Dean says Nashville taxpayers won't foot convention center bill

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • April 8, 2009 After weeks of hearing speculation that Nashville might need to use property taxes to help pay off the debt on a proposed convention center, Mayor Karl Dean moved Tuesday to eliminate that possibility. Dean's administration had an amendment filed in the state General Assembly that would "expressly prohibit" the use of property taxes for debt service on the $595 million facility, Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling told the Metro Council. The state legislature is considering a bill that would let Metro set up a convention center authority to run the building. Riebeling said the construction debt would be paid with revenue from a series of taxes and fees that target tourists, as supporters have advocated for at least three years. If those won't be sufficient, "we shouldn't do the project," he said in an interview. "Over the past year, we've been fairly consistent in stating we would not fund the convention center with property taxes," Riebeling told council members. "This seems to be the best way to get it off the table. Hopefully this will put it to rest." Councilman Duane Dominy of Antioch commended Dean's office for "stepping up to bat" and addressing a potentially thorny political issue. But two other council members said in interviews that they wanted to see the precise language in the amendment before they fully exhale. "That makes me a little more comfortable," said Councilman Michael Craddock of Madison, who has expressed concerns about the timing of the project during a recession. "But I need to see the state legislation." Councilwoman Emily Evans, who represents Belle Meade and West Meade, said there are other financing mechanisms that could transfer some risk for the construction debt to taxpayers. Evans said she wants to make sure the legislation wouldn't allow for any of those. "We have to make sure we button this up very tightly," she said. "That's the issue." After Riebeling announced the legislative amendment, the council voted 17-14 to reject a nonbinding resolution by Councilman Eric Crafton, who was absent. That measure would have expressed the council's "intent that the construction of the proposed downtown convention center and convention hotel be funded solely by revenue bonds that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the Metropolitan Government." That was the only major action of the night. The council deferred legislation on menu labeling; railroad bridge maintenance; water and sewer fees; and the May Town Center proposal.

Metro Public Health Department Identifies Increase in Infectious Syphilis

To Offer Extended Clinic Hours Beginning April 14 Please be aware of the below health alert from our Metro Health Department. Take a momember to be Informed. If you or someone you know is at risk to contract this virus, please get tested and encourage others at risk to get tested. Gratefully, Vivian NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 6, 2009 - Metro Public Health Department's sexually transmitted disease investigators say syphilis cases have more than doubled in Nashville over the past two years. The Health Department is alerting community medical providers and increasing efforts to encourage those who might be at risk to be tested. The Health Department's STD clinic will also offer longer operating hours -- from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday beginning April 14. The Health Department closely monitors syphilis cases and we respond when an increase in cases is identified," said Brad Beasley, STD/HIV Program Director for the Metro Public Health Department. "Testing and treatment are two important strategies to prevent further spread of the disease." Beasley said. From a low of 15 cases in 2004, infectious syphilis cases have been climbing steadily in recent years. The total for years 2005-2006 was 58 cases, and for 2007-2008 it was 147, reflecting a doubling in rates of primary and secondary syphilis. Although a high proportion of cases in recent years have been in men who have sex with men, recent cases include increasing numbers of women. In 2008, the ratio of cases in males to those in females was 5 to 1. This year to date, the ratio is only 2 to 1. "Syphilis is a great concern because of the connection with HIV infection," said Dr. William Paul, Director of Metro Public Health Department. "People living with HIV are more susceptible to syphilis infection. Also, untreated syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases increase the risk of spreading HIV." Of the new cases diagnosed since last November, 22 percent were in people known to have HIV prior to becoming infected with syphilis. Health Department investigators say the risk of being infected with syphilis increases among those having sex for drugs or money, and having anonymous sex partners. The symptoms of early syphilis include sores which may at times be easy to disregard or miss, and rashes. The sores and rashes can be very mild, or they can be obvious and raise immediate concern. "People who are at risk should get a test," said Beasley. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is treated with penicillin or other antibiotics. The Health Department's STD clinic, located at 311 23rd Avenue North, offers free confidential testing and treatment. Currently, the STD Clinic opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and registers patients on a first come, first served basis until 3:30 each day except Tuesdays, when the cutoff time is 4:30. More information about syphilis can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/default.htm. For more information about being tested for syphilis at the Health Department call or e-mail Brad Beasley, 340-5676, or brad.beasley@nashville.gov.

