Gas hits record, won't ease up

Tennessee prices remain below $4 U.S. average
By JOHN WAGGONER • USA Today • June 9, 2008

U.S. gasoline prices shot above $4 a gallon for the first time Sunday, and drivers will be shelling out even more for gas this week.

The national average price of a gallon of regular gas hit $4.005 Sunday, up from $3.988 Saturday, and $3.105 a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.

But that's just the average. Drivers in California are paying an average of $4.44 a gallon, AAA says. In Visalia, Calif., a gallon of regular unleaded averaged $4.50.
Missouri had the lowest average price, at $3.80.
Tennessee was below the national average at $3.85 on Sunday. The average price in Nashville was $3.88.

A gallon of diesel averaged $4.762, versus $2.902 a year ago. Premium gas averaged $4.80, vs. $3.605 last year.

The rise in gas prices follows an unexpected $10.75 jump in the price of oil Friday, to a record close of $138.54 a barrel. It had spiked up as high as $139.12.

Sending oil soaring:
• Israel's transportation minister said Friday that an attack on Iran was "unavoidable." Iran, which produces 4 million barrels of oil a day, is the world's second-largest producer, behind Saudi Arabia .
• The U.S. dollar fell. A euro cost $1.5768 Friday, versus $1.5593 Thursday. Oil is priced in dollars, and when the dollar falls in value, oil prices rise.
• Investment bank Morgan Stanley predicted that oil prices would hit $150 by July.

Trading is also a factor

Experts also blamed a technical factor, called short-covering, for the big rise in oil prices. Making a bet on falling prices is called shorting. Traders who take short positions in the futures market have to buy oil futures to close their positions.

Sometimes that leads to a big spike upward in prices. "Short sellers have gotten squeezed," said Michael Hoover, manager of Columbia Energy and Natural Resources fund.
"I think anyone who says they are not shocked would be being untruthful," said Fred Fromm, manager of Franklin Natural Resources fund.

For roughly two decades, prices have tapered off in late May, sometimes dropping far enough to provide motorists a significant summer respite.

"We are cautioning gas station owners around the country not to overreact to one day of trading," said AAA spokeswoman Yolanda Cade.

A slowdown in price increases last week prompted predictions that although the timing seemed late, the pattern would reassert itself. But even if fuel prices fall a bit this summer, that's unlikely to last long.

"I still worry about late July and August when there will be plenty of hurricane hype," Tom Kloza, veteran analyst at consultant Oil Price Information Service, said in an e-mail last week.
Forecasts of hurricanes send prices up because energy operations in the Gulf of Mexico could be slammed. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, prices rose to an average of about $3.06, a record at the time.

