sat., nov. 26 news summary

8/3/2019 Sat., Nov. 26 News Summary

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Not everyone thinks Sprint deal is good for Sullivan Co. or TN taxpayers (BHC)Last weeks relocation announcement of a Sprint call center from Bristol, Va., to Bristol, Tenn., means potentiamillions of dollars in state and local tax credits to the com pany, although its only moving a couple of miles dothe road. Tennessee Economic and C ommunity Development spokeswoman Laura Elkins declined to discuany specific economic incentives packages offered to the company because nothing is official between the stand Sprint at this point. It doesnt become public until a contract is signed, she said, adding that the com pa

and state discussed potential numbers but its all speculation. To qualify for a state excise and franchise tcredit, Sprint must invest $500,000 in a new facility. The project is estimated at between $4 million and million, Networks Sullivan Partnership CEO Richard Venable said. The company must also hire at leastpeople. In a statement from Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslams office, the facility, which should be completed in 20will employ around 600 people. Normally, a company would qualify for a state tax credit of $2,000 per nemployee. But because Sullivan County is economically depressed, the company qualifies for $4,500 in tcredits per employee, Elkins said. If Sprint hires 600 em ployees, it can potentially receive $2.7 million in excand franchise tax credits.http://www2.tricities.com/business/2011/nov/25/not-everyone-thinks-sprint-deal-good-sullivan-coun-a r-149218

Need a Christmas tree? There's an app for that (Times News)The eight local Christmas trees Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam will display at t

State Capitol and the Tennessee Residence will be adorned with slightly more than ornaments this yeDonated from tree farms across the state, the six trees at the Tennessee Residence and two at the Capitol whave a mobile phone quick response, or QR, bar code displayed with the trees, linking many smartphousers directly to the Pick Tennessee Products Christmas tree director y. The Tennessee DepartmentAgriculture created the bar codes so Tennesseans only have to point their phones camera at the bar codelaunch an application giving instant information about local tree farms. Choosing locally grown products is oway everyone can join the effort to strengthen our rural economies, Haslam said. Its a great way for us to heach other, and thats something we all think about during this time of year. Pick Tennessee Products is tstates promotional campaign to connect consumers with local farm products. Through the Web site, visitors caccess directories, seasonal recipes and find local artisan products from wines and cheeses to aged hams alocal honey. The sites Taste of Tennessee Online Store provides links to numerous Tennessee producedprocessed products popular during the holidays.http://www.timesnews.net/article/9038765/need-a-christmas-tree-there39s-an-app-for-that

Unemployment rate falls below 10 percent (Times-Gazette)Bedford County's unemployment rate fell substantially in October to 9.8 percent, according to preliminnumbers released by the state's department of labor. That's a drop of 0.8 percent, since September's revisjobless rate for the county was at 10.6 percent. Unemployment for the county at this time last year was at 10percent. Labor force estimates for Bedford County showed 20,980 employed out of a work force of 23,2meaning that an estimated 2,280 are without a job. The state's jobless rate for October fell to 9.6 percent, dofrom the September revised rate of 9.8, while the national unemployment rate for October was 9.0 percentdecrease of 0.1 percentage point from the September revised rate. "The drop in the unemployment rate frSeptember to October is attributable to an increase in employment and fewer people looking for jobCommissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Karla Davis said. "Education and health services were twothe sectors fueling the m onthly increase in em ployment." University of Tennessee Economist Bill Fox stated t

Tennessee has done a better job than the nation in creating employment opportunities.http://www.t-g.com/story/1788140.html

County's jobless rate down (Columbia Daily Herald)Maury Countys unemployment rate fell to 12.1 percent in October, down from 12. 7 percent the previous monaccording to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Its the fourth straight month tcountys jobless rate has fallen. In a report to the Maury County C ommission on Tuesday, B random Gengelbapresident of the county Chamber and Economic Alliance said 994 jobs either have been or w ill be created in county because of new business arriving or expansions to existing industries announced since the beginningthe year. Columbias unemployment rate dipped to 13.3 percent in October, down from 14.1 percent the previomonth. The city still had the highest jobless rate of any municipality in Tennessee with a population of at le
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25,000. Spring Hills unemployment rate was 8.8 percent last month, unchanged from September.http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/11/25/top_stories/04jo bless.txt

