SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011 Tenn. tourism revenue spiked 6.

3 percent in 2010 (Associated Press/Sainz)

Tourists spent more money in Tennessee in 2010 compared with the year before, a sign that the state's history, culture and attractions can consistently generate precious dollars in the face of budget difficulties, officials said. Gov. Bill Haslam read off a list of awards given to Tennessee's tourist attractions as he addressed state tourism professionals Friday at the Governor's Conference on Tourism. Earlier in the day, the Tennessee Department of Tourism and Development said the state saw tourists spend $14.1 billion last year, up 6.3 percent from 2009. All 95 counties in the state saw increases in tourism dollars from 2009 to last year. The state also received $1 billion in state and local tax revenue for the fifth straight year in 2010, the department said. Haslam cited Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Bristol Motor Speedway, Graceland in Memphis and the state's historic driving trails as some of the state's key tourist attractions. Haslam said he made a point of keeping the state's $6.4 million tourism marketing budget at the same level despite having to cut $1 billion from the overall state budget because of tourism's role as Tennessee's second largest industry. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37636127.story

Tennessee to sell $584 million in bonds (Memphis Business Journal)

The state of Tennessee is issuing a record $584 million in bonds next week to help fund a variety of statesupported projects, including Electrolux Home Products Inc. in Memphis. The $200 million Electrolux project broke ground Wednesday at Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park. Funding for the project is coming from a variety sources, including $150 million in incentives from the state and Memphis and Shelby County. In addition to Electrolux, some of the bond proceeds will pay for new capital projects and infrastructure for Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Wacker Chemie in Bradley County and Hemlock Semiconductor in Clarksville, according to a release from state comptroller Justin P. Wilson. Improvements for several state-owned buildings, including a new drivers license center in Memphis, are also being financed with the bond proceeds. The state will also refinance some outstanding debt to take advantage of lower rates, saving the state about $10 million in interest costs, according to the release. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2011/10/07/tennessee-to-sell-584-million-in-bonds.html

Amazon picks Murfreesboro, (Tennessean/Gonzalez)

Lebanon

for

distribution

sites

Online retailer Amazon is deep into the process of selecting land for new distribution facilities in Murfreesboro and Lebanon, where officials offered strong incentive packages while competing with other communities for upwards of 1,500 jobs. Officials previously said a handful of communities in Tennessee and some in other states showed off industrial sites and approved tax breaks and other incentives for Amazon, which was looking to build in Tennessee under the name Project Tango. On Thursday, state officials confirmed that Amazon was the company behind the code name, and Gov. Bill Haslam announced the company will begin collecting sales tax from Tennessee customers in 2014 in exchange for support for plans to open the new distribution facilities, which will bring Amazons total investment in the state to $350 million and its workforce to 3,500. People close to the project said Friday that Amazons preferred site for a million-square-foot sort facility is off Joe B. Jackson Parkway in Murfreesboro, to employ as many as 1,200 people. Representatives of the company also are studying a site off Interstate 840 in Lebanon for a smaller, non-sort facility to employ 300 to 500 more. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111008/NEWS01/310080033/Amazon-picks-Murfreesboro-Lebanondistribution-sites?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Sources: Murfreesboro and Lebanon to get Amazon facilities (Nashville Biz

Journal)
Online retail giant Amazon.com will pick Wilson and Rutherford counties as the sites for permanent facilities in Middle Tennessee, multiple sources have told the Nashville Business Journal. The company plans to have a million-square-foot sort facility built in Murfreesboro off Joe B. Jackson Boulevard that could create up to 1,100 jobs and bring a capital investment of $87.5 million. The facility is projected to create $47.6 million in tax revenue from construction and operation over 20 years, according to an analysis presented to the Rutherford Chamber of Commerce. The other facility is to be built in Lebanon across from Amazons temporary distribution center near Interstate 840. It will house a portion of the companys non-sorting operations and create potentially 450 full-time jobs. The capital investment of the Lebanon facility is estimated to be $51.5 million, with total projected tax revenue of $15.5 million over 15 years, according to an independent analysis. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/10/07/sources-murfreesboro-and-lebanon-to.html

