March 2, 2023

Angie Henderson moves toward vice mayoral run

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

Metro Councilmember Angie Henderson on Tuesday filed paperwork with local regulators allowing her to raise money for a vice mayoral campaign. Henderson has been publicly considering a campaign since last year.

“I have appointed a treasurer, but I have not launched a campaign,” Henderson told the Post. “I feel strongly about the importance of the vice mayoral role for our city, especially at such a pivotal time for the Metro Council. I am still weighing several options for how best to continue serving Nashville.”

Henderson has represented District 34 — including Cheekwood, Green Hills, Forest Hills and other parts of southwestern Davidson County — for two terms. Past roles have included president of the Belle Meade Highlands Neighborhood Association, founder of the Green Hills

Ongoing community meetings and input raise concerns over proposed Belle Meade Plaza development

BY MATT MASTERS

Action Partners and board member of the Harpeth Hall Alumnae Association. During her time on the Metro Council, Henderson has chaired the parks, public works and charter revision committees and spearheaded legislation related to sidewalks and the city’s tree canopy.

Henderson opted against a vice mayoral bid in 2018 because she “ran for elected office to improve policy, which I could not do as the vice mayor,” she said at the time.

Vice Mayor Jim Shulman, first elected in 2019, is eligible for reelection in 2023. He told the Post he plans to run.

“I love Nashville,” he said. “I still am interested in finding better ways to make this city better and improve people’s quality of life, and I’m interested in serving four more years.”

Shulman led the Tennessee

The latest in a series of community meetings on the future of Belle Meade Plaza took place on Feb. 26 and 27 at Aquinas College featuring a presentation on the project related to stormwater, flooding concerns, future creek restorations, transportation, traffic, and plenty of community push-back.

The presentation included representatives from Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital), Hawkins Partners, KCI Technologies, Barge Civil and Associates, Metro Water Services, VCE Investigative, Davey Resource Group, and Nashville District 24 Councilwoman Kathleen Murphy.

The multi-building mixed-use project has been the subject of several community meetings which have drawn hundreds of attendees and responses.

The Belle Meade Plaza Shopping Center most prominently houses Kroger, which opened in 1978 and will soon relocate two miles down the road to 4301 Harding Pike.

Updated plans include 101 residential condos, 287 rental apartments, 78 hotel units, 80,000 square feet of food and retail space across nine buildings ranging from one to 13 stories tall.

The development would also see green space and pedestrian paths along the creek as well as a parking garage.

“While the project meets the Nashville Next community plan, community input is still very important and should be reflected in the final plan,” Murphy told our sister

publication Nashville Post in January. “This has been the best proposal for this area that has been brought to me and I am very impressed with the amount of conservation proposed, restoration of the creek and reduction in the impervious surfaces.”

The proposed project is still in the early stages but has already seen significant numbers of questions and push-back from citizens including an online petition that has seen more than 2,800 signatures with the goal of stopping the proposed rezoning of the property.

“Other than AJ Capital, who is for this project?” one citizen asked during the Feb. 27 meeting.

Murphy responded that she has heard positive feedback from some residents, but said that some of those in favor of the project “don’t feel comfortable speaking up” due to the amount of public criticism of the project.

All of the public feedback during the Feb. 27 meeting was either in opposition or at least questioned the project and it’s backers, but Murphy said that she wants to hear as much feedback from citizens as the discussions and project continues to be debated and adjusted.

“We know what we’re up against every day,” one longtime resident said during the traffic discussion portion of Sunday’s meeting. “This is a distressed corridor -You’re not doing anything to make it less distressed, if anything it’s going to make it more, and that’s our big concern.”

Metro Councilmember

PHOTO BY METRO NASHVILLE

Angie Henderson

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGIE HENDERSON CAMPAIGN

As state legislation targets the LGBTQ

Pride celebrations adapt

BY MATT MASTERS

As Gov. Bill Lee prepares to sign a number of bills into law that would directly impact the LGBTQ community — including the criminalization of drag shows where children could be present — Pride celebrations in Tennessee are adapting to an uncertain future.

Senate Bill 3 was introduced by state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) who argued that the bill targets obscenity and protects children from what he calls “overtly sexual entertainment.”

“We’re saying that you can’t do that in a public park, you can’t do that in a restaurant where kids are present,” Johnson said.

Opponents argue that other laws already on the books cover obscenity, and members of the LGBTQ community characterize the legislation as part of a larger attack on their rights.

Nashville Pride began in 1988 and will return June 24 and 25 with what organizers have said will be a celebration largely unchanged from recent years, adding that they continue to have a “strong partnership” with the Metro Nashville government. Drag performances will take place at this year’s public festival, along with the return of the festival’s parade, live musical performances,

youth activities and hundreds of business and community vendors.

“[The legislation] is very disheartening and very concerning, but we’re looking forward to celebrating — that’s what Pride is,” says Zach Ledbetter, vice president of Nashville Pride’s board of directors. “It’s to celebrate the progress that has been made and coming together as a community to organize, volunteer and really support one another, and this year will be no different.”

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported earlier this month that Knox Pride will cancel its 2023 festival and parade if the GOP-backed legislation becomes law, with other celebrations deciding how to proceed. An October letter from Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall called Pride event organizer Tennessee Equality Project Foundation’s 2022 application “misleading,” and pledged to deny future special-event permits submitted by the organization.

“The portion of the event was far from ‘family friendly’ and clearly unsuitable for ‘all ages,’ ” Tindall wrote, adding that the “event intentionally exposed young children to this conduct.”

Since that letter was issued, Boro Pride supporters have spoken out at Murfreesboro

City Council meetings. While Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland said in early January that the council believed there is room for compromise, it’s unclear at this time if and how Rutherford County’s LGBTQ community will celebrate in 2023.

Tennessee Equality Project executive director Chris Sanders declined to comment directly on the status of Boro Pride, as the nonprofit is seeking the counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU has already pledged legal action regarding Tennessee bills targeting trans health care.

“We don’t want the government dictating what kind of clothes we wear, the composition of our festivals, the way we engage in artistic expression, and drag is an artform, period,” Sanders says. “So I think every conservative can join anybody else in clinging to the Bill of Rights. That has to be common ground for our country. When the Bill of Rights is no longer the common ground, it would be hard to imagine what might be common ground for our country.”