Madison losing thousands on tires (Jackson Sun)County looks at recycling options Madison County officials say the county has lost more than $100,000 over

past four years in a state tire waste management program. "The intent of it is good," Madison County MayJimmy Harris said. "And I think it has done some good." "I think it has prevented tires from ending up in ditchand gullies on the side of the road," Harris said. But the program's flaws attach a costly financial burden to watire managem ent for counties throughout Tennessee, he said. "Ninety percent of the counties lose money on Harris said. Over the past four years, Madison County has lost more than $100,000 on the waste managemeprogram implemented around 1988. In 2009-10, the county lost about $11,000 on the program, which neadoubled the next year to about $20,000 lost in 2010-11, Madison County Finance D irector Mike Nichols said2008-09 the county lost more than $54,000 because of more tires coupled with dissolving grant money. In 20008 the county lost $16,000. The state reimburses counties in part for participating in the DepartmentEnvironment and Conservation program, in which tire dealers dispose of tires through a recycler.http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111126/NEWS01/111260313/Madison-losing-thousands-tires

Wild hog hunters push back on limits in Tennessee (Associated Press)Tennessee wildlife officials had hoped allowing year-round limitless hunting of wild hogs would eradicate taggressive pigs that can tear up farmland and forests, but they spread even faster and turned up in countwhere they hadn't been seen before. So the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency changed tactics and bannhunting of the wild hogs for the general public this year. Some wild hog hunting is still allowed for landownetrying to get r id of nuisance hogs and deer hunters on most agency wildlife management areas on Cumberland Plateau and in East Tennessee. TWRA started allowing year-round hunting of hogs in 1999, now the animals have been found in isolated pockets in almost 70 counties as of this year. Hog hunters apushing back against the change and say the state is trying to protect the destructive hogs. TWRA Wildlife aForestry Division Chief Daryl Ratajczak told The Tennessean that they promote wild hog elimination but not sport of wild hog hunting (http://tnne.ws/rYZ2tz ). "If people enjoy or like the sport of wild hog hunting, they wwant to continue to do that and expect there to be wild hogs to hunt," he said. Chuck Yoest, TWRA's wild hcoordinator, said trapping of wild hogs in W illiamson and Rutherford counties has stopped much of the dama

in those areas. TWRA favors trapping them in a corral baited with grain or other food.http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38016817.story

University of Memphis adds new degrees at Lambuth Campus (C. Appeal/Goetz)7 programs set for 2012 academic year Students at the University of Memphis Lambuth Campus in Jackson have more variety to choose from when seeking a degree next year. The campus plans to add several ndegree programs for the spring 2012 semester. They include: Bachelor of Arts in English; Bachelor of Artscommunication; Bachelor of Arts in psychology; Bachelor of Business Adm inistration in accounting; and Bacheof Professional Studies in entertainment music industries (an individualized program through University CollegThat's in addition to the nine undergraduate and six graduate degree programs already offered. "We've betalking to student groups, students that are on the campus already and ones that are coming to visit," DLattimore, dean of the University of Memphis Lambuth campus, said of the additions. "And those are the on

that seem to be the most desired immediately." In the fall of 2012, two more undergraduate degree programs be added: a Bachelor of Science in biology/pre-med and a Bachelor of Science in nursing for transfer studentshttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/25/u-of-m-adds-new-degrees-at-lambuth/

