TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2011 Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools (New York Times)

By almost every educational measure, the Agora Cyber Charter School is failing. Nearly 60 percent of its students are behind grade level in math. Nearly 50 percent trail in reading. A third do not graduate on time. And hundreds of children, from kindergartners to seniors, withdraw within months after they enroll. By W all Street standards, though, Agora is a remarkable success that has helped enrich K12 Inc., the publicly traded company that manages the school. And the entire enterprise is paid for by taxpayers. Agora is one of the largest in a portfolio of similar public schools across the country run by K12. Eight other for-profit companies also run online public elementary and high schools, enrolling a large chunk of the more than 200,000 full-time cyberpupils in the United States. The pupils work from their homes, in some cases hundreds of miles from their teachers. There is no cafeteria, no gym and no playground. Teachers communicate with students by phone or in simulated classrooms on the Web. But while the notion of an online school evokes cutting-edge methods, much of the work is completed the old-fashioned way, with a pencil and paper while seated at a desk. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/online-schools-score-better-on-wall-street-than-inclassrooms.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

State museum to display Emancipation Proclamation (Associated Press)

The Tennessee State Museum plans to put the Emancipation Proclamation on display in 2013. Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that the document signed by President Abraham Lincoln will be available for viewing during a six-day period, though exact dates are not yet set. Haslam called it "an incredible honor" for Tennessee to host the original document issued by Lincoln in 1863. The order freed all slaves in the Confederacy. The display will be part of a six-month exhibit about the Civil W ar that will open at the state museum in Nashville on Feb. 12, which is also Lincoln's birthday. The State Museum is paying $450,000 to bring the document to Tennessee. Officials plan to raise additional money from private donations to cover marketing and educational costs. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38132907.story

Emancipation Proclamation Coming To Nashville (WTVF-TV Nashville)

Governor Haslam announced Monday that the Tennessee State Museum will host the Emancipation Proclamation in 2013. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 during the Civil War and freed all the slaves. Gov. Haslam announced that the Proclamation will come to the Tennessee State Museum on February 12, 2013 for six months. The State Museum will be the only museum on the southeast to host the document. The showing of the historic document will coincide with the Discovering the Civil W ar exhibit displaying original diaries, maps, petitions, and more from the 19-th century. "The exhibit itself is full of interesting items and has items of incredible historic significance, so, the fact that the Tennessee State Museum is able to host this, I think speaks a lot of the museum and Tennessee," said Governor Haslam. Officials with the Tennessee State Museum said the document can only be exposed to light for 72 hours the entire time it is housed at the museum, so it will be displayed in intervals. http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16307772/emancipation-proclamation-coming-to-nashville

TN to host rare, free viewing of Emancipation Proclamation in 2013 (TN/Sisk)

The original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation is coming to Tennessee in 2013, in a rare display marking the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the end of slavery. Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday an effort to bring the first Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln to Nashville, as part of an exhibition of Civil War documents at the Tennessee State Museum. The exhibition will cost about $450,000, but Haslam touted it as a coup for the museum. The document has been put on display in the Southeast only one previous time in the past half century. This exhibit really is an extraordinary achievement, Haslam said. The

proclamation signed by Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863 ended slavery only in the 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union. Slaves remained in bondage in those states, in part because many of them remained in Confederate control and also because word of the presidents decision was slow in getting out. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111213/NEWS02/312120064/TN-host-rare-free-viewing-EmancipationProclamation-6-days-2013?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

State nabs rare Emancipation Proclamation exhibit in 2013 (Memphis Biz Journal)
Tennessee will be the only Southeast location to exhibit the Emancipation Proclamation during its 2013 tour. The historic document will be displayed for six days at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. The document, issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, officially freed slaves in the U.S. It is being displayed as part of the Discovering the Civil War exhibit at the state museum. While the exhibit will be held from Feb. 12-Sept. 2 in 2013, the Emancipation Proclamation will only be displayed during a six-day period that has yet to be determined. The manuscript can only be exposed to light for 72 hours total. It is housed in the National Archives in W ashington, D.C., and 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of Lincoln signing the document. In a statement, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said the decision to display the Emancipation Proclamation is an incredible honor for the state. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2011/12/12/state-nabs-rare-emancipation.html

Emancipation Proclamation to be on display in Tennessee in 2013 (CA/Locker)

Original document freeing slaves will have 72-hour display at State Museum The original Emancipation Proclamation signed and issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 will be on display briefly at the Tennessee State Museum in 2013 -- one of its rare public exhibitions outside of Washington, Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday. Dates for the exhibit at the state-owned museum in Nashville have not been determined, but it will be on display for only 72 hours during a larger and longer Civil War history exhibition that will run from Feb. 12 through Sept. 2, 2013, officials said. During the rest of that time, "secondary" copies of the Proclamation sent to the states in 1863 will be on display. It will be the document's only appearance in the Southeast, the governor said. It can be exposed to light only for brief periods. The exhibition year marks the 150th anniversary of the Proclamation's issuance and other key events in the war. The Proclamation declared that "all persons held as slaves" within states or parts of states "in rebellion against the United States are, and henceforward shall be free." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/12/emancipation-proclamation-be-display-tennessee-201/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

State to Display Original Emancipation Proclamation in 2013 (WPLN-Radio)

Tennessee has beat out several competing bids to display the original Emancipation Proclamation in early 2013. The fragile document signed by President Lincoln rarely leaves the National Archives, and will only be on display in Nashville for a few days. The Emancipation Proclamation marked a turning point in the Civil War when Lincoln called to free millions of slaves. To display the original, the state museum trumped historical societies in Virginia and Atlanta, says director Lois Riggins-Ezzell. You have a lot of places that would like to have had this show, and it was really a matter of who got there first, proved that they were capable of hosting it, proved that they were committed to doing the marketing. Riggins-Ezzell says that meant showing Tennessees museum has ample security as well as climate controls, because the old rag paper is so delicate. She hopes to draw visitors and field trips in from neighboring states, so the display will run twice as long ashttp://wpln.org/?p=32261 usual.

State Faces Challenge in Worker Turnover: Haslam (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Many key state employees could retire in the next five years, and Governor Bill Haslam says departments may struggle with replacing them. Haslam says that worry is a constant refrain he hears from commissioners. Around 1 in 7 state workers will be able to retire in the next few years. Haslam doubts the state will offer much in the way of incentives for them to stick around, saying instead officials are looking at how theyll hire replacements. Its a very unwieldy process to hire someone in state government right now. I have commissioners going Im a little concerned Im going to lose this person whos been here, has good institutional knowledge, and the process to replace them is not a very good one. So weve had a lot of conversations about How do we do that better? Tennessees Department of Human Resources is looking to rework how it evaluates state employees. http://wpln.org/?p=32192

Haslam: Allow locals to set living wage standards (Associated Press/Schelzig)

Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday he wants to leave it up to local governments to decide whether to set their own wage requirements for contractors. The Republican governor told reporters that he's "not a fan of the living wage," but that those decisions should be left up to counties and cities. Haslam's stance puts him at odds with some fellow Republicans in the Legislature. Rep. Glen Casada of Franklin and Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown are sponsoring legislation seeking to ban higher wage requirements set by local governments and to repeal those standards where they have already been set in place. "Local governments are unwittingly pricing certain employees out of jobs, especially minority teens, who do not yet have the skill set to demand high-wage, highbenefit jobs," Kelsey said in a release announcing the bill last month. The city of Memphis requires contractors to pay workers without benefits at least $12.32 per hour, while those with benefits can earn no less than $10.27 per hour. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38133517.story

Haslam says local governments should decide on living wages (TFP/Sher)

Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday that cities and counties should be able to determine whether to establish wage requirements for companies contracting with them. "I'm not a fan of the living wage," Haslam told reporters. But he said local "governments should be able to decide for themselves if they want to do that." Two Republican lawmakers are pushing a bill that would bar cities and counties from imposing wage requirements and overturn those that are already in place. Memphis has such requirements, and Nashville is considering passing its "living wage" requirement. In announcing the legislation last month, Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, said local governments are "unwittingly pricing certain employees out of jobs, especially minority teens, who do not yet have the skill set to demand high-wage, high-benefit jobs." The Associated Press reported that Memphis requires contractors pay workers with no benefits at least $12.32 per hour, while those with benefits can earn no less than $10.27 per hour. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/b5-haslam-says-local-governments-should-decide-on/?local

