TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2012 Governor signs bill outlawing synthetic drugs (Times-News)

Synthetic drug sellers and makers now face felony jail time and fines up to $5,000 following a ceremonial legislation signing by Gov. Bill Haslam in front of Tennessee High Schools student body Monday. Two bills sponsored by state Reps. Jon Lundberg and Tony Shipley which address both synthetic marijuana and bath salts similar to controlled substances are now law. Shipleys bill took effect Monday, while the effective date of Lundbergs legislation was April 27. The law also allows authorities to declare synthetic drug businesses as a public nuisance. Haslam indicated earlier this year he didnt know that much about synthetic drugs, but then began hearing about student protests outside local head shops. I think one of the things that affected our thinking ... was this is a big issue, Haslam told reporters following the legislation signing at Viking Hall. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9046602/governor-signs-bill-outlawing-synthetic-drugs

Haslam signs ban on synthetic drugs (W BIR-TV Knoxville)

Synthetic drugs are now banned in Tennessee. Governor Bill Haslam signed three new bills, Monday, that make it a felony to possess or distribute synthetic drugs including "bath salts." The governor signed the bills into law at a high school in Bristol. Lawmaker say these laws came after months of community petitions and protests. "People in communities decide what's best for their community, they come to government and we try to figure out how to solve a real problem," Haslam said. The governor called the drug problem a scourge on society, noting East Tennessee may be the epi-center of the problems tied to sythetic drugs and prescription pain killers. http://www.wbir.com/news/article/219845/2/Haslam-signs-ban-on-synthetic-drugs

Haslam Administration Launches New Jobs Database (Missouri News Horizon)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis today announced a new jobs database to help connect job seekers with Tennessee employers. Jobs4TN Online is a virtual recruiter, automatically notifying job seekers when jobs they may qualify for are posted and notifying employers when candidates who fit their needs register. The online database contains positions from job orders placed directly by Tennessee employers, from corporate Internet sites, and from major job search engines. Jobs4TN Online also identifies available green jobs. The unemployment rate for Tennessee is at its lowest since November 2008 and has fallen below the national rate, but it is still too high, Haslam said. The governor committed to developing a new jobs database during his gubernatorial campaign. With Jobs4TN Online, those without a job will have quicker and better access to job openings related to their skills, and as we work to make Tennessee an even better place to expand and start a business, we want to help employers find the employees they need. http://missouri-news.org/midwest-news/tennessee/haslam-administration-launches-new-jobs-database/17094

Tennessee creates online jobs database (Commercial Appeal/Locker)

Tennessee's new online jobs database went live Monday as a new tool for job seekers and employers alike. The database -- https://www.jobs4tn.gov -- fulfills a campaign promise by Gov. Bill Haslam, who announced the site today with state Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis. The website has a searchable list of private-sector jobs, and visitors to the site can register to be notified of potential jobs in their fields. It also notifies employers when job applicants fit their needs. It contains positions from job orders placed directly by Tennessee employers, from corporate Internet sites, and from major job search engines. In addition to providing quicker and better access to job openings, Jobs4TN Online also makes available labor market information, including demand occupations, education requirements and salaries for positions, labor force projections, and training program graduates. Information can be tailored to focus on specific communities, metro statistical areas

or statewide. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/14/tennessee-creates-online-jobs-database/ (SUB)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam unveils New Jobs Database (Clarksville Online)
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and W orkforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis today announced a new jobs database to help connect job seekers with Tennessee employers. Jobs4TN Online is a virtual recruiter, automatically notifying job seekers when jobs they may qualify for are posted and notifying employers when candidates who fit their needs register. The online database contains positions from job orders placed directly by Tennessee employers, from corporate Internet sites, and from major job search engines. Jobs4TN Online also identifies available green jobs. The unemployment rate for Tennessee is at its lowest since November 2008 and has fallen below the national rate, but it is still too high, Haslam said. http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2012/05/14/tennessee-governor-bill-haslam-unveils-new-jobs-database/

New jobs database launched to help Tennessee residents (Nooga)

A new state jobs database called Jobs4TN Online was launched Monday. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, along with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis, announced the launch of the database as being mutually beneficial to both employers and employees. The website, which will help connect employers with residents searching for jobs, will offer labor market information such as in-demand occupations, education requirements and salaries, and labor force projections, Jeff Hentschel, communications director for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said. Haslam said the site is important for Tennessee residents because, although the unemployment rate for Tennessee is currently at its lowest since November 2008, it is still too high W ith Jobs4TN Online, those without a job will have quicker and better access to job openings related to their skills, and as we work to make Tennessee an even better place to expand and start a business, we want to help employers find the employees they need, Haslam said in a released statement. http://www.nooga.com/155325/new-jobs-database-launched-to-help-tennessee-residents/

No doctor shopping (Oak Ridger)

Gov. Bill Haslam on Friday signed into law a bill aimed at making it more difficult for people to doctor shop and abuse prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are our No. 1 problem, Haslam said during a Friday morning ceremony held on the front terrace of the Anderson County Courthouse. There is an epidemic of prescription drug abuse in Tennessee and East Tennessee might be the worst, Haslam said after signing the Tennessee Prescription Safety Act of 2012. The new law requires all drug prescribers and dispensers in the state to register with Tennessees Controlled Substance Monitoring Database. All prescribers must check the database for a patients controlled substance history before prescribing painkillers and other prescription drugs. http://www.oakridger.com/newsnow/x1266610607/No-doctor-shopping

