Top Stories Nashville

With the U.S Department of Education expected any day now to reveal states that will cash in on the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, education experts are speculating that Tennessee’s application is in line for selection.

In a Wall Street Journal article today, Tennessee and five other states were mentioned as candidates that put forth “particularly strong applications” among the 40 states, along with the District of Columbia, that applied for the federal funds.

Another expert, Thomas W. Carroll of the think tank Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability, put the state in his top three of those likely to receive funds.

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Tim Webb told the school board at an October meeting that the state stood a good chance of winning federal funds in the competition, which rewards forward-thinking initiatives in teacher training, new technologies and higher standards for testing, among other improvement measures. The state could be in line for as much as $400 million. 

Teen-centered music venue Rocketown will make its expected move to Lea Avenue.

The club finalized a $3.2 million purchase of the former Grooms Engine building between Fourth and Fifth avenues on Lea, according to the Davidson County Register of Deeds.

Rocketown was forced to move after turning over its current site — at Sixth Avenue and Shirley Street — to the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency to make way for the extension of Korean Veterans Boulevard.

The Grooms building is slightly smaller than Rocketown’s current building, but Rocketown officials expect the new home will be able to offer the same activities as the Sixth Avenue site, which includes a large music performance venue, an indoor skate park and a coffee bar.

The current site will close in June and the new site will open in July.

Singer-songwriter Michael W. Smith founded Rocketown in 1994 and then relocated to downtown in 1999. Close to 1,500 teenagers visit the club each week, and its owners recently expanded their concept to South Florida.

State Rep. Eddie Bass of Prospect asked the Tennessee Attorney General’s office recently whether multiple “adult-oriented” businesses can occupy the same building. He also wanted a clarification of the rules that apply when a county appoints an “Adult-Oriented Establishment Board.”

The answer to the first question was “yes,” and there were a bunch of questions and answers in the second AG opinion that Rex didn’t care about. Rex’s question is: When the heck did Giles and Marshall counties, which make up Bass’ district, start getting full-scale smut shops?

If you haven’t been to either county, they are bucolic places with populations of around 30,000 people. Those folks wave at you when you drive by their house, open the door for you — they’ll even give you large portions at their diners if you’re looking peckish.

What has Rex worried is what will happen to these pristine counties if the state legislature passes the “Girls Gone Wild” bill he told you about last week?

If a particularly suggestive 30-second late night ad that doesn’t really show anything can’t satisfy their cravings for porn enough that they have to open a skin joint, then this state really is in trouble. The thought of this makes Rex want to pack his gun, swing by a bar and have a glass of lemonade.

Voted off the island

Rex was sad to hear about the end of Brad Schmitt’s career at WKRN-Channel 2 last week. We wish him the best.

Back to business: Who’s gonna fill those shoes?

WSMV-Channel 4 has Jimmy Carter, who kinda creeps Rex out, and WTVF-Channel 5 doesn’t seem to have anyone in particular assigned to cover the Music City beat. In other words, they could go either way. Given the state of media budgets, Rex won’t be shocked if the chair stays empty.

The station has been in a bit of restructuring for the past several years and has been desperate to rise from the ashes of being the third-rated news station in Nashville.

When they brought Schmitt on, toting what Rex heard was a pretty good contract, it was only a matter of time before others at the station would be let go. One of them was the previous entertainment reporter, Stephanie Langston.

Will they bring her back? She knows the lay of the land and has a following. Or maybe they’ll try to reinvent the wheel again.

For what it’s worth — maybe a Comcast subscription? — Rex is on Team Langston.

There she was, minding her own business …

Rex dug into the police blotter last week. He wanted to refrain from going there again so soon, but you have to see this.

Here is what happened, courtesy of Metro police:

Officers were dispatched to 4601 Lebanon Pike on a subject who fell asleep in her vehicle at pump 11. On arrival the subject was still asleep at the wheel. Officers opened the vehicle door and tapped the subject’s arm to awaken her. When asked if she had any medical problems, the subject replied, “Smirnoff.”

The subject could not follow commands on SFSTs [Standardized Field Sobriety Tests]. The subject was very unsteady on her feet and nearly fell several times. The subject was soaked in urine, and the urine smell was very noticeable. The subject was asleep for approximately 45 minutes before officer arrival. The subject was then taken into custody for DUI. State returned that she had a revoked DL [drivers license]. The subject then offered officer money and said to take her home.

State Rep. Eddie Bass of Prospect asked the Tennessee Attorney General’s office recently whether multiple “adult-oriented” businesses can occupy the same building. He also wanted a clarification of the rules that apply when a county appoints an “Adult-Oriented Establishment Board.”

