December 15, 2022

Preservation Society of Nashville launches, will name 3 ‘essential projects’ in 2023

BY MATT MASTERS

Nashville Metro Council approves license plate reader pilot program

BY MATT MASTERS

The Nashville Metropolitan Council passed the adoption of a license plate reader pilot program during their Dec. 6 meeting which will now see the Metro Nashville Police Department implement the devices across the city for six months beginning in early 2023.

The cameras, also known as Automated License Plate Reader/Recognition (ALPR) systems, use artificial intelligence to quickly read multiple license plates at one time in an attempt to match those license plate numbers with any plate numbers that have

been entered into law enforce databases, typically aimed at curbing the use of stolen vehicles.

The pilot program was approved 22 to 13, with Councilmember Sharon Hurt, who this month announced her bid for Nashville Mayor, abstaining from the vote.

The pilot program is expected to begin in Spring 2023, after which the council will determine if the cameras should become a permanent addition to the city.

While the program was approved, exact details, including who the LPR vendor will

be and the number of LPRs that will be installed throughout the unknown locations in the city, were not a part of the meeting and vote.

The lack of those details and the unknown impacts of the pilot program drew criticism from some council members, including from the youngest member, District 30 Council Member Sandra Sepulveda.

“I honestly don’t know what we are doing here,” Sepulveda said. “We are about to approve this without knowing

Area sees home sales plunge once more

The Nashville area saw 2,493 home closings in November — a 38 percent decrease from the mark of the same month in 2021.

This follows an October with 2,824 home closings, a 30 percent drop from the figure of

the previous year’s same month, according to a Greater Nashville Realtors release

Relatedly, the average number of days on the market for a single-family home in November was 41, following the previous period’s mark of 39. Until recently, the

monthly days-on-the-market figures consistently had been in the high 20s.

There were 1,776 sales pending at the end of November, compared to 3,112 pending sales for the same month last year. Pending sales were down significantly in >> PAGE 11

The Preservation Society of Nashville, a new full-time historic preservation non-profit, has launched and “aims to protect Nashville’s vital places, stories, and neighborhoods.”

The announcement took place on Wednesday morning at the offices of Q Prime South, which is housed in the historic former Seventeenth Street Christian Church building in East Nashville.

Preservation Society of Nashville cofounders Kelleigh Bannen and Colson Horton welcomed dozens of community and government leaders to the Q Prime South office.

Bannen, who also serves as the Preservation Society of Nashville’s president, recognized community and government leaders who attended the launch and told developers in the crowd that they “are not the enemy,” adding that the non-profit, which has been in the works for 18 months, sees relationships with the greater Nashville community as key to their success.

“Nashville’s unprecedented season of growth has brought remarkable opportunities and prosperity to

PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

The Preservation Society of Nashville Co-Founders Colson Horton and Kelleigh Bannen

License

10 Middle Tennessee High School music teachers nominated for Manilow Music Teacher Award

BY MATT MASTERS

10

• Nashville School of the Arts’ Trey Jacobs

• McGavock High School’s John Hazlett

• Antioch High School’s Frank Zimmerer

• Hillwood High School’s Tyler Merideth

• Franklin High School’s Michael Holland

• Hume-Fogg Academic High School’s Anna Maria Miller

• John Overton High School’s Eleni Miller

• Centennial High School’s Johnathan Vest

• Nolensville High School’s Benjamin Easley

• Mt. Juliet High School’s Sandy Elliott

The Manilow Music Teacher Award is presented by The Manilow Music Project, a program of the Manilow Fund, and will

see one music teacher from seven cities be recognized.

The winning teacher in each city will win a $5,000 cash prize and $5,000 in “Manilow Bucks” which can be used to purchase instruments for their classroom.

The Manilow Music Teacher Award honoree will also be invited to an upcoming Barry Manilow concert and presented their award in a special backstage meet-and-greet.

Voting is open online until Dec. 28 to anyone 13-years-old or older.

“It is wonderful to partner with our concert venues to identify schools and music teachers in their neighborhoods that deserve this small token of my gratitude,” Manilow said in a news release.

“Many school music programs have either been terminated, or their funds have been severely depleted. I always want to do my part through The Manilow Music Project to keep music in schools.”

Belle Meade Police to receive dash camera replacements funded by state grant

BY MATT MASTERS

The Belle Meade Police Department will soon receive five new in-car dash camera systems which are funded by a Tennessee Highway Safety Office grant.

The Belle Meade Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of the Digital Ally DVM-800 cameras, which come with a price tag of $13,347.35 that will be fully reimbursed to the city by the grant.

“This would take care of getting rid of some old technology and replace them with some new,” Belle Meade Police Chief Charles Williams said during the Nov. 16 meeting, adding that several of the department’s incar camera systems are no longer working properly.

According to Digital Ally’s website,

the in-car cameras work alongside the company’s body cameras and utilize Amazon Web Services for secured cloud-based data management.

Williams also told the Commission that the department has applied for the state’s new $100 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund which was announced in October, and according to a state news release, aims to help fund law enforcement initiatives across the state.