Proposal would prevent TN cities from requiring living wage (WSMV-TV Nashville)
A living wage has been one of the rallying cries for the Occupy Wall Street movement, but some Tennessee state lawmakers are making a move to prohibit cities from forcing businesses to implement one. The plan would prohibit cities from requiring businesses to implement any wage above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. It would also keep them from requiring any insurance mandates or family leave beyond state and federal law. Opponents say it's not only an issue of people not being able to live on their salary, it's also part of a trend they believe is disturbing. In 2007, Vanderbilt University, Nashville's largest employer, gave its employees a living wage. And last year, Metro followed suit. "What we don't want is for our towns to start implementing a hodgepodge of laws that would keep the small businessman from expanding within the state of Tennessee," said Rep. Glen Casada, R-College Grove. http://www.wsmv.com/story/16308485/proposal-would-prevent-tn-cities-from-requiring-living-wage

Haslam Doesnt W ant Legislation For Plaza Occupiers (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Governor Bill Haslam says a slow, open process is the best way to make rules for protests on the plaza near Tennessees legislature. Occupy Nashville protesters have said theyll stay camped there through winter. Haslam ran into trouble in federal court earlier this fall, after trying to set a curfew for the plaza without going through the public rulemaking process. Lately some state workers have hinted lawmakers, who reconvene early next year, could instead try to push a bill that kicks out the occupiers. But Haslam says hed rather go through the administrative process, which can take months, to be sure and get the new rule right. Its a fairly lengthy timeframe to do that, and so there might be some people that are frustrated with that. I just think this is a better way to have those discussions: Whats it going to be used for? What are the circumstances? Make sure everybody has the proper notice and timeframe to do that Its our position thats the best way to approach it. http://wpln.org/?p=32238

Smartphone suicide prevention app being announced (Associated Press)

State officials are announcing a new suicide prevention smartphone app for soldiers. Gov. Bill Haslam and Maj. Gen. Terry "Max" Haston, the state adjutant general, will announce "Guard Your Buddy" Tuesday afternoon. According to a news release from the Tennessee National Guard, it is the first app of its kind in the country. The announcement will coincide with a celebration of the 375th birthday of the National Guard. Clark Flatt, founder of the Jason Foundation, is also scheduled to discuss the app. The foundation works to prevent youth suicide. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38136003.story 3

Newspaper reports Haslam overstated personal tax rates (Nooga)

As a national discussion on taxes and the rich continues to heat up, a report from the Memphis Commercial Appeal has revealed Gov. Bill Haslam overstated his personal income tax rate during last year's campaign. Instead of disclosing personal income from family-owned business Pilot-Flying J, the 11th largest private company in the nation, the investigation showed that Haslam only offered reporters a summary of $28.5 million in non-Pilot incomes earned between 2003 and 2008. While the governor claimed at times his tax rate topped 48 percent, it turns out his effective federal tax rate was much lower. "So low, in fact, Haslam's tax data provides fodder for an emerging national debate over how much federal income tax policy benefits the rich," the report says. The newspaper employed the method of a Washington-based tax research organization to calculate the tax rate on Haslam's non-Pilot income, which turned out to average 13.1 percent between 2003 and 2008. The low rate was achieved by using taxable income instead of total income, and by writing off deductions. http://www.nooga.com/26163_newspaper-reports-haslam-overstated-personal-tax-rates/

Southeast Tennessee gets grants to boost college access (TFP/Hardy)

Southeast Tennessee schools received nearly a quarter of a million dollars in federal grants to improve college access for graduating high school seniors. Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced the grants, totaling $686,820, last week, saying they were meant to improve the numbers of Tennessee's high school graduates who go to college. The grants are funded by Tennessee's federal Race to the Top grant. Nine of 66 applicants were selected in the Tennessee College Access and Success Network's inaugural round of funding. Bradley County Schools received a $167,065 grant -- one of the largest awards -- to create collegeplanning seminars for high school juniors, offer ACT preparation classes and ACT teacher professional development. The district also will expand college visits to include parent visits, produce a quarterly career and college newsletter and pay one college application fee for students. The Educational Opportunity Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga received $39,996 under the grant program. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/b4-area-gets-grants-to-boost-college-access/?local

State upgrading radio system for troopers (Associated Press)

The state has announced an agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc. for a statewide radio system for state troopers. Under $39.2 million appropriated by the General Assembly, radios will be upgraded in the Tennessee Highway Patrol Chattanooga, Fall Branch and Knoxville districts. It's the first phase of the project replacing a system more than 30 years old. Officials said it would help troopers communicate with authorities in Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. THP Col. Tracy Trott said the lack of a reliable communication system has been an issue for troopers for decades. Officials said the new system also will help communications between troopers and similar Motorola radio operations used in cities including Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Jackson and Franklin. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38136033.story

Auditors fault accounting at Columbia State CC (Associated Press)

State auditors have found that millions of dollars was misreported during accounting procedures at Columbia State Community College Auditors said that between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, funds were misreported or left unreported on financial documents. There was no indication money was stolen. According to The Daily Herald, the college blamed some of the errors on lack of understanding and confusion ( http://bit.ly/sbJTdH The ). audit report said the errors were apparently corrected. State officials recommended that the college improve its financial preparation and review procedures to prevent future errors. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38134069.story

Disabled woman injured at home with state contract (Associated Press)

State officials are investigating injuries to an elderly mentally disabled woman being cared for at a Nashville residence under a state contract. The unidentified woman suffered multiple leg fractures, according to a document reviewed by The Tennessean newspaper (http://bit.ly/nR3vRz). As a result, she underwent surgery last week. The woman was a resident at a home owned by a nonprofit agency that serves developmentally disabled adults, but her care was provided by the Volunteers of America of Kentucky. A spokeswoman for Volunteers of America acknowledged there had been an incident at the residence but declined to discuss any details, citing the ongoing investigation and patient confidentiality laws. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38132089.story 4

ETSU researcher to study progeria (Associated Press)

A scientist at East Tennessee State University's College of Medicine has received a research grant to study new treatments for a disorder that causes premature aging in children. Dr. Yue Zou has been awarded $100,000 over two years by the Progeria Research Foundation. Progeria is a genetic disorder and has no known treatment. Zou, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has specialized in how the body repairs damaged DNA. Progeria usually results in death during teen years. Zou said his study could also help with research on DNA repair and cancer. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38136195.story

UT MBA program earns national ranking (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

The University of Tennessee's full-time Master's of Business Administration program has been ranked among the Top 100 U.S. Business Schools by the social network Poets & Quants. The UT program was ranked 78th among all public and private universities in the United States and 38th among all public U.S. universities. "This ranking is one indicator that we are fulfilling the UT MBA vision of attracting, developing and placing outstanding students who are well-prepared for successful careers in their areas of expertise," Amy Cathey, executive director of the MBA program, said in a prepared statement. The Poets & Quants ranking is a composite of the five major rankings including Financial Times, The Economist, BusinessWeek, Forbes, and U.S. News & W orld Report. It awards MBA programs for consistency across all five rankings. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/12/ut-mba-program-earns-national-ranking/

Richard Baumgartner fallout (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Satterfield)

Judge will consider whether child rapist entitled to new trial Another Knox County criminal conviction is under review for possible retrial, following the recent disclosure of a slew of crimes authorities allege former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner committed while on the bench. Defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs confirmed at a hearing today he will make the same argument of judicial misconduct by Baumgartner on behalf of convicted child rapist Jayson Bailey. Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood earlier this month granted new trials for four defendants convicted in the January 2007 torture-slayings of a Knox County couple. Blackwood found that Baumgartner's conduct during the trials resulted in fundamentally flawed trials for the four defendants. Blackwood said the trials were "structurally flawed" as a result of crimes Baumgartner had allegedly committed since at least 2008, including doctor shopping, buying drugs from a felon on probation in his court and using a graduate of the drug court program he oversaw to buy drugs for him. Blackwood also opined that Baumgartner, who was taking as many as 30 pills a day while on the bench, was too intoxicated to serve as a 13th juror in those trials. State law requires judges to fill that role. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/12/richard-baumgartner-fallout-judge-will-consider/

