WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012 Haslam Signs States $31.

5B Budget (TN Report)

Gov. Bill Haslam says he signed the states $31.5 billion spending plan Tuesday, putting into action a state budget that is $627 million less than this years. In an interview with TNReport Tuesday afternoon, Haslam said hes proud of the budget plan, which spends about $400 million more than he originally pitched to lawmakers and the public back in January. The ultimate budget had a lot of the things that we added back in when the revenue numbers improved, Haslam said. The state spending plan runs from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. I am somebody who believes in smaller government. I also think though, theres critical services that we provide, he said. While we want to be really tough on how we spend taxpayers dollars, we also want to make certain were taking care of people were supposed http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/05/15/haslam-signs-states-31-5b-budget/ to.

Haslam appoints assistant to oversee TEAM Act (Nashville Post)

Gov. Bill Haslam has tapped Larry Martin to oversee implementation of the Tennessee Excellence and Accountability Management Act. Martin, who will assume his new role as special assistant to the governor on May 23, will coordinate and collaborate throughout state government agencies the recruiting of new employees, the updating of department performance evaluations and the reviewing of employee compensation, which includes the salary study funded in the governors fiscal year 2013-14 budget. Getting the TEAM Act passed into law was only the beginning of our work, Haslam said in a release. Now we must make sure it is implemented effectively, which includes creating meaningful performance evaluations, truly getting a full picture of employee compensation, and changing the culture now that we can recruit the best and brightest to serve. I am grateful that Larry has agreed to take on this challenge for the taxpayers of Tennessee. http://nashvillepost.com/news/2012/5/15/haslam_appoints_assistant_to_oversee_team_act

Tennessee launches new jobs website (Nashville Business Journal)

State officials have unveiled a new jobs database to connect job seekers and Tennessee employers. According to a state news release, Jobs4TN Online will automatically notify job seekers when positions they are qualified for are posted. Likewise, it will notify employers when candidates who fit their needs join the site. The new jobs database is available here. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/morning_call/2012/05/tennessee-launches-new-jobs-website.html

Tennessee upgrades its job search website (Tennessean/Marsteller)

Tennessee officials hope upgrades will provide help to workers and employers The state has upgraded and rebranded its job search website, hoping the changes will better connect Tennessee employers and job-seekers. State officials say the Jobs4TN Online site, www.jobs4tn.gov, goes beyond what other job search sites offer by including more Tennessee-specific information. Two labor experts said that should benefit employers and workers in the Volunteer State. Jobs4TN Online replaces the states previous site, the Source, which featured openings placed with the states career centers and those posted by Fortune 500 companies. Jobs4TN Online uses a more robust search engine to add openings posted in newspapers, company sites and private job boards, officials said. The state used more than $200,000 from a federal grant to upgrade its site, said Jeff Hentschel, spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Labor and W orkforce Development. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/BUSINESS01/305160100/Tennessee-upgrades-its-job-searchwebsite?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

New Job Database to Connect Job Seekers with Employers (Clarksville Online)

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and W orkforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis announced Monday a new jobs database to help connect job seekers with Tennessee employers. Jobs4TN Online is a virtual recruiter, automatically notifying job seekers when jobs they may qualify for are posted and notifying employers when candidates who fit their needs register. The online database contains positions from job orders placed directly by Tennessee employers, from Internet sites and from major job search engines. Jobs4TN Online also identifies available green jobs. The unemployment rate for Tennessee is at its lowest since November 2008 and has fallen below the national rate, but it is still too high, said Haslam. With Jobs4TN Online, those without a job will have quicker and better access to job openings related to their skills, and as we work to make Tennessee an even better place to expand and start a business, we want to help employers find the employees they need. This system is much more than a traditional job search engine, Davis said. Jobs4TN Online offers extensive information for interviews, lists of local training providers and the capability to create and send resumes. http://www.clarksvillenow.com/pages/13132273.php

Haslam Says Media Misinterpreting Gateway Sex Law (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Cable news shows continue to lampoon Tennessees new law banning the promotion of gateway sexual activity in sex-ed classes. Governor Bill Haslam defends the the measure, which he signed Friday. The law allows parents to sue teachers who condone gateway sexual activity, which has been theorized to include kissing or even holding hands. Gray area or not, teachers employed by the school district are specifically protected from legal recourse, meaning only an outside instructor from an organization like Planned Parenthood would be open to a $500 fine. The bill was promoted by Republican legislators. Governor Bill Haslam says he only signed it because it doesnt really alter the states abstinence-focused curriculum. I think if people go back and read the bill, I think theyll see its something different than what its been portrayed. Again, I go back to our Department of Education that has said this really doesnt change the practice what were doing in Tennessee. http://wpln.org/? p=37248

Latest Altima rolls off Smyrna Nissan production line (Associated Press/Schelzig)
Nissan on Tuesday celebrated the newest version the Altima sedan rolling off the line at its Smyrna assembly plant, marking the first of several upgrades to the Japanese automaker's first U.S. facility. Bill Krueger, vice chairman of Nissan Americas, said at the ceremony that the company's new lithium ion battery plant is scheduled to open in September and that production of the latest model of the Pathfinder SUV will start the same month. Production of the all-electric Leaf is set to begin at the plant in December, while assembly of the Rogue is set to come to Smyrna next year. It will be the first time the small SUV is made in the United States Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam the event said the latest version of the sedan should be able to make a run at knocking the at Toyota Camry off its perch as the country's best-selling car. The Camry, which is was updated last fall, is made in neighboring Kentucky. "If I happened to work at certain place in Georgetown, Ky., I would be rather nervous about holding on to that No. 1 ranking," Haslam said. http://www.greenvilleonline.com/viewart/D4/20120515/BUSINESS/120515001/Latest-Altima-rolls-off-SmyrnaNissan-production-line

