Education Budget Hearing

On the first day of state budget hearings, Governor Phil Bredesen said he is watching the state’s tax collections carefully to determine if budget cuts are appropriate this year. October tax collections were down, and the Governor said the economy is lagging nationwide. “I don’t look at it as ‘the sky is falling,’ or anything […]

Governor Phil Bredesen begins his annual budget hearings (tomorrow/this) morning. First thing, he’ll be met by the faces of high school students from across the state who will participate by way of an interactive web-cast. Students will watch Education Commissioner Lana Seviers present her budget the governor. “Then they’re going to send in questions that […]

When the Nashville Sports Authority and the Metro Council look at terms of a new lease for the Predators to play hockey in the Sommet Center, they may be looking at a done deal. A group of local investors negotiating to buy the team came to agreeable lease terms with the mayor’s office on Friday. […]

The issue of expanding lottery scholarships will be back at the state legislature in January as lawmakers struggle to compromise on ways to spend the lottery’s 400-million dollars of surplus money. To start that discussion, higher education officials from across the state told lawmakers in Nashville last week that enrollment at the state’s four year […]

Murfreesboro City Schools and its teachers are ending a long and contentious round of salary talks. Members of the teachers union vote this afternoon on whether to ratify the district’s last offer. But no matter what the result of the vote, there’s no question they’ll have to take it. That’s because negotiations broke down in […]

Metro Animal Control is chronically under-funded, according to city officials. A rise in stray pet complaints and slow response times has at least one state lawmaker asking why the agency is part of the Metro Health Department. In most Tennessee cities, animal control functions under law enforcement agencies, says former Metro Council member and state […]

Broadband use in Tennessee is up from 36-percent of households last year to 43-percent this year. Members of the state’s Broadband Task Force – which was formed to help expand high speed internet access – met yesterday to preview the body’s annual report to the legislature. The state-funded non-profit Connected Tennessee did the research. It […]

Health care communications firm Emdeon is cutting 60 staff positions from its Nashville headquarters and outsourcing at least some of the jobs oversees. Company spokesman Tommy Lewis says the cost-cutting measure comes because of a competitive business climate. “Our entire objective is to take cost out of health care, you know, to simplify the business […]

The airport rush during the Thanksgiving holiday season starts early this year. Nashville International officials expect record air travel numbers next week, with Sunday being one of the heaviest flying days. Spokeswoman Emily Richard says crowded ticket counters and long security lines mean travelers should play it safe. “We’re encouraging people to be here more […]

Most of the plans for a massive school rezoning in Metro Nashville will likely be scrapped. Last night, Metro Schools Director Pedro Garcia told a working session of the school board that the only proposal he will present later this month is the one rezoning the Cane Ridge and Antioch clusters. After initial rezoning plans […]