Prosecutor: 'I was stunned' at Baumgartner probation ruling (NS/Satterfield)

Let the record reflect, a special prosecutor says, that he did not strike a deal to allow former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner to escape justice. Al Schmutzer on Monday defended his role in the prosecution of Baumgartner that ultimately netted the disgraced judge judicial diversion and the sparing of his pension. He said he never agreed to probation when Baumgartner struck a deal in March to plead guilty to official misconduct, a felony. Schmutzer said he had hoped Baumgartner would be jailed after Schmutzer argued at the plea hearing that Baumgartner violated his oath and put cases, including a high-profile fatal carjacking, at risk. "I was stunned when (Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood) came back with straight probation," Schmutzer said. The plea agreement itself backs up his assertion on probation. The document shows the two sides agreed Baumgartner would face the maximum two-year penalty for official misconduct, "with the manner of service to be determined by the court." On the issue of diversion, which spares Baumgartner's pension, the agreement states, "The state does not agree to but will not oppose the defendant's application for judicial diversion and will leave that to the court's discretion." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/13/prosecutor-i-was-stunned-at-baumgartner-ruling/

Online petition hopes to uphold Christian/Newsom verdicts (WVLT-TV Knoxville)

An online petition is circling the internet, pleading for Governor Bill Haslam's help. One of Channon Christian's relatives started it all, asking the governor to stop the retrials for Letalvis Cobbins, Lemaricus Davidson, George Thomas and Vanessa Coleman. Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood overturned all four convictions after a TBI investigation revealed former judge Richard Baumgartner was addicted to pain pills during the trials. "I thought justice was done, I thought this nightmare was over. So to know that Deena and Gary have to sit through several 5

new trials and relive this over and over and over again....it really took a toll on the family," said petition organizer Brandon Sterne. He's also Christian's cousin. He started an online petition asking Governor Haslam to stop the retrials. So far more than 8,000 people have shown their support. But according to the prosecutor's office...No. Special Counsel John Gill told me over the phone the governor has no legal authority. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/Online_peition_hopes_to_up_hold_ChristianNewsome_verdicts_135 418808.html

Ketron to hear plan on axing 'death' tax (Daily News Journal)

State Sen. Bill Ketron plans to consider measures to kill Tennessee's "death" taxes and the Hall income tax, despite the governor's opposition to ending them next session. "That is the ultimate goal," Ketron, RMurfreesboro, said in a Monday statement. "These are the two issues that are holding Tennessee back from making us an attractive and competitive state. We will have to look hard and deep to find money to replace the loss." Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said last week he isn't ready to eliminate those taxes, though he told The Associated Press they are bad for Tennessee in the long run because they "chase capital away from the state." In a difficult economic time, Haslam said, Tennessee doesn't have the revenue to make up that revenue, which was more than $300 million in fiscal 2011. "I don't think either one of those really are helpful," Haslam told the AP. "Right now it's just hard to figure out how we're going to replace those." Tennessee has two so-called death taxes, an estate tax and inheritance tax, on its books. The inheritance tax allows a person to pass on $1 million of value before any inheritance tax is due to the state. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111213/NEW S01/112130311/Ketron-hear-plan-axing-death-tax?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Berke Earning Respect on Both Sides of Aisle (Memphis Daily News)

State Sen. Andy Berke said he had no expectations of what public office would be like when he was elected in 2007. In fact, he said somewhat sheepishly, he literally had not been to the legislature since my fourth-grade field trip. By the way, thats a mistake. I now realize I should have been paying more attention all along. When he speaks to groups, he said he asks audiences to learn from his mistake. Since his arrival, however, the Chattanooga Democrat has gained praise of colleagues in both parties. Hes always been prepared when he comes to committee work, said state Sen. Jim Tracy, the Shelbyville Republican who chairs the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee, one of two on which Berke serves. He knows the issues and studies the issues. We may disagree on the issues (but hes) always been prepared. Longtime state Sen. Douglas Henry of Nashville calls Berke a bright man whose questions on legislation help focus discussion and help other lawmakers better understand the issues. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/dec/13/berke-earning-respect-on-both-sides-of-aisle/

Knox County to ask state to keep Lakeshore open (News-Sentinel/Donila)

In a voice often choked with sadness, Susan Vanacore told Knox County commissioners on Monday about her son, a 27-year-old mentally ill man who had "a psychotic breakdown" and stabbed her husband more than a year ago. He now sits in jail, awaiting trial. Instead, she told officials, he belongs in a hospital, or some place that can take care of him. "We need places for people to get treatment who need more long-term treatment," said Vanacore, a retired social worker who lives in Farragut. "We need to remove the mentally ill from the jails so they can also get treatment." Vanacore was one of three who pleaded to commissioners Monday to find some way to keep the doors to Lakeshore Mental Health Institute open. "These are people, these are our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children," she said. "They deserve to have a life where they are respected and treated in their communities." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/12/knox-county-to-ask-state-to-keep-lakeshore-open/

Knox County Commission passes resolution to try to keep Lakeshore open (WATE)
Lakeshore Mental Health Facility in Knoxville will close this summer if state legislators approve a budgettrimming proposal. The closure would eliminate hundreds of jobs, and there are concerns about where some patients would go. Knox County Commissioner Jeff Ownby has a proposal to keep the facility open. Ownby's resolution asks the state to delay closing the facility for up to two years and produce a plan for local officials and stakeholders. Commissioners passed the resolution on Monday afternoon. "Basically our voice of our community is saying don't make this an unfunded mandate. Don't close the one safety net our mentally ill have," Ownby said. Knox County commissioners say they voted for the resolution in large part because the state hasn't talked 6

about what officials will do with the facility or the patients staying there. "The question I ask is, what is the plan? No one seems to know," said Commissioner Mike Hammond. http://www.wate.com/story/16309081/knox-county-commission-hopes-to-keep-lakeshore-open

Knox Commissioners to ask for delay of Lakeshore closing (WBIR-TV Knoxville)

Knox County commissioners are speaking out against the state's plan to close the Lakeshore Mental Health Institute. At a meeting Monday afternoon, Commissioners unanimously recommended a resolution that Commission Chairman Mike Hammond send a letter to state lawmakers in Knox County. That letter would ask Governor Haslam to delay the closure of Lakeshore for a period of two years. Commissioners believe there is no real plan in place to take care of patients who will be displaced. . They are concerned some of those patients could end up living on the streets or in jail. "I endorse this resolution that we ask the state to move perhaps a little bit more slowly. let's have a process so that we as the legislative body can have, not input, but just clarification on what the plan is. And I don't think that's too much to ask," said Hammond. The letter would also go to Speaker of the House of Representatives Beth Harwell, Senator Randy McNally, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, and Mental Health Commissioner Doug Varney. http://www.wbir.com/rss/article/195495/2/Knox-Commissioners-to-ask-for-delay-of-Lakeshore-closing

County Commission at Cross Purposes on Redistricting (Memphis Flyer)

There was a time, a week or two back, when it appeared that the Shelby County Commission would have little difficulty in arriving at a consensus on how to redistrict the legislative bodys 13 allotted seats in response to the 2010 census The current Commission map, drawn according to the census of 2000, consists of four threemember districts and one single-member district. More or less in keeping with the Commissions known preferences, the joint city/county Office of Planning and Development researched the demographics and offered a choice of two possibilities what was called Scenario One, featuring six dual-member districts and one singlemember district and Scenario Two, which divided the county into 13 single-member districts. Both plans, in deference to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the current demographics of Shelby County, respected AfricanAmerican dominance in the City of Memphis per se and gave blacks a fair chance at a numerical edge on the Commission as a whole. Both plans also acknowledged the fact that the countys population had expanded outward and that, as a result, the areas outside the City of Memphis should be guaranteed at least four seats. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/12/12/county-commission-at-cross-purposes-onredistricting

