Briefs
Nashville budget chair says lack of body cameras result of poor planning by former mayors
Nashville’s last two mayors hold responsibility for the city’s failure to purchase body cameras for police, a Nashville councilmember said over the weekend. Councilmember at Large Bob Mendes, chair of the Metro Council of Nashville and Davidson County’s budget committee, made the remarks in a Facebook live conversation about the city’s $2.45 billion budget with […]
Lee reopens little league through executive order
Little league baseball, softball and other non contact sports can resume playing in much of Tennessee following an executive order signed by Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday. Lee’s order applies to 89 of the state’s 95 counties, while the six most populated counties with their own health departments guide their own reopening strategies. Although noncontact […]
VUMC, Ryman, CVC launch public health program to help businesses
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Ryman Hospitality and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. announced on Thursday a new program providing businesses that reopen safely with extra resources and access to public health officials. The program, called Good to Go, will be available to businesses that vow to abide by guidance from the Metro Public Health […]
Administration ends practice of sharing patient information with law enforcement
Gov. Bill Lee’s administration will stop giving daily lists of patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 to law enforcement, but the sharing of private patient information continues in Tennessee’s capitol city. The practice of sharing patient information with law enforcement and first responders drew outrage from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the Tennessee Black […]
Leaders of civic group give detailed economic recommendations to Cooper
Leaders with The Equity Alliance, a statewide non-profit focused on the civic and economic empowerment of the black community have released a detailed set of recommendations for Nashville’s spending of the $121 million of federal CARES Act funding for economic recovery. Charlane Oliver, co-founder and co-executive director of The Equity Alliance is a member of […]
Staff, youth test positive for COVID-19 in Fayette County DCS center
One youth and two security staff at a Department of Children’s Services facility in Fayette County have tested positive for COVID-19 and mass testing is being conducted Thursday, the department said in a news release. The three individuals were tested over the weekend after showing symptoms. All three were in the same unit […]
Black Caucus advises Tennesseans to withhold home addresses from public health officials
The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators is advising Tennesseans to withhold their home addresses from public health officials conducting COVID-19 testing. The caucus has urged Gov. Bill Lee to rescind agreements to provide the state’s sheriffs and police chiefs with the names and addresses of every state resident who has tested positive for the […]
Sumner youth center posts all negative COVID results
All children and staff at a Sumner County youth treatment center have tested negative for COVID-19, after mass testing prompted by a staff member who tested positive for the virus, the Department of Children’s Services reported Tuesday. The privately-operated Bledsoe Youth Academy employs 41 staff members who oversee 30 children in state custody at the […]
Groups call for extension of tenant relief measures
Middle Tennessee Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and its offshoot Red Door Collective (RDC) called on elected officials to extend current economic relief to Nashvillians through temporary suspensions of evictions and utility shutoffs. Metro Nashville Councilmember Sean Parker (District 5), a DSA member, plans to introduce resolutions to address the issues. “It’s absolutely critical that […]
BCBS posts drop in numbers of insured
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee saw a drop of of 15,743 in commercially-insured members in April, according to data provided by the state’s largest insurer. The loss of coverage for individuals formerly covered through employer-sponsored insurers represents a fraction of the insurer’s 1.5 million customers. But the data is too early to capture the full extent […]
Southern Christian Coalition calls on Lee to expand Medicaid
Gov. Bill Lee is putting vulnerable Tennesseans at risk by reopening the economy too soon and failing to accept federal funds for Medicaid expansion, members of the Southern Christian Coalition said Thursday. During a Thursday press conference, three pastors from across Tennessee called on Gov. Lee to expand Medicaid in Tennessee and to address the […]
Nashville COVID chief says ‘data and science matter’
A Monday story from NBC that reported Nashville is experiencing a high spike in COVID-19 cases counted data from a Trousdale County prison outbreak took local criticism. Written by political reporter Jonathan Allen and reporters Phil McCausland and Cyrus Farivar, the story cited a May 7 report by the White House pandemic task force. Dr. […]