BMPD is expecting to receive a grant of around $70,000 which Williams said should be awarded in January 2023 and will see the expansion of Belle Meade’s license plate reader camera system.

Strong jobs report shows that President Biden’s plan is working

BY BILL FREEMAN

With the holidays upon us, many people are no doubt thinking about the economy, thanks to the cost of everything from gifts to their electric bill. But according to the November jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, things are looking up for working families across the country. President Biden’s economic plan is working.

Since President Biden took office, 10.5 million jobs have been created — 750,000 of them manufacturing jobs, according to the White House. The administration also shared that the “national average gas price has fallen by roughly 50 cents in the past 30 days — and now stands at $3.32 per gallon.” Here in our area, we’ve seen it below the $3 mark in some places.

As noted in a Dec. 2 report from The New York Times, “America’s jobs engine kept churning in November, the Labor Department reported Friday, a show of continued demand for workers despite the Federal Reserve’s push to curb inflation by tamping down hiring.” The Times added that “the unemployment rate was steady at 3.7 percent, while wages have risen 5.1 percent over the year, more than expected.” Reuters reported that nonfarm payrolls increased by 263,000 jobs in November. “Data for October was revised higher to show payrolls rising 284,000 instead of 261,000 as previously reported,” noted Reuters.

“The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in November, defying aggressive action from the Federal Reserve to cool the economy and bring down decades-high inflation,” noted CNN in a similar report this month. “The unemployment rate held steady at 3.7%, according to the Labor Department.”

“economists say these companies are right-sizing after over-hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.” And CNN reports that companies are “pipelining talent” — meaning “companies post jobs to develop a pool of candidates.” According to Laura Mazzullo, founder of East Side Staffing in New York: “Candidates don’t know that’s what’s happening, so they’re being pipelined, when actually they think they’re applying for an active job. And this is where we’re seeing a bit of a disconnect.”

But the upside, according to Recruitment. com, is that corporations plan to fill these jobs at a later date with those already in the pipeline — based on their company’s future needs.

CANTRELL MULLINS, PUBLISHER

ELIZABETH JONES , CORPORATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR TODD PATTON , CFO

MIKE SMITH , PRESIDENT AND CEO

BILL FREEMAN, OWNER

“U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in November and increased wages, shrugging off mounting worries of a recession, but that will probably not stop the Federal Reserve from slowing the pace of its interest rate hikes starting this month,” reported Reuters, adding that “there were 10.3 million job openings at the end of October, with 1.7 openings for every unemployed person, many of them in the leisure and hospitality as well as healthcare and social assistance industries.”

Despite positive reports, we all recognize that it is going to take time for our nation to get past the once-debilitating global pandemic and firmly back on its feet. But we have shown great resilience, and things are indeed improving — albeit not as quickly as we might like. And when it comes to the labor market, things are happening in the corporate world that are not the norm — protocols that have more to do with “COVID just in case” measures than with the work of President Biden’s administration.

For example, technology job cuts have been higher of late — but, says Reuters,

Jim McCoy, vice president of solutions for ManpowerGroup, says that “most of those [who’ve lost tech jobs] appear to be getting reabsorbed into the labor market.” He adds, “Most companies are digital at this point, and if not, they’re investing in automation, they’re investing in their web presence, they’re investing in business performance tools, and so they need [information technology] workers.”

The numbers we’ve seen from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and from the White House prove encouraging. President Biden’s economic plan is working. The statistics show that under Biden’s leadership we’ve created millions of new jobs and hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs, the unemployment rate is holding steady, and wages have risen 5.1 percent over the year. In the new year and beyond, I believe we’ll see even greater improvements.

Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and The News.

Bill Freeman

MATT

HEATHER

President Joe Biden

Digital Ally DVM-800 in-car camera system.

PHOTO BY DIGITAL ALLY

Preservation

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

our city, and we honor that,” Bannen said. “However, the need for historic preservation has never been greater or more urgent. We believe that we can both celebrate Nashville’s growth while offering the chance to shape that growth in a way that preserves Nashville’s unique history and places.”

The Preservation Society of Nashville aims to raise $1 million “to fund our first two essential hires and make a significant investment in our survival fund,” adding

that they have already raised more than $300,000.

The non-profit plans on “identifying the three essential projects” in 2023.

“It’s not a coincidence that our entire tourism industry is centered on that fragile area of lower Broadway and second avenue that continues to the greatest concentration of historic buildings in our city,” Executive Director of the Tennessee Historical Commission and State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick McIntyre said.

“People are drawn to historic buildings

and neighborhoods -- even bachelorettes. Buildings and neighborhoods don’t save themselves by chance. It takes people and organizations like preservationist working hard to save that home part of town I just referenced.”

The non-profit’s Board of Directors includes Bannen and Horton, as well as Nick Birren, Gary Burke, Nick Dryden, Rachel Halvorson, Lynn Maddox, Keith Meacham, Sam Reed, Mark Simmons, Cyril Stewart, Brian Tibbs, Mary Ann Weprin and Holly Williams.