Roane County opts not to support loosening of Open Meetings Act (WBIR-TV Knox)
The Roane County Commission voted down a measure that would have supported a state group's efforts to loosen the restrictions of the Open Meetings Act. The Tennessee County Commissioners Association has been trying to build support among Tennessee counties to loosen that act. Currently, it prohibits two or more members within a body of power from meeting in private without adequate public notice. The association said it expresses support for state legislation that would eventually define a meeting as a quorum of the members of a governing body which has the power to make decisions. The Tennessee General Assembly does not have to abide by a similar Open Meetings Act at this time. "It would increase the efficiency of local government," said Roane County Commissioner Bobby Collier. Roane County's Monday night vote means it will join Rhea and Anderson Counties in opposing any Sunshine changes. http://www.wbir.com/rss/article/195526/2/Roane-Co-opts-not-to-support-loosening-of-Open-Meetings-Act

Group wants Montgomery Co. citizens to decide on property taxes (WSMV-TV)

A local group says residents should have the power to decide how much their property taxes should go up, instead of allowing the local county government to make that decision. The Common Sense Coalition is circulating a petition that could change the very basics of government in Montgomery County. Two Tennessee counties have already approved home-rule charter amendments, and now some in Montgomery County are trying to get enough signatures to change its county laws. Bryan Boyd, with Common Sense Coalition, is in a race against time. While most people seem to like his petition, it is hard to find time enough to get to enough signatures. "We feel it is the citizen's right to vote on a property tax increase," Boyd said. "That's what it comes down to." More than 1,000 people have signed the petition. But it's not enough. They must get 3,500 people to sign it to put it on the ballot. And then the voters would decide whether to adopt it. http://www.wsmv.com/story/16309464/group-wants-montgomery-county-citizens-to-decide-on-property-taxes 7

Bradley County commission gets wheel tax draft (Times Free-Press/Leach)

A proposed wheel tax for Bradley County may be put on the August 2012 general election ballot. The County Commission is reviewing the proposed $32 wheel tax, intended to fund $38 million in major education projects. Education Committee Chairman Jeff Yarber distributed copies of the wheel tax draft to the commission in an abbreviated work session Monday. The draft proposes that a wheel tax -- assessed each time a vehicle is registered in the county -- should be put to a referendum in the August 2012 general election. "I know a lot of questions will come forward, and I don't want it tied up for months and months," said Yarber, who asked the commission to review the draft before January's work sessions. The draft proposes to dedicate wheel tax revenues for capital school projects, as opposed to feeding the county's general debt service, school budgets or the general fund. Commission Chairman Louie Alford asked if and how the wheel tax revenues could be applied to Bradley's $67 million in school-related debt, which is pooled in the county's general debt service. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/b4-bradley-commission-gets-wheel-tax-draft/?local

Change In Zoning Laws Anger Murfreesboro Residents (WTVF-TV Nashville)

A vote for new zoning laws could force one family out of the home they've lived in for more than two decades. The Murfreesboro Zoning Committee will vote Monday night to allow a new bike trail in Murfreesboro, but if the vote passes it will come at the expense of one Rutherford County family's home. "I'm not going to be able to recover this by going out and buying a new house and moving my junk from here to there. No, that's not going to happen. I will have to start over," said homeowner David McCurry. The Murfreesboro Zoning Committee will meet Monday night to discuss a potential bike trail in Murfreesboro. But with the new trail, would come a change in zoning laws. Some people say these laws would allow a major development to continue and would force Dave McCurry and his family out of the home he built 27 years ago and off the family's 5 acres of land. McCurry said his family just hopes they are offered fair value for the home and land but others say this is not right and they hope their voices at tonight's meeting will at least hold up a decision for right now. http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16309052/change-in-zoning-laws-anger-murfreesboro-residents

J.B. Bennett won't seek seat in Congress for 3rd District... right now (TFP/Carroll)
J.B. Bennett on Monday became the second local this month to say he's not running for Congress. "I very much appreciate all of the kind words of encouragement and tremendous support from so many people I greatly respect," he wrote in an emailed statement. "I am not ruling out running for public office in the future." The announcement sounded familiar. Two weeks ago, Robin Smith, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann's top Republican rival from a year ago, went on the radio to say she would not challenge the congressman to a rematch. A Chattanooga attorney and lobbyist, Bennett recently sent a letter to about 100 friends that said he was exploring a run against Fleischmann in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District. Bennett later told the Chattanooga Times Free Press he was "not satisfied" with Fleischmann's leadership, but he declined to specify his grievances. The son of Hamilton County Property Assessor Bill Bennett, J.B. Bennett said he "will think about" making an endorsement, but his statement made no mention of Fleischmann or any of his challengers. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/b5-bennett-wont-seek-3rd-district-seat/?local

Unemployment benefits extension faces critical deadline (WSMV-TV Nashville)

Thousands of unemployed people in Tennessee and across the nation are set to start losing their benefits at the end of the year. Those benefits will start expiring unless Congress acts soon. If Congress doesn't renew the federal unemployment benefits, the number of Tennesseans receiving them could be cut in half. Right now, Tennessee pays for the first 26 weeks of unemployment, then the federal government pays for weeks 27 through 99. If the benefits aren't extended, some 12,000 people who are in the last 20 weeks of extended benefits will get their last payout during the final week of December. It doesn't matter if you are on week 80 or week 92, it just goes away. And if you are on the other tiers of federal unemployment, your benefits will be phased out. Once you meet the maximum amount of weeks in your current tier, your benefits will end. The unemployed were in the same spot last year, until Congress decided to renew the extended benefits for another year. http://www.wsmv.com/story/16309011/unemployment-benefits-extension-faces-critical-deadline

Court hearing over seized Gibson wood delayed (Associated Press)

A federal court hearing over wood seized from Gibson Guitar Corp. has been pushed back from Monday to Jan. 30. Federal prosecutors and Gibson Guitar Corp. asked for the hearing to be rescheduled, but court documents don't give a reason for the delay. Nashville-based Gibson is contesting a judge's ruling that the company must 8

wait until a criminal investigation is complete before proceeding with efforts to reclaim wood seized by the government. Federal agents have twice raided Gibson facilities and seized wood they allege was illegally exported from India this year and from Madagascar in 2009. Gibson, which has denied any wrongdoing, has drawn the support of Republicans and tea party groups decrying the raids as examples of overzealous regulation and a threat to American jobs. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38131289.story

TN company to pay $1.5 million in federal clean water fines (Associated Press)
Federal officials say the Georgia Department of Transportation and a Tennessee construction company have agreed to pay one of the largest fines in the history of the federal Clean Water Act for possible violations during highway expansion projects. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday that Wright Brothers Construction Co. of Charleston, TN, and Georgia's transportation department have agreed to pay $1.5 million in penalties and spend more than $1.3 million to resolve environmental issues. Federal officials say the state allowed the company to dump excess soil and rock into seven primary trout streams in northeast Georgia between 2004 and 2007. Officials with Wright Brothers did not immediately return a call for comment. A GDOT spokesman also did not return a call for comment. http://www.wsmv.com/story/16307343/gdot-tenn-company-to-pay-clean-water-fines

High Court to Rule on Immigration (Wall Street Journal)

