Lawn. From mums to perennials, ornamental grasses and cabbage, violas, pansies, trailing ivy, mini pumpkins, charming gourds and more, browse a curated selection of fall plants. Planting demonstrations will be provided at 10 a.m. on both days. Wagons will be available to transport plants and pumpkins for guests. Tickets can be
Harvest Afternoon Tea will take place on Tuesdays & Thursdays from Sept. 17 through Oct. 24 from 3-4:30 p.m. Tableside service is offered for parties of two or four guests.
A new evening event for Harvest, Fall Break at Cheekwood: Friday Hoedown, is set for Oct. 11 from 5:30-9 p.m. The Friday Hoedown will feature square dancing, seasonal food and libations, and a chance to explore the gardens, Pumpkin Village,
Scarecrow Trail and P’mumkin Topiary.
The 10th Annual Japanese Moon Viewing is set for Sept. 15 from 4-9 p.m. The celebration of Japanese art, gardens and culture is in partnership with the Consulate General of Japan and Japan American Society of Tennessee.
The Halloween Pooch Party will take over on Oct. 26-27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with two costume contests each day, including a special category honoring this year’s theme, “Personify a Color.”
The 25th Annual El Día de los Muertos event will return on Nov. 2-3 from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. During the special 25th
annual event, guests can visit community altars, view large-scale murals created by area middle and high school students, sample fare from local restaurants and bakers, shop for traditional goods, enjoy bilingual song and storytime and hands-on activities for kids, and experience a variety of dance and music performances.
There will also be a selection of Cheekwood Harvest workshops and gardening classes on topics ranging from gardening with fall annuals to attracting native pollinators to harvesting and preserving herbs.
EC announces Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame inductees Recipients
STAFF REPORTS
for 2024 will be honored at NEXT Awards celebration in October
The Nashville Entrepreneur Center has announced the 2024 Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame inductees, with the group to be celebrated at the NEXT Awards on Oct. 21 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Pat Emery
The late Emery, who died in October 2022, was a real estate developer and community leader who is being recognized for his positive impact on Nashville’s growth and development over his four-decade career. Emery’s notable achievements include developing a downtown site with the mixeduse Fifth + Broadway and helping transition
the Cool Springs area into a corporate headquarters and office hub.
Dr. Turner Nashe
An entrepreneur and inventor, Nashe has delivered contributions that have advanced technology in security-sensitive industries. His work in building technology that facilitates data delivery and educational content delivery has set new standards in these sectors. Nashe’s career includes influential roles at Sonata Bank, Maxx Content and DevDigital and the cofounding of ReCOVer-Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pam and Phil Pfeffer
The Pfeffers have impacted multiple industries through innovation and strategic investments. Phil Pfeffer led the creation of several successful companies, including Ingram Micro Inc., and, together with Pam, founded Treemont Capital Inc. Their entrepreneurial ventures, mentorship and investments through the Nashville Entrepreneur Center have fostered the growth of numerous companies.
Michael Burcham
Burcham has established himself as an executive coach, entrepreneur, investor
and strategist over his three-decade career. He initiated his work in health care innovation as the founder and CEO of Theraphysics and continued with his role as the founding president and CEO of Nashville Entrepreneur Center. Burcham’s contributions to business growth, mentorship and innovation earned him the National Champion of Change award from then-President Barack Obama, Nashvillian of the Year and Tennessean of the Year.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post
Cheekwood Harvest PHOTO: CHEEKWOOD
Wheat Berry Salad
BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE
This high fiber wheat berry salad is totable, versatile, and perfect for a day at the lake, concert in the park, or hike in the woods. Inspired by a similar dish I had at a conference in hot, muggy Baton Rouge, this refreshing salad has become my summer goto. It’s a novel way to get more whole grains in your diet, and a perfect dish to pack for
a day of hiking. In fact, it’s perfectly suited to lunch on a boulder at one of Tennessee’s many waterfalls. With seven grams of protein and six grams of fiber, it’s much more refined (and more satisfying) than a power bar. You can find wheat berries at supermarkets (Kroger) in the grains section next to the couscous and quinoa.
