Police arrest two teens in church burglaries

WKRN Channel 2 News Nashville, Tenn. - Metro police arrested two teenagers after the latest from a string of church burglaries early Monday morning. Monday morning's arrest happened at Light House Baptists Church on Blue Hole Road. Officers flooded the area and caught two 18-year-olds. Police told News 2, one of the teens was out on probation for breaking into the same church two months ago. Police said they have investigated at least seven church burglaries in the past two weeks. One week prior to Monday's burglary, News 2 spoke with members of the two churches broken into on Haywood Lane not too far from Light House Baptist Church. "Of all places, why would you break into a church?" said Lutheran Church member Ken Krebs. "It just does not make sense." Related back to Monday's arrest, police said the recent rash of burglaries started the same day. One of the suspects was released on probation. To see related video:http://www.wkrn.com/global/story.asp?s=10571518

Important Message for Nashboro Village Residents

Please Attend! Important Meeting! Nashboro Village Crime Update Meeting Monday, June 22, 2009 6:45 pm Mt. Zion Baptist Church- Antioch2261 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217 This meeting is for ALL residences (apartments, condos and house dwellers) that live in the Nashboro Village community. Please attend this important meeting. This meeting is about the crimes that have occurred in our area and how we can increase safety in our immediate community. Hermitage Police representative will provide an update.

Funeral services set for former Tennessean columnist

Staff Reports • June 19, 2009 Services for Tim Chavez, 50, a passionate journalist who formerly wrote a column for The Tennessean, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Edward Church. Visitation with the family will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, also at the church, 188 Thompson Lane. He will be buried in Calvary Cemetery, 1001 Lebanon Road. Mr. Chavez died Thursday night in the care of Alive Hospice. He had leukemia. Mr. Chavez is survived by his wife, Kathi Chavez; two brothers, Mike Chavez and Gerald Chavez, both of Del City, Okla.; a stepson, Japhet Thacker, Brentwood; a stepdaughter, Una Winterman, Bloomington, Ind., and two granddaughters.

I was saddened by this email from my friend Rikki Zee:

"For many who were not around in 2005, Tim was one of very few reporters who spoke out against the TennCare cuts. He did it in a very powerful way, many times using stories. Take care, Tony." As stated before, I was saddened by this news. Mr. Chevez's impeccable journalist at the Tennessean caused many to become involved and make informed decisions. He will remain a juggernaut of a "Voice" for those that could not speak directly to the masses. I am grateful your his contribution to social awareness. Greatly missed he will be but definitely not forgotten. Vivian Funeral arrangements will be provided as soon as made available.

Son gives back the gift of life to his father

Randy Moomaw/The Times Howard Jackson, 53, of Ashland City received a kidney from his 34-year-old son, Sean, of Chapmansboro.

By Randy Moomaw • The Ashland City Times • June 17, 2009

Howard Jackson received the ultimate Father’s Day gift from his son this year. Sean Jackson donated a kidney to his father in mid-April, and now the Cheatham County men say Sunday will be an extra special day.

“He gave me life 34 years ago, now I’ve been able to give him something to help him to have a good life,” Sean said. “This has brought us closer. There is more of a connection and a deeper understanding, especially being a dad myself.”

In May 2008, 53-year-old Howard Jackson’s kidneys started to shut down. He was diagnosed as a diabetic at age 11 and had been on an oral dosage of insulin ever since.

Howard’s sons, Sean, 34, and Scott, 28, both underwent tests to see if there were viable kidney donors.

Both high blood pressure and diabetes run in the family, so blood sugar levels would be a sensitive area.

Scott’s glucose tolerance test was a point too high to risk a transplant, while Sean turned out to be a perfect match.

A week after the go-head, Sean’s surgery took place at Vanderbilt Medical Center. The day of the operation Sean said that lots of church folks came to pray with his wife, Kennedy, before the procedure.

Howard admits he had some concerns going into surgery.