'Boro sort facility for Amazon?; No confirmation retailer behind proposal (DNJ)
Though no one will say outright that it is Amazon, Murfreesboro's planning office received site plans Thursday for a proposed 1.25 million square-foot-distribution center to be built on Joe B. Jackson Parkway next to Interstate 24 in south Murfreesboro. A copy of the site plans obtained by The Daily News Journal Friday lists the owner/applicant as Corporate Woods, G.P. with a Shelbyville address and commercial real estate developer John Harney as the contact. The plans arrived on the same day that Gov. Bill Haslam and officials with online retailing giant Amazon announced in a Nashville press conference that the company would begin collecting Tennessee state sales taxes from buyers in 2014 in exchange for support for plans to open new distribution centers, which would bring Amazon's total investment in the state to $350 million and its workforce to 3,500. State officials also confirmed that Amazon is behind the development previously codenamed Project Tango, which has drawn fiercely competitive incentive offers from Rutherford, Wilson, Montgomery and Loudon counties to locate at least one of two new distribution centers in their county. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111008/NEW S01/110080325/-Boro-sort-facility-Amazon-No-confirmation-retailerbehind-proposal?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

New Amazon Deal Praised As Improvement On Deal, Not Backtracking (TN Report)
When all was said and done in the announcement Thursday that Amazon will collect sales taxes in Tennessee beginning in 2014, the state was in a different place from its original agreement with the online sales giant. The original plan had been that Tennessee would get hundreds of jobs from two distribution centers in the Chattanooga area, so in return the state would let Amazon avoid collecting sales taxes on purchases. The deal was subject to debate almost from the time it became known. Now, with a commitment that will bring the total number of Amazon jobs to 3,500 in the state, Amazon will have to collect sales taxes, although it is not soon enough for some critics of the deal. So by negotiating a new deal with the company, taxes included, does that mean that in the big picture Tennessee went back on its word? No, absolutely not, said Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, pointing to the efforts of Gov. Bill Haslam and Commissioner of Revenue Richard Roberts. Im proud the governor and the commissioner were able to sit down with Amazon and work out an arrangement that is pleasing not only to Amazon but also to the taxpayers of this state. http://www.tnreport.com/2011/10/new-amazon-deal-praised-as-improvement-on-deal-not-backtracking/

Haslam to speak at Legacy Luncheon supporting open space (NS/McCloskey)

Gov. Bill Haslam is set to return to Knoxville Oct. 14 to address a crowd of at least 500 local business and civil leaders at the Legacy Parks Foundation's annual Legacy Luncheon. The nonprofit works to create immediate and future natural recreation opportunities in Knoxville and to safeguard East Tennessee's variety of natural resources. During the past five years, the Legacy Parks Foundation has raised $2.5 million for local parks, added 200 acres of parkland and protected nearly 1,000 acres of East Tennessee open space. The luncheon, supporting the nonprofit's overhead costs, aims to celebrate the group's natural expansion and preservation efforts. This year, the luncheon will be held at the River Bluff property, a future city park on the Tennessee River within the Urban Wilderness. Haslam supported the property while serving as Knoxville's mayor and continues to do so. "At the luncheon, we'll have a couple of announcements about the property," Carol Evans, executive director of the Legacy Parks Foundation, said. "This is a sneak preview of the park and a way to thank the governor for his support." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/oct/08/haslam-to-speak-at-legacy-luncheonsupporting/

Transportation head plans to continue making tours (Associated Press)

Commissioner John Schroer of the Tennessee Department of Transportation says he plans to continue making tours of projects across the state. He wrapped up weeklong tours last week. They began in late June in Chattanooga and concluded in Roane County. The visits were designed to give local, state and transportation officials the chance to see projects under construction and to learn about future work. The next tours are likely in 2012. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37637165.story

Driver Service Center moves to Red Bank (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