Sanders says legislation could also empower citizens to “nitpick at every element of a public drag performance” in an attempt to get a performer cited or arrested. It’s scrutiny that Sanders believes

will also be aimed at trans and nonbinary people in general and could lead to dangerous interactions.

In January, right-wing activist group Turning Point USA held its so-called “Teens Against Gender Mutilation Rally” in Murfreesboro, which drew both LGBTQrights supporters and members of far-right hate group the Proud Boys. Proud Boys also faced off with protesters during an anti-trans rally held on Nashville’s Legislative Plaza in October. The event was organized by right-wing media personality Matt Walsh and featured remarks from U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, state Sen. Johnson and state House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland).

State Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) calls the legislation and the extremist groups “the stirrings of fascism.” Nashville Pride’s Ledbetter says safety and security will continue to be a top priority for the event, which has a “zero tolerance policy” regarding threats and harassment. Nashville Pride will rely in large part on private security.

In Williamson County, Franklin Pride organizers have committed to continuing the annual celebration, which was first held in 2019 and takes place in

Republican strategist Alice Rolli running for mayor

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

The latest entrant in the 2023 Nashville mayoral race is Alice Rolli, a former aide to Tennessee Republicans and a business and education strategist.

Rolli has enlisted David Fox, who finished second in the 2015 mayoral race, as campaign treasurer. Though the election is nonpartisan, Rolli lists her affiliation as Republican on campaign paperwork.

“We’ve had too many leaders in our city come to believe that cutting special deals for large corporations is somehow the most important metric of Nashville’s success,” Fox said in a statement. “But Alice Rolli, on the other hand, has proven time and again that mustering a grassroots army to defend the things that truly make Nashville a great place to live, is what it should be all about. For Alice, the right measure is not how many people or companies we pay to come here. But instead, it’s the quality of life for all who are committed to make our city their home.”

Rolli was campaign manager for Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander’s 2014 reelection bid and worked for several years in the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development during GOP Gov. Bill Haslam’s time in office. She was also an adviser to Republican Randy Boyd’s

unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2018 and was involved in an effort to stop a development near Fort Negley in 2017.

According to an online biography, she has held strategy positions at education organizations including Possip, iteach and QuaverEd. Rolli grew up in Nashville and attended Stanford University and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Nashville mayoral races have traditionally been unkind to conservatives, though a push in the Tennessee General Assembly to eliminate runoffs in local elections could carve a path for a conservative to win a plurality, and thus the election, in a crowded field.

Following Mayor John Cooper’s announcement earlier this month that he would not seek reelection in 2023, several candidates have jumped in the race, joining those who launched challenges to Cooper last year. Among those now in contention to succeed Cooper are state Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville), former Metro official Matt Wiltshire, former AllianceBernstein executive Jim Gingrich and Metro Councilmembers Sharon Hurt and Freddie O’Connell.

The qualifying deadline for the race is in May.

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

Marsha Blackburn ignoring news media means ignoring constituents

BY BILL FREEMAN

yet she does not communicate with her constituents in the way we deserve.

It doesn’t take intensive research and analysis to see that Blackburn likes to play the darling to national news outlets, particularly those whose ideology most closely aligns with her own. She’s even hosted cooking segments on Fox News, for instance. Posing for Fox’s cameras in her kitchen and chatting about repurposing Thanksgiving leftovers, but not sitting for regular interviews with local newspapers? How is that in the best interest of Tennesseans?

roughly 2,000 results — including cooking segments and even a video interview with U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty in our very own Pancake Pantry.

I am growing increasingly concerned with the lack of communication from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. We deserve to hear from the people we elected to represent us in Congress, and none is in more of a position of responsibility than our senior U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. She represents the entire state of Tennessee,

LOGAN

MATT MASTERS,

We can hardly turn on the national news — particularly conservative national news — without seeing Marsha Blackburn as a talking head. Her willingness to sit for interviews with those outlets has been clear for years. What is most disconcerting is that a thorough review of articles in our state’s daily newspapers over the past year shows that there is a major discrepancy between the material Blackburn feeds to us here locally and what she puts on national television.

Her opinions remain the same throughout all of her media appearances, but what strikes me most is the stark difference between the amount of local news coverage and national news coverage. As of this writing, if you search the phrase “Marsha Blackburn” on Fox News’ website, you’ll find

BRENDA BATEY, SOCIAL CORRESPONDENT

LISA BOLD, PRODUCTION MANAGER

CHELON HASTY, SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER

HEATHER CANTRELL MULLINS, PUBLISHER

ELIZABETH JONES , CORPORATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

TODD PATTON , CFO

MIKE SMITH , PRESIDENT AND CEO

BILL FREEMAN, OWNER

It’s rather clear that Blackburn is more interested in getting attention from national conservative press than Tennessee press. Her focus is apparent, as she offers ardent opinions on national issues that don’t necessarily pertain to Tennessee. I was most struck by the following contrast. We reviewed 88 articles about Blackburn in daily newspapers across the state over the past calendar year. Of these 88, we pulled the 28 most relevant. Fifteen of these 28 — more than half — were opinion pieces. One was even an opinion piece by Blackburn herself. That means the majority of the news coverage we receive about Blackburn on a local basis isn’t directly from a journalist at all. The coverage features opinions and questions from local residents and from leaders in various pertinent industries. Where are the facts from our elected officials that we need to know, so we can form a perspective on the work they should be doing on our behalf?

But beyond the fact that our senior U.S. senator appears to be more willing to sit for national news than local papers, Blackburn has not held an in-person town hall meeting

Henderson

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Commission on Aging and Disability before taking over as CEO of nonprofit Safe Haven in 2021. He said he resigned from that position in December as the organization was conducting a review of his leadership.

“It was not a good fit from the very beginning for me, and it was a difference of opinion with some of the leadership there,” Shulman said. “In the end, it made more sense for me to step away, and it all worked out.”

The position of vice mayor is largely parliamentary, with the officeholder running Metro Council meetings, appointing Metro Council committees and voting on legislation in the event of a tie. The vice

Pride celebrations

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

the city-owned Park at Harlinsdale Farm. Organizers say they’ve had great experiences working with the city planning past events, and in 2022, the city issued a proclamation recognizing and celebrating Franklin Pride.

