August 22, 2024

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In the latest move of an ongoing litigation battle, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art has countersued a Swan Ball-associated nonprofit entity claiming the rights to the annual gala’s state trademark, contending the entity’s actions are “an assault on Cheekwood and the legacy of generations of volunteers and donors.”

In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, Cheekwood argues it has full ownership — and not SB Initiative Inc. (SBI) — of the Swan Ball and that the issue is not about, as SB argues, a trademark but, rather, financial accountability.

Cheekwood contends the charity/expense ratio for the Swan Ball has averaged 32 percent over the past three events, which contrasts with the nationally accepted return figure of 60 percent to 70 percent. As such, Cheekwood argues, only 32 cents of a donor’s dollar benefits Cheekwood, with the remainder covering the cost of the Swan Ball.

Cheekwood alleges in the lawsuit that SBI’s acts “have caused Cheekwood damages and unjustly enriched SBI.”

In the lawsuit, Cheekwood argues it owns and maintains the Swan Ball domain, associated website, and a GoDaddy account

used to register and renew the Swan Ball website. Relatedly, Cheekwood alleges SBI registered, maintained and is presently using “infringing domains with a bad faith intent to profit.”

Cheekwood alleges that, on several occasions in May and June, several former Swan Ball volunteers believed associated with SBI “attempted covertly to gain unauthorized access to Cheekwood’s computers and files, Cheekwood’s Swan Ball Mailchimp account, and the Cheekwood’s FrontStream account, onsite and online.”

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty began his statewide economic development tour in Spring Hill Wednesday by visiting Worldwide Stages, an entertainment production venue.

Hagerty also made stops in Shelbyville at the Musgrave Pencil Company and Southern Precision Machining as well as at automotive components supplier Meiwa in Lewisburg, which he helped bring to the state back in 2013 as commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Touting the leadership of Tennessee, the Republican senator said he’s

WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS
Sen. Bill Hagerty PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

Hagerty begins

proud the state is thriving and added that his colleagues in the Senate from other states likely envy that. Being at WorldWide Stages he recognized the creative talent in the state and its history in that regard. Earlier this year, Tennessee was the first state to protect artists’ intellectual property against artificial intelligence with the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act.

“It makes complete sense, actually, that it would start here in Tennessee, because we have an industry here and people that are thought leaders in protecting intellectual property, particularly in the songwriting space,” Hagerty said. “I’m proud that we take a leadership role in these sorts of things. It always seems to take longer at the federal level to get things done, but Tennessee, again, is setting the standard.”

He said it’s been difficult to pass legislation through Congress during an election season when the Democrats, particularly Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, control the motion to the floor.

“I think it frustrates Tennesseans to no end that they see a congressional body like the Senate almost screeched to a halt,” Hagerty said.

As for how to help everyday Americans facing economic burden despite growth in the business sector, he said he recognizes people are deeply feeling that inflation is outpacing their wages.

“Even though economic development is working well in Tennessee, and I think the economy at a very basic and fundamental level is doing well, inflation has taken over,” Hagerty said. “We’ve seen inflation like we haven’t seen in 40 years, and that’s because of the policies that have been adopted from day one by the current administration.”

He claimed the U.S. GDP growth rate was twice that of any other major world economy before the pandemic and added that under the Biden administration the U.S. has less of a competitive advantage. At one point, Hagerty said the U.S. Trump era economy was growing at twice the rate it is

today, which is not true. Hagerty was correct that the GDP growth rate of the U.S. was larger than other advanced economies prepandemic but today that is also still the case.

The News reviewed data of the GDP from Donald Trump’s time in office as well as President Joe Biden’s current administration.

The growth rate during Trump’s first year in office, 2017, was 2.5 percent. The rate increased to 3 percent in 2018 but returned to 2.5 percent in 2019. By the time Trump left office in 2020, the rate was -2.2 percent due to the pandemic.

By the same token, Biden’s first year in office saw the opposite extreme, with a growth rate of 5.8 percent in 2021 due to the pandemic rebound. In 2022 the rate had flattened to 1.9 percent and was back to the Trump-era level of 2.5 percent growth by 2023. While there’s not yet a full year of data for 2024, the second quarter percent change in growth reported at the end of July was 2.8 percent.

As for how that stacks up to other countries, looking at the growth by dollar amount instead of percentage shows the U.S. economy’s strength by comparison.

But when using Hagerty’s comparison of growth rate itself, the U.S. is not more than two times any major economy. The U.S. is outpaced by China in both the Trump and Biden years. The U.S. does beat the G7 countries if that’s the measure of major economies that Hagerty was referencing.

Using pre-pandemic 2019 as an example, the U.S. GDP of 2.5 is greater than Germany’s 1.1 percent growth rate or the 1.6 percent of the United Kingdom. But, it’s about on par with the 2.2 percent reported rate of Russia and South Korea.

In 2023, the 2.5 percent U.S. growth rate falls below Russia’s and China’s reported rates of 3.6 and 5.2 percent, respectively.

The U.S. rate isn’t quite two times more than Japan’s 1.9 percent rate, however, it is nearly two times that of South Korea’s 1.4 percent and well beyond that of the whole European Union’s 0.5 percent rate.

Worldwide Stages CEO Kelly Frey (left) with Sen. Bill Hagerty (center) and Spring Hill Mayor Jim Hagaman PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Frey (left) with Sen. Hagerty (center) and Mayor Hagaman PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
drum
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW
A dressing room at Worldwide Stages PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

Cumberland Region Tomorrow announces speakers, date for Power of 10 Summit

Cumberland Region Tomorrow announced that the 2024 Power of 10 Summit: Moving Middle Tennessee will be held on Sept. 17 at the Music City Center.

This annual summit addresses “the challenges and opportunities surrounding regional mobility in Middle Tennessee.”

The summit brings together experts, policymakers, and community leaders to explore transit solutions.

“Through engaging discussions and networking opportunities, the Power of 10 Summit will provide valuable insights on regional mobility in Middle Tennessee,” Robbie Hayes, Cumberland Region Tomorrow board chair, said in a release.

“From the experts and policymakers to those attending, we can focus on strategies to propel Middle Tennessee forward to a more connected and accessible future.”

International public transit network design and policy expert Jarrett Walker is set to be the keynote speaker. Walker has been a full-time consultant since 1991 and has led

numerous major planning projects in cities and towns of all sizes across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Walker is also the author of Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking About Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives.

“I believe that transit can be simple, if we focus on the underlying geometry that all transit systems share,” Walker said. “Providing cost-effective and liberating transportation in cities requires solving a geometry problem. You must solve a problem spatially before you have really solved it.”

Additional speakers and panelists include the following business, government and community leaders:

· Metro Address: Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County

· Business Leaders: Ralph Schulz (Nashville Chamber of Commerce), Glenn

McGehee (SouthStar), Michelle Gaskin Brown (Amazon), Matt Scanlan (Vanderbilt University Medical Center), Sean Henry (Nashville Predators), Ashley Northington (Moving Forward Middle Tennessee)

· Regional Leaders: Butch Eley (Deputy Governor & Commissioner of Transportation), Mayor Ken Moore (City of Franklin), Mayor Rick Bell (City of Lebanon), Michael Skipper (Greater Nashville Regional Council), Erin Hafkenschiel (ThinkTennessee)

· Keynote Interviewer: Steve Cavendish (Nashville Banner).

Tickets are available at cumberlandregiontomorrow.org. Sponsorships are available. View levels and benefits at cumberlandregiontomorrow.org.

String of deaths and near misses brings attention to Cumberland River

Historical count of bodies found in the waterway is unclear

While emergency personnel were looking for Riley Strain — a 22-year-old tourist who was ultimately found to have drowned in the Cumberland River — they came across another body. The body was that of an unidentified man in his 30s, “possibly Hispanic,” whose death, the Metro Nashville Police Department announced, did not show signs of foul play or trauma.

