Metro asks departments to prepare for 7.5 percent budget cuts

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 29, 2010 A Metro government could be looking at budget cuts of more than 7 percent in the next fiscal year but will try to preserve basic services, a top aide to Mayor Karl Dean said Thursday. Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling asked the city's department heads to prepare budgets showing the impact of 7.5 percent cuts on operations and staffing by Feb. 25. Dean has until May 1 to give the Metro Council his operating budget proposal for the 2010-11 year, which starts July 1. The city, which cut $27 million and made some painful choices when it started the current budget year last summer, is facing another difficult cycle as the nation tries to crawl out of the economic recession. "Obviously, all budgets are tough, and this one won't be any different," Riebeling said. "The economy is still fairly weak." Dean could seek a property tax increase but might choose not to do that for economic and political reasons. Riebeling didn't discuss potential budget fixes in his brief meeting with the department heads and their finance aides. Instead, he asked them to follow a few guidelines, including: • Maintain and, if possible, increase reserve funds. The city's general reserves are in better shape than they were when Dean took office, but school reserves are on shakier ground. • Maintain the level of services to the public if possible. • Bring potential sources of new revenue forward for consideration. • Keep in mind higher costs for employee pensions and health care, and try to increase employee pay after two years of no raises. Some departments have already been thinking along those lines. Terry Cobb, director of Metro Codes Administration, said some fees, like building permits, probably would go up so they can cover the department's costs to provide services related to construction. Covering those costs with fee revenue used to be routine, but taxpayers are subsidizing construction services this year to the tune of about $2.5 million, Cobb said. "It's appropriate that the fee schedule be adjusted so that subsidy doesn't continue," he said. 'Cautiously optimistic' Nancy Whittemore, director of Metro General Services, said she was concerned that a 7.5 percent funding cut could affect direct services. Her department has already reduced trash collection in government buildings from five days a week to two, and some routine maintenance might need to be delayed. "We'll do everything we can to be efficient in how we cut back," Whittemore said, adding that the 7.5 percent guideline was "better news than what I thought we'd hear." Sgt. Robert Weaver, president of the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police, attended the meeting and said he was encouraged by Riebeling's comments about employee pay. "We're cautiously optimistic," he said. "We encourage investment in the employees as a true asset to the city".

Streets to close as work starts on Nashville convention center

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 29, 2010 Downtown Nashville will soon have a new look, but it's not what you think. Before the new convention center opens downtown, three years from now, construction of the $585 million center will cause a transformation of its own, affecting some people's daily routines and their driving, walking and cycling habits. Metro announced road and parking lot closures Thursday as it prepared to start work on the convention hall site south of Sommet Center and First Baptist Church next week. Though the city hasn't secured all of the property it needs yet, its contractor plans to start putting up concrete barriers and fences around what it owns. Workers also will start removing asbestos and other hazardous materials next week from the parcels Metro has acquired, said Gary Schalmo, project director and senior vice president of Bell/Clark, the contractor. Any parking lots now owned by the city will be closed starting Monday "Our goal is to construct this facility safely, efficiently and with the least amount of disruption to downtown traffic and businesses," Schalmo said in a news release from Mayor Karl Dean's office. The city plans to shut down part of Demonbreun Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues the week of Feb. 8 for utility relocation work. That work should last two to four weeks, then move to the stretch of Demonbreun between Sixth and Seventh avenues, Schalmo said. The mayor's office said workers will try to keep two-way traffic going throughout the utility work. If that's not possible, traffic detours will lead drivers through the construction site. By the end of February, if legal proceedings go Metro's way, the city will have all of the property it needs in hand. At that point, it will close several streets around the convention center site, which sits between Fifth and Eighth avenues and between Demonbreun Street and an extended Korean Veterans Boulevard, which is being designed. At a meeting with more than 100 downtown business owners and residents Thursday, project leaders pledged to keep the public informed. "We are committed to communicating with you," senior project manager Larry Atema said. "It won't be a perfect process."

Schools Closed Friday In Anticipation Of Winter Storm

Posted: Jan 28, 2010 5:16 PM CST NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Several Middle Tennessee school systems, including Davidson County, have already closed schools on Friday in anticipation of winter storms. A winter storm watch has been issued for Middle Tennessee beginning late Thursday night, and a winter storm warning has been issued for southern Kentucky counties beginning at 6 a.m. Friday. The National Weather Service said accumulation from the upcoming winter storm will be light at first but will increase with intensity on Friday. NWS also said Northern Middle Tennessee will see mostly snow, while the southern two thirds of the mid state will see a mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. By Friday, all of Middle Tennessee should be seeing snow as colder air moves in.

Nashville Davidson County Crime Report Jan. 17 and 18

Davidson County Crime log for Jan 16

Mayor's task force to plan better Nashville for youths

By Jaime Sarrio • THE TENNESSEAN • January 26, 2010 A collection of school officials, student leaders, nonprofit heads and Metro employees is charged with figuring out what would make Nashville the best city possible for its youth. Mayor Karl Dean announced the 40-member task force at a press conference Monday. The group's ideas will be due to the mayor at the end of July. "The idea is to create a master plan of how we can better serve the kids of Davidson County in all facets of their life, whether in school or out of school," Dean said. "We're going to look for the areas where there are needs and how we can fill those needs." Dean has a history of using task forces to generate new ideas — a committee on high school dropouts led to the city's attendance center for truants, and a task force on special education led to new practices for educating students with special needs. Dean said he'd like to see this task force touch on transportation and health. Similar plans are in place in other cities, he said. "The National League of Cities is a big proponent of this way of approaching youth issues," he said. "It's the right time to do this in Nashville." Student is a chairman The task force has three chairs: Ronnie Steine, councilman-at-large; Renata Soto, executive director of Conexion Americas; and Martin Luther King Magnet High School student Jairus Cater. Soto said she would like to see a plan that connects nonprofits across the city and helps youth get access to them. "I don't think as a city we have a unified vision of how to engage youth and provide resources so they can become all they can be," she said. Cater, a senior, said he believes the main reason students don't make it to college is because of a lack of support and access to the help they need. He hopes to bring a youth perspective to the task force. "The generational gap is a big issue," he said. "But if we can get a inner-generational crowd together and have the youth listen to the adults and the adults listen to the youth, I think we can make an effective change in our city."

Second Harvest of Nashville gets truckload of meat

By Kevin Heim • THE TENNESSEAN • January 28, 2010 Ham and ribs came rolling into Second Harvest Food Bank on Wednesday in one of the biggest donations that the agency expects to see this year. "Very rarely do we get a tractor-trailer full of meat," said Jaynee Day, president and CEO of Second Harvest. Smithfield Foods and the United Food and Commercial Workers donated 150,000 servings of ham and ribs, which will be split between individual food boxes for local families and programs that serve food directly to those in need. The donation couldn't have come at a better time for Second Harvest. The group is seeing former donors come to ask for help in feeding their families. "People are asking, 'Do I make my mortgage payment, or do I feed my family?' " said Dennis Pittman, director of corporate communication for Smithfield, which has pledged to donate 6.4 million servings of meat to the nation's food banks. Chef Jeff Henderson of Food Network was on hand to help unload the donation, as well as to stress the importance of giving to food banks. "This is the most trying time in my 45 years," said Henderson. "We have to come together as an American family." He challenged shoppers to take one item from their cart each time they go grocery shopping and donate to Second Harvest. "If everybody gave one item, we'd have this place full in no time," said Henderson. To donate to Second Harvest Food Bank, call 615-329-3491 or visit secondharvestmidtn.org

Piedmont Gas loses bid to change rate structure

Regulators say plan to charge more for reduced use is unfair By Anne Paine • THE TENNESSEAN • January 26, 2010 Piedmont Natural Gas lost its bid Monday for a plan that would allow the utility to raise rates for residents when less gas is used, after Tennessee Regulatory Authority directors said the proposal as presented was unfair to customers. The panel of directors voted 3-0 to deny the rate structure change, which Piedmont, formerly called Nashville Gas, had unsuccessfully asked the legislature to authorize last year. Piedmont, which offered to fund a three-year conservation program, said less gas use means a cost saving for customers, even though rates would increase to make up for its profit loss. "With this petition it's abundantly clear to me that Piedmont circumvented the Authority last year when it filed legislation in the General Assembly, said Director Mary W. Freeman. "And now after the General Assembly expressed a desire to study the decoupling issue, Piedmont is attempting to circumvent the General Assembly by filing its petition with the TRA." Such "decoupling" plans are intended to give a utility an incentive to encourage energy conservation by compensating it for reductions in use. Different plans can be found around the country, with some providing more protection for customers than others. One tricky point is whether gas use goes down because of a company's conservation efforts or because of other factors. Directors fault plan The way this plan was written fell short on several fronts, according to the three voting directors. "The conservation programs proposed by Piedmont lack specificity and measurements that would allow a determination as to whether conservation would actually be achieved," said Freeman, who made the motion to deny the request. She and Directors Eddie Roberson and Kenneth C. Hill took Piedmont to task for wanting to make 2003 data, which include everything from gas usage to the number of customers served, its starting point for figuring out compensation for lost revenue. "Piedmont's last rate case was filed in 2003, making the information pertaining to Piedmont's revenues stale," Freeman said. A rate case is used by the Tennessee Regulatory Authority to determine how much a utility can charge customers. Frank Yoho, with Piedmont's headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., said the company was disappointed with the decision but hasn't given up on decoupling. "The intent around it is to continue to cover our costs to operate our system safely and reliably, but the real goal is to help customers get their bills down," he said. The Consumer Advocate and Protection Division of the Tennessee Attorney General's Office submitted an analysis of the proposal showing that rate hikes in the first year — if 2003 figures are used — would result in $1.9 million more for the company, while lost revenue from less gas use that year would amount to $20,000. Natural Gas which typically makes up the largest part of a customer's bill, has prices that fluctuate according to the market. Other charges include fees for service and equipment maintenance. A rate hike introduced in North Carolina after Piedmont adopted a plan similar to what it proposed in Tennessee left residents with increases over three years that included $50 million to cover lost revenues from less gas use, without indications that conservation programs caused the decrease. If the plan had been in place in Tennessee since 2003, the company would have brought in an extra $19 million, versus a loss of $20,000 a year for Piedmont, the state consumer advocate division maintains. In a Tennessean story on the issue last week, Yoho called the $19 million figure "fairly high." Safeguards criticized With a monopoly such as Piedmont, special care must be taken, Director Roberson said. "Also, the risk between utility and consumer needs to be more properly balanced," he said in the TRA meeting. Piedmont's decoupling measure "fails to provide adequate safeguards," he added. Much has changed since 2003, so a rate hearing would be appropriate, he said. Rate setting hearings require a utility to open its books and provide current information. "To consider such a dramatic change in rate design as proposed by the company — at a minimum — the TRA needs to have current usage and financial data from the company, not data almost seven years old from a 2003 rate case where conservation was not considered," Roberson said. Director Hill said Piedmont's proposal might actually discourage conservation and has not been proved to be needed. "Declining customer usage is not a new trend," he said. "It's been going on for a couple decades." Mike Hassell, an identity theft risk management specialist in the Priest Lake area, said he was pleased with the TRA's decision "How can you expect us to save, and then they're going to charge us more because they've got to keep their profits up? No, you cut back in your business." Yoho said he didn't know at this point what the company's next step would be. "A rate case clearly — from all directors — was a direction they were pointing us in," he said. The company had opted not to do that so it could more quickly roll out conservation programs that would save residents money, he said. A rate case can cost $300,000 to $500,000. "We thought this was a common-sense approach," Yoho said.