“There are people in the community that need this time and space, and to not have Pride would totally let down the youth, you know, that are depending one day a year to have a

open to the general public since she was elected to the U.S. Senate. Not one! How are we supposed to hear her report on her work and her voting record, how are we supposed to ask questions of this elected official, if she does not make herself available to the general public? Her last town hall meeting, according to multiple reports, was in 2017! We have weathered many news cycles and challenging statewide issues during these past six years, but we have not been given an opportunity to address them with Blackburn in a town hall meeting. Not once!

That is arguably the most shocking detail of all. Blackburn can make time in her schedule to shoot Fox News video segments showing how to make toffee and repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers, but she can’t make time to sit for regular Q&As with daily newspapers across the state or host in-person town hall meetings for all her constituents. That’s just not right. Tennessee deserves better. Tennessee can do better.

Bill Freeman

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

mayor also assumes the position of mayor in the case of a resignation or death, as thenVice Mayor David Briley did in 2018 upon the resignation of Mayor Megan Barry. Shulman said that, though the vice mayor typically does not vote on legislation, he could “help get the conversation moving” on issues like affordable housing, crime, education and homelessness, including by appointing special committees.

The qualifying deadline for the race is in May.

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

safe space to go,” says Franklin Pride PresidentEmeritus Robert McNamara. “Whatever it looks like, we will have a festival.”

Current Franklin Pride President Clayton Klutts says the group is awaiting final approval from the city, and confirms that this year’s festival will not include drag performances.

A version of this story ran in our sister publication Nashville Scene.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn

PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

Cooper, Titans take stadium deal to Metro Council

BY ELI MOTYCKA

Metro, which will contribute an estimated $760 million to the total cost. The city expects to spend an additional $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades related to a complete redesign of the East Bank, which will be home to a new stadium district.

“This agreement serves as the launching pad to channel future development on Nashville’s East Bank into the kind of neighborhood that serves all residents,” reads a statement from the mayor.

The team’s current lease, signed in 1996 by then-Mayor Phil Bredesen, is set to expire in 2026. In recent years, the city has neglected maintenance costs at Nissan Stadium, and will reimburse the team up to $42 million for those receipts, according to the mayor’s office.

general fund, including sales taxes collected in and around a new stadium and a 1 percent increase in the hotel-motel tax. It is not yet clear whether revenue bonds will be guaranteed by the general fund like the “backstop” used to secure debt for Music City Center.

Mayor John Cooper and the Tennessee Titans have reached terms for a new stadium. Cooper filed an agreement between the city and team to the Metro Council on Friday afternoon, according to a press release. As of publication, the exact agreement had not yet been posted on the city’s legislative database. The final agreement follows more than

a year of negotiations between Cooper and the team. The stadium was budgeted at $2.2 billion in last year’s Capital Improvements Budget, but contributions released today add up to $2.1 billion — either number makes the facility the second-most-expensive arena in the world. That cost is expected to be split between the state, the team and

The Metro Council will review the mayor’s proposed deal in the coming weeks. In December, the council approved a nonbinding terms sheet that laid out various elements of a new lease between the city and team. Cooper argues that the new agreement shifts city liabilities from the general fund to specific revenue streams in and around a new stadium district on the East Bank.

The city plans to issue $760 million in bonds. These will be backed by a variety of revenue streams rather than the city’s

Last week, Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes argued against a new stadium in a widely circulated memo titled “Reject the Proposed Stadium Deal.” Critics of a new stadium, including Mendes, are wary of how pressure to generate sales taxes will shape the development of the East Bank — currently a sprawling industrial park — and cost the city. Mendes chaired the East Bank Stadium Committee, a body specially convened to provide a perspective on the stadium independent of both the mayor’s office and the team.

“I think the financing plan will force the area more toward tourism than being a neighborhood,” writes Mendes. A new stadium would include a dome — a stipulation by the state, which is contributing a $500 million subsidy to the project. This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Scene.

Stadium rendering

PHOTO COURTESY OF MANICA/TENNESSEE TITANS

State lawmakers are targeting Nashville’s finances

BY CONOR DARYANI

Power struggles between the dominantly Republican Tennessee General Assembly and the left-leaning Metro Nashville government are nothing new. But a recent spate of legislation at the state Capitol seems to indicate that conservative legislators are willing to take the battle to places it has never been before, with the potential for harmful fiscal consequences.

A number of bills filed during this legislative session seem to have the express purpose of retaliating against Nashville for the Metro Council’s rejection of attempting to host the 2024 Republican National Convention. One such bill aims to cut the council in half, another seeks to take control of Metro’s Sports Authority and Airport Authority, and yet another would eliminate local runoff elections. The latter, which would let a plurality of votes determine an election’s winner rather than a majority, could hypothetically open a pathway for a conservative to win Nashville’s mayoral race.

“During my years in the legislature, there are always areas of cooperation, but also definitely conflict between the state and Metro,” said Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville). “The danger and volume of threats and conflicts this year is unprecedented and moves beyond the political to the financial and economic stability of both the city and the state.”

One particularly disruptive bill aims to cut Metro’s so-called privilege taxes, which place an extra sales tax on areas and services heavily trafficked by tourists. These taxes are largely used to pay off bonds that funded the Music City Center. But with tax collections in the area surpassing expectations, MCC and Metro leaders have in recent years sought to redirect some of the excess funds to other uses in the city.

It’s unclear what the effects of such a bill could be. Financial experts have weighed in, lamenting the plan as mutually destructive and saying it could cause damage not only to Nashville’s bond rating, but also the bond ratings of cities statewide.

“Honestly, since no such thing has ever happened, it’s very hard for any of us to know the full extent of what this will mean,” former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell said. “But there is no question that it puts a significant instability into not just the governance of this city, but the governance of all cities and the future of the state.”

Purcell and Metro Councilmember AtLarge Bob Mendes are less concerned with the potential for damage to bond ratings and more concerned with other implications of this legislation. Mendes explains that as part of the deal to fund the convention center, Metro promised to back up the bonds in case of a scenario such as this one — so regardless of where the funding comes from, the debt

on those bonds will get retired.

“Most likely property taxes would have to go up to cover the shortfall,” Mendes said. “So I think bonds will get paid, but it’ll be a direct impact on Metro taxpayers paying for it directly rather than having these dedicated revenue sources to pay for it.”

Since the legislation’s initial introduction, Republican leadership has indicated that the bill will likely need to be changed due to legal issues. Contracts were signed, and cutting this revenue source could be a breach of those contracts. State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) has hinted that rather than cut the funding, the General Assembly could instead take control of the revenue and decide for itself how money not spent on the convention center could be allocated.

