Council
BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
With applause to celebrate, Metro Council unanimously passed the fiscal year 2025 budget as it was substituted by Budget and Finance Committee Chair Delishia Porterfield at its Tuesday night.
Porterfield highlighted several budget additions that were important items from the public hearing such as an increase in Metro employee pay with a 4 percent cost of living adjustment. That raise will give 95 percent of employees around 7 percent additional compensation compared to the previous year.
“I’m very proud of this budget because without raising taxes, without laying anyone
off, without reducing any services, we were able to focus on our workers, we were able to focus on our community, we were able to focus on the youth,” she said.
There were several amendments to the substitute budget that would have further increased the cost of living adjustment filed by Councilmember Ginny Welsh, but she did not move her amendments during discussion. There seemed to have been some confusion about the process as she called for a point of order after the council voted to adopt the budget but it was too late at that point.
The budget also funds $300,000 for a “Build It Right” contract and compliance board to help the city ensure its development is done with worker safety in mind. In funds for the Metro Health Department, $150,000 is earmarked for distribution of feminine hygiene products at Metro Nashville Public Schools. The Fire Department and EMS services received nearly $750,000 in additional funding for the REACH program, Porterfield said, which allows for a coresponse to nonviolent mental health crises.
“When you look at the budget, we were able to consider this a moral
BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. and Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. on Thursday released a multi-page document outlining plans for the city to attract additional hospitality and leisure tourism. Called Music City Next, the 37-page plan saw input from more than 100 civic, business and elected leaders. Colin Reed, Ryman Hospitality Partners executive chairman, and Deana Ivey, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp president and CEO, co-chaired the effort.
The document focuses on who visits Nashville and untapped visitor sources, thus establishing some themes on which the local hospitality industry can capitalize. Specific elements addressed are hotels, entertainment culture and tourism-fueled revenue projections.
A segment of the plan highlights the various celebrities — and not all limited to the music industry — whose social media accounts and status are such that more emphasis than otherwise can be stressed for future local tourism growth. The list of well-known Nashvillians who are social influencers and who are not members of the music industry include restaurateur Maneet Chauhan, author and Parnassus Books owner Ann Patchett, academician and historian Jon Meacham, auto racer Josef Newgarden and model Karen Elson.
document and we were able to do this work and lead with our values and we are creating the world that we want to live in,” she said.
Porterfield and other councilmembers also praised the addition of $1 million for priorities from the Varsity Spending Plan. The plan was created by Nashville youth as well as safety advocates to help usher in more violence prevention programs and the creation of an Office of Youth Safety. Many councilmembers thanked Porterfield for her work in a tighter budget year with less federal funding to get so many different priorities funded in the budget.
“I think it took a leader that was very determined, that was very strategic, that brought everybody along and would not take no for an answer,” Councilmember-atLarge Zulfat Suara said. “This was a wellrounded difficult job to do but the magician made it happen.”
The council is required to pass its substitute budget by the end of June with the new fiscal year beginning on July 1. Metro’s Audit Board selects independent certified public accountants for an annual post audit and Metro Accounts creates an annual financial report. The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office releases its audit of Metro each January, so the fiscal year 2024 audit (covering July 2023 to June 2024) will not be available until January 2025.
“I’m grateful for the work of Budget
Hospitality industry
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Music artists include Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and Dolly Parton, among many others.
Music City Next notes visitation for the last six years has experienced a compounded annual growth rate of 4.2 percent. Specifically, Nashville hosted 15.48 million visitors in 2023 and is expected to host 16.27 million in 2024.
Spending from those visitors was estimated at $10.28 billion in 2023 and is
and Finance Committee Chair Delishia Porterfield with whom our priorities were well aligned,” Nashville mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a statement. “I applaud the chair for taking in additional community feedback during public comment and furthering our investment in key areas.”
The mayor also mentioned that many of the city’s larger priorities, such as the East Bank and transportation improvement plan, are funded outside of the operating budget.
The East Bank legislation creates a development authority over the area and was a private act passed by the state that council now must adopt to take effect. The transit plan is the mayor’s effort to designate a dedicated funding source for transportation improvements via a referendum vote in the November election. Council must vote to approve the program, including the funding via a half-cent sales tax increase, as well as potential ballot language before the referendum can take place.
Both bills had first reading legislation on the Metro agenda Tuesday night. The legislation passed along with other first reading ordinances that the council voted to accept in a group. The ordinances will likely see more engagement from councilmembers in committee meetings and on the floor for second reading.
March death of tourist Riley Strain ruled accidental following medical examiner’s report
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
The Metro Nashville Police Department has officially classified the March 8 death of tourist Riley Strain as accidental. The announcement came last week following the release of the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, which ruled that 22-year-old Strain
died by “accidental drowning and ethyl alcohol intoxication.”
According to MNPD’s investigation, the University of Missouri student “consumed multiple alcoholic drinks at different establishments after arriving in Nashville with friends on March 8” before he was separated from his friends in a downtown bar and then walked alone through the city that night.
“Detectives have concluded that Strain, who was unfamiliar with Gay Street and the steep embankment leading to the river, did not realize the terrain conditions in the darkness as he stepped toward the overgrown area and fell down the embankment into the water,” the news release reads.
On March 22, Strain’s body was recovered from the Cumberland River in West Nashville.
The story became national news with MNPD deploying its Urban Search and Rescue team to comb the Cumberland embankment and fielding nearly 200 tips from the public. Help in the search came from the United Cajun Navy nonprofit and civilian volunteers.
projected to be $11.28 billion this year.
According to Music City Next, Atlanta is the top “feeder market” among U.S. cities. Rounding out the top 10 are (in order) Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Louisville, Indianapolis, New York, Cincinnati, Miami and Charlotte.
As to demographics, visitors in the 30-44 age group represent 39 percent of the total, followed by 45-64 (30 percent), 18-29 (19 percent) and 65 and older (12 percent).
The average U.S. visitor to the city has a household income of $93,000.
Music City Next notes that 87 percent of Nashville’s visitors are leisure travelers, with 56 percent traveling to the city by car and 51 percent traveling with a partner. About 75 percent of those surveyed noted direct flights are “somewhat to very” important in their travel decisions.
About 54 percent of U.S. domestic travelers are likely to visit Nashville again in the future.
The plan notes emphasis should be placed on international travelers, improved cultural offerings and public safety.
“A thriving hub in the heart of Nashville, the Downtown Tourism District has faced considerable challenges recently,” the report reads. “Current issues on Broadway — such as overconsumption, overcrowding and noise pollution — damage Nashville’s reputation as a warm, welcoming city.”
Music City Next recommends a safety and cleanliness awareness campaign — undertaken in conjunction with the Nashville Downtown Partnership. It also stresses the need for family-friendly outdoor spaces and, in particular, marketing to international travelers.
Additional approaches include expanding [Nashville’s] focus beyond the current targets
of Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Australia to include France and Japan; and attracting influencers from these markets to experience Nashville.
In late 2023, the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research released a study noting the hospitality industry in Nashville generates $29.52 billion in economic output for the state annually.
Music City Next shows Nashville’s hospitality industry generates more than $1 billion in local and state tax revenue annually and more than 76,000 jobs. Similarly, local and state tax revenue is expected to reach almost $2 billion by 2034.
“This is the fifth strategic plan the hospitality industry has created, and each has served as a critical roadmap as we have built Nashville into the worldwide destination it is today,” Ivey said in the release.
“This plan is a little different than previous versions in that it aims to both continue to keep Nashville on a trajectory of growth while also ensuring our industry is doing our part locally to ensure our visitor experience delivers on our reputation as a global destination.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Downtown Nashville PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS
Riley Strain PHOTO: MNPD
Alex Walsh joins sister Gretchen in qualifying for Paris Olympics
BY JOHN GLENNON
Watching the Olympics in Paris next month will now be twice as nice for the Walsh family.