Nissan aims high with Altima (Tennessean/Williams)

Smyrna plant debuts redesigned family sedan This could finally be the midsize sedan that knocks the Toyota Camry from the spot its held for a decade as the best-selling car in America. Company officials stopped short of predicting such a victory for its new 2013 Nissan Altima, but the implications were clear. The redesigned Altima, the first of which rolled off the assembly line Tuesday at its Smyrna assembly plant, is designed to be a cut above its competitors including the Camry and the other perennial Altima foe, the Honda Accord and Nissan would like nothing more than to have its new sedan reach the top Cynthia Washington of Antioch, a five-year Nissan employee, was one of the assembly workers on hand to lead the first Altima off the line Tuesday as Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam watched from the crowd. I love the car, she said. There were a lot of bumps along the way as we were pulling it together, but we overcame those, and were all very proud of it. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120516/BUSINESS/305160020/Nissan-aims-high-Altima?odyssey=tab|topnews| text|FRONTPAGE

Tennessee governor signs second bill on municipal school districts (CA/Locker)

Gov. Bill Haslam signed into law today the lesser of two bills lawmakers approved regarding the establishment of 2

new municipal school districts in the Memphis suburbs. Senate Bill 2908 by Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, lifts the ban on the creation of new municipal school districts in the section of Tennessee law governing municipal governments, effective with the transfer of administration of Memphis City Schools to the Shelby County board of education in August 2013. Thats the same time the ban will be lifted under the provisions of last years NorrisTodd Act, or Public Chapter 1, but that measure lifted the ban in the section of Tennessee law governing education, not the section on municipal governments. Norris told the Senate last month when the bill passed that SB 2908 doesnt change any deadlines or accelerate anything, but rather cross-references and clarifies the lifting of the ban in a separate section of Tennessee Code overlooked last year. The governor last week signed into law the more important of this years two bills on the issue: House Bill 1105 http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/15/tennessee-governor-signs-second-bill-municipal-sch/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Governor signs tattoo legislation (Associated Press)

A proposal that seeks to crack down on the tattooing of minors has been signed into law by Gov. Bill Haslam. The measure, signed by the Republican governor this week, unanimously passed the Senate 31-0 and was approved 86-6 in the House. The law makes it illegal for anyone who is unlicensed to possess tattooing paraphernalia. The measure also encourages reporting incidents of underage tattooing to the Health Department. Those making the report might be a police officer or someone in education, such as a teacher or school resource officer. Currently, a person under 18 cannot get a tattoo. A 16-year-old can be tattooed to cover up an existing tattoo, but only if a parent or guardian is present. http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2012/may/16/latest-tennessee-news-sports-business-and-entertai-ar-1986848/

Measure to allow students to opt out of activities (Associated Press)

Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a measure that allows parents to opt their children out of extracurricular school activities.Under the legislation, schools would notify parents about the activities "by way of student handbooks or policy guidebooks. Sponsors have said those parents who don't want their children to participate in a certain activity can send a note to the school. The legislation unanimously passed the Senate 31-0 and was approved 75-14 in the House. http://www.wbir.com/news/article/219964/2/Measure-to-allow-students-to-opt-out-of-activities

Tennessee gets OK to hike private equity, include strategic lending (P&I)

Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, Nashville, can increase its target private equity allocation to 10% from 5% under legislation signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. The law also expands the types of private equity investments the $31.3 billion retirement system can make to include strategic lending, but only through Dec. 31, 2017. Previously, Tennessee Consolidated could invest only in domestic and international venture capital, corporate buyouts, mezzanine and distressed debt, special situations and secondary funds. Michael Brakebill, chief investment officer, said in a telephone interview that strategic lending is intended to consume the extra 5% allocation. What we're doing there is basically any kind of non-investment-grade lending strategies. That's what that is intended to do, whether it's bank loans or mezzanine or high yield or some distressed strategies, Mr. Brakebill said. The retirement system's investment committee, along with investment consultant Strategic Investment Solutions, recommended the additional allocations. Mr. Haslam signed the bill May 10. http://www.pionline.com/article/20120515/DAILYREG/120519944/tennessee-gets-ok-to-hike-private-equityinclude-strategic-lending

Stretch of Tenn. 385 named for Gov. Dunn (Commercial Appeal/Locker)

Tenn. 385, the eastern semi-circle roadway linking the Memphis suburbs, is about to have a third name on it: the Governor Winfield Dunn Parkway. Gov. Bill Haslam signed House Bill 3373, unanimously approved by the state legislature last month, designating the stretch of Tenn. 385 from its intersection with U.S. 70 near Arlington to U.S. 72 at Collierville "in tribute to" the former Memphis dentist who in 1970 was elected Tennessee's first Republican governor in 50 years. Dunn, 84, now lives in Sumner County. In 1998, the legislature named the portion of Tenn. 385 that was then known as Nonconnah Parkway as the Bill Morris Parkway, stretching from its intersection with I-240 in southeast Memphis to Collierville. Morris is a former Shelby County mayor and sheriff. The following year, lawmakers designated the section of Tenn. 385 from U.S. 51 at Millington all the way to Collierville as the Paul W. Barret Parkway, although the highway was only complete at that time to Interstate 40 near Arlington. The new designation alters the 1999 act by limiting Paul W. Barret Parkway to the stretch from U.S. 51 to U.S. 72 and re-naming the newer stretch to Collierville after Dunn. 3