Larry Martin to join Haslam's state employee reform effort (News-Sentinel/W itt)
Gov. Bill Haslam stopped in Knoxville for a Leadership Knoxville luncheon and announced that we was taking one of the city's most well-known businessmen with him back to Nashville. Haslam on Monday announced the hire of Larry Martin, the former chief of staff when Haslam was Knoxville's mayor, as a special adviser for human resources. His salary will be $140,000 a year. "Larry has an incredible background, from running this part of the state for First Tennessee (Bank)," Haslam said at the luncheon at the Knoxville Convention Center. Haslam was the keynote speaker for the event that included short talks by Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. The Leadership Knoxville class of 2012 was announced, and former Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt received the group's distinguished alumni award for 2012. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/14/larry-martin-to-join-haslams-state-employee/

Haslam Announces Jackson Native To Oversee Team ACT Implementation (WNW S)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced that Larry Martin will join his staff to oversee implementation of the Tennessee Excellence and Accountability Management (TEAM) Act His responsibilities will include coordinating and collaborating throughout state government agencies to effectively begin recruiting new 2

employees on all levels, updating performance evaluations in all departments, and a review of employee compensation that includes the salary study funded in the governors FY 2013-2014 budget. Getting the TEAM Act passed into law was only the beginning of our work, Haslam said. Now we must make sure it is implemented effectively, which includes creating meaningful performance evaluations, truly getting a full picture of employee compensation, and changing the culture now that we can recruit the best and brightest to serve. I am grateful that Larry has agreed to take on this challenge for the taxpayers of Tennessee. Our goal is to build a state workforce that is dedicated to and focused on customer service, efficiency and effectiveness. http://www.wnws.com/news/17115-haslam-announces-jackson-native-to-oversee-team-act-implementation

Clarksville Call Center to Create 500 Jobs (W PLN-Radio Nashville)

A new call center in Clarksville is expected to create roughly 500 jobs over the next year or so. Massachusettsbased Agero (eh-JUR-oh) handles roadside assistance and claims management for car insurance. Officials say the call center will start hiring in July, and finish building its workforce after it opens this fall. http://wpln.org/?p=37200

Agero bringing 500 jobs to Clarksville (Leaf Chronicle)

Montgomery Countys newest corporate citizen will officially begin business Oct. 29, company officials said Monday after a news conference in which it was announced that Agero is indeed coming to town. Agero has selected Clarksville over Florence, S.C., for an $8.2 million roadside assistance call center that will create a total of 500 jobs, with 250 of those employees to be hired this year and the remainder in 2013. Ageros Gary Wallace previously told The Leaf-Chronicle the 500 new workers here will earn an average of $10 an hour. Mondays announcement at the 58,000-square-foot office building that Agero will occupy off of Rossview Road near Exit 8 of Interstate 24 ends months of speculation about the project. Agero, based in Medford, Mass., had been heavily courted by the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board. Its been a long site search ... (about 16 months), but we started to home in on this facility in Clarksville over time, said Sandra Savage, Ageros vice president of Human Resources. Company President Dave Ferrick added that the people from Clarksville who showed up for a job fair Agero hosted earlier this year really helped sell Agero on the city. He and Savage cited the sincerity and passion that Clarksvilles potential labor force brings to the job. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120514/MAJOREVENT/305140014/Agero-bringing-500-jobsClarksville

Agero to open call center in Clarksville-Montgomery County (Clarksville Online)

The Medford, Massachusetts based company, Agero, a global leader in driver assistance services and vehicle connectivity innovation, announced today that they have selected Clarksville, Tennessee as the next site for its sixth North American driver assistance call and data response center. I am excited to welcome Agero to our state and look forward to watching the company grow in Tennessee, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said. In creating our economic development strategies last year, we found Tennessee held a unique advantage in the business services cluster, which includes call centers, and this announcement exemplifies a promising future for our states economic growth. The decision comes after a 16 month search for a new contact center. The search included a thorough evaluation of more than 20 qualified locations. Earlier this year, Agero executives announced that they were focusing their efforts on two finalist locations, Florence, SC and Clarksville, TN. http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2012/05/15/agero-to-open-call-center-in-clarksville-montgomery-countytennessee-bringing-with-it-500-new-jobs/

Connected Vehicle Service Provider to Create More than 500 Jobs (WNW S-Radio)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty, along with company officials, announced today Agero, a leading provider of connected vehicle services including roadside assistance and claims management, will open a call center in Montgomery County. This announcement brings with it a capital investment of $8 million and the creation of more than 500 jobs. I am excited to welcome Agero to our state and look forward to watching the company grow in Tennessee, Haslam said. In creating our economic development strategies last year, we found Tennessee held a unique advantage in the business services cluster, which includes call centers, and this announcement exemplifies a promising future for our states economic growth. This is great news for Montgomery County and the state of Tennessee, Hagerty said. The available sites and exceptional workforce in the area made Clarksville the perfect choice for Agero to locate its new facility, and we appreciate the companys investment in our state. Ageros choice also underscores Tennessees strength in the business services industry a rapidly growing sector where Tennessees unique 3

competitive advantages are strong. http://www.wnws.com/news/17117-connected-vehicle-service-provider-tocreate-more-than-500-jobs-in-clarksville