Heritage Foundation of Williamson County President and CEO Bari Beasley and Vice President and COO Meg Hershey serve as strategic advisors, along with Todd McKee, Counsel, of T. McKee Law.

In addition to McIntyre, other ExOfficio Board Members include Nashville Metro Councilman Jeff Syracuse, Executive Director of the Metro Historical Commission Tim Walker, and Tennessee State University professor and historian Dr. Leathora Williams.

Belle Meade Kroger to relocate to nearby building

BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS

A relocation of the Kroger at Belle Meade to a nearby building last home to a Harris Teeter grocery store is being prepared.

Located at 4560 Harding Pike, the Kroger at Belle Meade opened in 1978, with the building from which it operates and an accompanying structure, Belle Meade Plaza Shopping Center, seemingly under contract to be sold as the Post reported in April (read here).

The Belle Meade Kroger has operated from its building longer than any other Davidson County Kroger located either west or southwest of downtown Nashville has been at its current structure.

The Harris Teeter operated at 4301

Harding Pike and within a building that was part of a redevelopment of the former Belle Meade Theater, undertaken by Nashvillebased Giarratana. The grocery store — which did not offer signage or access at Harding Pike (see the former entrance here) — closed in February 2015 after Kroger acquired Harris Teeter in mid-2013 for $2.4 billion (read here).

Kroger seemingly still has a lease for the ex-Harris Teeter space.

Lauren Bell, Kroger spokesperson, said the company is not ready to disclose a move date or a cost to undertake the relocation. Similarly, she declined to note if the existing Kroger at Belle Meade — home to about

80 employees — will remain open until the future Kroger is operational.

It is not clear if Kroger will attempt to have some type of Harding Pike signage/ access presence — though sources told the Post that is the Cincinnati-based company’s preference.

Belle Meade Plaza Shopping Center — a retail and office building hugging the White Bridge Road viaduct and recognized as the home of Agave’s Mexican Restaurant and Belle Meade Premium Cigars, among others — opened in 1961. The two-level modernist building offers a main address of 4544 Harding Pike and sits on roughly 10.57 acres. The building includes about 205,500 square feet and was one of Nashville’s first mixed-use buildings (retail on level one and office on floor two) oriented in a suburban manner, with the structure separated from the street by surface parking.

Nashville’s May family owns the property, seemingly having paid $14.5 million for it and the adjacent Kroger building in January 1997, according to Metro records.

Sources said the property could command a minimum of $80 million. The Post has been unable to determine the identity of the prospective buyer.

Nashville-based Robin Realty manages the spaces for the Mays, with family members unavailable for comment.

Other tenants include Wells Fargo Bank, Ninki, Pho Ann, CVS, Starbucks, Office Depot and Katy’s Hallmark Shop.

The property sits within Metro Councilmember Kathleen Murphy’s District 24.

According to sources, any redevelopment of the site is likely to require a rezoning due, in part, to its proximity to the floodplain created by the nearby Richland Creek.

Though called Belle Meade Plaza Shopping Center and Kroger at Belle Meade, the property apparently does not fully sit within the municipal boundaries of the satellite city from which the name derives.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Nashville in top five for job growth

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

The Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin region saw a 5.9-percent increase in nonfarm payroll employment from October 2021 to October 2022, the fifth largest jump among nearly 300 regions around the country, according to a new report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The increase represents nearly 64,000 added jobs. Nashville’s leisure and hospitality industry saw the biggest gains, at 15.3 percent, while the “information” sector (including tech) saw a 1.1-percent decrease year-over-year as job growth in that industry reversed after registering double-digit gains earlier in 2022.

The largest year-over-year percentage employment gains were in Atlantic City, Charleston, Dallas and Houston.

Over the same period, 46 of the 51 biggest metropolitan areas saw an increase

in nonfarm employment. Nearby, Memphis saw an increase of 3 percent, Louisville registered a 4-percent increase and Atlanta saw a 5.4-percent jump.

“When you look at what’s behind the Nashville MSA’s growth, it comes down to a number of factors,” said Jeff Hite, chief economic development officer for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Economic factors like a balanced and diverse economy support our stable, business-friendly, tax-friendly climate. But you also need an overall atmosphere that’s collaborative, creative and trendy. Nashville is one of the few cities where you can check all those boxes, and still have the space and opportunity to create your own path.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

who we will be contracting with -- Does that not sound alarming?”

Numerous residents spoke for and against the program during the public comments section of the meeting, including several law enforcement officials such as MNPD Chief John Drake, who supports the use of LPRs, calling them a “game-changing technology.”

“I could go through and name incident after incident after incident where license plate readers would have helped,” Drake said, vowing that MNPD would only use the technology to identify suspects in a variety of crimes from street racing to carjackings, homicides and other violent crimes, to finding missing persons.

“We have no interest in using them for any other purpose other than what I’ve stated,” Drake said.

Dozens of privately-purchased LPR cameras are already in use in Davidson County, often by neighborhoods and home owners associations. LPR camera systems are also already utilized by multiple law

enforcement agencies across Tennessee.