“That’s not nearly as egregious as us losing out on $80 million a year of revenue,” said Mendes. “But that’s still $25 million a year that we’ll have to find a different way to cover.”

The plan used to fund the convention center is similar to the funding plan being proposed for a new Titans stadium. Mendes points out that the willingness of the state’s Republican supermajority to play with that funding stream as part of a power struggle should give Metro pause about pursuing similar projects.

“The state has pulled the pin on a substantial grenade,” said Mendes. “A major premise of the argument from the mayor’s office for a new stadium has been using these revenue streams, and now we’re seeing that may not be reliable.”

In an increasingly politically polarized country, feuds between city and state governments are becoming more aggressive. The GOP has begun searching for a city to host the 2028 RNC, and some have speculated that the Metro Council could put in a bid to host the event in an attempt to mend Nashville’s relationship with the state. But Mendes said it will take a lot to make things better, and Purcell believes there’s much more at stake than the city’s finances.

“I think from a practical standpoint and a political standpoint, the question is the control of the destiny of the city,” said Purcell. “And obviously, at its core, this is an effort that diminishes and perhaps removes the city’s ability to both take care of what we have and also plan for the future.”

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

City begins $10M participatory budgeting program

BY ELI MOTYCKA

Metro’s 2023 participatory budgeting steering committee will meet for the first time on Wednesday, beginning the process of dividing $10 million for projects across the city.

The committee will produce guidelines that will govern how the money is distributed. Councilmembers are currently recruiting delegates, who will review submissions and create a ballot of projects that will be subject to public voting.

The $10 million came in December from the waning COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee, the ad hoc body set up in 2020 to help manage federal relief dollars. It builds on two rounds of participatory budgeting supported by the city in 2021 and 2022 that allocated $4 million in capital improvements in Bordeaux and North Nashville. That money brought much-needed infrastructure that, some neighbors say, should have come without the bureaucracy of voting, meetings and debate. Others praise participatory budgeting as direct democracy at work.

Fabian Bedne, a former councilmember who now works on community development in the mayor’s office, oversaw both previous cycles. Bedne will convene and support the city’s new steering committee.

“I’m a true believer in this,” Bedne said. “In prior years, I saw that people really know what is good for them. If given the tools, they come up with really good solutions. They just need to get the tools.” Bedne emphasized that a successful process will result from far-ranging and creative submissions from residents trying to solve problems.

“We want ideas from all over the city. Not just the usual suspects.”

A submission portal is already up. The

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement agreement with Nashville Acupuncture Clinic (NAC) following allegations that the Bellevue clinic violated the False Claims Act. NAC will now pay the federal government $300,000.

According to DOJ news release, prosecutors said that NAC submitted false claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for “nonreimbursable acupuncture for which the claims

steering committee will directly determine what projects are eligible for the funds, which, according to Bedne, must somehow address the impact of COVID-19 on Nashville. The steering committee has no deadline to return its process guidelines.

Members had training sessions with representatives from Metro’s legal and finance departments last week. Metro lawyers covered the basics of open meetings, legally required provisions to ensure transparency.

Assistant Finance Director Mary Jo Wiggins briefed the group on how the project is funded and budgeted.

Bedne declined to make the entire committee roster public, but it includes Nicole Williams, a contributor to Post sister publication Nashville Scene who was nominated by her district Councilmember Mary Carolyn Roberts.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to maintain some distance from the administration and make this a truly resident-led effort,” Williams said. “Year after year, we hear calls from residents across the county to reevaluate spending priorities, and year after year, the administration produces budgets that fail to meaningfully address that feedback. Participatory budgeting empowers citizens to direct spending to the projects and programs that will best serve their communities.”

While the mayor’s office helped organize the steering committee, Bedne reiterates that the committee is fully empowered to determine the process around allocating the $10 million. Members will meet at OneC1TY near Centennial Park at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

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

were not authorized, not allowed as coded, or lacked supporting documentation,” conduct which they said occurred from 2017-2020, during which time the VA reimbursed NAC for false claims.

“Health care fraud is a top priority of this office,” U.S. Attorney Leventis said. “We will continue to aggressively pursue anyone involved in fraud against government programs. Whether it be a

Acupuncture clinic

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

corporate entity, a clinic, or an individual provider, those who seek to exploit federal health care programs for financial gain can expect to be the focus of our civil and criminal enforcement efforts.”

The allegations came about following a 2021 internal audit by the VA - Office of Inspector General which estimated that improper payments for acupuncture totaled an estimated $137 million nationwide during fiscal years 2018-2019.

“The VA OIG is committed to using all available resources, including proactive data reviews of medical provider billing to identify any billing practices that are statistical outliers. Today’s settlement is a result of those efforts,” Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins said. “This civil settlement is a testament to the VA OIG’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs and preserving taxpayer funds.”

Fire

damages Bellevue home on Highway 100

STAFF REPORTS

A home on the 7000 block of Highway 100 was damaged in a weekend fire that resulted in no injuries.

According to the Nashville Fire Department, emergency crews were dispatched to the scene at 5:50 p.m. on Sunday in a response that lasted until 10 p.m.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no further information, including the extent of the damage, was available

Summit’s Desselle, Little, Independence’s Lent land wrestling state titles

Several local wrestlers placed among the DI-A, DI-AA, and girls medal stands

BY LOGAN BUTTS

The Division I wrestling and girls wrestling state championships took place at the Williamson County Ag Center over the weekend, and several local wrestlers came away with state titles.