Agero To Build New Call Center, Adds 500 Jobs In Clarksville (WTVF-TV Nashville)
The city of Clarksville announced that Agero, a leading provider of connected vehicle services will open a call center inMontgomery County bringing over 500 jobs to the area.Massachusetts-based roadside assistance The company held job fairs in January to gauge interest in the jobs. Clarksville was in the running with Florence, South Carolina. am excited to welcome Agero to our state and look forward to watching the company grow in "I Tennessee," Gov. Bill Haslam said. "In creating our economic development strategies last year, we found Tennessee held a unique advantage in the business services' cluster, which includes call centers, and this announcement exemplifies a promising future for our state's economic growth." call center will be The new located2971 International Blvd in Clarksville. Clarksville center is Agero's sixth North American driver The assistance call and data response center. The company's other response centers are located in Medford, Massachusetts; Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada; Irving, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Sebring, Florida. http://www.newschannel5.com/story/18374965/agero-to-build-new-call-center-adds-500-jobs-in-clarksville

Tenn. state students make slight gains in science (Associated Press)

The Nation's Report Card shows Tennessee students making slight gains in science. State education officials say the latest results from the National Assessment of Education Progress shows eighth-graders scoring higher in science than they did two years prior. Nearly 31 percent of students scored at or above average in science when the kids were tested in 2011, compared with 28 percent in 2009. Tennessee ranks 32 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in NAEP science results. Economically disadvantaged students also made gains in science. State Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said in a statement that he was pleased by the upward trend because Tennessee's new accountability model now measures science, instead of math and reading only. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/15/tenn-state-students-make-slight-gains-in-science/

Tennessee posts small gains on national science exam (Tennessean/Hall)

Tennessee students posted small gains on a national eighth-grade science test, an encouraging fact given the state will start using science scores for its own grading system, Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said. Scores on the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, which tests samples of students in each state to allow comparisons across the nation, came out Monday. The percentage of Tennessee eight-graders scoring at or above proficient rose from 28 in 2009 to 31, and the average score rose from 148 to 150 both measures about the same as the nation as a whole. The findings put Tennessee at 32nd in the nation for science achievement. Several states, including Tennessee, plan to update their science curriculum with the Next Generation Science Standards, being developed through the National Academy of Sciences and other groups. And while No Child Left Behind used reading and math scores to decide whether schools were passing or failing, a new state measure that went into effect with recent spring standardized testing also will use science. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120514/NEWS/305140038/Tennessee-posts-small-gains-national-scienceexam?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Trooper Lowell Russell honored at banquet (WVLT-TV Knoxville)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam told a crowd, "I never dreamed that 2 months and one day later that Lowell would be here with us today, would you stand? It was a jaw dropping moment for over 800 people. A Knoxville leadership banquet honoring those in the workplace whose strength, character and determination led them to great successes. It's here Russell was welcomed back. A far cry from early March when a big rig crushed his patrol car. Governor Haslam said, "I got a call after the accident and said it didn't look well." And it wasn't. Lowell told Local 8 News Anchor Alan Williams his neck and spine were fused together after six hours of surgery. The marks on his forehead, remnants of where a halo was attached for weeks. A semi driver almost ended Russell's life one March morning when he fell asleep at the wheel, his rig crushing Russell's cruiser. Governor Haslam said, "I think for me, it;s encouraging that people will do what Lowell does which is a very dangerous profession, then after that I asked when are you coming back to work, he said as soon as I can." http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/Trooper_Lowell_Russell_honored_at_banquet_151470815.html? ref=815

TN first lady touts Imagination Library (Jackson Sun)

Tennessees First Lady Crissy Haslam spoke about the importance of reading to children for 20 minutes daily and the impact of books offered through Dolly Partons Imagination Library on Monday at the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. Haslam said the Imagination Library has a partnership with the Governors Books from Birth Foundation. She said the library is a non-profit organization that provides children with a book a month from birth until age 5, a total of 60 books. Children need to be read to, she said. They need to see words, hear words and read themselves (to be prepared for kindergarten). Haslam, the wife of Gov. Bill Haslam, came from Knoxville to Jackson Monday afternoon to speak at the Madison County Imagination Library reception at the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. About 75 people attended, including board members for the Madison County Imagination Library, city, county and state officials, as well as parents and children who are served by the Imagination Library. Kathy Canovan is a member of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. She said she has also been a member of the Madison County Imagination Librarys board for a year. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120515/NEWS01/305150005/TN-first-lady-touts-Imagination-Library

Erin woman charged with TennCare drug fraud (Leaf Chronicle)

A Houston County woman is charged with TennCare fraud for selling prescription drugs paid for by TennCare. The Office of Inspector General announced the arrest of Carrie Dianne Adams, 50, of Erin, after a joint investigation with the 23rd Judicial District Drug Task Force and the Houston County Sheriffs Office. Adams has been charged with one count of TennCare fraud for using TennCare to obtain a prescription for the painkiller Hydrocodone, later meeting with a confidential informant and selling a portion of the drugs. Medical providers, law enforcement and state agencies are no longer tolerating this kind of abuse of the TennCare program, especially when it relates to addictive prescription painkillers, Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. We are intent on prosecuting every one of these cases to the fullest extent possible. TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120515/STEWART01/305100019

Big Rock man charged with TennCare 'doctor shopping' (Leaf Chronicle)
A Stewart County man is charged in Montgomery County with TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping, or going to multiple doctors in a short time-frame to obtain prescription drugs. The Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, announced the arrest of William B. Singleteary, 39, of Big Rock. He is charged with three counts of fraudulently using TennCare to obtain a controlled substance by doctor shopping, in this case, for the painkillers Oxycodone and Morphine, with the physician office visits paid for by TennCare. This type of criminal activity is serious business, but the Office of Inspector General is going after these cases in all 95 counties in Tennessee, Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. Health care providers and their employees are great at spotting these cases, and they are as committed as we are to stop TennCare fraud, he said. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120515/STEW ART01/305090020