Piedmont gas not granted rate structure change

"Decoupling" proposal deemed unsound by TRA directors By Anne Paine • The Tennessean • January 25, 2010 The Tennessee Regulatory Authority today denied a request by Piedmont Natural Gas to allow rate increases to make up for lost profits when residential customers use less gas. Directors voted 3-0 against allowing Piedmont's proposal for what is called "decoupling," saying that it was unfair to residential gas customers. The utility, formerly known as Nashville Gas, said its intentions were to put money into programs that would encourage conservation of natural gas resources.

Nashville Uniting for Haiti

I am very happy to have joined this group of Nashvillians on this worthwhile event. As many of you know Haiti needs our help. It really hurts to see the suffering and pain of this country, especially the children...many without food, their parents and homes. Please attend. Your donation WILL help. Gratefully, Vivian

Wal-Mart cuts 11,200 workers at Sam's Clubs

By Mae Anderson • ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 25, 2010 NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will cut about 11,200 jobs at Sam's Club warehouses as it turns over the task of in-store product demonstrations to an outside marketing company. The move is an effort to improve sales at Sam's Club, which has underperformed the company's namesake stores in the U.S. and abroad. The cuts represent about 10 percent of the warehouse club operator's 110,000 staffers across its 600 stores. That includes 10,000 workers, mostly part-timers, who offer food samples and showcase products to customers. The company also eliminated 1,200 workers who recruit new members. Employees were told the news at mandatory meetings on Sunday morning. "In the club channel, demo sampling events are a very important part of the experience," said Sam's Club CEO Brian Cornell in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "Shopper Events specializes in this area, and they can take our sampling program to the next level." Shopper Events, based in Rogers, Ark., works with Wal-Mart's namesake stores on in-store demonstrations. Sam's Club wants the company to improve sampling in such areas as electronics, personal wellness products and food items to entice shoppers to spend more. Cornell has been working to improve results since taking the helm in early 2009, introducing new store formats, price cuts and offering more variety and more brands of food items. Earlier this month, Wal-Mart Stores closed 10 underperforming Sam's Club locations, resulting in the loss of about 1,500 jobs.

Opposition to new Nashville convention hall keeps eyes on process

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 25, 2010 Whether elated or frustrated, some of the people who spoke longest and loudest about Nashville's convention center proposal said they're likely to stay involved now that the facility has been approved. Kevin Sharp, president of opposition group Nashville's Priorities, said the organization's leadership will meet this week to talk about where to go from here. Sharp said he expects the group to be on standby as Mayor Karl Dean works on a deal for a hotel that would serve the $585 million convention hall. If the hotel requires significant public financing, as Sharp expects, Nashville's Priorities could reactivate for another fight. "I don't think it goes away," he said Friday. "We sit and watch and see what happens." The convention center debate was a tough fight, with both sides making their cases at public meetings, in conversations with Metro Council members and in the press. The most intense battles came after Nashville's Priorities got started in September. In the end, the council approved construction by a 29-9 vote Tuesday. "It was grueling," Sharp said. "Most of the people (in Nashville's Priorities) haven't done anything like this before. It's not something volunteers do." Union watches, too The Service Employees International Union Local 205 also plans to keep an eye on the project, which is expected to break ground by late April and open in the first quarter of 2013. Political and communications coordinator Mark Naccarato said SEIU will follow the progress of construction and revenue collection. If tourist taxes and fees fall too far below projections, Metro's general fund will have to make up the difference so the city can meet its debt obligations of $40 million a year. "There is a legitimate risk for the general fund," Naccarato said. "The general fund is what pays our members' salaries and benefits. That was the core of why we've been opposed." Councilwoman Emily Evans, who spent more time than anyone researching and talking about the project's shortcomings, said she'll leave it to Dean's administration to oversee the convention center's execution. "Once it's approved, we expect the executive branch to monitor and manage those things," Evans said. "If it's not properly managed, I would expect the legislature to get more involved. Until that point, we don't really have a role." Advocates for the convention center said they also could stay involved, depending on the situation. Dave Cooley, whose government affairs firm was hired by the Music City Center Coalition to lobby for approval, said he would stand down for now but could re-engage for a hotel battle in the council. Ron Samuels, the coalition's chairman, said his group's members would reconvene this week and talk about what they can do to make sure the convention center is successful. "We stand ready to help," he said. "It's exciting." Contact Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com.

Nashville Davidson County Crime Log for Jan. 15

Nashville Davidson County Crime Log for Jan. 14

Nashville Davidson County Crime Report Jan. 13

Stretches of I-440, I-40 will be closed this weekend

January 23, 2010 Road construction will close parts of two Nashville interstates over the weekend. Starting today, work crews will close a short stretch of Interstate 440 westbound from the Interstate 24 junction to the Interstate 65 junction. Most I-440 traffic will be routed to Interstate 40 through downtown Nashville as crews repair concrete on I-440. The interstate will close at 4 a.m. today and should reopen no later than 6 a.m. Monday, Tennessee Department of Transportation said in a news release. Construction also will close the I-40 eastbound off-ramp at White Bridge Road from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday. The ramp also will be closed from 8 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday as workers use cranes to lift 10 steel bridge beams that will support a new flyover ramp connecting Briley Parkway to I-40. During the closure, drivers who want to get to White Bridge Road or Briley Parkway should exit at 51st Avenue, a quarter of a mile east of White Bridge Road at Exit 205, TDOT said. — CLAY CAREY THE TENNESSEAN

Medical mart idea intrigues Nashville council members

Dallas trip offers vision for existing convention center By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 21, 2010 Two days before voting on a new convention center, five Metro Council members, including some of the project's biggest critics, flew to Dallas with senior state officials to talk to the developer that wants to reuse the existing convention hall. Council members said they came away impressed by the developer, Market Center Management Co., which wants to spend $250 million to convert the existing convention center into a medical trade center. They visited the company's fashion and apparel mart, a 5-million-square-foot operation, on Sunday. "I learned more in those few hours than I had in the previous 12 months about this project," Councilwoman Emily Evans said Wednesday. "It was clear that the operators, these are people who are knowledgeable about their business and attentive to all kinds of details." Market Center wants to turn the Nashville Convention Center into a 15-story facility where hospitals and other health-care companies can comparison shop for beds, technology and other products. First it needed — and got — the council's approval Tuesday of the new, $585 million convention center, scheduled to open in 2013. But the company's chief executive said he wasn't trying to sway any votes. "I didn't have any motive in this," Bill Winsor said. "We were asked to give them an opportunity to see how a market works." Evans and fellow council members Jason Holleman, Mike Jameson, Jerry Maynard and Charlie Tygard flew on a state plane with two of Gov. Phil Bredesen's Cabinet members — Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr and Matt Kisber, commissioner of economic and community development. Evans and Jameson have been especially critical of the new convention center project, arguing that it will struggle to attract enough visitors to pay off Metro's debt without burdening taxpayers. They and Holleman voted against building the facility but wound up on the losing side of a 29-9 vote. Maynard and Tygard voted to approve the financing package. Kisber and Farr said the purpose of the Dallas trip was to help council members get a better understanding of how the medical trade center would operate. "Several council members had a lot of questions about the medical mart, how tangible it was, what the economic impact would be," Farr said. Kisber said the Bredesen administration had stayed out of the contentious convention center debate. Tygard, who chairs the council's Health, Hospitals and Social Services Committee, was encouraged to go by Mayor Karl Dean's administration. He said he was impressed by the company's organization and vision. "This isn't a real estate deal," he said of the convention center reuse plan. "It's a marketing strategy." Winsor, who first saw the convention center in October 2008, said he expects negotiations with Metro to start in earnest now that construction of the new facility has been approved. Attorneys in Tennessee are reviewing a proposed lease to make sure it complies with local laws. Once they complete the review, Market Center will send the proposal to city officials. The one-day plane trip to Dallas and back cost the state $3,712.50. Kisber said state officials regularly take local officials on trips to learn about economic development prospects. Work to start in spring On Wednesday, Dean met with the convention center construction and design team to talk about the next steps for the project, which is expected to break ground by late April. Marty Dickens, chairman of the Convention Center Authority, said workers soon would start cordoning off properties the city already owns in the convention center footprint. Metro still needs to acquire some parcels through negotiations or eminent domain. "It's a full schedule," Dickens said. "This isn't a real estate deal," he said of the convention center reuse plan. "It's a marketing strategy." Winsor, who first saw the convention center in October 2008, said he expects negotiations with Metro to start in earnest now that construction of the new facility has been approved. Attorneys in Tennessee are reviewing a proposed lease to make sure it complies with local laws. Once they complete the review, Market Center will send the proposal to city officials. The one-day plane trip to Dallas and back cost the state $3,712.50. Kisber said state officials regularly take local officials on trips to learn about economic development prospects. Kisber and Farr said the purpose of the Dallas trip was to help council members get a better understanding of how the medical trade center would operate. "Several council members had a lot of questions about the medical mart, how tangible it was, what the economic impact would be," Farr said. Kisber said the Bredesen administration had stayed out of the contentious convention center debate. Tygard, who chairs the council's Health, Hospitals and Social Services Committee, was encouraged to go by Mayor Karl Dean's administration. He said he was impressed by the company's organization and vision. "This isn't a real estate deal," he said of the convention center reuse plan. "It's a marketing strategy." Winsor, who first saw the convention center in October 2008, said he expects negotiations with Metro to start in earnest now that construction of the new facility has been approved. Attorneys in Tennessee are reviewing a proposed lease to make sure it complies with local laws. Once they complete the review, Market Center will send the proposal to city officials. The one-day plane trip to Dallas and back cost the state $3,712.50. Kisber said state officials regularly take local officials on trips to learn about economic development prospects. Work to start in spring On Wednesday, Dean met with the convention center construction and design team to talk about the next steps for the project, which is expected to break ground by late April. Marty Dickens, chairman of the Convention Center Authority, said workers soon would start cordoning off properties the city already owns in the convention center footprint. Metro still needs to acquire some parcels through negotiations or eminent domain. "It's a full schedule," Dickens said. Michael Cass can be reached at 615-259-8838 or

