sat., dec. 17 news summary

8/3/2019 Sat., Dec. 17 News Summary

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2011Gov. Haslam makes first visit to new STEM Academy (News-Sentinel/McCoy)As they sat around the table, six students from the L&N STEM Academy and two teachers, spent a few minusharing what they love about their school with Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. "Here we are developing ttraditions. We're not trying to follow another class's footsteps," said sophomore Ben Croisdale. "We're actualaying down the path that every other group of students that come through this school is going to follow." Friday, Haslam toured the L&N STEM Academy, Knox County's 15th high school. The school is the first ofkind in the district to have a larger focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEeducation. It was Haslam's first visit since the school opened at the beginning of this school year. Located in former L&N Railroad station on World's Fair Park, the school uses cutting-edge technology with each studehaving his or her own iPad2. "The building is such a wonderful place to learn. It's historical and right in the cenof Knoxville," Haslam said after touring the building.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/gov-haslam-makes-first-visit-to-new-stem-academy/

Governor Haslam visits L&N Academy (WBIR-TV Knoxville)As students at Knoxville's L&N Stem Academy finish up their very first semester, they got to share thexperiences with Governor Bill Haslam. On Friday, the Governor sat down with students and principals to show things are going. They talked about what makes the academy unique, from classes to the soenvironment. Governor Haslam says Tennessee is trying to spread STEM Academies across the state. "really what we need as a state. We have to be producing more people who are trained and ready in the STEfields. So I look at this as being a part of our economic development strategy, not just our education strategsaid Haslam. The G overnor also talked about spreading STEM teaching strategies to current schools, puttingemphasis on science, technology, engineering and math.http://www.wbir.com/news/article/195983/2/Governor-Haslam-visits-LN-Academy

Haslam, Hagerty announce release of regional strategic plans, staff changes (HCTennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty todannounced the release of nine regional strategic plans outlining how ECDs field staff will lead new economdevelopment efforts in their regions, support existing networks of local organizations and serve as an effectconduit between the department and regional stakeholders. The plans can be viewed athttp://tn.gov/ecd/. Gov.Haslams Jobs4TN economic development plan, announced earlier this year, decentralized ECD and establishnine jobs base camps throughout the state. Jobs base camp regional directors and their staffs created strategic plans through a var iety of outreach effor ts, stakeholder meetings and consensus buildactivities.Jobs4TN w as designed to take a more regional approach to job creation so we can better understaand serve the needs of each region, Haslam said. The strategic plans will be a guide for econodevelopment growth as we continue working to become the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality job

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/dec/16/haslam-hagerty-announce-release-regional-strategic-a r-1549915/

Tennessee prepares $30M INCITE fund for startups (Nashville Business Journal)Tennessees new INCITE fund w ill put a premium on seed-stage investments, with state officials expectmoney to flow through the regional economy by first quarter 2012. The fund, part of Gov. Bill Haslams Jobs4plan, will steer $30 million in federal money toward a fund for venture capitalists looking to make their oinvestments in Tennessee businesses. The Haslam administration has largely avoided controlling hinvestments are made, though provisions create the most favorable terms for startups. Contributions from fund, depending upon the type, could be as much as $3 million per investment.http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/print-edition/2011/12/16/30m-incite-fund-for-star tups.html(SUB)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/gov-haslam-makes-first-visit-to-new-stem-academy/http://www.wbir.com/news/article/195983/2/Governor-Haslam-visits-LN-Academyhttp://tn.gov/ecd/http://tn.gov/ecd/http://tn.gov/ecd/http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/dec/16/haslam-hagerty-announce-release-regional-strategic-ar-1549915/http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/print-edition/2011/12/16/30m-incite-fund-for-startups.htmlhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/gov-haslam-makes-first-visit-to-new-stem-academy/http://www.wbir.com/news/article/195983/2/Governor-Haslam-visits-LN-Academyhttp://tn.gov/ecd/http://www2.tricities.com/news/2011/dec/16/haslam-hagerty-announce-release-regional-strategic-ar-1549915/http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/print-edition/2011/12/16/30m-incite-fund-for-startups.html


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Haslam voices concerns about requiring photo ID for voting (N-S/Humphrey)Gov. Bill Haslam says he has voiced concern to legislators that the new state law requiring voters to have phidentification will make it "unnecessarily hard" for some people to cast ballots in next year's elections. Tgovernor said he is not recommending changes in the new law or delaying implementation. "We haven't mathat recommendation to them yet," Haslam said in an interview. "I think the way government works, you knowthat our job is to carry out things and also to propose things. At this point in time, all we've done is raise t

issue." The new law, enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Haslam earlier this yetakes effect Jan. 1. The first election with the new law in effect will be March 6, the date of Tennessepresidential preference primary. The Legislature meets Jan. 10, which means members could postpone the before 2012 voting begins. Other elections will be held in August and Novem ber of 2012.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/haslam-voices-concerns-about-requiring-photo-id/