One of the two state Driver Service Centers in Hamilton County will be moving Wednesday from Cherokee Boulevard to a larger, permanent space on Dayton Boulevard. But some folks aren't too happy about it, especially since the center is one of the places where voters can get photo IDs now needed to participate in next year's elections. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security closed the branch at 530 Cherokee Blvd. Friday and will open a new, full-service center at 4873 Dayton Blvd. The new location, just north of Browntown Road behind a Red Bank Fire Department station, is about seven miles from the old one. The new center will open Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Its normal hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. "The facility on Cherokee Boulevard was always a temporary solution to supplement the operations at the driver service center on Bonny Oaks Drive," state Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons said in a news release. "We now have a permanent facility to provide driver license services to the citizens of Chattanooga and the surrounding areas." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/08/driver-service-center-moves-to-red-bank/?local

Eight Apply for Vacancy on Tenn. Appeals Court (Memphis Daily News)
Eight West Tennessee attorneys have applied for the vacancy on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals created by the death of Memphian J.C. McLin. Applications to the Judicial Nominating Commission were due Friday, Oct. 7, and were limited to West Tennessee attorneys for the seat on the bench designated for West Tennessee. The applicants are Mischelle Alexander Best, Shelby County assistant public defender; Richard Joseph Averwater, a Bartlett attorney; Bobby Carter, Shelby County Criminal Court judge; J. Ross Dyer, managing attorney for the Memphis office of the Tennessee attorney general; Elizabeth Erguden, Shelby County assistant district attorney general; Roger Page of Medina, who is a Circuit Court judge; John D. Stevens, a Huntingdon attorney; and James Edward Thomas, a Bartlett attorney. The commission will interview the candidates in a public hearing Oct. 24 at 9 a.m. at the Supreme Court building in Jackson. The commission then will recommend three finalists to Gov. Bill Haslam for his choice of appointment. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/oct/7/eight-apply-for-vacancy-on-tenn-appeals-court/

Eight seek vacant seat on Tennessee criminal appeals court (CA/Buser)

Eight West Tennessee attorneys, including six from Shelby County, have applied to fill the judicial vacancy on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals created by the death of Judge J. C. McLin. Applicants include Mischelle Alexander-Best, Richard Averwater, Criminal Court Judge J. Robert Carter Jr., J. Ross Dyer, Garland Erguden and James Thomas, all of Shelby County, and Circuit Court Judge Roger Page of Gibson County and John Stevens of Carroll County. Applications from the candidates are available for viewing at tncourts.gov. A public hearing will be held at 9 a.m. Oct. 24 in the Supreme Court building in Jackson. The Judicial Nominating Commission will submit the names of three candidates to Gov. Bill Haslam who will make the appointment. McLin, 64, of Memphis, died of cancer on Sept. 3. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/07/eight-seek-vacant-seat-tennessee-criminal-appeals/

Finally free, Gaile Owens just wants to live life (Tennessean/Haas)

Thats her! a gasp shot out of the crowd standing outside the Tennessee Prison for Women on Friday morning. It was 9:17 a.m., and the group of about 20 people watched rapt as Gaile Owens emerged from the prison wearing a gray sweater and dark pants a far cry from prison blue and pushing a bright, yellow laundry cart with all of her possessions inside. She was flanked by a prison guard and Warden Debra Johnson, the woman who 26 years ago as an intake worker booked Owens into prison. For the past two years, Owens had been a cause clbre, a symbol supporters saw as a battered woman who had been unfairly punished because she hired someone to murder her husband in 1985 after seeing no way out of an abusive marriage. Though supporters hope her story will spark more calls to re-examine the death penalty, on Friday, she was just a woman. A mother. A grandmother. A friend. A victim. She pushed that cart to the end of the fence and then hugged her son, Stephen. I love you, she told him. She didnt speak to the crowd or the media, instead 3

