Week ahead: Metro Council set to ease burden of flood victims

Tennessean July 18,2010

Metro government and nonprofits alike continue to find ways to help homeowners and businesses hurting financially from the May floods. Metro Council on Tuesday will begin the process of giving pro-rated property tax assessments to flood victims to ease their financial burden.


Corps to hold D.C. hearings
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has its hearings before Congress on Thursday to discuss its actions during the May floods. Numerous Nashville leaders, including Mayor Karl Dean, are scheduled to give testimony.

Nissan workers to return
Assembly workers at Nissan's Smyrna plant are scheduled to return to work on Tuesday after being idled for three days. About 3,500 workers in Smyrna were affected when Nissan suspended production Thursday because of a shortage of an electronic component used in the vehicles.

Spring Hill to vote on budget
Spring Hill city leaders expect to pass a budget on Monday that includes money for new equipment and allows the city to start building back reserves for the first time in two years. But officials are still torn about the tax rate. Mayor Michael Dinwiddie wants a 12-cent increase; Finance Committee Chairman Bruce Hull said the city can balance the budget at the current rate and worry about future needs later, in hopes the economy will improve. The meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 199 Town Center Parkway.

Summer graduation planned
Metro Nashville Public Schools will hold its summer graduation ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday at McGavock High School. The ceremony is for students who needed additional course credits, earned over the summer, to graduate. Noise-making devices are prohibited, along with banners that could obstruct others' view.

Science teachers get training
Twenty-four Middle Tennessee teachers will converge on Lipscomb University this week to learn how to make science fun to learn. The state is funding the training to help districts meet the requirement for students to have four years of science in high school. The state is also requiring engineering concepts to be taught in science courses.

21st Avenue South project to be discussed by public
A public meeting about the 21st Avenue South road improvement project will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the community center at Belmont United Methodist Church, 2007 Acklen Ave. Hillsboro Village residents and merchants are invited to hear a short presentation about the project.

Rape suspects are due in court
Two former Ravenwood High School students accused of rape are set on Tuesday either to make a plea or have their case sent to trial. Taylor Ball, 20, and Matthew Dowdy, 19, are due in court for charges related to the alleged rape of a former classmate Nov. 2, 2008, after a Ravenwood Cotillion party. Both men face three counts of aggravated rape of a girl, then a high school senior.