Swan Ball organizers file lawsuit against Cheekwood Charity gala committee contends leaders of
nonprofit cultural attraction planned ‘coup’ to take control of
event
BY CONNOR DARYANI, NASHVILLE BANNER
This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and The News. The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news. Visit nashvillebanner.com for more information.
An alleged “coup” has taken place at Cheekwood — with a related lawsuit now jeopardizing the 2025 Swan Ball.
BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
Early voting began in Tennessee on Friday and will include the county general election as well as the state and federal primary, which are to be held on Aug. 1. Polling locations are open at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday until July 27. For a complete list of addresses and closing times, visit thenewstn.com.
In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces Tres Wittum as a challenger in the Republican primary. In the Democratic primary for Blackburn’s seat, four candidates appear on the ballot: Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Denise Brown, Civil Miller-Watkins and state Rep. Gloria Johnson from Knoxville.
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles is running for reelection in the 5th Congressional District, with a Republican primary challenge coming
from Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston. Activist and founder of the nonprofit Rise and Shine Tennessee Maryam Abolfazli is the only Democrat running in the primary.
U.S. Reps. John Rose and Mark Green are running in their districts with no Republican challengers. Rose’s District 6 seat has three candidates on the Democratic ballot: Lore Bergman, Clay Faircloth and Cyril Focht. Green is likely to face former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry in the general election as she is the only candidate for the District 7 seat in the Democratic primary. For Davidson County voters, Tennessee’s District 20 Senate seat is up for election. It is currently held by Heidi Campbell, who is unopposed as a Democrat, and one candidate, Wyatt Rampy, is vying for the
Republican nomination.
In Williamson County, Sen. Joey Hensley’s District 28 spot is up for election. He is not running against another Republican but will face James Dallas, who is on the ballot unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
State House of Representative districts that are up for election and that include parts of Davidson County are 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59 and 60. Williamson County district seats that appear on the ballot are 61, 63, 65 and 92.
District 60 is one of the contests to watch for Nashvillians. With former state Rep. Darren Jernigan moving to a job in Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration, the field is wide open in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. Tyler Brasher and Shaundelle Brooks are
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday on behalf of a newly formed nonprofit entity associated with the Swan Ball called SB Initiative Inc., alleges that Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art officials orchestrated a “coup” over the past year to take over operations of the annual gala.
“[Cheekwood] first offered to begin performing the ministerial accounting for Swan Ball ‘in-house’ at [Cheekwood’s] business office for the 2024 Swan Ball,” reads the complaint. “Not knowing that Defendant was planning a coup to try to take over the Swan Ball gala, Plaintiff accepted Defendant’s offer.”
From there, the complaint claims that Cheekwood proceeded to assume control of Swan Ball operations.
Outside of a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Swan Ball has been held every year since 1963 as a fundraiser for Cheekwood and bills itself as “one of the premier charity events in the United States.”
Voting sign PHOTO: ELIZABETH JONES
Local voters
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competing for the seat previously held by a Democrat. A third democrat, John Parrish, dropped out on Sunday. Republicans Chad Bobo and Christopher Huff are aiming for the Republican nomination and an attempt to turn the district red.
In another contest of note, state Rep. Sam Whitson from district 65 also announced he would not seek reelection this year. On the Republican primary ballot, Brian Beathard, Michelle Foreman and Lee Reeves will fight for the former Republican’s spot. LaRhonda Williams is the only Democrat vying for the seat.
Metro Councilmember Jennifer Frensley Webb is running in the Republican primary for District 50. The seat is currently held by Bo Mitchell, a Democrat who is running in that primary unopposed.
District 51 is Democrat state Rep. Aftyn Behn’s seat – she is running fully unopposed with no competition in either primary. Also
Swan Ball organizers
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unopposed in either primary in this election are District 54 Rep. Vincent Dixie, District 55 Rep. John Ray Clemmons, District 58 Rep. Harold Love Jr. and District 59 Rep. Caleb Hemmer.
State Rep. Justin Jones is running for his seat in District 52 again with no Democrat against him, but Laura Nelson is running for the Republican nomination. In District 53, state Rep. Jason Powell is running for the Democratic nomination again and in the general race will presumably face Yog Nepal, a challenger who is the sole contestant for the Republican nomination.
In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Bob Freeman faces Nick Forster-Benson in the District 56 election. There is no Republican running, so the primary will ultimately decide the future representative.
After the Davidson County election primary in March, much of the county’s general election is all but decided since
The white-tie gala regularly attracts some of Nashville’s oldest and wealthiest families. For example, the 2022 Swan Ball consisted of five different events held at Cheekwood, the Belle Meade Country Club and a private home. Darius Rucker performed as the ball headliner, and Tyler Perry’s musical director led the party band. Among the auction items were luxury trips to Chicago, Egypt and Uruguay. In past years, musical headliners have included Kool & the Gang, Diana Ross, Idina Menzel, Aretha Franklin, Steve Martin and Tony Bennett.
The plaintiffs claim that while the Swan Ball Committee has historically contributed “the fruits of its labors” to Cheekwood, it has until recently been “autonomous and independent” of the botanical gardens and museum nonprofit it benefits. The complaint notes the event has historically been run by a committee of volunteers, with just two permanent staff members who are on the Cheekwood payroll. The suit says that Cheekwood is fully reimbursed with revenue from
many candidates are unopposed. Williamson County’s general election is similar for many races, but the school board districts are all hotly contested.
Williamson County School Board seats in District 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 all have at least two candidates for either the Republican and Democrat nominations or an Independent candidate. This is the first year those seats are seeing partisan elections where candidates have had to declare a party affiliation.
Metro Nashville Public School Board seats in Districts 3, 5, 7 and 9 are all singlecandidate races. In District 1, Demytris Savage-Short is the Republican nominee running against Democratic nominee Robert Taylor.
In Davidson County, Stephanie Williams is the Democratic nominee who will fill the 20th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Division IV seat with no Republican challenger on the ballot. David Veile is the
Republican nominee and the only candidate on the ballot for Williamson County’s 20th Judicial District Circuit Court Division III. District 21 Attorney General Stacey Edmonson, who was appointed by the Governor to the position in May 2023, is the only candidate on the ballot for the election to fill the vacancy, which was left after the death of former DA Kim Helper.
Current Davidson and Williamson County assessors of property Vivian Wilhoite and Brad Coleman are both unopposed for the position in their elections.
Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Hughes is the only one on the ballot for the position and was sworn into office after the primary. Oak Hill is also holding its municipal election to vote for two city commissioners. Only two people are running: David DeMarco and Winston Evans.
the Swan Ball for those employees.
“[Cheekwood’s] CEO and one other employee of Defendant are typically, without any obligation for the Committee to do so, invited to attend the Swan Ball each year, but no other employee of Defendant is invited, and the invitation to the Defendant’s CEO and any other person is purely the decision of the Plaintiff,” reads the complaint.
Cheekwood counters by noting it has owned the state trademark for the Swan Ball for decades. It adds that the Swan Ball, in its current form, is unsustainable.
“Lavish spending, resulting in such low fundraising efficiency ratios, is contrary to Cheekwood’s charitable objectives and guiding values, and likely shocking to Cheekwood’s donors. It risks exposing Cheekwood to poor ratings from charity oversight groups, to diminished public trust, and to irrevocable damage to the Cheekwood and Swan Ball brands.”
The complaint says that when it became clear that Cheekwood was attempting to
“assert control over the operations of the committee,” the Swan Ball board unanimously voted to formalize itself as a separate and autonomous nonprofit in May. It also filed a federal trademark application for “Swan Ball,” which it argues should prevent Cheekwood from continuing to control it.
“It was a legal step that we took to ensure Cheekwood that whatever the ball did, the ball did, and they shouldn’t be concerned,” says Jana Davis, a Swan Ball board member who chaired the event in 2019.
Davis says that the board was blindsided by Cheekwood’s move to lock them and their staff out of all Swan Ball operations because their executive committee had been meeting with Cheekwood executives to discuss how to cut the event’s expenses.
“We were looking at improving expense management, we sought counsel from an advisor who works with nonprofits and we said, ‘we want to continue to improve our return,” says Davis. “We don’t want Cheekwood to worry about what the gross-to-net ratio may be if it’s not what they expect.”
The Swan Ball website says the event raises millions of dollars for Cheekwood annually.
An audit of Cheekwood shows that in 2021, despite the gala itself being canceled, the Swan Ball brought in $1.2 million in revenue. In 2023, the event generated more than $800,000 for the nonprofit. It is unclear if 2024 figures have been finalized.
“I think the standard that was set 63 years ago for not only how the ball is conducted, but the quality, the expectations and the return — the standard of quality is there and the volunteers who put this ball on do it out of love for community and want to make sure that those standards are maintained,” says Davis.
Following a report by Nashville Banner,
the Cheekwood Board of Trustees said in a statement that the nonprofit has established a goal that the Swan Ball “meet best practices in terms of the ratio between expenses and dollars contributed to support our programs and mission.”
The statement continues, “For nearly two years, Cheekwood has met with the Swan Ball committee and requested that a budget be established in which at least 50 percent of every donor dollar contributed is used to support Cheekwood’s mission and programming. This is consistent with national standards for philanthropic events.”
Cheekwood said it has “deep respect” for the hundreds of Swan Ball volunteers: Therefore, we were shocked and saddened to learn that, as a result of Cheekwood’s requests for stronger fiscal responsibility, an anonymous group of Swan Ball volunteers formed a new legal entity that filed a federal lawsuit to separate the Swan Ball from Cheekwood. The Cheekwood Board of Trustees does not support this effort and, in response, has voted without opposition to protect its interests, its donors, and the Swan Ball.
Cheekwood will vigorously defend its ownership of the Swan Ball and ensure that it meets nationally recognized benchmarks and best practices for philanthropic fundraising and expense ratios. However, due to the current litigation initiated by this new entity, Cheekwood has no choice but to postpone and cease all planning for the 2025 Swan Ball until this matter is resolved.
Adams and Reese attorney Maia Woodhouse is representing Cheekwood, while Chanelle Acheson, of Waddey Acheson, is representing the plaintiffs.
The News’ sister publication the Nashville Post contributed to this report.
Cheekwood Estate and Gardens PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Former President Donald Trump was wounded, one civilian was killed, and multiple people were injured when a gunman opened fire on the Republican presidential nominee’s outdoor rally in Butler, Pa., Saturday.
“The party of ‘tolerance, equity, and inclusion’ is responsible for an attempted assassination on a Presidential candidate,” Tennessee’s House Republican Caucus chair Jeremy Faison posted on X shortly after the shooting. “THIS is what’s on the ballot this November. Do you want to live in a world where you may get shot for your beliefs, or one that puts our country first and unifies us?”
House Majority Leader William Lamberth posted, “There is no way some idiot liberal with a gun will stop [Trump]. Our prayers are with you Mr. President.”
Around the same time, Democratic state Rep. Antonio Parkinson of Memphis posted, “I certainly hope this is not a staged act. But...��” His statement drew condemnation from Republicans.