INGREDIENTS
SALAD
1 cup wheat berries
1 cup red grapes, halved
½ cup marinated artichoke hearts
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 cups mixed greens
(such as a Baby Spring mix)
2 ounces goat cheese (such as Noble Springs)
⅓ cup chopped green onion
¾ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered salt and cracked pepper to taste
1. Cook wheat berries in salted water for about 30–40 minutes. While wheat berries are cooking, dry roast sliced almonds in pan over medium heat until golden brown.
DRESSING
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon honey
ACROSS
1 Warts and all
5 Dr ug that’s “dropped”
8 Baking abbr
11 Long , easy stride
12 Formally reject
13 Many stuffed cat toys
14 Like much Cajun chicken
16 Literature Nobelist born in French Algeria
17 Sprinkle in
18 Like a quar ter moon tide
19 Most reser ved
20 Thought-provoking
22 Tuscan red wines
24 Take in, as a breath
25 Hoosegow
26 Some whiskeys
27 React like a star tled horse
28 Scottish “John”
31 What memories are recounted in
33 “Cum On Feel the Noize” band, 1973
35 Rx writers
36 Food, informally
37 Caught some congers
38 Wound stinger
39 In the manner of
40 Hard patterns to break ... or a punny description of the climbs up the circled letters
56 Little twerp DOWN
1 Duchess of ___ (Goya subject)
2 “You’ve convinced me!”
3 Device identifier, in computing
4 Moment, informally
5 Singer/activist Horne
6 Aerobic exercise option
7 Pentagon org.
8 Segment of this puzzle’s race
9 “Pardon me,” in Pisa
10 Nuisances
12 Prez’s proxy
30 Composer Rorem
32 Box filled with bags
34 Cloris ___, Emmywinning actress on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
38 Went against the Word
39 Facade
40 Food item, quaintly
41 Loan shar k’s “business”
42 Base boss, informally
43 Book in a biblioteca
44 Occasion
45 ___-CoV-2 (vir us that causes Covid- 19)
46 Group of three
48 Clock-setting standard: Abbr.
49 British ref.
2. To prepare dressing, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
3. Drain wheat berries and toss with grapes, artichoke, almonds, mixed greens, and tomatoes. Top with goat cheese and green onion. Chill.
Follow Edible Nashville on instagram @ediblenashtn and their website ediblenashville.com.
To subscribe to the magazine that comes out 6x/year, go to ediblenashville.com.
46 “Tony n’ ___ Wedding” (Off Broadway hit)
47 Mourned a death, in Judaism
48 Three-week bike race, such as the one featured in this puzzle
50 F ire remnant
51 Dug up
52 Fraction of a joule
53 Brings in
54 Hot ___ (winter quaff)
55 How to become a whole new
hue
13 Where many Penobscot and Passamaquoddy live
15 Didn’t just think
16 Typical ending point for this puzzle’s race
19 Actor Liu
21 90 degrees, say
23 Member of the genus Lepus
24 Group of two 25 Mailed
26 Rotation meas.
27 One eschewing rosetinted glasses
29 Summer refresher
ANSWER TO PUZZLE
Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year).
Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.
Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/ studentcrosswords.
PUZZLE BY HAL MOORE
SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
Tell Us About it!
Headline Homes: June 2024
AMANDA HAGGARD
This month, the top three homes on this list hit the double-digit millions.
While this is undoubtedly a sign of the ever-rising cost of goods and services, even in luxury living spaces, the first three residences come with extras that may explain their higher-than-otherwise price. The first is a 4,000-square-foot carve-out in the Four Seasons Residences downtown, a massive footprint in such a space. The second two come with acreage: No. 2 has 130 acres with a 4,000-square-foot living space, while the third has five acres and nearly triple the indoor living space.
Below are June’s top 10 home sales in Nashville and the surrounding counties, ranked by sale price.
Buyer’s agent: Julie Riven Dretler, Fridrich & Clark Realty
This condo home in the Four Seasons downtown skyscraper spans 4,000 square feet. The residences is located on the 40th floor and is the “grand penthouse” in the building. It was designed by Miller Hull to include three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. The balcony is 1,000 square feet and offers a panoramic view of many of downtown’s most prominent landmarks, including the AT&T Tower (known by locals as the “Batman Building”) the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium. The home includes all the amenities offered alongside Four Seasons living: concierge services, fitness facilities and spa services.
