114th Tennessee General Assembly gavels
The first day of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly was called to order at noon on Jan. 14.
As expected, the Republican supermajority selected House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) to retain their posts leading their respective chambers. In the Senate, Democrats all abstained from the vote to elect McNally, who also chose not to vote for himself, as speaker of the Senate.
In the House, Democrats put forth Minority Leader Karen Camper (D-Memphis) to oppose Sexton’s nomination. The vote fell along party lines, electing Sexton as speaker by a vote of 75 to 23.
Each body also passed all the bills that have been filed up to this point on first consideration. More than 100 bills have been filed in both the House and the Senate.
The most notable part of the day came
during the Special House Rules Committee meeting, during which several updates to rules were passed along party lines. Only three of the committee’s 11 members are Democrats.
Leader Camper suggested two rule changes that were both voted down by the Republican majority. Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) also submitted several rule changes, which were all voted down as well. The majority of the committee meeting was spent discussing potential rule changes submitted by Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville). Despite the discussion, Republicans voted against all of Jones’ changes, which would have included prohibiting firearms in committee meeting rooms and allowing representatives to use visual aids, as well as prohibiting the speaker from restricting public access to the gallery by way of a ticket policy.
The meeting came to an end after the committee passed a package of rule changes, with Democrats voting against, submitted by Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville). Those changes include reducing the limit on how many bills a representative may submit from 15 to 12 in the first half of the session and to 10 in the second half of the session. Committee chairs will be allowed an additional five, and subcommittee chairs will have an additional two. Another change to the House rules includes the ability for the speaker to remove an unruly person from the gallery and prevent them from returning that day as well as the following legislative day, and gives the option to prevent them from returning for the entire session.
SPECIAL SESSION CALLED
As expected, Gov. Bill Lee announced on Jan. 15 that he will call a special session
to begin on Jan. 27 related to his Education Freedom Act, otherwise known as the school voucher bill.
Lee says in a release that he will also introduce a legislative package for disaster relief to address recovery in East Tennessee following Hurricane Helene. That package will also address preparation for future natural disasters, but there are no further details at this time.
Citing a request from President-Elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration that states prepare immigration policy, Lee says the session will also include legislation for public safety measures around immigration. The release includes a joint statement from Gov. Lee, Lt. Gov. McNally, House Speaker Sexton, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland). It reads as follows:
The Tennessee House of Representatives on the first day of the 2025 session
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Protesters gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
114th General Assembly
“We believe the state has a responsibility to act quickly on issues that matter most to Tennesseans, and there is widespread support in the General Assembly and across Tennessee for a special session on the most pressing legislative priorities: the unified Education Freedom Act and a comprehensive relief package for Hurricane Helene and other disaster recovery efforts.
“The majority of Tennesseans, regardless of political affiliation, have made it clear that they support empowering parents with school choice, and the best thing we can do for Tennessee students is deliver choices and public school resources without delay. Additionally, Hurricane Helene was an unprecedented disaster across rural, at-risk, and distressed communities that cannot shoulder the local cost share of federal relief funds on their own.
“The state has an opportunity and
obligation to partner with these impacted counties and develop innovative solutions for natural disasters going forward. Finally, the American people elected President Trump with a mandate to enforce immigration laws and protect our communities, and Tennessee must have the resources ready to support the Administration on Day One.”
Democrats from both the House and the Senate gathered for a press conference after the end of Wednesday’s business.
“This is my 12th legislative session,” said Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) at the start of the presser.
“We have been talking about educational vouchers since I got here. ... We need to be measured in this. It needs to be a process that includes all stakeholders. If it’s such a good program, then why don’t we wait to see how well it’s performing in Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga? Because thus
far, the students who have taken advantage of these vouchers are not performing better than their peers.”
Rallies were held across the state last week in Chattanooga, Clarksville, Knoxville, Memphis and Smyrna by groups opposing the voucher bill, among them Tennessee for All, SOCM (Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment) and Public School Strong.
“We reject Gov. Lee’s billionaire-backed voucher scam (HB1/SB1),” the organizers say in a release. “We demand full investment in our public schools.”
In 2023, Gov. Lee announced his desire to bring a universal voucher program to Tennessee. Though the legislature passed the previous state budget with $144 million earmarked for such a program, corresponding legislation was not ultimately voted through — Democrats outright opposed it, and Republicans in the House and Senate couldn’t agree on how to go about it.
Republicans seem to have gotten on the same page for this session. Senate Majority Leader Johnson told The News sister publication the Williamson Scene following the November election that he was confident vouchers had the votes needed to pass, and the new legislation was introduced very soon after.
After that election, House Minority Caucus Leader Rep. Clemmons called the legislation the “same scam, different language” and “an attempt to privatize education and completely dismantle and defund our public schools.”
Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) tells the Scene that Gov. Lee wants to do whatever he can to pass his education bill.
“Lee doesn’t want to let the issue be obfuscated by any other bills, and he wants to control the committees,” says Campbell. “And special committees are appointed for a
special session. He’s using chairmanships and every lever he can to push it through.”
Chambers adjourned until Jan. 27
On Jan. 16, at the end of the third organizational day — and technically the first legislative day — of the 114th General Assembly, both chambers adjourned until Monday, Jan. 27, when a special session is expected to be called.
State House Speaker Sexton and Lt. Gov. McNally both released their committee assignments for the general session this week. Those assignments will likely differ in the special session, as separate committees are formed. However, the education committees could be a glimpse into what the lawmakers are thinking.
Notably absent from this year’s House Education Committee is Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), who has been an outspoken opponent of the governor’s education bill. Warner tells the Scene he is frustrated with the speaker’s decision, because he is a “true conservative,” and his removal seems solely due to his stance on vouchers.
The new House Education Committee will include chair Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) and vice chair Rep. Kevin Raper (R-Cleveland) as well as member Reps. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson), Charlie Baum (R-Murfreesboro), Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), Ronnie Glynn (D-Clarksville), Yusuf Hakeem (D-Chattanooga), Kirk Haston (R-Lobelville), Tim Hicks (R-Gray), Chris Hurt (R-Halls), Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), Renea Jones (R-Unicoi), Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville), Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville), Jay Reedy (R-Erin), Lee Reeves (R-Franklin), Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro), William Slater (R-Gallatin) and Robert Stevens (R-Smyrna). The committee is broken up into four subcommittees: Education Administration, Education Instruction,
State Sen. Heidi Campbell speaks at Legislative Plaza
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
State House Speaker Cameron Sexton PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
State House and Senate members on the first day of the 2025 session PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Higher Education and K-12.
Previous members who will no longer server on the Education Committee include Reps. Warner, Ed Butler (R-Rickman), Monty Fritts (R-Kingston), Ron Gant (R-Piperton), John Gillespie (R-Memphis), Justin Lafferty (R-Knoxville), Harold Love (D-Nashville) and Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis).
The Senate Education Committee chair will be Sen. Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro), with first vice chair Sen. Bill Powers (R-Clarksville) and second vice chair Senate Minority Leader Akbari (D-Memphis). Other members of the committee include Sens. Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City), Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin), Joey Hensley (R-Columbia), Adam Lowe (R-Calhoun), Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) and Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield).
Also on Jan. 16, Democrats were once again foiled by the Republican supermajority when voting on changes to the rules of the General Assembly. House Democratic Caucus Leader Clemmons asked for clarification related to members’ speaking time: Each House member has five minutes to ask questions about a bill, but if they ask a question of the sponsor in the well, the time the sponsor takes to answer that question counts against the representative’s five minutes. That effectively means a sponsor could utilize all of a member’s time in blocking debate.
Said Rep. Garrett: “If you ask a 10-second
NowOPENingreenhills
question, it comes to me, or any member in the well, and I use up your remaining time, yes, you would no longer have time to come back to you because that’s included in that five minutes.”
Though that was the procedure the House operated under during the 113th General Assembly, it is now officially added to the rules. House Minority Leader Camper also asked questions about changes to Rules 4 and 19. The change to Rule 19 allows for a House member to vote virtually from a meeting room in the Cordell Hull Building if they are ordered to leave the House chamber — that part of the rule carries over from the previous session. Rule 4 deals with members of the public who are present in the gallery. With this change, the speaker can have a member of the public removed for a day, the following day and potentially all of the session if they are considered unruly.
“When you have a couple of people, I mean, it’s literally a few bad apples that try to spoil the bunch,” House Majority Leader Lamberth said during a press conference at the end of business on Jan. 16. “All this rule does is say, ‘We’re gonna pluck those bad apples out and say, unfortunately, for a short time until you can learn to behave yourself in common, decent culture and public, then you’re just not gonna be able to be in the observation gallery.’”
Local athletes earn TSWA all-state honors for fall sports
STAFF REPORTS
The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its all-state teams for the 2024 fall sports season this month, and several local players were included.
Athletes from Davidson County and Williamson County are listed below.
FOOTBALL:
DIVISION II-A
QB – Jared Curtis, Nashville Christian
WR – Grayson Scragg, Donelson Christian, Jr.
OL – Pryor Browning, Nashville Christian, Sr.
OL – Graham Peeler, Nashville Christian, Sr.
ATH – Kaden Grigsby, Nashville Christian, Jr.
K – Maddox Stevenson, Grace Christian-Franklin, So.
DIVISION II-AA
QB – Hutson Chance, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Sr.
QB – Kaedyn Marable, Battle Ground Academy, Jr.
