Retail job loss in Tennessee surges

Sector lost 14,300 workers in January By Wendy Lee • THE TENNESSEAN • March 6, 2009 When Lacey Keller started work at the American Artisan gallery three years ago, she looked on the Harding Road crafts store as a second home. She loved interacting with shoppers and helping people buy jewelry, ceramics and other gifts. Today, the 27-year-old Keller is back on the job market. The gallery will close at the end of the month and Keller will lose her job as co-manager. She has applied for 15 or 20 other jobs, but no offers have materialized. Count Keller among the thousands of retail employees who have been turned loose into an uncertain job market in recent weeks. State data show a loss of 14,300 retail jobs in Tennessee in January, with many of those layoffs across Middle Tennessee. Retail job loss in January outstripped the volume of cuts in manufacturing and construction — perhaps the two categories that have been battered the most by recession here and nationally. Analysts attribute the spike in retail job losses to dim holiday sales last year and anticipated weaker sales this year as consumers rein in spending. "With the expected decline in retail sales, that's why there is a particularly high level of layoffs in January" in that sector, said Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director of New York-based Strategic Resource Group. Other economic news on Thursday included: >> Unemployment rates in all 95 counties in Tennessee rose in January from a month earlier. >> The Nashville-Murfreesboro area reported 8 percent unemployment, slightly higher than the U.S. rate of 7.6 percent for January and up 1.5 percentage points from December. >> Perry County had the highest jobless rate in Tennessee at 27.3 percent. >> Williamson County's rate was third lowest in the state at 6.8 percent, but that was still well above the county's 3.9 percent jobless rate of January 2008. Local data track trend Retail employment hadn't been stellar in the run-up to Christmas last year, but the retail sector's headcount statewide still managed to hover around 330,000 jobs for the last few months of 2008. It dipped by 6,500 jobs statewide in December and took an even bigger fall in January. Local job losses mirror the national trend. Retail employment in the United States through January was down nearly 600,000 jobs since a peak in November 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. New national jobs data will be released today. "The recession has taken another leg down," said John Challenger, CEO of Chicago-based research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. "Retail is reeling because consumer spending has really dropped." Several retailers announced closures in the Nashville area, including Circuit City, Goody's Family Clothing and the Macy's store in Bellevue. Macy's notified the state last month that it planned to lay off 95 workers in March in Davidson County. "What we're seeing are businesses starting to lay off, anticipating a drop in sales," said David Penn, director of the Business & Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University. "They are actually cutting hours, cutting the work force before things turn worse, which makes things worse." Keller said competition is stiff for bew jobs. She recently applied to become an assistant buyer for another retail store, only to compete with roughly 500 other applicants. Local stores such as Men of Stature Big and Tall Clothiers here are taking a defensive stance by not hiring at all. The store has two full-time employees and one part-timer working on its sales floor. "We decided to stick with what we got for a while until things improve," store manager Robbie Bishop said. Other out-of-work retail employees hope things get better soon. Jeff Billiu, a former sales manager for Circuit City in Bellevue, found himself out of a job when that store closed last month as the entire chain fell victim to bankruptcy. Billiu said he is in the running for a job at another store, pending background checks and a drug test. "I'm one of the lucky ones," Billiu said Thursday. Meanwhile, national retailers released figures Thursday showing that sales kept falling in February, although not nearly as badly as in January. Most of the gains were turned in by discount stores, including Walmart. "The tone was a little better, but the poster child of the improvement was Walmart," said Michael P. Niemira, the chief economist for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Meanwhile, sales at many luxury merchants swooned. Saks Inc. suffered a 26 percent decline in February, while Neiman Marcus Group Inc.'s overall same-store sales fell nearly 21 percent.