“License plate readers are already deployed in the Mt. Juliet area and those license plate readers from Wilson County have helped Nashville solve crimes,” District Attorney Glenn Funk said. “License plate readers are also already deployed in the City of Belle Meade in Davidson County and those license plate readers have helped us solve crimes.”

Public comments against the pilot program focused on public transparency with regards of the private vendors who would supply the devices, infrastructure and data to the city, growing concerns over privacy, the accuracy of the devices, and the potential threats to marginalized communities.

“There is a high degree of uncertainty about which vendors are buying to supply MNPD with LPRs given where MNPD is in the procurement process,” Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board Executive Director Jill Fitcheard said. “Vigilance Solutions, Rekor and Flock Safety are all popular options locally, each of these vendors, however, come with different risk

MBA’s Reed, Lipscomb Academy’s Sherrill, Smyrna’s Carter among Mr. Football winners

BY LOGAN BUTTS

The TSSAA announced the winners of the 2022 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football awards on Wednesday at an end-of-season ceremony at Nissan Stadium.

10 awards were handed out, one for each of the nine classifications and one for Kicker of the Year, and a handful of the honorees came from Nashville-area schools.

Montgomery Bell Academy senior quarterback Marcel Reed earned the Division II-AAA Mr. Football award after leading the Big Red to the state championship game. The Ole Miss commit completed 110 of 184 attempts on the season for 1,619 yards and 16 TDs. He also rushed for 779 yards and 14 touchdowns on 113 carries.

Fresh off of a second-consecutive Division II-AA state title, Lipscomb Academy senior wide receiver Maureice “Junior” Sherrill won the Mr. Football honor for his classification. The Vanderbilt commit caught 70 passes for 1,112 yards and 18 touchdowns, winning the award over teammate and Tennessee commit Kaleb Beasley.

In Class 6A, Smyrna running back and linebacker Arion Carter took home the Mr. Football award. The senior, who recently de-committed from Memphis, rushed for 917 yards and 16 touchdowns on offense and added 73 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception on defense.

He has offers from Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida, among others.

A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2022 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration. High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists.

Here are all of the winners of the 2022 TSSAA Mr. Football awards.

Class 1A

Jackson Cassidy, McKenzie Class 2A

Josh Jackson, Tyner Academy Class 3A

Lance Williams - Alcoa Class 4A

Marcellus Jackson - Fulton Class 5A

De’Sean Bishop - Karns Class 6A

Arion Carter - Smyrna Division II-A

D.J. Merriweather - Clarksville Academy Division II-AA

Junior Sherrill - Lipscomb Academy Division II-AAA

Marcel Reed - MBA Kicker of the Year

Oziel Hernandez - Germantown

approaches to public safety and cost.”

“Removing the requirement that awarded vendors provide presentations is a denial of a public voice in the process that already has limited opportunities for feedback,” Fitcheard continued. “While the MNPD is fulfilling their legal obligation by hosting this public hearing on the LPR program, it is impossible for the COB to determine whether the MNPD policy will contain sufficient safeguards for the public. We have not seen any policy outlining how LPRs will be utilized by the department, and we’re told that such policies may not even exist.”

The exact number of LPRs used in the United States is unclear, but Marketplace, a Minnesota Public Radio program, reported that in 2013, LPR systems were in use by 90% of police departments in cities and urban areas with populations of over a million people.

“It’s very unwise to put in place the infrastructure to expand surveillance and facilitate the collection of community data when we can’t guarantee or safeguard how this information is going to be used in the future,” Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee

Rights Coalition Campaigns and Advocacy Director Judith Clerjeune said.

“It’s impossible to know what the state or other actors will try to do with this information once the infrastructure is in place and the data has been collected. We need [the] Council to continue to focus on providing support for our community, so that they have the resources they need instead of dangerous surveillance networks. We want safer communities; we need more well-resourced communities, not more surveillance.”

Nashville Mayor John Cooper released a statement following the vote citing increased rates in automobile and firearm thefts for his support of the program.

“License Plate Readers are a proven technology that will allow us to solve serious crimes faster,” Cooper said in part. “I applaud Council for moving forward with the six-month pilot program set to launch this spring that will deploy this new tool and apply significant safeguards to protect residents’ privacy and civil liberties.”

Five free and cheap family things to do in middle Tennessee

BY AMANDA HAGGARD

Whether you’re still shopping, trying to make the perfect Christmas gift or just looking for some holiday fun to get out of the cold, this week’s free and cheap things to do with the family includes plenty for your crew to pursue. Drive down to Murfreesboro for a beautiful holiday lights display at Cannonsburgh Village, take the kids over to Turnip Green Creative Reuse to create a special star present, enjoy some harp at the library in Brentwood or get outside for an old-school campfire or parade.