Alex Walsh, a Nashville native and Harpeth Hall grad, qualified for her second Olympic games over the weekend. The 22-year-old finished second in the women’s 200-meter individual medley, clocking a time of 2:07.86 at the U.S. swimming trials in Indianapolis, trailing only Kate Douglass (2:06.79).
Walsh’s accomplishment came just days after younger sister — and fellow Harpeth Hall grad — Gretchen Walsh, 21, qualified for her first Olympic games, setting a world record in the 100-meter butterfly along the way. Gretchen Walsh also qualified in the 50-meter freestyle and as a member of the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay team.
“Going with Gretchen is it just a dream come true,” Alex Walsh, 22, told reporters. “I had so much confidence in her that she was going to be able to make the team. Once she did that that second night, I knew that I had to uphold my part of the goal.
“Obviously waiting several days is not ideal for that, but ... more than anything
I’m just really happy to have this whole experience with her, because it is once in a lifetime. Being a part of a sibling duo is something that I never take for granted. I’m excited.”
Walsh was a silver medalist at the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo, finishing second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:08.65.
The two sisters compete at the University of Virginia, where they have been a part of four straight NCAA championships.
“In terms of my sister Gretchen, it’s been an honor to watch her so closely make these strides in the sport, and I think a huge part of that is her learning how to deal with … the expectations that we have coming from [Virginia] — we placed great expectations on ourselves,” Walsh said. “We have a lot of pressure to perform. That’s our team culture, but we always rise to that, so I think Gretchen is a great example of that.”
Alex Walsh said she and her sister are likely to room together in Paris.
“We know how to take our breaks and pause,” Walsh said. “I’ve been living with her for the past eight days and it’s been a very enjoyable experience. She definitely likes to
play music and vibe before our races, which [Saturday] for me was super awesome.
“I was feeling really good in our hotel room getting ready to race. I know every sibling dynamic is different, but I do cherish
ours. And I think we work well together and ... we’re always supporting each other no matter what.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Alex (left) and Gretchen Walsh PHOTO: COURTESY HARPETH HALL
Senators vet Campbell for federal post Judiciary hearing in D.C. puts Nashville labor attorney Karla Campbell through the partisan buzzsaw
BY ELI MOTYCKA
Karla Campbell
PHOTO: STRANCH, JENNINGS, AND GARVEY
The U.S. Senate summoned Nashville attorney Karla Campbell to Washington, D.C., Thursday for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee following her nomination to the federal bench. President
Joe Biden tapped Campbell, a labor lawyer at Nashville firm Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, for an opening on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in May after a monthslong vetting process. Campbell previously clerked for outgoing 6th Circuit Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch.
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley led attacks on Campbell for associations with Nashville nonprofit Workers’ Dignity/Dignidad Obrera and a $1,500 campaign donation to Odessa Kelly, who lost a congressional bid against Mark Green in 2022. Democrats, including committee chair Peter Welch of Vermont, backed Campbell’s nomination, highlighting her professional background.
Blackburn also claimed that she and her fellow Sen. Bill Hagerty were not consulted in Campbell’s vetting process even though they represent her home state. Under oath, Campbell disputed this, saying she was interviewed by Blackburn’s office in the late fall; she even cited condolence notes signed by Blackburn’s staff that she received when her mom died during the interviewing process.
“A lot of it is theater — some of it will be posted on YouTube,” Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond
who studies the federal judicial process, tells the Scene. “Part of it is, this is an election year, and it’s a controversial election. They nationalize the process as a matter of electioneering, which is unfortunate because these are pretty accomplished nominees.”
Blackburn, who sits on the judiciary committee, has vocally opposed past Biden nominees from Tennessee. Democrats, who hold an 11-10 edge in the committee, will likely approve Campbell’s nomination (along with three other judicial nominees) in mid-July after a recess. If her nomination is successful, Campbell will be the fourth judge Biden has added to the 6th Circuit in the past two years.
Cruz and Hawley drilled down on Campbell’s previous connection to Workers’ Dignity in an attempt to associate her with leftist politics. Cruz aides even provided posters as a visual aid behind his seat on the dais. Campbell said she served on a legal advisory board for the group a decade ago. Sen. Lindsey Graham specifically read tweets from Kelly, whom Campbell described as a neighbor, that describe him and Senate colleagues as “obviously aligned with the Devil” for their conduct when the same body fought Biden’s nomination of Ketanji Brown
Jackson, now a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Campbell said she had not seen the tweet. During Blackburn’s short questioning, she repeated that her office hadn’t previously interviewed Campbell.
“If you said something in high school, in this committee, be prepared to defend it,” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said toward the end of the hearing. “It may define your life for some members of the committee.”
Durbin gave Campbell the last word.
“Approximately 10 to 15 years ago, I served for two or three years on an advisory board for an organization that was, at that time, getting off the ground,” Campbell explained. “I understood it to be a nonprofit group that would help low-wage workers by providing them with information about their legal rights. That was something I supported and volunteered my time for. In recent years, I have not had any involvement in that group because I believe that they have strayed into the political sphere.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.
18 local candidates named to Leadership Tennessee’s Class XI
On Wednesday, Leadership Tennessee announced the 48 individuals who have been named to its Signature Program Class XI 2024-2025 cohort.
The 48 honorees come from 14 different Tennessee counties across the country and from a wide range of sectors and industries.
Candidates are selected by an anonymous selection committee and evaluated based on the following criteria: leadership experience, a history of addressing statewide issues in both a personal and professional capacity, and a strong understanding of what challenges Tennessee faces today.
“We are proud to challenge our cohorts to think critically about advancing our state in a variety of areas,” Alfred Degrafinreid II, president and CEO of Leadership Tennessee, said in a release. “This class in particular will experience the program at the height of this year’s election. This will no doubt lead to even deeper and more thoughtful dialogue as state and federal discourse will be spiking in this moment.”
Over the course of 10 months, the cohort
will visit all corners of the state, analyzing challenges that Tennessee faces, and will work together to identify the best solutions and opportunities. The statewide study will result in “concrete plans to continue dialogue and actions addressing the most serious issues uncovered.”
The following individuals from Davidson and Williamson County were among the honorees:
DAVIDSON COUNTY
· Jill Ayers, Judge, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
· Monty Burks, Deputy Director of Governors Faith Based and Community Initiative, Office of the Governor
· Clay Bright, CEO, Megasite Authority of West Tennessee
· Nikki Burdine, News Anchor, WKRN
· Brooxie Carlton, Assistant
Commissioner, Community and Rural Development, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
· Joe Carrico, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation
· Kate Chinn, Partner, MP&F
· Natalie Cooper, President and CEO, Wellpoint TN
· Steven Gentile, Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission
· Erin Hafkenschiel, President, ThinkTennessee
· Johari Matthews, Vice President and Executive Director, ONE Community and Titans Foundation, Tennessee Titans
· Bert McCarter, Attorney, McCarter East PLLC
· Martesha Johnson Moore, Chief Public Defender, Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender’s Office
· Karl Sprules, Chief Operating Officer, AllianceBernstein
· Carey Whitworth, Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy, University of Tennessee System
· Russell Ziecker, Executive Vice President, Head of Global TV Music, LIONSGATE and STARZ
WILLIAMSON COUNTY
· Matt Largen, President and CEO, Williamson, Inc.
· Mia McNeil, State Director, AARP Tennessee
Criminal Justice changes among the more than 100 new laws going into effect July 1
STAFF REPORTS
More than 100 new laws will go into effect on July 1, including a slew of criminal justice and public safety laws, some of which are detailed below.
• HB1640, also known as “Jillian’s Law,” requires someone who has been found mentally incompetent by a criminal court to be committed to a mental institution and lose the right to possess or purchase a firearm.