State apologizes for 11-hour tie-up after potato truck crashes on I-

(TN/Humbles)Officials from two Tennessee state agencies apologized to an estimated 400 m otorists on Interstate 40 who wforced to spend 11 hours in their vehicles from Thursday night into Friday morning after an accident that involvan overturned truck. We should have done better, and we apologize, Department of TransportatCommissioner John Schroer said. Some procedures were not followed, and an internal investigation is be

done. TDOT and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which is part of the Department of Safety & HomelaSecurity, took equal responsibility for the delay, saying several factors contributed in the aftermath of the wreThe tractor-trailer carrying a load of about 40,000 pounds of potatoes crashed about 8 p.m. Thursday just befmile marker 245 in the Tuckers Crossroads area east of Lebanon in Wilson County. All the eastbound lanwere blocked for about 11 hours until the interstate partially opened just after 7 a.m. Roy Golden, 55, Knoxvil le, driver of the truck, faces charges that include DUI, reckless driving, reckless endangermeconsumption of alcohol in a comm ercial vehicle and possession of schedule IV drugs.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS01/312170013/State-apologizes-11-hour-tie-up-after-potatruck-crashes-40?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAG E

State hired executive who was under indictment (Associated Press)An administrator of the state's employment security system was appointed to the post while under indictmen

Ohio. Charges of m oney laundering, theft and abetting an unlicensed loan broker were dropped on Nov. 29, afTurner Nashe Jr. was appointed by Tennessee off ic ials on Nov. 14, according to The Tennesse(http://tnne.ws/uOzU5K ). Nashe, 37, of Brentwood was among several people indicted in a mortgage fracase. Cuyahoga County, Ohio, prosecutor's spokeswoman Maria Russo said charges were "dismissed withprejudice," meaning the state isn't precluded from filing other charges in the future. It wasn't clear whether Naswas in his office Friday and an opportunity to respond was emailed to his attention. Labor and WorkfoDevelopment spokesman Jeff Hentschel said charges were dropped after a thorough examination of busineand personal records. Hentchel stated that Nashe did not disclose the indictment on a job application, but nothat the state forms require disclosure only of conviction. He also said it is not standard practice to do crimibackground checks on applicants for executive positions.http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38161465.story

TN heart patients tested for radiation exposure after device recalled (TN/WilemonMore than 100 Tennesseans have been tested for radiation exposure as part of a nationwide effort to determthe safety of a widely used heart imaging device that has been recalled. The recall also factored into BapHospitals decision to shut down its positron emission tomography (PET) department, w hile other hospitals hatemporarily stopped using the devices for a type of cardiac test. The device under scrutiny is the CardioGen-a generator that produces the isotope used in the PET scans. Authorities learned that some generators weleaking a radioactive byproduct by fluke. Cardiac patients from two states set off radiation detectors at airpothis summer when attempting to board international flights. But statewide testing indicates no evidence o f leain Tennessee. In October, state and federal health officials began scanning 107 Tennessee patients, randomchosen from those who had undergone the procedure. The checks found no exposure to people that exceedregulatory requirements, said Meg Lockhart, a spokeswoman for the Division of Radiological Health. She notthat the data were submitted for a national study that should be released early next year.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS07/312170014/TN-heart-patients-tested-radiation-exposu
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/haslam-voices-concerns-about-requiring-photo-id/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS01/312170013/State-apologizes-11-hour-tie-up-after-potato-truck-crashes-40?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGEhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS01/312170013/State-apologizes-11-hour-tie-up-after-potato-truck-crashes-40?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGEhttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38161465.storyhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS07/312170014/TN-heart-patients-tested-radiation-exposure-after-device-recalled?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/haslam-voices-concerns-about-requiring-photo-id/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS01/312170013/State-apologizes-11-hour-tie-up-after-potato-truck-crashes-40?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGEhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS01/312170013/State-apologizes-11-hour-tie-up-after-potato-truck-crashes-40?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGEhttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38161465.storyhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS07/312170014/TN-heart-patients-tested-radiation-exposure-after-device-recalled?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews


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after-device-recalled?odyssey=tab|topnews|text| News

State approves radiation therapy services at Dowell Springs (NS/Harrington)Radiation therapy will be the latest health care service to be provided at Dowell Springs off Middlebrook PikThe Tennessee Health Services Development Agency narrowly approved this week a certificate of neapplication for East Tennessee Radiation Therapy Services, an affiliate of Provision Healthcare, to initiate service and acquire linear accelerator equipment. A contingent of health care providers Blount Memo