That’s two bodies retrieved from the Cumberland in March of this year. Also in March, a man fell down an embankment and could have become a third, but he was rescued by first responders. In June, the body of 48-year-old Toby Douglas was found in the Cumberland River. In July, a woman visiting Nashville narrowly escaped a similar fate and was found unharmed on the riverbank in the same area where Strain is believed to have fallen in. Also in July, MNPD announced it had solved a cold case related to a woman who was found in the

river after being shot to death in 1998.

While a body being pulled out of the Cumberland River is still a relatively rare occurrence, it’s a subject that has made repeated headlines this year. Strain’s disappearance gained national attention (not to mention attention from true-crime content creators) like no other Nashville death in recent memory. But it’s unclear exactly how often something like this happens.

It’s hard to say exactly how many bodies have been found — drowning victims or otherwise — in the Cumberland River historically. Neither the MNPD, the Metro Public Health Department, the Metro Office of Emergency Management, the Nashville Fire Department nor the Davidson County Medical Examiner keeps a running list. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records did not respond to a request for more information. The MNPD comes closest, however, by issuing a press release any time a body is found.

District 19 Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin says he had been working on a resolution related to Cumberland River safety during the search for Strain when fire crews performed the rescue of another man. That spurred him to take up the resolution when he did, he tells the Scene. The resolution, which passed a council vote in May, requires a report recommending actions to improve “safety, security and cleanliness” on the riverfront, due back to the council on the one-year anniversary of Strain’s disappearance: March 8, 2025.

The resolution requires all hands on deck, listing eight Metro departments and “any other department of the Metropolitan Government with property or authority along the Cumberland River Downtown Riverfront.” Meanwhile, Kupin says he’s working with the Metro Parks department to price fencing for the problem-area embankments near Gay Street downtown.

“I think anybody that is falling in the river and perishing is a tragic, tragic situation,” Kupin says. “I would imagine that with fencing, with more security, with housing resources, we would see a reduction in that.”

Timing is also ripe. Until recently, the riverfront was part of three different Metro Council districts: 5, 6 and 19. With 2021’s post-U.S. Census redistricting, now is the first time one councilmember has authority over the riverfront, Kupin says.

There’s now even more incentive to clean up the riverfront and prevent future accidents: With the Tennessee Titans’ forthcoming new stadium on the East Bank and the rebuild of Second Avenue following the 2020 Christmas Day bombing, construction is flanking both sides of the river, and the city hopes to attract more visitors to those areas.

“We’re making a lot of efforts right now on Second Avenue and First and the riverfront to activate that part of downtown and to allow for tourists and locals to come into our downtown and enjoy our riverfront,” Kupin says.

Part of the push for “safety, security and cleanliness” will affect those experiencing homelessness who sleep near the river. The resolution requests a review of the unhoused population in the area and research into what it would take to move them into housing. It appears encampments at Fort Nashboro and along the riverfront may be the next to go in the city’s string of closing encampments.

“I think the housing piece is so important, because I tell people my goal is not to just move people from place to place to place,” Kupin says. “The goal is, if we’re going to have people not to stay on the hillside, we have to get them to resources.”

When Strain fell into the river, he couldn’t have been more than a football field’s length from the Tara Cole memorial bench in Riverfront Park. Cole was killed in 2006 — while sleeping on the bank, she was pushed into the river by two men.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.

One child, one adult dead after Sunday night crash in Bellevue STAFF REPORTS

A three-year-old child and a 30-year-old man were killed in a Bellevue traffic crash on Sunday night.

According to a Metro Nashville Police Department news release, the crash occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Interstate 40 West near the Newsom Station exit when a 2003 Buick sedan lost control and entered a

sideways skid, colliding with a motorcycle.

The car crossed over into the westbound lanes where the motorcyclist, an unidentified 30-year-old man from White Bluff, collided with the car’s rear passenger side door, killing him at the scene.

An unidentified 3-year-old girl sitting in the rear passenger side seat of the car was

transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died of her injuries. Police said she was not sitting in a child safety seat.

Two other children, aged 5 and 6, were also sitting in the car’s back seat, which only had one booster seat. They were also transported to Vanderbilt with “non-lifethreatening injuries.”

The driver of the sedan, identified as 45-year-old Delmas Wiseman III, was also injured but refused treatment. Police said there was no evidence of impairment at the scene.

Cumberland River PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

Report: Airport board finds CEO committed ‘no wrongdoing’

BNA leader Doug Kreulen had been subject of inquiry for undisclosed reasons

A Metro Nashville Airport Authority investigation has found that Nashville International Airport President and CEO Doug Kreulen was not involved in any dishonest or illegal behavior, Nashville Business Journal reports.

Citing an Aug. 2 email message Kreulen sent to the commissioners in which he notes he was notified of “no evidence of wrongdoing,” NBJ reports the email followed one-on-one meetings that the BNA leader held with each of the seven commissioners regarding the probe.

According to NBJ, the specifics of the

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allegations remain unclear. The business publication reviewed Kreulen’s personnel file, which does not mention the matter.

NBJ reports board members have not spoken publicly about the investigation, and the business publication’s requests for comment from MNAA Chair Nancy Sullivan and the board’s attorney, Frost Brown Todd Partner Makesha Montgomery, were not returned. Kreulen declined comment to NBJ.

Montgomery conducted briefings with MNAA board members but providing nothing in writing, NBJ reporting, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the probe.

“As with any investigation, there are always lessons learned, but I want to reassure you that I remain 100 percent confident and committed to leading a professional organization,” Kreulen wrote, according to NBJ.

The results of the investigation come after MNAA held two closed-door meetings related to Kreulen, NBJ reported in late July.

Kreulen joined the airport 12 years years ago and has served as CEO and president since late 2017. He is under contract through the end of 2026, NBJ reports.

NBJ reports June was BNA’s busiest month, with approximately 2.4 million passengers

MNAA owns and operates Nashville International Airport and John C. Tune Airport.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

West Nashville man killed in Saturday night shooting

STAFF REPORTS

A 25-year-old man was shot and killed outside of his West Nashville apartment on Saturday night.

According to a Metro Nashville Police Department news release, Christopher Rhodes was shot multiple times outside of his Maudina Avenue apartment following an “ongoing dispute” and “physical fight” with an unidentified man.

“Officers responded just after 10 p.m. and found Rhodes with gunshot wounds. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died,” the news release reads. “Rhodes and his girlfriend were

bringing furniture to their apartment when they were confronted by the suspect.”

The unidentified man then fled the scene in a car, and detectives said that they are “pursuing strong leads.”

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Rhodes’ family and pay for his funeral. It described Rhodes as a “Nashville native and Hillwood High School graduate.”

“His sudden and violent passing has left us not only emotionally shattered but also facing unexpected financial burdens that we are struggling to bear,” the fundraiser reads.

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Notice of Public Hearing

The City of Oak Hill Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on August 27th, 2024, at 6:00 PM. at the City of Oak Hill Offices, 5548 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37072.

The Public Hearing will be held to hear from citizens concerning the following Ordinances:

ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024-05

AN ORDINANCE UPDATING EXISTING ORDINANCES TO COMPLY WITH THE NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES – PHASE II) PERMIT AND APPLICABLE REGULATIONS (40 CFR § 122.26) AND TO EXERCISE THE POWERS GRANTED IN TENNESSEE CODE ANNOTATED TITLE 68, CHAPTER 221 FOR STORM WATER DISCHARGES. THE ORDINANCE IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS THE MANNER IN WHICH STORM WATER IS MANAGED IN AREAS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT, AND SIGNIFICANT REDEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION AND POST-CONSTRUCTION TO MAINTAIN OR BENEFIT WATER QUANTITY, WATER QUALITY AND EFFECTS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE CITY.

You may view the entire Ordinance Document at the City’s Website at www.oakhilltn.us

For additional information you may visit the city’s website at www.oakhilltn.us or by calling (615) 371-8291.

Kreulen PHOTO: MNAA

Metro Arts finally has path forward for grants, but work remains

Search for new executive director will take longer; interim chief to lead the process in face of staff exodus
CONNOR

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.

Despite a delay in the search for a permanent executive director and multiple managerial resignations, Metro Arts is beginning to show signs of life after a year of problems.

Following a botched grants process for fiscal year 2024, which led to independent artists and arts organizations not receiving their funds for months, the future of Metro Arts Commission grants has been shrouded in uncertainty.