Nashville Zoo admission is half price on Super Bowl Sunday

Tennessean January 20, 2010 DAVIDSON COUNTY The Nashville Zoo is offering half-priced admission to all visitors on Super Bowl Sunday. The Feb. 7 promotion, known as Zooperbowl, means guests will pay $7 for adults, $4.50 for children 3 to 12 and $6 for seniors 65 or older. Zoo members and children 2 and younger are admitted free. Zooperbowl encourages guests to get outside and see the zoo before sitting down for the big game. Animals normally displayed during this time of year will be on exhibit as well as animals in the indoor Unseen New World exhibit. Most animals are acclimated to Nashville's climate except in extreme weather conditions, and some species are more active during cooler months. Rides on the zoo's Wild Animal Carousel will be offered for $2 each, weather permitting. The zoo's gift shop, café and Jungle Gym playground will also be open during Zooperbowl.

Piedmont Gas asks savers to pay more

Proposal went to regulators after lawmakers rejected it By Anne Paine • THE TENNESSEAN • January 21, 2010 PagePiedmont Gas is seeking approval from the Tennessee Regulatory Authority to allow rate increases when residents use less natural gas, a plan that fell apart in the state legislature last spring. The utility, formerly known as Nashville Gas, is touting the proposed change as an environmentally friendly move that would encourage customers to use less energy because profits would no longer be tied to selling ever-larger quantities of natural gas. Known as "decoupling," the plan would allow Piedmont to charge varying rates that would go up in compensation for less use. The current rate structure charges customers for what they use, along with across-the-board service fees. If the company's income remains based on volume of natural gas sold, she said, the company would be penalized with lower profits if it encouraged energy conservation. The Consumer Advocate and Protection Division of the Tennessee Attorney General's office has said the measure would gouge consumers since it appeared last spring. "While decoupling sounds at first like a good way to encourage conservation, without safeguards it has allowed companies to reap profits grossly in excess of benefits from conservation, all at the expense of the ratepayer," said Vance Broemel, an attorney in that office. Broemel's division filed documents with the TRA saying that resulting residential rate hikes the first year would bring in $1.9 million for the company while the company's lost revenue would total $20,000. A panel of TRA commissioners is scheduled to make a decision on whether to approve. Piedmont's request Monday State Rep. Susan Lynn, a Mt. Juliet Republican, said she was annoyed to learn this week that Piedmont had quietly taken the plan to the TRA after it faltered in the legislature. "Obviously, last year they thought it required a bill and now they're trying to get away with it without a bill." Lynn said. "As people use less of the utility's products their rates actually increase. It's just wrong." Lynn had opposed the controversial bill that Piedmont and other private gas companies hoped to see pass last spring. The House Commerce Committee voted 18-13 to send the bill to a study committee, where it died. Then, Piedmont went to the TRA, where hearings on the matter were held this fall. Piedmont insists the company is being straightforward and that the plan would benefit everyone. "Certainly, there was no intention to do an end run around lawmakers," said Lorree Elswick, spokeswoman at Piedmont headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. "We're just trying to align our interests with our customers so we can be supportive of energy conservation as a whole. … We want to do the right thing and be good corporate citizens." If the plan had been in place since 2003, when the company got its last rate hike, Piedmont would have gained an extra $19 million, according to testimony to the TRA. Frank Yoho, in Piedmont's rate office, said he thought the $19 million figure estimate was "fairly high." "The focus now is on going forward," he said.

Metro Nashville rejects liability for broken water main damage

Merchants seek pay for damages By Jenny Upchurch • THE TENNESSEAN • January 20, 2010 Metro and some Second Avenue merchants are disputing whether it was a force of nature or negligence that sent water gushing through downtown streets this month. Metro's legal office has decided the city isn't responsible for damages from the Jan. 9 water main breaks, which happened during a prolonged cold spell. Merchants along Second Avenue are stunned because the breaks occurred in pipes that are some of Nashville's oldest, dating to the late 1880s. "Once you've been put on notice of a problem, it's hard to blame it on God. They knew the pipes were old … and they pretty much waited until they broke to come up with a plan," Brian Messer said. His building at 126 Second Ave. N. houses two shops. Messer estimates he is out $25,000. Water swept into his lower floor from the street when the main broke. It rose to four feet, destroying his electrical control box. He has had to tear out soggy drywall and carpet and pay for cleanup. A tenant, French's Shoes & Boots, was flooded. Kirk Evans of Piranha's Bar & Grille also was flooded. "We don't use the space," Evans said. It just had to be cleaned up. But his was the last spot with temporary water. "I'd estimate our business was down 90 percent over five days. It was devastating to us," he said, estimating the loss at more than $15,000. Messer said insurance carriers have told owners their policies won't cover the damage because it came from surface water, not a broken pipe within the building. Metro says it isn't liable Tom Cross, associate director at the Metro Law Department, said governments are liable if the infrastructure is defective or if an employee is negligent. "The breaks were not because the pipes were defective but because of a week of extreme cold weather," he said. "Age alone is not the deciding factor. We've got a lot of infrastructure on the sewer side that is brick and older, and it is functioning just fine." "We've all known those water mains were 100 years old. We all take risks, and we have to take responsibility for them. I won't be looking to the Water Services" for restitution, said Jim McGonagle, manager of the Hard Rock Café on Broadway. He had about a foot and half of water in the retail shop on the corner of Second Avenue and was shut down for a day. Cross said Metro's decision to speed up replacement of the downtown mains is not evidence of any liability. Metro received bids Tuesday on the first phase of a multimillion-dollar project to replace downtown water lines on Broadway and Second Avenue, including the section where the six breaks were. Replacing the pipes was in Metro's five-year capital expenses plans and will be moved up, Water Services spokeswoman Sonia Harvat said. Metro Water spends an average of $6 million a year to replace water infrastructure. Temporary lines serve Work will begin as soon as possible, Harvat said, but no start or finish date can be set. "Once we open the road, we will know more," she said. "There is a lot of infrastructure under Second Avenue we'll have to work around." Temporary water lines strung up and down Second Avenue are supplying businesses and residents. Water must be left trickling at night to prevent frozen pipes. But Metro will bill users based on past usage, not on the actual amount of water. Messer said it's crucial that the work be done by May and June for Nashville's busiest tourist time, the CMA Music Festival. And he and Evans say they are not looking for a windfall. "No one is looking at this as a big payday, for Metro to come down here and start writing checks. But for them to blame this on God is just shameful," Messer said.

Council members subpoenaed in eminent domain suit

By Nate Rau • THE TENNESSEAN • January 20, 2010 Members of Nashville's Metro Council will be deposed in the coming weeks for the upcoming eminent domain lawsuit between the city and one of the property owners inside the imprint for the convention center project. Six council members — Megan Barry, Emily Evans, Jim Forkum, Jason Holleman, Kristine LaLonde and Mike Jameson — were issued subpoenas by attorneys for Tower Investments. "I would presume, since I have no other relationship with Tower, that it would be related to council duties, and that would be related to whatever condemnation authority we approved," Evans said. The California-based company is challenging the Metro Development and Housing Agency's right to take its 5.66-acre property located inside the convention center imprint. "There's really not a master plan here," said Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowtiz attorney Joe Connor, who is representing Tower in its lawsuit. "We feel it's necessary to ask the council members questions concerning the resolutions that were passed as part of our defense." Tower believes the city has no right to take its property and has proposed to develop the land in conjunction with the $585 million convention center project, which was approved by council on Tuesday. "We don't believe MDHA has the right to take our land, and that's the basis for our defense," Connor said. Tower's case will be heard in Davidson County Circuit Court on Feb. 5. Council allocated condemnation powers to the Metro Development and Housing Agency in June with a 28-6 vote. Holleman and Evans both voted against the resolution. Barry, Forkum and LaLonde voted in favor of the resolution while Jameson was absent. Metro Legal Director Sue Cain confirmed she was aware of the subpoenas, but said she had no comment. Reporter Michael Cass contributed to this story. Nate Rau can be reached at 615-259-8094 or nrau@tennessean.com.