Hospital, University of Tennessee Medical Center, East Tennessee Children's Hospital, Covenant Health aThompson Cancer Survival Center had opposed the request, arguing there isn't a need. The CON wawarded in a 5 -4 vote with two board m embers recusing themselves. "It was a very important decision on a vimportant addition to the comprehensive nature of providing health care on this campus," Provision ExecutVice President Rick Johnson said of the $8.9 million project. More than 50,000 people already visit the campeach year for cancer-related treatment at either Tennessee Cancer Specialists or Tennessee ComprehensBreast Center.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/state-approves-radiation-therapy-services-at/

Tech firms pay TN lottery for software glitch (Tennessean/Gee)The Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. has received nearly $1 million from a pair of technology companieblamed for software glitches that resulted in the sale of about $2 million worth of unwinnable tickets in 2007. T

computer program that Smartplay International and Gaming Laboratories International came up with for gamsuch as Cash 3 and Cash 4 was flawed and resulted in thousands of unwinnable tickets being sold to staresidents. The program did not allow duplicate digits to appear, and gamblers who picked duplicate digits conot win. The lottery gave refunds to those who bought unwinnable tickets and sued the software companies damages in federal court in October 2008. The case was settled last week with the companies paying the stlottery a combined $900,000. Were delighted the matter is resolved, said Aubrey Harwell Jr., one of tattorneys who represented the lottery in the lawsuit. Officials and attorneys for Smartplay and GamLaboratories did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The companies had fought to keep settlement confidential even though the lottery is a quasi-governmental entity subject to open records laws.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS0201/312100009/Tech-firms-pay-TN-lottery-software-glitcodyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Death row inmate's appeal remanded by court (Associated Press)A federal appeals court has ruled that a Tennessee death row inmate's mental disability claims weren't propeconsidered. Byron Black, 55, was sentenced to death after his 1989 Nashville conviction in the murder of girlfriend Angela Clay and her daughters, Latoya, 9, and Lakeisha, 7. Several appeals have been turned downthe intervening years. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled Thursday, however, that Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals didn't properly evaluate whether B lack had a mental disability, accordingThe Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/uOzU5K ). The court remanded the case to U.S. District Court Judge ToddCampbell in N ashville. Black will ask C ampbell to set aside the death penalty. Prosecutors have disputed Blacclaim that he is mentally disturbed. The U .S. and Tennessee supreme courts have ruled that executing mentadisabled people violates a constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38159583.story

Second chances: Knox Drug Court offers alternative for offenders (NS/Lakin)

In this courtroom, the judge knows defendants by name and a clean drug test can earn applause.The KnCounty Drug Court came under fire this year after its chief judge, Richard Baumgartner, resigned and pleadguilty to buying pain pills from a probationer in Criminal Court and a D rug Court graduate. The revelations ledthe overturning of four convictions in the torture, rape and killing of Channon Christian and Chris Newsom athrew the results of thousands of other cases into question. Meanwhile, defendants continue to graduate frthe court designed as an alternative to the traditional justice system. General Sessions Judge Chuck Cerny ccourt to order once a week to review participants' progress sometimes praising, sometimes scolding asometimes leading rounds of applause or a chorus of "Happy birthday." The program reverses the adversanature of the court process prosecution against defense, with judge as referee into a system where judcounselors and probation officers wo rk together to guide defendants through treatment into a new life. The judcan hand out rewards or punishments, even jail time, to keep participants on track.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/knox-drug-court-offers-alternative-for-o ffenders/
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS07/312170014/TN-heart-patients-tested-radiation-exposure-after-device-recalled?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/state-approves-radiation-therapy-services-at/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS0201/312100009/Tech-firms-pay-TN-lottery-software-glitch?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS0201/312100009/Tech-firms-pay-TN-lottery-software-glitch?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38159583.storyhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/knox-drug-court-offers-alternative-for-offenders/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS07/312170014/TN-heart-patients-tested-radiation-exposure-after-device-recalled?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/state-approves-radiation-therapy-services-at/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS0201/312100009/Tech-firms-pay-TN-lottery-software-glitch?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS0201/312100009/Tech-firms-pay-TN-lottery-software-glitch?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38159583.storyhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/knox-drug-court-offers-alternative-for-offenders/