The answer to the first question was “yes,” and there were a bunch of questions and answers in the second AG opinion that Rex didn’t care about. Rex’s question is: When the heck did Giles and Marshall counties, which make up Bass’ district, start getting full-scale smut shops?

If you haven’t been to either county, they are bucolic places with populations of around 30,000 people. Those folks wave at you when you drive by their house, open the door for you — they’ll even give you large portions at their diners if you’re looking peckish.

What has Rex worried is what will happen to these pristine counties if the state legislature passes the “Girls Gone Wild” bill he told you about last week?

If a particularly suggestive 30-second late night ad that doesn’t really show anything can’t satisfy their cravings for porn enough that they have to open a skin joint, then this state really is in trouble. The thought of this makes Rex want to pack his gun, swing by a bar and have a glass of lemonade.

Voted off the island

Rex was sad to hear about the end of Brad Schmitt’s career at WKRN-Channel 2 last week. We wish him the best.

Back to business: Who’s gonna fill those shoes?

WSMV-Channel 4 has Jimmy Carter, who kinda creeps Rex out, and WTVF-Channel 5 doesn’t seem to have anyone in particular assigned to cover the Music City beat. In other words, they could go either way. Given the state of media budgets, Rex won’t be shocked if the chair stays empty.

The station has been in a bit of restructuring for the past several years and has been desperate to rise from the ashes of being the third-rated news station in Nashville.

When they brought Schmitt on, toting what Rex heard was a pretty good contract, it was only a matter of time before others at the station would be let go. One of them was the previous entertainment reporter, Stephanie Langston.

Will they bring her back? She knows the lay of the land and has a following. Or maybe they’ll try to reinvent the wheel again.

For what it’s worth — maybe a Comcast subscription? — Rex is on Team Langston.

There she was, minding her own business …

Rex dug into the police blotter last week. He wanted to refrain from going there again so soon, but you have to see this.

Here is what happened, courtesy of Metro police:

Officers were dispatched to 4601 Lebanon Pike on a subject who fell asleep in her vehicle at pump 11. On arrival the subject was still asleep at the wheel. Officers opened the vehicle door and tapped the subject’s arm to awaken her. When asked if she had any medical problems, the subject replied, “Smirnoff.”

The subject could not follow commands on SFSTs [Standardized Field Sobriety Tests]. The subject was very unsteady on her feet and nearly fell several times. The subject was soaked in urine, and the urine smell was very noticeable. The subject was asleep for approximately 45 minutes before officer arrival. The subject was then taken into custody for DUI. State returned that she had a revoked DL [drivers license]. The subject then offered officer money and said to take her home.

Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper has filed suit against a woman and her business previously located in Nashville for allegedly using misleading advertisements promoting the sale of “international driver’s licenses,” and using the term “notario publico” without the required disclaimer.

Cooper filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Division of Consumer Affairs, naming Mirella Garcia, individually and doing business as Centro de Apoyo al Immigrante. The lawsuit alleges she violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act and the Notaries Public statute. The business was previously located at 2517 Nolensville Pike.

The Attorney General’s Office discovered advertisements published in two Spanish language newspapers. The ads promoted the sale of “International Driver’s Licenses,” which are not a valid form of identification and serve no legal purpose. The so-called international license should not be confused with the legitimate “International Driver’s Permit,” which is a translation of a valid U.S. driver’s license into different languages for foreign travel.

The U.S. Department of State has authorized only two companies to issue valid International Driver’s Permits: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA.) These organizations currently charge $10 for the permit and are only allowed to provide them to people who are 18 years old or older and hold a valid driver’s license issued by a U.S. state or territory.

“We are concerned that consumers are being deceived into believing that these so-called licenses are valid for driving and as identification,” said Attorney General Bob Cooper. “They are not and those who use them are putting themselves at risk.”

The advertisements also stated Centro de Apoyo was a “notario publico” but did not include the required disclaimer. The Spanish translation of “notary public” is “notario publico,” or in the plural “notarios publicos.” In many Spanish-speaking countries, a notario publico is a civil-law notary or an attorney who has been specially appointed to oversee certain common, everyday transactions. As a result, consumers often believe these individuals and the related transactions involve a higher level of trust and accuracy.

Some businesses are targeting Spanish-speaking consumers by advertising themselves as “notarios publicos” when they are merely offering notary public services. Under Tennessee law, a notary public who is not licensed to practice law in Tennessee and advertises their services as a notary public must include in all advertisements the following disclaimer in English and the language used in the ad: “I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee, and I may not give legal advice or accept fees for legal advice.”