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/16/stretch-of-tenn-385-named-for-gov-dunn/ (SUB)

Math Classes To Share Common Core Next School Year (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
This summer about 15 thousand math teachers and school principals in Tennessee will all learn to give the same lessons in the classroom. Its part of a push toward Common Core standards, adopted in 45 states to get schools teaching the same material. Officials say not even one in five high-school seniors in Tennessee is ready for college. In particular, Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman says many need help with math. Huffman says a main idea with Common Core is to narrow the focus of whats being taught, so students understand it, rather than just pass tests and move on. So less multiple-choice Can you simply multiply 6 times 6? much more Do you conceptually understand what 6 times 6 means? Do you understand how to apply it? Could you figure out when to apply it, when not to apply it? So its much more depth of understanding, higher critical thinking. The 15 thousand educators getting ready for this fall teach third- through eighth-grade math. http://wpln.org/?p=37249

States top banking official seeks balanced approach to regulation (J. City Press)
A review of regulations on major U.S. banks may be forthcoming, especially after a $2 billion trading loss with JPMorgan Chase was announced last week. While many argue tougher restrictions should be enforced in order to prevent other major financial losses, banks, large and small, are concerned over the costs associated with the regulations. Local certified public accountants and bankers met Tuesday night at the Johnson City Country Club for an annual meeting, where Greg Gonzales, Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions commissioner, gave an overview of whats happening in financial institutions, discussed the consumer protection-financial protection bureau, the environment and Gov. Bill Haslams TNForward Top to Bottom Review of recommendations from the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions and how banks would be impacted. In the 2012 Financial Institutions Top to Bottom Review, some recommendations included providing for a safe and sound system of financial institutions, to work with state and federal regulators to determine what burdens could be reduced for community based depository institutions and how to make department processes more efficient and effective. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=100310#ixzz1v1wkS0oa

Latest Polk County rock slide cleared quickly (Times Free-Press/Benton)

State and local officials say they'll continue to monitor slide-prone areas of the Ocoee River Gorge's road cut on U.S. Highway 64 in Polk County, Tenn., after a small rock slide near TVA's No. 2 powerhouse temporarily closed one lane of the road overnight Tuesday. The slide occurred about 4.5 miles from the area where a slide on Nov. 10, 2009, damaged the road and left tons of debris that kept U.S. 64 closed for more than five months, according to Tennessee Department of Transportation officials. Rock slides can damage more than roads. Another slide in April 2010 on the other side of the Ocoee River destroyed 60 to 70 feet of the Tennessee Valley Authority's historic wooden flume built in 1912 to channel water from the river to its electrical powerhouse, newspaper archives show. That slide happened below TVA's Ocoee Dam No. 2. Rain factor TDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Flynn said rain might have contributed to Tuesday's slide that was reported at 2:30 a.m. between the rafting take-out site and Ocoee Power House No. 2. The slide blocked one lane of traffic until crews moved about four small dump-truck loads -- about 40 tons -- of debris to reopen the road by 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, Flynn said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/16/latest-polk-slide-cleared-quickly/?local

Cottonwood doctor loses license to practice following drug arrests (TN/Wilemon)

The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners has revoked the license of Dr. Allen R. Walker Jr. of Cottontown after he was charged with drug violations in Sumner County. The action by the licensing board follows Walkers arrests in February on state drug charges and in March on federal offenses. W alker, who was already under a monitoring agreement because of a chemical dependency, allegedly wrote prescriptions for his use in the names of his children and other family members, according to the order. An evaluation determined that Walker was not safe to practice medicine. The order also states that he inappropriately prescribed controlled substances to patients. Walker voluntarily surrendered his license to practice and agreed not to reapply for at least two years. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS07/305160060/Cottonwood-doctor-loses-license-practicefollowing-his-drug-arrests?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

State inspections find 'deficiencies' at abortion-providing clinics (NS/Nelson)

4

Report: Problems now corrected, 'no actual harm' A Tennessee Department of Health inspection earlier this year of two local clinics that provide abortions found several violations. Both clinics have corrected the deficiencies, the department said. The state contracted local surveyors to inspect Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, 1547 W . Clinch Ave., on Feb. 21 and Volunteer W omen's Medical Clinic, 313 Concord St., on Feb. 22, in response to a complaint made by Lisa Morris, a Knoxville woman who has acted as spokeswoman for the ProLife Coalition. Morris said in a December letter to the state she was concerned that the clinics might not comply with state guidelines, including "proper employee certification" and "basic cleanliness." The state regularly inspects all Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Centers and decided to combine the complaint investigation with its regular survey of the centers, said Shelley Walker, communication and marketing coordinator for TDOH. W alker said surveyors cited both clinics for "priority 3" violations, which the state defines as deficiencies that caused "no actual harm" to patients but had "potential for more than minimal harm." Both clinics submitted a "plan of correction" to fix problems. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/state-inspections-find-deficiencies-atabortion/

State library hosts War of 1812 workshop (Associated Press)

The Tennessee Library and Archives is hosting a workshop on the War of 1812. The free event on W ednesday lasts an hour and begins at 11 a.m. CDT. It will be in the library auditorium, just west of the state Capitol in Nashville. Archivist Tom Kanon, who has written extensively on the War of 1812, is the speaker. The political and military issued will be examined. The event will explore the cause of the war and why Tennesseans wanted to fight in it. The session will also point out what resources about the war are available at the state museum and archive. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/state-library-hosts-war-of-1812-workshop/