“I was kind of nervous since my sister had it done in 1988,” Howard said. “She went through the transplant just fine. Later, she needed eye surgery for cataracts. The next night she had a stroke. She then had a massive stroke after we got her to the hospital, and she died. She was in her early 30s.”

The Jackson father-son team went into surgery on a Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. and got out of the hospital on that Friday at 5 p.m.

For the most part the surgery was routine and went well. But for Sean, his surgery took a little longer than expected because his kidney had an extra valve in it. That caused some concern, but everything turned out OK, and an extra valve, though rare, is not cause for concern. Howard’s existing kidneys were operating at 25 percent and he still has those, along with the healthy kidney from Sean. So, he now has three kidneys. Howard’s first order from his doctor was to get up the next morning and start walking.“I was told to walk to Sean’s room down the hall first to say thank you,” Howard said.For Sean, that was a neat, humbling feeling.

After surgery Sean caught pneumonia in the hospital and then had a viral infection after being released.

The first two weeks of Howard’s recovery took place at his son’s home in Chapmansboro. “Paw-Paw is the main source of entertainment for my two sons,” Sean said about Cade, 3, and Maclain, 2.

“Paw-Paw” Jackson was excited to be with his grandkids and joked if he’d known how much fun grandkids would be, he would have had them first.

There have been some lifestyle adjustments and diet changes for both men.

Both are encouraged to keep themselves hydrated, and drink roughly two liters of water a day. They must also avoid analgesics such as naproxen and ibuprofen, which are processed through the kidneys.

“Now I’m able to do more than I ever could before,” Howard said. “And I’ve lost 25 pounds.” Howard has worked for A. O. Smith since 1977 and is back on the job after being out six weeks. Sean missed four weeks from his job with Nashville Electric.

The biggest challenge for Howard has been to keep track of the medication he has to take throughout the day.

Howard still checks in with his doctor twice a week. He has shown no signs of rejection of Sean’s kidney.

Both he and Sean are eating healthier. But it’s more than their perspective on diet and lifestyle that has changed.

Sean, looking at his kids, realizes that what he has given his dad is what it would be like if either Cade or Maclain had done that for him.

“But it wasn’t a sacrifice. I think of all the football and baseball games he had to drag me to,” Sean said. “I know if the situation were reversed Dad would be the first to do it for me.” Looking forward to Father’s Day, Howard gets a little teary-eyed and hesitates a beat as he speaks about where he’ll be on Sunday.

“I know we’ll be together. Every Father’s Day I’ll see him no matter what,” Howard said. “I feel good because my son gave up something for me, and I know what he had to go through.” Sean said he is grateful for being able to contribute to his dad’s overall well-being.

“So many people I know that have lost their dads say to me, ‘If only there was something I could do to get my dad back,’” Sean said.

The family is headed to Florida soon to celebrate the good news and the countless gifts from two incredible fathers.

Tennessee homeland security expo planned

June 17, 2009 (Tennessean) MIDDLE TENNESSEE Middle Tennessee-area residents will be able to see new public safety equipment and watch live emergency response demonstrations next week at a security expo in Lebanon. The event, known as the Urban Area Security Initiative Expo, shows how local agencies have used federal money to enhance first-response capabilities, said Dave Mitchell of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Office of Homeland Security. Attendees will be able to speak to representatives of emergency response agencies, learn about new public safety technologies and see live demonstrations. Participating agencies include the Emergency Management offices in Cannon, Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson and Wilson counties, which make up the Nashville Urban Area Security Initiative/Homeland Security District 5. State and federal agencies will be there as well. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 24, at the Ward Agricultural Center, 945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon.