releasing a statement saying she plans to work, volunteer and live a private, normal life like the one she lost in 1986 when she was convicted in the beating death of Ron Owens. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111008/NEWS/310080027/Finally-free-Gaile-Owens-just-wants-live-life? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Former death row inmate Gaile Owens of Bartlett released from prison (CA/Buser)
Former death row inmate Gaile Owens of Bartlett was released Friday morning from the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville where she had spent the past 26 years for hiring someone to kill her husband. Owens, now 58, was met by more than a dozen friends and supporters, and said in a statement that she is "looking forward to leading a quiet and private, but productive life." Also there to greet her was her son, Stephen, who testified on her behalf at her parole hearing last month and who thanked supporters for their help over the years and for being there Friday to join in "celebrating her freedom." Gaile Owens came within weeks last summer of being executed when then-Gov. Phil Bredesen commuted her sentence to life in prison after deciding there was at least the possibility that she was an abused spouse. Bredesen also noted that her initial guilty plea and life sentence was rejected by prosecutors because the man she hired for the killing, Sidney Porterfield, refused to take the plea offer. Ronald Owens, 37, an associate director of nursing at Baptist Hospital, was beaten to death with a tire iron on Feb. 27, 1985, in the family's Bartlett home. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/07/gaile-owens-released-prison/

TN Democrats pitch slate of job initiatives (Nashville Business Journal)

Tennessee Democrats are calling for $15 million in funding for technology centers that train workers as well as a raft of other legislation to spur job creation in the state after traveling Tennessee in recent days. A lineup of top Democratic legislators gathered on the Rolling Mill Hill property in Nashville overlooking the citys downtown to discuss their legislation with media Thursday. Their point: State government must play an active role in helping the private sector create jobs, to meet the Tennessees specific needs and keep it competitive across the country. In an interview, House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley invoked Republican Gov. Bill Haslams desire to help the private sector. He specifically said to talk to people that are putting their own capital at risk, Fitzhugh said. And we did that. Democrats are reinvigorating their argument for government spurring job creation forward after talking with business owners and residents around the state. Republicans have said this will mainly come by getting out of the way an idea Democrats say can help, but that they argue doesnt do justice to the role government plays in making projects happen. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/10/06/democrarts-tennessee-fitzhugh-jobs.html

Knox County Election Commission certifies September primary (News-Sentinel)

Primary election certified, few changes The unofficial Sept. 27 local election totals are now official. The Knox County Election Commission met Friday morning to certify the results. Nothing changed, including the outcome of the Knoxville mayoral primary: Madeline Rogero, who barely missed out on a winner-take-all turnout of 50 percent of the votes plus 1, and second-place finisher Mark Padgett face a Nov. 8 runoff. All but four of the 30 provisional ballots cast in the primary for mayor, Knoxville City Council and 6th District state Senate seat were declared valid. Of the four not counted, two ballots were cast by voters not properly registered, one came from a county resident not eligible to vote in the city election and another was cast by a property qualified voter who could only vote by mail and not in person. Rogero received seven provisional votes and Padgett received five. Ivan Harmon, who placed third in the race, got six ballots. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/oct/07/knox-county-election-commission-certifies/

Residency and resources play in Memphis City Council Dist. 7 race (CA/Connolly)
University of Memphis law professor Lee Harris appears to have an edge in campaign finance over rival Kemba Ford, a former actress, as the candidates in the City Council District 7 race prepare for a Nov. 10 runoff. Between July 1 and Sept. 26, Harris raised about $38,400, including a $15,000 loan that he made to his own campaign, according to a campaign finance report. He spent about $25,400 leading up to Thursday's municipal election. Ford and Harris each got 24 percent of Thursday's vote. Unofficial results reported by the Shelby County Election Commission showed Harris with 1,983 votes and Ford with 1,979. Donations to Harris' race came from university professors and many lawyers, including Ruby Wharton, the wife of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, who 4

won his race Thursday with 65 percent of the vote. Harris also received donations from elected officials including U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis. City Council Chairman Myron Lowery donated from his campaign fund and Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, also a law professor, gave an in-kind donation of reception expenses. The political action committee West Tennesseans for Progress gave $1,000. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/08/residency-and-resources-play-in-dist-7-race/