State Supreme Court to review appeal request in slayings (NS/Satterfield)

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Tuesday signaled a willingness to at least consider the state Attorney General's Office's bid to appeal a decision ordering new trials in the January 2007 torture slayings of a Knox County couple. Rather than dismissing at the onset the state's request to appeal Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood's ruling upending convictions in the slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, the state's high court is inviting debate on the issue instead. In an order released Tuesday, the court is requiring attorneys for the defendants at issue in the case to respond to the AG's Office's request for an appeal of Blackwood's decision. "Upon consideration of the application, the court desires a response to the application," the high court said in its order. Attorneys for alleged ringleader Lemaricus Davidson, his brother, Letalvis Cobbins, and Cobbins' pal, George Thomas, have a May 18 deadline to file their respective responses. The state is not seeking to challenge the retrial order in the case of a fourth defendant, Cobbins' girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/state-supreme-court-to-review-appeal-request-in/

Baumgartner faces 7 counts of failing to report felonious activity (NS/Satterfield)

Once a revered Knox County Criminal Court judge, Richard Baumgartner on Tuesday shuffled into a federal courtroom in shackles, accused of covering up the drug-trafficking crimes of the mistress he met via a Drug Court program he helped found. Baumgartner, who sent thousands of people to prison in his nearly two-decadelong tenure as judge, was arrested Tuesday as he drove away from his East Knox County farm and hauled into U.S. District Court with shackles on his feet and a chain wrapped around his belly and connected to handcuffs. He said little during his appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifford Shirley on a seven-count indictment alleging a series of lies he told and crimes he concealed on behalf of mistress and Drug Court graduate Deena Castleman beginning in June 2009, a time during which a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe showed he was addicted to prescription painkillers. Simultaneously, he was presiding over one of the most high-profile criminal cases in Knoxville's history the January 2007 torture slayings of Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/former-judge-richard-baumgartner-faces-7-federal/

Drug testing plan for welfare recipients faces constitutional hurdles (TN/W ilson)
Yolanda Powers is willing to take a drug test in order to qualify for welfare. But she doesnt think people struggling to get back on their feet should have to pay for it. Like many of the thousands of Tennesseans receiving benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, Powers says new legislation passed by the state legislature this month doesnt bother her. The legislation, which Gov. Bill Haslam has said he 5

will sign, is similar in nature to a number of controversial and constitutionally suspect laws in other states. But Powers said allowing the state to test for drugs provides a way to make sure state funds are used appropriately. You have to realize that its taxpayers money, she said, and its a lot of people not doing the right thing. W hile Powers said state officials werent going to have a problem with the results of her test, she doesnt expect to stay on welfare long enough to see the future law and its policies go into effect. Shes in too much of a hurry to improve her situation. After losing her job at a local restaurant, the mother of five and soon-to-be grandmother plans to open a small child care center at her home near Tennessee State University. A corner of her home is already lined with donated books, toys and other things to help care for the four children she expects to have in the day care. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS0201/305160108/Plan-test-welfare-recipients-drugs-facesconstitutional-hurdles?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Nashville council's preliminary budget approval sets stage for debate (TN/Cass)
The Metro Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to Mayor Karl Deans budget and tax increase proposals. It really didnt have any choice. The council voted 30-3 for the budget and 30-4 for the 53-cent property tax increase on the first of three required votes for each measure. But those margins were misleading, because the Metro Charter basically forces the council to adopt the mayors budget on the first vote and then start debating it. If the council were to reject the budget before even holding hearings on it, it would take effect anyway, council attorney Jon Cooper explained. The council then would be obligated to approve the tax rate that would be needed to fund the budget, he added. Despite those restrictions, several council members said they would abstain from one or both votes, so Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors ordered a roll call for each bill. Tony Tenpenny, Jason Potts and Robert Duvall voted against the mayors budget, while Darren Jernigan, Duane Dominy, Karen Johnson and Bo Mitchell abstained. Mitchell then joined Tenpenny, Potts and Duvall in opposing the tax increase as the other three abstainers held their positions. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS0202/305160096/Nashville-council-s-preliminary-budgetapproval-sets-stage-debate?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Nashville works to reduce domestic violence numbers (Tennessean/Haas)

Proposed budget adds 2 more prosecutors for domestic cases Domestic violence prosecutors should be familiar with Jontay Johns. The 29-year-old Nashvillian has been arrested at least 17 times on domestic violence-related charges since 2001 and has had at least two orders of protection sought against him, court records show. By the time he met 23-year-old Jennifer Fitts, he had been sentenced to spend 40 days in jail, according to court records. Metro police detectives say Johns killed Fitts, his girlfriend, in mid-January in her Lynmeade Court home. They tracked him down in jail, where he was awaiting trial on charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated rape involving a new girlfriend. This was probably inevitable, said Fitts aunt, Bobbie Lynn Clift. Its just that day to day of feeling the loss just wondering why? That question just burns in my gut. Why? Last year, there were 12,686 reported domestic violence crimes in Davidson County, nine of those were homicides. Two domestic violence prosecutors handled most of those cases, each averaging about 250 cases every week. Mayor Karl Dean says they need help. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS03/305160016/Nashville-works-reduce-domestic-violencenumbers?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Chatt. City Council examines $500,000 request for gang task force (TFP/Haman)
Chattanooga City Council members questioned the gang task force, police and fire pension board, and social service agency budgets on Tuesday. The proposed $209 million city budget, released earlier this month by Mayor Ron Littlefield, includes $499,878 for a gang task force created during this fiscal year, which ends June 30. City Council members are dissecting the mayor's 2013 budget. About 44 percent of the budget goes to the police and fire departments while 26 percent is allocated to general government agencies and 22.4 percent is set aside for Public Works and Parks and Recreation. Council members are expected to spend the next several weeks poring over the budget, which must be approved by July 1. Littlefield's chief of staff, Dan Johnson, and task force coordinator Boyd Patterson explained the request, which allocates $50,000 for consulting fees, $45,000 for meetings and $13,515 for travel. "You've got big items like consulting fees and meeting expenses," Johnson said. "There's going to be an awful lot of meeting going on." Patterson said task force members would travel to cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago to study anti-gang models that are working now. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/16/council-examines-500000-request-for-gang-task/?local 6

