Smokers face tax increase this week

Regardless of how they satisfy their nicotine cravings, tobacco users are facing a big hit as the largest federal tobacco tax hike ever goes into effect on Wednesday. CAROLYN KASTER / FILE / ASSOCIATED PRESS

62-cent-per-pack hike is most in U.S. history

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar • ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 30, 2009 WASHINGTON — However they satisfy their nicotine cravings, tobacco users are facing a big hit as the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever takes effect Wednesday. Tobacco companies and public health advocates, longtime foes in the nicotine battles, are trying to turn the situation to their advantage. The major cigarette makers raised prices a couple of weeks ago, partly to offset any drop in profits once the per-pack tax climbs from 39 cents to $1.01.

Medical groups see a tax hike right in the middle of a recession, as a great incentive to help persuade smokers to quit.

Tobacco taxes are soaring to finance a major expansion of health insurance for children. President Barack Obama signed that health initiative soon after taking office. Other tobacco products, from cigars to pipes and smokeless, will see similarly large tax increases. For example, the tax on chewing tobacco will go up from 19.5 cents per pound to 50 cents. The total expected to be raised over the 4½-year-long health insurance expansion is nearly $33 billion.

The tax increase is only the first move in a recharged anti-smoking campaign. Congress also is considering legislation to empower the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. That could lead to reformulated cigarettes. Obama, who has agonized over his own cigarette habit, said he would sign such a bill.

Promising prospects Prospects for reducing the harm from smoking are better than they have been in years, said Dr. Timothy Gardner, president of the American Heart Association. The tax increase "is a terrific public health move by the federal government," he said. "Every time that the tax on tobacco goes up, the use of cigarettes goes down."

About one in five adults in the United States smokes cigarettes. That's a gradually dwindling share, though it isn't shrinking fast enough for public health advocates.

Philip Morris USA, the largest tobacco company and maker of Marlboro, is forecasting a drop in sales, but spokesman Bill Phelps said he cannot predict how big.

Tennessee patients lose trust in VA hospitals after health scare

By Clay Carey • THE TENNESSEAN • March 30, 2009 For years, Gary Simpson received medical treatment at the VA hospital in Murfreesboro. Never once did he have a complaint. Now, Simpson and thousands more fear they may have caught serious diseases because of shortcomings at the government-run medical center. Simpson was one of nearly 6,400 current and former patients at the Alvin C. York Medical Center who were notified earlier this year that they might be at risk for HIV or other viral infections because of problems with equipment used to perform colonoscopies. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has said tubes used during the procedures had incorrect valves and may have exposed those veterans to body fluid from previous patients. At least 10 veterans treated in Murfreesboro have tested positive for hepatitis since their colonoscopies, but the VA says there is no way to know whether the test results are directly related to the equipment used at the hospital. Patients who went to at least two other VA health-care facilities have also been warned about exposure to diseases because of equipment issues. Members of Congress have questioned the VA's practices in the wake of the revelations, and patients have criticized the agency for not being forthcoming with information. "I felt real bad, and threatened by the possibility of getting all kinds of diseases from that procedure," said Simpson, 57, an Army veteran. Two separate tests for HIV and hepatitis came back negative, but he worries about other illnesses like syphilis that the tests would not catch. "It's hard to get it off my mind," Simpson said. "It just makes me sick to think of the unsanitary conditions … the nastiness." A VA spokeswoman said Friday that the agency is still going over the results of a systemwide review of the way the procedures are conducted. She could not say whether problems had been found at other hospitals. "This is an absolute priority," the spokeswoman, Katie Roberts, said. "We need to make sure we address this. … It could just be human error, but if it is something else, appropriate action will be taken." Problems at VA clinics Roberts said four patients treated at York have tested positive for hepatitis B and six have tested positive for hepatitis C, which is potentially life-threatening and can cause permanent liver damage. No one has tested positive for HIV, she said. After problems were discovered in Murfreesboro and at another clinic in Augusta, Ga., the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ordered a re-evaluation of safeguards and procedures for cleansing instruments used in colonoscopies. About 1,800 veterans treated at an ear, nose and throat clinic in Augusta were warned that they might have been exposed to infections as a result of improper disinfection of medical instruments. Earlier this month, more than 3,000 patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Miami were advised to take tests for HIV and other diseases after the hospital discovered that equipment used to perform colonoscopies had not been properly sterilized. "We take full accountability. We potentially put them at risk," Roberts said. She could not say Friday if that means the VA would help pay for treatment for hepatitis or other diseases. In hopes of quelling fears about infections, the agency set up a call center for Murfreesboro patients to contact them with questions. More than 4,300 called with questions or to set up appointments to be tested for diseases. "We're going above and beyond," Roberts said. "We are constantly evaluating. If we can do something better, we are making sure we do it." Questions unanswered Others disagree. Gary Simpson's wife, Janice, said many of their questions about what happened at the Murfreesboro hospital had gone unanswered. "They don't want to talk about it and they refuse to give you answers," she said. The VA has said the risk of infection through its colonoscopies is very small. But the agency is unable to say exactly how many of its former patients have been tested. Some refused to be tested, the VA said, and others chose to be tested by private doctors. "Some of these veterans are having a hard time trusting the VA to test them after, in their opinion, the VA made a big mistake," said Nashville attorney Mike Sheppard. Sheppard said his firm is working with about 15 patients. Simpson said he would never get another colonoscopy at the Murfreesboro hospital, though he will have to continue to go there for specialized care. "It will be hard," he said. "The trust that I had with them will probably never be the same."