2. Bear Creek Road, Thompsons Station 37179
Buyer: Todd Glisson, Dream Catcher Trust
Sale price: $13 million
Sellers: Jennifer and Jonathan Turner Sellers’ and buyer’s agent: Tim Thompson, Tim Thompson Premier Realtors
This home located near Leiper’s Fork was custom built by Sipple Homes and designed by Northwork Architects. The 4,000-squarefoot residence sits on almost 130 acres with several outdoor features like riding trails,
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The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
established trees and scenic streams. The listing notes previous owners have groomed the acreage as a “sanctuary for wildlife.”
Two folks in the energy industry, Payman Esmaeili and Farnav Esmaeili Rad, bought this house from Reel Life Music City LLC. For just over $10 million, they purchased 11,306 square feet of indoor space and five acres outside, which includes cattle fencing. Inside, there are six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half bathrooms. The ample space comes with a grand foyer and floating staircase, and lighting throughout and a full scullery kitchen. The acreage includes a pickleball court and basketball court, putting green, outdoor kitchen, resortstyle pool and pool house, sauna and a gym.
4. Franklin Pike, Nashville 37220
Buyer: Churchill Properties LLC
Sale price: $6.9 million
Seller: Legina Chaudoin, trustee of Wobbler Gobbler Trust
This home also sits on five acres on a “resort-style compound” in Oak Hill. There are three separate living structures on the acreage, and the residence comes set up with its own video surveillance system that is already intact, as well as three gated entrances for “privacy and security.” The main house has four bedrooms, an open floor plan and a six-car garage. The guest house offers entertaining areas with open
living spaces, two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a kitchen, a sauna and a full basement. The third living space is a renovated barn with its own gated entrance and is “filled with designer finishes and rustic charm.” The acreage also features a zero entry lagoon-style gunite pool, hot tub, lounge area and a court for tennis, pickleball or basketball.
5. Saundersville Road, Mount Juliet 37122
Buyer: Mark Bretz
Sale price: $6.75 million
Sellers: Steve and Amber Thomas
Sellers’ agent: Chason (Chase) Smith and Katie Morrell, Compass RE
Buyer’s agent: Riley King, Parks
“Embrace lakeside living at its finest in this modern, luxurious sanctuary!” reads the listing for this property. On the lakefront in Mt. Juliet, the 5,500-square-foot home has four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. The seven-acre property has custom outdoor fireplaces, water features and a dog-washing station.
6. Harlow Drive, College Grove 37046
Buyers: Jeffrey and Katie Moore
Sale price: $6 million
Seller: Hk Troubadour LLC
Seller’s agent: Willis Stelly, III, Discovery Tennessee Realty, LLC
Buyers’ agent: Katie Morrell, Compass RE
This 6,370-square-foot home features four bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. It includes views of Hole 5 at the Tom Fazio-designed Troubadour Golf & Field Club.
7. Montmorenci Pass, Brentwood 37027
Buyers: Kristen Dianne Tannler and Jon David Tannler
Sale price: $5,721,000
Seller: Jill Cross, Revocable Living Trust
Seller’s agent: Jaimelyn Brooks, Parks
Buyers’ agent: Tom Ritchie, The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage
Jon Tannler, president of landscape and irrigation company FIS Outdoor, bought this home with wife Kristen. The 3.69-acre parcel features an outdoor kitchen and far infrared sauna. The 10,000 square feet of space inside boasts five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half bathrooms and five fireplaces throughout the home.
8. Van Leer Drive, Nashville 37220
Buyer: Gregory Sachs, trustee of Gregory H. Sachs Trust
Sale price: $5.7 million
Seller: Stone Oak Builders LLC
Seller’s agent: Richard Bryan, Fridrich & Clark Realty
Stone Oak Builders built this home, which offers 7,000 square feet and just over one acre of land. The main suite in the home comes with a heated bathroom floor, glass-enclosed soaking tub and dual showers and vanities and walk-in closets. In addition to all luxury brand appliances, the home features a four-car garage and heated pool, hot tub and waterfall.