Let’s take a look at some of the top results from Nashville-area wrestlers from the weekend:

DIVISION I-A

106 Weight Class

2nd Place - Justin Muniz of Green Hill

113 Weight Class

2nd Place - Lucas Martin of Hillwood

3rd Place - Kyle Nielsen of Spring Hill

120 Weight Class

2nd Place - Henry Ribble of Fairview

3rd Place - Landon Turner of Harpeth

4th Place - Nathan Simpson of Page

126 Weight Class

6th Place - Thomas Brown of Page

132 Weight Class

3rd Place - Keegan Seaver of Fairview

5th Place - Greg Gomez of Martin Luther King

138 Weight Class

2nd Place - Brody McLemore of Eagleville

145 Weight Class

6th Place - Thomas Solomon of Eagleville

152 Weight Class

5th Place - Nikolas Taylor of White House Heritage

160 Weight Class

1st Place - Thomas Magness of Harpeth

4th Place - Malachi Bennett of Fairview

170 Weight Class

1st Place - Jake Stacey of Green Hill

5th Place - Michael Carter of Spring Hill

195 Weight Class

3rd Place - Kendrick Curtis of Fairview

4th Place - Nathan Downey of Green Hill

220 Weight Class

3rd Place - Cayden Buchannon of Spring Hill

5th Place - William Henderson of Fairview

285 Weight Class

2nd Place - Ronan O`Connell of Page

DIVISION I-AA

106 Weight Class

4th Place - Chase Fisher of Wilson Central

5th Place - Reed Loeffel of Brentwood

6th Place - Blaise Masi of Summit

113 Weight Class

3rd Place - Chase Creque of Siegel

120 Weight Class

5th Place - Russell Ford of Independence

6th Place - Zachery Little of Summit

126 Weight Class

1st Place - Jarvis Little of Summit

4th Place - Nicholas Mercante of Wilson Central

6th Place - Thomas Rubio of Blackman

132 Weight Class

4th Place - Landon Beasley of Oakland

6th Place - Michael Posey of Summit

138 Weight Class

1st Place - Landon Desselle of Summit

2nd Place - Connor Warnock of Wilson Central

3rd Place - Jaxsen Nieuwsma of Oakland

4th Place - Arash Yazdani of Brentwood

6th Place - Riddeck Romano of Independence

145 Weight Class

2nd Place - Mason Sells of Blackman

3rd Place - Brayden Leach of Summit

4th Place - Brock Wittman of Franklin

5th Place - Wendell Myers of Wilson Central

152 Weight Class

2nd Place - Finley Jameson of Summit

3rd Place - Riley Fort of Wilson Central

4th Place - Clark Vaughn of Brentwood

5th Place - Coen Myers of Beech Senior

160 Weight Class

2nd Place - Tre McTorry of Nolensville

6th Place - Camron Isabel of Wilson Central

170 Weight Class

2nd Place - Wyatt Gibbs of Brentwood

3rd Place - Spencer Kon of Independence

5th Place - Scott Ehrlich of Hendersonville

6th Place - Samuel Griggs of Wilson Central

182 Weight Class

3rd Place - Jensen Schreiber of Summit

4th Place - Nikolas Burke of Dobyns Bennett

5th Place - Hayden Sinner of Nolensville

195 Weight Class

4th Place - James Green of Franklin

5th Place - Luke Justice of Summit

220 Weight Class

1st Place - Noah Todd of Wilson Central

5th Place - Patrick Styblo of Centennial

285 Weight Class

3rd Place - Will Parodi of Ravenwood

5th Place - Zach Turk of Oakland

GIRLS

100 Weight Class

1st Place - Rylee Lent of Independence

2nd Place - Vivian Mariscal of John Overton

3rd Place - Grace Von Loh of Riverdale

107 Weight Class

1st Place - Mila Risner of Oakland

5th Place - Kiley McNerney of Riverdale

114 Weight Class

5th Place - Jamilynn Burton of Oakland

6th Place - Kylie Reeves of Pope John Paul II

120 Weight Class

3rd Place - Morgan Sacharczyk of Riverdale

6th Place - Olivia Johnson of Summit

126 Weight Class

3rd Place - Emily Rice of Independence

4th Place - Halai Cox of McGavock

6th Place - Chase Vashel of Siegel

138 Weight Class

2nd Place - Brooklyn Long of Independence

5th Place - Rylee Bennett of Summit

152 Weight Class

4th Place - Janiya Clemmons of Cane Ridge

5th Place - Madison Newbern of Riverdale

6th Place - Annabelle Dalton of Siegel

165 Weight Class

4th Place - Carter Grissom of Riverdale

235 Weight Class

3rd Place - Sydney Hueser of Franklin

5th Place - Emily Fuller of Dickson Co.

Titans release OT Taylor Lewan, WR Robert Woods

BY MICHAEL GALLAGHER

It was the worst-kept secret in Nashville. The Tennessee Titans have informed Pro Bowl tackle Taylor Lewan that he will be released, according to the official Twitter account of the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast, which Lewan co-hosts with former Titans linebacker Will Compton.

“I hope I did enough to create something all the Titan fans can be proud of, I love you all,” Lewan tweeted after the news broke. Cutting the 31-year-old tackle costs nothing in dead cap money and frees up $14.84 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap.

Lewan told the Up & Adams podcast in December that he expected to be cut, admitting that he would take a long look at retirement should that happen.

“Everything is up in the air for me right now,” he said. “Here’s where I really have a conversation with myself internally is I have played this game for a long time … and I’ve always said to myself I’m not going to watch the demise of Taylor Lewan. I don’t want to be that guy who’s still chasing the dream, he’s been on five teams in four years. There’s guys that do that, and there’s nothing against that. This is just how my brain is wired. I need to see how this recovery goes and if in my head I’m like, ‘Okay, you can still be a dominant player in the NFL, you can still play and stay healthy,’ those are all the things that I really need to evaluate.”

Lewan missed the final 15 games of the 2022 season after tearing his ACL against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. It was his second ACL injury in three years after suffering the same injury in 2020 on his other knee.

The 11th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Lewan made three Pro Bowls and was voted to the All-Rookie team by the Professional Football Writers Association.

In addition to Lewan, the Titans also released receiver Robert Woods, kicker Randy Bullock and linebacker Zach Cunningham.

Woods had a disappointing season in 2022, totaling 53 receptions on 91 targets for 527 yards and two touchdowns.

Cutting Woods carries $2.6 million in dead cap money but frees up a little more than $12 million in cap space. Releasing Bullock and Cunningham saves the team roughly $11 million in cap space. Tennessee started the day with negative $22.45 million in cap space and is now under the cap.

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

Predators plan March unveiling of Rinne statue

BY MICHAEL GALLAGHER

At 6-foot-5, Pekka Rinne towered over most of his former Nashville Predators teammates.

Now, he’ll tower over everyone who enters the doors of Bridgestone Arena when his 11-foot-5, 850-to-900-pound statue is unveiled on March 25 at 10 a.m. prior to the team’s game against the Seattle Kraken.

“This is an unbelievable honor and something I would have never dreamed of when I began my career with the Predators,” Rinne said. “I am extremely grateful for the Nashville Predators organization, the city of Nashville and our fans. I feel very lucky to have spent my entire 15-year career with the Predators, and I am truly honored to receive this recognition.”

