TVA Reservoirs Storing Cold Water In Case Of Hot Summer

It’s too early to know whether the unseasonably warm March will ripple into higher summer electric bills across the state. A major factor could be rising temperatures in area rivers, which the Tennessee Valley Authority uses to cool its power plants.

Another bill aimed at synthetic drugs is moving through the General Assembly. Half a dozen bills are taking on so-called designer drugs.

Nashville-area home sales for March were up more than 17 percent over the same month last year, according to figures from the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors. Overall sales so far for 2012 are 24 percent higher than the first part of 2011.

A crucial stretch of Interstate 24 in Nashville will be shut down for repairs nearly every weekend this summer. Officials say they’re trying to overhaul two bridges while keeping I-24 open on weekdays, as well as for a couple of big weekend events.

Governor Bill Haslam hinted today he might back an incumbent Congressman who’s facing a tough Republican primary fight in East Tennessee. But Haslam stopped short of full-on endorsement for Chuck Fleischmann.

The Tennessee Board of Regents is questioning the logic of legislation that prevents public colleges from enforcing nondiscrimination rules on religious student groups. The bill responds to an ongoing dispute at Vanderbilt University, even though private institutions are excluded.

An Army sergeant from Fort Campbell is scheduled to receive the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award in the U.S. military.

An amended bill that overhauls civil service rules for state workers now has the support of the state employees association. It’s up for final votes this week, though it hasn’t exactly sailed through the state House.

The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing rules to let drone aircraft fly in the same air space as manned aircraft. But meantime, drones can still fly at lower elevations. And one state representative wants to make sure police in Tennessee don’t use drones for illegal spying.

State Representative Gary Moore, a Nashville Democrat, won’t run for re-election to his Bellevue district this fall.