Now Metro Arts, Metro Legal, Metro Finance, the Metro Human Relations Commission and independent artists who filed complaints over the past year’s events have finalized a conciliation agreement that has shed some light on when the Nashville arts community could begin to see funding again. However, the details on when grants will flow remain muddy, and it seems leadership on the issue will happen under an interim director.

Paulette Coleman was appointed interim executive director in April. Metro Human Relations director Shannon Hall explained that a nationwide search for a permanent executive director could take up to six months once it began. But Coleman revealed on Thursday that it will likely be much longer.

“When I spoke with [Hall], she told me that ... Metro was in the middle of a number of key searches for executive directors, and it would be several months before they got to us,” says Coleman.

Coleman will now preside over Metro

Arts for at least the remainder of the year, and will be tasked with ushering in a new era for the body, ideally including a much smoother and equitable grants process.

“The outer deadline for publishing grant policies and procedures is Jan. 6, 2025,” Tyler Yarbro, who is representing Metro Arts in conciliation talks, said at Thursday’s Metro Arts Commission meeting. “Nothing precludes you from moving faster than that. And obviously, you are being encouraged to do so.”

As a part of the conciliation agreement, a work group is being formed consisting of a member of the Metro Arts Commission as well as representatives from the MHRC, Metro Finance, Metro Legal and a representative of the Nashville arts community. That group will establish a “mechanism” for distributing funds to independent artists, which has historically been accomplished through a program called Thrive. One result of the past year’s issues was the revelation by Metro Legal and Metro Finance that Thrive had not been adhering to state laws and local rules.

But this was met with public outcry from advocates and independent artists in Nashville. The past problems largely stem from a Metro Arts Commission decision in summer 2023 to reverse the approval of a grants formula that would have provided unprecedented levels of funds to independent artists, and instead go with a formula that largely focused on arts organizations that had historically received funding.

After months of twists and turns and the eventual resignation of Metro Arts director Daniel Singh — who was paid $200,000 to resign as a part of a settlement agreement with Metro — all the artists who were promised funding in the original formula got paid out, along with the arts

organizations who were promised funding in the later formula.

However, the long year left much of the arts community wary of what the future of Metro Arts grants would look like, and the immediate concern was whether Thrive could continue.

“The term used in the agreement is ‘Thrive-like,’ because Thrive as we know it — that mechanism can no longer exist,” said Yarbro. “So the working group is charged with finding the new mechanism to carry out the same purposes.”

Yarbro said the group could convene as soon as in the next few days and will draw on “broad public engagement.” Once a mechanism is established, the Metro Arts Commission will vote on its approval.

During the meeting, Metro Arts Commission Grants and Funding Committee chair Tim Jester read a statement explaining that operating grant policies and procedures would be developed and rolled out on a similar timeline, with a publishing deadline of Jan. 6. During a meeting of the Grants and Funding Committee on Monday, both Jester and Metro Arts Strategic Grants and Initiatives manager Sydnie Davis indicated that applicants might have to redo their applications due to changes to the process.

“In the last few days, I have received a tremendous amount of feedback about the harm that will come from not doing our best to utilize the currently submitted operating grant applications, both because of the time it will take to submit new applications and because of the time it will take to create new guidelines,” said Jester. “I can only address these well-founded concerns by saying it is a top priority to move carefully and expediently as possible as we work together to put Metro Arts back on a workable path over the next few weeks.”

Meanwhile, the Metro Arts Commission is on track to have a full 15-member roster for the first time in more than a year by the end of this month. Throughout 2023 and into 2024, the commission was plagued by resignations, and had multiple issues with meeting a quorum.

While the days of constant resignations from the commission itself may be over, the agency is losing staff members. Finance director Christiana Afotey, communications manager Daryn Jackson and public art manager Jessica Ingram all announced Thursday that they had tendered their resignations.

The Banner reached out to all three but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Beam Gallery to host inaugural exhibition Aug. 22 Green Hills based space was formerly known as Richland Fine Art Gallery

STAFF REPORTS

Fine Artist Stacy Beam

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Green Hills-based Richland Fine Art Gallery has rebranded as Beam Gallery, which is now dedicated to the work of its owner, painter Stacy Beam.

As previously reported, the gallery originally opened in 2003 under the ownership of Clay Whitelaw and Anne Goad before it was rebranded under the ownership of Beam and other artists in 2022.

Beam Gallery’s inaugural exhibition and free first look celebration will be held on Aug. 22 from 6-9 p.m.

“This gallery is a dream realized,” Beam said in a news release. “The first time I displayed my art as a very young teenager, I dreamed of having a beautiful gallery. I’m grateful for this opportunity and excited to share my art one on one with everyone who stops in to enjoy and experience my work.”

Beam Gallery is located at 4009 Hillsboro Pike, and more information can be found online at www.richlandfineart.com/artists.

Metro building PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

Nashville sees collective home value rise 6.2 percent Redfin report

estimates city’s MSA now offers $373B

worth of residential real estate

OPINION

TICKED OFF!

TRAFFIC FATALITY IN WEST MEADE. WE MUST LEARN FROM THIS TRAGEDY.

Tragedy hit our Westmeade community last week, when a 64-year-old bicyclist went thru a stop sign and was run down & killed by a motorist.

Before the finger-pointing begins,, before the blame game goes into high gear,, I think we should first examine the facts.

The intersection was clearly marked, there were stop signs & it was a typically beautiful, Nashville day.

Bicyclists from all over town enjoy our gorgeous suburban streets, with its rolling hills, beautiful homes and picturesque landscaping.

Here are the facts as reported by the police:

The auto driver:

1- legally proceeded thru the intersection.

2- She had a valid driver’s license, insurance and she was not impared.. No DUI or ticket was given.

3- She was traveling at or below the legal, 25 mph speed limit..

The bicyclist

1- was an experienced bikerider who was the fourth in a 4-bike caravan.

2- Three of the riders made it safely thru the intersection.

3- Tragically, he didn’t. He went thru the stop sign and was hit by the car.

Obviously

- both parties were not exhibiting defensive driving.

- the bikerider drove thru a stop sign.

- she could have stopped, even though it looks like she had the right of way.

- Both parties could have easily prevented this accident.

- Neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor.

Tell me, Does it really matter who was right and who was wrong?

The lives of both the auto driver and the family of the deceased biker are forever changed by this senseless tragedy.

Can we, the residents of Westmeade, learn something from this horror show?

We must act now to prevent an even worse accident from happening in the future.

Our quiet suburban streets are not only used by cars and trucks, but by parents pushing their children in carriages, joggers, walkers & residents walking Fido.

1- No matter who has the right of way, drivers must defer to anyone walking on the street.

2- Since so many use headphones, we must assume that they can’t hear or see us until its to late.

3- We must also assume that moms

Nashville’s metropolitan statistical area offers residential real estate with a collective value that has increased 6.2 percent compared to 2023.

The value is approximately $373 billion (up $21.7 billion year over year), according to information Redfin reported Thursday.

According to a release, eight markets are now “trillion-dollar metros,” up from four markets a year ago. New York leads with a collective home value of about $2.48 trillion. Los Angeles (No. 2 with $2.2 trillion), Atlanta (No. 3 with $1.29 trillion) and Boston (No. 4 with $1.27 trillion) were on the trillion-dollar metros list a year ago.

Joining that quartet of cities in 2024 are Anaheim, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Chicago and Phoenix (each in the $1 trillion to $1.1 trillion range). Nearing the milestone mark are both San Diego and Seattle at just under $1 trillion each.

The total value of U.S homes gained $3.1 trillion during the past 12 months to reach a record $49.6 trillion, Redfin reports.

The metros of Nashville’s peer cities, Austin and Charlotte, saw $392.8 billion and $474.5 billion, respectively.

In Tennessee, Knoxville recorded $130 billion in collective residential value (up 7.2 percent from the previous year’s mark), with Memphis at $97.7 billion (up 6 percent).

Nashville ranks No. 32 of the 100 cities assessed. Nashville’s MSA population of an estimated 2.1 million ranks No. 35.