RB – Rawls Patterson, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Jr.
WR – Owen Cabell, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Jr.
WR – Arnett Hayes, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
OL – Keilan Neal, Franklin Road Academy, So.
OL – Skyler Smith, Christ Presbyterian Academy, So.
OL – Brady Smith, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Sr.
DL – Nate Fleming, Battle Ground Academy, Jr.
DB – Omarii Sanders, Franklin Road Academy, So.
P – Roman Mathis, Davidson Academy, Sr.
DIVISION II-AAA
QB – George MacIntyre, Brentwood Academy, Sr.
QB – Taylor Hasselbeck, Ensworth School, Jr.
WR – Kesean Bowman, Brentwood Academy, So.
OL – Chauncey Gooden, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
OL – Jon Adair, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
ATH – Justin Hopkins, Ensworth School, Jr.
DL – Ethan Utley, Ensworth School, Sr.
DL – Brandon Collins, Ensworth School, Sr.
LB – Kris Thompson, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
LB – Sam Haley, Ensworth School, Sr.
DB – CJ Jimcoily, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
3A
OL – Jayden Jackson, East Nashville, Sr.
DB – Antoni Morton, East Nashville, Sr.
4A
ATH – Javion Kinnard, Pearl-Cohn, Sr.
DL – Kyler Garcia, Pearl-Cohn, Sr.
DB – Donovan Higgins, Pearl-Cohn, Sr.
5A
OL – Jacob Rathbone, Page, Jr.
OL – Austin Johnson, Page, Sr.
DL – Eric Hazzard, Page
LB – Brenden Anes, Page
DB – Knight Wilson, Page, Jr.
P – Gavin Rush, Page, Sr.
6A
OL – Kyle Larkin, Ravenwood, Sr.
LB – Austin Mayfield, Ravenwood, Sr.
DB – Donovan Starr, Ravenwood
VOLLEYBALL: CLASS AA
OH: Anarela Mejias-Ayala, Valor Prep, So.
BGA’s Mallory Dobbs PHOTO: CASEY GOWER
Nolensville’s Claire Stegall at 2024 Spring Fling PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
Nashville Christian’s Jared Curtis PHOTO: CASEY GOWER
MH: Kerrington Corbin, Valor Prep, So.
CLASS AAA
OH: Elia Dinsmore, Independence, Jr.
OH: Eliza McKnight, Brentwood, Jr.
OH: Mia Poag, Nolensville, Sr.
OH: Kaira Knox, Nolensville, Sr.
MH: Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, Jr.
S: Lauren Duncan, Brentwood, Jr.
L: Eden Pietrzak, Nolensville, Sr.
DIVISION II-A
OH: Gwen Forsha, Battle Ground Academy, So.
S: Mallory Dobbs, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
DIVISION II-AA
OH: Ruby Walton, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
S: Bella Burk, Father Ryan, So.
S: Tori Church, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
L: Heidi Green, Father Ryan, So.
L: Mary Catherine Hall, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
BOYS GOLF CLASS AA
Laird Williams, Page, Sr.
Luke Purifoy, Brentwood, Jr.
DIVISION II-A
Brady Ray, Battle Ground Academy, Jr.
Leo Froio, Battle Ground Academy, Jr.
Walker Webb, Franklin Road Academy, So.
DIVISION II-AA
Carter Graham, Brentwood Academy, Jr.
Andrew Sciortino, Brentwood Academy, Jr.
GIRLS GOLF
DIVISION II-A
Jackie Henderson, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
DIVISION II-AA
Lyra Whitman, Lipscomb Academy, Jr.
GIRLS SOCCER CLASS AAA
D – Siena Elder, Franklin, Sr.
DIVISION II-AA
D – Scottie Newton, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
MF/F – Breahn Fisher, Ensworth School, Sr.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY CLASS AAA
Claire Stegall, Nolensville, Sr.
Lorelai Whitten, Summit, Fr.
Sienna Anderson, Summit, Jr.
Lauren Banovac, Brentwood, Jr.
DIVISION II-A
Kiera Pinto, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
Taleigh Scurlock, Donelson Christian, 8th grade
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY CLASS A-AA
Korben Lewis, Martin Luther King, Sr.
CLASS AAA
Asher Oates, Independence, Jr.
Callahan Fielder, Brentwood, Sr.
Kehler Vaughn, Brentwood, Jr.
DIVISION II-A
Eli Wharton, Davidson Academy, So.
Isaac Wharton, Davidson Academy, So.
DIVISION II-AA
Jack Wallace, Montgomery Bell Academy, Sr.
