U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles narrowly avoided a primary upset from Courtney Johnston in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District GOP primary. Ogles will face Democrat Maryam Abolfazli in the general election on Nov. 5.
Johnston, a Metro councilmember who earned money and support from Tennessee’s Republican establishment throughout her bid against Ogles, eyed the seat after a series of scandals and controversy damaged Ogles’ credibility. She announced her bid, backed by campaign treasurer and well-connected Republican fundraiser Kim Kaegi, in February. Rather than focus on policy — both broadly agree on mainstream GOP positions against immigration, legal abortion and gun control — Johnston’s challenge hammered Ogles for lacking professionalism and antagonizing party leadership. Her
campaign raised more than $700,000 with the help of Kaegi, formerly a fundraiser for top Republicans including Gov. Bill Haslam and Sens. Fred Thompson and Bob Corker.
Ogles has fought campaign finance violations and ethical quandaries since taking office in 2022. He was among the handful of House representatives who worked against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Republican, briefly rendering the chamber speakerless last fall. High name recognition and a national media presence helped buoy Ogles through the tight primary race.
Republicans are favored in the general election for the congressional seat, which was redrawn in 2022 by GOP state lawmakers. In name, the district had long belonged to Davidson County and was held for decades by centrist Democrat Rep.
The Davidson County Election Commission approved the transit referendum to go on the Nov. 5 ballot at its meeting on Aug. 1. Metro Council approved the legislation that included the ballot language at its July 16 meeting.
“Nashvillians, we’ve heard you. We can do better than our current transportation reality,” Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a statement after the decision. “As I said when we introduced the Choose How You Move program in April, this is how we stop kicking the can down the road on a problem and As the state and federal primaries closed this past week, the candidates will race to the finish in November along with the presidential election. With the highest office in the U.S. on the ballot, turnout is likely to be higher than in other elections. In a transition document from when O’Connell took office, it was recommended to hold the referendum vote in a high-turnout election to maximize success, noting Nov. 5 as the next opportunity meant quick action. The document also highlighted that model was not followed in Nashville’s 2018 referendum which was held in May.
The last referendum also saw significant political action committee opposition groups throwing in millions to stop the effort. This time around, Axios reports one such group is just starting up. The Committee Against an Unfair Tax is filing paperwork to raise money against the effort, according to Axios.
The group is being organized by former Metro Councilmember Emily Evans, Davidson County Republican Party leader Beth Campbell and attorney
Jim Cooper. (In 2022, Cooper announced he would not seek reelection in a district he deemed unwinnable for Democrats.) It now contains the county’s wealthy enclaves of Oak Hill, Green Hills, Forest Hills and Belle Meade, as well as diverse and quickly growing neighborhoods in southeast Davidson County. The district also wanders through Wilson, Williamson, Maury, Marshall and Lewis counties.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
Group against sales tax for transit
Dianne Ferrell Neal. Evans told Axios they believe the proposed half-cent sales tax increase to fund the plan is the main issue as some Nashvillians have less faith in the city government. She also said the main pieces of the plan should be paid for from the yearly capital budget.
Conservative political group Americans for Prosperity, linked to the Koch family, told the Nashville Banner it would not be engaging in efforts against the transit plan. The anti-tax organization played a vital role in the fight to shut down the transportation referendum in 2018.
When O’Connell announced his plan, a group of pro-transportation organizers formed Nashville Moves to support the plan. Axios reports members of that advisory committee include Harry Allen, co-founder of Studio Bank; Charles Robert Bone, attorney; Sara Finley, attorney; Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville), Robbie Hayes, Tennessee group director at HNTB; Dan Hogan, entrepreneur; Kathy Leslie, co-owner of bakery and cafe Shugga Hi; Wanda Lyle, president and CEO of CNM; and Renata Soto, founder of Mosaic Changemakers. The outlet also said it’s led by former members of O’Connell’s mayoral campaign, Jeff Morris and Scott Dietz.
With news of the opposition group on
Tuesday, Morris told Axios that the half-cent sales tax increase will be borne out by mostly
tourists, citing that 60 percent of sales tax is paid by people outside of Davidson County.
Gloria Johnson wins Democratic primary for U.S. Senate seat
The Knoxville representative will take on Marsha Blackburn in November’s general election
D. PATRICK RODGERS, ELI MOTYCKA
State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) has secured the Democratic nomination to run for one of Tennessee’s two U.S. Senate seats. Johnson, who has served four terms as a Democrat in the Tennessee General Assembly, defeated Memphis activist Marquita Bradshaw and two other candidates in the Aug. 1 primary.
Though incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who took office in 2019, faced a meager challenge in the Republican primary from Tres Wittum, she easily defeated the 37-year-old and secured her party’s nomination to run for reelection.
Shortly after the 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Johnson joined fellow Democratic state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson in protesting GOP inaction on gun reform.
The moment brought attention and money to the “Tennessee Three,” and Johnson took the opening, declaring her candidacy in September of last year. She has raised more than $5 million since declaring, and has largely focused her campaign on
criticizing Blackburn rather than Bradshaw or her other fellow Democrats during the primary race.
Bradshaw won the Democratic primary for Tennessee’s other U.S. Senate seat in 2020, but lost that race to Bill Hagerty by roughly 27 percentage points.
Blackburn, meanwhile, has roughly $9 million on hand to spend in the general race. An original Tea Party loyalist, Blackburn has earned stature among the national GOP as a safe-seat senator with a habit of culture-war sound bites and no true scandals to her name.
She defeated popular two-term Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen by a margin of roughly 11 percentage points in the 2018 general election, and has been among Donald Trump’s fiercest allies and defenders in the U.S. Senate since.
Johnson and Blackburn will face off on the Nov. 5 ballot.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
State Rep. Gloria Johnson
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Sen. Marsha Blackburn PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Courtney Johnston
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Mayor Freddie O’Connell unveils his transit plan, April 19, 2024.
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Nashville’s Gretchen Walsh captures fourth Olympic medal
Harpeth Hall grad won two golds and two silvers in swimming competition
JOHN GLENNON
Nashville’s Gretchen Walsh will return from the 2024 Olympics in Paris with plenty of hard-won hardware.
The Harpeth Hall grad captured four medals in six events, earning gold as part of the U.S. team’s 4x100-meter mixed relay team and the 4x100-meter women’s medley relay final. She won silver in the 100-meter butterfly and as part of the 4x100-meter women’s freestyle relay team.
Walsh on Sunday was part of the U.S. team’s world-record time in the 4x100meter women’s medley relay, swimming the butterfly leg of the race and joining teammates Regan Smith, Lilly King and Torri Huske in setting the new mark with a time of 3:49.63.
Walsh, who is 21, very nearly added a fifth medal to her total Sunday in the 50-meter freestyle, but she finished fourth with a time of 24.21 — just .01 seconds behind China’s Zhang Yufei.
Walsh, competing in her first Olympics, had earlier in the games finished eighth in the 100-meter freestyle competition.
It appeared that Walsh’s older sister, fellow Harpeth Hall grad Alex Walsh, had on Saturday captured the bronze medal in her lone race, the 200-meter individual medley. She finished second in the event at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. But Alex Walsh (23) was disqualified from the competition because of an illegal turn — she did not complete the backstroke portion of the race on her back, turning too soon as she
WE OFFER THE FINEST IN CIGARS, PIPES, TOBACCOS, HUMIDORS & CIGAR ACCESSORIES.
Gretchen Walsh was distraught by her sister’s disqualification, but knew she had to keep preparing for the mixed relay.
“I was really happy for her when I saw she touched third,” Walsh told reporters in Paris.
“I was thrilled that she was on the podium, and then I did one more 50 of warm-down, and then it was a [disqualification]. So I was just stopped in the middle of the pool, like so upset, I don’t really know how to describe it. But yeah, I knew that I was going to have to move on from that quickly in the moment, give her a big hug, tell her that I’m here for her and then go out and do this in her honor.”