Consumers are encouraged to check with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to confirm that an individual is licensed and in good standing to practice law before hiring someone to provide legal services.

Consumers may call the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-342-8385 (toll free inside Tennessee) or (615) 741-4737 or online at www.state.tn.us/consumer.

This story has been updated.

Metro Health Department appears to be near the end of negotiations that would locate a women, infants and children’s clinic on Nolensville Pike in the Tusculum neighborhood — the culmination of a reignited search after plans to move into Hickory Hollow Mall were denied.

Bart Perkey, the department’s director of health services, told The City Paper Thursday that Metro and H.G. Hill Realty Company should have an agreement in place within the next few weeks that would allow a new WIC clinic to operate out of the Hill Center strip mall in south Davidson County. The site is across the street from the Tusculum Hills Baptist Church.

“It’s in the 37211 zip code, which is the zip code with the largest number of WIC participants, so it fits our needs well,” Perkey said. “We desperately need another location, so it makes sense to locate it where the largest number of people are.”

Jimmy Granberry, CEO of H.G. Hill Realty, said a proposal was made to the department but they rejected it, and that negotiations are ongoing. 

The health department currently operates three WIC facilities where low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to five years old have access to health services, nutrition education and healthy food vouchers.

Previously, Metro eyed space to open a fourth clinic inside struggling Hickory Hollow Mall, but those plans were foiled at the request of District 32 Metro Councilman Sam Coleman, who sided with neighbors who feared the clinic’s arrival would signal the end for the mall.

As with the mall proposal, Metro will need to draft legislation and receive Metro Council approval before the move to the Nolensville Pike location becomes a reality. But this time around, the new WIC location appears to have the support of the area’s representative.

“At this point in time, I can’t see any reasonable impediment to the locating of this facility in this space,” said District 27 Councilman Randy Foster, who sat down with neighbors to discuss the site last week. “I don’t want to stand between people and good nutrition. The only way I would consider [opposing] it is if the site selected was plainly inadequate, problematic in the extreme.” 

This story has been updated.

Metro Health Department appears to be near the end of negotiations that would locate a women, infants and children’s clinic on Nolensville Pike in the Tusculum neighborhood — the culmination of a reignited search after plans to move into Hickory Hollow Mall were denied.

Bart Perkey, the department’s director of health services, told The City Paper Thursday that Metro and H.G. Hill Realty Company should have an agreement in place within the next few weeks that would allow a new WIC clinic to operate out of the Hill Center strip mall in south Davidson County. The site is across the street from the Tusculum Hills Baptist Church.

“It’s in the 37211 zip code, which is the zip code with the largest number of WIC participants, so it fits our needs well,” Perkey said. “We desperately need another location, so it makes sense to locate it where the largest number of people are.”

Jimmy Granberry, CEO of H.G. Hill Realty, said a proposal was made to the department but they rejected it, and that negotiations are ongoing. 

The health department currently operates three WIC facilities where low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to five years old have access to health services, nutrition education and healthy food vouchers.

Previously, Metro eyed space to open a fourth clinic inside struggling Hickory Hollow Mall, but those plans were foiled at the request of District 32 Metro Councilman Sam Coleman, who sided with neighbors who feared the clinic’s arrival would signal the end for the mall.

As with the mall proposal, Metro will need to draft legislation and receive Metro Council approval before the move to the Nolensville Pike location becomes a reality. But this time around, the new WIC location appears to have the support of the area’s representative.

“At this point in time, I can’t see any reasonable impediment to the locating of this facility in this space,” said District 27 Councilman Randy Foster, who sat down with neighbors to discuss the site last week. “I don’t want to stand between people and good nutrition. The only way I would consider [opposing] it is if the site selected was plainly inadequate, problematic in the extreme.” 

Update: Just before 5 p.m. officers arrested McCormick in the 1600 block of Antioch Pike.

Metro police, U.S. marshals and Rutherford County officers are scouring a south Nashville neighborhood for a Ronny McCormick.

McCormick, 45, is wanted on theft, domestic assault, burglary and resisting arrest.

Marshals stopped McCormick in his black GMC Yukon, just before noon Wednesday. McCormick allegedly put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to run over the officer before fleeing in the Yukon.

The marshal fired shots at McCormick, but no one was hit.

As a precaution Apollo Middle School was put on lockdown for several hours Wednesday afternoon.

McCormick’s vehicle was later found abandoned on off Richards Road in south Nashville. Police said escaped on foot.

Officers are searching the Regents Park neighborhood and areas between Una Antioch Pike and Mullens Road.

McCormick is described as a 5-foot 5-inch white male weighing about 200 pounds. He has black hair and green eyes.