Two hours later Parkinson posted: “Unfortunately, we live in a sad reality that America has become so divided that someone would resort to such a violent act. But are we really surprised? There is absolutely nothing good that can come out of this.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles,
who has been endorsed by Trump, called the former president “an American hero,” adding, “This is a dark day in American history.” Tennessee’s U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, meanwhile, criticized remarks made by President Joe Biden days before the shooting — the president reportedly told private donors, “We’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”
Republicans have also pounced on the president’s statement that Trump is a “genuine threat to this nation,” arguing that the rhetoric incited the shooting. Biden has since said “it was a mistake” to use the word “bullseye.”
Trump has a long history of inflammatory rhetoric, including telling his supporters in 2016 that he would pay their legal fees if they punched protesters and encouraging his followers’ actions on Jan. 6, 2021. That day saw thousands of MAGA faithful assault the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 election. In December of last year, Trump said he would only “abuse power as retribution” and be a “dictator” on the first day of his presidency, if reelected. “After that, I’m not a dictator,” Trump said.
In February, Trump spoke in Nashville, where he referred to President Biden and his cabinet and supporters as “evil people” who he called a “threat to democracy.”
Donald Trump at a fundraiser in Nashville, February 2024
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Tennessee officials respond
LOCAL CAMPAIGN REACTIONS
Saturday’s shooting sent shockwaves across the political spectrum and has sparked new fears of widespread political violence ahead of the November general election. But in Tennessee, it appears the incident will do little to change how candidates are conducting their campaigns. Williamson County Commission Chair Brian Beathard, who is running in the Republican primary for state House District 65, expressed his condolences to everyone affected by Saturday’s attack, but also said, “We will not allow this act of terrorism to alter our campaign in any way.”
State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), who is running against Blackburn for a U.S. Senate seat, is
currently on a 95-county tour of the state. She says that while she and her staff are “cautious,” she will continue campaigning without interruption or change.
“We’re going to continue and not curtail meetings with Tennessee citizens at all because it’s their right to be able to talk to candidates that want to represent them,” Johnson says. “If we all are talking to people and not at them, and if we watch the language that we use, and [if] leaders in Tennessee use language that unites us rather than divides us, we can all campaign safely.”
NAZIS IN NASHVILLE’S STREETS
Political violence obviously isn’t new in America, and one day after the assassination
attempt, political discourse remained tense. Sunday in Nashville, a neo-Nazi group took to the streets, shouting racist and antisemitic statements and entering an altercation with a local man. Police identified the arrested neoNazi as 29-year-old Ryan Scott McCann of Ontario, Canada. McCann was charged with disorderly conduct after he allegedly struck the Nashvillian in the face and ribs with a flagpole displaying a swastika flag.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) said the group “came to Nashville looking to incite violence.” She has organized community resources to “#FightLikeHell to ensure that Nashville remains a place where everyone feels safe and valued.”
“Since the [start of the] Trump era, there
has been a heightened awareness as to the opportunity for violence, especially when [extremist] groups congregate here,” Behn says. This is the second week in a row that white nationalists have targeted Nashville, after the group Patriot Front marched through the city on July 6. That display also earned condemnation from Tennessee officials including Gov. Bill Lee. Tennessee is no stranger to white supremacy or political violence. The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, and Nashville was the site of numerous instances of racial violence throughout the civil rights movement.
Primary splits Democrats near the Davidson County line
Shaundelle Brooks and Tyler Brasher face off in proxy party
BY ELI MOTYCKA
Before primary voters in Hermitage, Old Hickory or Donelson cast a single vote in the Aug. 1 primary elections, another kind of election has already reached a fever pitch in Tennessee’s House District 60. The seat — held for six terms by outgoing Democrat Rep. Darren Jernigan — has drawn two viable Democrats, Shaundelle Brooks and Tyler Brasher. Elected officials have lined up behind each in what has become a race projecting two distinct directions for a party desperate to find a winning formula in purple suburbs across the state.
The Tennessee Democratic Party can’t directly weigh in on a primary, where voters select candidates for the general election in November, but its most visible elected officials have split their support between Brooks and Brasher. While Jernigan has withheld his official endorsement — he currently holds a post in Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration as the mayor’s state House whisperer — Brasher won over his household, scoring an endorsement from Jernigan’s wife Michelle. Metro Councilmembers Jeff Gregg and Jordan Huffman, who together represent most of District 60 on the council, are also behind Brasher.
Brasher brought on Huffman as his
campaign manager in early June. Last summer, Huffman ran his own successful campaign as a first-time candidate in Hermitage. The two share experience on the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce and the Donelson Hermitage Neighborhood Alliance, familiar local stepping stones to elected office. Brasher has made these relationships his campaign bedrock.
Shaundelle Brooks came to politics all of a sudden. Her son Akilah DaSilva, then 23, was among the four people killed when a man with schizophrenia opened fire at an Antioch Waffle House in 2018. The tragedy reordered her life around gun violence prevention.
“I saw my son in the casket, and I said, right then, I would do everything in my power to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Brooks tells the Scene after a morning of door-to-door canvassing. “It has to start with background checks — those are the foundation of stricter gun laws — to make sure people are mentally stable enough to carry.”
Brooks started the Akilah Dasilva Foundation and dyed her hair blue, her son’s favorite color. Around her neck, she wears a necklace with Akilah’s name on it. Regular advocacy at the state Capitol — “I went there and told my story, and they shut me
down,” Brooks says of Republican lawmakers — quickly led to relationships with elected Democrats like Reps. Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson. Even though she has made her name as an advocate against gun violence, Brooks rejects the single-issue label.
“Raising my kids as a single mom, having to pay rent and bills on one income, how can I be a single-issue person?” she says. “I’m trying to give my kids a decent life. Daily, I’m coming into contact with the school system, the health care system, insurance companies and gun violence. I stand up for people. I fight for people who don’t have a voice.”
Brooks raised four children, including DaSilva. Her youngest son joins us at Nectar Urban Cantina, a Mexican restaurant in Donelson. While we talk, a boy runs up to the big industrial fan blowing cool air across the patio, and Brooks winces. “He needs to be careful of his fingers,” she says to herself.
Jones, briefly expelled from the House alongside Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) in April 2023 for leading gun violence protests, has seen his fierce advocacy inside the legislative chamber translate into fundraising dollars and a rising national profile. Johnson, who joined Pearson and Jones in protests after the Covenant School shooting, leads the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and appears headed toward a showdown with Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in November. Both Johnson and Jones encouraged Brooks to run for Jernigan’s soon-to-be vacant seat.
Both endorsed Brooks, as did the political arm of nonprofit group The Equity Alliance, several Metro councilmembers and nearly every Black elected official in the Tennessee state legislature. Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell, whose meandering district includes a northern swath of House District 60, also got behind Brooks, as did former Councilmember Jeff Syracuse.
Six months ago, former Councilmember
battle
Kevin Rhoten was a leading name for the seat. Then it was Tim Jester, whose campaign started and ended in February when a professional conflict cut short his primary hopes. Brasher came next. To Brooks, the parade of middle-aged white men has come to represent institutional resistance; her entry into the race prompted skepticism (and at least one angry phone call) from local party operatives.
“After Tim dropped out, I put on my walking shoes and got going trying to generate community support,” Brasher tells the Scene. “It’s not the big cultural issues that get a lot of attention. More often than not, folks are asking for sidewalks, for better transit, for roads to be paved. Just basic infrastructure.” To voters, Brasher decries extremism among Republicans. Huffman, Brasher and Jernigan all talk about the district as cautiously Democratic. Jernigan flipped the seat from Republican Jim Gotto in 2012 by 0.4 percent — just 95 votes. From there, he slowly gained ground, winning by more than 20 percentage points in 2022. In office and back home in his district, Jernigan built a political reputation appealing to the center in a district that includes historically workingclass white suburbs, new transplant families, a few majority-Black neighborhoods and whiter, more conservative spillover from Mt. Juliet. On paper, district demographics look a lot like areas near Murfreesboro and Clarksville, where Democrats hope to gain ground against the state’s Republican supermajority.
“We both have different backgrounds, and I think they’re both viable paths to the nomination,” says Brasher. “Ultimately, I don’t have a whole lot of really big disagreements with Shaundelle. We’re both Democrats, and we both want to see the seat held by a Democrat. We’ll see what voters think.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.
Nashvillians to watch at the Paris Olympics
BY LOGAN BUTTS
SWIMMER ALEX WALSH
When to watch: The 200-meter individual medley heats and semifinals will take place Aug. 2, with the final set for Aug. 3. One of two returning medalists with Nashville connections, Walsh will once again be taking on the 200-meter individual medley after her silver-winning performance in the event in Tokyo. Walsh will be among the favorites to reach the podium in an event she won by more than two full
seconds at the 2024 NCAA Swimming Championships in March. She’ll be competing alongside fellow American and her former University of Virginia teammate Kate Douglass, who earned bronze in the 200-meter IM in Tokyo
SWIMMER GRETCHEN WALSH
When to watch: The 100-meter butterfly heats and semifinals will take place July 27, with the final taking place July 28. The 4 x 100-meter freestyle heats and final will also take place July 27. The 50-meter freestyle heats and semifinals will take place Aug. 3, with the final on Aug. 4.
Gretchen Walsh — Alex’s younger sister — has the potential to be one of Team USA’s stars of the pool for the 2024 Games. The first-time Olympian will be competing in three events: the 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter butterfly and the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay, the last of which the U.S. has medaled in at 23 of the 25 Olympics featuring the race. (No pressure!) Walsh set a new world record in the 100-meter butterfly semifinals at the U.S. Olympic trials, putting her in a good position to bring some hardware home from Paris.
CYCLIST LILY WILLIAMS
When to watch: The team pursuit competition will take place Aug. 6-7.
The other returning medalist with a connection to Nashville, Williams has had the most interesting journey to becoming an Olympian of anyone in this group. Following four years as a track-and-field competitor and cross-country runner at Vanderbilt University, Williams decided to try her hand at track cycling. Three years later she became not only the first female Vanderbilt graduate to compete at the Olympics, but she won a bronze medal in the team pursuit event in Tokyo. The Florida native will be competing in the same event in Paris.
DISCUS THROWER VERONICA FRALEY
When to watch: The discus qualification round will take place Aug. 2, and the final will be on Aug. 5.
Speaking of Vanderbilt women excelling, to call Veronica Fraley’s June memorable would be a major understatement. The graduate student began the month by becoming just the third student-athlete in Vanderbilt history to earn an individual NCAA championship and ended June by qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Fraley qualified with a third-place finish in the discus throw at the U.S. Olympic trials. She’ll be competing in Paris against Valarie Allman, the reigning gold medalist in the event.
FOOTBALLER WALKER ZIMMERMAN
When to watch: The men’s soccer competition will take place July 24 through Aug. 9.
Unlike the women’s competition, men’s soccer rosters at the Olympics are limited to players ages 23 and younger. However, countries are allotted up to three roster slots for over-age players, and the United States decided to bring Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman as one of its over-age representatives. The four-time MLS all-star’s inclusion can be attributed to two factors: He brings high-level international experience — Zimmerman played in all four of the USMNT’s matches at the 2022 World Cup, starting three — and plays a needed position for the young roster.