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The City of Oak Hill Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on January 28th, 2025, at 6:00 PM. at the City of Oak Hill Offices, 5548 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37072
The Public Hearing will be held to hear from citizens concerning the following Ordinance:
ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024-06
Consider for Adoption on Second Reading ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024-06
TREE PROTECTION STANDARDS
AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REPLACE ORDINANCE S:
1. ORDINANCE 20-01-01-01
AN ORDINANCE FOR WOODLAND AND TREE PROTECTION
2. ORDINANCE 0-21-05-01-02
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF OAK HILL IN REFERECENCE TO TREE PROTECTION STANDARDS.
You may view the entire Ordinance Documents at the City’s Website at www.oakhilltn.us
Headline Homes: Top home sales of 2024
The News sister publication the Williamson Scene compiled the 10 most expensive sales of the entire year. (December figures are still outstanding).
The top home on the list is reportedly the most costly home sale in state history. The second home, formerly owned by the Frist family, first held that title after its January closing. All homes on the list sold for more than $8 million, with No. 10 on the list just barely surpassing the mark.
Here are the top 10 home sales of 2024:
1. Twin Rivers Farm, Franklin 37064
Buyer: Unlisted
Sale price: $42.5 million
Sellers: Larry Keele and Leiyan Keele, via a trust
Sellers’ agent: Dan McEwen, McEwen Group
A Leiper’s Fork home and its surrounding land have become the most high-dollar residential real estate transaction this year with a $42.5 million sale.
The property most recently was listed for $53 million. The sellers were Larry Keele and Leiyan Keele, via a trust, and had put the property in a conservation easement, according to a release from listing agent Dan McEwen, owner and broker of the McEwen Group.
Twin Rivers Farm sits at 5845 Old Highway 96 and offers 383 acres and a custom-built 10,000-square-foot home. Also included in the deal are a covered pool, barn, guest cottage and recreation facilities.
Larry Keele, co-founder of Los Angelesbased Oaktree Capital, is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University and a native of Lewisburg. The Keeles also own the historic Beechwood Hall property in Franklin.
The home was designed by architect Steve Giannetti, who also is from California and moved to Leiper’s Fork. Giannetti and his wife, Brooke, own architectural, design and lifestyle firm Gianetti Home and operate a store for home goods, Patina Home and Garden, on their farm Patina Meadow.
2. Chickering Road, Nashville 37215
Buyer: Christopher R. Redlich Jr. Revocable Living Trust
Sale price: $32 million
Sellers: Thomas F. Frist Jr. and Patricia Frist
Sellers’ agent: Steve Fridrich, Fridrich & Clark Realty
Buyer’s agent: Christy Reed, Fridrich & Clark Realty
HCA founder Thomas Frist Jr. sold this home to Christopher Redlich Jr., founder and former chairman of Healing Healthcare for an absolutely impressive $32 million. Frist will buy a smaller home nearby,
building. It was designed by Miller Hull to include three bedrooms and three-and-ahalf bathrooms. The balcony is 1,000 square feet and offers a panoramic view of many of downtown’s most prominent landmarks, including the AT&T Tower (known by locals as the “Batman Building”) the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium. The home includes all the amenities offered alongside Four Seasons living: concierge services, fitness facilities and spa services.
4. Westview Avenue, Nashville 37205
Buyer: David Heller, trustee of 717 Westview Ave Trust
Sale price: $14.25 million
Seller: 717 Westview Ave. LLC
Seller’s agent: Cathie Cato Renken, French King Fine Properties
Buyer’s agent: Caroline Parks, PARKS
according to this story about the sale in Mansion Global.
The listing notes “one of the finest homes in the region,” a residence designed by New York architects Ferguson & Shamamian. The home, which offers almost 20,000 square feet, sits on an uncommonly large (even for Belle Meade) 50-acre lot. The property also comes with a 9-acre building site on a separate parcel of land on Chickering Road. Ferguson & Shamamian book City & Country Residences notes the home “may have an impressive presence, and the body language appears to be formal. But the house that is scaled for entertaining and steeped in regional references offers a surprisingly comfortable, even relaxed, environmental reality inside.”
3. 160 Second Ave. S., Nashville 37201
Buyer: Wqfs Holdings LLC
Sale price: $15 million
Seller: Sandra Newman, trustee of Vine Hill Trust
Seller’s agent: Erin Krueger, Compass Tennessee LLC
Buyer’s agent: Julie Riven Dretler, Fridrich & Clark Realty
This condo home in the Four Seasons downtown skyscraper spans 4,000 square feet. The residences is located on the 40th floor and is the “grand penthouse” in the
What this home fails to offer in clear ownership history (a trust made the purchase, with the seller and LLC), it more than compensates for in price. At an almoststunning $14.25 million, the Westview Avenue residence offers nearly 10,000 square feet (don’t even think about the equivalent price per foot of more than $1,400) and comes with six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half-bathrooms. Novo Design Build calls the home “Provence,” a “Frenchinspired villa.” The listing notes that “words fail to capture the true essence of Provence.” The design includes hand-selected beams and flooring, and centuries-old roof tiles.