Metro Council Approves New Convention Center

Channel 5 By Chris Cannon NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Metro City Council voted to approve a financing plan for the publicly funded $585 million convention center Tuesday night in a 29-9 vote. Before the council meeting started supporters and opponents of the project filled Public Square, outside the courthouse, with their opinions. But the only debate about the convention center that counted happened in Metro Council Chambers. "This is a bright future for us all. Yes, oh I understand the opposition side. Oh yes, I was on the opposition side," said Metro Council member Sam Coleman. "I am not convinced this convention center is, with this financial plan - in this most difficult economic time, right for Nashville," said Metro Council member Randy Foster. A packed house listened to the back and forth over the proposed $585 million convention center. "Of course there is risk in a project of this size and this nature," said Metro Council member Erik Cole. "I feel the exposure is too great to the taxpayers of Davidson County," said Metro Council member Robert Duvall. After months of meetings and more than an hour of debate Tuesday the motion passed 29-9 with 1 abstention. Firm Still Suing Nashville Over Convention Center Land Metro Council approved the financing plan that will make the Music City Center a reality. Mayor Karl Dean said it was a vote for Nashville's future. "For a city to be able to do that tonight, I think we're the only city in America where that is happening, and that's a really positive thing," said Dean. Kevin Sharp, the leader of the opposition group, Nashville Priorities, said the vote went against what the people want. "When you've got six PR firms and seven figures to spend on convincing the council to go ahead anyway, that's what happens. The public gets steam rolled and it's unfortunate," said Sharp. Councilman Eric Crafton did bring a resolution before council that would have put the Music City Center up for a vote. The proposed referendum was defeated as well. email: ccannon@newschannel5.com

Music City Center

Dear Constituents: Please see below document outlining my decision regarding the proposed Music City Center scheduled for vote on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Please contact me if you have difficulty viewing the attached document. Please feel free to share this information with other District 29 residents. It is a pleasure to serve as your District 29 representative. Gratefully, Vivian Wilhoite Metro Council Member, District 29 589-2003 January 17, 2010 Dear Constituents, After much deliberation I have come to the decision that I will support the Music City Center, the proposed new convention center, in Tuesday’s Council vote. Throughout the entire process I have kept an open mind and listened to all sides of the issue. I have carefully considered the arguments of opponents and proponents of the new convention center. As you know, I am a neighborhood representative and as such, I believe that our neighborhood will, in the long-term, benefit from the expanded tax base that this project will provide. In addition, I have attended many neighborhood meetings that included resident and business representatives. I have talked directly to many of you who live in the neighborhood I represent. Based on our conversations and my observations from the meetings, I have found that District 29 is evenly split in its opinion on whether Nashville needs a new convention center. That left me to base much of my decision on the careful study of the cost projections of the new convention center and evaluate the risks involved and compare them with the potential benefits for our neighborhood and our District. Estimates always provide a risk. But the benefits in local work development, continued neighbor services and a significant increase in the tax base, in my mind, outweigh the current risk we’re taking by building the Music City Center. We are at a critical time where Nashville needs to create new jobs as well as maintain the ones that currently exist. I have worked directly with the Mayor’s Office to ensure that everything will be done to hire local workers to build the convention center. But most importantly, I will continue to work directly with the Mayor's Office to ensure that the neighborhood services earmarked for our area do occur, such as a community center for the youth and seniors, a new fire hall for the men and women that risk their lives to protect our lives and our homes, much needed traffic signals, increased police patrolling, and paving of streets just to name a few. A city’s health is determined on its economic strength. Neighborhoods need city services, which can only be provided with a strong and diverse tax base. The potential for economic growth that the Music City Center provides will help us secure an economically stable Nashville for years to come. This decision was not made in haste. My final decision was made after carefully considering what my constituents want and the direct benefits I believe this project will have on our District 29. Please feel free to contact me regarding this or future concerns. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your council representative. Sincerely, Vivian Wilhoite Councilmember, District 29 www.vivian-29.blogspot.com

File taxes online and get refund in 10 days

IRS promises free, secure e-returns By Stephen Ohlemacher • ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 16, 2010 WASHINGTON — Want a quick tax refund? File your federal return online and have the refund deposited directly into your bank account. The Internal Revenue Service launched its online filing system Friday with a promise that people who do their taxes electronically will get refunds in as few as 10 days. For those who file paper returns, refunds are expected to take four weeks to six weeks, said David R. Williams, the agency's director of electronic tax administration. "We really encourage people to file electronically," Williams said, adding that it's fast, free and safe. "We believe e-file is safe and secure and we work with the tax software industry to make sure it stays that way," Williams said. One group still will need to file paper forms: those taking advantage of expanded homebuyer tax credits approved by Congress in November. Congress required documentation to claim the credits, so those returns must be done on paper, Williams said. Under the program, buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible, subject to income limits, for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers or people who haven't owned homes in the previous three years could get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers have to sign purchase agreements before May 1 and close before July 1. Tax season is approaching. Some workers already are starting to receive tax forms from employers and financial institutions. Individual income taxes for 2009 are due April 15. For those who owe additional taxes, they can file electronically and pay later, as long as payments are received by April 15. Taxpayers can set a date to have tax payments automatically withdrawn from their bank accounts or they pay by credit card. Last year, two-thirds of individual taxpayers filed their returns electronically. This year, Williams expects about 70 percent to file online. Taxpayers can file their returns electronically whether they use a paid tax preparer or do it themselves. For families and individuals making less than $57,000, the IRS offers Free File computer software programs that help taxpayers prepare their returns at no charge. The software is similar to commercial programs that charge for their services, Williams said. The software walks taxpayers through their returns by asking them a series of questions about their income, expenses and other financial transactions. Williams said the software is designed for taxpayers to get all the deductions and credits they are entitled to, as long as they accurately answer all the questions. Those making more than $57,000 can still file their returns online at no cost, but they won't get the additional free help.

Women's health exams offered for $30 at Franklin Road clinic

January 16, 2010 Vanderbilt student nurses and University Community Health Services will team up to offer a special Saturday on women's health exams, including Pap tests. Woman can pay $30 to get the wellness exam, which is typically more than $250, at the Franklin Road Women's Health Center, 2410 Franklin Road. Nurses and doctors will be able to examine up to 100 women throughout the day. The exam will check for signs of breast cancer, cervical cancer, HPV infections, sexually transmitted diseases and more. The event at Vine Hill Community Clinic aims to remove financial barriers to receiving high-quality preventive health care. The Franklin Road Women's Health Center is an expansion of the Vine Hill Community Clinic. For more information or to set up an appointment call Tonia Moore-Davis at 615-491-6444. — CHRISTINA E. SANCHEZ THE TENNESSEAN

Tenn. House, Senate Pass Education Bill

Channel 5 News Posted: Jan 15, 2010 6:56 PM CST (AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposal to require up to half of teacher evaluations and tenure decisions to be based on student achievement data has passed the House and Senate, but the two chambers will have to work out differences before it can be signed into law. The Senate approved the measure 29-3 on Friday, and the House later voted 83-10 for its version. The governor has said the measure is key to Tennessee's chances of landing up to $485 million dollars in federal "Race to the Top" money. The application deadline is Tuesday. Tennessee currently uses no testing data to evaluate teachers. One difference between the House and Senate versions of the bill is the makeup of a special 15-member committee tasked with determining evaluation standards. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Lawmakers Approve Bill In Bid To Get Federal Money

Channel 5 News Posted: Jan 15, 2010 10:00 PM CST (AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee lawmakers have approved education changes Gov. Phil Bredesen said are needed to boost Tennessee's chances at landing up to $485 million in federal schools money. Under the bill approved overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate on Friday, half of teacher evaluations will be based on student achievement data. That's a major departure from the current system that makes no use of test scores. The evaluation requirement is a cornerstone of Democratic President Barack Obama's efforts to begin overhauling the nation's schools through a competitive $5 billion fund administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Tuesday is the deadline for states to apply for the money. A group of Bredesen administration staffers and consultants dubbed the "mule team" planned to work through the long weekend to complete the state's bid. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Crime Watch

Electric bills expected to fall slightly

Residents could see about a 50-cent to $1 reduction in their electric bills in February, depending on how much energy they use, the Tennessee Valley Authority has announced. Electricity charges — above the base rate — fluctuate what are generally small amounts each month, depending on TVA's fuel costs. Those have been dropping for a few months. TVA produces electricity for virtually all of Tennessee, and it is sold through distributors, including Nashville Electric Service. TVA also serves parts of six other states. The latest adjustment, the eighth drop in fuel costs in a row, will be applied to monthly billing beginning Feb. 1. Historically, the rate electricity users paid changed only when the base rate was increased or decreased from time to time. The reason for the recent reductions is that the amount of power generated at hydroelectric dams has been up, which lowered the need to use more costly resources, TVA said. Those other resources include coal, nuclear, natural gas. — ANNE PAINE THE TENNESSEAN