Bus station not allowed to relocate because of crime

Metro board cites crime at downtown Greyhound terminal By Bob Smietana • THE TENNESSEAN • March 6, 2009 Plans to move the Greyhound Bus terminal from downtown Nashville to a former car dealership on Murfreesboro Road were rejected Thursday over concerns from nearby residents and businesses that the terminal would be a haven for crime. Greyhound had hoped to renovate the former Music City Dodge dealership at 710 Murfreesboro Road into a new station. To do that, it needed a special exception from the zoning board of appeals. But the board unanimously rejected Greyhound's request. In making their decision, board members cited crime statistics from the terminal, which is on Eighth Avenue South. Opponents of the move obtained the crime statistics from Metro police. From 2003 to 2008, there were 931 incidents involving police at the station. That number disturbed board members such as Chris Whitson. Whitson pressed Andre Mitchell, Greyhound's Southeast vice president, about the statistics. "There are just page after page of fights and disorderly conduct and people with weapons," Whitson said. Tom White, a land-use attorney who argued against the Greyhound move, hammered on safety issues as well. If Greyhound had done a better job of policing its site, he said, neighborhood residents and businesses would have fewer concerns about the new site. "They are the architect of their own agony," he said. According to Metro zoning codes, special exceptions applicants must ensure that the "public health, safety and welfare will be protected." Mitchell said the safety of passengers is Greyhound's No. 1 concern. In 2008, he said, the terminal handled a little over 150,000 passengers. That same year, he said, there were only 175 police complaints. "That's a small number compared to 150,000," he said. Mitchell pointed out that the terminal is near three centers for the homeless. That contributes to the crime problem at the bus station, he said. Greyhound faced a similar situation with its terminal in Orlando, Fla., he said. After moving the terminal, crime went down, he said. Mitchell failed to win over either the board or the more than 150 people who packed the Green Hills Auditorium at the Metro Southeast Offices for the appeal board meeting. More people watched from an overflow room. Most observers wore "No Greyhound" stickers or carried signs with the same message. At one point, Metro Councilman Phil Claiborn, whose District 15 includes the proposed terminal site, asked observers for a show of hands in support of the proposal. Not a single hand went up. When he asked for a show of those opposed, almost every hand in the room was raised. The board's decision pleased Councilwoman Anna Page, whose District 16 borders the proposed site. "I don't think the board of appeals could have had a better ruling," she said. Handling criticized Opponents say that Greyhound handled the proposed move poorly. No one from Greyhound showed up at community meetings last week or contacted Metro Council members before choosing the site. Opponents admit that Greyhound needs a new terminal. The current one is in the footprint of the proposed new convention center. Mitchell said Greyhound was trying to move sooner rather than later. "It takes about 18 months to get a new terminal up and running," he said. Greyhound's case seemed doomed when Mitchell admitted he'd not visited the terminal before the hearing.

SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards Announced

Some information supplied by one of our residents from "District 29". Congrats Victoria Dunlap BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference announced its 2009 women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday, highlighted by Auburn's DeWanna Bonner being named Player of the Year. Vanderbilt's Jennifer Risper was named Defensive Player of the Year, Arkansas' Charity Ford was named 6th Woman of the Year, while LSU's LaSondra Barrett and Arkansas' Ceira Ricketts share Freshman Woman of the Year honors. First-team and second-team All-SEC honorees, All-Freshman team, All-Defensive team, along with Player, Coach and Freshman, Defensive Player, 6th Woman and Scholar-Athlete of the Year were chosen by the league's 12 coaches. The 2009 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament begins Thursday, March 5 and runs through Sunday, March 8 in North Little Rock, Ark. SEC's regional sports network (FS South, FS Southwest and FSN Florida) will televise all games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday while ESPN2 will broadcast the championship game. The complete 2009 SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards follow. First Team All-SEC Whitney Boddie, AU *DeWann Bonner, AU *Sha Brooks, UF *Marshae Dotson, UF *Allison Hightower, LSU Bianca Thomas, UM Alexis Rack, MSU *Christinia Wirth, VU Second Team All-SEC Ceira Ricketts, ARK Ashley Houts, UG Angel Robinson, UG Victoria Dunlap, UK Eleia Roddy, UK Angie Bjorklund, UT Shekinna Stricklen, UT Merideth Marsh, VU Jennifer Risper, VU

Davidson County crime log from Feb. 21-25

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. To see listing go to: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090304/COUNTY0104/903040338/1196/COUNTY01