The law was named for the late Jillian Ludwig, an 18-year-old Belmont University student who was killed by a stray bullet in November. Police arrested 29-year-old Shaquille Taylor, who had previously been found mentally incompetent and couldn’t stand trial following a 2021 shooting.
“If this bill had been on the books a year ago, many of you would probably have never heard the name Jillian Ludwig, because she would still be in school at Belmont, and her parents wouldn’t have come all the way to Tennessee to see that justice be done on a man who should have been in jail instead of killing their baby girl,” bill sponsor and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said earlier this year.
• SB1834 amends the Public Acts of 2022 and authorizes the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child.
• HB0701 adds the offenses of continuous sexual abuse of a child committed on or after to the list of qualifying criminal misconduct that is sentenced to community supervision for life in addition to any other statutorily imposed punishment.
• HB1817 increases the penalty from a Class D felony to a Class B felony for a person “who negligently, by act or omission, engages in conduct that places a child eight years of age or less in imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment.”
• HB1881 enacts the “Back the Blue Act,” which increases the penalty for assault against a law enforcement officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony with a mandatory minimum 60-day sentence and $10,000 fine.
• HB1909, also known as the “Laken Riley Act of 2024,” prohibits public colleges from banning the lawful carrying of nonlethal self-defense weapons by adults.
• HB2590 makes bullying and cyberbullying subject to the same penalties as harassment and requires police to make a report of bullying and notify a parent or guardian when the victim is a minor.
NOTICE OF ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
City of Oak Hill
5548 Franklin Rd Suite 101 Nashville, TN 37220
Sealed bids for public works services to include mowing services, disposal of trees, brush and leaves as well as pickup/removal of brush trimmings, for the City of Oak Hill will be received by the City of Oak Hill at the City Office, Nashville, TN until 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 11, 2024 and then at said time and location, publicly opened and read aloud.
The CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may be examined at the following location: Oak Hill Office
5548 Franklin Rd, Suite 101 Nashville, TN 37220
Copies of the CONTRACT DOCUMENTS may be obtained at the City Office, at the above address. The City of Oak Hill reserves the right to reject all bids and to waive all technicalities in bidding.
City of Oak Hill
J. Steven Collie, City Manager
JULY 19 & 20 CREEK
DINNER
Tennessee State Capitol PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Leadership Nashville announces class of 2025
STAFF REPORTS
Leadership Nashville Executive Director Evette White
PUBLIC RELATIONS
On Friday, Leadership Nashville announced the upcoming class of 2024-2025. The program’s 48th iteration will begin in September. The nine-month executive-level program will consist of a course that focuses on issues related to government and media; diversity, equity and inclusion; business; education; quality of life; health; arts and entertainment; and public safety.
“Selection for each carefully curated class is difficult because of the large number of very qualified applicants,” Leadership Nashville Executive Director Everette White said in a release.
“The participants announced today were chosen from over 250 applications. The selection process takes place each spring when alumni and the public are encouraged to nominate established leaders who are willing to devote the time and effort to an in-depth study of Metro Nashville Davidson County.”
Courtney Ross, senior manager for community engagement at Amazon, chaired this year’s selection committee. Beth Chase, retired founder of C3 Consulting, is president of the Leadership Nashville Board of Trustees.
The members of Leadership Nashville’s 48th class are as follows:
• Isaac Addae, Entrepreneurship & Economic Development, Office of Mayor Freddie O’Connell
• David Andrews, Owner & Executive Chef, D’Andrews Bakery & Café
• Ian Ayre, CEO, Nashville Soccer Club
• Meera Ballal, Founder, Women’s Healthcare Initiative
• Martha Boyd, Shareholder, Baker Donelson
• Gerard Bullock, Real Estate Broker, Compass RE
• Elise Cambournac, President & CEO, Nashville Technology Council
• Sarah Cates, VP, Imagination, Strategic Initiatives, & Partnerships, Belmont University
• Katie Crumbo, Retired Nurse Practitioner & Community Volunteer
• Sam Davidson, CEO, Nashville Entrepreneur Center
• Tina Doniger, CEO, Community Resource Center
• Tonya Hallett, Vice President, People Experience & Technology, Amazon
• Todd Hartley, SVP, Legal & Business Affairs, Country Music Association, Inc.
• Darrell Hawks, Executive Director, Friends of Mill Ridge Park
• Jeff Haynes, Partner, Boyle Nashville
• Kelly Hodges, Chief Development & Engagement Officer, Gresham Smith
• Monchiere’ Holmes-Jones, Chief Brand Curator, MOJO Marketing & PR
• Kathleen Fuchs Hritz, Senior Director of Community Relations, Vanderbilt University
• Melissa Hudson-Gant, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee
• Deana Ivey, President & CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
• Ted Johnson, President, Practice Operations, HCA Healthcare
• Emmanuel LeGrair, Creative Director, R.H. Boyd
• Tessa Lemos Del Pino, Executive Director, Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors
• Johari Matthews, VP & Executive Director, ONE Community & Titans Foundation, Tennessee Titans
• Bill McCleskey, Founder, MiTech Partners
• Jeff McGruder, Chief Relationship Officer & Principal, Citizens Savings Bank & Trust
• Jim Meade, CEO, LBMC, PC
• Dale Mitchell, EVP Community Development, Pinnacle Financial Partners
• Roger Moore, Deputy District Attorney, Office of the District Attorney General
• Berthena Nabaa-McKinney, School Board Member, District 4, Metro Nashville Public Schools
• Sneha Oakley, General Counsel & VP, Partner Development, HealthStream, Inc.
• Kerry Price, Chief Strategy Officer, Bass, Berry & Sims
• Tonya Quarles, VP of Sales, Dell Technology
• Robert Ramsey, EVP & Chief Development Officer, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority
• Bethany Rhoten, President-Elect, Junior League of Nashville
• C.J. Sentell, CEO, The Nashville Food Project
• Pamela Sessions, CEO, Renewal House
• Knight Stivender, Partner/Owner, MP&F
• Amy Sullivan, President & CEO, Kirkland’s
• Jim Todd, Judge, Davidson County General Sessions, Div VI
• Jennifer Turner, President & CEO, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
• Heather Vassar, SVP, Operations, EMPIRE
• Joseph Webb, CEO, Nashville General Hospital
• Dayton Wheeler, Inspector, Metro Nashville Police Department
• Juan Williams, Commissioner, Department of Human Resources, Tennessee State Government
• Richard Wolfson, Senior Vice President, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
Tennessee Democratic Party announces new executive director
STAFF REPORTS
The Tennessee Democratic Party has announced Brian Córdova as its new executive director.
According to a release, Córdova has spent the last 10 years working in politics in the state. He most recently served as deputy campaign manager for Gloria Johnson. Córdova has also worked for former Gov. Phil Bredesen, ex-Congressman Jim Cooper and former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. In addition, he has served as political director for the House and Senate Democratic
caucuses and consulted on races in other states as well.
Córdova will manage day-to-day business in addition to election initiatives for the party.
The previous executive director of the party was Brit Bender, who left in March 2023. She is currently the organizing director for Contest Every Race at Movement Labs.
“We are very excited to have Brian join the team. He has worked tirelessly for Democratic candidates and causes at every level both in Tennessee and around the
country. Brian’s commitment and experience will help us finish out this cycle and continue to build the party that we need for the future.” TNDP chair Hendrell Remus said in the release.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Brian Cordova PHOTO: TNDP
PHOTO: VARALLO
Rep. Behn, activist bring lawsuit challenging ‘abortion trafficking’ law
Plaintiffs allege violation of First Amendment rights, ask attorneys general not to enforce
BY HANNAH HERNER
Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) and abortion fund member and attorney Rachel Welty on Monday brought a lawsuit against the district attorneys general for Middle Tennessee districts, alleging that a state law passed earlier this year infringes upon the First Amendment right of free speech.