Family Resource funding restored (Stewart Houston Times)

Funding for Family Resource Centers have been restored in Governor Bill Haslams budget, although the amounts have been cut somewhat. Family Resource Director Nancy Spiers made the announcement to the Stewart County School Board at its regular meeting held May 10. She said that the states portion of the funding would be $29,000 next school year, down from $33,000 this current year. The county provides an in-kind match. However, Spiers was relieved since originally the program was going to get cut entirely. She went on to tell the board members some of what Family Resource does for the school systems families. This year, the biggest part of what we did was the dental program, said Spiers, as her part-time assistant, Gayle Lee, passed out handouts. She said that good dental health is a key component to overall health, which is critical to a child being able to learn. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120515/STEWART01/305150008

I-24 Work on Track, Despite Rainy Weekend (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Interstate bridge repairs east of downtown Nashville are continuing on schedule, despite a couple inches of rain over the weekend. The road work near LP field is on a tight timeframe to finish in August, before Titans football season gets underway . This past weekend was one of the most ambitious on the schedule. Concrete doesnt mix well with heavy rainfall, which often forces delays to road projects. But the Transportation Departments B.J. Doughty points out much of the I-24 bridge work isnt so much pouring as just fitting in pre-made blocks. Doughty 5

says that just left a few seams to fill in, about the same time the rain broke for a few hours. This was a lot of rain that we got two inches is a significant amount, so the fact that they were able to soldier on and get all of that work done despite the weather is a really good sign. The nearly $9 million project is on a narrow timeline, with only two weekends to make up for any lost work. http://wpln.org/?p=37182

I-24 Closure Could Complicate Busy Saturday Downtown (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Bridges repairs on the interstate east of downtown Nashville this weekend could complicate an already busy Saturday in the area. State transportation officials say theyve tried to be accommodating in scheduling closures for I-24, but they cant postpone the repairs forever. The two-mile stretch of road work runs right past LP field, where this weekend tens of thousands of car fans will head to a hot-rod show. Meanwhile there will be a 5K charity run near Broadway on Saturday, along with a couple of bike rides through downtown. The transportation department suspends work on some especially busy weekends to keep traffic from snaring. But Communications Director B.J. Doughty says they cant always hold off, because theyre racing to finish before football season starts. W ith such a tight timeframe, there are only so many weekends between now and the end of August There are events every single weekend in Nashville, so were going to step on some toes and we are aware of that. This weekend marks the fourth of an expected thirteen closures planned for downtown I-24 this summer. http://wpln.org/?p=37194

Rocky Top Trail driving tour highlights 130 spots throughout East TN (NS/Osborne)
East Tennessee natives and out-of-towners alike can experience all the region has to offer on the newest driving tour in the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development's Discover Tennessee Trails and Byways program. The "Rocky Top: Smoky Peaks to Crafts and Creeks Trail" will be announced today at a launch party in Gatlinburg, according to officials from Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corp. who are also assisting in the program. A brochure guide and map for the Rocky Top Trail and the 13 other completed trails can be found online at http://www.tntrailsandbyways.com. The complete program will have 16 separate driving tours that provide access to the entire state. The 282-mile Rocky Top Trail includes 130 points of interest historic sites, restaurants and music and art attractions. The journey begins in Gatlinburg and does a counterclockwise loop through seven counties through Sevierville, Knoxville, Lenoir City and Maryville before finishing in Wears Valley, close to where it all began in Pigeon Forge. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/15/rocky-top-trail-driving-tour-highlights-130-east/

Alexander new chief of staff at ECD (Nashville Post/Whitehouse)

Will Alexander, son of Tennessee's senior U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, has been tapped to become the new chief of staff for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development under Commissioner Bill Hagerty. Alexander replaces Brad Smith, who will leave the office by the end of this month. Until now, Alexander has been assistant commissioner for strategy. In an email to ECD personnel, Hagerty states that, "While reviewing the many attributes necessary in the person to replace Brad, I found in Will Alexander an ideal candidate. Wills understanding of the department and close working relationship with me and Governor Haslam position him well to ensure a seamless transition as we continue to move forward in our departments mission of bringing more high quality jobs to Tennessee." Also announced in the internal email were the appointment of Samar Ali and Alice Rolli to two key positions in Hagerty's leadership team. Ali, who is from Waverly, will serve as international director. http://nashvillepost.com/news/2012/5/14/alexander_new_chief_of_staff_at_ecd

TBI investigates shooting of ex-HCSO drug detective (Times-News)

Former Hawkins County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Detective Brad Depew was hospitalized Monday night after suffering a gunshot wound that is now being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Depew, 43, 251 Barrett Lane, Church Hill, has been indicted by the Hawkins County grand jury on 72 charges related to him allegedly stealing narcotics from the HCSO evidence locker on multiple occasions in March and April 2011. At 5:48 p.m. Monday, Depews wife, Loretta Depew, called 911 to report her husband had been shot. Multiple local law enforcement sources told the Times-News that while Loretta Depew was speaking to a dispatcher Brad Depew could be heard in the background stating he was all right and dont call 911. Depew was transported to Holston Valley Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition Monday night. 6

http://www.timesnews.net/article/9046608/tbi-investigates-shooting-of-ex-hcso-drug-detective