Metro Nashville teachers get chance to boost pay

Contract includes bonus pay to work at certain schools By Jaime Sarrio • THE TENNESSEAN • June 17, 2009 Metro Nashville teachers next year will receive more pay for summer school and after-school tutoring, a chance to earn bonus pay for after-hours training and a salary boost for working in select schools. Changes to the 2009-10 teacher contract agreement, finalized last week, give Metro's 5,000 teachers more chances to earn extra pay, but do not include across-the-board salary increases. Erick Huth, president of the Metro Nashville Education Association, which negotiates the contract for the teachers, said a tight budget year made district-wide raises difficult. "In the absence of having a salary increase, we have a good package that allows a teacher to make more money if he or she chooses," Huth said. The contract increases the hourly wage for teachers who work beyond the school day from $17.61 to $25. This applies to teachers who sign up for tutoring or summer school programs. Teachers also can earn an extra day of pay if they choose to attend training courses after school or on weekends. Previous agreements allowed teachers five training days during school hours. Leaders believe the new contract will give teachers an incentive to stay in school and complete their training after hours, said June Keel, assistant superintendent for human resources. "Teachers are given these professional days, and if they take them, they are away from school and have a sub," she said. "And of course we want the teacher in the school." The contract also includes a 5 percent pay increase for schools identified in the district's rezoning plan and 10 training days for other schools deemed in need of extra resources.

Metro Nashville moves to ban guns in parks

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • June 17, 2009 The Metro Council took a preliminary step to ban guns in city parks Tuesday and approved a $1.54 billion operating budget that deals with a punishing economy by laying off dozens of employees and making sharp cuts to many departments. The council voted 26-9 for the gun ban, which was proposed in response to a new state law. The General Assembly voted to let handgun carry permit holders take guns into state and local parks but agreed to let local governments opt out. The council measure normally would have gone through without a discussion on the first of three required votes, but Councilman Robert Duvall pulled it from the consent agenda in an attempt to kill it. Councilman Duane Dominy agreed with Duvall, saying he had taken an oath of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution, including the Second Amendment, which protects the right to bear arms. But other council members said the bill should be allowed to pass into the committee system for a full debate. Operating budget OK'd The operating budget for the year starting July 1 will include about $28 million less than the year now coming to a close, which officials said is unprecedented. Council members said they felt bad about cutting some employees' jobs but had little choice. The council's substitute budget did restore 17 jobs Mayor Karl Dean's proposal would have cut. That dropped the number of layoffs to 79, which is more than the 66 city officials announced Monday. Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said the number could continue to drop as employees are placed in vacant positions throughout the government. The budget also includes 10 percent cuts for parks, health and social services and some reductions to library hours. Employee raises and bonuses also were suspended for one year.

Guns in parks proposal signed by governor

USA Today By Lucas L. Johnson Ii, Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen on Friday signed a proposal to allow handguns to be carried in city or county parks in Tennessee, but urged local governments to use the "opt-out provisions" of the legislation. The measure, which also allows handguns in state parks, goes into effect immediately, according to legislative officials. The Senate had passed the proposal on a 24-8 vote, and the House agreed to that version 54-41 -- just four votes more than the minimum needed to pass the chamber. One of the reasons for the close vote was that the Senate version would require local governments that don't want guns to be carried at their sports fields, playgrounds, greenways or other parks to vote specifically to ban them. A previous House version would have banned guns in all local parks unless city or county governments voted to allow them. In a letter to Republican House Speaker Kent Williams of Elizabethton, Bredesen said he "continues to have concerns about the inclusion of local parks in this bill." "I ... want to urge local governments to use the opt-out provisions of this bill to remove parks from its effect where they are located close to schools and other places where large numbers of children gather," the governor wrote. On Thursday, the House sponsor said he was abandoning the provision in exchange for Bredesen's commitment not to veto a separate bill about weapons in restaurants. That measure included an effort to prevent local beer boards from denying permits to restaurants that allow patrons to carry handguns. But Republican Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet, the Senate sponsor of the guns in parks proposal, said Friday that there was never an agreement. Last month, Bredesen vetoed a bill to allow guns to be carried in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. That veto was overwhelmingly overridden in both chambers of the Legislature. Also Friday, the governor allowed another gun bill to become law without his signature. That measure states that "federal laws and regulations do not apply to personal firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition that is manufactured in Tennessee and remains in Tennessee." Bredesen said he believes the law will ultimately be found unconstitutional. "The Tennessee General Assembly lacks any constitutional authority to limit the power and authority of the United States government in this manner," he wrote in a separate letter to Williams. "I am allowing it to become law so that it can quickly be dealt with in the federal courts." The other proposal he signed allows handgun permit holders to transport ammunition alongside rifles or shotguns inside their vehicles. Under the law, those guns cannot have ammunition in the chamber. Supporters said a law change was necessary because current law considers shotguns or rifles to be loaded if ammunition is nearby.