The district attorneys general include Glenn Funk in Davidson County, as well as Bryant C. Dunaway, Jason Lawson, Jennings H. Jones, Robert J. Carter, Ray Whitley, Robert J. Nash, Stacey Edmonson, Brent Cooper, Ray Crouch and Hans Schwendimann.
The plaintiffs, represented by Daniel Horwitz, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville on Monday, asking the state’s district attorneys general not to enforce the law. Monday is also the second anniversary of the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
The lawsuit is in response to an “abortion trafficking” law, which makes it illegal for adults to help minors obtain an abortion out of state without parental consent. That law (Public Chapter No. 1032) was signed by Gov. Bill Lee in May and is set to go into effect July 1.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a similar law in Idaho from being enforced while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality is underway. The judge asserts that the law violates the First Amendment right of free expression and the Fourth Amendment right to travel between states.
Under Public Chapter 1032 in Tennessee,
an adult who “intentionally recruits, harbors, or transports a pregnant unemancipated minor” for the purpose of receiving an abortion or obtaining abortion pills would face a Class A misdemeanor for “wrongful death of an unborn child” which could result in one year of jail time.
“The effect of Public Chapter No. 1032 — which is also its intended purpose — is to criminalize helping a pregnant unemancipated minor obtain legal abortion care ‘regardless of where the abortion is to be procured’ and ‘regardless of where the abortion-inducing drug is obtained,’” court documents explain. “Thus, beginning July 1, 2024, helping a pregnant unemancipated minor obtain a legal abortion will be a crime in Tennessee.”
The alleged criminalization of free speech lies in the term “recruits,” whose meaning is undefined in the law.
“Regardless of how ‘recruits’ is defined, though, the prohibition criminalizes pure speech based on its content and the viewpoint a speaker expresses,” court documents state. “The First Amendment prohibits such content- and viewpointbased censorship.”
The law also violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s vagueness doctrine, court documents assert.
While the abortion trafficking legislation was making its way through the legislature, Behn spoke against it and demonstrated with Abortion Care Tennessee. She tweeted that
she “welcome[s] the opportunity to take a young person out of state who wants to have an abortion even if it lands me in jail.”
Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) read Behn’s statement on the House floor as an example when asked to clarify the meaning of “recruiting” under the proposed bill, which caused Behn to fear prosecution under the new law, according to court documents.
“The freedom to fully control our bodies, lives, and futures is absolutely crucial for all of us. This is about every young person’s fundamental right to decide whether, when, and with whom to start a family,” Behn told the Post. “It’s infuriating that extremists believe politicians should impose their personal beliefs on our most intimate decisions. We, on the other hand, fiercely defend our right to make these choices based on our own faith and values. ‘I’m honored to stand up for our freedom, including our first amendment rights, by joining this lawsuit.”
Welty has a history of helping pregnant minors — many of whom were victims of rape and incest, court documents said — receive access to abortions through judicial bypass before Tennessee’s abortion trigger ban went into effect. According to court records, she still receives calls from pregnant, unemancipated minors, whom she helps connect to out-of-state care, which she fears could put her at risk of prosecution.
Through her lawyer, Daniel Horwitz, she sent a letter to Middle Tennessee’s district attorneys general earlier this month asking them to disavow enforcement of the law against her. None of them responded, court
documents assert.
“The freedom to fully control our bodies, lives, and futures is absolutely crucial for all of us. This is about every young person’s fundamental right to decide whether, when, and with whom to start a family. It’s infuriating that extremists believe politicians should impose their personal beliefs on our most intimate decisions. We, on the other hand, fiercely defend our right to make these choices based on our own faith and values. ‘I’m honored to stand up for our freedom, including our first amendment rights, by joining this lawsuit,’ declared Rep. Aftyn Behn.
Tennessee is under a near-total abortion ban that went into effect in August 2022, triggered by the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Exceptions for rape and incest failed this year at the state legislature and legislation to protect termination of pregnancy in the event of fatal fetal anomalies never came to fruition.
District Attorney General Glenn Funk did not respond to Post’s request for comment, but did make a 2021 statement that he will not prosecute an individual receiving an abortion or a medical professional performing the procedure.
Earlier this year, local plaintiffs joined a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee asking for clarification on what circumstances qualify for the medical exception to the Tennessee abortion ban.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Titans, Metro look ahead to summer of stadium milestones
BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT, 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.
Representatives from the Tennessee Titans and Metro government offered updates to the Metropolitan Sports
Authority on Thursday, setting out a timeline for a busy summer and fall as work ramps up at the site of the future Nissan Stadium.
Adolpho Birch III, the team’s chief external and league affairs officer, told the board that more than $150 million had been spent on the stadium project through May. Around 75 percent of excavation work is now done, with hundreds of thousands of
cubic yards of dirt now piled high on the site and exported to fill sites in Hendersonville and Goodlettsville. Birch said that around 30 percent of the piers anchoring the future stadium have been installed.
That work is ongoing as the team and city continue discussing the final elements of the project.
Speaking to the board, Heather Hill of Cumming Group, Metro’s owner’s representative for the project, and Metro chief development officer Bob Mendes laid out a timeline of benchmarks over the next several months. The Tennessee Builder’s Alliance, the coalition of contractors working on the stadium, will develop a first draft of a guaranteed maximum price document for the overall project by July 16.
A second draft will follow in August, with the sports authority set to approve a final GMP for the multibillion-dollar project in September. That schedule precedes an Oct. 1 contractual deadline for the stadium’s financing. Hill called the deadline a “huge milestone.”
The GMP document will give the team and the Builder’s Alliance an overall budget for the project. Metro and state contributions are already capped and available, but the city wants to ensure that private funds are available to complete the project successfully.
Mendes described several remaining decisions that could affect the GMP, some of which might not be finalized by Oct. 1. One key remaining question is how the south
plaza of the future stadium, which will abut Metro’s East Bank development, will unfold.
Additionally, Mendes said the city and team are continuing to discuss the future of Interstate Drive and South Second Street. The NFL’s security recommendations would have Interstate Drive closed entirely on game days, but Mendes said the street is an essential corridor for emergency services.
Officials must weigh a balance of security around the stadium and resident access to public property, according to Mendes.
Mendes and Jeff Oldham of Bass, Berry & Sims, the city’s bond counsel, said a GMP could be developed with some remaining open questions.
“We’ve got a unique circumstance here,” Mendes said. “For as long as we’ve had football on the East Bank, there’s only one thing that mattered on the East Bank.”
Now, though, he said, “the stadium needs to fit with Metro’s land next door,” with Metro’s work with master developer The Fallon Co. focused on “making sure our entire property works best for the public.”
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
A model of the new Nissan Stadium at the ceremonial groundbreaking PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
OPINION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
DO NOT LEGALIZE MARAJUANA
Thankfully, Tennessee’s State Legislature listened to those of us who have first-hand knowledge of the medical, emotional and addictive dangers of marijuana. They have kept it a strictly controlled substance..
They were not swayed by 1- the huge, sales-tax revenue marajuana would surely generate 2- those who think it is just another innocuous social drug,, safer than alcohol (as if alcohol is safe) or cigarettes. ha ha 3- those who want to decriminalize pot users, thus, relieving us of the expense of incarceration. (even though so much crime is drug related)
4-the false claim that using pot for pain relief is the best available analgesic.
By the grace of GOD, Alcoholics Anonymous and an amazing team of doctors & nurses, I have been sober for 35 years and cancer-free for four.
Because of my previous addiction to alcohol, even though I gave it up over 3 decades ago,, my doctors still chose non-addictive analgesics when I was dealing with the pain associated with my cancer treatment.
I have seen first-hand:
1- so many who got hooked on pot, thinking it was non-addictive;
2- how difficult its withdrawal can be; and
3- how many started their drinking or drugging “career” thinking marijuana was a
RILEY STRAIN
safe, non-addictive, relief from their problems.