No-tax-hike budget in OR clears first hurdle (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

City Council in a 7-0 vote Monday approved on first reading a budget that keeps the property tax rate unchanged at $2.39 per $100 assessed value. Second and final reading is scheduled May 29, when another public hearing on the proposal will be conducted, City Manager Mark S. Watson said. If approved, it would be the fourth year in a row without a tax rate increase. Watson said the budget includes 1.5 percent raises for the city's 350 employees, adds President's Day as a paid holiday and earmarks $500,000 to assist in needed repairs to Woodland Elementary School. The city's coffers were adversely affected by flat sales tax revenue overall, Watson said, including about a 5 percent decrease in revenue from the Roane County portion of the city. A "devaluation" of property values at the residential development formerly called Rarity Ridge also reduced the revenue stream, Watson said. That development is now called The Preserve at Clinch River. The budget includes funding for nine new city positions to help comply with an Environmental Protection Agency mandate to repair leaky sewer lines. It also sets aside funds to match anticipated grants, including $200,000 for the first phase of an ambitious plan to renovate historic Jackson Square. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/no-tax-hike-budget-in-or-clears-first-hurdle/

Knox sheriff pushing for pay increases (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Donilla)

Officials with the Knox County Sheriff's Office will seek pay raises for the department today when they meet with the Knox County Commission to talk about the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones said Monday that he will be out of town today, but he asked his top leaders to talk with officials about the salary increases. He is seeking a boost in pay for everyone in his department, which includes about 1,020 workers, except for himself. Although employees in January received a 3 percent raise, he said his workers are still underpaid compared to comparable agencies. He plans to seek another 3 percent hike and a step increase for his staff. If approved, it would cost the county an extra $2.9 million annually. "We're behind and we need these pay raises," the sheriff said. Jones cited a 2011 Hamilton County survey conducted by an independent third party that studied 15 employers from North Carolina and Tennessee, including agencies in NashvilleDavidson, Shelby County, Knoxville and Chattanooga. It shows the average pay for a Knox County patrol officer is $37,260 about 19 percent less than that for those in other areas. The average pay for a corrections officer is $29,500 or 34 percent less. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/knox-sheriff-pushing-for-payincreases/

Carter budget group hears from school system on funding (Johnson City Press)
On Monday night, the Budget Committee of the Carter County Commission had its most difficult session so far in the process of setting a budget for the new fiscal year. The committee heard from the Carter County School Board, which is asking for an increase of $839,619 for next year, and from County Finance Director Ingrid Deloach, who strongly recommended some of the cuts made in the debt service fund last year should be restored. School administrators, principals and teachers nearly filled the Main Courtroom as the committee heard from the school board about the difficult steps taken to cut the school systems budget request by $1.3 million so far. Deloach told the committee there were several reasons for the school budget problems, but the biggest was the systems loss of students. The systems average daily membership has declined by 100 this year. This decline has had several drastic impacts on revenue sources. At the state level, it has meant the loss of $204,000 in state Basic Education Program funds. Deloach said another $469,782 is being lost at the local level because the county schools share of local revenue slipped by 1 percent to the Elizabethton City School System. In addition, because the new ratio is determined next April, she said the county should plan for the loss of another 1 percent rather than going back and trying to reconfigure nearly a years worth of anticipated revenue. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=100293#ixzz1v1x37e5m

Japan to honor Alexander of Tenn. (Associated Press)

Japan is bestowing national decorations on Sen. Lamar Alexander and a Vanderbilt University professor. The consulate general's office announced Tuesday that Emperor Akihito is conferring the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star to Alexander for furthering U.S. economic relations with Japan. While Alexander was Tennessee governor and economic competition between the two countries was tense in the early 1980s, he led numerous trade missions to Japan. The recruitment resulted in Nissan building the first Japanese auto assembly plant in the U.S. at Smyrna. Bridgestone and Komatsu followed. More than 170 Japanese companies now have Tennessee operations accounting for 35,000 jobs. Professor John Haley is receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for furthering the study of Japanese law in the U.S. 7

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/japan-to-honor-alexander-of-tenn/

Freshman lawmakers who vowed change lavish in mailings (Gannett/King, Bewley)