A loose dog will cost you

By Andy Humbles • THE TENNESSEAN • March 4, 2009 Metro is considering a bill that would raise the daily boarding fee from $4 per day to $18 per day for dogs picked up by Animal Control because they are running at large. The ordinance also stipulates dogs picked up and claimed by their owners that don't have a microchip identification implant will receive one at a cost of $25. Council members Phil Claiborne and Karen Bennett sponsored the ordinance, which has passed two votes and was scheduled to be up for the third and final reading on March 3. Three passing votes are required for approval. "The $4 per day fee was established in 1989, and there has been no change to the fee structure,'' Claiborne said. "The boarding fees weren't covering the actual cost. And (the ordinance's intent is) to keep dogs from running at large and provide a deterrent for folks who are not always responsible.'' The ordinance does not change the one-time $50 impound fee. An owner would be subject to paying for any necessary vaccinations the dog may need as well. Cost for the Animal Control Department to provide care for a dog can vary. First-day needs, other than food and boarding, could include necessary medications and shots, flea treatments, cleaning and treating injuries. Hager said it's not unusual for the first day price tag to be $40, not including administrative costs. In 2008, the Animal Control Department picked up 8,131 dogs, of which 655 were returned to owners, according to Brent Hagar, director of the Metro Health Department's environmental services. "I want to see (animals) provided with good care and food, and there is not a professional boarding facility in this county that could provide even minimal care for $4 a day,'' said Mary Pat Boatfield, executive director of the Nashville Humane Association. Boatfield believed the cost of the microchip implant would also be less than what many veterinarians would charge. Microchips are the best way to provide a record of when an animal has been in custody of Animal Control, which Claiborne said is needed. He said some there are suspicions that some dogs are picked up more than once, but their owners claim they are different dogs. The ordinance originally asked for an $18 daily boarding fee, with it jumping up to $28 for repeat incidences. But it was changed to a consistent $18 per day when it was determined that only the courts can impose a fee for punitive purposes, Claiborne said. Out of the $18 boarding fee, $3 will be dedicated to an animal education fund that will stress responsible pet ownership and the importance to spay and neuter. The ordinance specifically states the change in boarding fee relates to dogs. Dogs and cats picked up by Animal Control who are not owned or go unclaimed are eligible for adoption provided they pass a temperament test and meet health guidelines. Dogs who do not meet adoption requirements have to be euthanized. Not all dogs eligible for adoption find homes, and they have to be euthanized. The $4 per day boarding fee is charged for cats that are boarded by Metro Animal Control and are reclaimed by an owner, Hager said. The ordinance going through Metro Council specially addresses dogs. Future legislation would need to be passed to change the daily boarding fee for cats. However, very few cats impounded are ever reclaimed by an owner, Hager said. The percentage of dogs generally adopted is around 50 percent, Hager said. Cats are generally adopted at a rate less than that.

Bill would make Tennessee voters show photo ID at polls

By Lucas L. Johnson II • ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 4, 2009 The sponsor of legislation that would require Tennessee voters to show photo identification at the polls said Tuesday that it would add integrity to the process, but opponents were concerned the measure may discourage people from voting. Sen. Bill Ketron's bill was approved 6-3 in the Senate State and Local Government Committee. The companion bill has been assigned to a subcommittee in the House. Present law requires a voter to supply evidence of identification in order to compare the person's signature on the voter's ballot application, but no photo. That would no longer be sufficient under the proposal. The bill specifies that "the identification must bear the name, address, and photograph of the voter." "I feel it encourages more people to vote because it brings integrity to the system," said Ketron, R-Murfreesboro. An amendment was added that would exempt people in nursing homes. But Sen. Joe Haynes, D-Goodlettsville, still opposed the measure because he believes it isn't necessary. He said his 98-year-old mother doesn't have a photo ID because she has never had a driver's license, but she votes. "All this does is handicap people and make it difficult to vote," Haynes said. Dick Williams of Common Cause, a group that advocates for stronger ethics and open government, agreed. "Obviously we want to be sure that people who should not be voting are not voting, but it's as important, if not more important, to be sure that those who should be able to vote are able to vote," he said. Tennessee Election Coordinator Mark Goins said he doesn't believe the requirement would hamper voters. He said Indiana had a few problems when it first passed similar legislation, but that changed once more people were educated about the law and understood that a photo ID was required. "A large part is about education and getting the law out there," said Goins, who is a Republican former state lawmaker. Under the proposal, a person who can't to show proper ID will be allowed to vote by provisional ballot. An amendment was added to give the state elections department an additional three days to count such ballots.