Instead it turned into a nightmare.
Addiction is pervasive here in Nashville. It now includes those who abuse marijuana, food, sex, gambling, drugs and alcohol.
Every one of them needs help with their disease, an addiction which only gets worse with time.
Want to know how bad it is in Nashville?
I’ll tell you..
- drug overdoses claimed the life of 3,000 last year. btw: fentanyl deaths are not overdoses. Thankfully Tennessee is prosecuting it as murder.
- 3 committed suicide every day.
- 300 died in DUI’s. (that includes marajuana.).
- 1/3 of ALL our seniors use and abuse addictive pain medications.
Pot must remain a controlled drug only prescribed by a medical doctor and limited to cancer patients who have first tried nonaddictive analgesics.
Obviously, it should be completely banned in certain professions. Do you want your surgeon, your pilot or your son’s teacher to be a pot smoker? I do not.
Do not legalize marijuana and allow yourself or your unsuspecting children or grandchildren to start on this road to hell.
Don’t put this poisonous crap in your loveones lungs. (or your own!) by Dr Steve Morris, DDS
TICKED OFF!
Just saw on News2 that the family of Riley Strain have hired the ambulance chasing law firm of Morgan and Morgan and are suing Nashville. Since when is it the responsibility of the city to babysit drunk children running amok. Where were the loyal frat brothers he was partying with? It is a shame that a young man lost his life, but he was an adult and should have acted and been responsible as an adult. I do feel sympathy for the parents that have lost a child, however a lawsuit is not going to bring him back, or is it that you feel you want to have Nashville pay for your woes? The city did all it could to find the guy, which it did, but the final findings were conclusive that he died due to his own misfortune.
DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST THE DISABLED AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT
I am writing this because of an incident of discrimination and a violation of ADA laws at a local restaurant. Natalyn Kaser was denied service on June 18th at approximately 11:40am because she is disabled and travels with a service dog. She was accused by the staff of not being disabled because she “doesn’t look like she has a disability”. She was illegally questioned regarding her disability and asked to provide proof of
the animal’s certification. Both of which violate her rights protected by the American Disabilities Act. She tried to educate the ownership and staff of her rights and wasThe owner stated he has the right to refuse service and not allow her on the premises. Natalyn faced all of this and more simply because she wanted to get a drink and a snack.
KINDNESS
Sunday in the Tennessean Insight section on the last page a really nice article by Lynn Norment, SEEK TO TREAT OTHERS WITH KINDNESS AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. What a fantastic article. Too bad it can’t be published every day in the Tennessean and the Star and The Banner and The News plus any other FREE news paper in Nashville. Not everyone can afford to subscribe to the Tennessean. Why do I say that?
Well I am guessing that plenty of people read the article because my trip to the Donaldson “Y” this morning so many people were kind, i/e holding the door for others, a smile and greeting one another with a good morning and some people there just seemed kinder to others there.
The comments in the Ticked Off column do not reflect the views of FW Publishing.
Are you in the know about what’s going on down the street or on the corner? Anyone ever call you nosy? Have good writing skills?
Looking for a few neighbors who want to write about interesting things happening in your neighborhood. Specific neighborhoods of interest are Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Nolensville, Bellevue, West Meade, Green Hills.
Yes, you need to have some writing chops; extra credit if you’ve contributed to a newspaper at some point! Interested?
Email neighbornews@theNEWStn.com and let us know what neighborhood you are interested in and include a few writing samples. Be a neighborhood news ambassador for
BUSINESS BRIEFS
United Way of Greater Nashville names CEO
Erica Mitchell will lead nonprofit at start of new year, replace
Brian Hassett
STAFF REPORTS
United Way of Greater Nashville announced Monday that Erica Mitchell will be the nonprofit’s next chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Mitchell, UWGN’s chief impact officer,
will replace Brian Hassett, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
According to a release, no organizational changes are anticipated during the transition.
Mitchell holds a bachelor’s degree in business from North Carolina State University and a master’s degree in public policy analysis from Vanderbilt University. She earned a professional certificate in organizational design from Cornell University.
“We are thrilled to have Erica serve as CEO beginning next year,” Alberto Gonzales, United Way of Greater Nashville Board of Trustees chair, said in the release.
“Her remarkable leadership as our chief impact officer has already made a profound difference in our community, and we look forward to achieving even greater impact under her inspiring leadership.”
James Weaver, an attorney with the local office of Tampa-based law firm Holland & Knight, served as chair of the UWGN executive search task force.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Hotels see slight room rate dip year-over-year during CMA Fest
BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Nashville-area hotel on Friday and Saturday during the recently held County Music Association (CMA) Festival saw room rates drop compared to the marks of 2023 but still topped the average daily rates compared to those figures of other large markets.
According to data from CoStar, room rates year-over-year fell 3.1 percent on Friday, June 7, and 4.4 percent on Saturday, June 8. This equates to a $14 rate drop on Friday and $20 rate decline on Saturday.
Jan Freitag, CoStar national director for hospitality market analytics, said part of the rate decline “may have been a function of new competitors in the market since room supply increased 1.7 percent year-over-year in the greater Nashville market.”
Freitag, who also serves as senior vice president of lodging insights for Hendersonville-based STR (CoStar is the parent of STR), said newish hotels offered festival goers “more options,” than in the past and “often at a lower price point than in
Berry Hill properties listed for sale
Commercial buildings sit on Inverness Drive one block east of Eighth Avenue
BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Two Berry Hill commercial properties located one block east of Eighth Avenue South have been offered for sale for an undisclosed asking price.
Sitting adjacent to one another, the properties have addresses of 2601 and 2603 Westwood Drive. The Melrose-area properties are being offered either as a portfolio or separately.
Phil Pace, owner of construction management company Conseco Group, owns 2601 Westwood Drive, operating his business from the 1980-constructed building on the site. The structure offers about 5,860 square feet and sits on 0.40 acres.
Pace paid $800,000 for the property in 2008, Metro records show.
Music industry veterans Paul Worley and Wally Wilson co-own 2603 Westwood Drive. Worley and Wilson in July 2023 sold a Berry Hill property at 2602 Westwood Drive for $5 million. That building was last home to music venue Skyville Live — which hosted livestream performances by artists including Cyndi Lauper, Taj Mahal, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town.
Ascend Autism ABA Therapy Center operates from the 2603 Westwood Drive building, which opened in 1960, offers about 5,370 square feet and sits on 0.40
acres. Ascend Autism has less than two years remaining on its lease, marketing materials note.
Metro records are unclear as to what Worley and Wilson paid for the property.
Across Inverness Avenue from the 2601 Westwood Drive property sits a building housing Melrose Self Storage that an LLC affiliated with New York-based global investment giant KKR & Co. Inc. (formerly Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) paid $21.85 million in 2022.
The owners of the two Westwood Drive properties have enlisted Ben Burnett, Jay Reeves, Matthew Powell and Hutt Cooke, agents with Nashville-based Matthews Real Estate Investment Services, to handle the marketing of the properties.
“This is a rare opportunity to acquire two properties in Berry Hill with an abundance of parking while providing excellent access to downtown Nashville, Wedgewood Houston, Green Hills, and two of the major interstates in middle Tennessee,” Burnett emailed the Post
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
the downtown core.”
Occupancy for the broader Nashville hotel market (which is not limited to Davidson County) averaged about 81 percent for the Thursday through Saturday CMA Festival weekend, according to CoStar figures. Of the nation’s top 25 markets, the occupancy rate for the same period was about 76 percent.
Similarly, the average daily rate (ADR) for the broader Nashville hotel market was about $230 for the CMA Fest weekend. In contrast, the ADR for nation’s top 25 markets and during the same period was $190.
CoStar reports Nashville’s high-end hotels commanded an ADR, for the week of June 2 to June 9, of almost $299 for groups and $331 for transient visitors.