Some UTC students still living in hotel rooms (Times Free-Press/Trevizo)Kareem Bushnag signed up too late for UTC on-campus housing, so he was placed in a hotel room at tChattanooga Choo Choo. The semester is almost over, and the 18-year-old Knoxville native is still living ihotel. "There are not too many pros [about living in a hotel]," he said. "It's farther from campus; I have to take tshuttle. It's not as convenient; most of my friends are on-campus." Of about 170 students placed in hotel rooat the start of the semester, 51 sti l l remain at the Choo Choo on Market Street, said Dee Dee Andersoassociate vice chancellor for student development at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The rest wbe moved at the beginning of the spring semester, when some students now in campus housing gradua
http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/11/25/top_stories/04jobless.txthttp://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111126/NEWS01/111260313/Madison-losing-thousands-tireshttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38016817.storyhttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/25/u-of-m-adds-new-degrees-at-lambuth/http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/11/25/top_stories/04jobless.txthttp://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111126/NEWS01/111260313/Madison-losing-thousands-tireshttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38016817.storyhttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/25/u-of-m-adds-new-degrees-at-lambuth/


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transfer or don't return, she said. About 2,900 students live in campus housing, Anderson said. Housplacements are first come, first serve, based on application dates.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/25/some-utc-students-still-living-in-hotel-roo ms/?local

TN bill would limit property tax hikes (Gannett)A proposed state law that would restrict annual property tax increases to 1 percent without voter referendu

approval has local officials worried. I just think they (state lawmakers) ought to stay out of it, Rutherford CouMayor Ernest Burgess said Wednesday. Thats a local decision. We dont need the state legislature puttanother impediment on us. We dont know whats required of us year to year. State Sen. Brian KelseyGermantown R epublican, has proposed Senate Bill 2150 to limit county commission property tax increases tpercent unless the majority of voters in a referendum approve a bigger increase. This bill will help keep propetaxes low, Kelsey said in a news release from Republican Senate C aucus spokeswoman Darlene SchlichResidents deserve a voice in the decision to raise excessive taxes. Every increase in the property tax equless money for families to buy groceries or pay off a credit card bill. Voters need a voice if politicians proporeally excessive tax increases. The Rutherford County Commissions last property tax increase went up by a more than 6.8 percent in 2009 to help pay for government services and debt on school construction that couldlonger be funded from reserves.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS21/311250056/TN-bill-would-limit-property-tax-hikes?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Washington County calls for Tennessee to ban synthetic marijuana (J. City PressAt a special called meeting on Monday, W ashington Countys Public Safety Committee unanimously voted to athe Tennessee General Assembly to outlaw synthetic drugs statewide. This has become a pressing pubhealth concern, said C ommittee Chairman Roger Nave. These products are targeting youth and we wantoutlaw them. County Attorney John Rambo explained to the committee that while the county cannot bansubstance, it can request through a resolution that lawmakers in Nashville do so statewide. The resolutiapproved by the committee will go before the full commission next Monday. Synthetic marijuana is a blendherbs sprayed with chemicals that produce similar effects to those of marijuana when smoked. It is markeunder several brand names and sold as herbal incense, Rambo said. Sale of some of the products is legaTennessee; however, some states including Virginia have not only banned the specific chemical compounds tmight be used, but also enforce a broadly worded provision that outlaws other substances drug manufacture

could use to circumvent the ban. Tennessee has made some attempts to ban products containing certingredients, but the products become legal again as soon as manufacturers change the specific ingrediebanned to those not regulated, county off ic ials said.http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96115#ixzz1eoHRAd8E

Tennessees 4th District faces changes in boundaries (Associated Press)Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais sweeping rural district stands to see the states biggest redistrictchanges as the freshman prepares his re-election bid. Democratic state Sen. Eric Stewart of Winchester decidnot to wait to find out the new shape of the district in announcing his candidacy for the 4th District seat last weeBut several potential Republican challengers have said they want to see the new boundaries before decidwhether to challenge DesJarlais in the primary. The 4th District encompasses all or part of 24 counties archthrough two time zones from the Kentucky border over the Cumberland Plateau to the Alabama line. Populat

changes during the last decade have left the district 17,000 people short of the ideal set by the 2010 census. obvious place to find the extra population would be am ong the fast-growing suburban counties outside Nashvbut some in the state Legislature worry about changing the makeup of the district. It traditionally has been tfourth-most-rural district in the country, said state H ouse Speaker Pro Tem Judd Matheny, a TullahoRepublican who lives in the district.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/tennessees-4th-district-faces-changes-boundaries/?local

