It`s a Hot Bear Summer in Tennessee.
Bears scrounge through trash, cars and sometimes even homes for an easy source of calories. Their sense of smell is seven times better than the best smelling dog. Ever seen a police dog doing it`s sniffing duty? Bears are 7 times better than those dogs at smelling - they can even smell from a a mile away says Janelle Musser, a biologist at the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. Bears can smell even through a trash bag and a closed trash container.
Dryness in the landscape can stress bears during the spring when natural food sources are already scarce, according to Greg Grieco, a longtime park ranger who now supports orphaned cubs through the Appalachian Bear Rescue. That type of natural vegetation scarcity may push bears to look for food around people. So bears sorting through trash may seem like a nuisance, but the behavior can escalate into them breaking into cars or homes.
Tap link in bio for more of our coverage about bears in our Signal Species stories. And if you see bears in your area, we`d love it if you would record that observation (needs a photo!) in our Appalachian Signal Species project in the iNaturalist app (free download!).
Data center developer DC BLOX may be planning a bigger facility near the Nashville Zoo than the company initially revealed.
Or it may be smaller.
As Caroline Eggers reports, details of the planned project have rapidly shifted in recent weeks, sparking widespread concern for project transparency, electricity costs and environmental impacts.
DC BLOX plans on building a data center facility, split between two buildings, with a power capacity of 50 megawatts.
The company had planned to incrementally increase capacity to 100 MW but has since downsized the project scope, according to DC BLOX.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell said he had “no idea” the company had considered expanding to 100 MW, a size only disclosed through public information requests, and expressed concern for company transparency.
Tap link in bio for more.
Photos: George Walker IV / AP, TVA
There is only one theater in Nashville showing The Odyssey as director Christopher Nolan intended - Regal Opry Mills.
The Odyssey is the first film ever to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film and there are only 41 theaters in the world that are capable of projecting IMAX 70mm. And Regal Opry Mills is even more special. It`s a "no compromise" IMAX theater, meaning that it was built from the ground up to have the true 1.43:1 aspect ratio and not retrofitted into the IMAX format.
Regal brought IMAX projectionist Dean Fick out of retirement in order to have enough projectionists to fulfill screenings starting at 7AM and going until 2AM and have three IMAX specialists working around the clock to project the film. Demand is sky high, many of the screenings have been sold out. The Odyssey will be screening in IMAX 70mm at Regal Opry Mills until August 15, but could go longer if demand continues.
Follow along for more from reporter Justin Barney. Tap link in bio for full story.
Tennessee`s congressional map has changed drastically, and the district you vote in may have changed, too. So who`s on your ballot for the primaries?
In District 4, which now stretches from southeast Nashville almost to Chattanooga, three conservative Republicans are all challenging the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. Raising the most is Tom Davis of Warren County. On the Democratic side, Nashville Metro Councilmember Mike Cortese is also running. This former music industry employee has outraised the other Dem contenders as well as DesJarlais.
District 6, which includes parts of East Nashville, as well as Lebanon and Cookeville, is wide open because the incumbent, U.S. Rep. John Rose, is running for governor. The GOP contenders include State Rep. Johnny Garrett of Goodlettsville, veteran Jon Henry, former educator Natisha Brooks, and Rose`s chief of staff, former U.S. Rep. Van Hilleary. Among the Democrats, the last election`s primary winner, Lore Bergman, is on the ballot, as are veterans Chaney Mosley of Murfreesboro and Mike Croley of Crossville.
In District 7, which includes north and west Nashville, along with Clarksville and Dickson, U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps is running unopposed on the Republican side. Several Democrats are vying to challenge him in the general election, including veteran Joshua Sales and candidates who ran in last year`s special election for the district: State Rep. Vincent Dixie and Nashville businessman Darden Copeland.
Tap the link in bio and follow along for more from reporters Marianna Bacallao (@ba.marianna) and Cynthia Abrams.
Nashville’s city council will consider finalizing new legislation to regulate data centers on Tuesday.
Caroline Eggers reports that in the original bill, data centers were only allowed to use on-site gas turbines or diesel generators during an emergency for up to 72 hours.
An amendment allows data centers unlimited use of fossil generation during “emergencies,” which are not defined in the legislation.
It also allows the Nashville Electric Service to grant special permission to data centers to use on-site generation from fossil fuels.
Bill sponsor Rollin Horton thinks data centers should use renewable backup or shut down during power outages, especially during ozone-promoting heatwaves.
Tap link in bio for full story and follow along for more from environmental reporter Caroline Eggers.
Photos: Caroline Eggers / WPLN, Steve Jones, Flight by Southwings for SELC
The Nashville Electric Service ramped up tree trimming efforts earlier this year to mitigate power outages. But critics worried the move would cause more harm than good. That proved true in July when a recently trimmed tree fell onto an East Nashville home.
NES implemented a policy that expanded the zone it clears between trees and utility infrastructure from 10 to 15 feet following the January ice storm that left thousands without power.
City leaders and local residents decried the decision – arguing that the clearance policy shouldn’t be applied unilaterally to all trees since they have varying growth rates. Others worried the trimming techniques left the trees vulnerable to falling.
Tap link in the bio to subscribe to the NashVillager, our 5-day-a-week newsletter with local stories, national coverage, ticket giveaways and more.
Notable quotables of the week for stories that include the debate about lack of debates by Republican gubernatorial candidates, expanded early voting locations in Davidson County, homeowner concerns about NES’ tree-trimming practices, and an epic experience for the new movie “The Odyssey.”
Will Republican candidates for Tennessee governor have a public debate? It’s up in the air after on-and-off again plans when front-runner U.S Senator Marsha Blackburn backed out of a scheduled televised debate. The other 2 Republican candidates then followed suit.
Political observers say Blackburn, like other perceived frontrunners, might choose to avoid debating in order to prevent a misstep that could jeopardize her lead.
Davidson County voters now have more locations for early voting, which runs July 17-August 1. The election commission wants to make getting to a polling place convenient for as many voters as possible during this period when they can cast ballots at any location.
NES’ new tree-trimming practice is causing frustration and anger among some homeowners. They says the process is too aggressive and unskilled, causing damage to some homes and trees.
And finally, the epic new movie “The Odyssey” promises to be a box office juggernaut at IMAX Regal Cinemas.
Tap link in the bio for more.
Three Republicans are competing this year to replace Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who can’t run again. The winner of the GOP primary in August will advance to the general election this fall.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn is seen as the frontrunner, and could become the state’s first female governor. But Congressman John Rose, a former state ag commissioner, could be catching up per some recent polling. Meanwhile, State Rep. Monty Fritts has positioned himself as a political outsider.
Among the three GOP candidates, there aren’t a lot of pronounced policy differences. All three have campaigned on supporting President Trump, but he’s loyal to both Blackburn AND Rose, and isn’t likely to pick one to endorse.
Recent finance reports show Blackburn outraising Rose and Fritts, and she seems to be angling to protect her lead and avoid anything that could risk it, like a debate with the other candidates.
Early voting starts Friday, July 18. Election day is Thursday, August 5. If you’re not sure where to go or who you’re voting for, we’ve got lots more helpful information at link in bio.
Tap link in bio for more from Marianna Bacallao (@ba.marianna) as she covers the elections.
Photos via the Blackburn, Rose, and Fritts campaigns for governor.
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