Republican freshmen who came to Congress last year promising to transform Washingtons free-spending culture are no different from most other lawmakers in at least one respect: They mailed out millions of taxpayerfunded fliers and brochures during their first year in office. Tennessees first-term lawmakers were no exception. Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Jasper spent more on mass mailings than all but two other House members last year. He sent 669,436 pieces of unsolicited mail at a cost of $282,385, according to a review of records compiled by the chief administrative officer of the House. Republican Rep. Diane Black of Gallatin ranked No. 24, spending $194,910 to mail 252,632 brochures, fliers and letters. The states two other freshman lawmakers Republican Reps. Chuck Fleischmann of Ooltewah and Stephen Fincher of Frog Jump also spent more than most of their colleagues. They ranked 137 and 147, respectively, each spending more than $80,000. A spokesman for DesJarlais said the congressman has made constituent outreach one of his top priorities in Congress. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS02/305160064/TN-freshman-lawmakers-who-vowedchange-lavish-mailings?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Needy States Use Housing Aid Cash to Plug Budgets (New York Times)
Hundreds of millions of dollars meant to provide a little relief to the nations struggling homeowners is being diverted to plug state budget gaps. In a budget proposed this week, California joined more than a dozen states that want to help close gaping shortfalls using money paid by the nations biggest banks and earmarked for foreclosure prevention, investigations of financial fraud and blunting the ill effects of the housing crisis. California was awarded more than $400 million from the banks, and Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed using the bulk of that sum to pay the states debts. The money was part of a national settlement valued at $25 billion and negotiated with five big banks over abuses in their mortgage and foreclosure processes. The settlement, reached in February after a year of talks and intervention by the Obama administration, was the second-largest in history involving the states, trailing the tobacco industry settlement, and represented the first large-scale commitment by banks to provide direct aid to borrowers. As part of the settlement, the banks agreed to pay the states $2.5 billion, money intended to help homeowners and mitigate the effects of the foreclosure surge. But critics complained that this was the only cash the banks were required to pay the rest comes in the form of credits for reducing mortgage debt and other activities. Even that relatively small amount has proved too great a temptation for lawmakers. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/business/states-diverting-mortgage-settlement-money-to-other-uses.html? _r=1&hp(SUBSCRIPTION)

Browns Ferry isn't ready to inspect (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sohn)

TVA's nuclear operations chief told officials with the Nuclear Regulatory Agency on Tuesday that Browns Ferry is not ready yet for a third and final special NRC inspection to clear its "red" safety rating. "TVA is beginning to see results [with improvement efforts], but we're not there yet," said Preston Swafford, TVA executive vice president and chief nuclear officer. "W e will not invite an inspection team in until have confidence we are ready. ... I can't even give you a ballpark estimate now when that will be." NRC's regional administrator, Victor McCree, said after the meeting that the federal regulatory agency will take that answer in stride. "I wouldn't say that we're disappointed. It is what it is, and our major focus is with the safety of the plant," McCree said. "TVA recognizes their performance has not been as good as it could be. ... It takes time." NRC placed Browns Ferry in a "red" rating last year after NRC and TVA determined in October 2010 that a valve intended to help cool the reactors in an emergency had not been functional in the previous 18 months. The NRC's red rating is issued when NRC officials believe a plant has issues of "high safety significance." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/16/browns-ferry-isnt-ready-to-inspect/?local

World of Bluegrass festival to leave Nashville for Raleigh (City Paper/Greenberg)

The International Bluegrass Music Associations World of Bluegrass festival and conference is moving from the Nashville Convention Center to Raleigh, N.C., in 2013, according to multiple media reports. An IBMA spokeswoman declined to confirm the report Tuesday but did say there was a press conference scheduled for 8

noon Wednesday in Raleigh. NBC-17 reported Tuesday afternoon that Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane was expected to make the announcement tomorrow. The W orld of Bluegrass includes a business conference, the IBMA Awards show and Fan Fest, which included more than 60 acts last year. In 2011, the Fan Fest had 3,900 unique visitors each day for three days and the business conference attracted 1,610 over four days. The last estimated economic impact of the event was more than $4 million in 2008, according to the IBMA. A newsletter to IBMA members in November 2011 said that the organization would assemble a task force to look at other prospective sites for the festival. According to BluegrassToday.com, which also reported on the move Tuesday and first reported rumors of the move, festival organizers were concerned about the rising cost factors in downtown Nashville. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/world-bluegrass-festival-leave-nashvilleraleigh

Clarksville Jostens adds work (Leaf Chronicle)

Jostens announced plans to bring more business into its Clarksville facilities, with local workers expected to absorb memory book production from Topeka, Kan. That transition will likely add jobs to the Clarksville complex, which already employs about 600 people, according to Jostens spokesman Rich Stoebe. Jostens said 372 production jobs in Topeka will be phased out during the shift, which will begin in July. The Topeka plant mainly produces Jostens line of memory books, which most notably includes high school yearbooks. Production will shift to Clarksville this fall, Stoebe said, although it is unclear how many new jobs that will bring. We know we will be adding certain positions in Clarksville. Thats all part of the transition, Stoebe said. We have to get through the transition before we can project (the number of new jobs). The company plans to keep 87 employees in Topeka, mainly in customer service, art, marketing and technical support, according to a news release. Jostens Clarksville location has been steadily absorbing jobs and production duties from other locations across the country. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120515/MAJOREVENT/305160006/Clarksville-Jostens-adds-work

Nashville schools' rezoning trial turns focus to charters (Tennessean/Hubbard)