Walgreens Giving Free Care to Jobless and Uninsured

Channel 5 News NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Drugstore operator Walgreens will offer free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of the year. Walgreens said patients who lose their job and health insurance after March 31 will be able to get free treatment at its in-store Take Care clinics for respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments. Lauren Tenneui decided to come to the Take Care Clinic located inside Walgreens where nurse practitioners handle a number of minor health problems. "Being sick doesn't stop when you loose your job, so I hope they continue to do it," said Tenneui. Typically those treatments cost $59 or more for patients with no insurance. "Doctors are really busy seeing patients more sick than I am, so I am not feeling well. I was on my way home, so I knew I needed some medicine so I came here," said Tenneui. The program is expected to last through the end of 2009. Walgreens runs 341 Take Care clinics in 35 markets around the country. Click here to find a location nearest you. Anyone who is a currently a patient and lose their job as of April 1st, qualify for the clinic's free services. "They will have had to been a patient of ours before loosing their job, so if we can pull them up in the system, we know they have been here," said nurse practitioner, Donna Finto-Burks. The free services will be offered only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Walgreens said it will not offer free checkups, vaccinations or other injections. Patients must present proof they are unemployed, including a federal or state unemployment determination letter and an unemployment check stub. Spouses and children are also eligible for free services if they don't have insurance of their own. (The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

Lawyers give free legal advice and help with wills

BILLY KINGSLEY / THE TENNESSEAN

By Kate Howard • THE TENNESSEAN • April 5, 2009 Don Barnes came to a legal clinic Saturday with a tiny but important reason he needs a new will: his 10-month-old son.

Barnes, a Metro police officer, acknowledges it's not something you think about all the time, until you have a close call. When he heard about a chance to get it done free, he knew he couldn't put it off.

"I needed an updated will because we have two kids now," Barnes said. "I've heard the prices quoted more than $300 or $400 for this, so this is a significant savings." The clinic for first responders was part of 4All, an initiative by the Tennessee Bar Association that encourages attorneys to donate more of their time. Lawyers call it "working pro bono." Dozens of legal clinics were free to the public across the state Saturday, providing more than 1,000 people with legal advice or help with documents and family matters or bankruptcy, the

Tennessee Bar Association said. Kristal Hall Boone, a Brentwood-based attorney, organized the "Wills for Heroes" event at the Metro Police Department's South Precinct on Saturday. More than 40 attorneys and paralegals volunteered to produce the wills and witness the signing of the documents.

"They provide an important service for the community, and they're putting their lives on the line every day," Boone said.

"They definitely need to make sure their estates are taken care of, and this free service is an incentive for them to go ahead and get it done."

Wendy and Andy Belew have three children, and they've never had a will. Andy Belew is a detective with the South Precinct, and his wife says the possibility they might suddenly need to have the documents in place has never been far from her mind.

"We've known for years we needed to get this done," Wendy Belew said. "This was a great opportunity."

The state Supreme Court also has made access to justice one of its priorities. The court announced a new commission on Friday aimed at addressing the crisis of growing civil needs, and passed new rules meant to encourage lawyers to do more pro bono work.

Storms flood roads, damage businesses across Mid-State

WKRN Channel 2 News A severe line of storms Thursday afternoon damaged businesses, flooded roads and caused several car accidents across Middle Tennessee. The Nashville Weather Service in Nashville began issuing watches and warnings for the area around 3 p.m. and not long after, tornado sirens began going off in cities and towns across the Mid-State. An hour later, just after 4 p.m., there were reports of tornado touchdown along Murfreesboro Road in south Nashville. Winds blew apart a McDonald's sign there and scattered tires across the parking lot at a nearby Bridgestone Firestone tire center. Part of the roof was blown off a neighborhood auto dealer. Nearby, on Cantina Drive off Thompson Lane, trees were uprooted and debris strewn across the neighborhood. In Hillsboro Village, drivers, caught off guard by flash floods, were forced to drive through high waters. One shopkeeper used a wooden board to try and keep floodwaters from rushing through the door. Flash flooding was a common occurrence across the Mid-State. In north Nashville, at 10th and Jo Johnston avenues, a Good Samaritan rushed to rescue two drivers after their vehicles stalled in the flood waters. In the Woodmont area, photos taken by Christy Frink and sent to News 2 show streets and yards under water. In the West End area, a photo taken by Cara Alexander, shows a car submerged in water along Elmington Park. In Millersville, John Johnson sent News 2 a photo showing a muddy "river" running between two homes. The Federal Aviation Administration evacuated the tower at Nashville International Airport and all flight activity was stopped temporarily. The airport asked people in the terminal to take cover away from windows. There were no reports of injuries in Davidson County.