9. Heirloom Blvd., College Grove 37046
Buyer: Edwards Family Trust
Sale price: $5.15 million
Seller: Bruce Jacobs, Trustees of Jacobs Family Trust Etal
Seller’s agent: Ben Jenkins, Grove Realty, LLC
Buyer’s agent: Kelly Ladwig, Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty
From one family trust to another, this 9,300-square-foot abode sold for just over $5 million. McFarland Custom Homes designed the five-bedroom, six full-bath, three halfbath home in College Grove, which seems to
be growing in prominence on this highdollar list.
The home was built with “Tennessee Renaissance” fieldstone and cedar plank on the exterior and Brazilian Ipe decking on a large covered porch with remote-controlled screens. The outside space comes adorned with copper gas lamps and a private motor court. Inside are natural oak plank floors, elevators to each level of the home, a floating staircase and spa-like bathrooms.
In addition to the five bedrooms, there’s an entertainment complex in the basement, including a media room, game room, full bar and lounge and an en suite bedroom that has been converted to a gym. There’s also a detached sound studio or office space.
10. Harlow Drive, College Grove 37046
Buyer: Rex McMackin, trustee of Rex McMackin Trust
Sale price: $5.1 million
Seller: Legacy Homes Of TN LLC
Seller’s agent: Willis Stelly, III, Discovery Tennessee Realty, LLC
Rex McMackin is the vice president at Pan-Pacific Mechanical, a construction firm. In the Troubadour Golf & Field Club, the home sits on a third of an acre and includes four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and almost 5,000 square feet of living space. The home’s primary suite is located on the main level, as is a “junior suite,” and the second story features two bedrooms. Outside, there’s a pool and lower deck space that overlooks the 18-hole golf course.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Van Leer Drive PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
Franklin Pike PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
Walk a Mile: Lockeland Springs and Little Hollywood
J.R. LIND
Once a month, resident historian and reporter J.R. Lind, a former staff writer for The News’ sister publication the Nashville Scene, picked an area in the city to examine while accompanied by a photographer. With his column, Walk a Mile, he walked a one-mile stretch of that area, exploring the neighborhood’s history and character, its developments, its current homes and businesses, and what makes it a unique part of Nashville.
The Route: South on Scott Avenue from Franklin Avenue, then right on Eastland. Crossing Eastland, through the parking lot to the alley, then left on McEwen and right on Bushnell. Left on Ordway, following it around until it becomes Lakehurst. Following Lakehurst back around to Ordway, then left. Turning right on North 17th Street and then right on McEwen with a near-immediate left on North 17th. Turning right at Eastland, following it to Setliff.
Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Nashville Scene on April 16, 2020.
Cats are doing just fine during this pandemic, thank you very much.
Sure, we’ve all heard jokes about how feline expertise in lounging around, avoiding people and doing nothing fits perfectly into the reality of the quarantine. But all-day layabouts aren’t the only activity at which cats excel. Slung low to the ground with feet like creeping fog, house cats mimic their wilder and larger cousins in the fine art of stalking. With fewer Homo sapiens and their insidious and noisy automobiles flitting about, Felis catus finds the hunting very good indeed.
On a bright dogwood-winter morning in Lockeland Springs, cats carefully pad their way into roadsides and alleyways choked heavily with untended underbrush, disappearing into the vernal mystery in pursuit of some creature cursed with a
position lower on the food chain.
The cats have Lockeland Springs to themselves. The parking lot at the Fannie Battle Day Home for Children is empty. Founded in 1891 by Fannie Battle — a former Confederate spy — as the Addison Avenue Day Home on what is now 17th Avenue North, it is among the oldest continuously operating child care facilities in the United States. Renamed for its founder in 1924, it relocated to the site between Scott and Chapel avenues in 2011.
Nor is there much bustle at Portland Brew at the corner of Scott and Eastland.
Normally at 8:30 on a weekday morning, the caffeine-dependent would be shuffling about the corner with their cupfuls of lattes and mochas. But today, just one customer is there, having slipped out of his car and ducked in the cafe. He needn’t worry about maintaining the mandated six feet of distance, for there’s no one else around to close the gap.