The Redfin analysis estimated June 2024 home values using its own estimates, MLS data and public records. The report covers more than 95 million single-family homes, condos, townhouses and two- to four-unit multifamily properties.

Based in Seattle, Redfin provides residential real estate brokerage and mortgage origination services.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

pushing strollers do not know the rules of the road (walk facing traffic)

What can we do now that the horses are out of the barn?

We can encourage the Mayor and City Council to provide :

1- more sidewalks, (we have none in Westmeade!)

2- more stop signs

3- more traffic lights

4- more bike lanes and

5- more speed bumps

We, the residents ,

- must obey all the traffic rules, including our ridiculously low speed limits.

We need street cameras.. the sure which slow drives down. It’s not an invasion of our privacy. So far, they have not been misused by our police..

- We must make sure that our newly licensed students, know the rules of the road and observe defensive driving. When they use our car, we are responsible for any trouble they get in to

- Nannie’s, housekeepers, baby sitters and grandparents, who walk our children in strollers, must have the street rules explained to them. They must avoid heavily trafficked streets.

- We must pressure the police to enforce ALL the traffic rules. , with no

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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

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MIKE SMITH PRESIDENT AND CEO

BILL FREEMAN OWNER

OPINION

exceptions . Everyone must receive a ticket.

- We must support our Councilmen and women, like our own Thom Druffel who speak on our behalf. finally.

- We must pass the new Transportation Referendum which includes funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, traffic lights and road repairs.

We are all amazed by Nashville’s huge growth. But along with our success come a huge increase in traffic. We must adapt to this new big-city problem.

There were no winners, only losers in this senseless tragedy. Let’s learn from it and make our suburban streets safe again.

“There but for the grace of GOD go I..

STOP LYING!

I know that as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow, politicians are going to lie. It’s one thing to lie about campaign promises, like “I’m going to build a wall, and Mexico is going to pay for it.” But what I am ticked off about is blatant lying about content. For example, senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller said on 8/7/24 to Ari Melber on MSNBC, “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the num-

ber one traffickers of children, girls into sex slavery on planet Earth.” That is the dirtiest of dirty politics; a statement devoid of all facts that is slanderous. And unfortunately, people believe what he says. Another blatant lie about content that has killed people is the belief that the 2020 presidential election was not fair and just. Over 60 reported election irregularities were reported to Bill Barr, the Attorney General, were investigated, and proved to have no merit. And when Trump continued to insist that the election was “stolen” and that he actually won, Barr resigned saying he would not support that “bullsh*t.”

And then on 8/8//24 at an NPR interview is, Trump misstated things, exaggerated, or lied outright at least 162 times in 64 minutes, a rate of more than two times a minute. He knows better. We know better. There is no excuse for that sort of behavior. And so the question becomes: do we want this behavior to be happening in the White House?

The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

We applaud Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association (TSA), which represents 95 elected county sheriffs, for joining the ranks of nearly 700 organizations nationwide in endorsing the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking (FIGHT) Act to eradicate dogfighting and cockfighting in Tennessee and throughout the nation. Earlier this year, Rep. Tim Burchett (RTN-2) became the first cosponsor of the FIGHT Act from Tennessee’s congressional delegation. It’s time for other lawmakers from Tennessee to join him.

The bipartisan measure, led by Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., in the House and John Kennedy, R-La., in the Senate, would ban online gambling on animal fights, halt the shipment of fighting animals through the U.S. mail, and allow the forfeiture of property used in animal fighting crimes.

News reports across the country show that animal fights are tied to other crimes, including murder and drug trafficking. In 2020, Animal Wellness Action released results of an investigation uncovering widespread cockfighting in Tennessee, including several incidents of fighting birds shipped to cartels in Mexico, the Philippines, and elsewhere.

Cockfighters attach knives to the combatants’ legs to enhance the bloodletting, while dogs are placed in a pit to fight to the death. We must crack down on this barbarism.

Sealed bids for Backdoor Pickup for Garbage and Recycling Service for the City of Oak Hill will be received by the City of Oak Hill at the City Office, Nashville, TN 37220 until 2:00 p.m., Thursday, September 5th, 2024 and then at said time and location, publicly opened.

The BID SPECIFICATIONS AND DOCUMENTS

may be obtained at the City Office, at the below address. Copies are also available.

CITY OF OAK HILL

Oak Hill Office 5548 Franklin Rd, Suite 101 Nashville TN 37220

The City of Oak Hill reserves the right to reject all bids and to waive all technicalities in bidding.

City of Oak Hill J. Steven Collie City Manager

Five free and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee

If you find yourself in Murfreesboro in the next week, there are a couple of great free events down that way: one at Middle Tennessee State University that celebrates

farming skills. Your family can sign up to run a 5K that gets you on the field at Nissan Stadium. And if your little ones are still super little, CoComelon and friends will also

MTSU FAN DAY

Middle Tennessee State University is slated to host its annual MTSU Fan Day on Aug. 24 at Floyd Stadium on campus. Athletes from all of MTSU’s sporting programs will be on site and folks will be giving out autographs and more. The event is free to the public and also includes giveaways, inflatables, face painting and balloon art.

KIDS FUN CONSTRUCTION AND FARM EQUIPMENT FESTIVAL

Lucky Ladd Farms’ Kids Fun

Construction and Farm Equipment Festival is coming up on Aug. 24. The event offers the chance to put on hard hats and check out real-life machinery on a farm. Lucky Ladd has built a specially designed construction site for kids to operate and maneuver genuine mini-excavators while learning to dig, move and dump dirt. The festival also features hands-on activity centers where kids can hone other trade skills: They can wield hammers, operate power drivers, and tackle plumbing challenges with other kids.

DISCOVER INDIA DAY (FREE DAY)

The Discovery Center is hosting a day with free admission that will also celebrate India. The science center down in Murfreesboro will have several special items on site as part of this day — it begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. on Aug. 24.

TITANS FOUNDATION 5K

Titans Foundation 5K invites families to come run to a finish on the 50-yard line at Nissan Stadium on Aug. 24. Each runner will receive a T-shirt and ticket for the game on Dec. 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Post-race activities include refreshments, appearances from the Titans Cheerleaders, Blue Crew & T-Rac, and an awards ceremony.

COCOMELON PARTY TIME

A CoComelon immersive experience is coming to the Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown hotel. The event takes families into the world of CoComelon with a Cuddly Corner, activity and coloring center, light up

Kids Fun Construction and Farm Equipment Festival PHOTO: PROVIDED

Nashville Film Festival announces 2024 lineup

The Nashville Film Festival on Thursday unveiled the programming slate for its 55th installment, which will take place Sept. 19 through 25 at the Belcourt, Regal Green Hills, the Franklin Theatre and elsewhere.

Late last month, NaFF shared its opening and closing films — music documentaries Devo, Rebel Country and This Is a Film About The Black Keys — but now, the longtime fest is adding to its lineup more than 150 additional titles, including 44 feature-length films. Among this year’s most anticipated selections is Netflix documentary Will & Harper, which follows Will Ferrell and his longtime friend Harper Steele, a recently out trans woman, on a 17-day crosscountry road trip. Other documentaries showing at NaFF will include the A24produced The Last of the Sea Women and Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which chronicles the life of the titular trailblazing soul singer.

As ever, the fest will feature a long list of music-centric films, as well as the Tennessee Feature Official Selections category. Among the latter is director Patrick Sheehan’s The Day the Music Stopped, which chronicles the plight of independent music venues like Nashville’s own Exit/In. Included in NaFF’s Music Documentary Feature Official Selections is Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, which follows legendary R&B artist Swamp Dogg and his housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty. Other promising musicrelated titles at the fest will include Linda Perry: Let It Die Here and the docuseries Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken, with Etheridge herself participating in a Q&A regarding the latter.