As part of our series on free and cheap things to do with the family, here is our weekly roundup of places to spend time together over the next week:

DRIVE-THRU CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

This year it seems like every neighborhood I drive through has a diverse and beautiful display of twinkling lights, but if you’re looking for a spot where you can’t miss or don’t have to waste gas: There’s a free drive-thru holiday lights extravaganza at Cannonsburgh Village in downtown Murfreesboro. Every night through Dec. 18, folks can come from 5-8 p.m. to see a large display — the most the hosts have ever put up for the event. The tree downtown on the square is beautiful, too.

KIDS CRAFT: STAR WEAVING

We’re in prime time for making, buying and securing holiday presents. On Dec. 15, kids above 6 can come to Turnip Green Creative Reuse to do a little star weaving. The course begins at 2 p.m., and attendees must register to attend. Parents also must attend with their children — you’ll leave with a

decorative piece of art any family member or friend would love as a holiday present. This craft requires an understanding of numbers and patterns.

FRIENDS OF BEAMAN PARK CAMPFIRE

If you’re still OK with being outside this time of year, Friends of Beaman Park is hosting a campfire outside on Dec. 16. The campfire will include a pitch to join the Friends program and an explanation of what the group does for the park. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

LEIPER’S FORK CHRISTMAS PARADE

The annual Leiper’s Fork Christmas Parade was moved from Dec. 10 to Dec. 17 because of rain this year, but that just makes it all the closer to the special day. The family event will include farm animals on parade as well as all the regulars you might see at Christmas. Lee Roy Parnell will be this year’s grand marshal. The parade begins at 2 p.m.

“HARPY HOLIDAYS” FREE CONCERT

At the John P. Holt Brentwood Library on Dec. 18, the Hillnote Harp Academy will host its annual free “Harpy Holidays” community concert. The themed show features students of all ages performing harp solos and ensemble arrangements of holiday favorites. The event will also invite families to see harps of all different sizes, learn about how the harp works, and hear what makes the harp sound the way it does.

GREEN HILLS COMMERCIAL BUILDING SELLS FOR $4.75M

BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS

Not quite three years after selling for $2.11 million and having since seen the razing of a building and the construction of a replacement structure, a property once home to Green Hills News has sold for $4.75 million.

The address of the 0.4-acre property is 2323 Crestmoor Road in Green Hills, with the newish building on the site accommodating Premier Radiology.

According to a Davidson County Register of Deeds document, the buyer was Zollern Investment Crestmoor LLC. Franklin-based attorney Patricia Young serves as special secretary for the LLC, but it is unclear if Young either now owns the property or simply represents the new owner.

The seller was Rare Earth Investments LLC, which is affiliated with Middle Tennessee Imaging, a local physicians group that specializes in radiology services.

Green Hills News ceased operations in the site’s previous building, which opened in 1973, shortly after its parent company sold the property in February 2020 to the physicians group (read here). The publications company was acquired earlier this year by Nashville Post parent company FW Publishing, with the paper now called The News Nashville.

The transaction is the equivalent of almost $272 per square foot based on acreage. That figure is considered reasonable, particularly given the post-2020-constructed building located on the property, according to a source familiar with Green Hills commercial real estate.

The Post was unable to determine if brokers were involved in the transaction.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

BUTLER JOINS LEGAL AID SOCIETY AS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has announced that Amia’ Butler has joined the nonprofit law firm as a development manager.

According to a release, Butler will oversee Legal Aid Society’s fundraising, philanthropy and advocacy efforts, including its annual Campaign for Equal Justice.

Butler brings more than seven years of experience in fundraising, public relations, program coordination and event planning. Before joining LAS, she worked at North Carolina-based Push Consulting as a digital marketing strategist.

Butler’s previous experience also includes serving as a pro bono program coordinator for Legal Aid of North Carolina. In Nashville, she has also coordinated community programs and organized events through the local nonprofit The Way, Truth and Enlightenment Institute.

Butler received a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a master’s degree in

corporate communications, both from Austin Peay State University.

“We’re happy to welcome Amia’ to our staff at Legal Aid Society,” Executive Director DarKenya Waller said in the release. “Not only does she bring valuable experience in fundraising and program coordination, she’s passionate about the work we do to empower marginalized and vulnerable communities by providing access to free legal services.”

LBMC ADDS TWO TO C-SUITE

Brentwood-based professional services firm LBMC announced Thursday the addition of Scott Bowman as chief operating officer and chief financial officer and Thanigs Muthu as chief information officer.

According to a release, the CIO role is new to LBMC, the original iteration of which was founded in 1984. The company is home to about 750 employees.

Bowman joins the company after serving as CEO of Tennessee Extracts and replaces longtime LBMC executive John Litchfield, who has transitioned to serve as CFO of LBMC Financial Services.

Muthu previously worked as national technology leader for Deloitte, concluding a 24-year career with the company leading digital transformation with more than 800 IT professionals across four continents.

Bowman and Muthu will initially focus on a series of process-improvement projects, utilizing technological strategies to identify new business opportunities for the company, Jeff Drummonds, LBMC CEO, said in the release.

