News
Nashville lays out plan to reach Latino residents
Immigrants and refugees comprised 67% of Nashville’s total COVID-19 positive cases in a one-month period ending in late June — the latest data point highlighting the disproportionate impact of the virus on Nashville’s Latino residents. After repeated complaints by alarmed councilmembers and immigrant advocates, city health officials have begun the rollout of a community education, […]
What to know about requesting an absentee ballot for upcoming elections
Tennessee became one of the last states to expand mail-in voting earlier this month when Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled that voters under 60 can request an absentee ballot because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lyle’s ruling has been appealed by the state of Tennessee, but the Supreme Court said earlier this month it […]
NOAH holds first of four Nashville school board forums
Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) hosted the first of four virtual forums Tuesday for school board candidates to address questions and issues facing Metro Nashville Schools. Candidates Brian Hubert and Emily Masters are running to replace District 3 incumbent Jill Speering, who will not seek reelection, and discussed a variety of issues. Hubert, […]
Clarksville leaders defend police funding, cut Confederate monuments
After the death of George Floyd, cities nationwide are having discussions about defunding the police and dismantling Confederate monuments. In a Tuesday panel on race relations, Clarksville’s mayor said he won’t defund the police “by one penny,” but he’s more than ready to rid the city of the last tributes to the Confederacy. Councilman Richard […]
Disabled individuals in state care die of COVID
Five adults living in facilities that are under the oversight of the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities have died from COVID-19. Two of the individuals lived in the same home, where a total of four persons who lived there and five staff tested positive for the virus. Two others lived in facilities that also […]
Hispanic community leaders: More outreach needed for COVID education
With COVID-19 disproportionately affecting members of Tennessee’s Hispanic community, leaders say there’s a need for greater education on preventing the spread of the virus. Hispanic organizations have been central in helping government officials reach local Hispanic communities. Journalist Veronica Salcedo is often contacted through Facebook and asked to visit impacted areas to hand out personal […]
As pandemic recovery trudges on, questions of transparency emerge
Members of Congress are pressing the Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration to disclose statistics for how many small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses received paycheck protection loans as part of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act set aside $659 billion in low interest loans for small businesses that […]
House Democrats tout infrastructure benefits, but Republicans wary
There are countless ways that a $1.5 trillion federal infrastructure package drafted by U.S. House Democrats would affect Tennessee if it ever becomes law, but U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper said there’s one big change residents in his Nashville-area district would see quickly: fewer freight trains causing big traffic jams on major roads. Right now, idle […]
Equity Alliances staffs up
The Equity Alliance, a statewide non-profit focused on the civic and economic empowerment of the Black community, announced today the addition of seven new staff members to assist the organization as it expands its operations. The staff additions will add capacity to The Equity Alliance’s community organizing, voter outreach and Covid-19 response efforts. Charlane Oliver, […]
COVID-19 cases spike in Department of Children’s Services facilities
At least 164 children living in facilities operated or licensed by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services have tested positive for COVID-19 — the biggest outbreak in the nation linked to a single child welfare agency. The children, both boys and girls, tested positive inside county juvenile detention centers licensed by DCS, in 49 residential […]
Back the Badge, Black Lives Matter groups meet in Nashville
A group of law enforcement advocates held a Back the Badge demonstration in Nashville Sunday, coming face to face with Black Lives Matter protesters who have occupied War Memorial Plaza for over two weeks. Cars, many of which apparently supported the BLM group, circled the block, blowing horns and holding signs that read “Blue Lives […]
Nashville Health Board makes masks mandatory; details to come
Expressing concern that Nashville’s COVID-19 case count has been rising in recent weeks, the Metro Board of Health passed a policy at an emergency meeting on Friday requiring that people in Davidson County wear masks in public. The board voted to direct the Metro Legal Department to work with the Health Department officials to develop […]