5. Bear Creek Road, Thompsons Station 37179
Buyer: Todd Glisson, Dream Catcher Trust Sale price: $13 million
Sellers: Jennifer and Jonathan Turner
Sellers’ and buyer’s agent: Tim Thompson, Tim Thompson Premier Realtors
This home located near Leiper’s Fork was custom built by Sipple Homes and designed by Northwork Architects. The 4,000-squarefoot residence sits on almost 130 acres with several outdoor features like riding trails, established trees and scenic streams. The listing notes previous owners have groomed the acreage as a “sanctuary for wildlife.”
6. Franklin Pike, Nashville 37204
Buyers: Jamie and Richard Mark Fitzpatrick
Sale price: $10.7 million
Seller: Kathryn Skye Sawrey Cornelius, trustee of the Plettenburg Trust
Seller’s agent: Sarah Michaud, Compass RE Buyers’ agent: Erin Krueger, Compass Tennessee LLC
The founder of high-tech polymer and composite firearms accessory company Magpul, Richard Mark Fitzpatrick, and his wife, Jamie, purchased this six-bedroom, several bathroom home in Franklin. The residence also comes with
Westview Avenue PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
2.5 acres of outdoor space. Magpul moved its headquarters from Colorado to Texas about 10 years ago in response to Colorado’s gun-control legislation. Should we expect the founder to bring the business with him to Williamson County?
7. Franklin Road, Brentwood 37027
Buyers: Payman Esmaeili and Farnav Esmaeili Rad
Sale price: $10,325,000
Seller: Reel Life Music City LLC
Seller’s agent: Erin Krueger, Compass Tennessee LLC
Buyers’ agent: Peyton Snodgrass, McEwen Group
Two folks in the energy industry, Payman Esmaeili and Farnav Esmaeili Rad, bought this house from Reel Life Music City LLC. For just over $10 million, they purchased 11,306 square feet of indoor space and five acres outside, which includes cattle fencing. Inside there are six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half-bathrooms. The ample space comes with a grand foyer and floating staircase, and lighting throughout and a full scullery kitchen. The acreage includes a pickleball court and basketball court, putting green, outdoor kitchen, resortstyle pool and pool house, sauna and a gym.
8. Westview Avenue, Nashville 37205
Buyer: 407 Westview Avenue Residence Trust
Sale price: $10.3 million
Seller: Jeff Mobley,
trustee of Cottage House Lane East
Seller’s agent: Steve Fridrich and Beth Molteni, Fridrich & Clark Realty
Buyer’s agent: Courtney Cooper Jenrath, Fridrich & Clark Realty
The listing notes this home offers the “best of all worlds,” and that sounds about like what you should get for spending $10.3 million. The home was constructed by Cates Builders with custom cabinets from HartertRussell, a pewter bar, Venetian plaster walls and 11-foot ceilings. All five bedrooms offer en suite bathrooms. There are several additional living spaces throughout, such as a media room, an 890-square-foot screened-in porch and a lower-level nanny/in-law suite.
9. Moran Road, Franklin 37069
Buyer: Jsls Moran LLC
Sale price: $9.7 million
Seller: Robert S. Levine 2009 Trust
Seller’s agent: Lisa Peebles and Richard G. Courtney, Fridrich & Clark Realty
Buyer’s agent: Cassidy Andrews, PARKS
This nearly $10 million “in-town estate” grandly holds court on 46 acres with access to Old Natchez Trace. The main home features a robust 10,862 square feet, supplemented by a 1,215-squarefoot ancillary house on the 1,500 feet of river frontage. Set atop a hill, the home provides sweeping views of the acreage and its pickleball court, batting cage and swimming pool. Inside, the home uses
geothermal heating and cooling and comes with a hospital-grade air purification system (likely spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic) and a kitchen that overlooks the aforementioned pool.
10. Deerfield Court, Franklin 37069
Buyer: Sowers Family Trust
Sale price: $8.75 million
Seller: Deerfield Ranch LLC
Seller’s agent: Michelle Maldonado and Erin Mervis-Hoppe, Compass RE
Buyer’s agent: Stephanie Buhalis and Anne Johnson, Compass RE Kimberely Graddy, a partner in health care business ProMed, and husband Greg, who retired from health care tech company Hologic at 37, closed the sale of this home for $8.45 million in April. Deerfield Ranch LLC then sold it for $8.75 to the Sowers Family Trust in May. The house has eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms and more than 11,000 square feet. A “party barn” clocks in at 3,600 square feet on the property, which is a gated, level 8-acre lot.
