Nashville News Archives - Nashville Weekly

Tennessee’s Third-Graders Paying the Price for TDOE’s Shortcomings

The consequences are severe for third-graders who fail to meet the standards on a standardized test. Despite excelling in their classes with A's and B's, these students are prohibited from progressing to the fourth grade. Shockingly, a staggering 60% of Tennessee's third-graders did not achieve a passing score on the test. This situation alone...

Metro Files Lawsuit Against State Over Racetrack Changes

red and white race way near concrete building

In a legal move on Wednesday, Metro initiated a lawsuit against the state in an attempt to halt the implementation of a new state law that simplifies the process for renovations at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Bristol Motor Speedway and Mayor John Cooper have put forward a substantial investment proposal for the racetrack, aiming to...

Failing Prisons Leave Families Grieving in Tragedy

Danny Lowrance was less than a year away from being released on parole when he became ill. He had served four years of his six-year prison term and had been receiving credits for good behaviour. His mother, Pam Lowrance, spoke to him on March 22nd for the last time, prior to his passing away...

Street View: Substandard Residential Building and House Flipping

Michelle Semple's downstairs toilet backed up, and her shower flooded a week after she closed on her new house. Semple called a plumber to find a dropped plumbing cap that had gone down a drain during earlier renovations. She spent roughly $650 on that initial problem. But the issues would only worsen over time. Semple...

New Law To Offer Immigrants Licensing Opportunities

Laura Lara moved from Mexico to Nashville city 11 years ago. She is a University of Tennessee student now, fueled by her passion for serving others as well as motivated by her experiences. She has been trying to get a master’s in the field of social work, but she thought about moving to another...

LGBT Chamber Chief Executive Officer Joe Woolley Fired

Joey Woolley is no longer the CEO of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce as the Board of Directors of his organization voted to fire him. In a recent email, Woolley told chamber members that he was not in line with the Chamber Board, and particularly with executive committee members over the direction and...

Council Has Questions On Mayoral Wish To Purchase A Mall

Earlier this year, Mayor John Cooper revealed that Nashville Metro would buy Global Mall at the Crossings. Some days after the announcement, the deal navigates slowly and carefully through the Nashville Metro Council in Tennessee on a tight timeline even as murky details persist. Legislative affairs director Mike Jameson said to the Nashville Budget and...

Vanderbilt University Student Group Continues Their Demonstrations

The divestment campaign of Vanderbilt University students has been highlighting the complicity of the university in backing fossil fuel companies amid dire reports regarding climate change. The other weekend, the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust conferred Daniel Diermeier with the rank of chancellor in the so-called investiture process. The administration disclosed few details regarding the...

Nashville Fences Off Camping Location Under Jefferson Street Bridge

On February 12, 2022, Nashville separated the location below the Jefferson Street Bridge that served as a place of accommodation for the homeless for years with a fence. The Homeless Impact Division’s Harriet Wallace said that every camp resident has been put into an accommodation situation. Nashville did it as an element of a...

Metro Arts Commissioners Issue Suggestions On Racial Discrimination

Metro Arts Commissioners met on February 03, 2022, to further talk about the concerns concerning toxicity and discrimination in the agency. The Metro Arts Commission is tasked with granting city funds to culture and arts programming. Chairperson Jim Schmidt called the meeting to discuss how to proceed on the basis of Metro HR recommendations...