Electric bills expected to fall slightly

Residents could see about a 50-cent to $1 reduction in their electric bills in February, depending on how much energy they use, the Tennessee Valley Authority has announced. Electricity charges — above the base rate — fluctuate what are generally small amounts each month, depending on TVA's fuel costs. Those have been dropping for a few months. TVA produces electricity for virtually all of Tennessee, and it is sold through distributors, including Nashville Electric Service. TVA also serves parts of six other states. The latest adjustment, the eighth drop in fuel costs in a row, will be applied to monthly billing beginning Feb. 1. Historically, the rate electricity users paid changed only when the base rate was increased or decreased from time to time. The reason for the recent reductions is that the amount of power generated at hydroelectric dams has been up, which lowered the need to use more costly resources, TVA said. Those other resources include coal, nuclear, natural gas. — ANNE PAINE THE TENNESSEAN

Convention center moves ahead after heated debate

Nashville Council will vote Tuesday By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 15, 2010 A plan to build a $585 million downtown convention center was overwhelmingly approved by two key Metro Council committees Thursday after almost two hours of tough questions, hard-nosed debate and speeches about the city's future. A proposal to take the issue to the public for a nonbinding referendum was defeated by identical margins, gaining just one vote. The committees' actions sent Mayor Karl Dean's convention center proposal to the full council for a final vote Tuesday. If the council approves, the city will issue municipal bonds to finance construction of the facility, which would be scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2013, more than tripling Nashville's downtown convention space. The joint meeting of the two committees featured several intense exchanges over the tourist revenue projections being used to justify the project. Council members Eric Crafton, Emily Evans and Mike Jameson took consultant Tom Hazinski to task for refusing to say more about the accuracy of his forecasts for other cities, and they questioned the two he did provide. Earlier Thursday, Dean's administration shared scenarios in which visitor revenue shortfalls could force Metro to dip into its general fund to help pay the project's debt. Skeptics say that's quite possible, given that the national supply of convention space exceeds the demand, leaving many convention centers struggling. "This is a decreasing, failing, growing-older-by-the-minute business model," Crafton said. The scenarios, provided by the Goldman Sachs investment bank, which is underwriting the deal, showed Metro would need to take about $36 million from the general fund over a period of eight years if revenues were constantly 25 percent below projections. If the projections were consistently 50 percent off, Metro would need to dip into its revenues every year from 2013 to 2038. Those general fund contributions would exceed $250 million. But Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said in a memo to the council that the projections by Hazinski's firm, HVS Consulting, were conservative, using the current economic downturn as a baseline. "Their numbers also do not reflect the impact of a headquarters hotel or the (proposed) Medical Trade Mart," Riebeling wrote. If the projections do prove to be conservative, Metro will have annual surpluses, he said. Jameson also complained that the administration had not produced a plan to come up with about $14 million to help various tourist attractions that have been using hotel/motel tax revenues, which would be applied to the convention center debt. He said Riebeling had promised to do that. Riebeling said the city would "meet those obligations in next year's budget." Councilman Charlie Tygard defended Dean's team, noting that former Mayor Bill Purcell started the practice of using hotel/motel revenues for the tourist attractions. Several council members defended the merits of the convention center, though sometimes with caveats. Councilwoman Megan Barry said she was disappointed that so much of the rhetoric about the convention center had turned on the phrase "I believe," and she said the building shouldn't be viewed as the key to greatness for Nashville. But Barry said she believes the risk the city would take on would be manageable and worthwhile, and the center would meet its "fairly narrow" goal of increasing Nashville's convention and tourism business. Decision for the people Crafton's plan for a referendum was defeated 9-1 by the Budget and Finance Committee and 7-0 by the Convention, Tourism and Public Entertainment Facilities Committee. He argued that voters have a right to weigh in on the biggest project in city history, a point also being made by opposition group Nashville's Priorities, which has said it plans to submit a countywide petition Monday. But Councilman Jerry Maynard said it is up to council members to plow through all the information and arguments and make a decision on the people's behalf. "If this goes to a vote, it becomes a campaign," Maynard said. "It's going to be about 'Yes We Can' and 'No We Can't.' Let's not fool ourselves."

House calls make a comeback as health-care option

By Christina E. Sanchez • THE TENNESSEAN • January 13, 2010 Nashville nurse practitioner Jason Boylan's exam room can be someone else's living room. When he needs to see a sick patient, he hops into his blue Hyundai sedan with a backpack full of medical supplies, visiting those too sick to visit him. He travels to sick people who can't get to a clinic. The patient's house becomes his exam room. House calls, the norm in the early 20th century, are slowly re-emerging as a niche area of medicine, gaining popularity in the last decade. Doctors and family nurse practitioners visit patients who can't or don't want to get out. Sometimes the house calls are made after hours, saving patients a costly emergency room visit for simple maladies such as ear infections, the flu and joint pain. "There is a lot you can do outside an office setting just by using a stethoscope, otoscope and your clinical acumen," said Boylan, who owns Nashville House Calls and co-owns a walk-in clinic, 3rd and Church Health Care. "For some people, it's about convenience, but house calls eliminate unnecessary ER visits and save people money." About 3 million house calls were made across the country in 2009, up from just over 2 million the previous year, according to the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, a national membership organization for providers and nurses. The organization estimates that 4,000 of the nation's 817,000 doctors make house calls nationwide, though nurse practitioners increasingly have taken over many of the visits. No concrete numbers exist on how many doctors or nurses in Tennessee will visit the home. The group's Web site lists fewer than a dozen such operations scattered across Tennessee, including in Murfreesboro, Memphis, Cleveland and Woodbury. For most house-call services, the process is simple: Call to set up a visit, explain the problem and wait for the medical professional to arrive. Rachel White, a stay-at-home mom with two children, said she likes to use the house call for simple illnesses and as a complement to regular visits with her kids' pediatrician. Boylan visited White's 4-year-old son, Jake, last week for an ear infection. "The last thing you want to do is take your whole family to the doctor office to get one child checked and sit in a waiting room full of sick people," White said. "It's really a convenience factor when you don't want to have to drive across town to the doctor for something like an ear infection." Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee is the only private insurance in the state that covers house calls. The White family's cost was a $25 co-pay, the same as an office visit. People without insurance, or whose insurance won't cover house calls, pay on average $125 for a home visit, depending on services rendered. Mimi Gerber, a family nurse practitioner who contracts with Boylan to provide home care, said most people use the visits for upper respiratory infections. "People are slowly recognizing that this is available," said Gerber, who serves East Nashville. "It's a lot more personable. I think I end up spending more time with a patient." Constance Row, executive director of the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, said many of the home visit providers serve primarily elderly patients, a fast-growing segment of the homebound population, because Medicare will cover most home visits. Also, that's where the greatest need exists. Keep problems small "We need somewhere between 10 and 12 million house calls to be made each year," Row said. "But we're facing a combination of reimbursement problems and an inadequate supply of primary care physicians." The health reform bill being considered in Congress may help to grow the reimbursement for providers who want to treat seniors in their home. The Independence at Home Act would allow chronically homebound patients to receive primary care in their home without providers having to jump through hoops to get Medicare to reimburse for service. The theory is that the service would help elderly people get simple problems treated before they lead to more costly services that eat up Medicare funds. April Faircloth Collier, a family nurse practitioner, said she sees a need for house calls among her older patients who can't get out of the house. She owns and runs Hope Family Medicine in Nashville. She also runs Hope House Calls, which she hopes to expand first to a regional, then statewide house call operation for seniors. She is in the process of recruiting 10 to 20 nurse practitioners, and hopes to launch in about three months. "For people who are homebound and have to deal with a cold or a wound, it can be arduous and take a lot of time for them to get to the doctor," Collier said. "This is a way for them to get a primary care provider to come to their house so they won't be exposed to more germs or have to figure out transportation

TN paper ballot law delayed until 2012

Vote pleases local election officials; issue now goes to governor By Chas Sisk • THE TENNESSEAN • January 13, 2010 A law that would have required paper ballots in Tennessee's 2010 elections was suspended for two years Tuesday in a vote on the legislature's first day of official business. A Republican-led effort to delay the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act passed nearly a year after it was first proposed, as the Senate voted 22-10 to pass a measure that pushes its implementation off until the 2012 election cycle. The House passed an identical bill during the 2009 legislative session. The vote appears to put an end to a long legal and political battle between voting rights groups and Secretary of State Tre Hargett's office, which had argued that the law is an unnecessary burden on county election commissions. About 60 local election officials packed the Senate gallery in support of the delay. "It's the folks that work out in the ditches that were going to have been pressed to implement this," said Hooper Penuel, administrator of elections for Rutherford County. "It could have resulted in disaster, and that would not have been what we needed in Tennessee." The Senate vote means that the issue goes to Gov. Phil Bredesen, who can either veto it or sign it into law. The Tennessee Voter Confidence Act was passed in 2008 as the legislature continued to grapple with the fallout from the disputed presidential election of 2000. The law requires that all county election commissions purchase optical-scan ma-chines that use paper ballots that voters mark by hand. Proponents say optical-scan machines provide a physical record that can be tallied in the event of a disputed election. But the law passed soon after many local election commissions had purchased touch-screen voting machines that were thought to be an advancement on older machines. Supporters of the delay said the Voter Confidence Act would require the state to spend about $30 million on machines that had not yet been thoroughly tested. Election commissions, meanwhile, would have to spend thousands more on printing paper ballots, retraining poll workers and other expenses. "They don't want that burden put on them," said Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, the delay's sponsor. Four Democrats joined with 18 of the Senate's 19 Republicans to pass the delay. The vote came after Sen. Roy Herron, D-Dresden, offered four last-ditch amendments to the bill. Any of the amendments would have sent the bill back to the House for another vote. Herron said the amendments, which included requiring that touch-screen machines have printers attached to them and that the state pay the full cost of switching to optical scanners, would have improved the bill without significant delay. "We still could have had all this resolved this month," Herron said. Backers of the optical-scan machines said Hargett and others who supported the delay had overstated the cost of new machines. They also said that optical-scan machines could have been upgraded again easily if standards were to change again in the future, at little expense. Proponents shift focus The machines' proponents probably will not continue to fight to get the machines in place this year. Instead, they will shift their focus to getting the machines rolled out in time for the 2012 election, said Dick Williams, state chairman of Common Cause of Tennessee. "We're obviously disappointed, but we're not surprised," he said. "We don't accuse anyone of ill-will or trying to subvert the vote. We just feel like some people didn't understand the facts." Some election officials, however, would like to see machines that run on paper ballots scrapped entirely. Paper ballots are far more expensive than touch screens, and they are just as susceptible to fraud as electronic machines, said Lynn Greer, chairman of the Davidson County Election Commission. "There's nothing wrong with these (touch screen) machines," said Greer. "There's no intent to defraud the people with these machines. … There's a lot of false info going on around this. These machines work fine."