Another sign of the times is on the sidewalk outside neighboring Rosepepper Cantina. A series of X’s — the requisite fathom apart — leads from the door east. The neighborhood Mexican joint is known as much for the messages on its sign (today it’s a now-well-worn piece of internet humor about Tiger King Joe Exotic, the late Steve Irwin and video-game villain Wario) as for its queso. Rosepepper is doing swift trade in to-go margaritas. But there are no margs to be had this early in the morning, though with the relative anarchy of The Current Situation, one wonders why not.
The alley-cum-parking-lot across the street is mostly empty. In The Before, Lockelanders would be picking up doughnuts from Five Daughters or coffee from Ugly Mugs or getting in a quick session at Climb Nashville. Now a few sit in their cars awaiting their online orders. Scene photographer Eric England, a truly longtime East Sider, says the emptiness brought on by The Great Ingression led him paradoxically
to notice how crowded East Nashville has become — now he’s reminded of the East Nashville of long ago, before widespread gentrification and hip shops and trendy restaurants planted roots.
There are, though, signs of life and the coming spring. Yellow honeysuckle is already in flower, and its white cousin is starting to bud. A heavy — and blessedly, non-tornadic — overnight thunderstorm has brightened the greens. The relative chill brought on by the storm-making cold front notwithstanding, it truly looks and feels like April’s verdancy arrived on time.
We walk south in the alley; new homes in a ditto-marked row stretch west along a short stretch of McEwen before the road elbows to accommodate Shelby Park. This was once mostly vacant lots — some of those persist, much to the cats’ pleasure across the street — but infill has taken over. The tall trees on the fringe of the park cast heavy shadows
on Bushnell, where a for-sale-by-owner sits ready at the McEwen intersection. But splashes of white — dogwoods mostly — break the gloom.
Here are the first hints that one is walking into a quirky if not incongruous neighborhood.
Almost suddenly, the architecture goes from standard-issue postwar tract housing with the occasional sprinkle of Craftsman bungalow to striking Spanish Revival. This is Little Hollywood, a corner of Lockeland Springs offering pleasant views of the golf course at the park, and raising more than a few eyebrows over the past century or so.
The homes here — ranging from sprawling mission-style haciendas to smaller, quaint Pueblo-style houses — evoke Old Spain, or more correctly, the American wing of its empire, the first in history on which the sun never set. There are houses
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
that would fit in nicely on St. Augustine, Fla.’s Aviles Street, and others that wouldn’t be out of place in the desert hills of Santa Fe, N.M. Those cities were, of course, the footholds of Habsburg Spain’s New World viceroyalty. What is now Tennessee may have nominally been part of this empire, but beyond Hernando de Soto’s hike in search of El Dorado, there’s little to tie the Volunteer State to the men who took Charles V’s motto “Plus ultra” to heart.
This particular pocket of Mediterranean charm doesn’t have a history stretching to the 16th century — just to the 1920s and a man named Church Sexton. Bucking aptonymity, Sexton did not become a man responsible for sacred building maintenance. He became what we’d now call a developer, buying up various lots in what was called the McEwen Subdivision. Back in 1800, Col. Robert Weakley bought much of a Revolutionary War land grant from Daniel Williams. Weakley married a woman named Jane Locke, built her a mansion and named it Lockeland. It’s now the site of Lockeland Elementary. The Weakley burial vault was in the 1700 block of Ordway until 1947, when it moved to Mount Olivet.
In any event, in the 1930s, Sexton and his brothers bought lots and started building home after home in this vernacular Spanish style. The story goes that Church’s wife Nora was charmed by the architecture of the American Southwest, and so the Sextons employed it in their project. True or not, Nora did leave a lasting legacy in the neighborhood. Her maiden name “Hurst” forms the back half of the name of the road that winds through Little Hollywood: Lakehurst.
Another far more prosaic theory is that the Sextons chose Spanish Eclectic because it allowed for construction using inexpensive stucco or concrete blocks, and with the Great Depression on in the late 1920s and early 1930s, cheaper was better. It also employed the arch, a favorite of Church Sexton, who used the form even in homes of Colonial or Tudor style.