AG's

Office

asks

Supreme

Court

to

allow

appeal of

re-trial decisions

(NS/Satterfield)
The state is making a last-ditch effort to block retrials in cases presided over by disgraced former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner. Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper is asking the state Supreme Court to grant an appeal of Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood's decision to upend convictions in the January 2007 torture-slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23. The move comes after a midlevel appellate court the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals refused in a 2-1 vote to allow an appeal and just weeks before the alleged ringleader in the Christian/Newsom case, Lemaricus Davidson, is set to be retried. Although Cooper's office is only challenging Blackwood's ruling in the cases of three of four defendants in the fatal carjacking, the outcome will impact at least four unrelated cases. It also could set the stage for future attacks on convictions and sentencings handled in Baumgartner's court. In its application, Cooper's office acknowledges as much and cites turmoil within the system over what impact Baumgartner's misconduct will have as a reason for the high court to take up an appeal of Blackwood's decision now. The special judge found Baumgartner had committed numerous crimes while presiding over the cases including doctor shopping. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/15/ags-office-asks-state-supreme-court-to-allow-of/

Citizen-led group forms to push Dean's property tax hike proposal (CP/Garrison)
A Nashville pastor, public education activist and former Metro councilman have formed a new alliance to help Mayor Karl Dean make his case for a proposed 13 percent property tax increase. Moving Nashville Forward, billed as a grassroots coalition, hopes to mobilize citizens to support the mayors tax increase plan, which the group says is essential to make key investments in public education and safety. The organization announced its creation Monday, one day before the mayors proposed 53-cent hike to the property tax rate heads before the Metro Council on the first of three votes. We see it as a major priority, said Erik Cole, a former two-term East Nashville councilman. We also know its a very difficult decision. We want to be there to work with the community and talk with folks over the next few weeks, and talk with council members to try to garner their support for greater revenue in the city, he said. For now, Moving Nashville Forward consists of only three players: Cole, who held the councils District 7 seat from 2003-2011; Michael Joyner, pastor of Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church; and Francie Hunt, an education advocate who previously headed the Nashville Chapter of Stand for Children. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/citizen-led-group-forms-push-deans-property-tax-hike-proposal

Americans for Prosperity: Nashville 'under attack' by tax increase (CP/Garrison)

Mayor Karl Deans proposed property tax hike, which has already drawn the ire of the Nashville Tea Party, has reverberated up to the conservative-backed Americans for Prosperity political advocacy organization. Arlington, Va.-based Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group that professes to educate citizens on education policies, has highlighted Deans tax proposal as its top story on its website. Nashville taxpayers are under attack by Mayor Deans proposed 13 percent property tax increase, reads a short blog post penned by the organizations Tennessee state director Brad Stevens. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for Nashville city leaders lack of fiscal responsibility, the post continues. Oddly, instead of focusing on the meat of Deans proposed $1.71 billion budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, the Americans for Prosperity blog post focuses on the salaries of Metro officials. According to the organization, 226 Metro workers earn more than $100,000 annually http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/americans-prosperity-nashville-under-attack-mayors-taxincrease-0

Davidson County election official reprimanded for early voting mistake (TN/Cass)
Davidson Countys election administrator was formally reprimanded by state officials Monday for failing to open the polls on a Saturday during the early voting period for the March 6 presidential primary. But the State Election Commission decided not to pursue further disciplinary action against Albert Tieche after he acknowledged his mistake without a fight and said he had not intended to break state law. The commission could have gone so far as to decertify Tieche as an election administrator if it had voted to proceed with a show cause hearing, but that wasnt likely to happen until February, after the state gets through this years primary and general elections. None of Tennessees 94 other counties closed their polls on Feb. 18, the first Saturday of the early voting period, 7

State Election Coordinator Mark Goins said. That fell on the Presidents Day holiday weekend, and Tieche said he and his staff thought they didnt have to open then, based on historical precedents. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120515/NEWS01/305150017/Davidson-County-election-officialreprimanded-early-voting-mistake?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Second Budget Vote Tops Agenda (Memphis Daily News)

Memphis City Council members take the second of three votes Tuesday, May 15, on a city budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 as well as a property tax rate for the fiscal year to come. But the council is still weighing its options and gathering information through a budget committee that continues meeting Tuesday morning at City Hall. The council meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St. The council is scheduled to vote on a planned development at the Crescent Center, at Poplar Avenue and Ridgeway Road for two freestanding restaurants on 10.4 acres of land. The council also considers a resolution for a special-use permit to allow a soup kitchen at the northeast corner of Monroe Avenue and Claybrook Street. The council will also vote on approving a $2.1 million financial assistance grant contract between the city and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The federal funding contract is in behalf of the Cargill Corn Milling rail project on Presidents Island. No city match is required. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/15/second-budget-vote-topsagenda/

Corker calls for hearings on JPMorgan trading loss (Los Angeles Times)
Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican who serves on the Senate Banking Committee, has called for a hearing on the $2-billion trading loss by JPMorgan Chase & Co., saying that "policies are going to be derived out of what's happened." Corker, who was a key participant in the debate over the 2010 financial reform law, said it was important for policymakers to get the facts about the situation and whether pending regulations would have prevented it. "I'd like for us to be dealing with reality instead of myth and perception," the Tennessee lawmaker told CNBC Monday. "I just want to make sure we have a good policy outcome here." Corker noted that some analysts have said such trading would have been prevented by the so-called Volcker Rule. The provision of the financial reform law, which is still being drafted by regulators, is intended to stop banks from taking excessive risks in trading for their own accounts, a practice known as proprietary trading. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/14/corker-calls-for-hearings-on-jpmorgan-trading/