Neighborhood Alert RE: Gasoline Theives

I received the following email alert from District 29 Neighborhoods in the Cedar Cliff area. Take Care and Beware. Gratefully, Council Lady Vivian Wilhoite "URGENT ALERTS" thieves in our area gas robberies from the gas tanks from our cars. We have been robbed several times gas from our mini Dodge Grand Caravan, we have parked most of the time, on our driveway. We think these people are most probably from our neighborhood of Cedarcliff Court because they know our movements. Other areas in Nashville criminals robbing and killing people pretending and claiming they are from the CENSUS BUREAU, they knock on the houses, people open the door, and these criminals immediately push the people inside their homes and enter and kill and rob the people. "We wish you a "VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR" Maria and Exavier

Nashvillians get their say before final convention center vote

By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 12, 2010 An overflow crowd of Nashville residents packed the Metro Council chambers Monday night in hopes of convincing their elected representatives to make the right decision about building a $585 million convention center, offering competing visions of the city's future. About 40 people spoke during a Metro Council public hearing that gave each side 40 minutes to make its case. Convention center supporters said Nashville needs to leverage its Music City brand and build a facility that can accommodate larger groups and generate more tax revenue. "Give us the tools to work with," said businessman Francis Guess, a member of the Convention & Visitors Bureau's board. Critics countered that the convention business is dying and said Mayor Karl Dean's administration was relying on forecasts that aren't reliable. Several of them called for a public vote, which the opposition group Nashville's Priorities has been pushing for since mid-December. "This is a bad business deal," strategic planner Jody Lentz said. The hearing capped a day of convention center events as the council prepared for its final vote on the matter on Jan. 19. Dean spoke passionately for the project in two settings. The mayor told about 200 people at a Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce briefing and an estimated 750 at a rally in front of the Metro Courthouse that the city can't afford not to build the convention center. He said taxpayers would receive benefits, not burdens. "We need more money for schools, police and parks," Dean told the crowd in the Public Square. "The only way to do that is to expand our tax base." Speaking to the chamber group at the Doubletree Hotel a couple of blocks from the courthouse, Dean said the project was about more than one building. "I'm talking about building, I think, one of the greatest cities in this country," he said. Both sides represented Protesters from the Service Employees International Union stood to the side of the crowd at the rally, which was organized by the pro-convention center Music City Center Coalition. With one of Dean's security guards keeping an eye on the union protesters from the courthouse steps as the mayor spoke, they held signs saying, "I Believe Public Schools Will Get Shortchanged" and "No Blank Check." But they were outnumbered by coalition members and other boosters, who held signs reading "MCC Means Jobs!" and "Economic Development Is Nashville's Priority." The supporters' chants could be heard through the windows as two council committees held their final informational sessions before voting on the project Thursday. Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling and several financing and feasibility consultants talked about the project's merits and defended it from council criticisms. Several council members questioned the revenue projections made by HVS Consulting, which has said sufficient demand exists to pay for the project. Metro would use visitor taxes and fees to pay off about $40 million a year in construction debt through the year 2043, but it would pledge certain general fund revenues as a backup if the tourist dollars fell short. Councilman Jim Gotto pressed the financing team for a point at which the general fund would be touched. Riebeling and the consultants said they didn't expect the revenues to fall short but noted that if they did, Metro would be able to tap reserve funds of at least $40 million before turning to the general fund. Hearing is peaceful The public hearing was civil, with both sides trying to organize their arguments and keep individual comments brief. Ernest Campbell, who spoke during the opponents' sections, said the convention center would only add to a downtown that's already "flawed." "To the vast majority of Davidson Countians, downtown is irrelevant," he said. But Jesse Goldstein, president of TomKats Inc., which operates the Loveless Café on Highway 100, said the facility would help spread the benefits of tourism throughout the county. "We're not just talking about one building downtown," Goldstein said. Council members learn Several undecided council members said they learned from some of the citizens who spoke. "They're our boss," said Councilman Jerry Maynard. "There were good points on both sides. I'm glad I didn't make up my mind before today." Councilman Frank Harrison said he hoped Nashville residents would trust the council to make the best decision, but he has been hearing a lot of people say they don't. "It saddens me that people don't think we're going to rely on truthful information," Harrison said. "That's certainly not the case with me."

Water service still scarce in downtown Nashville

Businesses say losses are substantial By Nicole Young • THE TENNESSEAN • January 12, 2010 As Monday afternoon drew to a close on Second Avenue, Metro crews were continuing to work to restore water to area businesses and residents, but officials say service will remain scarce for at least another 48 hours while crews test for bacterial contamination in temporary lines. The news wasn't good for merchants. Many of them have been without water since early Saturday morning when four water mains broke downtown. "It's utterly destroyed business," said Casey Ferguson, a Willie Nelson impersonator who has done walking and trolley tours for the past six years. "We need every tourist dollar we can get." Ferguson, whose kiosk-type business is set up at the corner of Second and Broadway, estimates he has lost thousands of dollars. Other businesses, such as Piranhas Bar and Grille, Abernathy Road, BB King's and Nashville Cowboy, said losses were substantial. Eric Woodward, operations manager at BB King's, said the Second Avenue club, which has been closed since Saturday, will remain closed until water service is restored later in the week. "We have 500 to 600 customers come in our doors on Saturday alone and we've lost private events too," Woodward said. "It's frustrating, but there's nothing we can do about it. "I don't see how a smaller business could survive this. We have five other locations helping to keep us afloat." Water hard to find From Broadway to Commerce Street, businesses along Second Avenue with water were hard to find. Other restaurants and clubs, which still had water and were not directly affected by the water main breaks still saw fewer customers. At the Old Spaghetti Factory, Department Manager Sami Khoury said the restaurant was expecting about 275 customers on Monday, but by 6 p.m., only 30 customers had come in. "People are being told not to come downtown because it's a mess," Khoury said. "We don't want people to think everything's closed because it's not. We're going to stay open through thick and thin. The only thing is it won't be too pretty outside." McFadden's Restaurant & Saloon, Buffalo Billiards and the Hard Rock Café, all had water service. Metro Water Services spokeswoman Sonia Harvat said there was no indication of how long it could take to repair all of the broken water lines downtown. The lines, which range in size from 24 inches to 36 inches in diameter, are some of Nashville's oldest, dating to the late 1880s. Engineers with Metro Water decided Monday morning to begin replacing over half of the underground water pipes in the city. The project, which was originally slated to begin in stages over the next five years, has been moved to priority one, Harvat said. The first pipes to be replaced will be on Broadway from First Avenue to 12th Avenue and on Second Avenue from Molloy Street to the historic courthouse. 61 mains break In all, 61 water mains had broken throughout the city since last Monday, when temperatures dropped below freezing, Harvat said. "This has been a very severe winter because it's been so cold for so long," she said. "Most of the breaks we've had have been smaller lines 4 inches to 8 inches in diameter. These larger mains carry more water and are more difficult to repair." Monday, Harvat said water department personnel were going door to door along Second Avenue to determine which businesses were without water. Harvat said the department has put its winter emergency plan into place, which means all field personnel are currently working 12-hour shifts until further notice. More water line breaks are expected as the ground begins to thaw later this week and as crews begin working to replace all the underground piping in the downtown area.

Major Insurance Company Announces Security Breach

Posted: Jan 10, 2010 10:38 PM CST CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.- If your health insurance is through BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, your personal information may have been exposed. Blue Cross will be contacting customers this week whose personal information was exposed when hard drives were stolen. Someone stole 57 hard drives from a storage closet at one of their training centers near Chattanooga. BlueCross Blue Shield continues to investigate what happened.

Council Holds Hearing On Music City Center

You Can Watch Live On WSMV.com POSTED: 7:07 am CST January 11, 2010 UPDATED: 7:30 am CST January 11, 2010 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The public has a chance Monday night to let Metro Council members know where they stand on the proposed Music City Center. A public hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. inside council chambers at the Metro Courthouse. It's the last hearing in front of the full council before their final vote on the proposal next week. You can watch the entire hearing on our website. Channel 4 will stream the hearing live from start to finish at WSMV.com. It won't just be opponents showing up to ask questions and offer opinions. Before the hearing, supporters of the plan for a new downtown convention center plan to rally in front of the Metro Courthouse. The project is expected to cost $650 million. Nashville mayor Karl Dean has proposed paying for it with several bond issues, and recouping the money with tourist taxes. Several properties in the footprint of the proposed site near the Country Music Hall of Fame are suing the city over the right of eminent domain for the project.