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Attorney: Former Judge Richard Baumgartner could be witness (NS/Satterfield)If a convicted rapist is forced to put the man who sent him to prison on trial to win a do-over, that judge will bethe top of the witness list, his attorney said in a motion filed Friday. Defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs is askKnox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols to cough up addresses for all witnesses named in a

containing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's probe of former C riminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartnincluding the disgraced judge himself. The move comes after Nichols' office signaled Thursday it would not agto stipulate the file's contents as evidence as the state earlier had done in a hearing on motions for new triafiled by the four defendants in the January 2007 torture-slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and ChristopNewsom, 23. Isaacs is asking Nichols' office to make the same stipulation in a motion for new trial for JaysBailey, who was convicted in April 2010 of raping his stepdaughter. Baumgartner presided over Bailey's tr"The undersigned counsel sincerely desires to resolve this issue with a stipulation by the Knox County DistAttorney General's Office as was done in the (Christian/Newsom) cases," Isaacs wrote. "However, in the evthis stipulation cannot be agreed upon, the undersigned counsel, along with others, will have no choice butconduct evidentiary hearings involving the witness testimony that was previously rel ied upon in (Christian/Newsom) cases."http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/attorney-former-judge-richard-baumgartner-could/

Counting pills: Prescription database doesn't hold all answers (N-S/Lakin)State law forces doctors in Tennessee to log every painkiller prescription they write.They don't have to checpatient's log before writing another. Critics have jumped on that gap after court records made public this morevealed the number of prescriptions filled by Richard Baumgartner, the ex-judge now on judicial diversion buying pain pills from a probationer in his court. Baumgartner filled 73 prescriptions from May 2006 to Novem2010 for a total of nearly 2,200 hydrocodone pills and nearly 500 oxycodone pills sometimes showing upthe pharmacy counter as often as five times in a single month. Officials have called the judge's habits a clecase of doctor-shopping, going from doctor to doctor to obtain as many pills as possible. Some advocates poto the case and ask why p rescribers and pharmacists shouldn't be required to check the database before writor filling any painkiller prescription. "I'm surprised, given the enormous cost of opioid abuse to the insuranindustry, that it's not required already," said John Eadie, executive director of the Prescription MonitorProgram Center of Excellence at Brandeis University, a policy group that promotes guidelines for su

databases. "Basically physicians are flying blind in a blizzard if they don't have it."http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/17/counting-pills-prescription-database-doesnt-hold/

Ram sey m ay support changes to Tenn. open m eetings (Associat

Press/Schelzig)Local officials should have more leeway to conduct government business in private than is currently allowunder Tennessee's open government laws, state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said. Although the BlountvRepublican told reporters this week that he's against weakening what is known as the state's Sunshine Law,said he thinks city or county officials should be allowed to hold some discussions outside of official meetings. Tlaw prohibits local elected officials from holding private deliberations on public affairs. "I am for open governm I think I prove that every day," Ramsey said. "But there's got to be some kind of little something somew hereallow people to talk without the fear that they're going to be prosecuted." Frank G ibson, public policy director

the Tennessee Press Association, said fears of being charged are unfounded. "No one has ever beprosecuted under this law because there are no criminal or civil penalties," he said. "But some decisions madeviolation of the law have been challenged and set aside."http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38161681.story

Ramsey: Food-Tax Cut Off the Table (TN Report)Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey is slamming the door on the possibility of cutting the grocery tax, saying most peowouldnt notice if it was lower, anyway. Ill bet you that if you poll the citizenry, there isnt 5 percent that can you that when you walk into a grocery store and you buy some pork and beans, your tax is 5.5 percent from state, and if you reach right beside it and get a box of toilet paper, its 7 percent, Ramsey told reporteThursday. I think its more psychological than it is anything else, he said. Sales taxes, including on t
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purchase of food, are the bread and butter that fuels state and local government spending, Ramsey saCombined with local sales taxes, food is taxed as much as 8.25 percent while other goods are taxed at a rate to 9.75 percent. Lowering the food tax might end up starving government of necessary tax-nourishment, Ramssaid.http://www.tnreport.com/2011/12/ramsey-food-tax-cut-off-the -table/

Families of the disabled appeal to Tenn. lawmakers to save program (Times-NewEmotional appeals were directed Friday at Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and state Sen. Mike Faulkmaintain funding for a state program serving home-based family members with severe disabilities. About families with disabled loved ones filed into the auditorium at the Kingsport Public Library to testify on behalfkeeping the Family Support Program in the state budget. Last month, Tennessee Intellectual and DevelopmenDisabilities Commissioner Jim Henry proposed the $7 million program be cut from the state budget for tcoming fiscal year. The program, run in Northeast Tennessee by The Arc of Washington County, providsupport services such as respite care, day care, home modifications, equipment, nursing and counseling. additional lawmakers were at the meeting, where Ramsey and Faulk were told the program does things lproviding a disabled child with an iPad to help w ith speech therapy. One home makeover helped David Gardnthe former golf professional at Ridgefields Country Club, with w heelchair access in his house after he was struin March 2010 with a rare disorder similar to a stroke.http://www.timesnews.net/article/9039725/families-of-the-disabled-appeal-to-tenn-lawmakers-to-sav e-program