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether an Arizona statute targeting illegal immigrants interferes with federal law, entering another high-profile dispute between the Obama administration and conservative state governments. The 2010 Arizona measure requires police to arrest people they stop whom they suspect lack authorization to be in the U.S., and includes other provisions intended to drive illegal immigrants from the state. U.S. courts have blocked much of the Arizona law from taking effect, agreeing with the Justice Department that it undermines federal authority over immigration. The court is likely to hear the case by April and issue a decision before July, the same time frame for its review of President Barack Obama's 2010 health-care overhaul. Conservative activists and Republican officials from 26 state governments contend the health law exceeds federal authority. The scheduling could give both cases a significant role in next year's presidential and congressional electionsand could make the Supreme Court, certain to be criticized by the losers in each case, itself an issue. Four of the nine justices are in their 70s, suggesting that the next president could have at least one vacancy to fill on the closely divided court. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203518404577094272586674592.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Health care case adds pressure for cameras in Supreme Court (USA Today)
Now that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a dispute over the federal health care law, the justices are facing the strongest challenge to their ban on televised hearings. Members of Congress and news industry leaders have asked the court to allow the televising of oral arguments, to be held over five and a half hours during two days in March A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 72% of the people surveyed think the justices should allow cameras for those arguments. Several polls in the past decade have shown majority support for televising the court's arguments, in general The pressure from Congress, which included a Senate hearing last week on legislation that would require the televising of most arguments, and from outside interests following the health care case, could present a turning point in breaking down justices' resistance to cameras. "I can't think of another case in recent years, except Bush v. Gore, that has generated so much public interest," says Sally Rider, former administrative assistant to Chief Justices William Rehnquist and John Roberts and now a University of Arizona law professor, referring to the 2000 Florida election case. "Now that I'm away from the court," Rider added, "it's incredible how often I hear people talk about wanting to see oral arguments. When they find out they're not on TV, they are shocked." http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/story/2011-1212/health-care-supreme-court-televise/51851162/1?loc=interstitialskip

Short-staffed and budget-bare, overwhelmed agencies unable to keep up (Stateline)

On the face of it, the backlog the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is experiencing seems a simple matter of supply and demand. Some 11,000 families are on the authoritys waiting list, hoping against the odds that they can get one of only 6,295 public housing units. In a state where housing is notoriously expensive, the only people 9

with a real shot at getting a unit are the homeless and survivors of domestic abuse. Even for them, the waiting can take years. The waitlist is so extensive and the homeless problem is so great that a lot of people are getting preference over working families, explains Nicholas Birck, chief planner for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. They never make it to the top. But theres another, hidden problem at play in Hawaiis housing backlog. Lately, the authority hasnt had enough employees to manage turnover in vacant units. As a result, 310 homes have been sitting empty, even with all the people languishing in waitlist limbo. For many of the vacant units, all it would take is a few simple repairs and a little bit of administrative work to give a family a home and get the authoritys backlog shrinking rather than growing. The situation is a byproduct of big budget cuts in Hawaii and a hiring freeze that wasnt lifted until earlier this year. A handful of employees in the housing authoritys property management office retired, and the hiring freeze made it impossible to fill the vacant positions. For a while, there was only one person overseeing the offices far-flung portfolio spanning four islands. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=618752

Higher electric bills zap households (USA Today)

Electric bills nationally have skyrocketed in the past five years, a sharp reversal from a quarter-century ago when Americans enjoyed stable power bills even as they used more electricity. Households paid a record $1,419 on average for electricity in 2010, the fifth consecutive yearly increase above the inflation rate, a USA TODAY analysis of government data found. The jump has added about $300 a year to what households pay for electricity. Thats the largest sustained increase since a run-up in electricity prices during the 1970s. In Nashville, the rate over the last five years has jumped nearly 25 percent. A typical household using an average of 1,300 kilowatt hours a month is paying $119.03 as of October, compared with $95.81 five years ago, according to Nashville Electric Service. Thats a rise of almost $280 a year, with increasing fuel costs a major factor. NES sells electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority, which has kept rates lower than the national average. Electricity on a national level is consuming a greater share of Americans after-tax income than at any time since 1996 about $1.50 of every $100 in income at a time when income growth has stagnated, a USA TODAY analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis data found. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111213/NEWS08/312130030/Higher-electric-bills-zap-households? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Erlanger trustees reject severance package for outgoing CEO (TFP/Haman, Martin)
Erlanger hospital's board of trustees rejected a severance package worth about $727,000 in salary and benefits for outgoing CEO Jim Brexler Monday, but the board voted unanimously to accept his resignation. Now board members, who deadlocked in a 4-4 vote on the severance, must decide if they want to revisit the issue of severance for the seven-year CEO, board Chairman Ronald Loving said after Monday's meeting. Brexler's resignation is effective Dec. 31. The hospital announced Brexler's resignation Nov. 17, but the board did not officially vote to accept it until Monday. On Nov. 29, the board appointed Charlesetta W oodard-Thompson, chief operating officer of the hospital, as the temporary president and CEO. Behind the scenes, trustees and Erlanger officials continued to hash out what, if anything, Brexler would be entitled to. Brexler's contract states if he was let go without cause, he would receive 18 months pay and benefits as severance. If he was fired with cause, he's entitled to nothing. And other scenarios would come into play if he voluntarily terminated the contract. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/erlanger-trustees-reject-severance-package-for/

Bidding deadline nears for Electrolux (Commercial Appeal)

Electrolux is seeking minority and female contractors to bid on work to build its manufacturing facility in Memphis. With site work under way, building package bids from the general contractors are due to Electrolux by 5 p.m. Thursday. The project has undergone some recent redesign and cost reductions in its overall scope. Revised plans and specifications have been reissued to the three remaining general contractors seeking the contract award. The construction team led by Allen & Hoshall is working with the Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum, the National Association of Women Business Owners, Black Business Association, Memphis Area Minority Contractors Association, the City of Memphis, Shelby County Government and other agencies to identify firms to participate in the bidding process. The Electrolux construction project will consist of a manufacturing facility, warehouse and office space, and will employ more than 1,200 workers. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/13/bidding-deadline-nears-for-electrolux/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

New development will create jobs in Oak Ridge (WBIR-TV Knoxville)

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News that more business and jobs are coming to East Tennessee is always refreshing news in today's economy. It's especially welcomed in Oak Ridge which has been thirsty for more retail options for some time. Monday night, leaders took steps toward a development that could create more than a hundred jobs in the coming months. Monday night, the Oak Ridge City Council made new decisions about Woodland Town Center. Plans call for moving forward on a development that will be located in the center of town on Illinois Avenue. It would include restaurants and eventually more businesses. The plan was approved three years ago, but funding and infrastructure were just finalized at Monday night's meeting. The city decided to abandon Quincy Street between South Illinois Avenue and South Purdue Avenue and use the land for the center. The city said the development will create 135 construction jobs, and once it's up and running, the restaurants will create another 100 jobs. http://www.wbir.com/rss/article/195524/2/New-development-will-create-jobs-in-Oak-Ridge

Metro schools, (CP/Garrison)

state

officials

reach

agreement

on

grant

management

Metro Nashville Public Schools has entered into a memorandum of understanding on grant management with the Tennessee Department of Education, an agreement reached after the state labeled the district a high-risk grantee for federal funds in 2008. The Metro school board is set to review the agreement at Tuesdays board meeting. Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman and Director of Schools Jesse Register have already signed the document. This agreement validates the work we are doing through MNPS Achieves, Register said in a statement, referencing the name of his education reform agenda. We are well on our way to transforming this district into one of academic and operational excellence. According to the memorandum, the state in April 2008 placed Metro on high-risk status for all U.S. Department of Education grant programs in response to significant monitoring findings on student achievement. For the past three years, Metro has worked with the state department of education to resolve issues that led to the district receiving the high-risk grantee label. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-schools-state-officials-reach-agreement-federal-grantsmanagement

Nashville schools' grant spending sheds 'high-risk' tag (Tennessean/Hubbard)

Tennessee takes off label after improvements The state is loosening its grip on Metro Nashvilles school grant spending after district leaders proved they can manage that money. Metro earned the label high-risk grantee in 2008 after auditors found a number of accounting problems, including weak inventory records for computer equipment and questionable use of purchasing cards tied to federal grants. The state took control of some central office functions and froze a $5.2 million grant for teachers salaries, curriculum and student supplies. It was not a designation you would want, Metro Schools spokeswoman Olivia Brown said. We worked hard at improving business practices and putting in more structure in contracts and how all money is overseen. On Monday the district announced it struck an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Education to lift the designation. The district will receive about $92 million this school year in federal funds and grants for everything from helping students in low-income schools to creating student health programs, its budget shows. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111213/NEWS04/312130043/Nashville-schools-grant-spending-shedshigh-risk-tag?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Metro school board to decide Drexel charter's future (Tennessean/Hall)