Crime Log January 27 - January 28

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. Jan. 28 Antioch 8:20 a.m., holdup/robbery, 2600 block Murfreesboro Pike Hermitage 3:03 a.m., holdup/robbery, at Murfreesboro Pike and Expressway Park Drive 7:47 a.m., nonresidential burglary, 1500 block Elm Hill Pike 8:17 a.m., holdup/robbery, 10 block Fairfield Avenue 2:41 p.m., residential burglary, 300 block Bonnahurst Drive 3:35 p.m., residential burglary, 3100 block Earhart Road Jan. 27 Donelson 8:41 p.m., residential burglary, 3100 block East Lake Drive Hermitage 3:33 p.m., residential burglary, 1200 block Maritime Port 6:28 p.m., residential burglary, 70 block Robertson Street South 5:26 p.m., residential burglary, 1000 block Second Avenue South 6:04 p.m., residential burglary, 1200 block Lewis Street Una 6:19 p.m., shooting, 1700 block Borowood Drive

Nashville mayor enlists neighbors to clean up community

By HARRIET VAUGHAN • Staff Writer • August 1, 2008 In a rush to beat the rain, Gary French is out cutting his neighbor's grass. His neighbor is a single woman who often needs an extra pair of hands to help out. That's not a problem for French, who's lived on Calvin Avenue in Inglewood for 10 years. In fact, he's known up and down his street for helping his neighbors with odds and ends around their homes and in the yard. "That's the way I was raised. I've always cared and taken interest in my neighbors and my neighborhood," he said. French is the kind of neighbor Mayor Karl Dean wants to duplicate across the county with his latest initiative, Community Matters. He launched the program this week in Inglewood. Community Matters is designed to offer two months of coordinated assistance from the city's Codes and Health departments and the Davidson County sheriff's office. Neighborhoods prone to codes and health violations will be partnered up with the agencies to alleviate excessive citations. Residents and members of the county agencies will be looking for violations such as excessively tall grass, broken windows, illegal businesses and illegally parked vehicles. Metro Beautification will help residents keep litter and large bulk trash items off the streets. The program will begin in target communities in Inglewood and East Nashville and move to neighborhoods around the county. It's a relief That's a relief for residents such as 79-year-old Ann Smart. She and her husband built their East Nashville home 30 years ago. She says she's watched the neighborhood take a turn for the worse. "When we built our house, it was a good neighborhood. It has just gone down so much and it bothers me. Some people just don't take care of their places anymore," Smart said. Dean hopes to change that. As part of Community Matters, the mayor's office will conduct a two-hour training session for neighbors and neighborhood associations, teaching them how to identify codes violations and what to do if they spot one. If a resident does not correct the violation noted by a neighbor, they will be reported to the appropriate agency. The agency will give them a time frame to fix the problem. If the resident refuses, he or she will be summoned to appear before a judge and could be given jail time. "If someone's shutter is falling off, report that. If someone's car is parked illegally with illegal tags, report that," said Scott Wallace, a neighborhood liaison for the mayor's Office of Neighborhoods. "We can't be everywhere and if we can stay on top of that, the neighborhoods will prosper." Program will help Paul Koumanelis, owner of Pizzereal restaurant in East Nashville, is excited about the program. He opened his restaurant four years ago. Clean streets and safer surroundings could mean more business in what was previously a home on North 11th Street. "I think it's cool. Things are already on the upswing and this will really help," he said. Koumanelis says often, people walk up and down the street near his business and litter. At least two homes within one block of his restaurant are in violation of city codes. Brady Banks, director of the mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, says Community Matters is a proactive approach to reclaim neighborhoods gripped by crime and neglect. Banks says the surge in county resources in target areas under the program will not deplete the staff responding to needs in other neighborhoods. A complete report of violations corrected will be published at the end of each 60-day program. The results will also be available online. Contact Harriet Vaughan at 615.259.8048 or hvaughan@tennessean.com.

Saturday July 19th Office Hours Will be Held

Sign off Day (Saturday July 19th)- all signs found in the community without a date will be taken down. Having a Yard Sale Notify Vivian Wilhoite at VivianWilhoite@comcast.net and we will post on the blog. More important dates to come. Whoever has been saving the flip "tabs" from their soda cans...it is now time for us to get together so we can bring them all to Ronald McDonald House in Nashville. The Collection of the "tabs" we be on Saturday July 19Th at the First Tennessee Bank,2360 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37217. The Hours for drop off will be from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Come on down and see everyone again.... If this date is not good contact Mindy at Mssphotography@aol.com and we can work out a day that we can meet to collect them from you. Keep saving and I do have some boxes left if you want to continue the collection. Hope to see everyone there on July 19Th.