Legislator calls for City Councilman Manny Rico's resignation (TFP/Hightower)State Rep. Tommie Brown, D-Chattanooga, said Friday that Councilman Manny Rico should immediately stdown after making what she perceived to be racial remarks in a City Council meeting. "His comments and behavior, I was just appalled," Brown said. "I can't forget that. I won't ever forget that." Rico said he wexpressing his freedom of speech and has no intentions of stepping down. "Do I get in trouble for speaking ttruth for what I feel?" he said Friday. The controversy started Tuesday night during the City Council's Legal aLegislative Committee meeting discussion about redistr icting. Several council members expressdisappointment in a redistricting plan Brown and other community leaders supported. Rico abruptly told taudience he felt there were racial overtones in the community group's presentation. He said he is sick, tired aresentful of racial suggestions and comments. As a Hispanic, Rico said he has worked hard to earn what owns. "White people have been more fair to me than anyone else," he said. "White people have bent ov

backward to make right what's wrong."http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/legislator-calls-for-rico-resignati on/?local

Mayor Ron Littlefield files new challenge to recall (TFP/Hightower)Mayor Ron Littlefield will go back to the court where he won his lone legal victory and try once again to stoprecall election. Hal North, attorney for Littlefield, filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to stop the Hamilton CouElection Com mission from holding a mayoral recall election in August 2012. North said the mayor also is seekto stop candidates from qualifying for a recall election by blocking the distribution of qualifying petitions. "Whope to have a temporary injunction before qualifying [opens] on January 6," North said. Littlefield is out of tcountry and could not be reached for comment Friday. Election Commission attorney Chris Clem also could be reached for comment. Mike Walden, election commission chairman, said the mayor has a right to filelawsuit. "We can't stop him from suing," Walden said. He said the commission only wants to be sure it

following proper procedure between the City Charter and state law, which both have provisions on how recelections should be carried out. Jim Folkner, with C itizens to Recall Mayor Littlefield, said Friday he is surprised by the new filing. He said the m ayor should respect the election commission's decision to hold a recvote. "I just wish he'd go back and read that recall petition, because the things we brought up have not beaddressed," Folkner said.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/mayor-littlefield-files-new-challenge-to-re call/?local

District Lines on Tap for Comm ission (Memphis Daily News)Five days is a long time in politics. Thats the gap between the Monday, Dec. 19, meeting of the Shelby CouCommission and the special meeting of the commission last Wednesday. At the special meeting, commissionagain floated a new redistricting plan that would keep the 13-mem ber body at five districts covering all of SheCounty. The amendm ent had seven votes to pass on second reading. Commissioners had believed it would ta
http://www.tnreport.com/2011/12/ramsey-food-tax-cut-off-the-table/http://www.timesnews.net/article/9039725/families-of-the-disabled-appeal-to-tenn-lawmakers-to-save-programhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/legislator-calls-for-rico-resignation/?localhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/mayor-littlefield-files-new-challenge-to-recall/?localhttp://www.tnreport.com/2011/12/ramsey-food-tax-cut-off-the-table/http://www.timesnews.net/article/9039725/families-of-the-disabled-appeal-to-tenn-lawmakers-to-save-programhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/legislator-calls-for-rico-resignation/?localhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/mayor-littlefield-files-new-challenge-to-recall/?local


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a nine-vote two-thirds majority for any plan to pass on third and final reading. But the county attorneys office wreviewing the requirement after the special meeting. The commission should have a legal opinion by its meetMonday, which starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St. The pthat passed last week is a tweaking of the existing boundaries of the commissions four multi-member districEach distr ict is represented by three commissioners. The 13th member of the commission is the sincommissioner representing the smaller District 5.http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/dec/19/district-lines-on-tap-for-com mission/

Cooper Doesnt Buy Peace Dividends from Iraq Pullout (WPLN-Radio Nashville)As the last of American troops pull out of Iraq this month, Rep. Jim Cooper warns not to expect the savings produce a giant windfall for the Pentagon. Some analysts have predicted a possible peace dividend at tofficial conclusion of war in Iraq, which at times cost upwards of $5 billion a month. Cooper, who sits on House Armed Services Committee, doesnt buy it. He says the Pentagon has to shift resources to other thredeveloping in places like Iran and China. The Nashville Democrat also notes soldiers arent being laid off. glad theyre out of harms way, but they still have health care needs. They still have training needs. They shave equipment needs. Weve just shifted their location. We really havent reduced spending that much. Thwas a time C ooper said the U.S. could save money by pulling out of Iraq. In 2005, under President Bush, Cootold WPLN the Defense Department would need to withdraw soldiers because it couldnt afford to keep thdeployed much longer.http://wpln.org/?p=322 57