Knox County's audit comes back 'clean' (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Donila)Knox County once again received a clean bill of health from its outside auditor, meaning the independexaminer did not have any significant reservations about the information contained in the county's financstatements that look into the executive branch, the fee offices and the school system. The ComprehensAnnual Financial Report, or CAFR, covers fiscal year 2011, which ended June 30. The county's overall bud
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/25/some-utc-students-still-living-in-hotel-rooms/?localhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS21/311250056/TN-bill-would-limit-property-tax-hikes?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cshttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS21/311250056/TN-bill-would-limit-property-tax-hikes?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cshttp://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96115#ixzz1eoHRAd8Ehttp://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96115#ixzz1eoHRAd8Ehttp://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96115#ixzz1eoHRAd8Ehttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/tennessees-4th-district-faces-changes-boundaries/?localhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/25/some-utc-students-still-living-in-hotel-rooms/?localhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS21/311250056/TN-bill-would-limit-property-tax-hikes?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cshttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS21/311250056/TN-bill-would-limit-property-tax-hikes?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cshttp://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96115#ixzz1eoHRAd8Ehttp://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96115#ixzz1eoHRAd8Ehttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/tennessees-4th-district-faces-changes-boundaries/?local


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that year was $647.1 million and more than 58 percent was set aside for the board of education. Auditors are charged with going line by line through every financial transaction but rather looking at the big picture. Threview the balance sheets and income statements and make sure the money going into the accounts matchup with the money going out. "An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significestimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation," wrote JaReagan, a partner with KPM G, the county's independent auditor, in a letter to officials on Tuesday.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/25/knox-countys-audit-comes-back-clean/

Occupy protesters tossed from Green Hills Mall (Tennessean/Haas)About 20 Occupy Nashville protesters took to the Mall at G reen Hills Friday afternoon, decrying corporate greThe group showed up around 4:20 p.m. and, about 20 minutes later, broke out into chants and a variationJingle Bells. Buy no-thing, buy no-thing, buy no-thing today, they sang for the chorus. Better sales will cometime, but family cant wait hey! The group then marched up the stairs and toward the exit chanting, Bnothing! The group then got ejected from the property by mall security. Jason Steen, an Occupy Nashvprotester, said they chose Green Hills because it represents the 1 percent of wealthiest Americans. Were heto basically protest corporate greed and big box stores and to promote small businesses, he said. The grohad done similar demonstrations Thursday at Target and Wal-Mart stores.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS01/311250096/Occupy-protesters-tossed-from-Green-HillMall?odyssey=mod|mostview

Corker on autoworkers' boos: 'The saga continues' (Associated Press/Schelzig)Autoworkers' joy at getting vehicle production back on line at General Motors' Spring H ill plant has done littlequell their disdain for Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. Corker was a lead critic of the federal governmebailout of automakers in 2009, and pushed for wage and benefit concessions from the United Auto WorkeMany Spring Hill workers felt Corker's stance did little to keep the plant from being idled that year. The senawas booed and heckled by the audience when he spoke at a ceremony Monday to announce the plant outsNashville w ill begin making vehicles again next year. Corker listened to 20 seconds of jeers after his introductin the plants manufacturing hall. "I see the saga continues," Corker told the crowd. "I think everyone knows twe've had our differences in the past. And I can tell today that that's fine with you, and it's fine with me." Corthen urged workers to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the company's investment in the plant tis projected to result in 1,900 jobs by the 2015 model year. "Citizens across our country have invested in Gand you and the company have been offered a new lease on life, and a new opportunity to rebuild a greAmerican enterprise," Corker said.