Some of Nashville’s luxury hotels continue to see ADRs of $400 and more.
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
MBA
pays $1.85M for novelist’s home next to campus
BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Montgomery Bell Academy has paid
$1.85 million for a Whitland neighborhood property located adjacent to its campus.
Offering a residence, the 0.30-acre property has an address of 203 S. Wilson Blvd. It is the lone detached single-family home located on the west side of Wilson between West End Avenue on the north and the southern-most entrance to the MBA campus on the south.
According to a Davidson County Register of Deeds document, the seller was locally based novelist Joan “Jennie” Fields, who paid $635,000 for the property in 2005 with husband and singer-songwriter Russ Mason.
Fields has had five books published since 1993, with her 2020 novel Atomic Love having landed attention from Forbes. Online real estate sources note the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home was constructed in 1930 and offers almost 3,000 square feet.
MBA officials could not be reached for comment regarding their plans for the property. This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Erica Mitchell PHOTO: UWGN
Taco Bamba founder Chef Victor Albisu’s journey to Nashville’s culinary scene
Le Cordon Bleu, tacos, and a vast menu crafted with purpose
BY STEPHANIE SARGENT
It’s not often that you meet an almostdiplomat-turned-restauranteur. But, hey, that’s Nashville. It’s full of the unexpected, and then some. While once only known for honky-tonks and record deals, Music City has become a thriving community for artists and entrepreneurs who flock here to dig their heels into creating something great.
Taco Bamba, a popular chain of taquerias, has developed a decidedly-worthit cult following for their comprehensive menus that are known for putting a fresh and eclectic take on tacos. The “Arabe” with ancho mayo, cucumber pico de gallo, and fresh mint is a must-have. Definitely order two.
First established in Falls Church, Virginia, Taco Bamba has grown from its East Coast home to its latest creative hub in the Green Hills area of Nashville. In a short span, founder and Chef Victor Albisu has quickly scaled his restaurant group. He now oversees more than 600 employees who are curating and cultivating some of the most interesting tacos this side of the Mississippi.
To celebrate the recent opening of his latest venture, Albisu hosted a pop-up event at Mother’s Ruin in Germantown, where the discussion spanned tacos disguised as eggrolls and his family’s influence on his career.
“Food was always part of our lives,” Albisu said. “When we were having dinner, we were already talking about what we were going to have for breakfast.”
Albisu graduated with a bachelor’s degree in politics and international relations from George Mason University with the intent of working as a diplomat; he soon realized that his true purpose was in a different direction.
“I worked in restaurants throughout my entire college career,” Albisu said. “I was always working around food. It was a culturally rich upbringing. After graduating college, I began working on corporate projects and realized that life wasn’t for me. I didn’t have that in me. I couldn’t be confined to an office. I started to realize that I was anxious and unhappy. I am grateful for those moments of anxiety. It’s an alert system. I sold everything that I owned and moved to Paris to learn how to cook.”
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu and working for several years in fine dining, Albisu sought another path that was closer to his roots, and Taco Bamba was born.
“I left fine dining behind to live fully and create food that is impactful and from a different place,” Albisu said. “It has shown me that the path is how much you can give and how much you can serve others. I am equally in service to my customers and staff as they are in service to me. That’s when the business really started to grow quickly, when I put my ego aside and focused on being of
service to others.”
When asked about the menu development process, Albisu remarked “I’m not going to be for everybody. I don’t write a menu to attract guests. I write menus that are interesting. We have a style where we put interesting flavors together, and the taco has been nothing short of an opportunity to introduce big bold flavors in a few bites.
“We never want the menu to stagnate, and I’m constantly challenging the creative process. No matter where you are in life, the challenge is where the juice is. I embrace what is on the other side of difficult. We are very grateful that people have responded, and we feel sort of like an indie brand wherever we go. That feeling and purpose beats in our heart and in our chest.”
Taco Bamba is located at 4017 Hillsboro Pike. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Chef Victor Albisu PHOTO: SAM FRAWLEY
Taco Bamba menu items
PHOTO: GREG POWERS
Hatton wins inaugural LIV Golf Nashville as event sets tour’s U.S. attendance record
BY LOGAN BUTTS
The inaugural LIV Golf Nashville broke attendance records on a sweltering weekend at The Grove in College Grove.
Tyrrell Hatton earned his first win on the LIV Golf tour, and second overall for his career, with a -19, 195 performance over the three-round tournament. He finished six strokes ahead of fellow Englishman Sam Horsfield (-13, 200) to take the $4-million winner’s purse.
“It was nice to play the last few holes and it not be super tight,” Hatton said. “I guess
The win continued Hatton’s streak as the only player to earn points (a top-24 placement) in every LIV Golf event of the season so far.
having not won for three-and-a-half years, it feels -- you wonder if you’d be able to do it again in some way. So I was happy that I had sort of proved to myself, and especially bouncing back after the disappointment of last Sunday where that was -- that was going to be a really important day for me, and I struggled the way I did.”
LIV Golf Nashville PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL.
LIV Golf Nashville
PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
LIV Golf Nashville
PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
LIV Golf Nashville PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
SPORTS
“So to put that behind me and to come out here and play like I did, and certainly how I putted this week, certainly won me the golf tournament.”
Hatton held off a formidable field of competition, including reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who was less than a week removed from winning his second major and 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm, who both finished in a tie for third (-12, 201) with Joaquín Niemann and Lee Westwood. DeChambeau and other stars like 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson were a major part of the driving force behind the record-breaking crowd at The Grove, which saw more than 40,000 fans, including sellouts on Saturday and Sunday. The figure is the highest for a U.S.-based event in the three-year history of LIV Golf.
“When things don’t go my way, [I] try to feed off the crowd a little bit to get me pumped up again, and if I hit a great shot, then interact with the fans as much as possible,” DeChambeau said after Saturday’s competition. “It’s what I like to do. I just feed off of it no matter if it’s good or bad. They are certainly a raucous crowd, which I love. I think it’s awesome.”
Hatton, Rahm, former Tennessee star Caleb Surratt, and Kieran Vincent led Legion XIII to the team title with a total score of -40.
The event marked the long-awaited return of top-level men’s golf to Middle Tennessee.
For the first time since 1946, when the PGA Tour’s Nashville Invitational came to an end following wins from the likes of Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan during its three-year run, elite men’s golf will take center stage in
Music City.
LIV Golf, the brash upstart in direct competition with the PGA Tour, markets itself as the “louder” version of professional golf. Beginning in 2022, LIV Golf lies somewhere between the ABA and the XFL with its gimmicks, which includes shorter tournaments (three rounds of stroke play with no cut as opposed to four rounds), music playing during competition, and huge payouts.
The league has come under fire for its financial backing, which derives from the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. It is one of the many recent examples of potential “sportswashing,” where a nation attempts to improve its image through major sports events.
Even without a major men’s event, the Nashville area used to be a regular stop for golf enthusiasts. The Sara Lee Classic, which took place first at Old Hickory and then Franklin, was a LPGA fixture from 1988 through 2002. It was followed by the Franklin American Mortgage Championship from 2004-06.
The BellSouth Senior Classic, part of the Champions Tour, took place on the Opryland campus from 1994-2003. Recently, the top golf tournament to come through the area has been the Korn Ferry Tour’s Simmons Bank Open, which previously took place at the Nashville Golf Club in Brentwood before moving to The Grove. The Korn Ferry Tour operates as the second level of the PGA Tour.
The Simmons Bank Open is actually moving from The Grove to the Vanderbilt Legends Club starting this year due to the bitter rivalry between the PGA and LIV Golf.
LIV Golf Nashville PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
LIV Golf Nashville PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
LIV Golf Nashville PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
LIV Golf Nashville PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL
Vols win program’s first NCAA baseball championship Tennessee uses two homers and a sneaky slide to top Texas A&M 6-5
BY JOHN GLENNON
The University of Tennessee baseball team made a statement with its first at-bat on Monday.