SPRINTER JOHN SHERMAN
When to watch: The 4 x 100-meter relay competition will take place Aug. 8-9. Middle Tennessee State University freshman John Sherman is headed to Paris as part of the Liberian men’s 4 x 100-meter relay team. The former LaVergne High School star was part of the Liberian squad that set a national record in the event at the 2023 African Games, earning the group a spot in one of the marquee competitions of the track-and-field schedule.
Gretchen Walsh
PHOTO: MIKE LEWIS, USA SWIMMING
Congressman Andy Ogles defends record, dismisses critics as he faces Republican challenger
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles is touting his record and dismissing his critics as he faces both Republican and Democratic challengers in this year’s 5th Congressional District election.
Months after he was elected to Congress in 2022, Ogles took part in opposition votes, before eventually backing the then-California congressman Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House.
Months later, McCarthy was ousted from the speaker’s chair, in part by a vote from fellow Tennessee congressional Rep. Tim Burchett.
“I never had a problem with Kevin McCarthy,” Ogles told The News. “In fact, I had a great relationship with Kevin McCarthy, but it was all about changing the rules of how the House of Representatives was run.”
“I didn’t go up there [to Capitol Hill] to go to a cocktail party,” Ogles continued. “I went up there to legislate and try to save the republic, the way the people in the 5th District elected me to do. Under the old rules that was hard to do.”
Ogles lists immigration and border security among his top legislative priorities if elected to a second term, arguing that those concerns are also top of mind for Republican voters in the 5th District.
He has called for “MASS DEPORTATIONS” with “NO SANCTUARY” and “NO AMNESTY” but pushed back against the idea of the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
Ogles said that a part of that larger issue includes the ongoing nationwide
opioid crisis, specifically with fentanyl, and he hammered home examples of recent high-profile crimes throughout the country allegedly committed by immigrants.
Numerous research suggests that immigrants do not commit more crimes in the United States than native born citizens.
Ogles also reiterated his support for the Second Amendment, adding that his conversations with Covenant School parents, which lies in his district, have not changed his mind about supporting gun reforms in the wake of the mass shooting that killed three children and three school staff members last year.
“I think the issue on gun reform is the same issue that you might have with immigration reform; it’s I don’t know that reforms are needed,” Ogles said. “I think we simply need to enforce any existing laws that are on the books.”
Ogles also addressed what he said are economic and social needs, specifically saying that veterans and seniors need access to more local medical services in their communities.
“We’ve got to be the dominant predator economically, which means we have to be energy independent, we’ve got to have a pro-business [government], and we’ve got to push back against China,” Ogles said.
“I’ve become known, my team has become known, as a prolific producer of quality legislation,” Ogles said, touting what he’s said is a record 100-plus pieces of legislation introduced by a freshman congressman.
Ogles also said that he has “had quite a few” of his sponsored bills “signed into law by the president.”
According to the BillTrack50, Ogles has had three of his sponsored or co-sponsored bills signed into law.
One of those bills was a joint resolution “related to a national emergency declared by the President in March 2020,” as well as a second joint resolution “disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022.” The third bill was “an act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, and to support programs at the Marine Corps Heritage Center.”
Ogles also introduced three amendments to national security bills which were each signed into law.
Ogles has been vocal supporter of Israel and an even more vocal opponent of Palestinians, calling for a ban on Palestinian refugees coming to the U.S.,introducing legislation to send pro-Palestinian student protesters to Gaza as punishment, and coming under fire for his rhetoric when pressed by pro-Palestinian activists in Washington D.C. in February.
Last month, the Nashville Banner reported on one Nashville family who has lost more than 240 relatives in Gaza in the nearly year-long conflict following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
When asked by The News to respond to that story and the calls from thousands of Tennesseans who are advocating for a ceasefire agreement and increased humanitarian aid, Ogles reiterated his support for Israel.
“Anyone who’s caught in the crossfire, my heart breaks for them, but Israelis shouldn’t suffer, Israelis should not have to stand down, because there are bad actors out there that are trying to destroy them,” Ogles said.
“The issue you have is that the humanitarian aid isn’t reaching the civilians. …When you see individuals starving, that’s because Hamas is starving their own people so that they get a photo op out of it.”
Ogles record, challenges and challengers
“I stand on my record,” Ogles told The News, but that record – both as a congressman and a congressional candidate –has been called into question by Republicans and Democrats alike.
Ogles has been the subject of numerous news reports questioning his false statements about his professional and educational background and qualifications, unaccounted money meant for a children’s burial garden, civil penalty payments for multiple campaign finance violations, and amended campaign finance reports.
Some of those scandals led a prominent Nashville Republican to call for Ogles’ resignation just months into his term, equating him to disgraced and now-
former New York Republican congressman George Santos.
When asked about these controversies, Ogles responded “My record stands for itself, and a biased reporting from a left-leaning journalist doesn’t make it true.”
Ogles was specifically referring to NewsChannel 5’s investigative reporter Phil Williams. When asked why he chose not to directly answer Williams’ questions –oftentimes staying silent and walking away from Williams – Ogles said “I’ve addressed those issues,” before ending the interview with The News.
Prior to the end of our interview with Ogles, we asked him about his Republican primary challenger, current District 26 Metro Nashville councilmember Courtney Johnston, who has called Ogles a “totally ineffective politician who’s getting nothing done” and “a do-nothing grandstander who just chases headlines.”
“I don’t think she can run on her record, because her Metro Council record speaks for itself, so the only thing she can do is call me names, and I’m totally going to ignore that,” Ogles said. “I’m not gonna call someone silly names on the playground.”
Johnston’s record has earned her endorsements from the Nashville Fire Fighters and Fire Service Employees Association IAFF Local 140 as well as local Fraternal Order of Police chapters in Nashville, Lebanon, and Williamson, Maury and Wilson counties. She’s also been endorsed by retiring state Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin).
Among Ogles’ endorsements are state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, state Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), Americans for Prosperity Action, and former President Donald Trump, the latter of which Johnston said doesn’t concern her in the congressional race.
“Our polling shows that less than 20 percent of Republican primary voters care about a Trump endorsement in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District,” Johnston told The News. “This election is about character, integrity and getting things done, and Andy has none of those things and doesn’t do any of those things. It’s about Tennessee; it’s about good representation.”
One thing that Ogles and Johnston agree on is that they both want Republicans representing the 5th Congressional District and the presidency, with Ogles saying “The Republicans have to win if you want a prosperous economy.”
Early voting in the primary runs from July 12-27. The winner of the Republican primary will face off against Democratic challenger and Nashville activist Maryam Abolfazli in November’s general election.
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Campaign finance disclosures show movement for state and county races
Shaundelle Brooks out-earns District 60 opponents;
Bob Freeman
lapping Democratic challenger
BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
As early voting begins, campaign financial disclosures for the second quarter are due for the candidates.
Federal disclosures are due on Monday but the state and county candidates had to turn theirs in this week. For the contested state races, at least, most candidates didn’t see too big of a change from their starting to ending balances but there are still numbers of note.
Currently, the most contested race in the state primary is for the House of Representative District 60 seat, formerly held by Democrat Darren Jernigan. The wealth is spread out among both the Republican and Democratic campaigns and local donors are showing up for their favored candidate.
Democrat Shaundelle Brooks is outearning her opponents on either side of the aisle, getting $52,865 in contributions this quarter. Her closest competition in the primary seems to be Tyler Brasher,
who brought in $41,430, while the third Democrat, John Parrish, has not yet filed a second quarter disclosure. Brooks also outspent Brasher $47,626 to $29,969, respectively. She’s also ending the quarter with $11,000 more in the bank than he has. Both have garnered donations from current and former Metro councilmembers as well as state representatives.
A third Democrat, John Parrish, has not yet filed a second quarter disclosure and announced on Sunday he would be pulling out of the race for personal reasons. He added in a statement on his campaign Facebook page that along with his withdrawal he would endorse Shaundelle Brooks.
On the Republican side, the financial competition doesn’t seem so stiff. Chad Bobo earned more than $34,000 in contributions while Christopher Huff brought in around $3,800. Huff also spent nearly all of that this quarter, ending with $806 in the bank. Bobo spent around
$18,572, leaving him with around $16,000 going into the next quarter.
The person with the largest change in fund balance this quarter is District 56 Rep. Bob Freeman, who faces challenger Nick Forster-Benson in the Democratic primary. He started the quarter with the second largest balance on hand already with $328,145.92 and ended the quarter with $386,777.28 in the bank. He’s also lapping his opponent by tens of thousands in contributions, earning more than $90,000 this quarter while Forster-Benson earned just over $1,000. Freeman is also outspending Forster-Benson.
At the end of the quarter, the person with the most money on hand is District 52 Rep. Justin Jones, who came in with a starting balance of more than $958,000, earned just over $8,000, spent around $34,000 and ended with still more than $932,000. While he’s in the negative for the quarter, he doesn’t seem to be in any
trouble. But, he doesn’t face a primary challenger. His likely potential Republican foe (as she’s the only one vying for the nomination), Laura Nelson, has also remained steady in her funding, though it’s hundreds of thousands below Jones with an ending balance this month at $8,139.47.
The county general election is all but decided in most races but the race for the Metro Nashville Public Schools District 1 is still hot. Republican Demytris SavageShort’s disclosure for the quarter shows she brought in $2,537, spent around $2,000 and still ended with nearly $2,500 on hand. Democrat Robert Taylor’s disclosure still was not available online as of 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 12. However, he had ended the first quarter well ahead of the Republican with $6,512 on hand.
MDHA offers path to homeownership through self-sufficiency program
Former resident says housing authority was a stepping stone to reach her goals, purchase her house
BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
Three years ago, in July 2021, Kiarra Smith closed on her first home, thanks to the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency’s Family Self Sufficiency program.
“We got to sign the papers that morning; it was just surreal. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, am I really going to be a homeowner?’ It was nice,” Smith said.
When an MDHA resident’s income increases, their rent typically increases based on that new income level. But once a resident signs a contract in the FSS program, when they accomplish a goal like getting a promotion or a new job that increases their income their rent price is locked in at the rate when they signed and the additional money that would have been charged to them for rent instead gets put into an escrow account.
“Having goals is another way that could help everybody because having goals is important. You don’t want to just be in there and you just get free money. You got to work for it,” Smith said.
That program has been around for more than 20 years and has seen 107 participants graduate and reach their goals.
For a few years, MDHA did not have funding for new enrollees, but doors reopened to the program in April 2023 after funds were expanded through the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development.
Now, one year after reopening applications, 83 people are enrolled in the program, with MDHA hoping to reach 100 residents enrolled by the end of the year. In the last five years, 3 people have started businesses and 12 graduates bought homes, including Smith.
“She’s one of my biggest success stories,”
Sonya Russell-Presley, a resident association coordinator, said. “I really enjoyed working with her because she definitely worked the program and got great results. So, I’m proud of her.”
Russell-Presley said she remembers Smith coming into the office and sharing right off the bat her determination to buy a house one day.
“It’s a mentality thing. You have to want to get away. You have to want more in your life,” Smith said. “There was a time in my life where I needed all the help from the government.”