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Tres Wittum could join Republican race for 3rd D istrict seat (TFP/Carroll)Weeks after Weston Wamp mounted a challenge against U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, another 24-year-Republican is thinking about joining the race. Tres Wittum, a policy and research analyst for state Sen. Watson, R-Hixson, said his job allows him to observe the legislative process up close and gives him experience to work in Washington. The former president of Tennessee College Republicans said he'll makefinal decision on running before April. "You can't just go in and say, 'You know what? I'll be the 24-year-old thagoing to Congress, and I'm going to tell the president of the United States this is the way it's going to be,'" sWittum, whose first name is pronounced "trace." "You have to understand the way in which governmentoperated." Fleischmann declined comment through a spokesman. An Indiana native who graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in August, Wittum said he's not affiliated with a Facebook page cal

"Draft Tres W ittum For Congress 2012." H e said a conservative group of people approached him last Marencouraged him to consider Congress and started the Facebook page.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/wittum-could-join-republican-race-for- 3rd/?local

Clean air, water rules spark different responses (Associated Press/Margasak)Large and small companies have told Republican-led congressional committees what the party wants to hedire predictions of plant closings and layoffs if the Obam a administration succeeds w ith plans to further curb and water pollution. But their message to financial regulators and investors conveys less gloom and certainThe administration itself has clouded the picture by withdrawing or postponing some of the environmeninitiatives that industry labeled as being am ong the m ost onerous. Still, Republicans plan to make what they sis regulatory overreach a 2012 campaign issue, taking aim at President Barack Obama, congressioDemocrats and an aggressive Environmental Protection Agency. "Republicans will be talking to voters t
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/25/knox-countys-audit-comes-back-clean/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS01/311250096/Occupy-protesters-tossed-from-Green-Hills-Mall?odyssey=mod%7Cmostviewhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS01/311250096/Occupy-protesters-tossed-from-Green-Hills-Mall?odyssey=mod%7Cmostviewhttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38017781.storyhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/wittum-could-join-republican-race-for-3rd/?localhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/25/knox-countys-audit-comes-back-clean/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS01/311250096/Occupy-protesters-tossed-from-Green-Hills-Mall?odyssey=mod%7Cmostviewhttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS01/311250096/Occupy-protesters-tossed-from-Green-Hills-Mall?odyssey=mod%7Cmostviewhttp://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38017781.storyhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/wittum-could-join-republican-race-for-3rd/?local


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campaign season about how to keep Washington out of the w ay, so that job creators can feel confident againcreate jobs for Americans," said Joanna Burgos, a spokeswoman for the House Republican campaorganization. The Associated Press compared the companies' congressional testimony to company reposubmitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reports to the SEC consistently said the impactenvironmental proposals is unknown or would not cause serious financial harm to a firm's finances.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/26/clean-air-water-rules-spark-different-re sponses/

PACs gain super powers (Tennessean/Cass)As Belle Meade fundraiser shows, campaign spending has few limits When Vice President Joe Biden cametown Nov. 7, the price to meet him was high. The afternoon fundraiser at venture capitalist Andrew Byrds BeMeade home was for some of the Democratic Partys biggest, most loyal donors. Some of the people in tcrowd of about 20 gave not only the maximum contribution of $5,000 to President Barack Obamas re-electcampaign but also $30,800 the current calendar-year limit to the Democratic National Committee. guests munched on finger sandwiches and petit fours in Byrds living room, Biden spoke for more than an habout the high stakes of the 2012 election, answering every question, posing for pictures and w orking the rooBut he never said a word about all the money changing hands. While the combination fundraiser for candidand party is fairly commonplace in the world of presidential politics Its what every president has done, sMichael Beckel, spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics this campaign cycle also is seeing a ntype of giving and spending. Recent court rulings have allowed corporations to support or oppose speccandidates with their cash. Theyve also permitted the formation of super PACs, officially known

independent expenditure-only committees.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111126/NEWS02/311250084/PACs-gain-super-powers?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