Scottie

Mayfield

praises

opponent's

record

(Chattanooga

Times

Free-

Press/Carroll)
Scottie Mayfield celebrated U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann's voting record Monday, downplaying a shared political philosophy between himself and the man he wants to beat. "I haven't studied his votes enough to tell you that I would vote significantly different," Mayfield told the Hamilton County Pachyderm Club. "He has voted conservative, and I praise him for that." Along with Chattanooga businessmen Ron Bhalla and Weston Wamp, Mayfield is challenging Fleischmann in the GOP primary in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District. The election is Aug. 2. A Fleischmann aide who filmed Mayfield's Pachyderm speech quickly responded. "It speaks a lot to Chuck's leadership that Scottie chose to use Chuck's voting record in his stump speech," campaign spokesman Jordan Powell said. Scheduled weeks in advance, Mayfield's appearance found the Athens, Tenn., dairy executive battling perceptions that he refuses to debate, lacks legislative goals and agrees with Fleischmann on every critical matter facing Congress -- ideas he never refuted during 25 minutes of remarks. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/15/mayfield-praises-opponents-record/?local

Gay Marriage Recasts Senate Races (W all Street Journal)

Obama's Support Has Some Democrats Keeping Their Distance as Party Tries to Hold Chamber President Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage has put a new wrinkle in the Democrats' battle to retain control of the Senate, with many of the party's candidates in conservative states keeping their distance from the president on the hot-button issue. Sen. Jon Tester in Montana, Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri and former Gov. Tim Kaine in Virginia have declined to support same-sex marriage, even as Mr. Obama's backing has galvanized the party's liberal wing and activist ranks. Even senators facing less-competitive racesBob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Bill Nelson of Floridahave sought distance from Mr. Obama on same-sex marriage. Republicans see the party divisions as evidence for their campaign argument that Mr. Obama's policies are so liberal that Democrats in battleground states will have to repudiate the president to survive. 8

"Democrats are trying to run from the president's announcement, because they recognize some political vulnerabilities," said Brian Walsh, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303505504577404613338323828.html?mod=ITP_pageone_2 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Insurance Changes Explained (Stateline)

Congress passed the 848-page Dodd-Frank law two years ago to try to prevent another financial meltdown like the one that sent the economy into a tailspin in 2008. It rewrites many of the federal rules covering banks and insurance companies to prevent businesses from becoming too big to fail. Many of those changes give the federal government more power, and state regulators worry about encroachment onto their territory. The bulk of insurance regulation remains at the state level, but new federal agencies now have a role, too. For example, the newly created Federal Insurance Office will be looking over insurers shoulders. The office does not actually regulate the industry, but is supposed to monitor it and recommend improvements. The office was scheduled to publish a comprehensive review of how to modernize and improve insurance regulation earlier this year, but the much-anticipated document still has not been released nearly six months after it was due. Depending on what it says, the report could revive a long-simmering debate over whether insurance companies should operate with a national charter something that is not currently allowed instead of submitting to the rules of individual states. http://www.stateline.org/projects/stateline/headlines/insurance-changes-explained-why-state-officials-arenervous-about-new-federal-rules-85899387942

TVA plans to boost prices again in June (Times Free-Press/Flessner)

The mild winter helped cut power bills this year for most Chattanoogans, but the Tennessee Valley Authority will take back some of those savings next month with another increase it its monthly fuel cost adjustment. TVA is planning to boost its electricity charges by 0.7 percent in June -- the third consecutive month of higher fuel costs boosting the monthly light bill for residential and industrial power users in TVA's seven-state region. The typical Chattanooga household will pay 80 cents more for electricity in June because of the latest fuel cost adjustment by TVA, according to EPB. Despite cheaper gas prices, TVA spokesman Scott Brooks said Monday the fuel cost adjustment will rise in June because some of the credit from the milder winter months has finally been drained away. "Because of the mild winter our forecasts for costs were higher than we initially planned and we credited some of those savings to the monthly fuel cost adjustment charges in February, March and April," Brooks said. "The fee for our fuel costs in June is more reflective of our actual costs." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/15/tva-plans-to-boost-prices-again-in-june/?local

TVA crew keeps sailing smooth on waters backroads (Times Free-Press/Sohn)

Think of the Tennessee River as a 652-mile interstate highway. Imagine the creeks and smaller river tributaries as nearly 350 miles of secondary and community roads. Now visualize getting from the interstate to your home along those secondary roads without road signs, traffic signals and safety markers. Making sure the river systems 350 miles of channels are marked and navigable is the job of TVAs service vessel Sideview. The Tennessee Valley Authority, by the congressional act that created it, is charged with maintaining navigational access on those tributaries that feed the river and help generate electricity. The U.S. Coast Guard does the same job on the rivers main channel the water interstate. Carrying out the Sideviews mission costs TVA and ratepayers about $500,000 a year, and this week the boat and its four-man crew are working in one of the nations busiest recreational boating areas Chickamauga Lake. John McCormick, TVA senior vice president of river operations, said the half-million-dollar price tag is far less than what the agency would have to pay if some other federal organization did the work. The Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard estimates were more in some cases twice as much, McCormick said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/15/tva-crewkeeps-sailing-smooth-waters-backroads/?local