Bowman started his CPA career with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young as an auditor. He later worked for health care and manufacturing companies as a CFO and COO. His past experiences include executive positions at Currie Medical Specialties Inc., Med Quist/Spheris (now 3M HIS) and Wheelhouse LLC.

Bowman holds accounting degrees from the University of Tennessee.

Muthu joined Deloitte as a programmer and focuses on leveraging technology for business growth.

Muthu has engineering degrees from Bharathiyar University, Government College of Technology in Coimbatore, India. In addition, he received a Master of Business Administration degree from Middle Tennessee State University.

“As LBMC continues to grow and we look to our future, Scott and Thanigs bring specific skills to our company that will focus on improving our efficiency and operations and finding opportunities to enhance our technological capabilities that will benefit our internal team and produce excellent results for our clients,” Drummonds said in the release.

LBMC serves approximately 10,000 clients and, in addition to Brentwood, operates offices in Chattanooga, Knoxville and Charlotte.

October and September, too.

The median price for a residential singlefamily home in October was $468,000; for a condominium, $345,000. This compares with November 2021’s median residential and condominium prices of $425,000 and $298,050, respectively.

Inventory continues its monthly upward trajectory. At the end of November, the mark was 9,757, up from 4,732 for the same month of last year. At the end of October, the mark was 10,128, up from 5,260 for the same period in 2021.

Steve Jolly, Greater Nashville Realtors president, said the robust inventory numbers are the result, in part, of homeowners postponing their plans to sell. Adding to the overall lessening of activity: Residential developers are slowing their work until interest rates drop, he added.

“If inflation holds steady, expect the prices to do the same through the winter months,” Jolly said in the release. “Many experts predict more interest rate increases in the short term, and a return to lower rates by the end of 2023.”

The GNR data collected was taken from Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties.

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.

Guns stolen from vehicles hits record number in Nashville

STAFF REPORTS

At least 1,306 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville this year, a record number according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

That number, which only consists of reported thefts, was announced by MNPD in a Dec. 6 news release which also revealed that 70% of all guns reported stolen in the city have come from vehicles.

In 2021, a total of 1,305 guns were reported stolen from vehicles in Nashville.

The department “strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any valuables -- especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS,” they said in a release.

MNPD has taken several steps in 2022 to curb the number of guns that could potentially be stolen, including hosting a gun buyback in August which saw 76 firearms, 45 of them pistols, exchanged with citizens for $50 Kroger gift cards.

CALL WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!

You know you are in trouble when you get an 800 number to call when you have a serious problem. For example, the State of Tennessee kindly puts an 800 number on all of the gambling activities the state promotes. If you get addicted to gambling in the state you can call. Problem solved by the state, just that easy.

So I wish I could get a number to call cause I know a guy who has a real addiction to not being honest and prone to hallucinating about things that are not real. Maybe a conservative who opened the gambling floodgates could help. To save time and the mental health of the broad Nashville population send the number to our congressman in waiting Andy O. Getting help from a friend is a start. And we are just getting started in Tennessee.

TICKED OFF ABOUT TICKED OFF

What really ticks me off at this time is the fact that the editors of the paper have seemed to be cutting back on the “Ticked off “ letters. Dec.8th only 3 letters published. Last week there were only a few also. What gives? The News Nashville in the past was so much more generous with printing “Ticked Off” it was really entertaining to read some of the items that irritated the fans of this paper. As opposed to The Tennessean, The News Nashville printed most of the letters you received whether fact or fiction the reader could determine the validity of the letter and laugh it off or get more Ticked Off

Editors Note: We would love to receive more Ticked Off entries! Emails us your complaints, grievances, and issues at tickedoff@fwpublishing.com

HEY TAXPAYERS, RECESSION OVER, NEW TOLL ROADS FOR YOU.

Wow, we elected new conservative political leaders in November and now the recession is over. Praise God.

And how do you know the worst economy ever is gone? Well, our Governor is raising our taxes to the tune of 26 billion annually. The anti-tax, anti-big government Governor is reaching into the pockets of regular folks to take the hard earnings. A month ago these same Tennesseans were struggling to feed their children. And now the same conservatives want to tax Tennesseans when you get into your car (special extra taxes if you have an electric

car). Toll roads, get in your car and pay the toll tax. Said something, do the opposite is what one-party conservative rule is all about. Speak with a forked tongue.

Is there any end to the shell game film flam these good old boys play? Apparently not.

YOU SIN, GOVERNOR LEE WINS

We are all sinners and Governor Lee likes it.

Tennessee collected almost 9 million dollars in September from gambling wagering. Our state promotes the lottery but those 9 million are from gambling on sports through gambling merchants. There are about 15 companies that pay an annual fee of $750,000 for the right to entice Tennessee with the sin of gambling. This fee is in addition to our monthly take. Governor Lee leads the charge as gambling is good clean fun for Tennessee.

And where does all the money go? The state uses 80% of their take for education, Remember we contracted the Hillsdale College people for the rewrite of school subjects. So friends of the Governor participate. So school pet projects are funded by the state’s take.