Plaintiffs try again to halt mosque construction (Associated Press)

The construction of an Islamic center in Murfreesboro is being challenged once again by plaintiffs. The Daily News Journal reports that an attorney for the group opposed to the construction filed a motion earlier this week asking Chancellor Robert Corlew to look at whether the Rutherford County Planning Commission gave adequate public notice about a May 24 meeting where the mosque's site plan was approved ( http://bit.ly/qz8PSc The ). plaintiffs have contended that the notice was not adequate. However, Islamic Center of Murfreesboro spokesman Saleh Sbenaty says even if the plaintiffs were successful in this case, it would only delay the project, not stop it. Last month, ground was broken for the future home of the center, which has also been the target of vandalism. The site is for a larger mosque than one located elsewhere in the city http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37634651.story

NRC chief: Browns Ferry nuke plant needs work (Tennessean/Bewley)

The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, said his visit to the Tennessee Valley Authoritys Browns Ferry nuclear plant on Friday reassured him that TVA clearly had a plan to address the problems that led to an NRC investigation. But he said TVA must still upgrade some of its equipment at the plant 100 miles south of Nashville in Athens, Ala. One of the challenges here is that some of the equipment isnt as reliable as we and TVA would like to see it, he said. Its clear that theres room for improvement in that regard. The NRC is entering the second phase of its inspection of the plant, expected to be more rigorous than the first. The inspection began after the regulator slapped the plants reactor Unit 1 with a red finding its poorest rating in May due to a faulty valve in the cooling system. That valve has been repaired, but Jaczko said the inspection has uncovered other equipment that needs to be upgraded. TVA already has started replacing some of the motors that power the plants pumps, he said. The plants maintenance procedures need improvement, too, Jaczko said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111008/NEWS11/310080043/NRC-chief-Browns-Ferry-nuke-plant-needswork?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

TVA, NRC to work together on safety (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sohn)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said NRC and TVA will join forces to get Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant operating more safely. "We will work with TVA and put the plant back in the condition we want -- that everybody wants -- it to be in," Jaczko said Friday in a telephone news conference. TVA spokesman Ray Golden said Jaczko's message was "about what we expected. There have been a number of performance issues not completely addressed at Browns Ferry, and we'll use this opportunity to accelerate the pace of change," Golden said. Jaczko made the telephone conference after he and nuclear proponent U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., toured the plant that in May was issued a "red" rating from the NRC. The red rating signifies "high safety significance" issues found by NRC inspections and reviews. Browns Ferry received the rating after a reactor-core cooling valve failed last fall when the unit 1 reactor was shut down for refueling and maintenance. Tennessee Valley Authority cooled the reactor with an alternate cooling system that was supposed to be dedicated only to fire safety. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/08/tva-nrc-to-work-together-onsafety/?local

Nuclear Regulator Says TVA is Fixing Problems at Browns Ferry (WPLN-Radio)

The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says TVA is making progress in correcting safety problems at its Browns Ferry plant in northern Alabama, but the utility still has some work to do. Greg Jaczko toured the plant on Friday. The NRC just wrapped up the first phase of a comprehensive inspection of Browns Ferry. Earlier this year, the commission issued a red finding against TVA, after inspectors discovered a stuck safety valve in a cooling system. TVA fixed the valve, but regulators say there were a host of other problems. They found examples where utility made repairs to the plant without determining what had caused an issue in the first place. The next phase of the inspection will look at how TVA responds to safety issues at the plant. He says the 5

utility needs to do a better job of fixing problems when they occur, so minor issues dont become major safety concerns. Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander accompanied Jaczko on his tour. Alexander is chairman of the Congressional TVA Caucus. He says he supports the utilitys aggressive expansion of nuclear power. Despite the safety issues at Browns Ferry, Alexander says TVA has acted aggressively to fix the problems pointed out by the NRC. http://wpln.org/?p=30748

