“It’s like your fingerprints have changed. It’s like you look in the mirror and the color of your eyes has changed,” said Chris Leonard of the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps.
Many folks are struggling with the visual devastation of tree loss in and around Nashville, as the silhouette of foliage, perhaps unconsciously memorized, is now different in the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern.
The loss will shake ecosystems, affecting water drainage, heat and wildlife, as reported by WPLN’s Caroline Eggers.
But this storm could be a catalyst for change. Citizens can take action and:
🌳 Demand better laws to protect trees against development (which typically kills more trees than storms)
🌳 Plant climate-resilient trees
🌳 Volunteer with or donate to tree-planting efforts
“I spend so much of my time trying to soothe the fears of people about anything to do with nature, about bees and birds and critters and trees,” said Jo Brichetto, a Nashville naturalist. “This is going to be hard to get people to want to plant trees again. But we have to do it.”
Tap link in bio for more.
Photos 1, 4, 5: Blake Farmer
Photo 2: Terry Cook
Photo 3: Justin Barney
Tennessee’s immigration policies were front and center at Gov. Bill Lee’s last State of the State address — even if he didn’t mention them. Protestors outside the chamber called for an end to the state’s cooperation with ICE, at a time when Tennessee Republicans have proposed requiring local law enforcement to formally partner with ICE.
Lee didn’t talk about immigration during the State of the State, despite it being cornerstone of his speech last year when he pledged millions for ramping up the state’s immigration enforcement. Instead, Lee focused on expanding the state’s school voucher program and boosting nuclear energy production for his last year in office.
In the Music City, music is currently drowned out by the sound of chainsaws.
NES has teams of trained professionals on the ground cutting trees for removal, while Nashvillians and their neighbors power up their own chainsaws for getting out of driveways and clearing yards and property from tree debris.
Jim Sherraden (rhymes with Aladdin), local Nashville artist and print maker, brings some timely tips for using a chainsaw if you are a casual or occasional chainsaw user.
Use eye and ear protection.
A wide stance is best - get on stable ground.
Have a friend help.
There will be a lot of chainsaw action in Nashville over the coming days as we unfreeze and people return to their homes and clean up yards, or volunteer to help others clean up their property or land. Stay safe while using your equipment.
Follow along for more updates and tap link in bio for the latest updates on the winter storm.
It’s been a week of some relief and a lot of cold comfort in Nashville, Tennessee. One week out from the onset of the storm, challenges continue as the death toll continues to rise.
Twenty-one winter-storm related deaths have been confirmed in the state. Four of those have been in Nashville and a fifth death in the city is believed to be linked to the cold weather, but has yet to be confirmed by the Medical Examiner.
More than 30,000 power outages were reported in Nashville as of Sunday, Feb. 1. In a video statement posted to Facebook, Nashville Electric Service President & CEO Teresa Broyles Aplin said 90% of outages will be restored by Tuesday and 99% by Sunday, February 8th.
The video was released shortly after Mayor Freddie O’Connell issued a statement saying the “…proposed pace of restoration is unacceptable..”
Governor Bill Lee has requested that President Donald Trump grant an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for 23 Tennessee counties recovering from the winter storm.
Follow along for more updates and tap link in bio for website updates.
Photo 1: AP
Photos 2 & 4: Tony Gonzalez / WPLN
It`s time for Jewly Hight`s Key Changes - a roundup of movements in the music industry. The Grammy Awards have been knocked for being slow to adapt but the music industry is undergoing radical change, and we`re likely to see it at the Grammys on Sunday.
For one thing, it’s the first time that a Spanish-language artist — Bad Bunny — is up for all three biggies: record, song and album of the year.
The Traditional Country Album category — a new one for the Grammys — wound up with an interesting mix of nominees.
Then there are the familiar Nashville figures, including Molly Tuttle and Hayley Williams, whose recent stylistic evolutions landed them in different categories.
There’s broader recognition for Nashville’s behind-the-scenes talent too, like drummer Nate Smith, who`s up for Alternative Jazz album, and writer-producers Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, who worked on the Durand Bernarr album that`s in the progressive R&B category.
Last, AI music is increasingly ubiquitous and fans increasingly savvy. So if Teddy Swims, who’s acknowledged that he finds AI useful, were to win best pop vocal album on Sunday night, he could receive some public scrutiny along with his trophy.
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After nearly a week without power, many people have questions and feelings about Nashville Electric Service (NES). Has NES been a mess?
NES has apologized for communication struggles, including faulty alerts telling people their power is back on. The utility said a better real-time website would go live Friday night.
“We absolutely have to start giving more information, which is what we’re working on,” said Brent Baker, NES chief operations officer
Nashville’s grid has never experienced such devastation.
“We’re having to dig our infrastructure out from under trees froze to the ground,” says Brandon Whitlock, of NES.
NES has never had this many crews working: 1,700 workers were expected over the weekend.
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With extreme low temps predicted for the weekend, it’s critical to know how to protect your pipes during a deep freeze.
At least 30 breaks suspected breaks of water mains in Nashville were reported on Thursday by Metro Water Services.
To stop pipes from freezing, residents were advised to leave their sinks dripping. but because of power outages, pipes still froze.
And another cold snap is expected this weekend.
“If you do lose power, it’s like the inside of your home becomes the outside with a very little temperature difference,” says Matt Newsom, owner of 100 Percent Plumbing.
If you have power, open your cabinets, set your thermostat at 65 degrees or higher and leave your sink dripping.
If you don’t have power, call a plumber and have them turn off your water main and drain the water from your home.
Follow along for more and tap link in bio for website updates.
Photos: Ben Kurland and Matt Newsom
Curious Nashville Returns!
Back by popular demand, the WPLN fan favorite series Curious Nashville is here to investigate oddities, share local history, tell stories of interesting people, and explain how local institutions operate.
You ask the questions, and we answer.
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