Black backs budget process reform (Gannett)Republican Rep. Diane Black wants Congress to start 2012 by making major changes to the federal budgprocess. Black, of Gallatin, and other Republicans on the House Budget Committee introduced a package ofbudget reforms last week, including legislation that would bring back a modified version of a presidential pownot used s ince the 1990s: the line-item veto. The proposal, called "expedited rescission," is gaining m omentin the House. On Thursday, the Budget Committee approved the legislation, which is co-sponsored by committee's chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and its ranking Democrat, Rep. Chris Van Hollen of MarylaThe line-item veto isn't a new proposal. It was briefly granted to P resident Bill Clinton in 1996, but the SupreCourt struck it down in 1998 because the Constitution says the president may only sign or veto a bill not picapart. Backers say the new proposal skirts that problem because Congress, not the president, ultimately wodecide what to cut. Under the measure, the president would have 45 days after a bill's passage to ident

provisions he w anted removed and send that request back to Congress for a yes or no vote.http://www.dnj.com/article/20111217/NEWS01/112170315/Black-backs-budget-process-reform?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Roe voices support for Romney despite Mass. health care mandate (Times-NewsU.S. Rep. Phil Roe said Friday GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney pledged to repeal federal health careform despite having signed a similar measure into law as Massachusetts governor. Last week, Roe endorsRomney and m entioned the repeal pledge in a news release on Romneys campaign Web site. But Romney hbeen a political target for signing into law a state measure more than five years ago mandating Massachuseresidents to obtain a state-government-regulated minimum level of health care insurance coverage. Roe, iconference call with reporters, said he spoke with Romney about the health care reform law also known as tAffordable Care Act. He said if he is president he will give a waiver imm ediately to any state that wants it, R

R-Tenn., said of the conversation with Rom ney. He told me he would sign to repeal it. He told me that out of own mouth.http://www.timesnews.net/article/9039726/roe-voices-support-for-romney-despite-mass-health-car e-mandate

States Told They Can Decide on Coverage by Health Plans (Wall Street Journal)The Obam a administration said Friday it would shift to states the decision about what treatments many insuranplans must cover under the health-care overhaul, sidestepping contentious fights w ith Republican state officiand patient-advocacy groups. The movea departure from the way the administration had been expectedimplement the provisiondisappointed some disease-advocacy groups that had hoped federal regulators wospell out exactly what services insurance policies for millions of Americans will have to cover to be sold in starun insurance exchanges that open in 2014. Instead, the administration said states could use what is now offein their local markets as the basis to determine what benefits must be included in new plans sold to individu
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and small groups. The m ove represents an attempt by the administration to defuse Republican criticism that law gives the federal government too much control over Americans' medical care. But some small-busineemployers immediately raised concerns that the change would m ake plans more expensive for them. States be able to set their coverage standards to align w ith either those of the most popular federal-employee plansthe state; the most popular state-government employee plans; the largest plans offered to consumers who bcoverage in small groups, or the largest HMO in a state's market.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203733304577102853112696874.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Health Care Law W ill Let States Tailor Benefits (New York Times)In a major surprise on the politically charged new health care law, the Obama administration said Friday thawould not define a single uniform set of essential health benefits that must be provided by insurers for tensmillions of Americans. Instead, it will allow each state to specify the benefits within broad categories. The m owould allow significant variations in benefits from state to state, much like the current differences in stMedicaid programs and the Childrens Health Insurance Program. By giving states the discretion to specessential benefits, the Obama administration sought to deflect one of the most powerful arguments madeRepublican critics of President Obamas health care overhaul that it was imposing a rigid, bureauccontrolled health system on Americans and threatening the quality of care. Opponents say that the fedegovernment is forcing a one-size-fits-all standard for health insurance and usurping state authority to regulate tindustry. This criticism has inspired legal challenges to the new law with the Supreme Court set to decide n

year whether the government can require Americans to buy health insurance and helps explain why puopinion of the law remains deeply divided.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/health/policy/health-care-law-to-allow-states-to-pick-benefits.htm l?_r=1&h