CDC confirms cases of new swine flu virus (USA Today)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed three cases of a new flu virus, which originatedpigs but apparently spread from person to person, in three Iowa children. However, there's no reason to fear beginning of a new pandemic, says Arnold Monto, a flu expert and professor at the University of Michigan Schof Public Health. "I don't think this is anything to worry about for the moment," Monto says. "We have known tswine viruses get into humans occasionally, transmit for a generation or two and then stop. The issue is whetthere will be sustained transmission (from person to person)- and that nearly never happens." The CDC hcounted a total of 18 cases of this new virus, an influenza A strain known as S-OtrH3N2, in two years. Th

suggests that it's not spreading quickly or easily, says William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt UniversSchool of Medicine and spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Schaffner notes that viruses mutate and swap genes all the time. Infectious disease experts may only be noticing these new virusbecause of better technology, he says. The USA 's beefed-up state medical labs, which have lots more firepowthan before 2001, are much better at spotting novel viruses, which in the past m ight have gone unnoticed.http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-11-24/CDC-confirms-cases-of-new-swine-flu-virus/5138 4636/1?loc=interstitialskip

Help Wanted: In Unexpected Twist, Some Skilled Jobs Go Begging (WSJ)Ferrie Bailey's job should be easy: hiring wo rkers amid the worst stretch of unemployment since the DepressiA recruiter for Union Pacific Corp., she has openings to fill, the kind that sometimes seem to have all bvanished: secure, well-paying jobs with good benefits that don't require a college degree. But they requ

specialized skillsexpertise in short supply even with the unemployment rate at 9%. Which is why on a recemorning the recruiter found herself in a hiring hall here anxiously awaiting the arrival of just two people she hinvited to interviews, winnowed from an initial group of nearly five dozen applicants. With minutes to go, folding chairs sat empty. "I don't think they're going to show," Ms. Bailey said, pacing in the basement room. Hchallenge is a familiar one to recruiters, especially in industries that require workers with trade skills suchwelding. Union Pacific struggles to find enough electricians who have worked with diesel engines. M anufacturin many places can't find enough machinists. Oil companies must fight for a limited supply of drilling-rig worke"There's a tremendous shortage of skilled workers," said Craig Giffi, a vice chairman of the consulting fiDeloitte. A recent survey it did found that 83% of manufacturers reported a moderate or severe shortageskilled production workers to hire.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577010080035955166.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0(SUBSCRIPTION)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/26/clean-air-water-rules-spark-different-responses/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111126/NEWS02/311250084/PACs-gain-super-powers?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111126/NEWS02/311250084/PACs-gain-super-powers?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-11-24/CDC-confirms-cases-of-new-swine-flu-virus/51384636/1?loc=interstitialskiphttp://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-11-24/CDC-confirms-cases-of-new-swine-flu-virus/51384636/1?loc=interstitialskiphttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577010080035955166.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/26/clean-air-water-rules-spark-different-responses/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111126/NEWS02/311250084/PACs-gain-super-powers?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111126/NEWS02/311250084/PACs-gain-super-powers?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-11-24/CDC-confirms-cases-of-new-swine-flu-virus/51384636/1?loc=interstitialskiphttp://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011-11-24/CDC-confirms-cases-of-new-swine-flu-virus/51384636/1?loc=interstitialskiphttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577010080035955166.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0