Clarksville resident Scott Wise, a sculptor and Predators season-ticket holder, was

commissioned to construct the statue. He used Rinne’s real stick, glove and leg pads to make the bronze casts.

“Every Predators fan knows Pekka was instrumental in the evolution of hockey culture in Middle Tennessee and how much he has given to the community,” Wise said.

“As a fan and sculptor, it’s an honor to be selected to pay tribute to Pekka, the Preds organization and the fans that have made Smashville a hockey town.”

Rinne, who retired in July 2021 after 15 years with the Predators, is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (683), wins (369), goals-against average (2.43), shutouts (60), saves (17,627) and total ice time (39,413:29).

He was a four-time All-Star and the first Predators player to win an individual

NHL performance award with his Vezina win in 2017. His 369 wins are the most for a Finnish-born goaltender and rank 19th all-time in NHL history, and his 2.43 goalsagainst average also ranks fifth among goalies with 350 or more wins.

Rinne is also the only player in franchise history to have his number retired.

The 40-year-old Finn rejoined the Predators in September as a special alumni adviser — a role in which he works with goalie prospects in Nashville, Milwaukee and overseas while studying under goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok and goaltending development coach Dave Rook.

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

Ravenwood hockey wins back-to-back Preds Cups

BY CHIP CIRILLO

Zachary Egli saw an opening, so he fired the puck on net.

“Top right off his head,” is how the Ravenwood right wing described his wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle that bounced off Mt. Juliet-Green Hill-Lebanon goalie Robert Simonik into the back of the net, giving the Raptors their second consecutive Predators Cup championship.

That unassisted goal with 9:11 left in overtime gave Ravenwood a 2-1 win at the Ford Ice Center Bellevue on Wednesday night.

“He’s a very great goalie,” said Egli, a senior who missed three games with a knee injury early in the season. “I’ve played against him for years, very tough to beat. Everyone on this team stayed together the last part of the year and that’s how we won this championship.”

Simonik was named Most Valuable Player as the senior’s 43-save performance almost single-handedly kept Mt. Juliet-Green Hill-Lebanon (10-8-1) in the game.

“It was constantly under pressure, and I just had to keep my team in it,” Simonik said. “It’s not really heartbreaking. It was a really great season, and I’m glad we came this far.”

Ravenwood (14-2-2) swept four playoff games, outscoring its Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockley League opponents 21-4.

“Going through a year like that after winning, you feel like you’ve got a target on your back, and to be able to step up to the plate and deliver against a great team like Mt. Juliet is really special,” Raptors coach Mike Driscoll said. “Always harder the second time. Egli has been a rock for us this entire season.”

The Raptors won their eighth cup, including 2017, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2010

and 2006.

Egli had a point-blank shot from about 10 feet away on the winning goal.

“I had a concussion (earlier in season) and I didn’t want to get hit in the head, so I leaned out of it,” Simonik said. “I didn’t think it was gonna go in, but it’s rough and I’ve just got to live with it.”

A Raptors shot earlier in the game hit Simonik in the head.

Mt. Juliet-Green Hill-Lebanon was penalized twice early in the overtime, but it survived 1:02 of a 5-on-3 advantage.

Gavin Hussey’s power-play goal gave Ravenwood a 1-0 lead with 12:26 remaining in the second period.

Egli’s senior linemate beat Simonik with a wrister from the low slot after receiving Luke Schenkel’s pass from the corner.

“It was just good puck movement by the team,” Hussey said. “I got lucky that the goalie was slow to get across the crease and it was wide open. He’s such a tough goalie. For him to carry that team on his back, (45) shots, only a couple goals, that’s amazing. He’s fast.”

Kyle Alsaker’s breakaway goal for Mt. Juliet-Green Hill-Lebanon tied the game at 1-1 with 2:57 left in the second period.

Ravenwood goalie Ryan Farrell earned the win with 15 saves as the Raptors kept the puck in Mt. Juliet-GH-Leb’s zone for much of the night.

“Elation and relief are the two words,” Driscoll said of his emotions when Egli scored the game-winner, setting off a wild celebration by the Raptors as they pounded the glass to celebrate with the gray-clad student section and jumped into a dogpile on the ice near Farrell.

“Since day one we walked in the locker

room and said our goal is to win a championship and so anything short of that would have been disappointing,” Driscoll said. “Listen, winning a championship at any level is hard and to be able to do it two years in a

row with a similar group of guys is a really special moment, and I’m really happy for these guys.”

PHOTO BY DAVID RUSSELL

HERITAGE GROUP EXPANDS INVESTMENT TEAM

Health care-focused private equity firm Heritage Group has announced the promotion of Matt Tome to vice president.

In addition, and according to a release, the Nashville-based company has added Kevin Ryan as vice president and Franklin Garstin as associate.

Tome joined Heritage in 2019 as an associate. Prior to that, he was an associate in the debt capital markets group at Stephens Inc.

“We are incredibly excited to announce Matt’s well-deserved promotion to vice president. Matt has made meaningful contributions to the firm and created value across all aspects of the investment process, from thematic investment work to postclosing portfolio company value creation,” Lauren Brueggen, Heritage Group partner, said in the release.

Ryan was previously the director of business development for Southern Orthodontic Partners, a Shore Capital portfolio company. Prior to that, he served as an associate at Pharos Capital Group, a health care-focused private equity firm, and started his career as an investment banking analyst with Stephens Inc.

Garstin joined Heritage from Alvarez & Marsal, where he was a senior associate in health care transaction advisory, and previously worked as an associate at Deloitte, where he focused on health care audit work.

Rock Morphis and David McClellan are co-founders of Heritage Group, which has more than $700 million of assets under management. The firm’s limited partners

collectively operate about 600 hospitals and insure more than 45 million lives.

TRIPLE 8 MANAGEMENT PROMOTES STEELE TO COO

Samantha Steele has been promoted to chief operating officer at Triple 8 Management, musicrow.com reports.

Steele will help lead a team of 30 managers and marketing/radio professionals.

Steele began working in the music industry in 2008 at Good Time Inc. in 2010. Triple 8 Management acquired Good Time in 2017.

Under Steele’s management, Drew Holcomb has sold more than 350,000 albums. Also, Steele co-founded and produced the Moon River Music Festival with Holcomb and Triple 8 Executive Partner Paul Steele.

