Dry pumps keep some employees home

Posted: Sep 21, 2008 04:45 PM CDT Updated: Sep 22, 2008 01:51 PM CDT WKRN Channel 2 Gas shortage keeps some workers at home Businesses are feeling the effects of Middle Tennessee's gas shortage. At the Loveless Cafe in Bellevue several employees called out of work over the weekend because they were out of gas. "We had a couple [Saturday] that couldn't make it in because of gas and it wasn't, they just couldn't find it in their neighborhoods, you know, or by the time they got through the line there was none left," explained manager Frances Davis. "...I think we had one or two the day before, but it really hasn't been as much of a problem as we were afraid it was going to be." Davis said employees were able to leave work to go fill up when gas arrived at the Shell station beside the restaurant. By lunchtime that Shell had already run dry. Overall Davis said business at the restaurant remains strong. "The tourists it hasn't slowed them down at all. They come to Nashville [and] they've got us on their destination," she said. "They are going to come out no matter what it takes. The locals, we see a lot of them especially during the evenings, during the week. We get an awful lot of local business and pretty much they don't let gas prices slow them down either or the gas shortage." The shortage in Nashville is the worst in the southeast. More than half of the city's stations are without fuel Monday and stations lucky enough to receive shipments are flooded with drivers and dry again in a matter of hours. Most of the fuel in Middle Tennessee comes from a pipeline that starts in Houston, which had only been full sporadically since Hurricane Ike hit Texas last weekend. In a statement issued Friday, however, Governor Phil Bredesen said it was running at full capacity. Industry officials have said the long lines and thus the shortage can be blamed on consumers' panic buying and constantly topping off their tanks. Emily LeRoy, associate director of the Tennessee Oil Marketers Association, said some Nashville stations reported double their usual fuel sales volume last week.

Man fatally stabbed at Antioch restaurant

Metro police said that a man came into a restaurant in Antioch Wednesday night to settle a drug debt and ended up fatally stabbing an employee who tried to defuse a confrontation. Suspect caught Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said that a suspect was taken into custody on Interstate 24 after he fled the O'Charley's restaurant at 923 Bell Road in a pickup truck. Police identified David Kimball, 28, whose last known address is in Nashville, as the suspect charged overnight in the slaying case. 'Innocent employee' was killed Aaron gave this account of information that police have gathered:At 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, the suspect came to the restaurant and began banging on an exterior window, evidently attempting to gain the attention of a waiter who, police are told, owed the suspect a "drug debt." The suspect wound up inside the restaurant, where he was confronted by another employee. That person, believed to be one of the cooks, was not on duty but was at the restaurant to socialize with friends. "The innocent employee was attempting to defuse or divert any confrontation" between the suspect and the waiter, Aaron said. The suspect pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed the innocent employee, Aaron said. Victim died at scene Aaron said that 911 was called at 9:30 p.m., and when police and ambulance arrived, the employee, who was in his late 30s, was already deceased inside the restaurant. Witnesses brought after vehicle stopped The suspect fled the restaurant in a red Ford pickup truck, and witnessed provided a very good description to officers, Aaron said. A North Precinct lieutenant and an East Precinct officer spotted a vehicle matching the description as they traveled on I-24 near downtown and stopped it near the James Robertson Parkway exit.Witnesses were brought to that scene and identified the man in the pickup as the individual who stabbed the victim, Aaron said. The suspect, Kimball, was taken to the South Precinct and interviewed. He was charged in night court downtown during the night. A concerned community Aaron acknowledged the community's "Fed Up" rally against crime Tuesday night in which hundreds of people showed their support. Aaron said that the "root cause" of Wednesday night's events was a dispute "between two individuals who knew each other, we are told." There was nothing the community could have done to prevent the actions he said. He reaffirmed the Police Department's commitment to the Antioch and Hickory Hollow communities.At the time of the attack, the restaurant was still open, and about 40 people were inside, Aaron said. No one else was hurt. — LEIGH RAY Leigh Ray can be reached at 615-726-5951 or lray@tennessean.com

Tennessee mails out buyout offers

By THEO EMERY • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 17, 2008 State workers will begin checking mailboxes after buyout packets went out Monday to about 12,000 employees, an effort to trim about 2,000 positions and cut $64 million from next year's budget. Cleatrice McTorry, director of pre-release services at the Department of Correction, wasn't sure she would get an offer but said she would consider it if she did, particularly given the tuition assistance in the package. "My initial impression when I saw the buyout plan was very positive," said McTorry, 58. "Other people have felt the same way." The buyouts are part of a broader budget-cutting for the administration, which found itself about $468 million short of what it projected for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. The administration hopes that more than 2,000 workers, or about 5 percent of the work force, will take the buyouts. If more apply, they will be chosen by seniority. If not enough apply, layoffs could follow. The package includes four months of base salary, $500 for each year of service, six months of subsidized health coverage and an option to pay for an additional 12 months. The packages also include tuition aid up to $10,800 at Tennessee colleges and universities, and a one-time $2,400 payment for those 65 and older. "We feel like we've come up with a really good offer," said state Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz. Zoyle Jones, president of the Tennessee State Employees Association, said his organization will be carefully watching. "As long as the selection process is fair and equitable, then we will be happy if people take it," he said.