The Volunteers kept hammering away all game long afterward.
Tennessee captured the school’s first NCAA baseball championship on Monday, blasting its way to a 6-5 victory over Texas A&M in the decisive Game Three of the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
“Very surreal,” Vols coach Tony Vitello told reporters. “Hard to center yourself, which is a good thing, being lost in the moment, I guess. Nothing too intelligent to say, other than the first thing to say is I hope the fans that have turned this into an insane party, insane event, got the series that they wanted and that they deserved.”
It was just the second CWS final appearance for the Vols, the first since they lost to Oklahoma in 1951.
The Vols (60-13) snapped the so-called curse of the No. 1 seed, becoming the first top-ranked team to win the title since Miami did so in 1999.
Tennessee’s victory capped a dream season, as the Vols also won a share of the SEC regular-season title and captured the SEC Tournament. The Vols lost just twice in 12 NCAA tournament games, falling once to Evansville in the super regional and once to the Aggies (52-15-1) in Game One of the CWS.
Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore delivered a message in the bottom of the first inning, swatting a leadoff home run over the left field wall to give the Vols a 1-0 lead. It was Moore’s team-high 34th homer of the season.
Left fielder Dylan Dreiling accounted for three of the Vols’ next four runs, as his sacrifice fly scored Blake Burke to put
Tennessee ahead 2-1 in the third. Dreiling then delivered a body blow in the seventh, hitting his third home run in as many games — a two-run shot — to give the Vols a 5-1 advantage. A sophomore from Hays, Kansas, Dreiling was named the CWS MVP.
“I kind of blacked out again in that moment,” Dreiling said of the home run. “I know first pitch I overswung on a heater way up. And then I kind of just told myself, `Just see the ball deep and just put a good swing on something.’ He threw me a change-up over the middle, and I just almost tried to be late on it to stay back, and put a good swing on it.”
The Vols hit 37 home runs during the tournament, tying the 1998 LSU team’s record.
Lewisburg native Kavares Tears, a Columbia Academy grad, knocked in Tennessee’s final run, doubling home Hunter Tinsley for a 6-1 lead in the seventh. The
throw beat Tinsley to the plate, but he somehow managed to elude the tag of Aggies catcher Jackson Appel, scoring what proved to be the winning run.
“No better play for our program to, I think, be the winning run on that slide, a guy that’s just built with a ton of grit,” Vitello said. “And his teammates follow his leadership. And it’s a great example of how this group got things done.”
Added Tinsley: “Just natural instinct trying to make a play right there and get back on the inside part of the bag. And just was able to avoid the tag right there, and ended up being a pretty big run.”
Five Vols posted two hits each, as Tennessee totaled 13 overall.
But the Aggies made things interesting, scoring twice in the eighth and ninth innings to cut the Vols’ lead to 6-5. Reliever Aaron Combs finally put an end to the Tennessee tension, striking out first baseman Ted Burton with the bases empty.
Five Vols pitchers totaled 14 strikeouts, helping strand nine Texas A&M baserunners. The Aggies averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, but Tennessee held Texas A&M to a combined six runs in the final two games of the CWS.
“It clearly could have been either team’s trophy tonight,” Vitello said. “No better team to win for the University of Tennessee than a bunch of guys who were truly the definition of a team.”
This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
Five free and cheap family things to do in Middle Tennessee
BY AMANDA HAGGARD
It’s about that time to get inside during the heat of the day, so we’ve brought you quite a few indoor kid events this week. At various library branches, there are a bevy of options to remain cool. You can check out some science activity at Looby Branch, read to a dog over on the East Side or go make some toys for the dogs in the shelter over at the Hermitage branch of the library. The Tennessee State Museum also has a special reading time scheduled for July 2 and every Tuesday throughout the month of July. And then we recommend one outdoor event in Franklin — you can’t miss the 21st annual Blackberry Jam Music Festival at Harlinsdale. As part of our series on free cheap things to do with the family, here is our weekly roundup of places to spend time together over the next week:
ADVENTURE SCIENCE CENTER PRESENTS: SPLITTING MOLECULES
On June 27, the Looby Branch of the Nashville Public Library will be hosting a science event from 2-3 p.m. in coordination with the Adventure Science Center. The event asks kids aged 6-14 to “Channel your inner mad scientist as you use the power of electricity to split water molecules.” Attendees will be allowed to test various liquids and will see a demonstration of harvesting hydrogen.
READING PAWS
Every Thursday from 2-3 p.m. at the East Branch of the Nashville Public Library, there’s a puppy there on deck to cuddle with your little ones while they read. Kids can bring their own books or select one to
read from the library. Every reader gets 15 minutes with the pup, so it’s best to reserve a slot ahead of time by calling the East Branch.
SRC PRESENTS: DIY ANIMAL SHELTER TOYS
While no pups are present for this one, the Hermitage Branch of the Nashville Public Library is having a craft event on June 28 from 3-4 p.m. to make fun toys for the cats and dogs of the Metro Animal Care and Control shelter. All toys produced will be donated to animals in the care of MACC — the craft may be better for older kids, but all ages are welcome.
BLACKBERRY JAM MUSIC FESTIVAL
On June 29 at Harlinsdale Farm, they’re hosting the 21st iteration of the annual
Blackberry Jam Music Festival. The Saturday event will feature Reyna Roberts, Tae Lewis, Don Adam’s Band, Tanya and Charles Harris and Joe Hand. There will also be a kid’s section with Roger Day and Aria Music Class. Gates for the event open at 3 p.m. and there will also be a large selection of food and drink options for sale.
SUMMER STORY TIME: SLEEPOVER AT THE MUSEUM
At the Tennessee State Museum throughout July, they’ll be hosting additional story times in the Children’s Gallery. On July 2 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, they’ll read Sleepover at the Museum, written by Karen LeFrak, and do a related craft. The story is all about finding the perfect place to sleep in the museum.
Tennessee’s national champion baseball team PHOTO: TENNESSEE ATHLETICS
Tomato Pie
BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE
“I have seen—and loved—tomato pies made with spoonfuls of mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and Ritz crackers crumbled on top. Still, I’ d rather crackers not cover up the wrinkled, roasted beauty of the tomatoes in this pie. I also like mixing tomato types and sizes to create a palette of colors on top. And with pieces of bacon, a little mayonnaise (but not too much), and basil leaves, it’s like an amped up BLT wrapped in the charm of pie. It’s my favorite.” Excerpted from Nashville Eats by food writer, Jennifer Justus.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds medium-sized tomatoes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 (9-inch) piecrust, store-bought or homemade
1. Slice the large tomatoes into rounds ¼ inch thick and place them on paper towels. Let stand 10 minutes, flip over onto fresh paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes more. (If they are too juicy they will make your pie soupy.)
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Combine mayonnaise, cheddar, and Parmesan.
3. Arrange a layer of tomatoes in the bottom of the piecrust. Sprinkle with pepper, half the bacon, layer on five
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 slices thick-cut bacon, fried and broken into pieces
10 basil leaves
handful of cherry tomatoes
4 thyme sprigs
of the basil leaves, and spread half of the mayonnaise mixture over the basil. Repeat, ending with a final layer of sliced tomatoes, placed so that you can fit the cherry tomatoes on top as well. Scatter thyme leaves on the top of pie.
4. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, placing strips of aluminum foil around edges if they get too brown. Cool.
Find more music city dishes and stories in Nashville Eats (Abrams, October 2015) by Jennifer Justus.