Leaders of Drexel Preparatory Academy, a W hites Creek charter school, could learn their fate next week. The Metro Nashville school board called a special meeting for 4:30 p.m. Monday to decide whether to revoke the schools charter over failure to provide services to students who struggle with English and to keep proper lunch and other records. Drexel opened in August and serves 240 students in grades K-4. It would be the second charter school closed by Metro over mismanagement. Charter schools are funded with public money but run independently of local districts, who only grant the charters and can pull them for cause. Drexels leaders say there were legitimate reasons why things went wrong, and theyve fixed all the problems. They plan to appeal to the state if the board tries to close their school. The meeting will be at the districts central office, 2601 Bransford Ave. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111213/NEWS04/312120058/Metro-school-board-decide-Drexel-charter-sfuture?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Metro charter school faces serious accusations (WSMV-TV Nashville)

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A Nashville charter school that promised a special approach to learning could soon be shut down for serious violations. Internal documents, obtained by the Channel 4 I-Team, show why Drexel Preparatory Academy in Whites Creek may become the second charter school in two years to close. Among the claims, there's evidence Drexel hired unlicensed teachers and failed to check the background of its bus drivers. The district is investigating the possible violations of several state and local rules. "When they're not followed, in serious areas involving vulnerable children, we make sure the board knows about that," said Alan Coverstone, with Metro Public Schools. A review of Drexel's internal file at district headquarters reveals the school hired six unlicensed teachers and only certified them after the district pointed out the problem. "It happens all the time. That's not unusual," said Frank Stevenson, with Drexel Preparatory Academy. http://www.wsmv.com/story/16309280/metro-charter-school-faces-serious-accusations

KIPP Memphis charter school lands $3M to expand (Commercial Appeal/Roberts)

Growth fund touts its 'solid academic track record' KIPP Memphis will tell the city today what it has quietly known for weeks: The school received $3 million from a venture-capital fund focused on expanding high-test charter schools. The Denver-based Charter School Growth Fund identifies strong performers, then pours money into them, hoping to grow strains of charter schools capable of transforming America's poor, urban pockets. "First and most important is a solid academic track record," said the fund's CEO, Kevin Hall. "We're not interested in helping people grow who don't have solid academic performance." The Memphis KIPP (part of the national Knowledge Is Power Program network) is the first Tennessee charter to receive a multimillion-dollar infusion from Charter School Growth. The North Memphis school in the old Caldwell Elementary will use the money to expand from 520 students in two schools to 4,500 students in 10 schools by 2015. The Charter School Growth venture capital fund was formed in 2005 by Donald Fisher, co-founder of The Gap, and John Walton, son of WalMart founder Sam Walton. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/13/kipp-memphis-lands-3m-to-expand/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Shelby County Schools merger leaders hear of success in N.C. (CA/McMillin)

When the former superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Schools told a Shelby County Schools merger forum Monday night that success in substantially lifting performance across a diverse, often-divided county required "backbreaking" work, he gave one example that hit close to home. When Peter Gorman persuaded one of Mecklenburg County's most effective principals to leave a low-poverty high-performing school and take a team into a poorer, lower-performing school, he came home to a wife none too happy it was their daughter's principal making the move. "My wife said, 'Are you nuts? How could you let this person move?'" Gorman recalled. "I said, 'Trust me. The person coming in here is going to do great work.' My wife doesn't even think about that former principal any more." Gorman was one of four key leaders from Charlotte-Mecklenburg at Christian Brothers University for a forum with both the Transition Planning Commission and the unified school board. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/13/school-leaders-hear-of-success/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

ASD Head, MCS Discuss Reforms (Memphis Daily News)

The head of the state run Achievement School District that will run a set of low-performing schools across the state is beginning specific discussions with Memphis City Schools officials about decisions to come after the new year. ASD superintendent Chris Barbic said decisions about which of the states low-performing schools are run directly by the state and which are run collaboratively with school districts should start being made and announced by the first week in February. The Memphis City Schools system has 69 of the 85 schools in the bottom 5 percent. Four MCS schools three high schools and one middle school are already in the Achievement School District. The state has already decided that two state-run charter schools, one for a middle school and the other an elementary school, will operate as part of the ASD in Memphis. That means they will be phased in a grade or two at a time over several school years starting next fall when the school year begins. In Memphis last week for a set of meetings, Barbic talked to about 50 people at a meeting of the Frayser Exchange Club at W estside Middle School, one of the low-performing schools but not one of the four already in the district. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/dec/13/asd-head-mcs-discuss-reforms/

Hamilton County's Press/Hardy)

teachers

union

targets

school

boards

(Times

Free-

The leader of Hamilton County's teachers union wants only those who have worked in the education field to serve on state and local school boards. That's among several ideas pitched by Sandy Hughes, president of the Hamilton County Education Association, for the upcoming state legislative session. She's also hoping the Tennessee General Assembly will put the brakes on some of last year's education reform measures. When it 12

comes to the qualifications to serve on school boards, Hughes said she's most concerned about state school board members -- who are appointed -- because they set so much of the state's educational rules and regulations. But local school boards -- whose members are picked by voters -- could toughen their qualifications, too, she said. "I really believe both local and state school board members should have some experience in education besides having just gone to school sometime in the past because education is so complex." She proposes that to qualify for a school board post a candidate must have been a teacher, administrator or school employee. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/chattanooga-union-targets-school-boards/?local

Students, parents get first look at new Maryville school (News-Sentinel/McCoy)

Ryan McCrory can't wait to be a fourth-grader at Coulter Grove Intermediate School next year. And if he had his way after seeing the inside of the 156,000-square-foot school that opens next fall the 8-year-old would start there today. "This is awesome, huge, so cool, state of the art," he said Monday night after touring the building for the first time with his parents, David and Debbie. "I like everything." Ryan said getting the chance to get a sneak peek of the school which Maryville City school officials did Monday night for parents and students who will be zoned there next year also was "awesome." "It gets you prepared for everything so you can get a better look at the school," he said. "I honestly wish (the first day of school) was tomorrow. It's so cool, I mean everything, I just want to get started." The school's enrollment for its first year is estimated to be about 800 fourth- through seventh-graders. Ramona Best, Coulter Grove's principal, said the purpose for the sneak peek which will continue through the week was to allow families to tour the building and let them know how to stay informed on future developments at the school. More than 600 people attended Monday's event. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/12/students-parents-get-first-look-at-new-maryville/

Wrought iron fence stolen from cemetery (Associated Press)

A 10-foot section of hand-made wrought iron fence is missing from an old cemetery on a Houston County farm and the owners of the property fear metal thieves took it. The Dickson Cemetery is near the Houston-Dickson county line. A fence that surrounds it was made by the Birmingham Iron Works between 1915 and 1920. At least eight people are in jail in Houston County, charged with metal-related thefts, according to The Tennessean (http://leafne.ws/tPhZRp Farm co-owner Allen McCampbell took photos of the remaining fence and took it ). around to scrap metal buyers. None said they bought it. Graves in the cemetery date to 1803 and include one of a Revolutionary W ar soldier. McCampbell said his main aim is to get the fence back, not to charge whoever took it. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38131063.story

Alabama: Judge Blocks Part of Immigration Law (Associated Press)

A federal judge in Mobile issued a preliminary injunction on Monday that blocks a provision of Alabamas immigration law that would have forced illegal immigrants to leave their mobile homes. The ruling by Judge Myron Thompson of Federal District Court replaces a temporary ruling in effect for the last two weeks. It means that people paying for their annual mobile home registration tags will not have to prove their legal residency for now. The registrations are needed to reside in a mobile home. Attorney General Luther Strange, who is defending the law, declined to comment. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/us/alabama-judge-blocks-part-of-immigration-law.html?ref=todayspaper

Colorado: Court decision says Colorado is underfunding schools by billions (DP)