The festival will also include music video and shorts programs, with screenings set for Chappell Roan’s “Casual,” Sleater Kinney’s “Say It Like You Mean It” and more. Find trailers, ticketing information and

Often called real-life mermaids, the Haenyeo divers of South Korea are renowned for centuries of diving to harvest seafood for their livelihood.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE: I’M NOT BROKEN

(dir. Brian Morrow, Amy Scott) - A docuseries that chronicles the singersongwriter’s journey creating a new song inspired by five incarcerated women she meets at the Topeka Correctional Facility in her Kansas hometown, exploring themes of redemption and human connection through music.

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

more details at nashvillefilmfestival.org. Below, see a full list of titles, with synopses provided by the Nashville Film Festival.

OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION

DEVO (dir. Chris Smith) - In 1980, new wave band Devo scored a hit with “Whip It” and gained mainstream success with their message of societal “de-evolution,” formed in response to the 1970 Kent State shootings.

REBEL COUNTRY (dir. Francis Whately) - A documentary showcasing how the tensions of race, class, poverty, gender, sexuality and creativity versus commerce and geography are still alive and kicking in the U.S. today, and how today’s country artists are emblematic of a seismic shift that is happening in U.S. country music.

CLOSING

NIGHT

PRESENTATION

THIS IS A FILM ABOUT THE BLACK KEYS (dir. Jeff Dupre) - An epic chronicle of the journey of The Black Keys, from their humble beginnings in Akron, Ohio, to their rise to rock stardom with hit albums “Brothers” and “El Camino.” It delves into the lesser-known tensions between Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, revealing the complex bond that has kept them together through decades of relentless touring and personal challenges.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN (dir. Sue Kim) - A documentary produced by A24 and executive produced by Malala Yousafzai follows an extraordinary band of feisty grandmother warriors as they wage a spirited battle against vast oceanic threats.

(dir. Adam Elliot) - From Academy Award-winning animator Adam Elliot, the film follows Grace Pudel, a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. When Grace is separated from her twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Inspiration and hope emerge when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky. The film is a poignant, heartfelt, hilarious chronicle of the life of an outsider finding her confidence and silver linings amongst the clutter of everyday life.

SABBATH QUEEN

(dir. Sandi Simcha Dubowski) - A 39thgeneration ex-Orthodox rabbi embarks on a remarkable 21-year personal journey, also embracing life as a drag queen. This will be a co-presentation with the Nashville Jewish Film Festival.

WILL & HARPER

(dir. Josh Greenbaum) - When Will Ferrell’s good friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, comes out as a trans woman, the pair embark on a road trip to process this new stage in their friendship and reintroduce Harper to the country she loves as her authentic self.

SPOTLIGHT: U.S. INDIE FEATURES OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BANG BANG

(dir. Vincent Grashaw) - Tim Blake Nelson stars as ‘Bang Bang’ Rozyski, an eccentric retired pugilist obsessed with rectifying the sins of his past.

GRIFFIN IN SUMMER

(dir. Nicholas Colia) - When fourteenyear-old playwright Griffin Naffly strikes up a surprise summer friendship with handsome failed performance artist turned handyman Brad, his life (and play) will never be the same.

SPOTLIGHT: HORROR/THRILLER OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

HAZE

(dir. Matthew Fifer) - A young journalist returns home to investigate the unsolved deaths at an abandoned psychiatric center. As he dances with the shadows of his past and a mysterious new man in his life, his family history and the town’s secrets begin to converge in this evocative psychological thriller.

LITTLE BITES

(dir. Spider One) - Little Bites follows Mindy, a young widow and mother, who desperately tries to protect her daughter Alice from the grips of a fiendish, flesheating monster named Agyar. Mindy has been secretly sacrificing her own life by allowing the creature to slowly feast on her body as she keeps Alice hidden away at her grandmother’s home.

PSYCHO KILLER

(dir. Teddy Grennan) - A neo-noir thriller featuring Otto and Lex, a pair of star-crossed lovers, who do the right thing but make the wrong decision and it costs them everything.

NARRATIVE FEATURE OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

THE BLACK SEA

(dir. Derrick B. Harden, Crystal Moselle) - A man journeys to a small Eastern European coastal town where he finds unexpected connections despite being the only Black person in the area.

BOB TREVINO LIKES IT

(dir. Tracie Laymon) - After searching for her estranged father online, a people-pleasing young woman unexpectedly forms a close bond with a grieving, childless man with the same name as her father on Facebook. Inspired by a true story.

GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS

(dir. Shuchi Talati) - Follows the journey of 16-year-old Mira, whose sexy, rebellious coming of age is disrupted by her young mother who never got to come of age herself.

JAZZY

(dir. Morissa Maltz) - Jazzy navigates the space between childhood and young adulthood. When her best friend moves away, Jazzy experiences both a sense of loss and her first inkling of independence. Starring Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone.

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

(dir. Madhi Fliefel) - A Palestinian refugee living on the fringes of society in Athens gets ripped off by a smuggler and sets out to seek revenge. This will be the film’s US premiere following its screening at the Cannes Film Festival.

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

(dir. Matthew Rankin) - In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, grade-schoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

DRIVER

(dir. Nesa Azimi) - After losing everything, Desiree Wood gets a second lease on life as a long-haul truck driver alongside an irreverent group of all-women truckers.

ETERNAL YOU

(dir. Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck)Startups are beginning to use AI that allows people to talk with their loved ones after death. Exploring this deep human desire for immortality leads to unsettling consequences of commodification.

HELEN AND THE BEAR

(dir. Alix Blair) - A rebellious young woman marries a prominent Republican politician twenty-six years older than her. Decades later, anticipating his death, she wrestles with their marriage, her sexuality, and a life spent by his side.

A KING LIKE ME

(dir. Matthew Henderson) - Follows members of the Zulu Club, and explores the history of New Orleans’ first Black Mardi Gras parade, as they work to bring King Zulu back to the streets after the COVID-19 pandemic.

PORCELAIN WAR

(dir. Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev)Under roaring fighter jets, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay and fight. Defiantly finding beauty amid destruction, they show that although it’s easy to make people afraid, it’s harder to destroy their passion for living.

SUGARCANE

(dir. Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie)

- An investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school sparks a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.

THE STREAK

(dir. Kelyn Ikegami) - The Salt Lake Trappers were an unaffiliated team at the lowest level of minor league baseball. By the end of their 1987 season, they had achieved the longest winning streak in the history of professional baseball. This is the remarkable story of the players who lived that magical, bittersweet season.

WE CAN BE HEROES

(dir. Carina Mia Wong, Alex Simmons)

- A group of teens find belonging at a LARP (Live Action Roleplay) Camp, building a fantasy world facing climate disaster. Through roleplaying heroes facing the apocalypse, they find the strength to heal past trauma and emerge empowered in life.

MUSIC DOCUMENTARY FEATURE OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

ANY OTHER WAY: THE JACKIE SHANE STORY

(dir. Michael Mabbott, Lucah RosenbergLee) - Jackie Shane was one of music’s pioneering Black trans performers. On the edge of stardom, she disappeared. But why? ANY OTHER WAY reveals Jackie’s extraordinary journey in her own unmistakable voice.

DIANE WARREN: RELENTLESS

(dir. Bess Kargman) - An intimate look at the life, career and creative process of one of the most accomplished songwriters of all time, Diane Warren, who’s written hits for Cher, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, among many others.

LINDA PERRY: LET IT DIE HERE

(dir. Don Hardy) - An intimate look at the life of Linda Perry, lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes’ iconic song “What’s Up?”, one of pop music’s major creative forces as a multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer.

SONGS FROM THE HOLE

(dir. Contessa Gayles) - At 15, he took a life. Three days later, his brother’s life was taken. An incarcerated musician struggles for healing and peace in this documentary visual album composed behind bars.

SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED

(dir. Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson) - Cult musician Swamp Dogg and housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty have turned their suburban LA home into an artistic haven. They journey through the turbulent music business, forming a special friendship transcending eras.

THEY ALL CAME OUT TO MONTREUX

(dir. Oliver Murray) - The story of Claude Nobs and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Featuring incredible archival performances from Prince, Sting, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards and more legendary musicians.

NEW DIRECTORS FEATURE OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BOYS GO TO JUPITER

(dir. Julian Glander) - A teenager in suburban Florida desperately hustles to make $5,000 in this dreamy and surreal animated coming-of-age story.