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School boards oppose slate of bills (Tennessean/Hubbard)Association wants to keep local control Tennessee school board members dont want parents using pubfunding toward private school tuition. In addition to opposing vouchers, they dont want superintendents to elected rather than hired by school boards or for the state to dictate the start of the school calendar. All of thoproposals are coming before the state legislature and all erode local authority over education, a delegationTennessee School Boards Association members said at a meeting this month. There are some decisions b

left to school board control, Rutherford County School Board Chairman Mark Byrnes said. But this yealegislative push is only the most recent in a movement that has reduced local authority over schools and tchildren in them. Four decades ago, local boards controlled nearly every decision affecting public educationtheir communities. More recently, the federal No Child Left Behind law provided for consistently low-performschools and districts to be controlled by the state. Independently run charter schools pull students and money to educate them from local districts. The new Common Core push to standardize curricula nationwiof which Tennessee is a part, will decide whats taught and how.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS/311210060/School-boards-oppose-slate-bills

Backlashing (Memphis Flyer)As previously noted, mid-January specifically, January 16th, according to Bartlett mayor Keith McDonald the deadline for Southern Educational Strategies, a consulting group that has contracted with all six suburb

Shelby County municipalities to report to them on the prospects for their forming separate school districts, permitted by a key provision of the legislature's Norris-Todd bill. At a town meeting in Bartlett on November 14McDonald reasserted his support for his city to hold a referendum on a separate Bartlett system to established when merger between Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools occurs in Septem2013. "In politics you have to be careful on which sword you are willing to die on. I'm willing to die on this onsaid McDonald, a member of the 21-member merger Planning Commission established by Norris-ToInterestingly, however, a different sort of resolve was issuing from the man who had been the leading figurethe suburbs' push for special-school-district status in the decade or so leading up to the school-merdevelopments of the last year.http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/backlashing/Content?oid=3082742

Metro schools releases online interactive annual report (City Paper/Garrison)Metro Nashville Public Schools released an interactive annual report at Tuesdays school board meetimarking the second consecutive year school officials have turned to an online format to detail what they say the districts achievements. We are excited about the progress our district is making, Director of Schools JesRegister w rote in a letter that greets people visiting the annual report webpage, found www.annualreport.mnps.org. The report which includes videos, graphs and slideshows highlights areasthat have become familiar themes over the past year within Metro schools, many which fall under the umbrellaMNPS Achieves, Registers education reform initiative. Among items the annual report accentuates are: Tstate of Tennessees $501 million in federal Race to The Top money, $30.3 m illion that is earmarked for MNPthe districts Academies of Nashville, the instructional model found within high schools; Metros six new themamagnet schools; and the school systems efforts to address the needs of special-needs and English LanguaLearner students.http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-schools-releases-online-interactive-ann ual-report

California: Occupy L.A. to Be Evicted on Monday (New York Times)The Occupy Los Angeles protesters have probably received a warmer reception than most of their counterpaelsewhere in the country. With vocal support from the City Council, the protesters have been allowed to remon the lawn outside City Hall for almost two months, without any major confrontations with the police. But evhere, city leaders have finally lost patience with the Occupy encampment. M ayor Antonio R. Villaraigoannounced on Friday that City Hall Park would be closed at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. Those who refuse to leamay face arrest. The movement has awakened the countrys conscience. It has given voice to those who hanot been heard, the m ayor said. I am proud of the fact that this has been a peaceful, nonviolent protest. It hbeen peaceful because we decided to do things differently in Los Angeles, not stare each other down acrbarricades and barbed wire. The impending end of O ccupy L.A.s stay outside City Hall one of the last of movements major encampments may signal the end of a phase of the protests that has been characteriz
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS/311210060/School-boards-oppose-slate-billshttp://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/backlashing/Content?oid=3082742http://www.annualreport.mnps.org/http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-schools-releases-online-interactive-annual-reporthttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20111125/NEWS/311210060/School-boards-oppose-slate-billshttp://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/backlashing/Content?oid=3082742http://www.annualreport.mnps.org/http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-schools-releases-online-interactive-annual-report


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by large camps in parks and public spaces. At the Occupy L.A. encampment, protesters on Friday weconsidering what to do next as they prepared for the tents to come down, one way or another.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/occupy-los-angeles-to-be-evicted-from-city-hall-park.html?_r=1&ref=todayspap er