TVA spill consultant says not hired to place blame (Associated Press/Poovey)
Plaintiff attorneys who contend the Tennessee Valley Authority should pay damages for the Kingston Plant coal ash spill Friday cross-examined a TVA consultant who testified he was hired to find the "mechanics' of the cause, not to place blame. Geotechnical engineer William H. Walton was on the witness stand for a second day at the federal bench trial on damage lawsuits by property owners who contend TVA negligence in training, operations and construction caused the December 2008 disaster. Walton testified Friday that TVA hired him as AECOM USA Inc.'s chief investigator to determine "why the structure failed." He said he was not hired to determine any TVA management or operational problems. "I conducted a probable failure modes analysis," W alton said of his work investigating the spill and preparing the report in 2009. The nation's largest public utility is trying to avoid lawsuit payouts from the spill of about 5.4 million cubic yards of ash in a breach of an ash pond dam into the Emory River and on a Roane County river community about 35 miles west of Knoxville. Along with a $1.2 billion cleanup that is costing ratepayers an average of 69 cents a month each until 2024, TVA has purchased 889 nearby acres for $46.6 million. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37633449.story

Clock's ticking on Memphis solar farm project at Agricenter (C. Appeal/Bailey)

Proposal hits snag with financier as deadline looms Agricenter International wants to build a four-acre solar farm but must settle issues with a prospective lender by a drop-dead deadline Tuesday. The 4,000 solar panels for the 1 megawatt array would sit on a hillside just west of Ducks Unlimited and generate enough power for 200 homes or 20 businesses. But the $3.5 million-$4 million project hangs in the balance over the next four days as Agricenter tries to iron out issues that have surfaced with the financing company. "W e've hit a bump in the road and are trying to get it resolved," Agricenter president John Charles W ilson said Friday. The deadline is not the lender's but the Tennessee Valley Authority's. The project's feasibility counts on a TVA program that pays a premium of 12 cents per kilowatt hour for solar power. Because TVA has been losing $5 million annually on the program, the agency cut the size of eligible projects first to 200 kilowatts and then to 50 kilowatts. The reduction effectively limits participants to residential and small-business customers. But the 1 megawatt Agricenter project, in the works for about a year and a half, got an extension from TVA. The extension period ends Tuesday, Wilson confirmed. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/08/clocks-ticking-on-solar-farm-project/

Seeing Success (Memphis Daily News)

On the surface, they dont have much in common other than their home turf. They include everything from a venerable law firm, prominent regional investment companies, tech firms and even a business that manufactures food products like hot dogs and sandwich meats. But the 16 Memphis-area businesses on the 2011 Inc. 5000 list a high-profile annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. have done something that seems to be eluding many companies right now, in addition to the overall economy. Theyre getting bigger, and enjoying success at a time when many small-business owners are increasingly less confident about their ability to do so. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses latest Small Business Optimism Index survey, small-business owners in Tennessee and across the country continued to lose confidence about the economy in August. That index has been in decline for six straight months. The survey doesn't drill down to the state level, but based on what our members are telling us, whats happening here reflects whats happening all over the country namely, that small-business owners are still really worried about where the economy is heading, said Jim Brown, state director of NFIB/Tennessee. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/oct/10/seeing-success/

Bradley seeks to prepare students (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Leach)

Internationally recognized academic programs for high school students were spotlighted this week in a presentation by Bradley County education officials to the Cleveland/Bradley Economic Development Council. The International Baccalaureate and Cambridge International programs will form key parts of the county schools' 6

mission to ensure its students are fully prepared for college or work upon graduation, said Patti Hunt, project director for Smaller Learning Communities grants. "When we talk about community and education, these are the things that we perceived that the community needs," said Hunt in regard to making students college- and workready. The Bradley County school system now is engaged in a three-year application process for the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which will be implemented at Walker Valley High School, Schools Director Johnny McDaniel said. Hunt said the Cambridge International Programme will roll out next spring at Bradley Central High School. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/08/bradley-seeks-to-preparestudents/?local

Metro ID cards will let parents track students' behavior (Tennessean/Hubbard)