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 Language from which we get “shampoo”
6 Stor y that starts with the end?
10 “Let There Be Rock” band, 1977
14 A Philly cheesesteak comes “wit” or “witout” it
15 Umpteen’s antithesis
16 Nile queen, familiarly
17 Coeur d’___, city on Idaho’s panhandle
18 Carbonated fountain drinks that contain neither …
20 Derby entrant
21 Kind of “quotes”
22 Up to this point
23 Unusual meat courses that are neither …
26 Bub
27 Two past “cue”
28 Response to “Who’s ready?”
29 Where total revenue is listed on a financial report
31 Some smallish batteries
32 Word in an advertiser’s starburst
33 Celebratory occasions for founders to ring the N.Y.S.E. bell, for short
34 What 18-, 23-, 49and 56-Across could be called
39 Cube creator ___ Rubik
40 StubHub purchases, informally
41 Brian who composed the original star t-up sound for Windows 95
42 Clunkers
54 France’s ___-en-Provence
55 Roof par ts
56 Breakfast cereal that contains neither …
58 Feudal lord
59 Dublin’s land, to Dubliners
60 Fairy tale monster
61 Currently happening
62 Lengthy constr uction project, per a saying?
63 Intersect
64 Reformer Horace and writer Thomas DOWN
1 Like fervent fans at the Kentucky Derby, punnily enough
2 Typical holiday visitors
3 Wife’s sister’s daughters, e.g.
4 This guy gets it!
5 Like the proper ty cited in Newton’s first law
44 TV actor who was once a bodyguard (charging $10k/day)
45 Me, in Marseilles
48 Navajo neighbor
49 Woodwind instrument that is neither …
52 Longtime bridge columnist Char les
6 Difficult kind of pushup
7 Humphrey of old Hollywood, to fans
8 They don’t appreciate well
9 Private eye, in old slang
10 Top four of 52
11 Quaint item for smoking
12 Comportment
13 Are cheaper
19 Grating voice quality
24 Like our standard number system
25 Mood killers
30 Luxurious ride
31 “Peek-___!”
32 Get rid of
34 Computer program that fixes other computer programs
35 Handel’s “Messiah,” for one
36 Often-deodorized area
37 Overestimate, say
38 Fleeing like a fugitive
43 State bird of Hawaii
44 D.J.’s performance
45 Progressive advocacy group for public policy
46 F irst state to conduct all of its elections by mail
47 Atlas close-ups
50 Petrol unit
51 Port city in northern Israel
53 Fencer’s weapon
57 ___ de plume
ANSWER TO PUZZLE
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SERVICE & MAINTENANCE
WOODMONT BAPTIST CHURCH
Centennial Park Conservancy Donor Appreciation Event
PHOTOS: JASON BIHLER
Centennial Park Conservancy celebrated their steadfast supporters at a recent Donor and Member Appreciation Picnic during Musicians Corner. The outing coincided with Musicians Corner’s 15th anniversary celebration, where founders of the free concert series, including Ben Armistead, Hope Stringer, and Sylvia Rapoport, were honored on stage. Vince Gill made a guest appearance, as did Mayor Freddie O’Connell, to recognize the impact the
event has had on the Nashville community. Centennial Park Conservancy welcomed members, donors, and partners to an exclusive area for the festivities, which included charcuterie, crudité and fruit cups from B’Yond Catering and Events and refreshing beverages from Lone River and Scarpetta Wines, while they enjoyed the allstar lineup of Musicians Corner performers. The event was generously underwritten by SESAC, HDLA and BMI.
Justin and Kacie Tam with Moia and Milo
David Ewing and Derrick Moore Trish and John Lindler
Nancy Peterson Hearn, Denise Cummins, and Hope Stringer
Eliza Warren, Chris Madderom, David Ewing, and Howard Gentry
Justin Branam, Justin Tam, and John Tumminello
Brittney Farrow, Wendy Buntin, Gabrielle Cox-Bey, and Yolanda Cox-Bey
SOCIAL
Brittney Farrow and Howard Gentry
Catherine and John Tumminello with Tessa
Musicians Corner
Founders Ben Armistead, Paul Worley, John Styll, Hope Stringer, Sylvia Rapoport, Kristen Dabbs, and Jody Williams
Vince Gill
Randy Talmadge, Wendy Buntin and Jim Ed Norman
Nancy Peterson Hearn
Denise Cummins and Wendy Buntin
Centennial Park Conservancy President John Tumminello
Nancy Peterson Hearn and Patricia Grillos
Musicians Corner Executive Producer Justin Branam
National Association for Catering & Events (NACE)
PHOTOS: JASON BIHLER PHOTOGRAPHY
On Monday, June 17th, the National Association for Catering & Events (NACE) officially relaunched its Nashville Chapter with a special event at TC Restaurant Group’s newly opened Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen located at 107 4th Avenue North next to the historic Ryman Auditorium. Since its founding in 1958, the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) has been the go-to resource and community for catering and event professionals nationwide.
The event was hosted by new NACE Nashville president Katie Goyette, who is TC Restaurant Group’s Vice President of Sales.
The event featured more than 150 attendees in the catering and events industry. Within the six-story venue, it began at the club stage where the Aly Cutter Band performed and continued to the mezzanine dining room floor for bites and drinks before finishing on the rooftop with the Rock & Roll
Pianos playing. Guests were also treated to a tour of the venue’s private sky box to sample its signature smoked specialty cocktails. Learn more about joining NACE at https://www.nace.net/.
Alese Nielsen, Aubry Jacobs, Katie Goyette, Michelle Dunnick, Linwood Campbell, Meghan Shanley, and Lucia Rios
Linwood Campbell and Meghan Shanley
Brooks Parker, Beth McDaniels, and Mindy Powell-Hardy
Blaine Lash, Melissa Estrella, and Victoria Trosper
Melanie Mills and Nick Greenbury
Josh Heavener, Lucia Rios, and Tiffany Heavener
Jacqueline Cannon and Benton Pittman
Aly Cutter
David Ewing
Alese Nielson
Meghan Shanley
CLASSIFIED
help wanted help wanted help wanted help wanted
Project Manager – S&ME, Inc. – Nashville, TN.
Resp for the oʼall excutn of low to mdrtly cmplx projs incl safety, risk mgmt, quality, schdl, tech aspects, achvʼg client objtvs, & prfblty. Reqs bach deg (or FDE) in Civil Engnrg, Structrl Engnrg, Engnrg Technlgy, Geotech Engnrg, or rltd engnrg or const fld, or any eqv combo of wrk exp & voctnl trng. Mst hv 8 yrs const engnrg ind exp incl 3 yrs as a Proj Mgr, Proj Assoc, or rltd occ. Mst hv dmstrd exp in: staff ldrshp, devlpmt, & mgmt; bus mtrcs; sales; client devlpmt & svc; safety polcs & prcdrs; risk mgmt cncpts; proj mgmt prcdrs; plnʻg, mntrg, & mngʻg loc bdgts; subcntr & subcslt mgmt; utlztn & mltplr cncpts rltʻg to prfblty; acctg & P&L stmnts; & proj tech aspects. Mst hv a valid driverʼs lic. Up to 20% locl travl is reqd. Mst hv lgl auth to wrk in the U.S. EEOE. Send resumes to Nina Porter, Sr. HR Business Partner, S&ME, Inc., 6190 Enterprise Ct., Dublin, OH 43016, or email to nporter@smeinc.com. Pls ref job title + JS24 in cvr ltr/email subj line.
Systems Architect
B2B Systems Architect. Nashville, TN.
Deliver technical advisory services, documentation, and digital governance to mature and innovate digital capabilities; develop and lead the process for building and translating technical business requirements into durable and efficient solutions. Must possess bachelorʼs or foreign degree equivalent in computer science or technology plus 5 years progressively responsible work experience using Java development, Spring, Dev-Ops; building and designing digital and commerce solutions; using enterprise digital architecture; working across cross-functional teams to implement solutions, including 3 years using SAP Commerce and APIs. Remote from any U.S. state. Apply on Bridgestone Americas, Inc.ʼs website at www.bridgestoneamericas.com/en/our-team.