The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
Work starts on intersection update at Belle Meade Publix site
Hill Realty eyes August completion on $3M project to align Harding, Ridgefield Way
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
H.G. Hill Realty Company announced Thursday it has started construction on a new entrance for its Publix-anchored Hill Center Belle Meade.
The redesigned roadway will replace the current intersection at Harding Pike and Kenner Avenue upon its completion in August.
The center’s future Harding Pike entrance will align with Ridgefield Way (currently both streets T-intersect with Harding), and the current traffic light at the intersection of Kenner Avenue and North Kenner Avenue will be converted into a right turn in and right turn out.
The site partially previously offered a Mapco and offers a general address of 4314 Harding Pike.
The release notes a roughly $3 million
cost to undertake the effort and that the local office of New York-based Turner will handle the construction work. Hill Realty is fully funding the effort and notes that construction of the new entrance is expected to have “minimal impact on current tenants and customers.”
The effort is part of the Harding Town Center (HTC) Urban Design Overlay (UDO) prepared by the Metro Planning Department. Adopted in May 2005, the HTC overlay is the culmination of a public participatory planning process for the area surrounding the intersection of two state routes, White Bridge Road and Harding Road. Related to this effort is A.J. Capital’s planned reinvention of the site anchored by the soon-to-close Kroger and that company’s
Severe Weather Resources
plans to help fund street improvements.
The release does not include an update regarding a multi-building mixed-use development being eyed for properties sandwiched by Hill Center Belle Meade and Ascension Saint Thomas West Hospital (and sitting north of Harding Pike) If that project materializes, and as The News sister publication the Nashville Post reported in November 2022, the future buildings will rise on properties owned separately by the hospital company and Hill Realty. Part of the overall site previously accommodated modernist apartment tower Imperial House, which Ascension Saint Thomas had razed in 2017.
“Creating the new entrance at Hill Center Belle Meade, along with additional traffic pattern enhancements, is the first step towards our journey to develop the property according to the goals of the Harding Town Center Urban Design Overlay,” Jimmy Granbery, Hill Realty chair and CEO, said in the release.
“This extremely complex project involves multiple phases over many years, and it’s imperative for us to take great care to ensure minimal disruption for existing businesses and the hospital.”
Local media originally reported in 2015 that Saint Thomas Health was looking to redevelop the West Nashville site, at least the part south of Richland Creek. The parcel last home to the 11-story Imperial House offers seven acres and an address of 109 Bosley Springs Road. A separate piece of adjacent raw land, also owned by Saint Thomas Health and with an address of 123 Bosley
Tips for managing the effects of floods, tornadoes and other dangerous weather in Middle Tennessee
COLE VILLENA
The best way to stay safe during a severe weather event is to be prepared. That’s especially true in Middle Tennessee, where residents can experience everything from floods and tornadoes to hurricanes and snowstorms — occasionally in the same year. Here are some resources to stay safe.
NASHVILLE SEVERE WEATHER
Nashvillians have a fantastic resource in Nashville Severe Weather, which posts updates to nashvillesevereweather.com and streams on its YouTube channel during severe weather events. The team compiles data from the National Weather Service, radar data and modeling
Springs, offers 6.1 acres. It is unclear if the latter property — located on the north side of Richland Creek — is to be part of the proposed development.
In 2017, Saint Thomas Health landed a specific plan zoning for both Bosley Springs Road parcels, with the rezoning coming as the 1963-opened Imperial House was demolished.
The Hill Center Belle Meade property, with an address of 4320 Harding Pike and including the Publix, previously included a small free-standing building accommodating Picnic Café. That business relocated to a space in the building home to Escape Day Spa and 360 Bistro, among others, at the Highway 100-70 split.
“We look forward to sharing additional plans for the entire area included in our partnership with Ascension Saint Thomas in the coming months,” Granbery said. This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Post.
LOGAN BUTTS 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
Hill Center Belle Meade PHOTO: SOUTHEAST VENTURE
technology into an easily understood and accessible format. They aren’t just trusted locally — we’ve given them multiple Best of Nashville nods over the years. They also won the Public Service Award from the National Weather Association in 2016.
Members once referred to themselves as “tweeteorologists,” and they also post as @ NashSevereWx on X, formerly known as Twitter. If you’re using Twitter or another social media site for updates, make sure your timeline is set to show the most recent posts first to get up-to-date information.
PREPARING
The National Weather Service provides guidance on how to prepare for different types of severe weather events, but there are a few principles to keep in mind no matter what:
• Know your home’s safe spots: These can differ depending on the type of storm. During a tornado, for example, seek a room without windows on the lowest floor.
•Stay informed: Tornadoes in particular often hit at night, so “wake-me-up” mobile apps are a helpful way to loudly warn you when severe weather is close. Nashville Severe Weather has recommended apps like StormWatch+, available via both the Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Create an emergency kit: Nashville
Severe Weather’s site recommends including items like water, nonperishable food, first aid supplies and a flashlight. You can also include things like a battery-powered radio, portable phone chargers and activities to help wait out the storm.