Davidson County crime log for May 22-25, 2008

CRIME LOG These are the most serious calls handled by the Metro police, listed by time, crime reported and address. Some reports may be unfounded. Police calls are listed by police precinct or town. When police cannot immediately determine the location of a crime, the address given is that of the police station or hospital where the crime was reported. I know many of the listings below are not part of the District "29", but, some of us work in these areas or have family and friends that live in these ares and do not read this blog...Pass it along because I will be posting the update every week... May 25 Antioch 2:43 p.m., rape, Chimney Top Drive Central 5:24 a.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Murfreesboro Pike 6:28 a.m., holdup/robbery, 500 block Murfreesboro Pike 1:38 p.m., holdup/robbery, Charles E. Davis Boulevard and Cannon Street 9:22 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1200 block Martin Street 10:11 p.m., shooting, Pennock Avenue and Douglas Avenue Crieve Hall 8:42 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 5500 block Edmondson Pike Downtown 1:28 a.m., holdup/robbery, First Avenue North and Gay Street East 12:22 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 800 block Granada Avenue 12:59 a.m., holdup/robbery, 800 block Cherokee Avenue 8:35 p.m., rape, Oakwood Avenue Hermitage 4:40 a.m., holdup/robbery, 5900 block South New Hope Road 7:39 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 4400 block Lebanon Pike Madison 3:08 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2100 block North Gallatin Pike 9:52 p.m., residential burglary, 500 block May Drive 11:05 p.m., holdup/robbery, 100 block South Gallatin Pike North 5:35 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1700 block Jenkins Street Oak Hill 4:13 p.m., kidnapping, 100 block East Park Drive Old Hickory 8:31 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 4300 block Saundersville Road 1:47 p.m., residential burglary, 500 block Lawrence Street South 3:13 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 300 block Fesslers Lane 10:26 p.m., residential burglary, 600 block Bell Road Trinity Hills 1:46 a.m., holdup/robbery, 200 block West Trinity Lane Tusculum 3:25 a.m., holdup/robbery, 3900 block Apache Trail 8:10 p.m., residential burglary, 200 block Delvin Drive West 7:50 a.m., holdup/robbery, 7000 block Highway 70 South 11:41 a.m., residential burglary, 3700 block Park Avenue Woodbine 2:21 a.m., cutting/stabbing, 3700 block Nolensville Road 5:28 p.m., residential burglary, 500 block McIver Street May 24 Bordeaux 5:58 p.m., nonresidential burglary, 4200 block Ashland City Highway 10 p.m., shooting, 3200 block Mexico Drive Central 1:43 a.m., rape, 14th Avenue South 2:06 a.m., shooting, Wilburn Street and Meridian Street 3:34 a.m., holdup/robbery, Fesslers Lane and Murfreesboro Pike 11:49 a.m., residential burglary, 2500 block Glenrose Avenue 2:42 p.m., residential burglary, 1000 block Meridian Street 10:49 p.m., holdup/robbery, 400 block Murfreesboro Pike Charlotte Park 12:27 a.m., residential burglary, 500 block Annex Court Donelson 10:12 p.m., residential burglary, 3300 block Percy Priest Drive East 1:47 a.m., cutting/stabbing, 100 block Dellway Villa Road 2:20 p.m., shooting, 1500 block Rosedale Avenue 2:22 p.m., shooting, 1500 block Rosedale Avenue 3:54 p.m., residential burglary, 1300 block Joseph Avenue 9:17 p.m., shooting, 3400 block Dickerson Pike 9:25 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2600 block Gallatin Pike 11:49 p.m., holdup/robbery, Marie Street and Meridian Street Hermitage 2:24 a.m., cutting/stabbing, 4700 block Old Hickory Boulevard J.C. Napier 6:39 a.m., holdup/robbery, 600 block Claiborne Street 6:43 a.m., holdup/robbery, 600 block Claiborne Street Madison 12:01 a.m., holdup/robbery, 1100 block South Gallatin Pike 8:04 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 1800 block North Gallatin Pike 8:09 p.m., rape, Brink Haven Avenue Neelys Bend 7:41 p.m., residential burglary, 1100 block Bubbling Well Road North 5:32 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2700 block Meharry Boulevard 12:25 p.m., nonresidential burglary, 700 block Freelands Station Road 11:05 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1500 block 21st Avenue North 11:49 p.m., residential burglary, 1600 block 16th Avenue North South 11:32 a.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Murfreesboro Pike 11:53 a.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Murfreesboro Pike 11:53 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 1200 block Antioch Pike 6:18 p.m., holdup/robbery, 900 block Murfreesboro Pike Tusculum 12:15 a.m., shooting, 4500 block Packard Drive 6:49 p.m., residential burglary, 3800 block Creekside Drive Una 10:05 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2500 block Murfreesboro Pike West 1:36 a.m., holdup/robbery, Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard and Charlotte Pike 6:46 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 600 block 42nd Avenue North 1:26 p.m., residential burglary, 900 block Woodmont Boulevard 2:19 p.m., holdup/robbery, 4100 block Hillsboro Pike 5:12 p.m., shooting, 1700 block Jefferson Street 10:24 p.m., shooting, 2200 block Childrens Way Woodbine 9:55 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 3700 block Nolensville Road May 23 Bordeaux 11:58 a.m., holdup/robbery, 3700 block Clarksville Pike Central 1:44 a.m., residential burglary, 600 block Frith Drive 4:07 a.m., rape, Shelby Avenue and South Fifth Street 10:01 a.m., residential burglary, 400 block North Second Street 1:45 p.m., residential burglary, 300 block South Eighth Street 4:11 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1000 block Fatherland Street 5:48 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1200 block Polk Avenue Charlotte Park 2:47 a.m., residential burglary, 600 block Westboro Drive Donelson 7:58 a.m., holdup/robbery, 200 block Shady Grove Road 9:05 a.m., holdup/robbery, 400 block Donelson Pike East 7:55 a.m., residential burglary, 1600 block Sunset Circle 3:56 p.m., holdup/robbery, 3200 block Gallatin Pike 7:45 p.m., holdup/robbery, 3000 block Gallatin Pike 9:31 p.m., residential burglary, 3200 block Vailview Drive 11:35 p.m., holdup/robbery, 3600 block Gallatin Pike Hermitage 6:10 p.m., residential burglary, 4300 block Andrew Jackson Parkway J.C. Napier 5:15 p.m., residential burglary, 60 block University Court 11:29 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 100 block Charles E. Davis Boulevard Joelton 3:01 p.m., residential burglary, 6200 block Old Hickory Boulevard Madison 9:27 a.m., residential burglary, 100 block Welworth Street 12:54 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2300 block North Gallatin Pike North 12:03 p.m., holdup/robbery, Buchanan Street and Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard 6:29 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2600 block Jefferson Street 6:54 p.m., holdup/robbery, 30th Avenue North and Albion Street 7:10 p.m., shooting, I-65 South and Rosa L. Parks Boulevard 7:19 p.m., shooting, I-65 North and Rosa L. Parks Boulevard 10:14 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 1700 block Rosa L. Parks Boulevard Old Hickory 8:05 p.m., rape, Scenic View Road Priest Lake 4:12 p.m., residential burglary, 600 block Castlegate Drive 6:45 p.m., residential burglary, 300 block Schoolhouse Court Providence 8:32 p.m., holdup/robbery, 4400 block Nolensville Road South 4:21 a.m., holdup/robbery, 300 block Harding Place 8:16 a.m., residential burglary, 1000 block Patricia Drive 1:48 p.m., holdup/robbery, Dell Parkway 2:41 p.m., residential burglary, 9200 block Thomason Trail 4:33 p.m., residential burglary, 8400 block Lawson Drive Trinity Hills 4:05 p.m., nonresidential burglary, 400 block West Trinity Lane 6:33 p.m., residential burglary, 700 block Revels Drive Tusculum 8:09 a.m., kidnapping, 15500 block Old Hickory Boulevard 2:18 p.m., residential burglary, 4800 block Cimarron Way 2:38 p.m., holdup/robbery, 4700 block Nolensville Road 3:36 p.m., residential burglary, 100 block Chrishall Court 9:02 p.m., residential burglary, 4900 block Cimarron Way West 1:54 a.m., residential burglary, 5500 block Kentucky Avenue 6:41 a.m., holdup/robbery, 7100 block Charlotte Pike 8:09 a.m., holdup/robbery, 3700 block Hillsboro Pike 12:07 p.m., holdup/robbery, 5900 block Charlotte Pike 12:51 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1400 block Hynes Street 1:26 p.m., residential burglary, 6900 block Sonya Drive 1:27 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2800 block West End Avenue 2:04 p.m., residential burglary, 4500 block Tennessee Avenue 2:44 p.m., residential burglary, 100 block Woodmont Boulevard 4:39 p.m., holdup/robbery, 1500 block Church Street 6:01 p.m., shooting, 1200 block Medical Center Drive 8:57 p.m., residential burglary, 200 block Wildberry Lane 10:03 p.m., holdup/robbery, 4400 block Tennessee Avenue May 22 Belmont 2:05 p.m., shooting, 1000 block Acklen Avenue Bordeaux 8:25 a.m., residential burglary, 4400 block Sumatra Road 2:39 p.m., residential burglary, 2400 block Buena Vista Pike Central 4:58 a.m., residential burglary, 400 block North Second Street 12:32 p.m., holdup/robbery, 2300 block Brittany Drive Donelson 8:27 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2500 block Lebanon Pike East 4:40 p.m., shooting, 3100 block Robwood Drive 7:45 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 1300 block Jones Avenue 9:24 p.m., residential burglary, 300 block Gatewood Avenue Madison 12:54 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 500 block Charles Drive 1:59 p.m., residential burglary, 200 block Sealey Drive 5:49 p.m., residential burglary, 100 block Welworth Street North 1:28 p.m., residential burglary, 2300 block 14th Avenue North 6:41 p.m., residential burglary, 3900 block Alameda Street Priest Lake 1:38 p.m., residential burglary, 200 block Grovedale Trace Providence 12:24 a.m., holdup/robbery, 4900 block Edmondson Pike South 12:21 a.m., rape, Murfreesboro Pike 12:50 p.m., residential burglary, 800 block Murfreesboro Pike 3:04 p.m., residential burglary, 4200 block Sandstone Drive 7:04 p.m., holdup/robbery, 5300 block Mt. View Road West 2:30 p.m., cutting/stabbing, 5700 block Charlotte Pike 3:03 p.m., residential burglary, 6000 block Don Allen Avenue 10:03 p.m., residential burglary, 4600 block Kentucky Avenue Woodbine 7:25 a.m., residential burglary, 100 block Neese Drive 5:08 p.m., shooting, 3700 block Nolensville Road