George Couri serves as CEO and founder of Triple 8 Management.

WEST NASHVILLE OFFICE BUILDING LISTED FOR $2.15M

BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS

A West Nashville office building located near the intersection of White Bridge and Charlotte pikes has been offered for sale for $2,165,000.

With an address of 233 Oceola Ave., the 7,400-square-foot modernist structure sits on 0.82 acres and opened in 1986. It is located adjacent to, and surrounded by, properties home to a Kroger, the Nashville Humane Association and Zeal Church, the latter of which was recently listed for sale.

Pete Shack, president of Phoenix

Environmental Engineers Inc., owns the property, having paid $360,000 for it in 2002. Phoenix Environmental Engineers operates from the two-story building.

For context, the property sold in 1993 for $170,000 to Dominion Bank of Middle Tennessee. The bank, after a series of mergers and acquisitions, evolved to become part of Wells Fargo. It is unclear if Dominion Bank ever operated from the nondescript for-sale building.

The listing is the equivalent of $293 per foot based on the building’s size. For comparison, a smaller building located nearby on White Bridge Pike and last accommodating a McDougal’s Chicken recently was listed for sale for the equivalent of $424 per foot.

Shack has enlisted Edward Herbert, broker and owner of locally based HCR Associates Realtors, to handle the marketing and sale of the property.

HEALTHSTREAM PRESIDENT, COO RETIRING

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

HealthStream President and COO Edward Pearson is retiring at the end of the second quarter of 2023, according to regulatory filings.

After his retirement, Pearson will continue in a part-time executive-inresidence position. He joined HealthStream, which provides workforce training programs, in 2006. Since then, the company has grown from 200 employees to more than 1,100, according to a release.

“Moreover, he is responsible for a long

list of process improvements and innovations that have been implemented throughout the company, which have played a key factor in our success,” the company noted. “His executive-level performance makes him an ideal mentor, coach and teacher — all roles that he will provide HealthStream’s employees as an executive-in-residence.”

The announcement comes as HealthStream recently reported an increase in revenues and operating incomes.

Still, the company said in a filing that it is cutting 33 jobs, “many of which are duplicative as a result of several areas of consolidation.” HealthStream is also eyeing “a reduction of several infrastructure expenses,” among other potential cuts.

In addition to Pearson’s retirement, HealthStream also announced the promotions of Michael Sousa and Scott McQuigg.

Sousa, most recently senior vice president for HealthStream and president of VerityStream, has been named executive vice president for enterprise applications. He has been with the company for 18 years, and the new role includes expanded responsibilities for credentialing and scheduling.

McQuigg, who has been with HealthStream for four years, has been named senior vice president for digital and network development. Most recently, he was senior vice president and general manager for scheduling solutions. In the new role McQuigg is tasked with expanding relationships with health care professionals.

Have a promotion you wish to submit to Business briefs? Send to news@gcanews.com

Five free and cheap family things to do in middle Tennessee

BY AMANDA HAGGARD

Green Hills, a free performance from the Nashville Opera, and some volunteer time at the Owl Hill Nature Sanctuary. It’s just like being at a festival where all the best bands are playing at nearly the same time on opposite ends of a field, except for this time there’s also the added challenge of no time to stop for a juice box and grilled cheese. And on March 5, you can head on over to the Kite Festival with no conflicts at all.

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

STORYTIME WITH ILLUSTRATOR SUSANNA CHAPMAN

There are a lot of interesting events to pick from this week, but the biggest problem is that many of them are scheduled on the same day. You and yours will have to choose from a storytime at Parnassus Books in

At 10:30 a.m. on March 4, Parnassus Books is hosting illustrator Susanna Chapman for a storytime. Chapman is the illustrator of Busy Feet, Covered in Color, ADA and the Galaxies, and Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans. The event is free.

NASHVILLE OPERA ON TOUR: LITTLE RED’S MOST UNUSUAL DAY

Throughout March, the Nashville Opera is taking its Little Red’s Most Unusual Day on tour. It’s a free performance for children and families with full sets and costumes. There are two performances on March 4, one in Nashville and one in Williamson County. Little Red’s Most Unusual Day is by John Davies and features 40 minutes of production sung in English and set to music from operas by Rossini and Offenbach. Four professional opera singers and a pianist make up the cast, and all are members of Nashville Opera’s Mary Ragland Emerging Artist Program.

WEED WRANGLE AT OWL’S HILL

At Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary on March 4, The Garden Club of Nashville and Invasive Plant Control will be on site with the sanctuary for the Weed Wrangle 2023,

where volunteers will help with removal of non-invasive plant species. The event will also educate on non-invasive plants and maintaining home gardens with appropriate plants. Owl’s Hill will also provide a pizza lunch for volunteers. Registration is required.

TURTLE TALK AT DISCOVERY CENTER

Every Wednesday and Friday at 3 p.m. at the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro, families can come and check out turtles, learn more about them and help feed the turtles there at the wetlands.

KITE FESTIVAL

Williamson County Parks and Recreation and Chicago Kite are hosting the WCPR’s inaugural Kite Festival on March 5 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Franklin Recreation Complex. The celebration of all things kites will include stunt kites, demonstrations and more.

Nashville Office of Emergency Management repairs three tornado sirens

The Nashville Office of Emergency Management announced the repair of three of the city’s more than 100 Outdoor Tornado Warning Sirens, including one in Bellevue. Those three newly-repaired sirens include locations at 8146 Coley Davis Road, 5141 John Hagar Road and 2749 Smith Springs

Road, all of which had motor repairs and were tested on Feb. 21.

The new

“You may not have heard the test as the sirens are not meant to be heard inside of homes or buildings,” Nashville Office of Emergency Management said in a news release.

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Proposed Flood Hazard Determinations for Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee and Incorporated Areas

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), and where applicable, Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report, reflecting proposed flood hazard determinations within Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee and Incorporated Areas. These flood hazard determinations may include the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations, base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory floodway. Technical information or comments are solicited on the proposed flood hazard determinations shown on the preliminary FIRM and/or FIS report for Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee and Incorporated Areas. These flood hazard determinations are the basis for the floodplain management measures that your community is required to either adopt or show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. However, before these determinations are effective for floodplain management purposes, you will be provided an opportunity to appeal the proposed information. For information on the statutory 90-day period provided for appeals, as well as a complete listing of the communities affected and the locations where copies of the FIRM are available for review, please visit FEMA’s website at https://www.floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/BFE_Status/bfe_main.asp or call the FEMA Mapping and Insurance eXchange (FMIX) toll free at 1-877-FEMA MAP (1-877-336-2627).