Mother killed in Antioch home; 3- and 6-year-old unharmed

By Bob Smietana • THE TENNESSEAN • March 3, 2009 The director of Southern Hills hospital's wound care center was found dead on Monday morning, in what Metro police believe was a homicide. The body of Manisha Kratochvil, 32, was found at 7:30 a.m. in a bedroom of her home on Sunnywood Drive in Antioch. Kratochvil's mother found her body after discovering the garage door standing open. There were no signs of forced entry. Kratochvil's children, 3 and 6, were in the home but were not injured. Her husband had been traveling for business when he was informed of his wife's death. He returned to Nashville Monday afternoon, according to Metro police. In November 2008, Kratochvil was named director of the Advanced Wound Care Center at Southern Hills Medical Center. A graduate of the University of Florida, she had a master's degree from Gardner-Webb University and had worked for Milliken & Company in Spartanburg, S.C., before moving to Nashville. Metro police ask that anyone with information about Kratochvil's death call South Precinct investigations at 862-7680, or Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME. More links to information about this case: http://www.police.nashville.gov/news/media/2009/03/02.htm http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9941819 http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=9934466

House to look at locals enforcing immigration law

ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 4, 2009 The Homeland Security Department has failed to ensure that local and state law enforcement agencies pursue serious criminals and don't misuse their authority while enforcing immigration law, government investigators say. Dozens of state and local agencies have partnered with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce immigration laws, the domain of the federal government. But ICE, a Homeland Security agency, has not clearly explained that serious criminal offenders, such as drug smugglers, are the target, the Government Accountability Office said in a report obtained by The Associated Press. The GAO also found that ICE is not properly supervising its local and state partners nor collecting data needed to assess the program, according to today's GAO report. As a result, some local and state law enforcement agencies have been focusing on people arrested for speeding, carrying an open alcohol container and urinating in public, the GAO said. The shortcomings could lead to officers misusing their authority, the GAO said. The 287g program gives local land state law enforcement agencies the training and resources to identify individuals charged with crimes and sent to local and state jails who may have entered the country illegally. Law enforcement agencies that participate in the 287g program also have the authority to transfer individuals suspected of entering the country illegally to ICE custody. In most cases, this referral leads to deportation or the individual agreeing to leave the United States voluntarily. In some areas, such as Los Angeles, the county's chief jailer has opted to screen individuals charged with driving under the influence and felony crimes. Davidson screens 4,000 In Davidson County, Sheriff Darron Hall's decision to screen any foreign-born person brought to the jail regardless of the crime with which the person is charged has led local immigrants, immigrant advocates, and attorneys to characterize the program as a dragnet-like racial profiling tool. Since the program was put in place in Davidson County in March 2007, more than 4,000 people have been screened by the county. Among the thousands deported from Davidson County during the program's first year was a man charged with playing his car stereo too loudly and another charged with fishing without a license. The majority of those deported were charged with driving without a license and other minor traffic offenses for which police officers have the option of writing a citation or taking the driver to jail. Hall has said that Davidson County's 287g program is not a dragnet or racial profiling tool because deputies at the jail screen inmates while police officers make independent decisions about whom to arrest and bring to the jail. Hall has also described his decision to screen all inmates rather than only those charged with serious crimes as the fairest method by which to operate the 287g program.

Robbery spree, chase ends in suspect's arrest

March 2, 2009 10:09 AM CST Local News WKRN Channel 2 News One of three persons suspected in a multi-county robbery spree was taken into custody early Monday. Police said the suspects robbed a BP station in LaVergne and then led police on a chase into Davidson County. The chase ended on Isabelle Lane in Antioch. Police took one man into custody. The other two suspects got away. In addition to the LaVergne robbery, the suspects are thought to have robbed a gas station near Hickory Hollow Terrace. Anyone with information on the other two suspects' whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME.

Bill would ban adoptions by unwed couples

Previous legislation specified gays By Janell Ross • The Tennessean • March 1, 2009 For Windle Morgan and Rod Bragg, parenthood began with a phone call. The state had an infant, 2 weeks old, 10 weeks premature, HIV positive and abandoned at a hospital. The child wasn’t expected to live long but needed 24-hour care and parental nurturing. Would they take the baby, asked the social worker who had evaluated and approved them for foster care. “That was a Friday. We garage-saled all weekend and picked him up that Monday,” Morgan said. The couple later adopted the boy. “Now we have this beautiful, healthy, happy, totally normal 18-year-old son. You tell me — what’s wrong with that?” Morgan said he and his partner were the first openly gay couple to adopt in Tennessee. If bills introduced in the Tennessee House and Senate this session succeed in the state’s new, Republican-dominated legislature, unmarried couples — gay and straight — could be barred from adopting. People on both sides of the issue say their primary concern is the welfare of children. But that’s where the agreement ends about who should and should not be able to adopt in Tennessee. The bills’ advocates say that Tennessee law was never intended to allow unmarried couples to adopt but that the state attorney general and Department of Children’s Services interpreted it incorrectly. It’s clear children belong in “traditional” families, they say. But those who oppose the bills say they would leave more children lingering in a state system that has made strides since a court ordered Tennessee to more swiftly connect eligible children with adoptive families. “Remember that children in foster care don’t typically have a line of people going around the block waiting to adopt them,” said Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.