Consumers alerted about claims by scam artists

Associated Press - January 11, 2010 4:15 AM ET NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State officials are warning consumers to beware of ads that promise either rapid weight loss without dietary changes or exercise, or so-called miracle cures. The Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs suggests checking with a healthcare professional to ensure products have been validated and wouldn't jeopardize their health. This is especially for people with existing health problems. Officials said scam artists target patients with serious health problems such as arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and diabetes or those who want to lose weight or stop smoking. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Nashville health board puts off calorie count menus

DAVIDSON COUNTY If you were dying to see Davidson County restaurant chains post in bold print that your favorite fast-food cheeseburger has 700 calories and 32 grams of fat, you'll have to wait a little longer. That was supposed to happen on March 31, when chains with 15 locations or more would have to alert customers on menus and menu boards to the calorie content of all food items. But Nashville's health board agreed Thursday to postpone the mandate. The national health reform bill includes a similar provision to require restaurant chains with 20 or more locations to post calories on menus and menu boards. "We want to avoid making restaurants implement policy twice," said Dr. Bill Paul, director of the Metro Public Health Department. "(The federal policy) would achieve national uniformity but it is a federal law and it will take time to implement it." Though the Davidson County calorie counting measure hasn't been implemented, Nashville became the first Tennessee community to pass such a rule.

Police looking for murder suspect

By Clay Carey • THE TENNESSEAN • January 8, 2010 Twitter Metro Police say a man wanted in connection with a Nashville murder should be considered armed and dangerous. Cristofer L. Valentino, 21, is wanted for the murder of James R. Gatlin, police said in a news release. Valentino is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weights about 200 pounds. Police said he is of Puerto Rican descent.

Gatlin, 25, was shot to death Wednesday evening in the J.C. Napier public housing development. Police said the shooting occurred moments after a fight between Gatlin and the cousin of Valentino’s girlfriend.

Witnesses told police that the gunman at one point stood over Gatlin while he was on the ground and continued to fire shots.

Anyone with information about Valentino’s whereabouts can contact Hermitage Police Precinct Detective Johnny Crumby at 615-862-7727, or the police Crime Stoppers line at 615-742-7463. Electronic tips can be sent by texting Crime Stoppers the word “CASH” along with a message to 274637, or by going online to www.nashvillecrimestoppers.com.

Meetings to discuss Nashville convention hall

DAVIDSON COUNTY At least seven community meetings about Mayor Karl Dean's $585 million convention center proposal are coming up. The Metro Council will hold a public hearing on the issue Monday at 6:30 p.m. Also, small groups of council members will hold at least six meetings featuring presentations for and against the plan: • Wednesday: Erica Gilmore and Frank Harrison, North Precinct, 2231 26th Ave. N., 5:30 p.m. • Wednesday: Anna Page and Sandra Moore, Coleman Park, 734 Thompson Lane, 6 p.m. • Thursday: Eric Crafton and Emily Evans, Bellevue Middle School, 655 Colice Jeanne Road, 6:30 p.m. • Thursday: Carl Burch, Phil Claiborne, Jim Gotto, Darren Jernigan and Bruce Stanley, Hermitage Police Precinct, 3701 James Kay Lane, 7 p.m. • Jan. 12: Mike Jameson, Karen Bennett, Erik Cole and Jamie Hollin, East Police Precinct, 936 E. Trinity Lane, 6 p.m. • Jan. 12: Jason Holleman, Sean McGuire and Kristine LaLonde, West End Middle School, 3529 West End Ave., 7 p.m. The council is expected to vote on Jan. 19. — MICHAEL CASS THE TENNESSEAN

MLK Day features parades, service

Let Freedom Sing! Musical is Jan. 17 January 4, 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 18. Here's a lineup of some events that will celebrate the man and his achievements: Jan. 16 What: Day Peace Workshop at Scarritt-Bennett Center Workshop is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the peace commitment service is 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The workshop is designed to teach, motivate and inspire participants to become involved in promoting peace, following King's teachings. Those who participate will examine King's writings and speeches, explore current events and discuss whether peace is attainable to today's world. The Rev. Joe Agne, pastor of Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains, N.Y., whose doctoral program focused on King's concept of a world community and peace, will lead the workshop. Cost and registration: $15 per person. The price includes lunch and snacks. Call 340-7557 or go to www.scarrittbennett.org to register and find out more information. Scarritt-Bennett Center is at 100819th Ave. S. Jan. 17 What: Re/Storing Nashville youth program of Manna-Food Security Partners. The noon event will pair up participants with community service projects led by a diverse lineup of religiously active youths from various backgrounds. Those who come will compost and weed at the Nashville Urban Harvest Farm, 1211 57th Ave. N. in West Nashville. The workshop will conclude with a lunch and a discussion of the importance of service and food justice across faith communities. The event ties together King's teachings using Scripture and community activism to inspire youths to promote healthy food environments in their communities. Young people will also have a chance to sign up for future Re/Storing Nashville training sessions to learn additional skills related to community organizing around food justice. Call Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee at 322-5638 or e-mail Jennifer Bailey at jbailey@hungercenter.org for more information. Jan. 17 What: Let Freedom Sing! musical tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with the Nashville Symphony. The 7 p.m. concert features the Nashville Symphony with conductor Kelly Corcoran; Donnie Ray Albert, baritone; Celebration Youth Chorus with director Diana Poe; and Celebration Youth Chorus with director Margaret Campbelle-Holman. The Celebration Chorus and Celebration Youth Chorus join the Nashville Symphony for the yearly concert honoring the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Ticket vouchers are distributed in-person only at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center box office during normal business hours. There is a limit of four vouchers per person. Groups may receive up to 20 vouchers with a letter on the requesting organization's official letterhead. Other restrictions may apply. Call 687-6500 for more information. Jan. 18 What: 2010 MLK Day Nashville at the Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, Tennessee State University and various other locations near downtown Nashville. A youth program will kick off the day of celebration at 9 a.m. at the Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, 2708 Jefferson St. Folks will gather at various churches and other locations near downtown and then converge on the Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church before 11 a.m. All are scheduled to leave the church together around 11 a.m. and march to the Gentry Center at TSU for the noon convocation. The keynote speaker is the Rev. Kelly Miller Smith Jr. The sites that will serve as meeting places in the morning before participants head to Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church are: Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, 1014 14th Ave. N.; First Baptist Church East Nashville, 601 Main St.; Greater Bethel AME Church, 1300 South St.; Lee Chapel AME Church, 1732 Scovel St.; Pearl-Cohn Magnet High School, 904 26th Ave. N.; Ted Rhodes Golf Course, 1901 Ed Temple Blvd.; Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church, 36 Fairfield Ave.; and Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 1112 Jefferson St. Jan. 17 What: Let Freedom Sing! musical tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with the Nashville Symphony. The 7 p.m. concert features the Nashville Symphony with conductor Kelly Corcoran; Donnie Ray Albert, baritone; Celebration Youth Chorus with director Diana Poe; and Celebration Youth Chorus with director Margaret Campbelle-Holman. The Celebration Chorus and Celebration Youth Chorus join the Nashville Symphony for the yearly concert honoring the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Ticket vouchers are distributed in-person only at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center box office during normal business hours. There is a limit of four vouchers per person. Groups may receive up to 20 vouchers with a letter on the requesting organization's official letterhead. Other restrictions may apply. Call 687-6500 for more information. Jan. 18 What: 2010 MLK Day Nashville at the Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, Tennessee State University and various other locations near downtown Nashville. A youth program will kick off the day of celebration at 9 a.m. at the Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, 2708 Jefferson St. Folks will gather at various churches and other locations near downtown and then converge on the Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church before 11 a.m. All are scheduled to leave the church together around 11 a.m. and march to the Gentry Center at TSU for the noon convocation. The keynote speaker is the Rev. Kelly Miller Smith Jr. The sites that will serve as meeting places in the morning before participants head to Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church are: Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, 1014 14th Ave. N.; First Baptist Church East Nashville, 601 Main St.; Greater Bethel AME Church, 1300 South St.; Lee Chapel AME Church, 1732 Scovel St.; Pearl-Cohn Magnet High School, 904 26th Ave. N.; Ted Rhodes Golf Course, 1901 Ed Temple Blvd.; Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church, 36 Fairfield Ave.; and Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 1112 Jefferson St. Jan. 18-28 What: Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series at Vanderbilt University. All events are free and open to the public. When: 6 p.m. Jan. 18, Benton Chapel on Vanderbilt campus Bob Moses and Rita Bender will deliver the keynote address. A candlelight vigil will follow. Moses was a pivotal organizer for the civil rights movement as field secretary for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and was director of SNCC's Mississippi Project. He was a driving force behind the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964 in organizing the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Bender is the widow of slain civil rights worker Michael Schwerner, who was one of three CORE field workers killed in Philadelphia, Miss., in 1964 by an alleged KKK leader. Bender was also a member of CORE, serving the movement in Mississippi at the time of her husband's death. When: 3:30 p.m. Jan. 19, Flynn Auditorium, Vanderbilt Law School Lecture by Douglas Blackmon, a Pulitzer Prize winning author for his work Slavery by Another Name and The Wall Street Journal's bureau chief in Atlanta. When: noon Jan. 20, Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center on Vanderbilt campus Veterans of the Nashville sit-in movement will share their experiences. When: noon Jan. 21, MRL Building, Room 241 at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Michael DeBaun, professor of pediatrics, biostatistics and neurology and director of the Sickle Cell Medical Treatment and Education Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital, will deliver a lecture, The Epidemiology and Treatment of Silent Cerebral Infarcts in Sickle Cell Disease. When: noon Jan, 23, Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center The fourth annual MLK Commemorative Series Youth Essay & Oratorical Contest and Luncheon will feature students from the Nashville community who will recite their winning essays and poems on King's life and legacy. A panel discussion titled Speak Truth to Power will be moderated by Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy. Panelists are: Lucas Benitez, co-founder and co-director of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers; Stephen Bradberry, head organizer of Louisiana's Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now; and Marina Pisklakova, an internationally recognized women's rights activist in Russia. By educating and organizing fellow migrant farm workers, Benitez has helped secure the first wage increase for tomato pickers in 20 years, exposed and stopped two slavery rings, and launched a Labor Action Rights program that collected nearly $100,000 in back wages. ACORN has been active in communities of color for more than 30 years. Bradberry has served in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in Louisiana for more than a decade. As founder of the National Center for the Prevention of Violence "ANNA," Pisklakova works to create an effective system of response to domestic violence by educating governmental officials and the public about the issue of domestic violence in Russia and other countries. Call 322-2457 for more information