Citrus glazed salmon and pesto pasta

BY EDIBLE NASHVILLE

This super healthy recipe combines a citrusy salmon with a spinach pesto. The salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins and glazed with vitamin C-rich citrus. (You can find fresh Alaska

salmon from Nashville company Virgin Bay Seafood). The pesto uses minimal oil and no cheese. The salmon is served over pasta tossed with the pesto and “zoodles,” strips of zucchini made with a spiralizer.

ACROSS

1 Composer of the piano piece played in the “Tom and Jerry” short “The Cat Concerto”

6 Fuse

10 Sugarcoated, in a way

14 Dancing like a ballerina

15 “Sounds good!”

16 F irst line on a form, often

17 Par ___ (by airmail, in French)

18 Word after lo or chow

19 Phaser setting

20 Spor ts bar purchases?

23 Summer setting in Mass.

24 Actor Kingsley

25 Guy in a crew

28 Do a cobbler’s job on

30 Like a kitten cuddling with a puppy

32 Before, in poetry

33 Spor ts bar purchases?

36 Recipient of the inaugural A.T.P. Player of the Year award

39 “Chandelier” singer

INGREDIENTS

1 pound salmon (preferably wild-caught)

GLAZE

1 orange, juiced

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

salt and peper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. To prepare glaze, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

3. Place salmon in an foil-covered pan, pour glaze over, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

PESTO PASTA

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 cup hot, cooked pasta, (Alyssa uses lentil pasta)

2 cups zucchini noodles

4. To prepare pesto, place spinach through water in a blender or food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Toss with pasta and zucchini noodles and serve with salmon.

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

40 Has a student loan, say

41 Spor ts bar purchases?

46 Assistance

47 Ever y which way

48 Relents

52 Gets the hair just right, say

54 “Better Call Saul” networ k

55 Spanish ar ticle

56 Spor ts bar purchases?

60 Recite the rosar y, e.g.

62 Currency of Portugal

63 Occupied, as a desk

64 Free speech org.

65 Hair removal brand

66 Cut down to size

67 “Golf is a good ___ spoiled”

68 F ix because of flatness, say

69 Some are for passing

1 Apt shoe for a bread maker?

2 What the aliens do in “The War of the Worlds”

3 Work assignments

4 ___ suit

5 Not ridiculous, as an argument

6 Persons who identify as female, in an alternative spelling

7 Scraped together, with “out”

8 Hideout

9 Tang, for one

10 App with “Stories,” informally

11 Bee’s knees

12 Outback bird

13 Hideout

21 In view

22 Brokers’ charges

26 Fotografía, por ejemplo

27 Loch ___

29 Abbr. above “0”

30 Quickly form a friendship (with)

31 Home of the Sundance F ilm Festival

34 Apropos of

35 Zoom meeting leader

36 Lickety-split

37 Ruckus

38 Wanted for nothing

42 Daddy, in Spanish

43 “Whew! That was exhausting!”

44 Muppet who speaks in a falsetto

45 Withdrawal to avoid a conflict of interest

49 Oman’s ruler, e.g.

50 Agita

51 Presses Ctr l-V on a PC

53 Symbol of poison on a warning label

54 Treasure

57 Feast with poi

58 Blarney Stone locale

59 Dad, in Chinese

60 F ido’s foot

61 Record label that released the first 45 r.p.m. single (1949)

ANSWER TO

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.

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EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ NO. 0125

PUZZLE

PUZZLE BY NANCY SERRANO-WU

DAR George Washington Birthday Celebration

BY BRENDA BATEY

PHOTOS BY BRENDA BATEY

The Davidson County Regents’ Council of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) celebrated George Washington’s birthday at a luncheon at Hillwood Country Club.

The various chapters of the DAR in the county were represented and included: Cumberland, Campbell, General James Robertson, Rachel Stockley Donelson, Fort Nashborough, General Francis Nash, Robert Cooke, French Lick, General William Lee Davidson, and General Daniel Smiths Rock Castle Chapters.

General Francis Nash Chapter Regent and Regents’ Council Chairman Carey Mosier welcomed everyone and Campbell Chapter Regent and Regents’ Council Vice Chairman Mary Harvey gave the invocation, and led recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, American’s Creed, and Salute to the Flag of Tennessee. The National Anthem was sung by the members.

Mosier introduced the guests and Tennessee State Chaplain Marjorie Miller Green brought greetings from the TN State Regent.

French Lick Chapter Regent Carolyn Gregory gave the roll call of the chapters. Chapter regents who attended included: Jennifer Jones, Myra Leathers, Barbara Robbins, Debbie Laidlaw, DeAnn Killion, Arlene Cook, and Julie Brymer.

Harpist Maggie Boulden performed three exquisite selections, including Ludwig Beethoven’s beautiful “Für Elise.”

used in fourth and fifth grade classrooms in numerous school districts across the state.

Bucy also wrote “History Carved in Stone: The Nashville City Cemetery,” “Women Helping Women: The YWCA of Nashville,” “Building the Body Politic: The League of Women Voters and Public Policy, 1945-1964,” and several scholarly articles and book reviews. She has served as a member of the board of directors of the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia and is the vice president of the Tennessee Historical Society.

In 1889 the centennial of President George Washington’s inauguration was celebrated, and Americans looked for additional ways to recognize their past. Out of the renewed interest in United States history, numerous patriotic and preservation societies were founded during that time, including the DAR and Sons of the American Revolution.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States’ struggle for independence.

A non-profit group, it promotes education and patriotism. The DAR has over 185,000 current members in the United States and other countries. Its motto is “God, Home, and Country”.

George Washington, who was born February

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Mention this ad when you call. BUY - SELL - TRADE the great escape Call 615-364-3029

TheGreatEscapeOnline.com

WiCKer rePair

Chair caning and all styles of weaving. Wicker repair available. Pick up and delivery. the Cane-ery (615) 269-4780 / 414-5655

WindoW Clean

all seasons

Window Cleaning Specializing in residential windows.

Serving Nashville over 38 yrs!

Licensed - Bonded - Insured

Free Estimates

Low Prices (615) 889-9164