Mayor Dean pitches hockey commissioner on hosting 2015 All-Star Game

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • March 2, 2009 Mayor Karl Dean has asked NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to consider holding the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Nashville, the Nashville Predators' lead owner said. Dean used the proposed new downtown convention center to make his pitch when Bettman visited on Feb. 19, said David Freeman, who leads the group of investors who bought the Predators in 2007. Previous inquiries about hosting the All-Star Game have fallen flat because the city doesn't have enough convention space or hotel rooms to accommodate the fans, media and others who would be here for the game and related activities, Freeman said. "We think Nashville will qualify and meet the standards for the All-Star Game as soon as the convention center is open," he said. The convention center has not been formally approved by the Metro Council yet, though the council did unanimously agree to fund planning activities more than a year ago. Architects are close to unveiling final designs for the $595 million facility. Dean's administration is preparing to seek council approval sometime this year to acquire land and finance construction.

Councilman files stormwater amendment to Mayor Dean's plan

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • March 2, 2009 Residential and non-residential property owners would pay for stormwater costs at equitable rates under an amendment to Mayor Karl Dean's water plan that Metro Council members filed today. Under the amendment written by Councilman Jason Holleman, non-residential property owners would pay $3 for every 3,200 square feet of impervious surface, like driveways and rooftops. That's the same rate the average homeowner would pay in Dean's plan. Holleman and some other council members and Nashville residents have complained that Dean's plan would let some of the largest property owners pay less money per square foot than many homeowners would pay. Under the amendment, "the amount of impervious surface you have is directly proportional to the money you pay into the system," said Holleman, who represents Sylvan Park. Dean aides have said their plan would bring in 60 percent of stormwater fee revenue from non-residential ratepayers and 40 percent from residents, reflecting the city's property mix. The council's Budget & Finance and Public Works committees will meet at 4 p.m. today to discuss water and sewer legislation, including Dean's plan and a substitute ordinance filed by those committees' chairmen Friday.