Metro schools can't use savings to meet budget this year

Metro must find other ways to meet budget By Jaime Sarrio • THE TENNESSEAN • January 6, 2010 Metro Nashville school officials are bracing for another tough budget year, and this time borrowing reserve funds — like some of the other distasteful measures the district took last year — won't be an option for filling the holes. In the past two years, the district has dipped into savings to fund part of its $620 million budget. Last year, the district double dipped from the account to make up for sluggish sales tax revenue, which didn't meet projections. As a result, the district's reserve fund is just above the legally allowable minimum. That means school officials will have to draft a 2010-11 budget that takes into account still-slow consumer spending, without the help of reserves, and get it approved by April to send to Mayor Karl Dean. The current budget is already running $7 million short of projections because of sales tax revenue. Director Jesse Register said the district cut 150 teaching positions last year, prompting larger class sizes. "We can't do that again," he said. "I know without an increase in revenue, we're going to have to make some significant cuts. My goal is to not impact classroom instruction." The district also cut janitorial positions and pulled about $32 million from reserves to cover expenses, bringing the savings account down to $27.3 million. But Metro Nashville Public Schools won't be able to dip into savings this year because state law requires all school districts to keep 3 percent of their budget in a rainy day fund. The district's balance is equivalent to 4.4 percent of the budget, and the city prefers it to stay at 5 percent. Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling would not comment on whether the Dean administration would recommend a tax increase this year. Mayor Bill Purcell, who preceded Dean, increased property taxes twice for various city needs — with Metro Council approval. "It is our intention to fully fund the school system as we have," Riebeling said. "How we get there and the details? I don't know the answers yet." He said he is hoping consumer spending will increase and bring more revenue into the county. Other challenges await The budget woes come as the district is trying to fend off state control by improving test scores after years of not meeting standards. Metro schools met state standards last year, but students must show one more year of improvement before the district is removed from the state's watch list. The district also is trying to adjust to a new set of tougher curriculum standards, which took effect statewide this fall. Nashville parent Terri Short, who has two students at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School, said she opposes a tax increase and believes the district can achieve its goals with the existing funding. "I think we're getting carried away with a lot of new innovations that are not proven to enrich the growth of our students," she said. "They should redirect the money to focus on teacher development, teacher quality, continued education for teachers and learning for students." The Metro school board finance committee will meet Tuesday to discuss upcoming budget issues, but officials say it is premature to identify where cuts will be made. Committee Chairman Steve Glover, who represents the Hermitage area, said he expects the district also will have to account for increases in pensions, insurance costs and scheduled pay raises. "We're going to have some deficits, and we have some massive increases coming we have no control over," he said. "We're conscious of economic realities, and we're going to continue to be good stewards of the money."

Requests for help with electricity bills soar in TN

By Chris Echegaray • THE TENNESSEAN • January 2, 2010 For a second winter, Dyhanne Bryant needs help with her electric bill. The Nashville resident received a $428 bill in February, the same month she was laid off from a job she'd held for five years. A church paid half that bill. This year, her seasonal job at a department store ended after Christmas, and she's got another bill hanging over her head while she looks for her next job. "I think it will pick up soon," Bryant said. "I hope there's a real turnaround." Demand for utility assistance in Tennessee and the nation rose drastically this season. The unemployment rate for November was 10 percent nationally and 10.3 percent in Tennessee. Congress approved $5.1 billion in funding for this winter season for heating assistance, and even that may not be enough, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association in Washington. "The situation is grim for ordinary people," Wolfe said. "If this continues, we'll ask Congress for $2.5 billion more. Some people who never asked for help did this year with no intention to stay on these programs." In Tennessee, there were 68,250 households seeking winter heating assistance in 2008. This year, it was 112,368 households, Wolfe said. Nationally, 8.3 million households, a record number, received federal aid this year. Nashville Electric Service and the charity Big Brothers of Nashville provide assistance through Project Help, a program that allows customers to donate $1 through their bills. The donations are used to help the elderly and disabled. Big Brothers of Nashville helps families pay utilities, rent and gives other emergency assistance to the needy. It also delivers holiday food boxes. The program raises more than $130,000 in donations each year, and $145,000 already has been distributed this year, NES spokeswoman Deborah Gardner said. Gardner said NES didn't have a figure on how many of its 355,000 customers requested or received assistance. Last year was particularly trying on the utility and its customers because of unusually high electric bills representatives blamed on the Tennessee Valley Authority's 9.1 percent rate increase, the more than 20 percent fuel cost adjustment, extra days tacked on to bills and the cold weather. NES received 35,000 calls about January bills. The utility worked with customers, making payment arrangements and, in some cases, waiving late fees. Customers who never had late payments were calling and making arrangements. Bills eventually dipped when the TVA lowered its electric rates.

Two men sought in killing during Antioch home invasion

Tennessean South Precinct detectives are looking for two men who invaded an Antioch home Thursday night and shot and killed the man who lived there. Santos M. Leal, 51, was shot in his duplex in the 1500 block of Bell Road, police said in a news release Friday night. Leal was at home with his two roommates at 8:25 p.m. when two gunmen forced their way inside and demanded money, according to the news release. When Leal said he didn't have any money and tried to stand up, he was shot in the torso by one of the gunmen, police said. The men fled. Leal was taken to Southern Hills Medical Center where he died. Police described the gunmen as black men in their 20s. One wore a gray shirt and black pants. The other had a shaved head and wore a red and white bandana. Information about their identities should be relayed to Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a $1,000 cash reward. Electronic tips can be sent to Crime Stoppers by texting the word "CASH" along with your message to 274637 (CRIMES), or by going online to www.nashvillecrimestoppers.com. — STAFF REPORTS

Measure among those that take effect today

But foes say planned convention center carries more risk and would cost nearly 12 times as much By Michael Cass • THE TENNESSEAN • January 1, 2010 As Nashville looks at building a $585 million convention center and paying off its debt with visitor revenues, supporters say believing in the project doesn't take a leap of faith. The city has already done this once, they say. Metro paid off its existing convention hall on time with hotel-motel tax revenues. The Nashville Convention Center was taken off the city's debt ledger in 2007, 20 years after it opened. "If this was the first project that we were going to the hotel-motel tax and to visitors for, one might have a little more concern," said Sam Howard, vice chairman of the Music City Center Coalition and a former chairman of the commission that oversees the existing facility. "But we've done it for 20-plus years." But critics say it makes no sense to compare Mayor Karl Dean's financing plan for the proposed building, which would cost nearly 12 times as much, to the current center. It cost about $50 million. "This is just a different deal," said Kevin Sharp, president of Nashville's Priorities, a convention center opposition group. "It's apples and oranges." Dean wants to pay off about $40 million a year in construction debt through the year 2043 with the hotel-motel tax and a series of other visitor taxes and fees. Those affect hotel rooms, rental cars and airport ground transportation. They also allow Metro to collect some of the sales tax revenues from economic development generated by the project. Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said the proposed tourist tax base is "much more diverse" than the one used a generation ago. If the revenues are sufficient, the city won't need to tap taxpayer funds to help pay off the debt. The city never needed to do that to pay for the Nashville Convention Center, Howard said. "This project is larger, yes," he said. "But the mechanisms for doing it are in place." To build the convention center in the mid-1980s, Metro issued $39.5 million in general-obligation bonds, said Metro Trustee Charlie Cardwell, who was the city's finance director at the time. It pledged property taxes to pay off the debt if the dedicated portion of the hotel-motel tax ever fell short, but that never happened. However, $9.75 million — about 20 percent — of the project's cost came from a federal urban development grant that didn't have to be repaid. Nashville's Priorities says on its Web site that the idea that the center was paid for entirely by tourist taxes is a "myth." While Metro wouldn't have direct federal assistance this time around, it would be able to use an economic stimulus program to lower its debt payments by about $5 million a year. If the Metro Council approves construction of a new convention hall, the city will issue revenue bonds this time around. Those don't offer as low an interest rate as general-obligation bonds, but they keep property taxes out of the picture. Instead, Metro would pledge other parts of its general fund as a backup in the event of a visitor revenue shortfall. Sharp and other critics have said that makes the project very risky for taxpayers at a time when national demand for convention space doesn't come close to matching supply. Other projects take hit Even if the proponents' projections play out, critics say, tourism attractions now being partially funded with hotel-motel taxes will need other city revenues to remain whole. Councilwoman Emily Evans said Metro borrowed against a fraction of its hotel and tourist tax base in the 1980s but is now looking at borrowing more money than is annually available to tax from tourist activity, based on hotel room rates and occupancy. For the current center, the city borrowed $39.5 million against $185 million, Evans said. It's now considering borrowing $627 million — covering construction and a debt service reserve fund — against about $460 million. 'Now we're overleveraging," Evans said. But Ron Samuels, chairman of the Music City Center Coalition, said it's highly unlikely that taxpayers will be left holding the bag. The financing package will include a series of safeguards, like the debt service reserve fund. "Any investment you make has risk associated with it, but we have a proven model that works," Samuels said. Another difference in the deals is the decision on a convention center hotel. Twenty-five years ago, Mayor Richard Fulton found private financing for a hotel before the city started building the convention center itself. "At that time, a hotel was needed to make it work," Cardwell said. "There was no secret about that." Dean hasn't been able to find private financing for a hotel but has said the city should proceed with the convention center while continuing to look for investors. Cardwell and Riebeling said downtown didn't have nearly as many hotel rooms in the 1980s as it does now.