She said that sometimes there’s a stigma attached to people who need public assistance and live in MDHA housing and that can deter those people from reaching out for more help.
Russell-Presley said, “We do have to speak to them sometimes like a counselor because a lot of them have gone through things like going through issues with their families or
having been through traumatic events.”
She added teaching financial literacy through the program helps because it’s often something they simply never had an opportunity to learn before.
“I feel like helping them is going to not only help themselves, but also help their families and stop a cycle,” she said. “We want to show you that light at the end of the tunnel once you come in here, whatever we can do to help you. Everybody’s different but we want to start at A and get you to Z.”
Russell-Presley said about half of the participants usually are working toward homeownership while others seek improving their credit or financial literacy and some also have educational goals like going back to school to earn a GED or associate’s degree.
She said all it takes to get involved in the Family Self Sufficiency program is to speak to someone in the MDHA office. They will ask what goals an individual has and then they will sign a contract with the office to work in the program for five years. That can be extended under certain circumstances, but the idea is to help people reach those goals within those five years.
Smith’s first goal was to get her associate’s degree. She accomplished that by receiving her degree in public health from Tennessee State University while working as a
pharmacy technician at CVS. Then, she decided to return to school for her bachelor’s degree. During that time, she was putting money in her escrow account. Seven years later, she had improved her credit and saved $11,000 that she could use towards closing costs on her own home.
“If you don’t have accountability, how are you going to be able to get the money that’s saved for you and go out into the world and use it properly?” Smith said. “MDHA is a stepping stone and it helped me get to where I am now. I think that everybody should use MDHA as a stepping stone and not as a crutch.”
With her same stepping stone mentality, Smith has continued to reach for higher goals and has been applying for jobs with the state department of health to be able to use her degree in public health.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
LOGAN BUTTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS NEWS REPORTER AND PHOTOJOURNALIST
NICOLLE S. PRAINO STAFF REPORTER
LISA BOLD PRODUCTION MANAGER
CHELON HASTY SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER
ELIZABETH JONES CORPORATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
TODD PATTON CFO
MIKE SMITH PRESIDENT AND CEO
BILL FREEMAN OWNER
Sonya Russell-Presley and Kiarra Smith at Kiarra’s new home PHOTO: MDHA
OPINION
TICKED OFF!
TRACTOR SUPPLY
How can we, as Tennesseans, be so f***ing stupid to allow Robby Starbuck, a California resident, in the same category as Alex Jones, both ultra far right wing conspiratist, racist, bigots, to tell a Tennessee company who they can and cannot hire. Idiots to the core of their being. And who are we to allow them to do it? Too many of these radio jock influencers have brainwashed their listeners/ followers to come into the cult.
Listen to your heart folks, not some ego maniac with an agenda of hate. Oh and by the way, Senator Hawley of Missouri just endorsed the Patriot Front, white supremacists that marched in Nashville last weekend, illegally too. Just sayin’
TRANSIT PLAN
The Mayor’s Transit plan passed its second of three readings which will allow the voter to vote it up or down in November. Those who passed this plan doesn’t ride the bus except occasionally for political purposes. Try riding WeGo from Nashville to LaVergne/ Smyrna (Route # 86). This bus only go there in the Am, and not periodically throughout the day. There is an Ascension Medical Center on Murfreesboro Road at Old Hickory Blvd., and there are people that works at the LaVergne Bridgestone/Firestone plant in LaVergne which the bus would save wear and tear on their vehicle not to mention avoid the traffic headache, as well as save money from the gas cost. Quite frankly this doesn’t make sense as these communities are now connected, and people, especially those without transportation have a need to go from one to the other. In Davidson county alone, there is no WeGo services in outer communities such as Goodlettsville, Lakewood, Pegram, and Caine Ridge. So we are expected to vote ourselves an additional half a cent tax for a program that sounds fancy, yet continue to provide inadequate services; I don’t think so. Therefore, we the people of Davidson county should LOUDLY SAY NO to this
Transit plan unless and until it provide services for the communities, and people who are most in need of public transportation. I won’t even go into the need for our streets to be paved throughout the county. You may have noticed that 8th Avenue between Church Street and Broadway the turning lane was recently paved yet the travel lanes are like driving through open graves in a cemetery. I wonder, Do someone in Metro government owns an Alignment company?
1400 HATE GROUPS
So according to the news Wednesday there are 1,400 hate groups in America. The latest one did a rally in Nashville this past week, fortunately it was peaceful and no one was physically hurt. One of the hate groups that really ring a bell is the one in Charlottesville VA. where the head goon of the MAGA movement said both of the groups were good people. Before you vote ask yourself if you really want a person in the head office who seems to convey the message that to hate the Jewish, Black, Gay, and anyone not of the white race community are good people.
It is very important that you vote in the upcoming presidents election, your voice should be heard, it is your duty as an American citizen. But search your soul and ask yourself if you really want a convicted felon running our country.
tRump is so two faced he can’t be trusted in any of his promises because we know how he has turned on his fellow republicans when they disagree with him only to turn around and praise them when their lip prints are on his behind. Take the fact that tRump saw to it that the Supreme Court Justices he appointed were bound and determined to cancel Roe v. Wade and now says it should be up to the states to make the rules they want about the issue. Example,,,, look what happened in TN.
VOTE BLUE !!!!
The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
THE JEWISH OBSERVER IS A NASHVILLE COMMUNITY MONTHLY.
The publication doesn’t appear to receive more letters to the editor than space permits to publish.
When a recent submission, in response to an Observer article titled “Music Industry Dinner Sparks ‘Challenging Conversation’” and conforming to the publication’s editorial policy guidelines, was not published I was curious as to why.
Editor Barbara Dab responded with an apology indicating that the emailed letter had apparently gone to her spam folder. That said, citing lack of familiarity with
Nashville’s music industry (of which I am a half-century-plus veteran), Ms. Dab indicated both she and the editorial board were confused about one of the references in my letter and requested clarification.
That clarification was provided and Ms. Dab emailed me: “Thanks for clarifying that one issue. I will send to the Editorial board for review.”
Another month went by, the letter was not published and a request for an “update” has not received a response.
Stacy Harris Publisher/Executive Editor
Report
State House candidate Lee Reeves running as ‘authentic conservative’ with governor’s endorsement
Former real estate attorney is facing off against Beathard, Foreman in District 65 race
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
District 65 state House candidate Lee Reeves is seeking his party’s nomination, pitching himself as an “authentic conservative” with the endorsement of Tennessee’s top Republican.
Reeves is facing off against fellow Republicans Brian Beathard and Michelle Foreman for the seat currently held by Rep. Sam Whitson, who is set to retire this year.
The Kentucky native and former real estate attorney describes himself as a “tough on crime” candidate who lists among his top issues keeping taxes low, roads and infrastructure, supporting school vouchers, and immigration.
“I am for school choice, and I have been from day one,” Reeves said at a July 10 forum. “As a conservative, I think competition is a good thing. I think it improves the product that’s delivered to the consumer, and I think it would improve the product delivered to our students as well.”
When asked by The News about the Williamson County School Board of Education and Franklin Special Schools Board each passing resolutions opposing the proposed voucher program, Reeves said that the stance of the board may change if the makeup of the board changes postelection, adding that he was “disappointed” when the proposal failed on the hill last legislative session.
Reeves said that if elected he would propose a bill targeting “illegal entry” into the state of Tennessee, which would criminalize being in Tennessee as an undocumented immigrant.
“We cannot enforce for the federal government what the federal government has not been enforcing, but we can enforce state law,” Reeves said, adding that the proposed legislation would be modeled after similar laws in Texas and Oklahoma where first offenses are misdemeanors and subsequent
violations could be felonies in an effort to “de-magnetize Tennessee” to migrants who are in the United States illegally.
Reeves said that he “unequivocally” supports the Second Amendment and believes that mental health should be a priority over gun reforms, expressing support for a “duty to report law in Tennessee that has teeth,” something he argues could have prevented last year’s Covenant School shooting, which killed three students and three adult staff members.
“The real problem are firearms in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them, like felons, those convicted of domestic violence, those who are subject to a restraining order,” Reeves said during a July 10 forum. “In other words, those people who have been afforded due process in a limited number of situations.”
Reeves said that “government overreach” during COVID-19, especially medical masks in schools, and last year’s “chaotic” Franklin municipal election were key moments in pushing him to run for office as a first-time political candidate.
Reeves believes that a qualified candidate should be invested in their community and broadly reflect the values and views of that community, qualifications he argues that he meets, noting his service on Franklin’s Board of Zoning Appeals and as past president of the Franklin Lions Club.
Reeves’ wife, Claire, is also the current Republican candidate for the Williamson
Ethics Board ends Joy Styles’ complaint saga
County School Board District 9.
Reeves touts endorsements from Americans For Prosperity Tennessee, Latinos for Tennessee and Gov. Bill Lee, who called Reeves a “principled man of character who will work in the General Assembly to champion limited government, individual liberty and school choice for Tennessee families.”
“We sat and talked about a number of issues, and not long after that, I came away with an endorsement from somebody that I think is a good Christian man who is interested in doing what he believes is the right thing for our state,” Reeves said.
“I respect the governor immensely, and I’m very happy to have his endorsement.”
Earlier this week, Reeves became the subject of an article by The Tennessee Conservative that alleged that the candidate “houses hundreds of illegal immigrants” in a Texas property he owns, allegations that Reeves called a “false” story” by a “blogger.”
“Backers of one of my opponents are playing political games with an over-thetop and deceptive attack in an attempt to manufacture an issue that does not exist,” Reeves said in a statement.
Reeves said that he’s confident that his relationships with the Williamson County Delegation can ensure that they can work well together, even as the legislature as a whole has appeared dysfunctional in recent years.
“I think I am where most of the people in District 65 are,” Reeves said.
Members confirm technical violation but decline sanctions for the Metro councilmember
BY ELI MOTYCKA
Metro’s Ethical Conduct Board unanimously confirmed that Councilmember Joy Styles violated the city ethics code, then unanimously voted against any punishment, during a procedurally complex meeting on Monday. Styles’ ethics saga stems from a complaint filed by John Griswold, a disgruntled real estate agent who was rebuffed by Styles when seeking her support for a property rezoning. Styles filed financial disclosures past the required deadline and did not report a property tied to her mother — both oversights that board members unanimously agreed were technical violations of Metro code. That vote, however, prompted four specific follow-up options: recommend the
council censure Styles, recommend Styles resign, refer the matter to District Attorney Glenn Funk, or refer the matter to Metro Legal. The board judged these options too severe and declined to pursue any of them. In a short hearing, Styles effectively argued that Griswold’s complaint was retaliatory and her bookkeeping errors were made in good faith. Including Styles, 16 councilmembers filed a financial disclosure late in 2024.
“I find that there’s a violation, but I don’t like what our options are for sanctions,” said board member John Spragens four hours into the meeting, eliciting agreement from colleagues.
Members, many of whom hold law degrees, discussed a legally compliant
outcome that was not overly punitive for Styles. They repeatedly consulted Metro Legal’s representative for help navigating a way to, in the words of another board member, “dispose of the matter.”