Sure enough, Gretchen Walsh was part of the U.S. team that set a world record in the event, finishing in 3:37.43.
“This was the biggest job I had tonight,” Walsh said. “And so it was the main focus, and I was just really proud of myself and our whole relay and the prelims relay for everything we did.
“We got the world record, we got number one, we’re on the podium with our gold. It was a pretty special moment, and shout-out to these three teammates. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
The Walsh sisters compete at the University of Virginia, where they have been a part of four straight NCAA championships.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
Gretchen Walsh PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Brooks secures Democrats’ approval in District 60
Single mother known for fierce gun control efforts wins battle for the Democratic Party in suburban Davidson County; plus more state House primary updates
ELI MOTYCKA
Shaundelle Brooks
PHOTO: HAMILTON
MATTHEW MASTERS
Shaundelle Brooks won a narrow primary victory over Tyler Brasher to secure the Democratic nomination for Tennessee House District 60. Previously held by Darren Jernigan, the seat includes parts of Hermitage, Donelson and Old Hickory.
The Tennessee Democratic Party can’t directly weigh in on a primary, where voters select candidates for the general election in November, but its most visible elected
officials split their support between Brooks and Brasher. District demographics look a lot like areas near Murfreesboro and Clarksville, battleground suburbs where Democrats hope to make headway against Republicans’ supermajority in the state legislature.
Several prominent statewide Democrats, led by state Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), lined up behind Brooks, a Black single mother who earned national attention for her
efforts to address gun violence. Brooks’ son, Akila DaSilva, was killed in a mass shooting at an Antioch Waffle House in 2018, an event that drove her to electoral politics
“Raising my kids as a single mom, having to pay rent and bills on one income, how can I be a single-issue person?” Brooks told the Scene on the campaign trail. “I’m trying to give my kids a decent life. Daily, I’m coming into contact with the school system, the health care system, insurance companies and gun violence. I stand up for people. I fight for people who don’t have a voice.”
Brasher touted his experience in neighborhood politics and brought on Metro Councilmember Jordan Huffman as campaign manager. While Jernigan, a popular incumbent, did not publicly take a side — he currently holds a post in Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration as the mayor’s state House whisperer — Brasher won over his household, scoring an endorsement from Jernigan’s wife Michelle.
Brooks will face Republican Chad Bobo, a former staffer for House Speaker Cameron Sexton, in the general election on Nov. 5.
MORE STATE HOUSE PRIMARIES
Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, unopposed in the Democratic primary, advanced to the Nov. 5 general election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. She will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Green,
a high-ranking Republican once considered for a position in former president Donald Trump’s cabinet.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. John Rose will face Democrat Lore Bergman, a political newcomer, in the general election for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, which includes parts of Davidson County. Bergman eked past Clay Faircloth and Cyril Focht in the Democratic Primary.
With the exception of House District 60, Davidson County’s Democratic delegation will likely stay intact. Popular Nashville Reps. Aftyn Behn (House District 51), Justin Jones (House District 52), Harold Love Jr. (House District 58), Bo Mitchell (House District 50), Jason Powell (House District 53), Vincent Dixie (House District 54), John Ray Clemmons (House District 55) and Caleb Hemmer (House District 59) move on to November after unopposed primary races. Rep. Bob Freeman cruised past minimal opposition in House District 56, which he has represented since 2018. (Disclosure: Freeman’s father Bill Freeman owns FW Publishing, the parent company of The News). State Sen. Heidi Campbell will also defend her seat in November after running an uncontested primary in state Senate District 20.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
Lee Reeves wins House District 65 Republican primary
Low voter turnout in Williamson County leaves Brian Beathard behind by less than 100 votes
NICOLLE S. PRAINO AND HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
First-time candidate Lee Reeves has secured the Republican nomination in the race for outgoing Rep. Sam Whitson’s state House District 65 seat.
“I have been peaceful; I have been calm about this for weeks now because I know that we have put everything on the field,” Reeves said at an election results celebration at The Board Room in Franklin.
“When we even heard about this race in the beginning, I prayed. … I prayed that if I’m supposed to do this that the right people get put into my path and that if I’m not that door gets shut and locked so I don’t kick it down. And I’m gonna tell you, at every single pivot point we have had the right people show up in this race.”
Cheers erupted as the final unofficial results rolled in with Reeves at 3,141 votes, just under 100 ahead of the second-place
finisher Brian Beathard.
Reeves’ wife, Claire, was the Republican candidate for the Williamson County School Board District 9. She and other school board candidates also held their election parties at The Board Room.
She teared up while talking about how she had been so focused on her husband’s race that she hadn’t even prepared a speech for herself. Franklin Alderman Beverly Berger, who served as Reeves’ treasurer, and state Rep. Jake McCalmon (R-Franklin) were also on hand to celebrate.
Reeves faced two other Republican challengers in the primary: Williamson County Commission Chair Brian Beathard and Michelle Foreman, who previously lost races for Nashville’s Metro Council in 2019 and state House District 59 in 2022.
“We ran with integrity and honor,
the same integrity and honor that Sam Whitson brought, [and that] Charles Sargent [brought],” Beathard said to cheers from his supporters at his watch party at The Factory at Franklin. “We knocked on 16,000 doors, we put out 1,000 yard signs, we stuffed thousands of envelopes, we had over 20 meet-and-greets, and we never sent out one piece of negative advertising.”
Those supporters included many local leaders such as Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, who served as Beathard’s treasurer, and Whitson, who endorsed Beathard early on in the race.
Reeves’ 3,141 votes ultimately beat out Beathard, who garnered 3,046, and Foreman, who received 2,178 in third place. Early voting results, which were released when polls closed on Thursday, revealed that 10.5 percent of registered
Lee Reeves
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Tyler Brasher
PHOTO: TABITHA TURNER VISUALS
Williamson County voters cast ballots during the early voting period. Beathard earned an early lead with 1,824 votes during early voting, while Reeves earned 1,722 and Foreman had 1,158.
Only 8,365 voters cast their ballots in the District 65 race in the primary overall based on the unofficial results. The total number of Williamson County voters in the Aug. 1 election has yet to be released.
Early in the primary, Reeves became the target of an article by The Tennessee Conservative that alleged that the candidate “houses hundreds of illegal immigrants” in a Texas property he owns, allegations that
Reeves called a “false” story” by a “blogger.”
Reeves had the backing of Gov. Bill Lee and other top Republicans like Republican Caucus Chair Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby).
Beathard’s supporters decried an influx of “dark money” from political action committees (PACs) to influence the election in the lead-up to the day of the primary.
Several PACs spent hundreds of thousands in support of Reeves’ stance in favor of the governor’s plans for school vouchers. Both Beathard and Foreman were not considered pro-voucher candidates.
“All the leadership in this county supported Brian Beathard, and it’s hard
to overcome the negative untruths that this money bought,” Whitson told The News. “It’s a sad day for our state, and I’m disappointed in our governor for being a part of this.”
“To be supported by $1 million of dark money and use that to trash a decent guy; it was just trashing a good guy and not about any policy, that’s what is disturbing to me,” Whitson continued. “This is all about vouchers, and the winning side; I cannot imagine that they’re proud of this victory
and how they won. It’s not that they won, it’s how they won that I think is disturbing.”
Whitson had previously been a key holdout among state Republicans in the conversation around school choice, so whoever ends up in his seat could play a factor in the next general assembly’s strategy to pass the legislation.
Now Reeves will face off against Democratic candidate LaRhonda Williams in the general election on Nov. 5.
Metro Nashville Police Department’s Office of Professional Accountability since 2013
STEVEN HALE, 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.
Kathy Morante, the longtime director of the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Office of Professional Accountability, has been replaced.
The leadership shakeup comes less than two months after a former lieutenant with the internal affairs unit came forward with myriad allegations of improper and unfair conduct by top department officials. Metro has hired former U.S. attorney Ed Stanton to
lead an investigation into those claims.
MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron confirms the changes at OPA to the Nashville Banner, adding that Metro Police Chief John Drake “believes this change in leadership will improve and strengthen OPA operations.” Morante had led the office since 2013.
The OPA conducts internal investigations of MNPD officers accused of violating department policies. From 2018 to 2023, Nashville’s Community Oversight Board was also empowered to investigate complaints against officers and issue their own findings.
After a state law dissolved the COB and other similar boards around the state, it was
replaced by the Community Review Board. The diminished CRB only has the ability to refer civilian complaints to the OPA and review the resulting investigations.
As of Monday, Commander Jason Starling is overseeing operations at OPA, Aaron says. Morante, who worked as an assistant district attorney in Nashville for 14 years before coming to the MNPD, will remain with the department. She has been assigned to assist cold case Det. Mike Roland with the recently reopened investigation into civil rights-era bombings in Nashville.
Among the allegations made by former OPA Lieutenant Garet Davidson is the claim that Deputy Chief Chris Gilder and Assistant
Chief Mike Hagar collaborated with state Republicans to write and pass the law that eliminated Nashville’s Community Oversight Board and other similar boards around the state. Davidson alleges that Morante later held an OPA meeting and presented Gilder with a small, engraved crystal trophy to recognize his work getting the law passed.
The MNPD has denied that allegation. Davidson’s 61-page complaint, however, also describes the department as one rife with rank bias where leadership interfered with OPA investigations and internal policies were not consistently applied.
Brian Beathard PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Lee Reeves wins
Lee Reeves hugging his wife, WCS board candidate Claire, at their joint watch party
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
Jones wins Democratic nomination in House District 61 race
First-time candidate Claire Jones secured the Democratic nomination for state House District 61 on Thursday night and will now face incumbent Republican D61 Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) in November.
Thursday night’s unofficial results show Jones earned 2,415 votes, with Kosack earning 939. Jones earned 1,539 of those
votes during early voting, while Kosack earned 661.
“We need unity right now, because it’s gonna take unity to take on Gino Bulso,” Jones told The News, adding that she has already raised more than $130,000 and will run a “grassroots” and “boots-on-the-ground” campaign aimed at earning the votes of
Democrats, Independents and Republicans.
“I think that traditional Republicans are going to meet us on our platform, because our platform is common sense,” Jones said.
“I don’t think there’s anything extreme or crazy about wanting to keep kids safe from gun violence; I don’t think there’s anything crazy or extreme in wanting our
public schools to stay well funded and to make sure that we’re not going backwards with book bans,” Jones continued. “I think that it’s not extreme to say that women’s reproductive rights should be championed and the access to IVF and contraceptive care should be codified, and just access in general to health care.”
Jones decided to run for the House seat following last year’s Covenant School shooting and earned several endorsements including from Moms Demand Action and Democrats Serve.
Kosack, a school teacher, veteran and first-time candidate, promoted a selfdescribed “unorthodox” proposal that “every elected official” in Tennessee should work three days a year as substitute teachers in public schools.
“Congratulations to Claire,” Kosack said in a statement to The News. “She has my full support and I urge all those who voted for me to support her in any way possible. It is now time for all District 61 voters who value common sense and rational, compassionate government to unite and vote out politicians who are not listening and representing District 61 voters.”
Claire Jones PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Rep. Gino Bulso
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard speaks to Republican voters in Brentwood
The now-Independent Gabbard called Vice President,
presumptive
Democratic presidential nominee
Kamala Harris ‘unfit,’ ‘dangerous’
HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
and understanding, especially when it comes to foreign policy,” Gabbard said, calling Harris insecure and warning that Harris will lead the country into “war.”
The former congresswoman is an Iraq War veteran and current lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Despite positioning herself as anti-war, the reality of her position has been called into question, along with her past statements parroting Russian disinformation surrounding the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.
Gabbard charged that the Democratic party is “under the complete control of this elitist cabal of woke-warmongers led by the ilk of Hillary Clinton.”
Clinton previously suggested that the Russian government was “grooming” Gabbard to be a third-party candidate, calling Gabbard “the favorite of the Russians.”
Gabbard served as Hawaii’s 2nd District congresswoman from 2013 through 2021 and as the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 through 2016. In 2020, she unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for president.
wing media and live events and has said that she would be ”honored” to serve as former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate, a nomination that she did not receive.
Gabbard also made several vague claims about Harris — without evidence — including that Harris is only concerned with “the freedom for women to have an abortion all the way through the ninth month,” and that the Biden administration is “targeting people of faith and spirituality, especially Christians, in this country.”
Harris has gone on record that she wants to see the restoration of Roe v. Wade.
Gabbard called 2024 “the most important election of my life” and a “no-fail mission,” adding that “freedom is what is at stake in this election.”
Former Democratic presidential candidate turned Republican-supporting independent Tulsi Gabbard rallied Republican voters in Brentwood against Vice President Kamala Harris on July 26. Gabbard spoke to the Republican Women of Williamson County hours before her appearance at the Bitcoin2024 conference in Nashville.
Gabbard called Harris, who is now the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, “unfit and unqualified” to lead the country, and “dangerous.”
“She lacks basic knowledge, experience
A moment from a 2020 Democratic presidential debate has resurfaced showing Gabbard and Harris sparring over policy, a moment that Gabbard recalled during her Brentwood remarks.
In 2022, she left the Democratic Party and declared herself to be an independent, but has since made frequent appearances on right-
Taylor wins District 1 school board race
The Metro Nashville Public Schools board’s new lineup is officially decided after Thursday’s election — though there aren’t many surprises. While districts 3, 5, 7 and 9 were all but locked in due to uncontested races, we now know who will replace Sharon Gentry after 16 years of representing District 1: Robert Taylor.
Taylor was the only school board nominee who faced a Republican challenger (Demytris Savage-Short). While the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation making school board elections partisan in 2021, no Republicans have been elected to the MNPS board in the two races since.
Incumbents Freda Player (District 7) and Abigail Tylor (District 9), both of whom took office in 2020, will continue serving on the school board for another four years.
District 5 representative TK Fayne will also continue serving on the school board after
being temporarily appointed by the Metro Council in March following representative Christiane Buggs’ resignation. (Buggs now serves as CEO of education nonprofit PENCIL.) Replacing Emily Masters in District 3 will be Zach Young, a former Metro councilmember who also served on the Goodlettsville City Commission. Young ran for reelection on the Metro Council last year but lost to Jennifer Frensley Webb. Masters, however, endorsed Young for her seat on the school board.
The board’s main responsibilities include shepherding the district’s education budget, hiring and evaluating superintendents, creating policy for district schools and making decisions about charter schools, among other tasks.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
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
Tulsi Gabbard PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Robert
KELSEY BEYELER
Robert Taylor PHOTO: SUBMITTED
OPINION
TICKED OFF!
YOU WON’T HAVE TO VOTE AGAIN
On July 26, former President Trump speaking to Christians at the Turning Point Action Believers’ Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida said “Get out and vote. Just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what: it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians…. Get out, you’ve got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.”
Here is the man who continues to claim to have won the presidential election in 2020, even though there is no basis for this belief. On January 6, 2021, he led a revolt to stay in power. The Republican Party has already organized hundreds of lawyers to argue against voting results in the 2024 elections and Trump and many leaders of the Republican Party have already stated that they will not accept the results unless Trump is elected president again.
I am ticked off that: A) He is allowed to be on the ballot – contrary to what the 14th amendment says B) That he has continued to stoke violence into our elections C) That he has such a large following D) That he has pledged to take away our right to vote. You won’t have to vote again
TURN SIGNALS
To the morons that are driving in Nashville and do not or refuse to use their turn signals. I’ll bet you have your left had at the 9 o’clock position on the steering wheel. FYI, your bird finger is so very close tp the lever that operates the device. Simply extend the bird finger to push up or down, depending on the direction you want to go. This will save you from getting someone’s horn being blown at you for not using it, and you having to flip them off out your window. Such a waste of time, energy and aggression. Now isn’t that easy. Hopefully you opted for the turn signal package when you bought your vehicle in the first place.