Charter schools became a point of contention Tuesday in Metro Nashvilles school rezoning trial, with attorneys arguing theyre another sign that the district is headed toward resegregating its black and white students. Judge Kevin Sharp, from the bench, asked Director of Schools Jesse Register if anything prevents charter groups from setting up what amounts to free private schools in Nashville. They are not barred by the rules or law, Register said. Arizona-based Great Hearts Academy which held its first meetings about a proposed charter with mostly affluent white families must submit a diversity plan with its request to open a school in Nashville in 2013, Register said. However, he said the local school board lacks full control over charter schools, since a new state law allows all students to attend them. In the past, charters were open only to low-income students and those from failing schools. The Metro school board can reject a charter application, Register said, if it doesnt fill an education gap or meet principles such as promoting diversity. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS04/305160074/Nashville-schools-rezoning-trial-turns-focuscharters?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Schools Superintendent Rick Smith asks for cash for STEM school (TFP/Hardy)
Demolition is nearly complete on a fast-paced project to open a science, technology, engineering and math school in Hamilton County by August. But now a lack of cash stands to slow construction. While waiting on donations to renovate space, the school system may borrow up to $500,000 from its own capital projects fund to ensure work continues. Donations of goods and services have come in, though Superintendent Rick Smith said the school system still needs to purchase materials and services to move forward. Smith placed the transfer request on Thursday's Board of Education agenda. "Any further delay in our ability to purchase materials/supplies/services will jeopardize having the project ready for occupancy this fall," he wrote in materials provided to school board members. Hamilton County received a $1.8 million state grant to fund the STEM program -- $1 million for a school and $850,000 for an associated "hub" to house partnering organizations. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/16/smith-asks-for-cash-for-stem-school/?local

Memphis City Schools teachers get test results (Commercial Appeal/Roberts)

About 80 percent of Memphis City Schools' 6,400 teachers scored well enough on their new evaluations to be fairly confident about their jobs. The remaining 1,350 are performing below expectations. Those not terminated will have to make measurable gains in the coming year to keep their jobs. The district released the final scores 9

late Monday after spending the day informing an unknown number they were being terminated. Principals made the recommendation to Supt. Kriner Cash. District staff, including Cash, would not respond to questions about the evaluations until today. The majority of teachers (39 percent) scored 3 or "meet expectations" on the 1-5 scorecard. Forty percent scored either a 4 or "above expectations" or a 5 or "significantly above expectations" and are considered at the top of their profession. Teachers of that caliber help their students make two or three years of academic progress per school year. But 2 percent of city schools teachers (128 teachers) rank at the bottom of the scale, scoring 1 or "significantly below expectations." Nineteen percent (1,216 teachers) scored 2 or "below expectations." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/14/mcs-teachers-get-test-results/ (SUB)

Up to 150 Memphis City Schools teachers face firing (Commercial Appeal/Roberts)

Between 130 and 150 Memphis City Schools teachers are being recommended for termination for poor performance -- three times the number who lost their jobs for any reason last year. By contract, MCS must notify the teachers by June 15. Many began getting the word early this week. "Remember, this is the work we have been working on since we started working with the Gates foundation," said Supt. Kriner Cash. Principals identified the poor performers based on the teacher evaluation process instituted this year, plus three years of student test data. They made their recommendations to the administration. Last year, principals recommended roughly 60 terminations; 41 were cut. While the evaluation, Cash said, gives "decision-makers" the first reliable look at the talent in the teaching corps, he says there will be "false negatives and positives. "This is the first year. There are gong to be tweaks that have to be made." At the Memphis Education Association offices on Flicker, several dozen teachers registered complaints Tuesday. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/16/up-to-150-city-teachers-face-firing/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

MCS Teachers Receive Report Cards (Memphis Daily News)

With the school year almost over, Memphis City Schools teachers have their grades from the first school year of TEM the Teacher Effectiveness Measure system approved by the state to evaluate teacher performance. Memphis City Schools is the only school system in the state to use TEM, which is one of four teacher evaluation models approved by the state to evaluate teachers and determine what kind of professional development help they might need to become better teachers. The system-wide numbers released Monday, May 14, show 39 percent of the teachers are Level 3 teachers. Level 5 is the highest score in the evaluation and Levels 1 and 2 are assigned to teachers who need improvement or who could possibly be fired as early as June when the school system and principals announce re-election decisions for the 2012-2013 school year. The 39 percent of teachers in Level 3 was the largest group of teachers. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/16/mcs-teachers-receive-report-cards/

Schools face budget crunch (Times-Gazette)

There's a gap of nearly $800,000 between where next year's school budget is and where it needs to be. That's what Bedford County Board of Education learned at a budget study session Monday night. For the past two fiscal years, 2010-11 and 2011-12, the school system has been spending more than it has taken in. The difference came out of the school system's fund balance. But now, that money is nearly gone, and the budget document which school board members started with Monday night used up all of the available fund balance (not counting the 3 percent which the state requires school systems to keep in reserve) and would put the school system $347,093 in the hole. No extras "This is a bare-bones budget, as far as I'm concerned," said School Superintendent Ray Butrum. The good news is that, after several years of stagnant sales and property tax revenues, both are beginning to increase again. But it may take several years for them to return to pre-recession levels. And in the meantime, operating expenses are going up as well. "The costs are going up as fast as the revenues," said Bedford County Finance Director Robert Daniel. http://www.t-g.com/story/1849060.html

Anti-censorship groups want Sumner schools to lift book ban (Tenn/Hubbard)

Two anti-censorship groups want Sumner County schools to lift a ban on the teen novel Looking for Alaska. The National Coalition against Censorship and American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression sent Sumner Director of Schools Del Phillips a letter Monday. It urges the district to honor its constitutional obligation and allow the White House High School English class to finish reading the student-selected novel. It is particularly disturbing that the complaint of one parent triggered a county-wide ban within the span of a single week, without following established procedure and without so much as a review of the literary and educational merits of the book, the letter states. The district has imposed one viewpoint on the entire student body, without regard to the 10

educational consequences for students. The groups claim Sumner County violated its own district policy, which says if a parent complains, that student can be given an alternative book to read. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS04/305160059/Anti-censorship-groups-want-Sumner-liftbook-ban?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