Board member Tinika Young compared Styles’ case, in which law compelled the board to act on a technical violation, with a previous case brought by Lydia Yousief — in which the board agreed on “troubling conduct” that didn’t constitute an ethics violation — as evidence of a flawed ethics system.
“I can’t imagine that Nashville taxpayers expect their board of ethical conduct to be constrained in this way,” Young told colleagues hours into the meeting. “I just want to say that I think it’s absurd.”
Young later brought up that the real estate interest wasn’t generating income for Styles, nor was it in Styles’ district, calling Griswold’s complaint an “abuse of the process.”
As members probed for a satisfying outcome, Metro Legal advised that the body simply proceed in good faith. The body held several failed votes on followup options, which included sanctioning Styles and recommending her resignation, effectively ending the monthslong saga brought by Griswold.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.
Republican State House District 65 candidate Lee Reeves
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATHEW MASTERS
State House candidate Michelle Foreman pitches hardline immigration action as top issue
District 65 candidate calls for ending public education for undocumented children, mass deportations
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Republican state House District 65 candidate Michelle Foreman
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Republican state House District 65 candidate Michelle Foreman is taking a hardline stance against illegal immigration, calling it a top legislative priority and what she sees as the biggest issue for voters she’s met on the campaign trail.
Foreman addressed the issue during Wednesday’s District 65 forum and elaborated on her views on Thursday morning when she spoke to about a dozen members of a conservative women’s group in a Brentwood living room, fielding questions before sitting down with The News.
“The women in this room are connected all over the county, and they hold a lot of weight,” Foreman said, calling the intimate opportunity “huge” for her campaign.
Foreman said that she believes that comprehensive federal immigration reform is needed, adding that she doesn’t support “any amnesty at all” and believes that mass deportations are needed with participation by the state government.
“Whether that’s back to their country of origin or back to the border, on the other side of it, either way, and the state needs to play a role in working with the federal government and getting that done,” Foreman said.
Part of her position includes her intent to see the state ban undocumented children from attending public schools, a proposal that would hinge on her hope of seeing the
1982 U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe overturned.
That decision ruled that “a state cannot prevent children of undocumented immigrants from attending public school unless a substantial state interest is involved.”
Foreman argues that the financial burden illegal immigration creates on Tennessee taxpayers would qualify as a “substantial state interest.” She also expects that a lengthy legal battle would ensue and make its way to U.S. Supreme Court, which is currently made up of a conservative majority.
“I think that’s an opportunity for illegal aliens to plan,” Foreman continued. “I don’t want anybody just ripped out of their home, I don’t want that, but it does give them an opportunity to plan accordingly.”
Foreman also advocates for making it a felony to knowingly provide housing to or employ an undocumented person, as well as strengthening E-Verify requirements.
When pressed about the harsh reality and logistics of mass deportations, Foreman argued that undocumented people would be free to travel to a state that would accept them, while also advocating for deportations at a national level.
“In 2024, it’s not as difficult to pick up and move as it was 100-plus years ago, so I really don’t see anything other than an inconvenience for an illegal alien if they want to stay [in the U.S.]”
During Wednesday’s forum, Foreman said that her criteria for determining whether or not to sponsor a bill would be based on the following items in the following order: “Is the bill ethical and moral? Is it constitutional? Is it necessary, and do the voters want it?”
When asked how barring public education for undocumented children is “ethical and moral,” Foreman said that undocumented children and their undocumented parents “still broke the law.”
“When you reach an age of understanding of what you’ve done, and that you know that you’re not here legally, you then cross that threshold, and you become aware that you have now broken the law, and whether that age is 12, 13, 14-Until then, it is the parents who have broken the law, and they are responsible for their children, so the responsibility needs to be accepted and taken,” Foreman said, calling it “unethical” and “immoral” for undocumented people to be in Tennessee to begin with.
Similar rhetoric has been present at the national level from former President Donald Trump and has sparked fears of hate crimes across the country.
When asked how concerned she is that
in Tennessee
her rhetoric could encourage extremist movements, such as when neo-Nazis marched through the streets of Nashville in February or when white nationalists marched through downtown again this month — both of which chanted anti-immigrant slogans — Foreman said that ignoring the extremist groups is the best choice.
“I think the best and most responsible thing we can do is ignore that,” Foreman said. “I think that’s intentionally inflammatory, and if we ignore it, and move on with serving communities, serving immigrants who are here legally and keeping the focus there, that’s the direction we need to go.”
On Feb. 21, The News asked U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty the same question after his trip to the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2022, Hagerty endorsed Foreman in the District 59 race.
OTHER ISSUES
Foreman is against school vouchers, in favor of allowing teachers to be armed, and thinks states should set their own abortion laws.
She added that while she believes that “life begins at conception,” the only exception she would support are pregnancies that endanger the life of the mother, such as an ectopic pregnancy. She does not support abortions in the case of rape or incest.
She argues that the “progressive Democrat” brought the current state of abortion on themselves by fighting for federal abortion protections, which led to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that protected the right to have an abortion until 2022.
“These are the unintended consequences,” Foreman said. “You brought the government in [to reproductive healthcare] then.”
In reality, state governments have been restricting abortions before Roe v. Wade ruling
Foreman lists “election integrity” among her top issues, and the pro-Second Amendment candidate is concerned about what she characterized as the potential weaponization of red-flag laws against lawful citizens.
“You’re not only running up against a constitutional right to carry a firearm, you’re running up against issues of safety for the individual, potentially having their firearm removed, and then not being able to protect themselves. So the question becomes, how do you balance all of this?” with Foreman adding that she believes that there is a lack of attention given to and, funding for, mental health care.
“At the root of the problem is not the firearm,” Foreman said. “It is the person
who’s carrying the firearm and the mental state that they are in.”
ENDORSEMENTS, THE COURTS AND THE CRITICS
Foreman, a registered nurse and licensed attorney since 2023, has been endorsed by local musician John Rich, District 61 state House Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), and Tennessee Stands.
Foreman is a Trump delegate who not only shares the former president’s view that he’s been the victim of a weaponized judiciary, but claims she’s also been targeted by the courts.
That claim stems from her numerous lawsuits, of which she has been both a defendant and a plaintiff, including a 2023 case where she was ordered to pay $100,000 in sanctions to former Metro Nashville Councilmember Dave Rosenberg, who she sued for alleged defamation and lost in court. Foreman lost to Rosenberg in the race for the District 35 metro council seat in 2019.
The Tennessee Lookout reported that a judge found that “Foreman’s actions constituted a strategic lawsuit against public participation, known as a SLAPP suit,” a lawsuit meant to intimidate or burden someone.
Foreman said she’s appealing the ruling and insists that she was the victim of a “hit job on me by a liberal politician, a liberal judge,” while denying that she has weaponized the courts against her critics.
Foreman also sued another of her former election challengers, current District 59 state House Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville), for what she argued were “libelous claims” about her in Hemmer’s 2022 election ads. Hemmer defeated Foreman in that election, and the lawsuit was later dismissed.
“I know the judiciary is weaponized against conservatives,” Foreman said. “I had it happen to me in Davidson County, and it was blatant. It was egregious.”
Foreman grew up in Williamson County and attended Brentwood Academy. She recently moved back into the district but insists that she didn’t move to District 65 in order to run for the office currently held by state Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin) who is retiring.
“I have always felt that I need to prepare myself for an office if it becomes available and there’s not a better candidate, then run for it, but I’m not seeking an office to run for; I’ve never been that way,” Foreman said.
TSWA names all-state track and field performers
STAFF REPORTS
Last week, the Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced the 2024 all-state teams for track and field.
Players from the Nashville area are listed below.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD
Class A
TRIPLE JUMP
Blake Allison, Harpeth, Sr.
HIGH JUMP
Elijah Groves, East Robertson, Sr. 1600 METERS
Jaden Hillis, Liberty Creek, Jr. Ryan Breitling, Merrol Hyde, So.
400 METERS
Julius Turnipseed, KIPP Nashville, Sr.
200 METERS
Julius Turnipseed, KIPP Nashville, Sr.
3200 METERS
Jaden Hillis, Liberty Creek, Jr.
Class AA
POLE VAULT
David Anderson, Station Camp, Sr.
HIGH JUMP
Zeke Rowland, Station Camp, Jr.
1600 METERS
Wyatt Boling, Martin Luther King, So.
400 METERS
Josh Sims, Pearl-Cohn, Jr.
200 METERS
Josh Sims, Pearl-Cohn, Jr.
3200 METERS
Caden Costello, Station Camp, So.
DECATHLON
Josh Sims, Pearl-Cohn, Jr.
Class AAA
POLE VAULT
Canon Kinder, Brentwood, Jr.
Tim Alexander, Stewarts Creek, Sr.
LONG JUMP
Sterling Weldon, Nolensville, Sr.
TRIPLE JUMP
Brandon Brooks, Nolensville, So.
Sterling Weldon, Nolensville, Sr.
HIGH JUMP
Donovan Starr, Ravenwood, Jr.
100 METERS
Donovan Starr, Ravenwood, Jr.
1600 METERS
Michael Eischen, Centennial, Jr.
400 METERS
Hudson Allain, Brentwood, Sr.
Jackson White, Brentwood, Sr.
200 METERS
Hudson Allain, Brentwood, Sr.
3200 METERS
Callahan Fielder, Brentwood, Jr.
Asher Oates, Independence, So.
DECATHLON
Canon Kinder, Brentwood, Jr.
John Bass, Ravenwood, Sr.
Division I-A
POLE VAULT
Jack Grizzle, Harding Academy, Sr. Drake Lankford, Franklin Road Academy, Sr.
LONG JUMP
Miller Mabury, Battle Ground Academy, Jr.
TRIPLE JUMP
Griffin Cooper, Columbia Academy, Sr.
HIGH JUMP
Griffin Cooper, Columbia Academy, Sr. Tra-Mychal Lewis, Nashville Christian
SHOT PUT
Bobby Council, Franklin Road Academy, Sr. Glenn Seabrooks, Davidson Academy, Sr.
110-METER HURDLES
Miller Mabury, Battle Ground Academy, Jr.
100 METERS
Jonathan Wilson, Franklin Road Academy, Sr. Kayden Richardson, Franklin Road Academy, Sr.
1600 METERS
CJ Barr, Columbia Academy, Jr. Jack Fruin, University School of Nashville, Fr.
400 METERS
Miller Mabury, Battle Ground Academy, Jr. Braun Moore, University School of Nashville, So.
300-METER HURDLES
Charlie Speed, Franklin Road Academy, So.
800 METERS
William Adkins, Harding Academy, Sr. Damon Petty, Franklin Road Academy, Jr.
200 METERS
Jonathan Wilson, Franklin Road Academy, Sr. Kayden Richardson, Franklin Road Academy, Sr.
3200 METERS
Ty Withrow, Columbia Academy, So.
DECATHLON
Miller Mabury, Battle Ground Academy, Jr. Griffin Frankfather, Franklin Road Academy, Sr.
William Adkins, Harding Academy, Sr.
Division II-AA POLE VAULT
Jack Perry, Montgomery Bell Academy, Sr.
Henry Ambrose, Montgomery Bell Academy, So.