UPGRADING NASHVILLE’S PUBLIC TRANSIT
Let me set the record straight. Before i give you my opinion of Nashville’s new public transit proposal, I must first
tell you that I didn’t support or vote for the previous Bill.
That one was an ambitious 5.4 Billion dollar, 5 yr disruptive undertaking, funded by numerous tax increases, for so many “improvements” we really didn’t need. I wasn’t surprised when we voted it down…
I have come full circle.
We must, may i repeat, Nashville must enter the 21st century along with other US cities.
We must improve our Transit system by passing Mayor O’Connell’s new referendum now.
It is in line with the personality, makeup and finances of our diverse, rapidlyincreasing population of residents, tourists and visitors.
The plan accomplishes it at a cost we can easily afford. It is also funded by those of us who can easily afford it.
1- It will privide new, smarter state of the art, traffic-lights.
2- We will get 86 miles of safe, useable, new or upgraded sidewalks. and most important,
3- We will
a- build 17 Park and Ride Facilities. (to park your car when you use the bus)
b- It will double the bus hours.
c- buses will run 24/7,
d- we will have express lanes to help alleviate Nashville’s traffic problems.. and
e- it will be totally funded by a half a percent increase in our County Sales Tax.
You heard me right.
it’s now 2.25%.
it will increase to 2.75%, amazingly cheap for what we are getting..
We have no choice.
Vote for the proposal.
And if you worry about our less fortunate residents,, the Bill will give unlimited bus rides for any family earning less than $40,000 annually.
The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.
Titans sign Diggs, adding talent and experience at free safety
Nine-year veteran made the Pro Bowl in 2020, 2021 and 2022
JOHN GLENNON
The Titans have further bolstered their safety position by signing Quandre Diggs, he announced via social media on Sunday. It’s a one-year deal worth a $3 million base, with playing-time and performancebased incentives that could raise the total to $5 million, per the NFL Network.
The 31-year-old Diggs, a Pro Bowler from
2020 to 2022, will be reunited with former Seattle teammate Jamal Adams, who signed a one-year deal with the Titans on July 11.
Diggs and Adams played alongside one another for the past four seasons in Seattle, and Adams had recently expressed optimism that the Titans would also sign Diggs.
“We talk every day, every day,” Adams
said of Diggs in late July. “He knows me — we’ve known each other for so long, since we were kids. I’m not going to push for him to come here. Obviously, I would love for him to be here. But he has to figure out his process on his own and he will eventually. I know there are so many teams looking at him. Hopefully we get him.”
The 5-9, 197-pound Diggs gives the Titans someone with extensive recent playing experience at free safety, something the team didn’t have on the roster in Adams, Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden. Diggs averaged about 1,000 snaps at free safety in each of the past four seasons in Seattle, playing and starting in 67 straight games during that stretch.
A sixth-round pick of Detroit in 2015, Diggs played 72 games over parts of five seasons for Seattle after the Lions traded him in 2019, recording 324 tackles, 18 interceptions and 32 passes defended. He produced a career-best 95 tackles last season, but some of his other numbers dipped. Diggs had one interception, his lowest total since 2016, and added five passes defensed, his lowest total since 2019. In coverage last season, Diggs surrendered 20 catches on 28 targets for 247 yards (12.4-yard average) and one touchdown, per Pro Football Focus. Opposing quarterbacks posted a 95.4 quarterback rating when targeting him. PFF gave Diggs a 55.1 overall defensive grade and a 55.4 grade in coverage. Seattle released Diggs and Adams on the same day last March, opening up $27.5 million in salary-cap room.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Titans’ Hopkins reportedly out four to six weeks with knee injury Veteran wide receiver could miss
one or two
regular-season games
JOHN GLENNON
The Titans have suffered their second notable training-camp injury.
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss four to six weeks with a knee injury, per the paulkuharsky.com website.
The 32-year-old Hopkins was wearing a wrap on the knee Wednesday, but was a full participant in practice, so it’s unclear exactly when the injury occurred.
Hopkins’ injury comes just over a week after cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, a freeagent acquisition, injured his left knee on the team’s first day of training camp. Titans coach Brian Callahan said at the time Awuzie would likely miss a couple of weeks.
If Hopkins misses a month, he’ll return in time to get a week’s worth of practice leading up to the Titans’ season opener Sept. 8 in Chicago.
If he’s out for six weeks, Hopkins would miss at least the opener, as well
as potentially the Sept. 15 home opener against the New York Jets.
It’s not the first time a knee injury has sidelined Hopkins.
In 2021 when playing for Arizona, he suffered a torn MCL in Week 14 and missed the final four games of the season. In 2022, Hopkins sat out the last two games of the season because of a knee issue.
Hopkins provided the Titans’ only significant contribution at wide receiver in 2023, catching 75 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season with the team. It marked the seventh time in Hopkins’ 11 seasons that the five-time Pro Bowler had topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark.
The Titans are much deeper at receiver than they were a year ago, after adding deep threat Calvin Ridley and slot receiver Tyler Boyd via free agency.
The absence of Hopkins will certainly mean more opportunity over the next several weeks for 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks, who has just 49 catches for 665 yards and one touchdown in 22 games over two seasons. Other Titans receivers like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips and Jha’Quan Jackson — among others — will get more reps as well.
As for Hopkins himself, he’ll miss valuable time that could have been spent learning Callahan’s new offensive scheme and further developing his chemistry with quarterback Will Levis.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Titans defenders celebrate a sack against the Carolina Panthers, Nov. 26, 2023. PHOTO: TENNESSEE TITANS
DeAndre Hopkins
PHOTO: TENNESSEE TITANS, DONALD PAGE
Vandy discus thrower Fraley falls just short of qualifying for Olympic final NCAA champion had drawn attention last week when airing financial frustrations
Vanderbilt’s Veronica Fraley on Friday fell just short in her attempt to qualify for the final of the women’s discus competition at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Fraley’s longest throw of her three attempts was 62.54 meters, which was 13thbest in the competition. The top 12 of the 32 listed participants moved on to the final.
Fraley’s final two attempts were 62.30 meters and 60.95 meters.
It was the first Olympics for the 24-yearold Fraley, who was the 2024 NCAA discus champion in her second of two years at Vanderbilt. She won the NCAA competition with a throw of 63.66 meters. Fraley competed for Clemson from 2019-21 before transferring to Vandy.
A first-team All-American in 2024, she was also voted the 2024 SEC field athlete of the year. Fraley finished third at the U.S. Olympic team trials with a throw of 62.54 meters.
Fraley drew plenty of headlines Thursday,
when she posted on social media that she was having trouble paying her rent back home in Nashville.
“I compete in the Olympic Games [Friday] and can’t even pay my rent,” Fraley wrote on `X’. “my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses.”
Fraley’s comments drew the attention of rapper/reality show star Flavor Flav and entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, who took care of her rent issues. She thanked both on social media.
Fraley also followed up her original post, saying her frustration was not intended to target Vanderbilt, but “mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete such as NIL.”
On Friday, Vanderbilt issued a statement saying the school did everything it could to support Fraley financially.
“Vanderbilt is committed to supporting our student-athletes as they pursue their full potential. We provided our studentathlete Veronica Fraley with the maximum financial aid consistent with NCAA regulations. We also help our studentathletes navigate name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities, acknowledging that these are completely separate and independent of the university by NCAA regulations and state law. We congratulate Veronica not only on her many athletic accomplishments but also for completing her courses to attain her master’s degree. It is exciting that a Vanderbilt graduate is representing the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games. Our coaching staff in Paris, along with the entire Vanderbilt community, are cheering for Veronica as she competes on the world stage.”