Sports Bar Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, Suspect Aressted

WKRN NEWS Channel 2 News NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Police in Nashville have one suspect in custody following a fatal shooting Thursday night inside a crowded sports bar. At about 10:30 p.m., officers said two people, a man and a woman, were setting up karaoke inside Jonny's Sports Bar on Old Hickory Boulevard and Nolensville Road when witnesses said a customer started bothering them. When the manager the tried to remove the man, witnesses watched as he pulled out a gun and starting shooting. "Numerous patrons jumped up and tackled the suspect to the ground, still armed, and took the weapon away from him and held him until the police got here," said Metro Police Capt. Harmon Hunsicker. The owner of the karaoke business died. His name was not immediately released. Police have not released the victim's identity.

Tornado confirmed near airport, Clean-up ongoing

WKRN Channel 2 News NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Clean-up is continuing Friday from Thursday's storms that ripped apart signs, damaged businesses and totaled cars. The National Weather Service on Friday morning reviewed storm damage along Murfreesboro Road in south Nashville, not far from Briley Parkway, and concluded an EF1 tornado touched down around 4 p.m. The tornado ripped apart a McDonald's sign, scattered tires across the parking lot at the Bridgestone Firestone tire center across the street and tore down a brick wall. Bricks from the building fell onto a brand new truck. The tornado's wrath snapped several utility poles, knocking at power to area businesses. Wayne Phillips was working at the McDonald's drive-through window when the storm hit. "I was praying to God, when it came down here I was like, ‘Oh no, it's coming right this way.' I thought the whole building was about to be gone," he said. "I couldn't believe it and I was like, ‘This is not happening... This is Murfreesboro Road, it's never happened here.'" Dean Hunter was inside a nearby liquor store. "It sounded like a train coming," he told News 2. "It was just scary. Once I grabbed the door and held on it. It still kept trying to pull it open." Choz Cunningham was working at the Advance Auto Parts. "It just continued for a little bit longer and then it started to ease off. Once it eased off we could see the missing walls and cars were smashed, windows smashed in the cars... Must have been like a minute, minute-and-a-half," he recalled. Crews responded within minutes and spent most of the overnight removing debris and restoring power to affected customers. There were no reported injuries in Davidson County.

Hi District 29 Neighbors

I pray that all of you and everyone in Davidson county was safe through the storms and tornado experienced today (April 2, 2009) and will continue to be safe until after the storm pass. I can't help but ask, "Are you prepared in the event of a tornado?" The American Red Cross advises that severe weather season is upon us. Click on Get your family prepared today! http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=gfLKJMNpEaKJI2I&s=8fLMJ2OBJ9LJKXOvFlE&m=lmKYKgOUIdK6G to learn tips of how to stay safe. Be Blessed! Gratefully, Vivian

Nashville clinics to receive millions from stimulus

WKRN Posted: March 31, 2009 04:45 PM CDT NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Little by little, people and places in Nashville are learning about big money they will receive from the president's stimulus package. One of the places is the United Neighborhood Health Service and one of the people is its CEO Mary Bufwack. "I learned that United Neighborhood was going to get this money last week by reading it on the Internet," she said Tuesday, after emerging from a three-hour meeting on how to spend stimulus funds of $1.4 million over the next 120 days. Bufwack said that figure is the total from two different portions of the stimulus, with a third undetermined amount still to come. She said it will help add three more health care clinics to the 13 now spread throughout Nashville's urban landscape. The money is meant to be spent quickly and create more than 30 jobs for the United Neighborhood clinics. "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," said Bufwack half-jokingly about the moment when she learned about the stimulus money. Felisha Taylor thinks the stimulus can do a lot for her. "Health care coverage has changed so much, you know you get to get certain things done, then you don't, and when you get federal money it opens up things you probably would never have seen without it," said Taylor, as she waited for her daughter's asthma treatment at United's Cayce Family Health Center in east Nashville. Along with building three new clinics, one in south Nashville and two more in the Brick Church Pike area, CEO Bufwack said United Neighborhood will see things like increased lab space, more equipment, and more doctors, including mental health professionals and dentists. United Neighborhood clinics served an increase of 5,000 patients last year. Nashville's Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center will also see some of the stimulus money. CEO Jeff McKissack said his group will receive more than $700,000 over a two year period.

Dollar General announces plans to add 4,000 jobs

April 1, 2009 12:33 PM CDT GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. - Goodlettsville-based Dollar General announced plans Wednesday to create up to 4,000 jobs in 2009 to support the company's plans to open 450 new stores. The plans come on the heels of reporting record sales and operating profit for the fiscal year 2008. Positions at the discount retailer will be available in the 35 states in which it currently has operates and include part-time and full-time jobs at various levels including store, field and other store support positions, the company said. "Our growth will add positions in many markets severely hit by the recession," Bob Ravener, Dollar General's senior vice president and chief people officer, said in a release obtained by News 2 Wednesday. "Particularly during these difficult economic times, Dollar General is proud to create opportunities and attract top talent that will also support families in the communities where we do business." Dollar General is the nation's largest retailer by number of company-owned locations and operates more than 8,400 stores in 35 states.