The houses have been maintained and refurbished flawlessly. There are whitewashed verandas wrapping second floors, and it’s easy to picture Mary Pickford minding a drinks cart for Douglas Fairbanks and friends. There are odd little doors that even from the outside evoke twisting interior passageways and stealthy shortcuts. The larger haciendastyle houses tend to be bright-white; the smaller homes are a panoply of colors: corals and bright pinks and greens and blues. The yards roll and meander, the homes fit naturally into the topography. A mailbox in front of one house stands on a pair of rather sexy mannequin legs.
At Lakehurst and Ordway, a sign positioned in front of a well-manicured formal garden — complete with arbor and water features — welcomes passersby to Little Hollywood, and the sun starts to set on Old Spain.
Walking west on Ordway, slowly but noticeably the quirks fade, though Sexton’s
beloved arches and flat roofs still make frequent appearances. Like their partners on Lakehurst, the homes are built seamlessly into the lunging hills, looking as if they sprouted from the ground at the same time tectonics and glaciers and millennia of water pushed up the hills and shoved down the valleys.
Ordway climbs past Lockland Drive, which — for reasons lost to time — dropped its pivot-point E. A vintage pickup truck painted 1990s expansion-team teal sits idle, advertising a hot yoga studio. Climbing north on 17th Street, purple lilacs crowd the previously ubiquitous white of the dogwoods and woodbine.
The corner gable of the house at the intersection of 17th and McEwen stretches above a mighty magnolia, which has yet to show its white inflorescence. Built in 1910 and now classified as a duplex, the home is all early-20th-century charm and was clearly built for someone of means, with a dozen rooms inside and attenuated white columns on its brick porch.
As 17th moves north toward Eastland, the west side of the road maintains the older homes — largely bungalows and Craftsman cottages — while newer builds crowd on the east side. At the crown of the street is a large house, built in 1900, with fully wrapped verandas on both floors. The home sustained much damage in the 1998 tornado, but was restored to its turn-of-thecentury glory thereafter. Its spacious yard includes tulip poplars, just starting to show their unusual blooms.
Turning west on Eastland, there’s still precious little activity at the shops and cafes and restaurants, even as early morning waxes into mid-morning.
At Eastland and Setliff, someone has scrawled “BAD WOLF” on the sidewalk, a relatively subtle Dr. Who reference. A few houses down Setliff, some sculptures — which would be Rubenesque if they were people, but they are in fact of a stack of books, a bunch
of grapes and other things that are not halfnaked women — beg for passersby to look, but alas, there are few today.
Eventually the sidewalks will be full
again, and pedestrians will ponder the voluptuous books, and the cats will find other places to hunt.
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
Musicians Corner’s announces lineup for fall series Concert
series’ 15th anniversary run continues, including co-presented events with Lighning 100 and AmericanaFest
STEPHEN TRAGESER
Since its inaugural run in 2009, Musicians Corner has offered Nashvillians a phenomenal wealth of live music at zero cost. The 15th anniversary celebration continues with the fall series, coming up quite soon in the gem of substantial urban green space that is Centennial Park.
The party kicks off Labor Day Weekend with Free Fest, a three-day event in partnership with Lightning 100. Running from Thursday, Aug. 29, through Saturday, Aug. 31, highlights of the Free Fest lineup include touring bands like Hovvdy and Real Estate and locals like Michigander, The Love-In, Daniel Nunnelee and Crystal Rose. Thursday and Friday’s shows begin at 5 p.m. with the final artist set to take the stage at 8:10 p.m.; Saturday’s first artist plays at 12:05 p.m. and the last set starts at 4:45 p.m. There are a few TBAs, so keep an eye and an
ear out for artist additions.
To avoid any confusion, it’s worth noting that the regular run of Musicians Corner will also be free to attend, as always. Those shows are all Friday evenings with the first artist starting at 5 p.m. and the last going on at 8:10 p.m., and you can catch them Sept. 6, 13, 20 (a special lineup presented in partnership with AmericanaFest) and 27. These shows are stacked deep with Nashville talent, including performances from Soccer Mommy (in the run up to her new LP Evergreen, out Oct. 25), Julia Cannon, Love Montage, Kaitlin Butts, Tommy Prine, Parker Millsap, The Medium and Kadmon Love, among many more.