In a ruling that could have multi-billion dollar consequences for Colorado's budget, a Denver judge ruled the state's school funding system is not "thorough and uniform" as mandated by the state constitution. The state's school funding system "is not rationally related to the mandate to establish and maintain a thorough and uniform system of free public schools," District Judge Sheila Rappaport said in her 183-page ruling in which she called the system "unconscionable. "It is also apparent that increased funding will be required," Rappaport said in her ruling, saying lawmakers would be given time to remedy the situation. The case, Lobato vs. State of Colorado, was filed in 2005 by a group of parents from around the state and school districts from the San Luis Valley. The suit alleges the state's current school-funding system fails to provide a "thorough and uniform" system of education as outlined in the Colorado Constitution. http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19511537#ixzz1gPp5OilT

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OPINION Editorial: Governor stands against changes in sunshine law (News-Sentinel)

Gov. Bill Haslam sent a powerful message about the virtues of open government last week by his endorsement of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. Speaking to reporters after a speech to the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Haslam said the "sunshine law" works well and should not be weakened as some lawmakers suggest. The governor said his experience as mayor of Knoxville for seven years convinced him the law is beneficial. "When I was a mayor, the City Council literally followed the rules. They did it right and I think it actually ended up helping the discussion," Haslam said. The governor gets it; unfortunately, some politicos in the state want to keep the public ignorant of their local governments' workings. The Tennessee County Commissioners Association is pushing to change the sunshine law, which bars two or more members of a public panel from deliberating toward a decision in private. The association wants to allow deliberations at private meetings as long as a quorum isn't present. State Rep. Glen Casada, R-College Grove, said he would sponsor legislation to change the law after commissioners in his home county, W illiamson, unanimously voted to recommend the change. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/13/editorial-governor-stands-against-changes-in-law/

Editorial: RCS shows consistent progress in test scores (Daily News Journal)
We were disappointed but not discouraged by Rutherford County Schools' designation as a Target district after release of the state report card earlier this month. While we would have loved to see our system bring home all "A's," we don't believe it's a realistic goal under the No Child Left Behind benchmarks on which it is judged. And we are pleased the system, nonetheless, continues to show improvement. The report card is based on the annual Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program test and details the yearly progress of each public school and district in the state. In Rutherford County, students learning English as a second language failed to meet federal benchmarks in math. Elementary ESL students also did not meet benchmarks in reading and language arts, while high school students with disabilities failed to meet benchmarks in math and reading. But the county's K-8 scores based on student growth, or value-added scores, improved from C's in math and reading/language arts to a B. Social studies value-added stayed at a B, while science remained at a C. 14

http://www.dnj.com/article/20111213/OPINION01/112130309/EDITORIAL-RCS-shows-consistent-progress-testscores

Editorial: JMC school results show promise in some schools worth duplicating (JS)
The latest state report card on public education finds some Jackson-Madison County public schools doing well while others continue to struggle. The thing that matters most right now is that there is a growing concern among community leaders and residents that poor schools are a major deterrent to individuals with families, and likely to business and industry, to locate in Jackson-Madison County. The challenge is how to do more of what we do best. Fortunately, efforts are under way ranging from a school system/chamber of commerce partnership to create a strategic plan to efforts by an independent group to start a charter school, to private efforts to increase the availability of pre-kindergarten opportunities for children from low-income families. At the state level, Tennessee is implementing new education evaluation standards and teacher accountability procedures. The state has applied for a waiver of the No Child Left Behind law in favor of its own evaluation standards based on many years of Tennessee Value Added Assessment scores. Clearly, the problems of public education at the state and local levels are not being ignored. A review of the latest state report card for Jackson-Madison County schools again shows that a few schools are doing an outstanding job. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111213/OPINION01/112130302/Editorial-JMC-school-results-showpromise-some-schools-worth-duplicating

Times Editorial: Break the wine sales monopoly in Tennessee (Times Free-Press)
Some people who read or hear that the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee has been awarded the Beacon Center of Tennessee's annual "lump of coal" award will believe the honor a distinctly dubious one. The wholesalers, however, probably think the opposite. The association has to be happy that another year has passed without Tennessee lawmakers approving legislation that would allow the sale of wine in the state's grocery stores. The Beacon Center, a think tank and advocacy organization with libertarian leanings, gives the coal each year "to the person or group in Tennessee who, more than another other during the past year, acted as a grinch to Tennesseeans by bah-humbugging the principles of liberty and limited government." You don't have to accept the center's political-philosophical outlook to agree with its dim view of the wholesalers. Present Tennessee law limits wine sales to package stores, where liquor is sold. Beer is sold only at grocery and convenience stores. That system has been in place for so long that few people care or remember why it was instituted. Whatever the reasons, it's time for a change. Tennesseans ought to be able to buy wine at competitive prices in grocery stores -- just like the residents of 33 other states, including Georgia. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/tennessee-break-the-wine-sales-monopoly/?opiniontimes

Sam Stockard: Residents should have voice in county planning process (DNJ)
Rutherford County needs to be careful about throwing out the ideas behind a 1984 zoning law when it adopts a comprehensive planning document. Take, for example, the driving influence of a once-obscure rule that enabled Blackman property owners to turn back Bible Park USA in May 2008. Opponents used the ordinance and gathered enough petitions against the park, 20 percent of adjacent land owners, to force a two-thirds vote by the County Commission to approve the development. The vote got a majority but fell two short of 14, or two-thirds. In a subsequent lawsuit, Chancellor Robert Corlew found that the supermajority rule was faulty and ruled in favor of the Sheltons, the family that owns the Blackman farm proposed for the Bible Park. The state Appeals Court struck down the two-thirds vote rule and approved a conditional use permit for the park. By that time, though, park developers had all but vanished. The supermajority rule remains dead, too, but U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Wiseman determined that the County Commission was not irrational in using the two-thirds vote rule in 2008 because no judge had ever said it was invalid. He also found that the vote was based on the feelings of several county commissioners that the Bible Park would have a detrimental impact on the community. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111213/OPINION02/112130310/STOCKARD-Residents-should-voice-countyplanning-process

Guest columnist: School health invests in kids (Tennessean)

How many of us would spend a little money today to save a lot of money in the future? Tennessee families do this when we buy cars that get better gas mileage or when we put new insulation in our homes to reduce energy bills. Tennessee state government faces a similar choice in its coming budget. It can continue its longstanding commitment to fund the Coordinated School Health program (CSH), or it can prepare to deal with children whose 15

poor health keeps them from learning today and adults who will deal with lifelong health issues and become burdens to our already strained health-care system in the future. Almost a decade ago, Tennessee lawmakers wisely made a commitment to improving the health and well-being of our children when it established the Coordinated School Health program. Its mission is to improve student health outcomes and support the connection between good health practices, academic achievement and lifetime wellness. CSH is teaching our children the skills they need to be healthy adults. Since the program went statewide in 2007, CSH has provided a staffer in every school district in Tennessee. These dedicated professionals encourage healthy lifestyles, provide needed support to at-risk students, and work to reduce the prevalence of health problems that impair academic success. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111213/OPINION03/312130007/School-health-invests-kids?odyssey=mod| newswell|text|Opinion|p

Editorial: Cause for optimism (Commercial Appeal)

Critics of the merger under way at Memphis and Shelby County Schools have suggested that this county can never truly be united behind a single public school system. Last week's release of a partial list of donors who have given $2 million to the effort helped make the case, however, that the merger can be successful. Donors included some of the community's most influential and engaged business and philanthropic organizations -FedEx, First Tennessee Bank, AutoZone, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Hyde Family Foundations and Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. The bulk of the donation will go to help fund a $1.7 million contract with Boston Consulting Group, which with experience in managing public-education transformations in New Orleans, Delaware, Illinois, Cleveland, Los Angeles and other locations lends considerable credibility to the project. The Transition Planning Commission itself includes members with impressive track records of civic involvement. For the most part, members of the new unified school board have been taking a purposeful and productive approach toward organization and management. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/13/editorial-cause-for-optimism/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Guest columnist: Foster care system helps thousands of kids (Tennessean)