Disability orientation sessions planned

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt are offering two, free two-hour disability orientation sessions on Saturday, April 4, in room 241, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building. The first orientation session, 9-11 a.m., is for parents or caregivers of children under 12 years of age, and the second one, 1-3 p.m., is intended for adults and high school students with disabilities, their families, and support personnel. All sessions are free and open to the public. Child care is available with 48-hour notice. To register, call 615-936-8852 or visit http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/registration.

Briefs: Autism event includes special auction

Tennessean The Autism Society of Middle Tennessee will host its Pieces of Hope Benefit at 7 p.m. Friday, April 3, at The aVenue downtown. More than 30,000 individuals in Tennessee are living with an autism spectrum disorder. Proceeds from Pieces of Hope will help fund ASMT's support, advocacy and education initiatives for many of these individuals and families. The event kicks off Autism Awareness Month and includes cocktails, heavy hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, live entertainment and dancing. The feature of the evening will be a live auction featuring "Ribbon," a mixed media work on wood by Grace Walker Goad, a 14-year-old local artist living with autism. Tickets are $75 and patron-level tickets are $125. To purchase tickets, call 615-385-2077, ext. 3, or visit www.piecesofhopebenefit.org.

Bills to make information confidential advances

USA Today NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Proposals that would make information on crime victims and government buildings confidential is advancing in the House. The measures unanimously passed the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. One proposal sponsored by Rep. Charles Curtiss, a Sparta Democrat, would make private certain personal information regarding a victim who receives money from the state's Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund. Such information would include residential addresses and Social Security numbers. Under the proposal sponsored by Rep. Eric Watson, a Cleveland Republican, information relating to the security of a government building would be confidential. However, an amendment was added to exempt the media in cases such as a crime occurring at the building. The companions to both proposals have been assigned to the Senate State and Local Government Committee.

Tenn. income tax proposal stalls

USA Today NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A House subcommittee has halted the progress of a proposal to amend the Tennessee Constitution to ban a state income tax. The House Budget Subcommittee on Wednesday rejected an attempt by Rep. Brian Kelsey, a Germantown Republican, to eliminate any cost to the state by running notices about the proposal on the Web sites of the General Assembly and secretary of state instead of in newspapers. Members of the panel argued that not all of their constituents have access to the Internet and wouldn't have a way to find out about the proposal until it reached the ballot. Kelsey's proposal will now be place among those seeking funding from any money that might be left over after the Legislature completes its annual spending plan.

Many face hard times, no health insurance

In 2007-'08, 1 in 3 lacked coverage for some period By Clay Carey • THE TENNESSEAN • April 1, 2009 When Laura Adams left her job, and her health insurance, to start a business with her husband five and a half years ago, she was healthy. She had no idea a crisis was on the horizon. Months later, Adams found herself facing cancer and mounting health-care debt. Her husband has insurance through a private company, but she doesn't. "It's been horrible," said Adams, 45. "Because of the history of cancer, I either can't get (insurance) or can't afford it." She isn't alone. During 2007 and 2008, almost one out of every three Tennesseans under the age of 65 went without health insurance for some period of time — a few days, a few weeks or even longer, according to a national health advocacy group. "The huge number of people without health-care coverage in Tennessee is worse than an epidemic. … That's why meaningful health-care reform can no longer be kept on the back burner," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. The organization released the numbers Tuesday as part of a push for national health-care reform. Of the 1.7 million Tennesseans who were uninsured for a time over that two-year period, the organization said, three-quarters of them went without coverage for at least three months. Roughly the same number were members of working families. With the state's current unemployment more than 9 percent, the number of uninsured Tennesseans may be even higher, said Susan McKay, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, a nonprofit that pushes for health-care reform in the state. "Most people don't choose not to have health-care coverage," McKay said. Instead, they become uninsured when they lose their jobs or when employers reduce benefits. Numbers match national figures Tennessee's numbers were in line with national figures that Families USA compiled. Across the country, 33.1 percent of those under 65 went without insurance for a while during 2007 and 2008. Families USA is pushing for federal reform that would make health care available to more people. One bill up for discussion this year would guarantee health-care coverage for all Americans, giving them access to health benefits equal to those members of Congress receive. It would pay for itself, sponsors say, through the elimination of business tax write-offs for health plans. The bill has been criticized for attaching so many strings to the health-care system that it will reduce choices and increase insurance costs for Americans. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy research group, has praised the spirit of the bill but claims it gives the government too much of a role in regulating insurance plans.