Dry weather, early spring pose problems for reservoir management (NS/Marcum)
Despite recent rain, an early spring and several months of dry weather are making it difficult for TVA to get its system of reservoir lakes ready for the summer recreation season, which starts June 1. If TVA can't get the lake levels as high as they need to be, boaters and others using the waters may have more worries about obstacles lurking in shallower waters. "W e will still have a good recreation season, but the impacts will be lower levels," said Charles Bach, general manager of river operations for TVA. "Some of the places people have gone into with 9

boats in the past, they will need to be very careful because the chance to hit a sandbar, stump or something like that will be greater." David Bowling, TVA River Forecasting Center manager, said rain over the weekend and Monday was welcome but more is needed. "Every little bit helps, of course, but we are still behind for the last couple of months. For the past 30 days we are probably one-half an inch below normal in the Eastern valley," he said. Each spring, the Tennessee Valley Authority starts trying to hold onto water that makes it into the reservoirs so that levels will rise to sufficient levels by June 1. This year has been a challenge, Bach said. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/14/dry-weather-early-spring-pose-problems-for-tva/

Register wants to avoid forced busing (Tennessean/Hubbard)

Metro Nashvilles Director of Schools Jesse Register testified Monday that hes not in favor of achieving school diversity by forcing inner-city students on buses to predominantly white schools in the suburbs. Register took the stand Monday in the Spurlock vs. Fox rezoning trial in federal court. He said two other school districts he headed, including Chattanooga, also moved away from forced busing in similar student assignment plans while he was there. They werent efficient or allow parents to take advantage of proximity, he said. We feel like this student assignment plan is sound and affords students many different opportunities in our district. A 2009 school board rezoning plan sought to redistrict its last remaining gerrymandered school zone, Pearl-Cohn. As part of court-ordered desegregation, it bused those students nearly 15 miles to schools in the Hillwood zone in West Nashville. Register testified that of the 652 students rezoned from that area under the plan, 298 chose to be in their neighborhood schools while 201 students chose to continue to be bused to the Hillwood cluster. And 153 students chose magnet schools or other open-enrollment opportunities, he said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120515/NEWS04/305150039/Nashville-Director-Schools-Jesse-Registerwants-avoid-forced-busing?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Afterschool Program Baits Girls with Art, Switches to Science (WPLN-Radio Nash.)
Politicians continue to call for more students pursuing science, technology, engineering and math what have become known as the STEM disciplines. Women are particularly underrepresented. An afterschool program in Nashville tries to stir up female interest in science by way of art. Its almost a bait and switch. You like art? How about the science behind it? Nothing wrong with being an art teacher, says Art3STEM coordinator John Hawkins. But you could also be a graphic designer. Kim Chigumira is one of more than 250 participating middle-schoolers. On a recent afternoon, shes turning a drawing of her dream home into a three dimensional computer model. Besides drafting, Chigumira says she also enjoyed her field trip to play with robots at Tennessee Tech. Whatever the path, she sees a career in her future. You know how back in the old days, the women either had to stay home, cook or clean or watch the family, she says. I dont have time for that. http://wpln.org/?p=37162

Disney, TPAC partner in Metro schools theater program (Associated Press)

A $75,000 grant from Disney will help the Tennessee Performing Arts Center develop theater programs in Nashville schools. The grant was awarded by Disney Theatrical Group, a philanthropic arm of the entertainment company, to provide greater access to theater education to inner city youth. It is the first of its kind awarded outside New York City. Through the grant, five Metro schools will receive performance rights and educational support from TPAC and Disney. This years participants are Glengarry, Hattie Cotton, Hull-Jackson, Kirkpatrick and Percy Priest elementaries. Students from each of the schools will present a musical number at TPAC. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120514013/Disney-TPAC-partner-Metro-schools-theaterprogram?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

New principal appointed at Sequoyah Elementary School (News-Sentinel)

Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre has appointed a new principal at Sequoyah Elementary School. Beginning next school year, Alisha Hinton, now assistant principal at A.L. Lotts Elementary, will take over as principal. Hinton was a member of the inaugural class of the Principal Leadership Academy and has been with the district since 2003. She started at New Hopewell Elementary as a third-grade teacher. Then in 2007, she moved to Brickey-McCloud Elementary School where she became a fourth-grade teacher. In 2009, she was appointed assistant principal at A. L. Lotts Elementary School. Hinton has a bachelor's degree in psychology and 10

a master of science degree in elementary education from the University of Tennessee. She also holds an education specialist degree in administration from Lincoln Memorial University. The superintendent also announced that Joy Foster, principal at Shannondale Elementary School, has requested a transfer. "I have decided to honor Dr. Foster's request and assign her to a position to be determined," McIntyre wrote in the release. "W e will immediately begin the process of selecting a new principal for Shannondale Elementary School." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/15/new-principal-appointed-at-sequoyah-elementary/

Seven Schools Chosen For Innovation Zone Program (Memphis Daily News)
Those planning the new consolidated countywide school system to come in August 2013 now have a list of seven elementary and middle schools that will be part of a federally funded innovation zone. The $14.7 million federal education funding over three years will begin with the 2012-2013 school year and continue into the next school year, which is the first year of the merger. The schools in the zone to be run by the Memphis City Schools system and to use new practices, including extended learning time and new technology, are Chickasaw, Hamilton and Geeter middle schools as well as Fairley, Ford Road, Lucie E. Campbell and Magnolia elementary schools. The announcement last week is one more detail of what will happen at specific schools once the merger takes place. The innovation funding and school selection is one of several schools reform efforts that will be part of the merger plan being drawn up by schools consolidation planning commission. But like the state-run Achievement School District, it is an element that would be happening even without the schools merger. Both initiatives aimed at low performing schools are part of broader statewide education reform measures. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/15/seven-schools-chosen-for-innovation-zone-program/

Sullivan officials field questions about STEM platform school (Times-News)