OPINION

Times Editorial: Give school reform a chance (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman, on the job for less than a year, is working diligentlyimprove the state's struggling schools. The task, he candidly admits, is difficult. Success, he said at an editoboard meeting w ith The Chattanooga Times Free Press earlier this week, won't come overnight. Initial efforts

reform do show promise, however, and should continue without undue interference from either politicianseducators motivated by self-serving considerations. There's little doubt improvement is needed. In recdecades, Tennessee consistently has ranked near the bottom of state rankings in almost every educatiocategory. That trend continues. Tennessee ranked near the bottom in fourth-grade math performance on most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, familiarly known as the national report card. Indestate students performed more poorly in 2010 than in 2009 on the same test. Other tests in a variety of subjeand across grade levels indicate similarly em barrassing scores. Varied Prescription Clearly, change is in ordOld methods and programs have not appreciably improved student performance across the state.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/give-school-reform-a-chance/?opiniontimes

Editorial: Higher ed m ust stem escalation of tuition (Daily News Journal)We realize it's very early in the budgeting process, but reports that MTSU is making plans for a potentia

percent cut in state funding prompts us to issue an early caution about ever rising college tuition. As MTSPresident Sidney McPhee told The DNJ recently, "there are a lot of factors" that will come into play surroundfunding at the state and federal levels before determining tuition. But the trend has been to offset funding cutsraising tuition, often considerably in recent years, with the result being a growing number of graduates who leacampus w ith significant student loan debt and other prospective students who decide that they simply can't affto enroll. Consider: MTSU's undergraduate tuition for two sem esters this year is $5,256, a 9.3 percent increafrom last year. Over the last five years, MTSU's tuition for undergraduates is up 31.2 percent. In the last years, tuition has grown 84.4 percent. Considering the still shaky job market for graduates and the strains family budgets, the annual ritual of tuition hikes has become an economic slap in the face to many householOf course, MTSU's enrollment has exploded over the past decade and its share of state funding hasn't kepace. The university has navigated through a som etimes painful budget-cutting process over the last two yeabut it appears that more cuts may be on the horizon.http://www.dnj.com/article/20111126/OPINION01/111260320/Editorial-Higher-ed-must-stem-escalation-tuition

Pam Strickland: Tax increase whispers should get louder (News-Sentinel)Editor's note: An earlier version of this column contained an error regarding the Knox County Commissioactions in setting the school system's budget. The error appeared only in the online edition. So far, no one hbeen willing to say it out loud, but there are some whispers that the way to take care of the expected $7 millshortfall in next year's Knox County Schools budget is to raise property taxes. A little background: This yea$384.6 million budget was balanced with $7 million from the Education Jobs Bill. Even then the district wthrough layoffs and other cost-cutting m easures to balance the books. Superintendent Jim McIntyre has alreasuggested that balancing next year's budget be achieved by taking four steps: outsourcing custodial servicclosing a middle school and four elementary schools, tweaking the policy for letting community groups uschool facilities and adjusting the budget for high school block scheduling.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/25/pam-strickland-tax-increase-whispers-should-get/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/occupy-los-angeles-to-be-evicted-from-city-hall-park.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaperhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/occupy-los-angeles-to-be-evicted-from-city-hall-park.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaperhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/give-school-reform-a-chance/?opiniontimeshttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111126/OPINION01/111260320/Editorial-Higher-ed-must-stem-escalation-tuitionhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/25/pam-strickland-tax-increase-whispers-should-get/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/occupy-los-angeles-to-be-evicted-from-city-hall-park.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaperhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/occupy-los-angeles-to-be-evicted-from-city-hall-park.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaperhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/26/give-school-reform-a-chance/?opiniontimeshttp://www.dnj.com/article/20111126/OPINION01/111260320/Editorial-Higher-ed-must-stem-escalation-tuitionhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/25/pam-strickland-tax-increase-whispers-should-get/


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sat., nov. 26 news summary

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