ENDLESS SUMMER SYNDROME

(dir. Kaveh Daneshmand) - The mother of

two adopted children’s sense of duty takes a macabre turn when she learns that her husband may be having an affair with one of their kids.

EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

(dir. Titus Kaphar) - A Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they struggle and learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.

THE FRENCH ITALIAN

(dir. Rachel Wolther) - Neighbors prank each other, and the situation escalates comically amid the NYC apartment complex’s cutthroat politics, exploring the absurdity of conflict between residents.

IN THE SUMMERS

(dir. Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio) - On a journey that spans the formative years of their lives, two sisters navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, N.M.

YOUR MONSTER

(dir. Caroline Lindy) - After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming Monster living in her closet. A romantic-comedy-horror film about falling in love with your inner rage.

TENNESSEE FEATURE OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BEAT DOWN

(dir. Curren Sheldon) - A feature film about a down-on-his-luck schemer from a West Virginia boxing family who comes home to borrow money from his mother, a twotime world champion, and winds up fighting in a rowdy amateur boxing competition.

CLONE COPS

(dir. Danny Dones) - A gang of outlaws defend their hideout until they discover a shocking secret about who they are and what they’re up against. Now it’s a race against time as they look for a way to escape certain doom at the hands of the Clone Cops.

THE DAY THE MUSIC STOPPED (dir. Patrick Sheehan) - A film examining the decade-long struggle of independent music venues and the creative class they support against developers and concert promoter Live Nation, depicted through the lens of Exit/In, one of the nation’s most historic independent music venues.

LET THEM BE NAKED (dir. Jeff Garner) - An audacious exploration into the presence of toxic and often harmful chemicals in the fabrics and materials used in our everyday clothing. Since his mother’s death from breast cancer, designer and activist Jeff Garner has spearheaded a campaign to uncover the health implications of exposure to these chemicals and the urgent need for more ethical production of garments.

A MAN CALLED HURT: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT

(dir. Alex Oliver, Jamison Stalsworth)Featuring archival footage of Mississippi John Hurt and his extraordinary music career.

SESSION, IF A HOUSE BE DIVIDED (dir. Andrew Baxt) - Follows the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2024 as heightened tensions and party divisions spill into the national conversation. From the hallways and hearing rooms, to the House gallery and floor, Session steps back to unravel the current American political process.

THE TENNESSEE 11

(dir. Rod Blackhurst) - Focused on a group of 11 Tennessee citizens discussing legislative solutions to address gun rights and safety.

Short Film, Episodic and Music Video Selections are available at NashvilleFilmFestival.org.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.

The Black Keys PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

Soles4Souls adds CFO

STAFF REPORTS

Nashville-based nonprofit Soles4Souls announced the addition of Joe Njoroge as chief financial officer.

According to a release, Njoroge replaces the late Robert Adams-Ghee, who died in March following a sudden illness.

Njoroge was most recently chief finance and administration officer at Climate Central, Inc., a nonprofit conducting research and reporting on the world’s

changing climate. Before that, he served as chief finance officer for American Friends Service Committee, leading global efforts in financial systems deployment, training and compliance, and union negotiations. Njoroge also worked from 2008 to 2018 at Food Bank of New Jersey.

Njoroge holds a master’s degree in international economic development from Eastern University in Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi.

“After an intense, nationwide search where hundreds of talented people applied for the CFO role, we believe Joe is the right person at the right time,” Soles4Souls President and CEO Buddy Teaster said in the release. “As we grow to serve more people to achieve our $1 billion of economic impact goal, Joe’s global perspective and deep financial expertise will ensure we do that in the most responsible, effective way possible.”

Soles4Souls bills itself as a nonprofit that creates sustainable jobs and provides relief by distributing shoes and clothing worldwide via programs including 4Opportunity, 4Relief, 4EveryKid and 4ThePlanet. Since 2006, more than 103 million pairs of shoes and pieces of clothing have been distributed to people in 138 countries.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

American Heart Association announces 2024-25 board

STAFF REPORTS

The American Heart Association has announced that BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s Dr. Andrea Willis will serve as board president.

According to a release, Willis, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee senior vice president and chief medical officer, will serve alongside chairperson Fahad Tahir, Ascension Saint Thomas president and CEO.

The announcement comes as American Heart Association announced new leadership and members for its 2024-25 Middle Tennessee board of directors: Tara Myers of ESa and Tyler Enstice of Geodis.

Returning board members include: Mike Wiechart, TeamHealth; Tom Ozburn, TriStar Centennial; Gregory J. Allen; Katina Beard, Matthew Walker Clinic; Eric Evans, Surgery Partners; Lynn Friedrichs, Deloitte; William Haugh, Lifepoint Health; Penny Houchens, Gresham Smith; Dr. Veronica Mallett,

Revance to be acquired, taken private in $924M deal

Botox competitor saw steady decline in stock price over past year

Nashville-based Revance Therapeutics is slated to be acquired and taken private by Crown Laboratories.

Johnson City, Tenn.- based Crown will absorb Revance by year’s end in a deal valued at $924 million, or $6.66 per share, according to a press release.

After moving to Nashville in 2020, Revance saw quick growth and expanded its aesthetics and therapeutic market. However, the publicly traded aestheticsfocused biotech company saw a steady decline in share values since the beginning of the year. In 2023, Revance shares (ticker: RVNC) hit a high of $37.98, but the stock has sat at about three to four dollars per share since May of 2024. On the day of the announcement, share values jumped from $3.53 to $6.58 per share, representing a more than 80 percent increase.

Skin care-focused Crown Laboratories is known for its over-the-counter products including PanOxyl (acne), Blue Lizard (sunscreen), and StriVectin (anti-aging). It also owns SkinPen, a microneedling tool. Revance mainly makes competitors to Botox and Juvederm — Daxxify and RHA Collection, respectively. Revance, which claims Daxxify lasts longer than Botox, slashed prices in September to be more competitive with Botox. At that time it was hopeful for $1 billion in revenue and an international expansion.

Botox maker AbbVie’s Allergan unit is still actively suing Revance in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Allergan alleged that Revance acquired and used trade secrets through a

series of new hires who previously worked for Allergan. A trial is set for December 2025, according to court documents.

Revance announced its second-quarter results on Thursday, showing a 20 percent increase in product revenue for Daxxify and RHA Collection year over year. The company saw a net loss from continuing operations of $87 million for the first six months of 2024, compared to $106.6 million for the same period in 2023. Revance expected to achieve $280 million in total net product revenue in 2024.

It is unclear which name the combined companies will operate under or if Revance will retain its Nashville office in The Gulch.

“We are excited about this transaction and to be joining forces with Crown Laboratories, which will enable us to broaden our provider network as well as provide us with an expanded portfolio of products,” said Revance President and CEO Mark Foley.

“We also believe that the merger provides substantial value for our stockholders. Crown shares our commitment to innovation and scale and will help us accelerate our growth. Scale and product breadth are important factors in the markets in which we compete and, by combining with Crown, we will be able to offer our customers a more compelling range of products and services while, at the same time, benefiting from the combined strength of our collective commercial organizations.”

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

CommonSpirit Health; Dr. Daniel Muñoz, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Dr. Evelio Rodriguez, Ascension Saint Thomas Heart; Dr. Margaret Rush, Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital; Dr. Joseph Webb, Nashville Healthcare Center; Stephanie Wise, TriStar Division; and Mark Yancy, Nashville Health.

“As we celebrate 100 years of life-saving work, I am deeply honored to serve as the board chairperson for the American Heart Association in Middle Tennessee,” Tahir said in the release. “AHA’s mission to save lives and promote heart health is more crucial than ever, and I look forward to working with this dedicated team to make a lasting impact in our community.”

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

Commercial building fetches three times its 2015 sales price

A South Nashville commercial building that sold for $1.5 million in 2015 has now changed ownership hands for more than three times that figure.

Located at 2930 Sidco Drive near Berry Hill and One Hundred Oaks, the building sits on 0.65 acres and accommodates Donelson Air Service Experts and RO+CO (formerly Redo Home and Design).