The recent story of two foster children suffering at the hands of a foster parent (Spring Hill foster mom gets 16 years for abuse, Dec. 9) is heart-wrenching and sad on many levels. For all of us, youth symbolizes unlimited potential. And so to see a young person deprived of the opportunities of a life our culture and our country naturally should afford is a tragedy and shame we are all drawn to correct. As the director of an agency that provides foster care services, be assured that stories like that in the Dec. 9 Tennessean are rare. The foster parents I have encountered are loving, caring, supportive and would never endanger any child. In Tennessee alone, we have more than 7,500 children in state custody and another 15,500 who are at risk of coming into custody. Research shows that children in the foster care system across the United States suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder at a rate higher than our military veterans. And every year, as youth age out of the system, they are faced with the challenge of becoming self-sufficient virtually on their own. Those who age out without family face homelessness, incarceration, school dropout, unemployment, unwanted pregnancy and lack of health care. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111213/OPINION03/312130004/Foster-care-system-helps-thousandskids?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Times Editorial: Pell grants at risk (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

Possible cuts to Pell grants -- the federal program that helps make higher education possible for students from low income families -- are in the cross-hairs of federal budget-cutters. They should find another target. Thousands of area students might find it impossible to remain in school if Congress makes billion-dollar reductions in Pell funding. Given the mindless budget-cutting mood in Washington, it's possible, even likely, that Congress will approve the unmerited cuts. That would be a injustice to bright, hard-working students and an unnecessary blow to the future economic health of the United States. W ithout Pell grants, many students from families with modest means would not be able to attend college. While the stipends, about $5,500 a year now, don't always cover the full cost of tuition, they do help close the affordability gap. Indeed, many of those who receive Pell grants still hold down jobs and borrow money to make ends meet. Grant recipients willingly do so. They are mindful that education remains the key to better jobs and to better lives for themselves and for their families. Pell grants served a valuable purpose when they started decades ago and continue to do so, especially in today's difficult economic climate. Any effort to change eligibility or funding formulas and thereby reduce the number of students served should be defeated. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/pell-grants-atrisk/?opiniontimes 16

Charlie Daniel Political Cartoon: Cost Saving Steps (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

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Sam Venable: The prying mind of Uncle Sam (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Oh, joy. The Venable household has been chosen by the U.S. Census Bureau to fill out an American Community Survey. "Chosen" in this sense is about as ominous as "Greetings" was for young men of my generation during the Vietnam War. It means, "You now belong to Uncle Sam." I first received notification about this "honor" by way of a post card. A few days later, a 28-page questionnaire arrived. It says I have to fill everything out. By law. Meaning I get to spend the next 38 minutes telling Uncle Sam's snoops what's going on at my place. What's the significance of 38 minutes? That's how long Uncle Sam estimates the task will take. Baloney. I just perused the form, and I'm guessing 38 days is more like it. That's because Uncle Sam intends to know more about me, my wife and our personal lives than our doctors, priests, bankers and bosses combined. This information is vital, Uncle Sam says, because "it is used to decide where new schools, hospitals and fire stations are needed." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/dec/13/sam-venable-the-prying-mind-of-uncle-sam/

Editorial: Faulty formula to solve a crisis (Commercial Appeal)

Passing deregulation measures merely to make political statements doesn't help solve real problems. The nation's unemployment rate is not improving as rapidly as anyone would prefer, but blaming the problem solely on "job-killing" government regulations won't help. It doesn't hurt to review regulations on a consistent basis, but for an example of how much effort Congress is wasting on the political side of this issue one need look no further than last week's passage of a House bill to give Congress greater power over major federal rules. The bill has no chance of passage in the Senate and would be vetoed by President Barack Obama if it did pass. For another example, see a bill introduced in the House by West Tennessee Republican Stephen Fincher, who wants to exempt companies with less than $700 million in publicly traded shares from the external auditing required by the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Perhaps a case of mass amnesia among Americans who lost their savings in the collapse of companies such as Tyco International, Enron and WorldCom -- or perhaps nostalgia for the subprime mortgage crisis in 2007 -- could make the dreams of deregulators come true. In the meantime, energy is wasted on the effort, as Fincher describes it, to remove "burdensome regulations" on the country's "best job creators." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/13/editorial-faulty-formula-to-solve-a-crisis/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Editorial: Targeting the Unemployed (New York Times)

The House Republican leadership managed to get one thing right in its bill to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. The bill does, indeed, extend the payroll tax cut for another year, but, beyond that, there is a lot to dislike. To help pay for the package, for instance, the bill would cut social spending more deeply than is already anticipated under current budget caps without asking wealthy Americans to contribute a penny in new taxes. It also holds the expiring provisions hostage to irrelevant but noxious proposals to undo existing environmental protections. Worse, it would make unemployment compensation considerably stingier than it is now. At last count, 13.3 million people were officially unemployed and 5.7 million of them had been out of work for more than six months. At no time in the last 60 years has long-term unemployment been so high for so long. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/opinion/targeting-the-unemployed.html?ref=todayspaper

Free-Press Editorial: A costly automobile subsidy for electric cars (TFP)

Certainly no make of automobile has been invented that didn't have some glitches, particularly in its early stages. And not every car instantly takes off in popularity with the public. But some apparent problems with the electricity- and gas-powered Chevrolet Volt are doubly frustrating because of the substantial federal subsidies -funded by taxpayers -- that have been provided to encourage production of the Volt. According to news accounts, in multiple instances, the Volt's 400-pound battery pack has either caught fire or started smoking and throwing off sparks days or even weeks after simulated crashes. Appropriately, General Motors is offering loaner vehicles to thousands of Volt drivers as a precaution while the battery issue is being addressed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company has even offered to buy back the Volt from concerned customers. GM said the Volt's battery pack would not be hazardous during or immediately after a crash, and the company is "depowering" the battery pack of any Volt that has been involved in a serious crash, to head off any risk that it might catch fire later. 17

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/dec/13/1213b-fp2-a-costly-automobile-subsidy/?opinionfreepress

Guest columnist: Opt-out on health care: choice vs. risk (Tennessean)

Recently, a city fire department refused to douse a fire outside the city limits because the homeowners had chosen not to pay for fire service. There was a simple and well-publicized contract between the city and the rural community. The county would not tax homeowners. Instead, each homeowner was told to pay a $75 fee or be ineligible for fire service. These owners decided not to pay, believing that a disaster would never strike. It did. The firefighters followed the well-defined rules to intervene only if lives were at risk. The family lost everything. Firefighters watched, although not without their own personal misgivings. Many people were outraged that the firefighters could be so callous. Frankly, at first blush, I was among them. But then, I reframed the events from the perspective of my conservative friends who emphasize individual responsibility and reject mandatory health insurance. This fire scenario recreates the essential elements of individual responsibility for insurance decisions and the consequences both for the individual and for those who have to stand by and watch them unfold. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111212/OPINION03/312120007/Opt-out-health-care-choice-vs-risk? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|s

Columnist: The Church of Kathleen Sebelius (Wall Street Journal)

In the church of Kathleen Sebelius, there is little room for dissent. "We are in a war," the Health and Human Services Secretary declared to cheers at a recent NARAL Pro-Choice America fund-raiser. Give the lady her due: Her actions mostly match her words. Mrs. Sebelius's militancy explains the shock her allies are now feeling after last W ednesday's decision to overrule the Food and Drug Administration on Plan B, a morning-after pill. The FDA had proposed allowing over-the-counter sales, which would give girls as young as 11 or 12 access without either a prescription or a parent. Now the secretary's allies are howling about her "caving in" to the Catholic bishops. On this score they needn't worry. Notwithstanding the unexpected burst of common sense on Plan B, the great untold story remains the intolerance so beloved of self-styled progressives. In this Mrs. Sebelius has proved herself one of the administration's most faithful practitioners: here watering down conscience protections for nurses and doctors who don't want to participate in abortions; there yanking funding for a top-rated program for victims of sexual trafficking run by the Catholic bishops, because they will not sign on to the NARAL agenda; soon to impose a new HHS mandate that will require health-insurance plans to cover contraception, sterilization and drugs known to induce abortion. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203518404577094631979925326.html?mod=ITP_opinion_0 (SUBSCRIPTION) ###

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