TVA says spill legal costs almost $11 million (Associated Press/Poovey)The Tennessee Valley Authority has spent almost $11 million so far on outside legal help to battle lawsuits frthe Kingston Plant coal ash spill. The nation's largest public utility told The Associated Press on Friday thapaid about $10.8 million to the Shook H ardy & Bacon law firm of Kansas City, Mo. The TVA statement said ab$600,000 of the total is related to the firm's work on a September trial in Knoxville federal court over TVApossible liability for the Dec. 22, 2008, spill. The statement said TVA's in-house counsel handled m ost of the twork. Spokeswoman Barbara Martocci said TVA couldn't provide a total of in-house legal costs. TVA's lespending related to the spill is continuing. The judge who presided at the trial, U.S. District Judge Thom

Varlan, has given attorneys until Jan. 12 to file related briefs. His ruling on TVA's liability is likely sometime lain 2012. If the judge rules that TVA is liable, damage amounts would be decided later. There could also be mtrials. The spill cost is on top of TVA's $1.2 billion spill cleanup that is costing each ratepayer an average ofcents a month until 2024.http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38163009.story

New $18.6 million UT health center opens Monday (News-Sentinel/Boehnke)Staff stacked medical records, workers installed an X-ray machine and lab personnel unpacked supplies lweek in the sprawling new $18.6 million University of Tennessee Student Health Center, all in preparation Monday's opening. At about 109,000 square feet, the building at the corner of Pat Head Summitt Street aVolunteer Boulevard is nearly seven times the size of the former health center. It has wide hallways that flcounterclockwise around the perimeter of the building, leading patients from the check-in to the acute care ro

to the X-ray machine and laboratory to the clinic waiting room and back around to the pharmacy. Turn right the entrance to find the sports medicine clinic and physical therapy. The user-friendly loop has large waitareas, extra storage everywhere and bigger patient exam rooms. The new laboratory, which runs blood wourine and other patient samples, is three times the size of the last lab, giving staff more storage, a biologichood and room to grow should the center decide to expand its test offerings, said Lab Manager Colin Wooliv"When we handle patient specimens, it's not good to do that without a hood, which directs airflow and pullsthe germs and fumes out," Wooliver said. "We're coming into the 21st century here."http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/16/new-student-health-center-by-the-numbers/

Lots of Moving Parts to Metro Schools Reform Process (WPLN-Radio Nashville)Nashvilles school system is a pressure cooker of change these days. The districts 30 million dollar cut of Rato the Top money is paying for a massive brainstorming effort. The goal is to improve test scores in a city t
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has consistently lagged behind averageeven for a state that itself is near the bottom of the nation. Theresome concern Metro Schools may be taking on too much at once. But others say its the only course of actthat makes sense. If you look at even a small slice of the district, you can see how the ideas quickly snowball ia potentially dizzying number of programs. Take the exam ple of English Language Learners. Theres a moveput students who dont yet speak English into regular classes for part of the day. Thats one program, and at fglance, its pretty straightforward. But to m ake that work, the district also has to make a concerted effort to masure their parents understand whats going on, which takes another program.http://wpln.org/?p=323 43

Woman sues Sumner school board over daughter's death (Tennessean/Easton)A Gallatin mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sumner County Board of Education, claiming school system is partly responsible for the death of her 9-year-old daughter. Alexis Thompson, a third-gradeBenny Bills Elementary, was killed March 8 after leaving an after-school program with her intoxicated stepfathDusty G. M cDonald. Authorities said M cDonald went to the school to pick up the girl after realizing she didnt off the bus. He had been drinking all day, they said. He crashed his pickup into a tree after failing to negotiatcurve on Whitson Road near Bethpage and fled on foot, leaving Thompson trapped and seriously injureaccording to a Tennessee Highway Patrol report. The little girl was later pronounced dead at Sumner RegioMedical Center in Gallatin. McDonald pleaded guilty Sept. 8 to aggravated vehicular homicide, leaving the sceof an accident involving a death, and a fifth offense of driving on a revoked license. He was sentenced to

years in prison and will serve six years before he is eligible for parole.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS03/312160089/Woman-sues-Sumner-school-board-over-daughter-s-death?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Virtual schools are booming as states consider warnings (AP/Wyatt)More schoolchildren than ever are taking their classes online, using technology to avoid long commutesschool, add courses they wouldnt otherwise be able to take and save their school districts money. But states pour money into virtual classrooms, with an estimated 200,000 virtual K-12 students in 40 states frWashington to W isconsin, educators are raising questions about online learning. States are taking halting steto increase oversight, but regulation isnt moving nearly as fast as the virtual school boom. The online schdebate pits traditional education backers, often teachers unions, against lawmakers tempted by the promisecheaper online schools and school-choice advocates who believe private companies will apply cutting-ed

technology to education. Is online education as good as face-to-face teaching? Virtual education companies ta 2009 research review conducted for the U.S. Department of Education that showed K-12 students did as wor better in online learning conditions as in a traditional classroom.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/NEWS04/312170045/Virtual-schools-booming-states-consider-warnings?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