Tennessee charter schools are off limits to most

Fear, politics reinforce restrictive law By Jaime Sarrio • THE TENNESSEAN • June 15, 2009 Only one thing is keeping Lionel Booker from enrolling his daughter at the new charter middle school opening near his home — the law. The Bookers are assigned to attend Goodlettsville Middle, a school that's passing annual state benchmarks. That makes the Booker children ineligible for Smithson Craighead Academy, a nearby charter school that's adding a middle school in the fall. They represent thousands of Tennessee families shut out of charter schools because the state has one of the most restrictive attendance laws in the country. Charters have flourished in other states and are a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's education reform policy, but in Tennessee, politics, fear and demographics have significantly slowed their expansion. It's a stance the Bookers, whose daughter is in private school, have trouble understanding. "If they receive public funding, why wouldn't a local parent have an option to enroll their child in that school?" Booker said. "Why lock us out totally?" Charter schools are publicly funded but operate independently of local school boards, giving them more flexibility with staffing rules and school curriculum. But under state law, only failing students, or students who attend failing schools, can attend. A bill introduced in the legislature this year would have opened charter schools to any students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the state's 11 largest districts. Democrats, with the support of the state teachers union, blocked it because traditional public schools lose money when students enroll in charters. A last-ditch effort to revive the measure last week on the state House floor was unsuccessful. The bill's failure drew the ire of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a Democrat who warned lawmakers that the state could lose $100 million in stimulus money if they don't allow more students to attend charter schools. He singled Tennessee out Monday in a media phone conference. "Simply put, they put themselves at a competitive disadvantage for the largest pull of discretionary dollars states have ever had access to," Duncan said. An ideological shift Of the 40 states that allow charter schools, Tennessee is one of three that have restrictions on enrollment, said Nelson Smith, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Most states allow any student in the district or state to attend. About 20,000 Nashville students, or 27 percent of public school enrollment, are eligible to attend charters, though less than 1 percent are enrolled, according to the Tennessee Charter Schools Association. The new law would have allowed 73 percent to attend — although only five charter schools with room for a total of 1,250 students, and none of them high schools, will be open in the fall. The disconnect between Duncan and members of his party reflects an ideological shift at the national level on charter schools. Democrats, together with teachers unions, have historically opposed charter schools. "A lot of it is a big political problem," said Marisa Cannata, associate director of the National Center on School Choice at Vanderbilt University. "One thing you see in Tennessee is Democrats supporting the traditional Democratic line and the Republicans supporting the traditional Republican line rather than people trying to get beyond the interest group politics." House Minority Leader Rep. Gary Odom, D-Nashville, said he supports charter schools but needs more guidance from school leaders before he can decide on the law. "I don't want to do something that would be damaging or that would siphon resources," he said. In April, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Metro school board member Alan Coverstone spoke out in favor of the bill, but Odom said he is still getting mixed message from school leaders. Opponents worry charter schools will drain resources from local districts and leave traditional schools anemic, making fear another major barrier to expansion in Tennessee and nationally. Schools are funded on a per student basis, so when students leave a traditional public school for a charter, the money follows them. Loosening enrollment restrictions in Tennessee would cost public schools an estimated $14 million in local dollars, according to General Assembly estimates. In Nashville alone, $9.7 million that would normally go to regular schools will flow to charter schools next year. "We believe charter schools as they are presently configured will take millions away from public schools," said Earl Wiman, president of the Tennessee Education Association. "We've had enough of the federal government telling us what to do, and I would be surprised if the House of Representatives would allow themselves to be blackmailed by Arne Duncan." Demographics play role Competition is the essence of charter school reform, and advocates believe these schools can do a better job of educating kids with taxpayer dollars. Many charters supplement their budgets with private donations for longer school days or higher teacher salaries. Demographics have also played a part in why charter schools are still met with resistance in Tennessee. Charters tend to sprout up in urban areas, and many state lawmakers are elected from rural communities. "A lot of folks don't know what they are," said Rep. Beth Harwell, a Nashville Republican who sponsored the bill. "I think a lot of folks in the General Assembly do understand public charter schools and the need for them, but this tends to be largely an urban issue." As it stands, Tennessee's charter law makes it difficult to recruit new students and deters national providers from opening new schools because there is no assurance the enrollment pool will always exist. Schools move in and out of good standing with the state every year, making the eligibility pool a moving target. Failing students can also attend charters, but many do not know their scores on standardized tests. Last year when Edwina Harris Hamby applied for a charter to open Nashville Global Academy, several elementary schools were failing. Now, as she works to fill the school's 320 seats before classes begin, there are only three elementaries from which to pull students. Hundreds of students want to attend Nashville Global, but Hamby has had to turn most of them away. So far, she has managed to enroll 100 students. "I would like to see the law enable all children that want to be able to go to charter schools to have that choice," she said. "We would have been at capacity if I could have taken everyone who contacted us." 3 Previous Page Contact Jaime Sarrio at 615-726-5964 or jsarrio@tennessean.com.