Our Governor talks about his faith guides his life. For the sake of Tennessee school children let’s hope the rest of Tennessee keeps the bets coming in and bypass the sin of gambling. It’s for our children.

VOICES ACROSS TENNESSEE

Voices Across Tennessee article by Dr. Frank Boehm Sunday, Dec. 11.in Sunday Plus.

If you didn’t read this article, you should. One paragraph that stands out is “Something needs to be done to correct this injustice to Tennessee women of reproductive age, as well as the risks it places on Physicians taking care of pregnant patients”

This whole article refers to the fact that our Republican Governor and his minions have turned into dictators. Especially regarding the abortion issue. And with the super Republican majority in the capitol building, it will only get worse. We must get back to an equal two-party system here in Tennessee.

Is there any end to the shell game film flam these good old boys play?

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Rosa Di Parma Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE

ACROSS

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15 Saturn’s largest moon 16 Event at a convention center 17 1987 thriller featuring the same characters as TV’s “Californication”? 20 Drink suffix 21 Vex 22 Travolta film with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

EDITED

BY WILL SHORTZ NO. 1109

PUZZLE BY DAVID TUFFS

66 Only state whose seal was designed by a woman (Emma Edwards Green, 1891)

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1 Fly off the shelves

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 pound beef tenderloin

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces prosciutto

6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

4 ounces baby spinach

1. Butterfly beef with a sharp, thin bladed knife by cutting lengthwise down center of tenderloin and opening like a book. Cover with parchment and pound until beef is about ¼-inch thick.

2. Stir together olive oil and garlic. Brush beef with half the garlic oil. Sprinkle with pepper.

3. Arrange prosciutto over entire surface of beef. Top with cheese and spinach. Carefully roll meat lengthwise into a long slender roll. Using kitchen twine, tie to secure.

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup brandy

3 rosemary sprigs

1/2 cup beef broth

4. Mix together salt, sage, and chopped rosemary and rub into surface of meat. Combine remaining garlic oil and butter in a Dutch oven or deep skillet and place over medium heat. Add beef, turning to brown all sides.

5. Add brandy and rosemary sprigs to pan and allow brandy to reduce. Pour in beef broth. Continue to cook, turning and basting beef with pan juices about 30 minutes for rare or longer for desired doneness. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove twine and slice.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Edible Nashville. For more recipes and all things local food, follow Edible Nashville on instagram @ediblenashtn and their website ediblenashville.com. And look for their beautiful magazine around town. To subscribe to the magazine that comes out 6x/year, go to ediblenashville.com.

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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.

We added spinach to this traditional Italian dish, which is served in Italy for special occasions. Served with its pan juices, it pairs perfectly with potatoes. For a dish this special, it’s best to get the beef from a local butcher. Tell them what you’re making and they may even butterfly it for you. Our favorite is Smokin’ Oaks Organic Farms Market on 8th Avenue in Melrose. Also use real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which is designated by a stamp on the rind. You can also use 1/2 cup beef broth in place of the brandy.

SOCIAL

Cumberland Heights Breakfast of Champions

BY BRENDA BATEY PHOTOS BY RYAN SMITH

Cumberland Heights hosted Breakfast of Champions at Richland Country Club, featuring knuckleball pitching legend, author and Nashville native R.A. Dickey as keynote speaker.

Dickey won the National League Cy Young Award as a member of the New York Mets in 2012 and a bronze medal while pitching for the 1996 U.S. Olympic baseball team.

His autobiography, “Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity, and the Perfect Knuckleball,” put him on the New York Times bestseller list.

Currently, he is on the board of directors for the Nashville Anti Human Trafficking Coalition, a ministry that helps rescue and restore victims of human trafficking across the state of Tennessee.

Cumberland Heights also presented the 2022 Duke Kennedy Award to Paul Wilson, who has served on the Cumberland Heights’ board since 2017. Over the years, Wilson has worked tirelessly to further the mission of Cumberland Heights.

Most recently, Wilson led the campaign for ARCH Academy to make sure that generations of adolescents and their families have access to quality longer-term treatment for substance use disorder.

Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Men’s Program at Cumberland Heights. Studies show substance use disorders are

more likely to affect men, and that men are more than twice as likely as women to die from drug overdose.

The Cumberland Heights Men’s Program is designed to guide men from feelings of pain and isolation that come with addiction to a place of connection and wellbeing. Through group, individual, and family therapy, Cumberland Heights works with patients to educate them on the disease of addiction and create an individualized plan on how to start recovery.

Breakfast of Champions sponsors included: Amazon, Ann and Frank Bumstead, Teresa and Mike Nacarato, and the Cal Turner Family Foundation.

DAR’s Cumberland Chapter Luncheon

BY BRENDA BATEY

The Cumberland Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) held a luncheon meeting at Hillwood Country Club, where the guest speaker, Carole Bucy, gave a presentation entitled “General Lafayette’s Historic Nashville Visit.”

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is committed to celebrating the events of American History and the 200th anniversary of General Lafayette’s farewell tour from 1824-1825 will be observed with programs and events by the DAR chapters.