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
JOHN GLENNON
Veronica Fraley
PHOTO: VANDERBILT ATHLETICS
First Belmont med school class represents 35 undergraduate institutions
Frist College of Medicine cohort of 50 students features 54 percent women, 24 languages spoken
Belmont University announced Wednesday inaugural class for the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine, with the 50-student cohort representing 35 undergraduate institutions and 13 states of residence.
According to a release, Belmont received applications from 1,368 individuals. The incoming medical students offer a median MCAT score of 509 and a median GPA of 3.64
The class is 54 percent female and 46 percent male and ranges in age between 21 and 38 years old. The release notes the students speak a collective 24 languages, with four landing rural community scholarship recipients (as they intend to practice in rural areas following graduation), four being firstgeneration college students and two having served in the U.S. military.
Of the cohort, 27 students hail from the South, 11 from the Northeast, and six each from the Midwest and West.
Universities represented include, among others, Boston University, Duke, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Rice, the University of California and the University of North Carolina. The class also includes students who previously studied at Belmont, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and Vanderbilt. The class members collectively have accumulated more than 113,000 hours of medical exposure and nearly 19,000 hours of community service.
Currey Ingram co-founder Carol Henderson dies at 92
STAFF REPORTS
Currey Ingram Academy co-founder Carol Henderson died on July 30 at the age of 92.
Henderson, alongside her husband Bobby, founded the school, originally named Westminster School of Nashville (WSN), in 1968. The school moved from its original location on West End in Nashville to its current location on Murray Lane in Brentwood in 2002.
The Hendersons found the school, which includes pre-kindergarten through high school, to help students with “learning differences that show variations in the way the brain processes information and thinking.”
The founding of the school was inspired by the Hendersons’ son, Britt. The two remained involved with the school after its move to Brentwood, and the Henderson Memorial Bridge was named in her honor.
“Currey Ingram Academy was founded due to Carol Henderson’s determination in the pursuit of a fair, just, and deserved education for her child,” Currey Ingram Head of School Dr. Jeff Mitchell said in a release. “Her legacy lives on in the thousands of students who have followed.”
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Named for Thomas Frist, one of the key figures behind HCA Healthcare, the med school will partner with TriStar hospitals for student education.
The $180 million six-floor building, located at 1314 Acklen Ave., boasts 198,000 square feet including 7,600 square feet in shell space set aside for future expansion. Using simulation labs, it will allow Belmont’s various health care disciplines to work together. The medical students will live off campus.
“We are honored to steward this future together with you,” Dr. Anderson Spickard, Frist College of Medicine dean, said in the release. “We are committed to providing you with the skills, knowledge, experiences and resources to become extraordinary physicians. This is a historic moment, and you are a part of it, shaping the legacy of this institution for generations to come.”
Belmont secured preliminary accreditation in October 2023, allowing it to begin recruiting students. The school can earn provisional accreditation status after the first class has completed its first year, with full accreditation to follow as the students of the inaugural class enter their fourth year, pending LCME approval.
The med school will eventually accommodate 100 students per class.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Father Ryan High School announces board members
STAFF REPORTS
Father Ryan High School has announced five new members for the school’s board of trustees for the 2024-25 academic year.
According to a release, the members are as follows:
• David Bohan, a 1966 Father Ryan graduate, former Father Ryan board president, and retired advertising executive
• Chris Donnelly, parent of Father Ryan alumni
• Deacon Bill Hill, retired Corps of Engineer legal chief and a 1967 Father Ryan graduate
• Tom Sloan, health care executive and parent of Father Ryan alumni
• Caroline Young, venture capital executive and current Father Ryan parent
The new members will work with the 2024-25 board leadership (which comprises the executive committee of the board of trustees). That group includes:
• John Bumpus, FRHS Class of 1978, president/chair
• David Glascoe, vice-chair
• Brian Callahan, treasurer/finance and budget chair
• Brittany Testerman Griffith, FRHS Class of 2003, secretary
• Warner Hassell, governance and nominating chair
• Rev. Rhodes Bolster, FRHS Class of 2011, priest
In addition, Tom Bauer heads the facilities committee and Philip Mattingly (Class of 1969) chairs the Advancement Committee.
“I am pleased to welcome these outstanding individuals to the board of Trustees,” Paul Davis said.
“Each of them has demonstrated a strong commitment to the school and a deep belief in our mission. In addition, they bring broad professional experience and community involvement that make Father Ryan even stronger. That combination provides enhanced perspective and valuable leadership for the school.”
Founded in 1925, Father Ryan is a coeducational, college preparatory school serving more than 830 students.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Thomas F. Frist Jr. College of Medicine orientation at Belmont University on July 29
PHOTO: BELMONT, SAM SIMPKINS
Carol Henderson
PHOTO: CURREY INGRAM ACADEMY
Project could yield one of area’s largest apartment complexes
San Diego-based company looks to add 558 residences to
its 262-unit Brentwood Oaks
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
The owner of South Davidson County’s Brentwood Oaks Apartments is planning a major addition to the property. The move will yield an 880-unit garden-style rental residential complex that will rank among Middle Tennessee’s largest.
According to a document submitted to the Metro Planning Department, San Diego-based Sunroad Enterprises seeks an additional 558 units on the site, with an address of 100 Brentwood Oaks Drive near Nippers Corner.
According to Nashville Business Journal statistics from October 2023, the region’s largest (in number of units) apartment complex is The Annaline, located at 115 Nashboro Blvd. with 996 units. IMT Cool Springs in Franklin
ranks No. 2 with 860 units.
Via an LLC, Sunroad paid $57.35 million for the 53.4-acre property in January 2022 in what seemingly represented the company’s initial foray into Nashville.
Brentwood Oaks Apartments, which opened in 1986, offers 262 units in multiple buildings. As such, the 2022 deal was the equivalent of about $218,890 per unit.
The submitted document notes Barge Design Solutions is handling land-planning and engineering services. A Sept. 12 Metro Planning Commission meeting related to a required rezoning is scheduled.
Sunroad officials could not be reached for comment.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
South Nashville sausage production facility sells for $30.14M
Virginia-based food processing company Smithfield to retain 160 Cargill employees
with transaction finalized
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Virginia-based company Smithfield Foods has paid about $30.14 million for a Cargill dry sausage production facility in South Nashville near Berry Hill.
A Davidson County Register of Deeds document notes that Minneapolis-based Cargill sold the 15.86-acre property at 2621 Eugenia Ave.
Smithfield operates in multiple states. According to its website, this seemingly is the company’s first Tennessee facility.
As The News sister publication the Nashville Post reported in June, Cargill
assumed ownership of the property in 2020, according to Metro records. That came after a 2016 deal in which the company purchased Five Star Custom Foods, which had acquired the facility in 2009 for $4.7 million, Metro records note.
In January, Cargill filed a layoff notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, noting it planned to cut 111 jobs by March. The layoff was considered “partial” as the facility previously employed approximately 240 people.
Smithfield said in a June release that the
company will offer employment to roughly 160 Cargill Nashville employees with no changes to pay and with benefits.
Smithfield said in the release that acquiring the facility is part of its strategy to grow its packaged meats segment. It will add dry sausage production capacity of about 50 million pounds per year to the company’s portfolio of brands, including Margherita, Carando and Armour.
“Dry sausage is one of our fastest-growing categories, and acquiring this facility from Cargill will better position us to improve
Ex-Pancake Pantry owner sells west side building
sales, drive volume and increase our capacity to bring high-quality dry sausage products to the foodservice, industrial and retail sectors,” Steve France, president of packaged meats for Smithfield Foods, said in the June release. The Post was unable to determine if brokers were involved in the transaction.
Based in Smithfield, Va., Smithfield Foods Inc. operates as an independent subsidiary of multinational conglomerate WH Group, according to company materials.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
David Baldwin involved in $925K transaction involving White Bridge Pike property
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
A small West Nashville commercial building has changed ownership hands for $925,000, with the seller a member of the family that founded Nashville’s Pancake Pantry.