VA patients hope for real answers

Congress to address contamination at hospitals By Clay Carey THE TENNESSEAN • and Bill Theobald TENNESSEAN WASHINGTON BUREAU • June 15, 2009 Walter McRae wants to hear the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs tell him it is sorry. He wants its highest-ranking officials to say they're doing something to make sure veterans who turn to the government for medical treatment aren't being exposed to dirty equipment, the way he may have been six years ago. And he wants to know that those problems aren't going to make him sick someday. McRae and other veterans may begin getting some answers Tuesday, when a congressional committee finds out what VA investigators have learned since the chilling discovery of problems with endoscopic exams at Murfreesboro's Alvin C. York Medical Center and other agency hospitals. In February, the VA advised thousands of patients to get blood tests after it discovered that valves on colonoscopy tubes used at the Murfreesboro hospital weren't working correctly, possibly exposing patients to other people's bodily fluids. Since then, at least 28 patients have tested positive for hepatitis or HIV. Officials with the VA would not comment on the upcoming hearing. Some in Congress and in veterans groups have been supportive of how the agency has handled the problem, while others have criticized the VA for not being open enough about its investigation. The VA has said the chances of catching diseases because of the colonoscopy problems are slim, and it has insisted that there's no way to know whether the patients contracted those illnesses at the hospital. Thirteen VA officials are scheduled to testify Tuesday — including Juan Morales, director of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, which operates the Murfreesboro and Nashville VA hospitals along with 11 clinics in Middle and East Tennessee and southern Kentucky. "I don't know if there is anything they could say that would make me happy, not after they did something like this," said McRae, a 64-year-old former Marine from Old Hickory. McRae's tests came back negative. Fellow Vietnam veteran Thomas Mayo wasn't so lucky. When Mayo got his test results back in February, he learned he had Hepatitis C, a blood-borne liver disease. He got a colonoscopy at Murfreesboro's VA hospital in late 2006. The Chattanooga resident insists there's no other way he could have caught the virus. "There's nothing they can say," said Mayo, 58. "They've given me something that may kill me. They didn't do it intentionally, but they should have done better than they have." Procedures criticized U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, a Knoxville obstetrician-gynecologist and the top Republican on the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations, believes health-care workers at VA facilities in Murfreesboro and in Georgia and Florida failed to follow rules for servicing and cleaning the devices, which are used to examine the colon, nose and throat. At big institutions, people do things a particular way and train the next person to do it the same way, Roe said. "That's why protocols are important," he said. "Those procedures have to be ironclad." The first group of VA witnesses scheduled to testify Tuesday are from the agency's inspector general's office. They are expected to reveal what they discovered during an investigation requested by Congress. Roe said he has not yet seen the IG's report. He hopes to learn not only how the scopes were handled improperly but who is responsible and what is being done to prevent problems in the future. A total of 6,805 veterans who had colonoscopies at the Murfreesboro hospital over the previous five years were notified. Of the 5,215 tested, seven were found to have Hepatitis B, 20 had Hepatitis C, and one was carrying HIV. Testing expanded The discovery in Murfreesboro prompted the VA to review the use of its endoscopes around the country. It discovered problems with how the devices were cleaned at the Charlie Norwood Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., and the Bruce Carter Medical Center in Miami. Tests of nearly 3,000 additional veterans found 20 cases of hepatitis and five who tested positive for HIV. Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Murfreesboro, is not a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee but has been given permission to sit in on the hearing. He agrees with Roe that it will be difficult to determine whether the infections were caused by the mishandling of the equipment, but he wants the sick veterans to get help. "I hope that VA officials will address possible plans to help infected veterans pay for needed treatment in full," Gordon said in a written statement. "At this point, my hope is that the VA will give infected veterans the benefit of the doubt and not require these veterans to pay co-pays for their treatment." Roe, Gordon, and Steve Robertson, legislative director of the American Legion, all said they were generally satisfied with the way the VA handled the problems once they were discovered. "We applaud the VA for its openness," Robertson said. He described the incidents as a "hiccup" in a system lauded as a model for the country. Others are more critical about the way the VA has handled the problem and communicated with patients. Prior infections alleged Rudolph Cumberbatch, a former chief of surgery at the York hospital, has questioned why the VA decided to not re-examine tests that were done before April 2003. "Many patients (may) already have Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B or HIV (before the colonoscopy)," said Cumberbatch, who worked at the Murfreesboro hospital from 2001 to 2005. He insisted that none of the problems could have happened on his watch. VA officials did not respond to questions about his claims. Veteran Larry Scott is founder and editor of VAwatchdog.org, a Web site that focuses on veterans' health care, benefits and other issues. Scott believes the VA should do more to prove that equipment is being cleaned properly at all of its hospitals, and it should be more open about what inspections at other medical centers have found. That sort of openness would be a welcome change, said David Bartlett, senior vice president of Levick Strategic Communications, a crisis management and communications strategy firm in Washington. "What's being done to fix a problem is much more important in the public's mind than what happened," Bartlett said. "I can't imagine they aren't doing a lot of things, but you'd never know it from the communication that is going out." At Tuesday's hearing, the VA has an opportunity to start righting some of those wrongs, Bartlett said. "The last thing they should do is be defensive. The last thing they should (do) is minimize the problem. … For anybody that feels their life is at risk, it is anything but a small problem." Vet switches hospitals R.J. Simmons, an Army veteran from Tullahoma, got a colonoscopy at York in early 2006. He tested negative for HIV and hepatitis earlier this year. Since the concerns became public, Simmons abandoned York in favor of the VA hospital in Nashville. He worries that similar problems may arise there, but he has few other options for medical treatment — at 63, he's not old enough for Medicare, and he can't afford private insurance. "VA's all I got," Simmons said. "I put my trust in them. Then when something like this happens, it's devastating. Mayo, the veteran who tested positive for Hepatitis C, just hopes the VA solves the problem. Last month, the hospital sent him a letter suggesting another colonoscopy. He threw it in the trash. "I hope they don't cause this heartache on nobody else," Mayo said. "Veterans deserve to be treated better. The hospital needs to crack down on whatever it takes to not let this happen again."