Jobs remain available in handful of sectors

By Naomi Snyder • THE TENNESSEAN • March 1, 2009 Horace Grant was surprised when his employer called him into the office in late January and told him his job had been cut. After all, Grant, 29, was an information technology professional in a growing division of a major Nashville religious publishing company. "It was definitely a wake-up call,'' he said. "I want to get somewhere where the job will be more secure.'' Job security has been elusive lately, to say the least, as almost all sectors have been hit in a recession that has sent ripples out to broad sectors of the economy. About 93,000 jobs were lost in Tennessee during the 12 months through January, a more dismal figure than many economists had projected. Some sectors that once were left unscathed have now been scraped, with some hospital workers and computer programmers being shown the door by employers. The federal government will send billions of dollars to Tennessee in a bid to stave off job losses via the national stimulus plan, but that money will directly benefit only a few sectors such as construction, renewable energy, education and health care. And education and health care were sectors the state felt had the most potential for job growth in the years ahead anyway. "The overwhelming trend is jobs are being shed,'' said Matthew Murray, a professor of economics at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. "We've seen no turnaround in the economy to date." Economists expect that unemployment will get worse before it gets better and that job growth won't happen in Tennessee until later this year or in 2010. In the meantime, people who work in the construction industry, some segments of health care and education are better poised to keep their jobs than others, career experts say. In those sectors and a few others, employers are still filling jobs. Here are examples of brighter spots amid the gloomy employment headlines. Medical careers show gains Health care: The biggest category seeing job gains in the past year has been health care, which added 8,800 jobs statewide in the 12 months ending in January. However, even that sector was hit with 1,900 job losses from December to January, a particularly brutal time for employees across the state as the Tennessee jobless rate rose to 8.6 percent. "I don't even know that we've had a bump in the road,'' said Robert Jordan, the vice president of human resources for Guardian Home Care in Brentwood, a home health-care agency planning to add 30 to 40 employees this year, a 30 percent growth rate. Although the Obama administration may cut Medicare funding, so far the company has benefited from an increasing number of patients and bills paid for by the federal government. "More and more seniors are being added to the (Medicare) rolls every day,'' Jordan said. Medical diagnosis is fueling a burst in hiring at Aegis Sciences Corp. in Nashville, which plans to add 75 to 100 employees this year to its base of about 150 workers. The company is a major drug-testing firm for professional and collegiate sports and recently got a contract to handle NASCAR. But the fastest-growing niche for the company is pain management, in which doctors assess what sort of other pain medications their patients are taking to guard against drug abuse or misuse. Companies that send diabetes equipment in the mail also are hiring hundreds of people locally, mostly for sales and call center jobs, including AmMed Direct and Diabetes Care Club. Teaching: Public schools, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, added 700 jobs during the 12 months through January in Tennessee. Education probably will remain one of the highest-growth industries in the state between now and 2016, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The Williamson Countyschool district plans to add 56 employees this fall, for instance. Government: Overall in the state, local governments added about 3,700 jobs during the last year ending in January. The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Census Bureau are hiring. Metro Nashville government has a hiring freeze, but it's filling critical safety positions such as police and 911 dispatchers, said Dorothy Berry, human resources director. Despite layoffs in 2008 and possibly more to come this year, the city of Nashville has maintained an employment level of roughly 10,730 workers, similar to the numbers a year ago. Energy jobs: Economists expect utility workers, technicians and scientists to get a boost from increased federal funding for renewable energy, research and upgrades to the electrical system. Shoals Technologies Group plans to add 300 to 400 jobs in Portland this year making components for solar energy manufacturers. Construction work: Highway and infrastructure should be among the biggest beneficiaries of massive federal spending designed to jump-start the economy. Adding jobs in those sectors could help pick up some of the slack from the slowdown in housing, which affects construction jobs and other related fields. But the big picture is that even massive federal spending won't be able to stop job losses in the private sector, Murray said. He has revised his forecast and now expects unemployment to top 10 percent in Tennessee this year. January unemployment in the state climbed one percentage point to 8.6 percent, a more than 20-year high. "There's going to be a seismic shift away from industrial companies, whether it be auto companies or heavy equipment, and away from the financial sector,'' said Mac Johnston, chief investment officer with Pinnacle Financial Partners. "The economy continues to shed hundreds of thousands of jobs nationally per month. Until the unemployment rate stabilizes and home prices stabilize, I would not expect the job market to be at an optimum state."

New group purchases Nashville Sounds

WKRN Channel 2 News

The Nashville Sounds officially have new ownership.

The group MFP Baseball got final approval to buy the Sounds Thursday. The new owners say they are committed to keeping the team in Nashville and to prove it, they've already spent $2 million of their own money on improvements to 30-year-old Greer Stadium. "To show and indicate not only to us inside the office but to the fans and to the community at large that these guys are serious and we are serious about change and providing that environment and getting that pride back," new Sounds GM George King told News 2. Inside the stadium, every surface is getting a fresh coat of paint and new seating will be installed. On the field, the infield and the outfield have been improved, and the famous guitar score board has been repaired so it works properly. A brand new sound system has also been added. A complete makeover is also in the works for Greer's restroom facilities. The new owners hope to have all construction complete by April 1. The 2009 season begins at home on April 9 against the New Orleans Zephyrs.

Police apprehend two suspects in hostage standoff

WKRN Channel 2 news Metro police apprehended two suspects Thursday morning after a hostage situation at a home on Gatlin Drive in south Nashville. Police said the homeowner and two female acquaintances awoke shortly after 8 a.m. to find two suspects in the house. According to police, the suspects were wearing disguises and demanded the homeowner write two checks for $9,000 each. Authorities said the suspects then bound the homeowner with tape and told the two females to go to the bank and cash the checks or they would kill the homeowner. Police said the bank got suspicious, called the homeowner and then called police. SWAT officers surrounded the area and put nearby Nashville School for the Arts on lockdown as a precaution. The suspects were apprehended within a block of the home after they attempted to flee on foot. Police said one of the suspects had tape and a weapon was recovered, along with various pieces of evidence. The homeowner had minor injuries to his wrist Police are still investigating and charges are pending. Police later arrested one of the female aquaintences of the homeowner and a fourth suspect that police said was the woman's boyfriend. The suspects' names have not yet been released.