Sullivan North Middle School will definitely be a base school for the new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) platform school in Bloomingdale, Sullivan County Director of Schools Jubal Yennie said Monday. A base school is where students would return about 12:30 p.m. each school day to have related arts as well as band and after-school activities, including athletics and cheerleading. On the other hand, Yennie said Holston Valley Middle School in the far eastern end of the county likely wont be among a group of four or five county base schools. But he added that students there can attend the STEM school if they can get to a designated bus transfer point and are willing to attend another base school in the afternoon, and that the Sullivan East High School zone will have a STEM classroom at Bluff City Middle School. Yennie was answering a question from a parent at an informational session for the grades 6-7 Innovation Academy of Northeast Tennessee, a joint project of Kingsport and Sullivan County to be housed starting this fall term in the Brookside Elementary building in Bloomingdale. The session was held at Ketron Intermediate School inside North High School. Next year, that will become Sullivan North Middle inside North High. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9046607/sullivan-officials-field-questions-about-stem-platform-school

Rhode Island: Rhode Island Order on Gay Unions (New York Times)
Gov. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island on Monday ordered all state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and to afford those couples many of the same rights and benefits that heterosexual couples get. By issuing an executive order, Mr. Chafee, an independent, reaffirmed a 2007 opinion by the state attorney general, which he said state agencies had followed inconsistently. An effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Rhode Island failed last year, with the legislature approving civil unions for gay couples instead. Gay rights advocates said that among other things, the order would help ensure that insurance plans regulated by the state provide the same benefits to same-sex couples who were married in other jurisdictions that they do to heterosexual couples. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/15/us/executive-order-on-same-sex-marriage-rights-inrhode-island.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

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OPINION Editorial: Court delivered wise ruling in Tech speech case (News-Sentinel)
A panel of judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th District has rejected a Tennessee Technological University policy restricting outside speakers on campus as being unreasonable and in violation of the First Amendment. The decision, filed April 23, properly supports free speech rights of visitors to Tech's Cookeville, Tenn., campus. The three-judge panel reversed Tech's initial victory in U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee and ordered the district judge to reconsider the case in light of the appellate court decision. The Tennessee Board of Regents has already adopted new guidelines for public speaking on its campuses. Other institutions in the Sixth Circuit might do likewise as a result of the ruling. The case stems from an April 2009 incident when a Kentuckian named John McGlone and a friend, Shawn Holes, visited the Tech campus to share their Christian beliefs with students. A Tech official told them the school has a policy that requires registration in writing 14 business days prior to speaking on campus. To register, a person or organization must list the name of the speaker and the topic. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/15/editorial-court-delivered-wise-ruling-in-tech/

Editorial: Pay raises, tax increase a bad mix for budget (Daily News Journal)
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That rule was proven last week when after Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess gave assurances that $l.6 million in proposed employee pay raises could be accomplished next year without a property tax increase, he changed his tune when the county school system presented a budget plan that doesnt balance. Burgess told the Rutherford County Commissions Budget, Finance & Investment Committee on May 7 that a pay upgrade plan for about 1,023 workers would not require a property tax increase. We hope no county worker went out and bought anything on credit based on Burgess initial assessment. He should have been more specific. By May 10, commissioners learned that the Rutherford County Board of Education does not have enough in its reserves to cover its estimated $11.7 million deficit. Now, figures show, that when counting all budgets, the commission is looking at $443.9 million in spending plans, which exceeds the projected $423.3 million in revenues. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120515/OPINION01/305150002/EDITORIAL-Pay-raises-tax-increase-bad-mixbudget?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Guest columnist: Medical Trade Center gains global character (Tennessean)

For much of last month, I visited marketplaces and business enterprises throughout Europe and Asia. What is happening in countries around the world is testimony to the incredible speed with which things are changing in the world of health care, often through technology and innovations created here in the U.S. Imagine hospital beds capable of reporting patient data directly to clinicians; futuristic materials for furniture and furnishings that are resistant to bacteria and infection; virtual operating rooms where surgeons can collaborate with other clinicians around the world to perform surgery on a patient in a remote location; sophisticated diagnostic tools available at home and at a lower cost than through weekly trips to a physicians office or hospital. These 12

innovations and thousands more are being developed and are entering the health-care marketplace every day, yet there is no single location where the companies behind these quantum advancements can share their ideas with medical professionals and others. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120515/OPINION03/305150011/Medical-Trade-Center-gains-globalcharacter?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Times Editorial: Sinking health care spiral (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

One of the most recent authoritative reports on health care showed that more than one of out of five Tennesseans between the ages of 18 and 65 -- 857,000 people, or 22 percent of the 18-to-65 population segment -- did not seek health care when they needed it in 2010. And that's just the number of uninsured Tennesseans in that age group -- a rise of 57 percent in the ranks of the uninsured since 2000. If a proportional number of 18-to-65-year olds received TennCare -- the state's Medicaid program insurance for people below the federal poverty level -- then the number of uninsured Tennesseans who avoided seeking needed health care because they couldn't afford it would have been more than one in four adults between 18 and 65. The numbers were similar for the 18-to-65 age group in Georgia and Alabama, where 1,394,000 (24 percent) and 587,000 citizens (22 percent) respectively, were without health insurance and had unmet health care needs in 2010. Medicare is available for people above 65. Medicaid covers the very poor, and the state/federal Childrens Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, covers most uninsured children. Tri-Care aids particular groups of veterans. So the finding by the esteemed Robert Wood Johnson that practically one in four Tennesseans, and similar numbers in Georgia and Alabama, couldn't get health care when they needed it due to a lack of insurance and unaffordable cost is even more stunning. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/15/sinking-health-care-spiral/?opiniontimes ###

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