Located at 284 White Bridge Pike, the modernist structure most recently housed Music City Psychic, with an adult video store seemingly having been a tenant before that. According to a Davidson County Register of Deeds document, the new owner is an LLC that includes Erian Goda (an agent
with Hodges and Fooshee Realty) and Franklin’s Ashraf Habib.
In 2022, Goda and Habib paid $950,000 for a 0.48-acre property at 3100 Dickerson Pike and a commercial building seemingly housing a quick loan business.
The seller of the White Bridge Road property was an LLC affiliated with David Baldwin, whose father, Robert Baldwin, founded Nashville’s Pancake Pantry in 1961. David assumed control of the restaurant
business in 1988 and sold it in 2017.
Baldwin paid $295,000 for the just-sold property in 2004, Metro records note.
Charlie Robin and Seth Harlan — founder and broker, respectively, with Nashville-based Robin Realty — represented Baldwin, according to a source.
The transaction follows the Nashville Humane Association having paid $1.85 million for a White Bridge Pike-area property, located at 212 Oceola Ave. near
its headquarters.
In addition, and in December 2023, local real estate investor Jack May paid $24 million for garden-style apartment complex Fountains at Belle Meade at 97 White Bridge Pike.
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Brentwood Oaks Apartments PHOTO: GOOGLE EARTH
Key West Pink Shrimp Aguachile
BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE
Our new favorite hot weather dish is this “Aguachile” a mix between ceviche and gazpacho.
Recipe excerpted from Salt and Shore, Recipes From the Coastal South, written by Sammy Monsour and Kassady Wiggins.
INGREDIENTS
8 cups water
1 pound large Key West pink shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1⁄2 English cucumber, peeled and diced
1 jalapeño chile, diced
1 serrano chile, diced (optional)
1 habanero chile, diced (optional)
1 clove garlic
1. In a saucepan over high heat, bring water to a rolling boil and salt the water lightly with kosher salt. Add shrimp, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook shrimp until they are about 85% done, about 1 1⁄2 minutes.
2. Immediately drain shrimp into a colander, lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and chill. Do not rinse shrimp or shock them in an ice bath (which causes loss of flavor).
3. While shrimp are chilling, prepare aguachile sauce. To make sauce, set aside 1⁄2 cup of cilantro for garnish and add remainder to a blender along
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1⁄2 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced, for garnish
1 radish, shaved, for garnish
Flaky sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper Tortilla chips and Corn Nuts
with cucumber, jalapeño, serrano and habanero (if using), garlic, lime zest and juice, and 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend on high speed until you have a deep green sauce, about 1 minute.
4. Combine chilled shrimp and sauce and mix well. Pack into an airtight container and refrigerate at least overnight or for up to 3 days.
5. To serve, pour shrimp and sauce into serving bowl. Scatter sliced avocado, radish and reserved cilantro over top. Finish with some sea salt and pepper. Accompany with tortilla chips.
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.
ACROSS
1 Org. formerly called the Bureau of Labor Standards
5 Japanese rice cake often filled with ice cream
10 “___ to your knitting” (“Mind your own beeswax”)
14 Related
15 Pottery supplies
16 Plant har vested for its gel
17 Obser vation deck?
19 Mar ked, as a box
20 Multispeaker system
21 Most suggestive
23 ___ Thompson, U.S. soccer star who made her World Cup debut at 18
26 A lot of farm yards?
27 In a frenzy
30 Much of Greenland
32 “The Mar vels” director DaCosta
33 Glass eye?
38 Feature of high heels popularized in the 1920s
40 Muslim place of worship
41 Metal detector s?
45 Founding NATO member
46 Take a turn for the worse
47 Number cr uncher’s skill
48 Nordic toast
51 Inventor Tesla
54 Ones splitting the billing
56 Pass up, using a less common spelling
67 Delhi wrap
68 Matchmaker in “F iddler on the Roof”
69 Takes in DOWN
1 Foal fodder
2 Three-player tricktaking game
3 Employ
4 Thick hooded jacket
5 Real ___ (genuine ar ticle)
6 São Paulo salutation
7 Pixar’s Lightning McQueen, for one
8 Curbside water source
9 Rae of “Barbie”
10 Vehicles with a redundant name
11 Someone to respect
12 Whiz or bang
13 Significant impacts, so to speak
18 No. on a resume
60 With the bow, musically
61 Predictive text?
64 Word after golden or before Girls
65 “The Hobbit” dragon
66 Roman poet who said “Ah me! Love cannot be cured by herbs”
22 Rocker Santana
24 Where hogs go wild
25 Shady, in modern slang
27 Set against
28 This and that: Abbr
29 Courtroom profession?
31 Word with “straight” or “right”
33 Kind of cooking oil
34 Activities that might require 20-sided dice, for short
35 Water shade
36 Common element in romance novels
37 Biblical mother of Dinah
39 Totally tubular pasta
42 Eat
43 Not non
44 Bother
47 Leave stranded
48 Fraudulent gambits
49 Peninsula east of the Yellow Sea
50 “Sesame Street” curmudgeon
52 Old enough
53 Hit up?
55 Optimistic
57 Provider of shade for a sidewalk cafe
58 Determination
59 Casino calculations
62 Janis ___, “At Seventeen” singer
63 Stick (out)
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 JULIANA TRINGALI GOLDEN
SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
Meharry lands $175M
Meharry Medical College has landed a $175 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The gift, touted as the largest in the school’s history, will go toward the school’s endowment fund, according to a press release.
It is part of $600 million donated by Bloomberg to the four historically Black medical schools (HBMSs): Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Howard University College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Meharry. Bloomberg also donated funding to start Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, a new medical school in New Orleans. Meharry and its counterparts educate around half of all Black doctors, according to the release.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, founded by entrepreneur and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, donated the money through its Greenwood Initiative, which focuses on systemic underinvestment in Black institutions. The organization donated $34 million to Meharry in 2020.
is committed to helping to lead the way in tackling them,” Bloomberg said. “This gift builds on our earlier investment in these vital institutions, and it will help new generations of Black doctors build a healthier and more equitable future for our country.”
Meharry Medical College president and CEO Dr. James Hildreth said the college holds a significant place in health care as the country’s oldest and largest independent historically Black academic health sciences center.
“For nearly 150 years, Meharrians have committed their lives to eliminating disparities and improving health equity, often in the face of significant discrimination, injustice and adversity,” said Hildreth. “This historic investment by Bloomberg Philanthropies is a testament to Meharry’s legacy and to the promise of Meharrians to transform the future of health care for the betterment of all.”
This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
Sen. Blackburn celebrates Senate’s passage of bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act
HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is celebrating the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which is now awaiting action in the House of Representatives.
The legislation would require social media platforms to take “reasonable measures in the design and operation of products or services” regarding the safety of children online, specifically with sexual exploitation and bullying.
“The 91 senators from across the political spectrum that stood up to Big Tech and voted in favor of this legislation have helped save countless innocent lives from being exploited online,” Blackburn said in a July 30 news conference.
In addition, the bill would require companies to restrict access to children’s personal data, “disable addictive features,” and provide parents with tools to supervise their child’s activity online.
It would also enforce federal oversight and allow the study of the risk of social media on children. More information about the bill can be found online here.
“It will be the first internet safety reform in nearly three decades – a resounding bipartisan achievement showing democracy still works,” bill sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.
“Now, the Senate has done its job; the House should do the same and move KOSA when they return,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) added.
The Senate’s passage of KOSA follows Blackburn’s recent legislative victory from May when President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Revising Existing Procedures on Reporting via Technology (REPORT) Act into law.
As previously reported, the REPORT ACT updates requirements for tech companies, including social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, to report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) when they become aware of violations involving the online sexual exploitation of children. Specifically, the law increases the amount of time — from 90 days to one year — that a provider must preserve the contents of a report. It also requires providers to “report apparent violations involving the sexual exploitation of children to instances involving child sex trafficking or coercion or enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution or any other illegal sexual activity,” as well as increasing fines for providers who fail to submit reports.