Metro asks Wackenhut for payments tied to laptop theft

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • May 15, 2008 Metro Nashville is asking a security contractor to reimburse the city for more than $840,000 for expenses related to a break-in last year at the Davidson County Election Commission. Metro Law Director Sue Cain wrote a letter Wednesday to Wackenhut Corp. attorney Jim Vines, a former United States attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Wackenhut was responsible for security at the election commission's building in December, when thieves stole two laptop computers containing the Social Security numbers of 337,000 voters. Wackenhut subcontracted with a Mt. Juliet firm, Specialized Security Consultants Inc. An audit later showed Wackenhut had billed Metro for some days when security guards didn't work at the Metro Office Building. Cain asked Wackenhut to pay the city $48,387 for the audit by Kraft CPAs; $21,575 for security services that were not provided; $235,757.35 for two mailings to voters, and $534,391.75 for the cost of providing identity-theft protection to more than 56,000 voters who responded to the city's offer to cover a year of free protection. "The expenditure of these funds was unexpected and has worked a hardship on the government," Cain wrote to Vines. Vines, an attorney with King & Spalding in Washington, D.C., said this afternoon that he had not seen the letter yet. Wackenhut continues to work for Metro, but Cain asked that the company explain in writing why the city shouldn't put the security contract out for new bids.