LONG JUMP
Kamarion Ward, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
HIGH JUMP
Jack West, Brentwood Academy, Sr. Peter Darst, Ensworth School, Sr.
110-METER HURDLES
Charlie Becker, Father Ryan, Sr. Jack Perry, Montgomery Bell Academy, Sr.
100 METERS
Kolbe Harmon, Brentwood Academy, Jr. Ryan Jones, Father Ryan, Jr.
1600 METERS
Carter Johnson, Brentwood Academy, Sr.
400 METERS
Ryan Jones, Father Ryan, Jr.
200 METERS
Ryan Jones, Father Ryan, Jr.
DECATHLON
Warner Papillion, Lipscomb Academy, Jr.
Jack Perry, Montgomery Bell Academy, Sr.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
Class A
LONG JUMP
Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, Jr.
TRIPLE JUMP
Averyuna Beckley, East Nashville, Sr. Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, Jr.
HIGH JUMP
Amiaya Shute, East Nashville, Sr.
100-METER HURDLES
Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, Jr.
1600 METERS
Sydney Tackett, Liberty Creek, Jr.
800 METERS
Kinley Holl, Liberty Creek, Jr.
3200 METERS
Sydney Tackett, Liberty Creek, Jr.
PENTATHLON
Aziaah Shute, East Nashville, Jr.
Class AA
POLE VAULT
Allie Shingleton, Station Camp, Sr.
TRIPLE JUMP
Charlotte Freewalt, Station Camp, Jr. Amaya Warren, Central Magnet, Sr.
SHOT PUT
Carolyn McRee, Maplewood, Sr.
DISCUS
LaNaya Robert, Martin Luther King, Sr. Beyonce Lovelace Coleman, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Brentwood Academy’s Kolbe Harmon PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
100-METER HURDLES
Amya Joy, Martin Luther King, Sr.
100 METERS
Aaliyah Varnado, Martin Luther King, So. Emrie Springs, Station Camp, Sr. Gabby Hoskins, Hume-Fogg Academic, Sr.
1600 METERS
Brynn Baltershot, Station Camp, So.
400 METERS
Chyna Harris-Rucker, Pearl-Cohn, So.
200 METERS
Aaliyah Varnado, Martin Luther King, So. Emrie Springs, Station Camp, Sr. Gabby Hoskins, Hume-Fogg Academic, Sr.
3200 METERS
Brynn Baltershot, Station Camp, So. Kyrian Sychareune, Hume-Fogg Academic, So.
PENTATHLON
Amya Joy, Martin Luther King, Sr.
Class AAA POLE VAULT
Ella Cleveland, Green Hill, Jr.
LONG JUMP
Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, So.
TRIPLE JUMP
Ryan Moore, Centennial, Jr.
HIGH JUMP
Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, So.
SHOT PUT
Toju Williams, Rockvale, So.
DISCUS
Toju Williams, Rockvale, So.
100-METER HURDLES
Sophie Yount, Brentwood, Jr.
Aiyah Siggers, Green Hill, Sr.
100 METERS
Kymora-Lee Williams, John Overton, Jr.
1600 METERS
Claire Stegall, Nolensville, Jr.
400 METERS
Camryn Merryman, Stewarts Creek, Jr.
300-METER HURDLES
Abby Miller, Brentwood, Sr. Kassidy Davis, White Station, Jr.
800 METERS
Claire Stegall, Nolensville, Jr.
200 METERS
Kymora-Lee Williams, John Overton, Jr.
SPORTS
3200 METERS
Lydia Cromwell, Brentwood, Jr.
Nigella Smith, Page, Fr. Leila Hailey, Rockvale, So.
PENTATHLON
Daisy Oatsvall, Brentwood, So.
Abby Miller, Brentwood, Sr.
Division II-A POLE VAULT
Eleanor Douglas, Franklin Road Academy, Jr.
LONG JUMP
Laurel Phelps, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
Brynne Miller, Harding Academy, Fr.
TRIPLE JUMP
Kori Robinson, Davidson Academy, Sr.
Laurel Phelps, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
HIGH JUMP
Kori Robinson, Davidson Academy, Sr.
SHOT PUT
Cai’ra Simmons, Davidson Academy, So.
Erica McGary, Harding Academy, Jr.
DISCUS
Erica McGary, Harding Academy, Jr.
Cai’ra Simmons, Davidson Academy, So.
100 METERS
Alima Kassim, University School of Nashville, Sr.
McKenzie Locke, Franklin Road Academy, Jr.
1600 METERS
Presley Miller, Columbia Academy, Jr. Liv O’Hara, University School of Nashville, Jr.
400 METERS
McKenzie Locke, Franklin Road Academy, Jr.
Laurel Phelps, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
800 METERS
Presley Miller, Columbia Academy, Jr.
200 METERS
Alima Kassim, University School of Nashville, Sr.
McKenzie Locke, Franklin Road Academy, Jr.
3200 METERS
Liv O’Hara, University School of Nashville, Jr.
Madeleine Wiseman, University School of Nashville, Fr.
PENTATHLON
Laurel Phelps, Battle Ground Academy, Sr.
Charlotte Gunnels, Franklin Road Academy, Jr.
Division II-AA POLE VAULT
Emerson Simpson, Brentwood Academy, Sr. Nola Ingram, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Jr.
LONG JUMP
Caroline Perri, Father Ryan, So. Sullivan Brown, Ensworth School, Sr.
TRIPLE JUMP
Sullivan Brown, Ensworth School, Sr. Sarah Reynolds, Harpeth Hall, Sr.
HIGH JUMP Halli Olivo, Christ Presbyterian Academy, So. Caroline Watts, Ensworth School, Fr. Evie Wilson, Brentwood Academy, Fr.
SHOT PUT
Olivia Hughes, Brentwood Academy, Sr. Clara Visser, Lipscomb Academy, Jr. Ava Krumwiede, Harpeth Hall, So.
DISCUS
Tessel Visser, Lipscomb Academy, Jr.
100-METER HURDLES
Cassie Callis, Lipscomb Academy, Jr.
Halli Olivo,
Christ Presbyterian Academy, So.
Sarah Reynolds, Harpeth Hall, Sr.
100 METERS
Lauren Wynn, Harpeth Hall, Jr.
Caroline Perri, Lipscomb Academy, So.
1600 METERS
Maggie Slattery, Father Ryan, So.
400 METERS
Taylin Segree, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
300-METER HURDLES
Halli Olivo, Christ Presbyterian Academy, So.
200 METERS
Taylin Segree, Lipscomb Academy, Sr.
PENTATHLON
Cassie Callis, Lipscomb Academy, Jr.
Olivia Hughes, Brentwood Academy, Sr. Halli Olivo, Christ Presbyterian Academy, So.
Overton’s Kymora-Lee Williams PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
Nolensville’s Claire Stegall PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
Brentwood’s Hudson Allain
PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
Titans sign Pro Bowl safety with recent injury history
Jamal Adams brings talent, experience, but has played
10
games over past two years
BY JOHN GLENNON
The Titans have added plenty of NFL experience at a position of need.
Just how healthy veteran safety Jamal Adams is remains to be seen.
Tennessee signed Adams on Thursday, reuniting him with Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who Adams played for from 2017 through 2020 with the New York Jets. It’s a one-year deal, per ESPN.
The 29-year-old Adams, the number six overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, earned Pro Bowl honors from 2018-2020 and was named All-Pro in 2019. A seven-year vet, Adams has totaled 494 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hits, four interceptions and 36 passes defensed in his career.
If healthy, Adams will boost a safety group that has little experience beyond
Amani Hooker and Elijah Molden. Other safeties on the roster include Mike Brown, Matthew Jackson and Shyheim Carter.
But staying healthy has been a significant issue in recent years for Adams, who’s played in 34 games and missed 33 over the past four seasons.
In 2022, Adams suffered a season-ending torn quad in the Seahawks’ opener against
Denver, limiting him to just one game.
In 2023, a concussion and knee injury limited him to nine games, meaning he’s played a combined 10 contests over the last two years. Adams didn’t suit up for the final four games of Seattle’s 2023 season.
Pro Football Focus gave Adams a 54.9 overall grade last season, 52.8 against the run and 50.7 in coverage. He surrendered 28 completions on 34 targets for 292 yards (10.4-yard average) and two touchdowns, allowing a quarterback rating of 122.1.
Adams has extensive experience at free safety, box safety and the slot. In 2023, he played 208 snaps in the box, 183 in the slot and 85 at free safety.
Adams was reportedly fined $50,000 by the league last season for verbal remarks and inappropriate physical contact with an independent concussion doctor following Seattle’s loss to Cincinnati in Week 6. He’d previously apologized for an interaction with an independent concussion doctor in Week 4.
The Titans last season finished 18th in passing yards allowed, 18th in third-down conversions allowed and 31st in turnovers created.
Wilson has promised a more aggressive approach to pass coverage in 2024.
Tennessee traded longtime starting free safety Kevin Byard in October of 2023. This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Samaritan Recovery capitalizes on joint venture, drug funding
Longstanding local addiction treatment center doubles capacity, leads Metro opioid abatement pilot program
BY HANNAH HERNER
This year marks the 60th anniversary for Samaritan Recovery Community, one of the state’s oldest addiction treatment centers. The organization celebrated by opening a new building, nearly tripling its size, and more than doubling its inpatient bed capacity.
It got to a point that the demand for addiction services in the area was so great, the facility could not reach people in a timely manner, executive director Mark Lasko told The News sister publication the Nashville Post
“We knew that our waiting list had grown to the point that we could no longer respond quickly to people,” he said. “We partnered with a lot of other local agencies that are extremely well run and do great work here in Davidson County, and that worked for a while, but then everyone developed a waiting list.”
One card Samaritan Recovery had yet to play was its valuable 4.5-acre property located at the northwest corner of the intersection of South Fifth Street and Shelby
Avenue — the same location on which the facility has sat since 1964.
The Samaritan Recovery board members decided they could leverage the land and form a joint venture with Holladay Ventures, which will also include an affordable housing structure managed by Evergreen Real Estate, Shelby House. The two entities paid $4.15 million for the site in 2021. The end result will be 484 affordable apartments, 198 of which are set to see construction completed in the fall. Work on the remainder will
begin in the fall, once Samaritan Recovery’s original buildings are razed.
Samaritan Recovery grew from 56 to 126 inpatient beds and 20,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet with the new building. It offers social and clinical detox services as well as inpatient treatment, including medication-assisted treatment (partnering with prescriber Vanderbilt University Medical Center). With the move, the organization extended transitional care offerings from 90 days to one
Titans defenders celebrate a sack against the Carolina Panthers, Nov. 26, 2023. PHOTO: TENNESSEE TITANS
year, with some patients to be able to live in the onsite Shelby House following treatment.
In 2023, 82 percent of Samaritan Recovery’s clients had no insurance, and
Historic building in Chestnut Hill sells for $3.5M
BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Located at 1230 Second Ave. S. in Chestnut Hill a few blocks east of Wedgewood-Houston, the three-story Second Empire-style house was completed in 1869. In 1998 it won a Metro Historical Commission (MHC) preservation award.