The new owner is Nashville Sidco 2930 LLC, details about which the Post was unable to determine. The LLC paid approximately $4.9 million for the property.

The seller was an LLC led by Mary

Elizabeth Hussey, the founder of high-end hard surfaces retailer Mission Stone and Tile (which seemingly no longer operates).

The News sister publication the Nashville Post reported in 2016 that Hulsey, who at the time seemingly was known as Mary Elizabeth Oropeza, sold her Mission Stone & Tile to New York-based Stone Source. Hulsey launched Mission Stone and Tile in 2006 on Sidco Drive, seemingly in the building that just sold.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post

Joe Njoroge PHOTO: SOLES4SOULS

Berry Hill property sells for $1.5M

A Berry Hill commercial property has sold for $1.5 million — more than five times the figure for which it last changed ownership hands 13 years ago.

Located at 2821 Erica Place and near notable Berry Hill businesses Electric Thunder Studios and HND Realty, the building seemingly accommodates craniosacral therapy (head massaging) business CranioSacral Nashville.

According to a Davidson County Register of Deeds document, the new owner is Cason Hayes, who owns First OnSite Restoration (a local building restoration company).

The sellers were Dolly Carlisle and David Hinton, who paid $280,000 for the 0.26-acre property in 2011, Metro records show. Carlisle seemingly once operated Athena Center of Nashville (a mental health counseling provider) from the building.

Nearby, a film and music studio campus — to carry a price tag of about $250 million and to accommodate operations for

Universal Music Group — is planned.

The property is adjacent to a property (with an address of 2819 Erica Place) that sold in November 2022 for $1.1 million. That transaction (read here) was the equivalent of $1,062 per foot based on the size of the building on the site. That figure, at the time, ranked on the higher end of the scale for Berry Hill properties.

The News sister publication the Nashville Post was unable to determine the size of the just-sold building for a per-square-foot equivalent figure.

For context, the just-sold property was once owned by local entrepreneur Bob Todrank, who paid $30,000 for it in 1977, according to Metro records.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

Ex-firehall on west side demolished

Demolition of a historic former fire station building located on Charlotte Avenue in West Nashville is underway after having been put on hold in May.

Sitting on 0.26 acres and next to the structure last home to restaurant Smokin’ Thighs, the 1936-constructed Sylvan Park building offers an address of 4406 Charlotte Ave. and no tenant. Metro records for the property — the building once accommodated a single fire truck, thus yielding part of its historic significance, according to preservationists — date to 1909.

As The News sister publication the Nashville Post reported in September 2023, Vita Firehouse LLC paid $2 million for the property. The LLC is overseen by Anthony Sanfilippo and Jake Sudduth. In March 2023, Sanfilippo’s Nashville-based Sorelle Hospitality acquired Strategic Hospitality’s remaining percentage of ownership in Pinewood Social, located in Rolling Mill Hill.

At the time, Sanfilippo said the team planned to restore the Charlotte Avenue building “to its original firehouse character,” adding the effort would require about 10

months. “We’ll decide at that time what the best use for the building could be.”

Sanfilippo could not be reached for comment for this article.

A permit to allow for the razing was issued in May; however, that permit seemingly was issued in error, according to Metro. Current Metro records list no subsequently issued permit. Also in May, some neighbors began circulating a Change.org petition to prevent the building’s demolition.

Tim Walker, Metro Historical Commission executive director, told the Post in May that the department has the opportunity to review the request to demolish, as the building is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We’re working with councilmember Brenda Gadd (District 24) and the property owner, and they are looking at the viability of rehabbing and at potential preservation incentives,” Walker said at the time.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

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Brentwood kidney care business named

one of fastest-growing private companies in America Monogram Health one of 58 businesses from the Nashville area to make the lis t STAFF REPORTS

Brentwood-based Monogram Health, a local healthcare business that specializes in in-home kidney disease treatment, was recently named one of the fastest-growing companies in the country by business magazine Inc.

Monogram Health landed at third place on Inc.’s annual list of the 5000 companies in the United States that are on the rise.

The magazine reports that the healthcare business posted a 43,848 percent three-year revenue growth, only

putting them behind New Jersey’s Vytalize Health and Arizona software company Lessen in the country’s rankings.

Monogram Health, which was founded in 2019, has grown into a more than $2 billion business that works with patients in 35 states.

Monogram Health is one of 38 companies on the list from Williamson County, one of 58 from the Nashville metropolitan area, and one of 98 from the state of Tennessee.

Second Avenue building sells for $17.5M

A downtown building previously housing the Old Spaghetti Factory and impacted by the December 2020 Christmas Day bombing has sold for $17.5 million.

The address of the four-story building is 160 2nd Ave. N.

According to a release, the new owner of the tenant-free 50,000-square-foot building is Wheaton, Ill.-based T2 Capital Management.

that effort is unclear.

As The News sister publication the Nashville Post reported in June 2022, and according to Metro records, T2 paid about $11.25 million for the site — which offered a building that had housed for many years Plaza Artist Materials and Picture Framing. The main address is 633 Middleton St., with T2 having also acquired 621-623 Middleton St.

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The seller, via Lofts 160 Nashville LP, was Bala Cynwyd, Penn.-based Stoltz Real Estate Partners. Metro records are unclear as to what Stoltz, which previously planned a high-profile project in Buena Vista, paid for the building.

The sale comes after the Metro Council in July approved short-term rental permits for the structure. That vote was the second attempt at passing the resolution sponsored by District 19 Councilmember Jacob Kupin, who saw his initial proposal for 62 units rejected in early June. Instead, and according to the release, T2 plans 50 residential condominiums (to be used as short-term rental) and 10,000 square feet of retail space for the building, with Nashville-based Hastings Architecture seemingly handling design.

The Metro Historical Commission supports the project.

“This property is immensely important to not only the T2 team but the city of Nashville,” Tom Lowe, T2 director of acquisitions, said in the release. “Following the tragic events of 2020, we feel privileged to be restoring the 160 Lofts property and playing a central role in revitalizing such a storied and important part of downtown Nashville.”

Relatedly, T2 is seeking a mixed-use building for Pie Town, though the status of

According to a release issued in 2022, T2 enlisted Hastings Architecture to handle the design of what is called Trio. A document submitted to the Metro Planning Department at the time noted the building would rise about 27 floors and 280 feet. T2 is expected to need a rezoning to allow for bonus height. If the project materializes, the building will offer 405 units, 14,770 square feet of retail space and a parking garage with 439 spaces.

Led by founder and CEO Jeff Brown, T2 has $1.4 billion in assets under management. The company could not be reached for comment regarding a Trio status update. For the Second Avenue transaction, Lance Bloom, principal and vice chairman with the Nashville office of Toronto-base Colliers, represented Stoltz. Seth Harlan, a broker with Nashville-based Robin Realty, represented T2.

T2 Capital Management operates an office at 135 Second Ave. N., near its justacquired building. During the past 10 years, T2 has participated in multiple real estate deals, with a collective value of about $100 million, throughout Nashville.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

Which Titans quarterback will win the

No.

2 roster spot?

Saturday’s game against Seattle will offer Malik Willis, Mason Rudolph chances to stand out

STAFF REPORTS

This weekend’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks won’t provide Titans fans with much clarity for how the team will look this season after first-year coach Brian Callahan announced that the starters won’t play.

Instead, it will be a contest to showcase who could be ready to step in when needed.

Here are some areas to keep an eye on during the game, to be played at Nissan Stadium (6 p.m. start time).

WILLIS OR RUDOLPH?

After the Titans in the offseason signed Mason Rudolph, a former backup/ sometimes starter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he appeared to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Will Levis.

But Malik Willis has enjoyed a productive training camp, according to reports, and is showing signs he has no desire to be a camp casualty — or a No. 3 signal-caller.

Willis will get the start against Seattle, Callahan said, so this will be a chance to show if he can be the man behind the man.

Against San Francisco last week, Willis was 5-of-7 passing for 38 yards. He ran four times for 42 yards, the best being a 28-yarder. By all accounts, Willis has shown significant improvement over last season, so this start could be big for him.