Following Bucy’s presentation, Cumberland Chapter Regent Jennifer Jones presented Bucy with the new National Society DAR Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, in recognition of her

long time commitment to preserve and share local and state history.

The award acknowledges that in 2011 Bucy was appointed to serve as Davidson County Historian by Mayor Karl Dean.

She regularly conducts teacher workshops on the incorporation of Tennessee history into U.S. history courses and teaches classes for the public about Nashville history.

During the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the woman suffrage amendment in 2020, Bucy was the lead researcher for the Nashville Public Library’s Votes for Women Room. She also served as consultant for the Tennessee State Museum’s Woman Suffrage Exhibit.

Paul Wilson, R.A. Dickey, and Mary Wilson

Jody Roberts and Jeff Gaw

Cumberland Chapter Regent Jennifer Jones, Davidson County Historian Carole Bucy, and TN Society DAR Regent Emily Robinson

Frank Gorrell, Rob Crichton, and Barry Moody

SOCIAL

Cecil Scaife Visionary Award Event

BY BRENDA BATEY PHOTOS BY BRENDA BATEY

Nashville Celebrates Presents The Cecil Scaife Visionary Award, which was held at Ray Stevens’ CabaRay dinner club, was an event to remember.

The award recipients were singing superstars Brenda Lee and Ray Stevens, who each thought they were to present the award to the other and were surprised to learn they were both honorees.

As further acknowledgement of their stellar careers, Senator Marsha Blackburn presented a Senate Statement to Lee and Stevens, which will be included in the Congressional Record.

Country music singer Pam Tillis spoke about the many virtues of Lee and Stevens, both of whom she has known from childhood, as they were friends of her father, Mel Tillis.

Along with a 20-piece band, guest stars who sang a few of the honorees’ hits were Ricky Skaggs (“Everything Is Beautiful”), Mandy Barnett (“I’m Sorry”), Charlie McCoy (“Jambalaya”), Jeannie Seeley (“Too Many Rivers”), and Lang Scott (“Misty”). In addition, Stevens sang “As Usual.”

The McCrary Sisters performed “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and were joined by the entire cast for the second round, including the honorees.

Video presentations were shown to honor Lee and Stevens, recorded by Dolly Parton, Mike Curb, Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Steve Wariner and others.

Serving as emcee was Buddy Kalb, who co-wrote Stevens’ huge hit “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival.”

The dining tables featured sleighs pulled by adorable camels and squirrels, as a nod to two of Stevens’ songs, as well as Christmas trees and jingle bells to reflect Lee’s Christmas hits, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Elliston Place Soda Shop served a delicious traditional Christmas meal, which included chicken and dressing, cranberry relish, sweet potatoes, green beans, and chocolate sundaes.

The Cecil Scaife Visionary Award is given annually to an individual whose life and work have made it possible for future generations to realize careers in the music industry. In the 1970s it was Scaife’s vision to create a music business program for musicians, artists, and future music business executives to formally learn the industry. Through the generosity and leadership of Mike Curb, the idea grew to become the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University, which benefits from this event.

Cecil Scaife was a founder of the Gospel Music Association, producer of the first gospel record to be certified gold, and founder of numerous record labels. He was the first national sales and promotion manager for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, where he was instrumental in promoting the early careers of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

Ray Stevens is internationally known as a GRAMMY award-winning artist, actor, musician, comedian, publisher, and songwriter. His hits are numerous and include the hilariously funny “Mississippi Squirrel Revival,” “The Streak,” “It’s Me Again, Margaret,” and “Gitarzan,” along with his GRAMMY award winning ballad, “Everything is Beautiful’.

Stevens has recorded 45 studio albums, made over 60 videos, and has been an astute businessman in real estate acquisitions on Music Row and other prime locations in Nashville.

GRAMMY award winning Brenda Lee, a versatile artist performing rockabilly, pop, and country music, has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. In the 1960s alone, she had 47 hits on the US charts. Lee is best known for her 1960 hit “I’m Sorry” and 1958’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

“Little Miss Dynamite” became her nickname in 1957, after recording the song “Dynamite” when she was 12 years old. She was one of the earliest pop stars to have a major contemporary international following.

Bob Walker with just one of the gorgeous Christmas trees decorating CabaRay

Casey and Debra Reed, and Tanna and Jimmy Canada

Event Founder LaRawn Scaife Rhea, and honorees Brenda Lee and Ray Stevens

(Seated) Barbara Lawren and Charlene Wilson, and (standing) David and Lisa Manning

SOCIAL

Leigh Bradley, Patsy Bradley, Michael Sayles, and Cecile Light

Cathy Capps and Retta Kelm

Chip Saltsman, Katie Mills Saltsman, and Elaine Saltsman

Joe, Jaela and Danielle Scaife, and Prather, Nanette and James Harris

Lang Scott and Linda Davis

Rowan and Myra Leathers

Michael and Morgan Ostrander, Becky and David Stevenson, Abby Stevenson, and Eli Greiss

Steve and Milah Lynn