Good for cafeteria, bus, library, they promote safety, too Metro Nashville freshman Zachary Jenkins has a hard time keeping track of his $500 district-issued city bus pass, school library card, student ID and the lunch number that he punches into a machine at school to eat. It would make it easier to have one card instead of a bunch of different cards that students might lose, said Jenkins, a student at Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet High. Metro Nashville schools are doing just that: moving to student ID cards with bar codes for the lunch line and library and a magnetized strip on the back to swipe for city bus fare. Officials say the new ID cards will make hallways safer by creating an easy way to identify students who dont belong. The system also will let parents log online to learn what foods their children buy at lunch and allow city officials to see how students use city buses. The fundamental step is having a readable ID card attached to a student ... then there are a lot of potential things we can do, but its starting out with library and cafeterias, said Fred Carr, chief operations officer for the school district. The district just entered a five-year contract with Lamination Service Inc. for $60,000 worth of machines, software and licensing for the new ID cards, and an additional $6,000 for the badges themselves, Carr said. For those who fear Big Brother, Carr said the data are already tracked through school databases or running paper reports. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111008/NEWS/310080044/Metro-ID-cards-will-let-parents-track-studentsbehavior?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Six nabbed in meth raid (Jackson Sun)

Agents with the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force have arrested six people and seized two methamphetamine labs after executing a search warrant on the home of a University of Tennessee Martin instructor, according to a news release. Brent Cox, of Cades Atwood Road in Milan, holds a doctorate degree and is a history professor at UT Martin, according to the release. He is charged with conspiracy to manufacture meth, possession of meth with intent to sell or deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to sell or deliver, initiation of a process intended to manufacture meth, possession of drug paraphernalia and promotion of meth manufacturing. Drug agents executed the search warrant on a home at 444 Cades Atwood Road outside Milan on Tuesday. The release said agents arrested all six people at the property, where they also discovered two active labs. Due to this discovery, a Tennessee Methamphetamine Response Truck was sent to the scene to assist with the removal of the two "One-Pot" labs and their components along with remnants of meth manufacturing at this location. An outbuilding on the property was quarantined due to evidence of meth manufacturing having occurred in the building, the release said. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111008/NEWS01/110080305/Six-nabbed-meth-raid

Iowa: Iowa GOP Tentatively Sets Caucuses for Jan. 3 (Wall Street Journal)
Republicans look set to begin choosing their presidential nominee in the first days of 2012, after GOP officials in Iowa tentatively set the state's caucuses for Jan. 3. Iowa's caucuses, which start the nominating process, will occur more than a month earlier than expected, but on the same date as in the 2008 election. If it holds, the decision leaves the date of New Hampshire's nation-leading primary as the only big unknown in the early nominating calendar. Republican officials had hoped the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary would occur in February, giving candidates more time to raise money and campaignand stretching out the nomination contest. But that plan was dashed last month when the Florida GOP jumped ahead in line and set its primary for Jan. 31. South Carolina moved its primary to Jan. 21, and Nevada set its caucuses for Jan. 14. The crowded January schedule would seem to favor the big-money campaigns of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who can saturate the airwaves. Less-monied contenders will have little time between contests for retail politics. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203388804576617070068130258.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION) 7

Michigan: "Right to teach" bill debuts in Michigan Senate (Associated Press)

Republicans who control the Michigan Senate followed through Thursday on their plan to introduce so-called "right to teach" legislation, escalating a clash with the state's largest teachers union. Public schools would not be allowed to require employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment under the Senate bill. It appears the bill would affect only the state's largest teachers union, the Michigan Education Association, because it would apply only to unions that represent at least 50,000 workers. A spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has said he is unlikely to back the proposal if it gets to his desk. The legislation would operate much like more general "right to work" proposals, except it would apply only to public schools. "This is an incredibly divisive issue that will do nothing to create jobs or help students," MEA President Steven Cook said in a statement. Michigan's Republican leaders and the MEA have clashed over many issues this year. The union has opposed Republican-backed laws to change the state's teacher tenure rules, cut education funding, and give emergency managers appointed to run troubled schools and cities the power to toss out union contracts. http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/10/right_to_teach_bill_debuts_in.html