According to a Davidson County Register of Deeds document, the new owner is an LLC affiliated with Nashville-based political campaign consulting and lobbying firm BHA Strategy. That company operates at 611 Commerce St. (in the office portion of the Renaissance Hotel tower) and was founded by former top aides to Gov. Bill Lee.
A BHA official told the Post the company plans to relocated to the Chestnut Hill building.
The seller was an LLC affiliated with New York-based Ari Sason, with that entity having paid $2.75 million for the property in 2019. The Post was unable to determine details about Sason.
Sitting on 0.34 acres, the building seemingly houses a law firm led by John Higgins.
The building was once the home of thenNashville Mayor Morton B. Howell and his family, according to the MHC. Howell served as mayor in 1875-76.
The Post was unable to determine if brokers were involved in the transaction.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
the remaining were enrolled in Medicaid. With plenty of space, including a floor with 30 beds and a direct elevator, Samaritan Recovery was ripe to put some opioid
abatement funds to use.
The organization was recently awarded a $1.6 million grant from the Metro Public Health Department to administer a 15-month pilot respite care program. As part of that effort, Samaritan will house people for three to five days while figuring out next steps, which can include Samaritan’s program. Patients desiring treatment will be transported directly from emergency rooms, and in some cases, referred through the criminal justice system.
The organization also recently received a smaller grant amount that will allow for 24-hour nursing care, to allow admittance to treatment outside of business hours. Both additions are part of an effort to strike while the iron is hot, Lasko said.
“This happens all the time,” he said. “When someone makes a decision, ‘I want to help,’ you have to be there to help them then. Tomorrow, they have come up with new excuses. Maybe they don’t want treatment anymore.”
Lasko said he is still learning the effects of the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, and with the U.S. border more closely monitored during that
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Second Harvest adds COO Local
time, fewer drugs came in than otherwise, he said. People started turning to the medicine cabinets, he said. The organization knew it needed to expand, but the pandemic pushed the timing.
“COVID really hurt people who were on the cusp of, ‘Is what I’m doing recreationally going to turn into a problem?” he said. “A lot of people that drank or smoked or did illicit substances, but it wasn’t a problem for them, they could function. Then suddenly, wow, I’ve got to do something to make myself feel better.”
The sense of urgency also comes from the fact fentanyl is so deadly, he said.
“We’re going to beat the opioid epidemic but someone somewhere, an amateur chemist, is going to come up with something that is the next fentanyl or the next xylazine. That part hasn’t changed. That always happens in substance abuse treatment. Someone comes up with the next big thing that people scramble to figure out. How do we treat this? The big difference here is just that fentanyl is so deadly.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
nonprofit taps ex-Sysco Foods official for role, also welcomes controller, VP STAFF REPORTS
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has announced the addition of a chief operating office, a controller and a vice president of social enterprise and supply chain solutions.
According to a release, Troy Edwards has
joined the nonprofit as COO. He replaces Kim Molnar, who worked at Second Harvest for 17 years and focused on the organization’s Project Preserve social enterprise, introducing fresh produce and culturally relevant foods to the food bank’s offerings.
Edwards has served on the Second Harvest board since 2018. He joins the nonprofit from FreshPoint, a division of Sysco Foods, where he served as vice president of merchandising and revenue management. Edwards brings more than 19 years of experience in leadership roles including sourcing, operations management, facility design and construction. He received his Master of Business Administration degree in finance from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Florida State University.
Taryn Anderson joins Second Harvest as controller, overseeing financials for the food bank. Previously, Anderson served as chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Sandbox Entertainment Group. Anderson is a former president of Junior League of Nashville, an ex-president and treasurer of Nashville Film Festival, and a member of Leadership Nashville, Class of 2022. She received her bachelor’s
degree in administration-finance from the University of St. Thomas, a Juris Doctorate degree from Nashville School of Law and a master’s degree in accounting from Belmont University.
Marty Bauwens is filling the newly created VP role after previously having spent 28 years with McDonald’s Corp. There, he most recently served as senior director of U.S. field and supply chain solutions, managing packaging logistics, distribution, equipment and promotional categories for 14,000 U.S. restaurants. Bauwens earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Augustana College.
“Each of these new team members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Second Harvest President and CEO Nancy Keil said in the release. “Beyond their impressive backgrounds, they embody the Second Harvest spirit of giving back to the community and have the passion to help us continue our mission of ending hunger in Middle and West Tennessee.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Troy Edwards PHOTO: SECOND HARVEST
Mark Lasko, executive director of Samaritan Recovery Community PHOTO: SAMARITAN RECOVERY COMMUNITY
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Obituary: Geary L. Leathers
Geary L. Leathers, 69, of Nashville, TN, died July 12, 2024, surrounded by family at Alive Hospice Nashville after a brief illness.
Geary was born March 30, 1955, in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and raised in Florence, Ala., where he graduated from Bradshaw High School in 1973 and attended his 50th class reunion last year. In 1978, he graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., where he competed on its track and cross-country teams.
He commenced his military career as a general manager for U.S. Army Officer’s Clubs in Germany and Colorado. After leaving the military with the rank of Captain in 1984, he launched an impressive career spanning nearly 40 years in corporate golf club management companies across the U.S. and abroad. During his tenure with American Golf Corporation, Geary helped guide the company’s expansion into the Southeast, including successfully negotiating a lease deal with the City of Atlanta to assume management of five municipal courses in the city.
While living in England for six years as managing director of American GolfUnited Kingdom, he grew the company’s portfolio of public and private clubs from five to 29 in England and Australia. After moving to Nashville in 2015, he served as GM/COO for Richland Country Club and as an industry consultant through his own firms, Trademark Golf Management LLC and Caliber Management and Concierge LLC. After retiring from the golf industry, he served in management at the UPS distribution center in Nashville.
A man of Christian faith, Geary’s warm, affable and hospitable personality endeared him to friends, clients, and colleagues over his wide range of social and professional activities. He will be missed.
His father, Willie L. Leathers, preceded him in death. He is survived by his mother, Margie McKinney Leathers of Nashville; the love of his life, Morel Enoch of Nashville; children, Bradley H. Leathers of Easley, S.C. and Abby Leathers Lambertson (Andrew) of Lawrenceville, Ga.; brother, Larry L. Leathers (Susan) of St. Louis, Mo.; sister, Linda Leathers Tullock (Gary) of Nashville; nephews, Martin T. Leathers (Hannah) of St. Louis and Thomas C. Leathers of Salt Lake City, Utah; and his great aunt, Liz McKinney Newcomb of Corinth, Miss. He also leaves many cousins and friends.
A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, at Nashville First Baptist, 108 7th Ave. South. Visitation at 10 a.m., with the service to follow at 11 a.m. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall. A private burial is scheduled at Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, Pegram. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Geary’s memory to the charity of your choice.
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Nashville music initiatives release data
Preliminary findings from the Greater Nashville Music Census and the full report from the Nashville Independent Venues Study are now available
BY STEPHEN TRAGESER
Two initiatives focused on Nashville’s ecosystem of music communities have released data on their efforts this week.
Between March 1 and April 1, the Greater Nashville Music Census collected responses from individuals involved in myriad aspects of the music industry. The census program was developed by Austin, Texas, consultancy firm Sound Music Cities and has been conducted in an array of communities nationwide, including New Orleans, Minneapolis and Chattanooga.
In preliminary findings released from the Nashville census, Music City leads
participating municipalities in several categories, including the number of events per venue in a given year and the average amount of income respondents receive from music. In addition, the Nashville study set a new record for the number of respondents with 4,265. Organizers also shared respondents’ top concern: parking.
“From incredibly expensive private lots and garages to new street parking policies that actively work against musicians, venues and fans, participants voiced their concerns loud and clear,” Music Venue Alliance Nashville’s Chris Cobb told The
Geary L. Leathers PHOTO: SUBMITTED
Tennessean’s Audrey Gibbs.
There will be a special event in early September to mark the release of the census’s findings in full, which will then be housed in a public data dashboard. Several other events around the city are also in the works, billed as a community engagement “tour.”
In 2021, in an effort spearheaded by then-councilmember Jeff Syracuse, the Metro Council adopted a resolution to commission a study of Nashville’s independent music venues. Throughout 2023, VibeLab, The Culture Shift Team and the University of Pennsylvania’s PennPraxis carried out the Nashville Independent Venues Study, which released its full report this week.
“By blending data analysis with community consultation, we detail the challenges venues face — things like real estate pressure, costs, and corporatization in the events industry,” PennPraxis’ Michael Fichman says in a release. “We have developed a set of targeted recommendations for Metro government, communities and civic organizations to help them protect and foster small, independent and communityfocused music spaces.”
The release (which refers to independent music venues throughout as “IMVs”) notes that the report identifies a broad range of potential actions that the Metro government could take to help sustain independent venues, both on its own and in partnership
with private entities. Key findings included an eye-popping measurement of venue density: Relative to our size, we have a greater concentration of music venues than New York City or Tokyo. Our independent music venues also tend to be located farther from downtown than music venues that are not independently owned or operated — which isn’t all bad, since they’re closer to various communities — but independent venues also tend to be on property with lower average assessed value, which makes it tougher to stay ahead of rising real estate prices.
FIVE MAIN THEMES EMERGED IN THE RESEARCH:
Support live music through civic leadership and a “whole of government” approach. With Metro’s Office of Nightlife as a central actor, coordinate Metro government offices with one another and with a “music coalition” of dedicated civic leaders. Bolster government capacity, strategy, and data practices to more effectively support IMVs.
Use policy, regulatory and development tools to support venues: Launch an independent music venue land trust and legacy business program, and use land-use regulations to create more space for music venues.
Reduce challenges and costs of starting and operating new venues. Foster the next generation of IMV operators, initiate space “matchmaking” between prospective
Dollar General to pay $12M to settle OSHA violations
Goodlettsville retailer will implement safety measures as part of latest agreement with labor department STAFF REPORTS
Dollar General Corp. and the U.S. Department of Labor have reached a $12 million penalty settlement agreement related to the retailer’s federal workplace safety violations.
In a release, the labor department said the violations included allegations of “blocked exits, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels, and improper material storage.”
Dollar General must correct the hazards within 48 hours and submit proof of the corrections. Failure to do so could result in the Goodlettsville-based retailer being fined $100,000 per day (and up to $500,000) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection and enforcement actions.
As part of the agreement, and according to the release, Dollar General will institute corporate-wide changes focused on significantly reducing inventory and increasing stocking efficiency to prevent blocked exits and unsafe material storage; providing safety and health training to both leadership and non-managerial employees; and developing a safety and health committee and encouraging employee participation.
Since 2017, Dollar General has been fined
operators and real estate partners, provide financial support for venues, and simplify permitting processes.
Make urban mobility work for live music venues, workers and patrons: Improve urban mobility options, and pilot projects and experiments to benefit venues.
Extend music-related investments to more genres and more neighborhoods through events, marketing, funding and policy investment in IMV-rich areas outside downtown. Prioritize independent operators in Metro spaces and events.