• Turn around, don’t drown: This catchy slogan exists for a reason. Floodwaters are often deeper and faster-flowing than they appear, and they can contain everything from downed power lines to wild animals to human and livestock waste.
AFTER THE STORM
Government agencies including the Nashville Office of Emergency Management offer relief services following severe weather events. Nashvillians also frequently create grassroots aid efforts such as GoFundMe pages and donation links.
Unfortunately, scammers sometimes use severe weather events as an opportunity to prey on both vulnerable survivors and those hoping to help through donations, so always verify aid organizations. Local media outlets often compile legitimate aid sources following natural disasters.
This article was first published via our sister publication the Nashville Scene.
OPINION
TICKED OFF!
TRANSIT VOTE
I am in total agreement that we need the LPR’s in our city. Seems that it’s the folks are afraid the cameras will take a picture of their face. It will if your face is on the license plate. Get a grip people. The thugs stealing cars are being caught in neighboring cities that have the LPR’s. The one’s in fear of the LPR’s are the ones in fear of being caught with a hot car.
LAYAYETTE DOLLAR GENERAL RESPONSE
First and foremost, you can’t fix stupid, ignorance can be educated. Secondly, I can’t truly believe you are a retired police officer . Seems you are the one racial profiling. Dollar General was put in that particular neighborhood to serve the needs of a community lacking in larger groceries. It evidently was not used as it was supposed to be. The goods on the inside were for purchase, not structurally built to be a free bank for those choosing to comply with society and get a job to pay for such goods. Don’t give the the “poor, pitiful me” pity party attitude. Folks need to
get off their (not there) asses, get a job, and purchase the goods provided in a neighborhood community establishment that is there for their (not there) benefit.
BNA NAME CHANGE
Where do these CheetoJesus worshiping, brown nosing, ass kissing Trumpublicans come from? The moron from Chapel Hill wants to change the name of the Nashville airport to Trump International Airport. Donnie is not the god almighty of the universe and shouldn’t be placed on the pedestal like an idol. Perhaps Sen. Warner should stay in Chapel Hill under a rock where he came from and keep his changes to himself. If the name is changed, are we going to change the airport code from BNA to WTF?
The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.
Send your comments to tickedoff@thenewstn.com
Tell us about it!
Are you in the know about what’s going on down the street or on the corner? Anyone ever call you nosy? Have good writing skills?
Looking for a few neighbors who want to write about interesting things happening in your neighborhood. Specific neighborhoods of interest are Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Nolensville, Bellevue, West Meade, Green Hills. Yes, you need to have some writing chops; extra credit if you’ve contributed to a newspaper at some point! Interested?
Email neighbornews@theNEWStn.com and let us know what neighborhood you are interested in and include a few writing samples.
Citrus Garlic Cuban Black Beans
BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE
Vinegar, orange, lime and garlic infuse these vegetarian beans with bold flavor. If you want to pump them up, saute bacon and stir in at the end.
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces dried black beans, soaked overnight or *quick soaked
1 red onion, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1. Cover soaked dried beans and red onion in water. Add salt. Bring to a boil and reduce immediately to a low simmer. Cook for 45 mins to an hour. Add olive oil, garlic, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, red chile pepper, and broth. Cook 30-45 minutes.
2. Add bay leaves and cumin and simmer
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1 red Chile pepper, minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons cumin
another 30 minutes or so, or until beans are tender and thick. Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro. *To quick soak dried beans, cover with water and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour. Rinse and proceed with recipe.
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 Flower in a children’s rhyme
5 One of 1,000 for Darryl Strawberry, for short
8 Computer connector
13 Orange-and-white rental
15 Middle-ear th foe
16 Tropical vacation destinations
17 Orange soda brand
18 *Mendel studied them
20 *Disconcer t mightily
22 Big night
23 Something studied by the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, for short
24 Strong craving
25 T itle for the supposed inventor of the sandwich
27 Car tesian conclusion
29 Throw in the trash
31 *Tons
36 Eros, to Aphrodite
37 Olympian’s weapon
39 Characteristic
40 Think before placing a bet … or what solvers must do to fully appreciate each starred clue
43 “Take me to your leader” speaker
44 Amazon Handmade competitor
45 Main ingredient in many veggie hot dogs
46 *Book designer’s concern
48 Hammer par t
50 Sad sound
51 Morel suppor t?
53 “Check back later,” in brief
56 Hypotheticals
59 Pep
69 F irst name in cosmetics
70 Response during an eye exam
71 Cards
72 “Hey, I’ve got a secret …”
DOWN
1 Like eyes after a good cr y
2 Midwest hub
3 Southwest point of the Texas Triangle
4 Fool, from the Yiddish
5 “Understood”
6 “It’s so c-c-cold!”