Nashville parks offer dog etiquette sessions Saturday

Davidson County Owners can learn pet manners Saturday Metro Nashville's parks department is holding two free sessions Saturday on "petiquette," a refresher course on leash laws and picking up dog waste. They're at noon at Centennial Dog Park and at 3 p.m. at the Warner Dog Park. No reservations are required. The workshops will cover the basic rules and regulations related to dogs in regular parks and in the dog parks. Dogs must be on a leash in a Nashville park, except within the three fenced dog areas at Centennial, Warner and Shelby parks. Sindy Scalfi, a certified pet dog trainer, will talk about dog behavior in and out of the dog parks, leash manners and obedience training. Cleaning up after dogs also will be addressed. The department estimates that over 19 tons of dog waste are picked up from park property every year. For more information on Nashville's dog parks, go to www.nashville.gov/parks. — JENNY UPCHURCH

Shoppes of Edge-O-Lake begins second section

Restaurants, businesses open in street-level units, and more space and residences to follow By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • July 9, 2008 MURFREESBORO PIKE — The visibility, access and connectivity at the Shoppes of Edge-O-Lake are "every developer's dream," said project developer Mark Marshall. The street-level units are something Marshall Development has touted in marketing the mixed-use development since its inception. Also, said Marshall, "Not only do we have great visibility, we're building these buildings like you would see in Brentwood or Cool Springs. We're using higher-end products — stone, brick." Tenants that have moved into the first phase of the center are Images Salon/Barber Shop; Fish Wings & Thangs; Subway; Automation Personnel Services, Inc.; and Tennessee Urgent Care Associates. "So far, I think this is a good location," said Tunecia Johnson, manager of Fish, Wings & Thangs. "I'm still growing, of course. Every day I get new customers." Customers continue to find out about the restaurant, said Johnson, adding visibility from Murfreesboro Pike is good. "I can only see the business expanding." An O'Reilly Auto Parts store will soon be opening next door on an out parcel. "We sold that last year, said Jenny Pollard, Realtor for Marshall Real Estate Properties and leasing manager for the center. "We have two more outparcels for sale." Space is being built now in a second section of the development that will include a Chinese restaurant and a Greek gyros shop, as well as office and retail space. Pollard said those businesses would likely be ready to open in the fall. Phase 2 of the development, expected to begin later this year, will include 35 single-family homes that will be behind O'Reilly Auto Parts off Dover Glen Drive. They will be all-brick and between 1,500 and 1,800 square feet. Phase 2 also will consist of a convenient store and a 40,000-square-foot retail center that will include office and medical space. Pollard said Marshall Development would soon be installing signage out front to further publicize the existing portion of the development. "It's gone really well," she said about the marketing of the development.

Metro asking for anonymous tips about fraud, inefficiency

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• July 7, 2008 Metro Nashville has started using an Internet- and phone-based system to solicit tips from employees and citizens about government fraud, waste and abuse, as well as ways to run the city more efficiently. The SilentWhistle program allows people to submit tips anonymously to a toll-free phone number or at http://nashville.silentwhistle.com. Metro Auditor Mark Swann said the program, run by a company called Allegiance Inc., has received about 30 tips since city employees started getting an e-mail with an endorsement from Mayor Karl Dean on Wednesday. OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1'); Metro is paying Salt Lake City-based Allegiance $8,400 for a one-year pilot program, Swann said.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation gives reading program $40,000

Submitted by Donna Clark • FiftyForward Communications Director • July 2, 2008 The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded $40,000 to Friends Learning in Pairs, which promotes literacy among elementary students in Davidson and Williamson counties. FLIP is an intergenerational, volunteer tutoring program sponsored by FiftyForward. Since 1993, tutors have provided encouragement and assistance to children in grades K-4 who are experiencing difficulty with their reading skills. "In April, we were faced with the possibility of having to cut 23 partner schools because of lack of funding. This would have resulted in the cancellation of services to approximately 350 students and the loss of many dedicated volunteers," said FLIP program manager Sandra Thomas. "Because of this generous donation by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, students will continue to receive that needed support from a friend, and volunteers will continue to encourage and share in the excitement of learning." During the 2007-08 school year, FiftyForward FLIP volunteers tutored about 800 students at 47 elementary schools in Davidson and Williamson Counties. On average, 79 percent of students who received help from a FLIP tutor increased their reading and comprehension levels. "Sometimes all a child needs is one person to believe in them and a few minutes of one-on-one instruction in order to achieve academic success," said Rick Dreiling, CEO, Dollar General Corp. "FLIP pairs a child who is struggling academically with a compassionate senior volunteer who is knowledgeable and committed to working one-on-one. We are proud to support FLIP's continued success." FLIP coordinators in Davidson and Williamson counties will begin training current and new volunteers in August for the upcoming school year.