Giarratana eyes 17-story tower on Rock Block
Nashville-based development company
Giarratana is planning a mixed-used tower to replace the Elliston Place structure housing Corner Bar.
A multi-page electronic document submitted to the Metro Planning Department notes the building will rise 17 floors and offer a combination of 356 apartment units and ground-level retail and restaurant space. The
address is 2200-2204 Elliston Place.
In addition, Giarratana is eyeing a five-story (with two levels below grade) 578-space parking garage, to supplement the tower, for an adjacent property located at 209 22nd Ave. N.
Via Cooke/Wilson Properties, local real estate investor Ched Cooke owns the properties and would, were the development to materialize, have a ground lease with Giarratana. Cooke’s LLC recently paid $8.3 million for the 29th Avenue North property, which offers a small modernist commercial building and some surface parking. Cooke/ Wilson Properties owns the Corner Bar building, which also includes other tenants, having paid $1,589,000 for it in 1996, Metro records note.
As part of the development, Giarratana would create a tiny plaza in a small, unused Metro-owned green space (see here).
Chicago-based Goettsch Partners will design the mixed-used building and parking garage.
The project would bolster Giarratana’s Rock Block Flats development — which has been on pause — and its Elliston Place Soda
Shop business, which company president Tony Giarratana owns via Giarratana Restaurant Group with Craig Clifft (and had also with Randy Rayburn until his recent and untimely death). The Rock Block Flats effort will include a reinvention of longclosed dive bar The Gold Rush (read here) and a seven-story apartment building.
On this theme, an historic preservation overlay district is being sought for properties located at 2114, 2205 and 2205B Elliston Place. The Metro Planning Commission will vote on the matter Aug. 8, with Metro Planning staff recommending approval.
Giarratana and some of his colleagues hosted a community meeting Monday night to unveil the plans. He told the Post the development company temporarily ceased work on the Rock Block Flats project to “look at the neighborhood comprehensively” when the chance to take a more holistic development effort presented itself.
Giarratana told the Post he has enjoyed the city’s so-called Rock Block since he arrived in Nashville in 1984. He is seeking from Metro an overlay that would protect the “beloved old buildings” while making
the overall development effort more viable than otherwise and to ensure a consistent design aesthetic for future work on the two-block stretch.
For context, Giarratana developed multiple nearby sites with apartment buildings Artemis Midtown, Infinity Midtown and 1818 Church.
“We have been investing and developing in the Rock Block neighborhood for many years, including Elliston Place Soda Shop, nearby 105-unit, 146-unit and 142-unit apartment buildings, and the former Gold Rush, Elder’s Bookstore/Buffalo Exchange, and Samurai Sushi buildings,” Giarratana said.
“With support from the community and Metro, we hope to bring the Rock Block back to life.”
Doug Sloan, a land-use attorney with Holland & Knight, represents Giarratana in the effort.
The properties sit with Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin’s District 19. This article was first published by our sister publication the Nashville Post.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Walk a Mile: West Park to Robertson Avenue
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: From West Park on Morrow Road west to 63rd Avenue North, following 63rd through its transition to James Avenue, then south on Croley Drive to Robertson Avenue. East on Robertson to the market.
Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Nashville Scene on March 19, 2020.
The crowing of an illicit rooster cracks the silence of morning at West Park. He is late for the stereotypical dawn greeting, but then again, the sun is late too, delayed by the recent transition to daylight saving time. The first rays are burning through the overcast, though — a sort of second dawn, drawing the attention of the contraband chanticleer.
West Park is a little more than two blocks wide and Nebraska-flat, running in a rough rectangle from Morrow Road back to Richland Creek where it abuts Briley Parkway. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about West Park — there’s no model of an Ancient Greek temple, for example — but it’s nonetheless the Platonic ideal of a neighborhood park. It fits harmoniously into the geometry of the neighborhood. There are well-maintained baseball and softball fields — the outfields are freshly mowed and the red-clay infields raked flat. It’s ringed by a wide and rolling greenway that melds easily into a wide sidewalk along Morrow itself.
There’s a small commercial strip next to the park — home of a restaurant, a market and a church. The signage for all three is in Spanish. The south side of Morrow in this stretch maintains its character as West Nashville’s working-class enclave. The other side of the street shows the future, though. Once just another block of simple and small postwar clapboard homes — what we’d almost certainly call workforce housing today — is now a monotonous block of new tall-and-skinnies looming over Morrow, their homogenous roofs peaking just below the uppermost branches of the ubiquitous oaks that have loomed here far longer.
Those oaks are immortalized in paint on the dominating feature of West Park. At 37 feet high and 260 feet in diameter, the park’s 21-million-gallon overflow tank is impossible to miss. It was added to the park during a renovation, completed in 2018, that transformed it from dilapidated to pleasant and included rehab of the park’s community
center — which is now the site of a healthy and thriving badminton league — and basketball courts, on this morning occupied by a trio of truants.
The giant water tank is designed to assist the older pumping facility just behind it that keeps the flood-prone park safe from inundation. Artist Eric Henn used a pseudo-trompe-l’oeil style in what is the city’s largest mural, clocking in at more than 80,000 square feet, if the domed roof — painted to match the sky — is included. If the light strikes just right, particularly in the evening gloaming, the tank melds seamlessly into the background.
Along Morrow, there’s more public art, if a bit more inscrutable. “Anchor in the Storm,” a sculpture by Betty and Lee Benson, depicts a hefty limestone boulder chained to a similarly hefty raft. It honors a rock quarry on Robertson Avenue that sucked up untold millions of gallons of the Cumberland in 2010, sparing the low-lying neighborhoods of Charlotte Park, The Nations and Croleywood from further devastation during that year’s massive flood. The boulder comes from the quarry itself, donated by its owner, the Rogers Group. Though it’s likely not the artists’ intention, it would be easy to connect the raft to the history of Nashville’s foundation. After all, James Robertson’s home Richland was just a half-mile south as the crow flies, and his colleague John Donelson brought his half of the first European settlers upriver on the Adventure, a raft not unlike the one
depicted.
Plus, just yards away, an important moment in the early history of the area occurred beneath one of the oaks, when Robertson signed a treaty with the Chickasaw tribe. Though primarily concentrated in southwestern Tennessee and northern Mississippi, the Chickasaws used Middle Tennessee as hunting grounds. A relationship with the British that irked a nascent United States early in the Revolution soured, and Piominko convinced the tribe to ally themselves with the Americans. In 1783, the settlements around Fort Nashborough were under frequent attack by an alliance of Cherokees, Creeks and Shawnee. Robertson signed a treaty with the Chickasaw that undoubtedly saved the young settlement. The negotiations took place at a sulphur spring now in the rear of the Music City Tents and Events property on 60th Avenue North, and the treaty was signed at an oak that, until it fell in 1956, stood at the corner of Louisiana and 61st. Treaty Oaks Drive remains as a memorial. A portion of the tree itself is in the state’s agricultural museum at the Ellington Agricultural Center.
Walking northwest on Morrow, the park gives way to a residential strip, the homes stubbornly in the older style, close to the sidewalk and squatting on well-maintained postage-stamp lawns. Eventually the sidewalk gives out as Morrow approaches 63rd Avenue North. Sitting well back from the road beyond a few rolling acres of verdant pleasantness is a windowless 50,000-squarefoot brick building that could be mistaken
for a secret government facility. It is, in fact, a manufacturing plant for D&P Custom Lights and Wiring, which creates light fixtures for commercial use. Across 63rd is a not-so-secret quasigovernment facility, though: a massive Nashville Electric Service substation and catchall storage area and motor pool. The March 3 tornado passed about a half-mile north, blessedly avoiding the substation and the rows of petroleum-product storage tanks along Centennial Boulevard. Nevertheless, the NES property has been abuzz since the
The Dutch Maid Cleaning sign
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
Chickasaw Treaty historical marker
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
storm. Before, there were piles of wooden and metal utility poles stacked high next to massive spools of electric wire. The property is emptier now, fleets of trucks having hauled the reserves off to points east to restore power to storm-stricken neighborhoods.