OPINION Editorial: Deal improves with Amazon (Commercial Appeal)

The handwriting on the wall told Amazon that its privileges are withering. So the online retail giant has agreed to begin collecting taxes on its Tennessee sales in 2014. Technically, the agreement between the company and Gov. Bill Haslam doesn't create a new tax for Tennesseans. It shifts the burden from purchasers, who are supposed to report and pay the tax levy voluntarily, to the retailer itself. For all practical purposes, however, the change means that purchasers will probably have to pay more for what they buy online. But benefits to the state could be significant. The agreement is part of a deal under which the state agrees to help with the company's expansion plans, which now call for the opening of five distribution and warehousing facilities in Middle and East Tennessee that will employ about 4,000 workers. But it also gives the company three more Christmas seasons to enjoy its advantage over brick-and-mortar stores, which are required to collect state and local sales taxes from customers. That's not likely to be the end of the story, however, nor should it be. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/08/editorials-deal-improves-with-amazon/

Editorial: First crack opens in tax standoff (Paris Post-Intelligencer)

Amazon has blinked. Months of discussion, back-room dealing and media campaigns have led the online merchandising giant to agree to begin collecting Tennessee sales taxes. The decision, announced Thursday, takes some pressure off Gov. Bill Haslam, who had defended the states soft-pedaling of the tax issue in return for Amazon locating distribution centers in Tennessee. The agreement calls for Amazon to begin collecting sales taxes on Jan. 1, 2014. Some who had campaigned for the company to collect the tax called that delay acceptable. Better than never, said one merchant: They get two free years. We can live another two. But others who had protested that the freedom from sales tax collections gives Amazon an unjust advantage will continue to press for more immediate change. Why should we have to wait one day longer? one asked. The agreement appears to shift the focus of the battle from the state legislature to Congress. Thats where Amazon spokesmen said the issue should be settled, and it makes sense to establish a nationwide policy on whether and how on-line retailers should collect state taxes on their sales. http://www.parispi.net/articles/2011/10/07/opinion/editorials/doc4e8f2555eccea480637883.txt

Guest columnist: Community pharmacies fill growing needs (Tennessean)

Americans have nearly 4 billion prescriptions filled each year but may be too busy to consider whats happening behind the pharmacy counter. So, with thousands of community pharmacists gathering in Nashville this month for an annual national meeting, here is a pop quiz. Which of the following is true of your pharmacist? A) About one in two patients does not take their medication properly, and pharmacists are a source of expert counseling. B) Prescription drugs are more important and complex than ever, and pharmacists train longer and harder than ever before to stay abreast of advances in the profession. C) Pharmacists help fill some primary care needs and often make physician referrals to patients who might not have gone to see a doctor otherwise. D) There are over 23,000 family-owned community pharmacies in the U.S. (566 in Tennessee) providing more than 300,000 jobs 8

and generating $92.8 billion to local economies. E) All of the above. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111008/OPINION03/310080009/Community-pharmacies-fill-growingneeds?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Free-Press Editorial: Raise taxes 5 percent? Now? (Chattanooga Times FreePress)

What do you think about raising income taxes 5 percent now, in the middle of an economic crisis? The immediate reaction from most of us might be an emphatic "No!" But what about raising taxes 5 percent on millionaires -- as President Barack Obama and some Democrats in Congress would like to do? Most of us might relax because we don't know too many millionaires. We might assume that such a tax increase wouldn't affect us. But what about the principle of the matter? Would it be fair to slap a higher tax on people who already pay a vastly disproportionate share of income taxes? Of course, millionaires ought to pay their fair share. But they pay a 35 percent income tax rate as it is -- while nearly half of U.S. households pay no income taxes at all. No matter how rich anyone is, is it just for the federal government to tax away well over a third of that person's income -- on top of state and local taxes the person already pays? http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/08/raise-taxes-5-percent-now/?opinionfreepress ###