Check out the full lineup below and watch the Musicians Corner website for updates.
MUSICIANS CORNER FALL SERIES 2024
Thursday, Aug. 29 (Free Fest in partnership with Lightning 100): (TBA), Hovvdy, Phillip-Michael Scales, Texino, The Love-In
Friday, Aug. 30
(Free Fest in partnership with Lightning 100): Real Estate, (TBA), Jill Andrews, (TBA), A Tribe of Horsman
Saturday, Aug. 31
(Free Fest in partnership with Lightning 100): Michigander, Daniel Nunnelee, (TBA), Crystal Rose, Tabitha Meeks
Friday, Sept. 6: Birdtalker, Dean Johnson, Drumming Bird, Julia Cannon, Sam Hoffman
Friday, Sept. 13: Soccer Mommy, ZG Smith, Abigail Rose, Taylor Noelle, Love Montage
Friday, Sept. 20 (in partnership with AmericanaFest): Kaitlin Butts, The Dead Tongues, Tommy Prine, Malena Cadiz, Theo Lawrence
Friday, Sept. 27: Parker Milsap, Sam Outlaw, The Medium, Larysa Jaye, Kadmon Love
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
Five free and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee
It feels right that this week takes us outside for every single event. It finally feels manageable to get outside and not melt before getting everyone into the car to even leave the driveway. There’s the Full Moon Pickin’ Party, which also takes place after the day has cooled off significantly. Cheekwood also has a day of events with a $20 ticket for parents but free entry for the rascals. If you’re looking for totally free, see Romeo & Juliet in Murfreesboro or head over to Hendersonville to check out a free concert. And then if you want to spend a bit, but also get some nostalgic value from the event, there’s the Tennessee State Fair over in Lebanon.
As part of our series on free cheap things to do with the family, here is our weekly roundup of places to spend time
together over the next week:
FULL MOON PICKIN’ PARTY
On Aug. 16 from 6-10 p.m., Warner Parks will host a night of bluegrass under the stars — a 25-year Nashville tradition perfect for an evening out with the family. Admission for the evening is $25 ahead of time and $30 at the door and includes three adult beverages. The event is free for children. Proceeds benefit Friends of Warner Park and their work to preserve the Percy and Edwin Warner Parks.
BLACK ARTS BASH AT CHEEKWOOD
Cheekwood is hosting a celebration of Black artists on Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. to
9 p.m. with music, dance, spoken word, visual art and more at the Black Arts Bash. Music includes performances from the Black Opry, an organization that promotes Black artists working in country, Americana, blues, folk and roots music. There will also be a community activity, storytime and hands-on activities for the kids as well as food available for purchase by local Black chefs. Art will be on display in the Frist Learning Center. The event is daylong, costs $20 per adult and is free for children under 17.
HENDERSONVILLE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Thursdays through Sept. 5, The Streets of Indian Lake is hosting a free concert from 6:30-9 p.m. Patrons can visit shops, restaurants and enjoy the free family-friendly music through the end of the summer. Revelry Country will play Aug. 15 and Chips & Salsa will play Aug. 22.
‘ROMEO & JULIET’ BY MURFREESBORO
LITTLE THEATRE
Murfreesboro Little Theatre is slated to perform Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in a 1920s aesthetic at Oaklands Mansion in Murfreesboro. The free outdoor productions begin Aug. 15 and run through Aug. 25. Performances begin at 7 p.m.
TENNESSEE STATE FAIR/WILSON COUNTY FAIR
In Lebanon, the Tennessee State Fair/ Wilson County Fair is slated for Aug. 1524. Opening night is Aug. 15 and there are special deals that evening and if you order tickets ahead of time online. The best deal is getting a megaband, which is $30 and includes admission and unlimited rides, but must be purchased online before Aug. 14. Check online for schedules, concession details and more.
AMANDA HAGGARD
Tennessee State Fair PHOTO: HARDISON E. MOLES
Full Moon Pickin’ Party PHOTO: FRIENDS OF WARNER PARKS
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