The road arches here as 63rd turns harder to the west and becomes James Avenue, lifting as it crosses Richland Creek — bubbling and brisk and unexpectedly crystal-clear, a testament to the tireless and often unsung work of the Richland Creek Watershed Alliance — and then the zipping traffic of Briley Parkway.
There’s a welcome lack of litter on the wide shoulders of James, for whatever reason, but what is there are monuments to vice: an empty whiskey bottle (Evan Williams), a lottery ticket (a loser) and a Fruitopia bottle (potentially of archaeological interest). As James swoops back down, the bustle of new construction dominates the south side of the street in a development that promises affordable housing. On the north side, it’s still older homes with yards sunken below grade.
And there’s one of Nashville’s more bizarre street-naming anomalies: 23rd Street. Even barely observant Nashvillians know that numbered roads west of the river are “Avenues” and those on the east are “Streets.” Except this one.
When the Sylvan Park Land Co. began development in the late 19th century, it was outside of Nashville’s city limits and had its own street-numbering scheme. What is now 39th Avenue was First Street in West Nashville and so on. When it was annexed by the city, Nashville simply added 38 to the street numbers and redesignated them as avenues, leaving the ordinal-plus-street specification to the East Side. Except for 23rd, which remains today.
The sidewalks end at 23rd Street, as does the new construction. Turning left on Croley, the homes are older, but the siding is new and kaleidoscopic: a bright-yellow here, a deep-blue there, a lime-green across the street. It’s a sort of plebian analog to Charleston’s so-called Painted Ladies. Other than the rambunctious random siding-color schemes, the houses along Croley are often mirror images of one another, though a few have other architectural distinctives — a midcentury awning, a set of incongruous columns. Some families have extravagantly decorated yards with gaudy statuettes scattered about. It’s rather like a set of twins who assert their individuality with brightly colored sweaters and faddish hairstyles, and it’s a welcome change from the row after row of total carbon copies in the new developments nearby.
As Croley crosses Franklin, things abruptly change again, back to the bigger new homes on the parcels near Robertson — what passes as a major thoroughfare here. Dump trucks hauling loads from the riverside quarries rumble past the old Dutch Maid Cleaning sign, the neighborhood’s highest point, and the venerable Robertson Avenue Market. Too exhaustive to be a
mere convenience store, it’s a gathering place for this part of West Nashville. The proprietors look out for everyone — once, a cashier told an increasingly impatient line of patrons during the morning rush that he strove to keep his “new and rich and old and poor customers happy.” Market staff has been known to harangue and threaten kids skipping school to hang out at the store.
This part of West Nashville is changing, yes, though certainly not to the degree it has across Morrow in The Nations. The knockdowns have come but are still few and far between, as long-timers hold fast to their homes, and newcomers seem satisfied with what’s already here.
And with anchors like a spruced-up park and an obstinate cinder-block corner store — not to mention its vigilant and percipient staff — it may well weather any storm that comes.
A water tank in West Park PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
Nashville Electric Service substation PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
Homes in West Nashville PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
Five free and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee
BY AMANDA HAGGARD
It’s not quite the end of summer until Nashville celebrates the humble tomato in an insane celebration over in the Historic Five Points neighborhood in East Nashville. That’s the first on our list, and it’s the most fun for free you might get this upcoming weekend. You can also take the family out for a night under the stars at Warner Park or visit the bees at Glen Leven Farm for a lesson in all they do for the world. And then there’s a free vintage baseball game at The Hermitage that’s worth a hot day outside, and it wouldn’t be a list with the kids in mind if we didn’t mention 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:
TOMATO ART FEST
The annual Tomato Art Fest is hosting its 21st weekend of “uniting fruits and vegetables.” The festival, which begins Aug. 9 with evening activities and ends the evening of Aug. 10, celebrates all things tomato. Saturday morning kicks off with an excellent parade, and throughout the day you can
see fun-themed art, local music, delicious food, costumes, contests, shopping, kids activities and drinks. The free event happens in Historic East Nashville’s Five Points and is welcoming to all — costumes are encouraged. (A reminder that this year pets aren’t allowed due to the temperatures.)
SUMMER STAR PARTY
Local astronomers will be on deck to view the night sky through telescopes at the Warner Park Special Events field on Aug. 10 from 8:30-10:30 p.m. Rachel Carter and the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical Society will
be guiding folks in looking at the Moon, nebulae, star clusters and peering into the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. Register ahead by emailing WPNC@Nashville.gov or calling (615) 862-8555.
AUGUST COMMUNITY DAY AT GLEN LEVEN FARM
Glen Leven Farm is hosting folks hoping to learn more about bees and local honey at The Land Trust for Tennessee’s Glen Leven Farm on Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gary Saakian from Green Hills Gold is the resident beekeeper and he’s planning to have an observation hive and teach folks how he raises bees and collects honey. They will also give away recently harvested Glen Leven Farm honey while supplies last.
VINTAGE BASEBALL AT THE HERMITAGE
The Cumberland Club of Nashville, the home team of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball league, is slated for a game at The Hermitage grounds on Aug. 11 from 12-2 p.m. The league was developed in 2012 to entertain and educate the community by “recreating the civility of 19th century base ball.” TAVBB uses the rules, equipment, costumes and culture of the 1860s in each game. The games are on The Hermitage grounds and are free to attend.
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.
Tomato Art Fest PHOTO: PROVIDED
Tomato Art Fest PHOTO: PROVIDED
Tomato Art Fest PHOTO: PROVIDED
HILLS APARTMENTS
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 and older and live independently.
615-297-7536
greenhillsapts@comcast.net
business opportunity: Looking for a 7,500 ft space America’s only pop-up touring, family-award winning Exhibit of Aliens, Astronauts, Dinosaurs and Club UFO Coming to Nashville this Nov. thru March 2025 visitufoxperience.com Call Fish productions 615-887-5200
am super
assistantHousehold / pet management, driver, security,
Trimming • Lot Clearing Free Estimates. Insured. Call John 24/7: (615) 300-6254 (615) 313-7375
(615) 767-2273
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
10AM-2PM
THE FACTORY AT FRANKLIN’S LIBERTY HALL
$10
$35
ABLE | Any Old Iron | BANDED | Brittany Fuson | Citizen 615 | CT Grace, A Boutique | e.Allen | Edelweiss Boutique | Elle Gray | Ever Alice | Fab’rik Franklin | Finnleys | Flash & Trash & a Little Bit of Sass | Franklin Road Apparel | The French Shoppe | Hollie Ray | Mountain High Outfitters | Patch | Pauli’s Place Boutique | Rad Rags Boutique Society Boutique | SVM Boutique | Style with a Twist Boutique | VESEO | The Willing Crab | Wilder Boutique SHOP UP TO 75% OFF RETAIL
ADDITIONAL VENDORS
Linkd by Liv | Serra’s Birthdays | Shaw Coffee Co. | Quirk ‘N Co. Donuts
General Admission
Enjoy 3 hours (11am-2pm) of shopping from 25+ boutiques!
VIP Admission
• Early entry at 10am to beat the crowds
• Complimentary mimosa
• Tote bag full of goodies from Tanger Outlets, Browology Waxing Sutdio, True Blue Salon, Wonder Belly and Green Daisy
Tickets on sale now at fashionforafraction.com!
CLEAR OUT YOUR CLOSET TO MAKE ROOM FOR ALL YOUR NEW FINDS! BRING YOUR NEW AND GENTLY USED MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CLOTHING ITEMS TO DONATE TO THOSE IN NEED. BY DONATING, YOU’LL BE ENTERED TO WIN $2,500 TOWARD A CLOSET REDESIGN FROM ARTISAN CUSTOM CLOSETS!