Rudolph was 10-of-17 for 126 yards against San Francisco, so he probably has

the edge on Willis at this point. The most significant difference in the two backups is Rudolph’s running ability, or lack thereof.

What we could get Saturday from these two is a better feel for how they might be used. It’s possible the Titans will keep both

backups, with Rudolph being the first guy inserted should something happen to Levis. Willis could be used in multiple ways, as he can use his arm or feet for reverse-pass options, double passes or flea flickers.

GUYS FIGHTING TO STAY WITH THE TEAM

The camp roster is always overloaded, so games like this provide opportunities for the players on the bubble to make a name for themselves.

Running backs Hasan Haskins and Julius Chestnut are battling to stay on the team, supporting Troy Pollard and Tyjae Spears.

Edge rusher Jaylen Harrell was praised by Callahan earlier in camp, but recorded only two tackles and no quarterback pressures last week. He needs to improve those numbers on Saturday and will likely get plenty of snaps for that chance.

With a group of receivers that include DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Boyd, Calvin Ridley, Treylon Burkes and Nick WestbrookIkhine, making the team at receiver will be difficult. So Kyle Philips, Mason Kinsey, Jha’Quan Jackson and Kearis Jackson are fighting for jobs. These players need Willis and Rudolph to be accurate and they need to make good on all targets.

The offensive line is No. 1 on the list of what needs to improve for the Titans this season. Last week was a good start, but as those who have watched the Tennessee teams during the past few seasons know, injuries are going to occur. So, men like John Ojukwu, Jaelyn Duncan and Geron Christian Sr. will be battling to stay around.

This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.

Malik Willis
PHOTO: TENNESSEE TITANS
Mason Rudolph PHOTO: TENNESSEE TITANS

Almond Butter White Chocolate Cookies

We’re suckers for Cookies-N-Creme candy bars. So with some in the house we tossed them in these cookies with almond butter. A riff on peanut butter cookies but sooo much better. Use a small ice cream scoop (I love the one from Pampered Chef) to dip the dough, which makes them round and bakery-like. A friend, who happens to be blind, insisted I name them. Not being influenced by their appearance, she came up with “good karma cookies.” If karma takes the shape of cookies, these would be it.

32 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter until creamy; add sugars and beat well.

2. Add eggs; beat well. Add flour, soda, and salt; mix just until blended. Add vanilla and almond butter; mix well.

2 teaspoons vanilla 3/4 cup almond butter

2 (4-ounce) Hershey’s Cookies-n-Creme candy bars, chopped Maldon flaked sea saltr

ACROSS

1 Over 3,500 feet, for the George Washington Bridge

5 Takes care of

11 “As if!”

14 Change

16 Secure, as to a pole

17 Nail polish brand with colors like “Berry Fairy Fun” and “Aurora Berry-alis”

18

20 Star t to “starter”

21 Caribbean countr y whose capital is Castries

22 With it, in old slang

23 Waited for a customer service representative, say

24 Work station 25

30 Unwritten code?

31 “___ told …”

32 Representative’s affirmative

33 “Shogun,” e.g.

35 Major under taking?

39 Diana of Motown

41 Melancholy

43 Portent

44 What “down” means in diner lingo

46 Future D.A.’s exam

48 Multivolume ref

49 “It’s c-c-c-cold!”

50 Divide, as a deck of cards

52

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Stir in chopped chocolate bars. Scoop with 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop onto cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sea or coarse salt.

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.

69 “___ Kitchen” (cooking show)

70 Largest of the threeletter numbers

71 Stinging plant

72 Feature of some dresses DOWN

1 Displays, as the time

2 It might thicken or be full of holes

3 ___ Gawande, author of the 2014 best seller “Being Mortal”

4 Poet Pablo

5 For which you might tell a chef “Well done!”

6 Caterpillar roll ingredient

54 With 65-Across, source of this puzzle’s pictorial clues

57 Rival of Chanel

58 “F inding ___” (Pixar sequel)

59 “Razor-billed” bird

60 Knock around, say

64 Company that purchased T ime Warner in 2001

65 See 54-Across

67 Greek consonant hidden in the names of two Greek vowels

68 Prepare to release, as a fish

7 Engrave

8 They often take bows

9 Allegro or adagio

10 Prospector’s find

11 Throat-soothing type of tea

12 Olympic gold medalist Ohno

13 Like the “Ramayana”

School break

Smar t aleck

26 Kilmer of “Top Gun: Maverick”

Burning man? 28 R&B singer Bridges 29 One side of Checkpoint Char lie

30 Reser voir creator 34 Was apprehended

36 Podium delivery 37 ___ Squad (tech suppor t group)

38 Wraps up

42 Sandwich whose “California” version contains avocado

45 Pop star Grande, to fans

47 Nevertheless

51 Take apart, as 8-Down

53 Contends

54 Bring to the big screen, perhaps

55 Mammal whose babies can outr un humans at only three days old

56 Michael of “The Dar k Knight”

57 Male duck

61 Corridor

62 Fruit named for its unsightly appearance

63 Bother

65 Light source

66 “What a hoot!,” in brief

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 ALEX EATON-SALNERS

SERVICE & MAINTENANCE

WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH

TN Waltz Patron Party

The patron party for A Tennessee Waltz was held in the ballroom of the Hermitage Hotel to benefit the Tennessee State Museum.

Daniel Kuk played piano in the lobby during the cocktail hour and everyone enjoyed perusing the silent auction.

Passed hors d’oeuvres included deviled eggs with paprika and chives, Tomato Pop Tarts with tomatoes, ancho chili jam and whipped mascarpone cheese, and crab cakes with romesco sauce

After cocktails, guests moved into the dining room, where everyone was officially welcomed by Tre Hargett.

Music was provided by the Modern Mozarts, a Nashville-based string trio.

The rest of the evening was devoted to the delicious dinner, which began with a kale and quinoa salad, with grapes, feta cheese, candied pecans and green goddess dressing.

The main course was braised beef short ribs in a mushroom Diane sauce with white grits, glazed carrots and parsnips.

Tiramisu was served as the dessert course, with a Carajillo cocktail, a refreshing beverage which originated in Mexico.

The mission of the Tennessee State Museum is to procure, preserve, exhibit, and interpret objects which relate to the social, political, economic, and cultural history of Tennessee and Tennesseans, and to provide access to educational and cultural programs and exhibitions for the people of the state. For more information, visit tnmuseum.org, call 615-741-2692, or email info@tnmuseum.org.

Belinda Berry and Thomas Barrett
Kristen Armstrong and Donya Bentley
Robert Stevens, Nicole Barranco, Jennie Marshall, and Jack Johnson
Pam Waggerner, John Grayson, and Estie Harris
Joel Alongi, McCasland Poplesney, and West Wiggins
Michael Curcio, Matthew Charles, and Russ Parks
Tre Hargett and Stan Settles
John Roberts, Casey Vaughn, and Melina Settles

SOCIAL

Allen Davis, Margaret Adgent, and Sarah and Chris Drennan
Laurie and John McPeak Katie Jane Good and Dawn Hargett
Jim Hoobler, Marilyn and Kem Hinton, and Dana Blickwedel
Nancy Russell, Pam Lewis, and Victor Ashe
Lana Skelo, Andrea Bennett Punke, and Elizabeth Rush
Elaine Davis, Anne Goetze, and Dawn and Tre Hargett
Michael and Betsy Miller, and Paul Kuhn
Catlin Adgent, John Adgent, and Katie Adgent

Care giver

Care giver

Hi my name is Shanda Byles,  I'm looking for a personal care

10

experience providing

is no longer just for retired teachers. All seniors 62 and older may apply with no fee. Efficiencies start at $500 which includes utilities.

One bedroom & studio apartments available starting at $625 per month. Must be 62 and older and live independently.

One bedroom & studio apartments available starting at $650 per month. Must be 62 and older and live independently. I am

615-297-7536

greenhillsapts@comcast.net

I'm confident, I can make a positive contribution to your family. If you like you can reach me at:  (615) 484-3323 Madison, Hermitage, Hendersonville, Old Hickory

ConCreTe/Masonry

land Clearing

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