Foster program needs 33 mentors

Tennessean June 15, 2009 Thirty-three Rutherford County foster children are waiting for caring adults to step up and help them. The children — 22 are boys — are in line for mentors through Gov. Phil Bredesen's Mentoring Initiative. "We have a huge need for volunteers to begin mentoring foster children this summer," said Chrissy Everett, mentor program supervisor for Youth Villages. "It's a great time to start a mentoring relationship. Children have lots of time to fill, and there are so many fun activities that can be shared." There is a particular need in Rutherford County for men to become mentors and role models for boys, Everett said. "This would be a great service project for a church, civic group or fraternity to consider," she said. To be a mentor, you must be 21 or older; pass a mandatory screening that includes a comprehensive background check; commit to spending four to six hours per month with a child; and complete an initial training session. To become a mentor to a foster child or to request a speaker about the program for your church or civic group, call Everett at 615-250-7227 or e-mail: Christina.everett@youthvillages.org. Learn more at www.youthvillages.org/mentor.

Panel to discuss ethics of reform

Tennessean U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, and others will take part in a panel discussion on the ethics of health-care reform on Tuesday, June 23, at the Institute for Conflict Management at Lipscomb University. Cooper and Dr. Bruce White, a medical ethicist and chairman of the Clinical Ethics Fellowship Program at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, will act as keynote participants. Other local panelists will include: Dr. Kevin Baggett, director of clinical services at HCA; Dr. Reginald Coopwood, CEO of Metro General Hospital; Jack Faris, former CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business; and Bryant Witt, attorney with Miller & Martin, who works with health-care clients on compliance and regulatory issues. The event will be co-hosted by the NASBA Center for the Public Trust and the Dean Institute for Corporate Governance and Integrity at Lipscomb University, and sponsored by Miller & Martin. Cost to attend is $79. For more information, call 615-564-2129.

Business briefs: Apartments sell for $3.95 million

Tennessean Freeman Webb Investments Inc. said it has acquired the Arbors at Southern Hills apartments in southeast Davidson County for $3.95 million. Acquisition of the 156-unit complex near Southern Hills Hospital is in line with the Nashville-based real estate investment and management firm's strategy, officials said. The firm buys properties during economic downturns, hoping to reap a significant return over time. TRB Arbors LLC originally put Arbors at Southern Hills up for sale at $9.3 million. Steve Massey of commercial brokerage firm C.B Richard Ellis and William Kirkland of The Kirkland Co. brokered the acquisition

Pools Remain Open Despite Noncompliance

Metro Complex Pools Built Before 1995 Can Stay Open If Sign Posted Reported By Larry Flowers _ Channel 4 News POSTED: 3:49 pm CDT June 12, 2009 UPDATED: 7:08 pm CDT June 12, 2009 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kate Mosley loves lying around poolside, catching some sun and reading. But when she read a sign at her condo's pool that said "This swimming pool does not comply with the minimum standard with the Tennessee Department of Health," she said she didn't think anything of it. "I guess it's partially a problem, since I pay my HOA fees to fix that," said Mosley. Condos and Homeowner's Association pools built before 1995 in Metro are allowed to post the signs even if the pool doesn't meet Department of Health safety guidelines. If an inspector finds a major violation, the complex is notified and has 10 days to correct the problem. Even if the problem isn't corrected, state law allows for the signs to be posted, and the pool can remain open. If a violation occurs and is not fixed within 10 days at a complex built after 1995, the Department of Health will shut the pool down until it's repaired. "It can be no chlorine in the pool, broken glass in the pool (or) they don't have the correct life-saving equipment," said environmentalist Tommy Eubanks. Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite wants to see that changed. "I know it would be very concerning to anyone that a pool is not in compliance," she said. That's why she introduced a resolution that, if passed by the City Council, would ask the Tennessee General Assembly to repeal the state law that allows these multi-family residential pools to remain open. "It's better that we repeal that law, make all of our pools safe so that our families and children are safe," said Wilhoite. Just like restaurants receive an inspection report, so do pools. To see video regarding this story and to see a list of pools affected go to: http://www.wsmv.com/news/19738827/detail.html