7 Refreshment ser ved with a spoon straw
8 F ilm buff
9 Menace hiding in a basket of figs in “Antony and Cleopatra”
10 “Sacre ___!”
11 Table expander
12 Sylvan ____ (electropop duo)
14 Vegges out
61 *Ones with good aim
63 *Mess that might be sticky
66 Makes tolerable
67 Change with the times
68 Deliverer of the speech “Beyond V ietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” for short
19 Satanic
21 Zapped with light
26 Ophelia’s vengeful brother in “Hamlet”
28 Eeyore-like
30 Beginnings
32 Gives permission to
33 Parts of many home inspections
34 In good order
35 Pike and Pine, in Seattle: Abbr.
36 Brand of par ty cups
38 Actress Amanda
40 Lunchroom, casually
41 Think outside the box
42 Like many kids postHalloween
47 “In memoriam” piece
49 Play the host
52 Sleeveless shirts, informally
54 Longtime Saints QB whose name has a windy homophone
55 Item in the plus column
56 “You don’t have to tell me”
57 Classic pet name
58 Hollywood Boulevard sight
60 “Rent” character based on a seamstress in “La Bohème”
62 Hinged fastener
64 Sending help?
65 Not funny anymore
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 JEFFREY MARTINOVIC AND WILL NEDIGER
WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
A Beautiful Sight
The Nashville Symphony Ball celebrates 40 years with a winter wonderland
JANET KURTZ
PHOTOS: ERIC ENGLAND
The 40th annual Symphony Ball was the perfect way to end the winter social season. Symphony Ball co-chairs Jason Bradshaw and Bob Deal envisioned an evening in a winter wonderland, which is exactly what event planner Bruce Pittman and his team created. Each table featured ice-blue and soft-snowdrift overlays as projections of snow “fell” from above.
Once dinner — prepared by Kristen Winston Catering — began, the Nashville Symphony took the stage, led by Kelly Corcoran. After the performance, the Harmony Awards were presented to this year’s recipients, country music legend
Randy Travis and longtime Warner Music Nashville CEO John Esposito. James DuPré performed Randy Travis songs while the chart-topping entertainer looked on. Since experiencing a stroke in 2013, Travis has lived with paralysis on the right side of his body, preventing him from performing.
Revelers danced late into the night — fueled by donuts and sacks of Krystal burgers. Late Party chairs Virginia Garchitorena, Benton Swann, Kacy Bringaze Young and Michael Young organized a terrific evening as guests danced away the night.
SOCIAL
and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee
As it grows colder, the indoor events are growing. For those who love the Grateful Dead and have children, there’s the chance to indoctrinate them into the cult early at a Rock and Roll Playhouse at The Basement East. It’s not free, but it’s a decent day out for the price. The circus is coming to town, if you can get past its past. Down in Murfreesboro, they’re making a family day of the Star Wars vs. Star Trek debate, with
outside with your teens this week at Beaman Park Nature Center. They will surely want to learn to identify local flora and fauna.
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:
THE MUSIC OF GRATEFUL DEAD FOR KIDS
the country, is geared toward introducing kids to classic performers and music. The Rock and Roll Playhouse band is best for kids under 10 years old, and it offers games, movement and stories incorporated into the music. Children under 1 are free, and earphones are suggested for all children.
RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY PRESENTS THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents The Greatest Show On Earth offers a new modern take on the classic circus. Typically, there will be some tickets around town for students at a discount. This show will have a troupe of 75 performers from 18 countries that will showcase high-wire acts, trapeze, acrobatics, dancing and more. Special effects will add to the show. There will be six shows at Bridgestone Arena on the weekend of Jan. 24-26.
‘STAR WARS’ VS. ‘STAR TREK’
At the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro, they’re hosting a Star Wars vs. Star Trek: The
The center encourages attendees to dress in family-appropriate sci-fi costumes for the day. There will also be a science fiction talk show, a “save Baby Yoda” station and an interactive Star Wars video challenge. The added programming comes with the cost of regular admission and is free for members.
FAMILY ROLLER SKATING AT SHELBY COMMUNITY CENTER
Shelby Community Center is hosting the chance to bring your indoor roller skates or roller blades to the gym for a family skate session. The family skate sessions are hosted by Metro Parks on Wednesdays from noon to 3 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. There are no skate rentals, so attendees must bring clean, indoor-use skates only.
LEARN YOUR TREES BY TWIG, LEAF, BARK AND FRUIT
Beaman Park Nature Center is hosting a three-hour event to learn more about local twigs, leaves, bark and fruit. On Jan. 25, folks above 13 years old can join park leaders to learn more about how to identify
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