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OPINION

Editorial: Voucher plan requires study (Comm ercial Appeal)While there might be a niche for vouchers, emphasis should be on perfecting the public schools.Tennessee GBill Haslam made the right call this week when he appointed a panel of educators and legislators to stu

proposals to create a school-voucher program. The notion of spending public funds on private school educatfor certain students requires thoughtful consideration, patience and an answer to the question of whetvouchers will advance the state's overall educational mission. Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Brian Ke lsR-Germantown, would permit the parents of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches in ShelbDavidson, Knox and Hamilton counties to take half the public money that the state and local school systespend per child to a private, independent or parochial school. That would m ake 88 percent of the studentsMemphis C ity Schools eligible for vouchers worth about $5,400 a year.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/17/editorials-voucher-plan-requires-study/(SUB)

Times Editorial: Another tax cut for the top (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)Tennessee, like most states, has suffered declines in tax revenue from 2008 levels every year since the financimplosion in the last quarter of 2008 triggered the worst recession in 80 years. The economy's hard-w

recovery, state economists say, may finally reverse that trend. They now see total tax revenue finally reachiand possibly exceeding, the 2008 level again in 2013. That's moderately good news. It doesn't take into accouof course, the added cost of inflation in that five-year span. Getting back to the 2008 level of tax revenue, if thappens, will still leave the state short by at least 10 percent in purchasing power from 2008 levels. TLegislature's ruling Republicans don't seem to get the math. They are already planning big tax breaks for tmost affluent Tennesseans. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey wants to take another bite out of the state's Hall ton income from interest and investment dividends. House Speaker B eth Harwell proposes to cut into the statinheritance tax, which applies to estates worth more than $1 million.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/another-tax-cut-for-the-top/?opin iontimes

Editorial: MTSU adds to quality of campus with new building (Daily News JournaMTSU's new student union building, which is slated to open next fall, will be an exciting part of the schoo

campus for both current and prospective students. The 197,180-square-foot building, which faces the CollegeEducation, will feature a new food court, a video game room, a video theater and a new computer lab. It will haconference and meeting rooms and student lounges. It will also include a ballroom that will seat 850 for dinnand 1,200 for a theater-style performance. That's far bigger than the Tennessee Room at the James UniBuilding, which seats less than half as many people. The new building will be home to offices for StudeInvolvement and Leadership, the Student Government Association and Student Unions and ProgrammiStudent Affairs-related offices and the MTSU Post Office will remain at Keathley University Center, as will tcurrent food court, Disabled Student Services, housing and residential life, judicial affairs, counseling, the carcenter and the vice president of Student Affaihttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111217/OPINION01/112170307/EDITORIAL-MTSU-adds-quality-campus-new-building
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/17/editorials-voucher-plan-requires-study/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/another-tax-cut-for-the-top/?opiniontimeshttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111217/OPINION01/112170307/EDITORIAL-MTSU-adds-quality-campus-new-buildinghttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111217/OPINION01/112170307/EDITORIAL-MTSU-adds-quality-campus-new-buildinghttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/17/editorials-voucher-plan-requires-study/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/17/another-tax-cut-for-the-top/?opiniontimeshttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111217/OPINION01/112170307/EDITORIAL-MTSU-adds-quality-campus-new-buildinghttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111217/OPINION01/112170307/EDITORIAL-MTSU-adds-quality-campus-new-building


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Guest columnist: Nashville loses if Fisk art goes into 'time share' (Tennessean)When I moved to Nashville from New York this past August, the first place I went was the Van Vechten GalleryFisk University. What I found there was astonishing. Not only does this collection include remarkable paintingsAmerican modernists (Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Arthur Dove and others) and their most important Europeprecursors (such as Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso), it provides an extraordinary record of the circleartists that flourished in N ew York during the early 20th century. One of these artists, Georgia OKeeffe, donathese works to Fisk in 1949 to commem orate the death of he r husband, photographer and artist Alfred Stieg

and as a gesture of support to Fisks educational mission as a historically black institution. The works sdonated may be the best collection of modernism anywhere in the South, and as a document of a pivomoment in American art and culture, it is one of the m ost remarkable collections I have ever seen. These w orepresent a mark of distinction for the city and an invaluable resource for its residents.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111217/OPINION03/312170004/Nashville-loses-Fisk-art-goes-into-time-share-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

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sat., dec. 17 news summary

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