Census organizers have said their effort was intended to complement the Independent Venues Study. Even without the complete information from the census, it’s clear that both projects agree that mobility and transportation — a central theme for Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration — play a big role. In a couple of months, we’ll see what the census has to say about
topics like the impact of real estate and other economic pressures on music communities. Then it’ll be up to Metro to decide how to act on the recommendations.
“The [Nashville Independent Venues Study] features some fantastic data that confirms the crisis our independent venues continue to face, while highlighting the vital role we play within the Nashville music ecosystem, and city as a whole,” reads a statement from MVAN. “It also features a menu of recommendations, from bold to simple, that we are excited to explore with partners at both the public and private level. Once combined with the Greater Nashville Music Census and the Chamber’s Music Industry Report, we will be equipped with all the necessary tools to address this crisis head on as a city, industry and community.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.
Rotary Club of Nashville announces board
The Rotary Club of Nashville has announced its board officers and directors for the 2024-25 term, with Alfred Degrafinreid II, president and CEO of Leadership Tennessee, to serve as president.
In addition, and according to a release, Ken Youngstead, a member at Kraft CPAs, is serving as vice president and 2025 president-elect.
The new term began July 1.
more than $21 million related to what OSHA has charged were obstructed exits and cluttered aisles, CNBC reports.
“This agreement commits Dollar General to making worker safety a priority by implementing significant and systematic changes in its operations to improve accountability and compliance, and it gives Dollar General employees essential input on ensuring their own health and safety,” Douglas Parker, assistant secretary for occupational safety and health for the labor department, said in the release.
Dollar General told The Associated Press the company is “pleased” to have reached the agreement with OSHA. “We remain committed to ensuring a safe working environment for our employees and a pleasant shopping experience for our customers.”
Shares of Dollar General (ticker: DG) were priced at $134.21, up $2.62 (1.99 percent), in mid-afternoon trading. The shares, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, started the year trading at $140.43.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
“I’m thrilled to work alongside some of the most dynamic leaders in Middle Tennessee and across the state through the beloved Rotary Club of Nashville,”Degrafinreid said in the release. “It is an honor to serve as the president of one of the largest and most impactful Rotary Clubs in the world, and we’re eager to launch a new year of community service with our nonprofit partners.”
ROTARY CLUB OF NASHVILLE 2024-25 BOARD OFFICERS
AND DIRECTORS
President – Alfred Degrafinreid II, Leadership Tennessee VP/President-elect – Ken Youngstead, KraftCPAs PLLC
Treasurer – Michell Bosch, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Sergeant-at-Arms – Jennifer Brantley, MP&F Strategic Communications Finance Committee Chair –Tammy Boehms, Tammy Boehms, CPA
Immediate Past President – Joanne Pulles, HCA Healthcare
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Jacky Akbari, Worthington Advisory
Sunny Bray, Catalyst Collective David Fox, Retired Leisa Gill, LBMC
Kristine LaLonde, Independent Consultant
Lydia Lenker, McNeely Brockman Public Relations
Wanda Lyle, Retired
Lee Molette, Frank Stanton Developers
Tim Ozgener, OZ Arts Nashville & Ozgener Family Cigars
Joyce Searcy, Belmont University
Clark Spoden, Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC
Charles Sueing, Sueing Insurance Agency
Rachel Fleischer, Rotaract of Nashville President, Hermitage Design Center
The Rotary Club of Nashville offer a membership of more than 450 business, civic and community leaders, billing itself as the largest civic club in Tennessee and among the largest Rotary Clubs worldwide.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Alfred Degrafinreid II
PHOTO:LEADERSHIP TENNESSEE
Lady Peas with Feta and Tomatoes
BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE
An “easy-peasy” summer salad best eaten room temperature or cold and with fresh garden cherry tomatoes and parsley.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups lady peas, or other field peas
4 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, chives or basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fruity balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1. Cook the lady peas in boiling water 15 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Combine peas with feta cheese, cherr y tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper.
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 Pop corn?
8 Home planet of a classic TV alien
11 ___ Ren of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
15 Brainstormer’s graphic
16 Stooge with the catchphrase “Oh, a wise guy, eh?”
17 Lighting tubeful
18 Cranky
19 Balderdash
21 Pop quizzes?
23 “Yesterday, I ___ a clock. It was very time-consuming!” (example of a 1-Across)
25 Set upon en masse
26 Edge of a path
27 Planning to, informally
30 The U.S. is its southernmost member
32 Appreciated, as a joke
33 Nonfiction films with an editorial viewpoint, in a New York Times series
35 Attending to pressing matters?
39 Pop song?
42 Minor bump against another car
44 Long Islander of literature
48 Old French coin
49 Small scratch
52 “___ et Blanche” (Man Ray’s study in contrast)
53 Misbehaves
57 LX ÷ XX
59 There and back, perhaps
60 Pop wisdom?
64 How contest winners might be chosen
DOWN
1 Cr udité go-with
2 Drink suffix
3 One side of a pool
4 Island on which the Dutch introduced coffee in the 1600s
5 Elide
6 Casey of radio countdowns
7 “Sleepless in Seattle” director
8 All: Prefix
9 Demos for democracy, e.g.
10 Distance r unning powerhouse
11 They’re often held in the fetal position
12 Symbol on the Nikkei 225
13 Subject of a worried pet owner’s posting
14 Quick tennis outing
20 Pen
22 Jazz grp.
23 Opposite of hence
24 Garnish (with)
65 Opening
68 More than theoretical
69 “I won’t list them all”: Abbr
70 Obstacle to change
71 Poem about pastoral life
72 Major employer in Mar yland whose employee count is classified, for short
73 Pop art?
28 Rule for a screen-free household
29 Back issue
31 Up to, informally
34 Mind a baby, maybe
36 [!!!]
37 Tandoor-baked bread
38 A fan of
40 Some improvised ball fields
41 Big name in nail polish
42 Found
43 Spot for a pile of finished wor k
45 One of two in “business suits”
46 One might be unfastened to feed a baby
47 Informal agreement
48 Wild trip?
50 Snoopy group, for short
51 Children’s TV, informally
54 Cer tainly will
55 Newspaper editor Bradlee
56 Elizabeth with millions of made-up customers
58 Divorcée in 1990s New York tabloids
61 Place for swimming lessons, in brief
62 On the rocks
63 Supermodel Delevingne
66 Prefix with gender
67 Thanksgiving ser vingw
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.
ANSWER TO PUZZLE
PUZZLE BY SIMEON SEIGEL
SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
SOCIAL
Arcade Arts Nashville launches new studios
PHOTOS: PROVIDED
Arcade Arts Nashville, an organization whose goal is to create and sustain a wellsupported home for the visual arts in the heart of downtown Nashville, launched last week with a special gallery show at its location in the historic Nashville institution, The Arcade.
More than 250 guests, including Mayor Freddie O’Connell, came to the celebration at the new arts center, located on the top floor of the newly renovated Nashville Arcade at 223 4th Avenue North between 4th and 5th Avenues, Arcade Arts. The guests toured the studio spaces for Arcade Arts Nashville’s Artists in Residence, where visitors can engage with artists actively creating their work in a variety of media, an exhibition space for artists to display their work, and frequent curated art programs. Local galleries displayed their art and will continue to do so every Friday and Saturday from 1:00-6:00pm through August, and on Art Crawl Saturdays, July 6 and August 3, from 6:00-9:00pm.
Arcade Arts announced a call for artists, open through August 5, which will conclude with a juried selection panel. Selected artists will be in residence for six months at the Arcade Arts studios, beginning in October 2024. In addition to offering free rent for the studio space, Arcade Arts will organize and promote curated art events including workshops and exhibitions, artist talks, a monthly Art Crawl, curated gallery shows of participating artists, and other programming
that engages and fosters a robust arts scene while creating a diverse community of emerging and established artists who support and champion one another.
Executive Director Mollye Brown announced the open call at the recent Art Between the Avenues launch event at the studios. “Our mission at Arcade Arts is to build and create a long-term home for the visual arts here in the Arcade,” she stated.
“This is a home for artist studios, a home for artistic and educational programming that will engage all of us in the visual arts. Through our Artist in Residence Program, these fabulous spaces will become a collection of 10 working artist studios. Here we will create a diverse community of emerging and established artists who will support and champion one another.”
Galleries participating are CE Gallery, Chauvet Arts, COOP Gallery, curated by Evan Roosevelt Brown, Electric Shed, Elephant Gallery, Forge, Gallerie Tangerine, Random Sample, Red Arrow Gallery, Tinney Contemporary, the TSU Hiram Van Gordon Gallery.
Arcade Arts Nashville was founded from a desire to create and participate in meaningful collaborations that contribute to the elevation of the visual arts in Nashville, and to provide an affordable, safe, sustainable, and cooperative working environment for working artists.
Nina Covington and Frist Art Museum Chief Curator Mark Scala enjoy an art piece at Galerie Tangerine.
Arcade developer Mark Chen, Arcade Arts board chair Crissy Cassetty, Arcade Arts executive director Mollye Brown and Mayor Freddie O’Connell enjoy the opening.
Developers of the Arcade: Walker Mathews, Cole Waller, Mark Chen, Laura Jerrell, and Mark Jerrell
Artists and supporters Omari Booker, Samuel Dunson, Paul Polycarpou, and James Threalmkill
Five free and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee
BY AMANDA HAGGARD
It almost feels wrong that just one event on this week’s list will take you inside. The Frist Arts Fest can keep you and the kiddos inside almost all day Sunday. If you
the little ones run at Arrington while bands play some bluegrass or jazz on the hill. Or you can get the full jazz experience at the ever-impressive and always family friendly
TALES AT TWILIGHT
Metro Parks Music’s hour-long Tales at Twilight invites families out for performances that include interactive magic, stories, dance and music. These happen each evening in July on Friday from 6-7 p.m. at Centennial Park’s bandshell.
GOODLETTSVILLE MOVIES IN THE PARK
Head over to Goodlettsville for a free outdoor movie at Peay Park. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and the movie starts at sundown. Food trucks will be on site for food and drink purchases. Registration isn’t required, but all who register will be entered to win a free one-day pool pass for Pleasant Green Pool. A winner will be announced ahead of each movie showing. On July 19, they’ll screen PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie and on Aug. 2, Trolls Band Together is on deck.
MUSIC IN THE VINES
At Arrington Vineyards between Murfreesboro and Franklin, the vineyard is
FRIST ARTS FEST
On July 21, the Frist Art Museum is hosting Frist Arts Fest from 1-5:30 p.m. The day includes live music, art making, performances, and more, all inspired by the Frist’s current exhibitions. Admission is free for members and guests ages 18 and younger and $15 for adults. Some activities include decorating masks to wear, painting a watercolor portrait, learning to double Dutch jump rope and stamping a pin button with your own designs.
JAZZ ON THE CUMBERLAND
Jazz On The Cumberland concert series is held on the third Sunday of the month through October from 5:30-8 p.m. On July 21 at Nashville Cumberland Park, families and friends can bring their favorite blanket or lawn chair for a night of jazz performances from artists from all over the country. The event is for all ages and pets can come, too. The series features local, regional and national acts, in addition to a “Youth Segment” as part of its Continuing Music Education Series in area schools and colleges.
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