School-Test Backlash Grows (Wall Street Journal)

The increasing role of standardized testing in U.S. classrooms is triggering pockets of rebellion across the country from school officials, teachers and parents who say the system is stifling teaching and learning. In Texas, some 400 local school boardsmore than one-third of the state's totalhave adopted a resolution this year asking lawmakers to scale back testing. In Everett, Wash., more than 500 children skipped state exams in protest earlier this month. A national coalition of parents and civil-rights groups, including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, signed a petition in April asking Congress to reduce federal testing mandates. In recent weeks, the protest spread to Florida, where two school boards, including Palm Beach County, signed on to a petition similar to the one in Texas. A parent in a third, Broward County, on Tuesday formally requested that school officials support the movement. The efforts are a response to the spread of mandatory testing in the past decade. Proponents say the exams are needed to ensure students are learning and teachers' effectiveness is measured. Critics say schools are spending disproportionate time and resources on the tests at the expense of more-creative learning. They also contend the results weigh too heavily in decisions on student advancement, teacher pay and the fate of schools judged to have failed. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303505504577406603829668714.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Dry spell lands Chattanooga on drought monitor (Times Free-Press/Pouilesse)

Chattanooga is "abnormally dry" right now, according to weather officials. Yearly, monthly and seasonally, Chattanooga is behind in rainfall, said Kate Guillet, a meteorological intern with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn. Chattanooga was the only area covered by the Morristown office -- East Tennessee, Southwest North Carolina and Southwest Virginia -- deemed dry enough by the Climate Prediction Center to make it on the U.S. Drought Monitor, Guillet said. "It just happened to be that area received less rain than any other area," she said. "When we did get rainfall it happened to move to Knoxville and the other climate sites we have data for." So far this month, Chattanooga has received 1.62 inches of rain, meteorologist Shawn O'Neill said. That's low, Guillet said, but the month is only half over. Since January, Chattanooga has seen barely over 17 inches of rain, O'Neill said, which is 3.63 inches below average. WRCB-TV Channel 3 chief meteorologist Paul Barys said the Tennessee Valley saw about 1 to 3 inches of rain on Monday. But "just because it rains doesn't mean you're out of the drought," Guillet said. "The longer you're in a drought the more water it will take to come out of it." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/16/dry-spell-lands-city-on-drought-monitor/?local

OPINION Editorial: Learning to read critical to education success (Jackson Sun)

Tennessees First Lady Crissy Haslam was in town on Monday to help promote the Imagination Library and the Governors Books from Birth Foundation at a Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce reception. We appreciate her presence to help highlight the value and importance of early childhood reading. At a time when public education is struggling to keep up and often to catch up with our rapidly changing times, nothing could be more important than teaching children to read and to experience reading as something that is fun and rewarding. As Jackson-Madison County Schools Deputy Superintendent Doris Battle aptly noted during the reception, reading is the foundation for all forms of learning. That just about sums up the importance of teaching children from the earliest age to read. The Imagination Library is a nonprofit organization founded by country music legend Dolly Parton. Working with the Governors Books from Birth Foundation, the library sends out a book a month from birth to age 5 to children who sign up. The books are paid for by funds raised locally and by the state. W hat we like about the Imagination Library program is that once a child is signed up, it is automatic. This means each month a child receives a new book. It doesnt take much time for it to become a habit, and for children to look forward to each new installment. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120516/OPINION/305160001/Or-ViewLearning-read-critical-education-success 11

Jim Leonhirth: Know Nothing State on horizon (Daily News Journal)

Tennessee resident Carrie Underwoods No. 1 debut on the Billboard album chart last week bodes well for the Oklahoma transplants career and the country music industry, but it also provides an example of the paradox that is Tennessee. Underwoods Blown Away was one of 10 albums in Billboards top 40 last week that have Tennessee or country music connections, and Nashville likes to tout itself as the third coast in competition with the entertainment centers in Los Angeles on the West Coast and New York on the East Coast. That Nashville has become synonymous with music around the world undoubtedly pleases those promoting economic development in the state. That Nissan and Volkswagen are thriving with their international investments in the state also pleases them. What may please them a lot less is that for every step the image of Tennessee takes forward, it finds a way to take a couple of steps backward. While one can hope that the recent departure of the General Assembly from Nashville will limit those steps backward, some members of Tennessees congressional delegation are ready to take over from state legislators and continue the moves backward. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120516/OPINION02/305160001/LEONHIRTH-Know-Nothing-State-horizon? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Richard Cowart: TennCare Plus program may be next big thing (Tennessean)
Program seeks to move tens of thousands in state away from fee-for-service care TennCare Plus is shaping up to be the next big thing for TennCare. This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will receive state applications for an ambitious new program to move 2 million dual-eligible beneficiaries, those eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, away from fee-for-service care. This initiative could affect up to 136,000 Tennesseans. Lets review the new program and where it may be headed in Tennessee. According to CMS reports, approximately 9 million beneficiaries are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid services (dual-eligibles as theyre called). These beneficiaries constitute roughly 15 percent of the Medicaid population, but are responsible for 39 percent of Medicaid total spending. Additionally, the cost of care for dual-eligibles is growing exponentially. Nationally, dual- eligibles accounted for approximately $50 billion of Medicaid spending in 2000 and $125 billion in 2007. In Tennessee, the dual-eligibles service expenditure was $1.6 billion in 2010. To address the problem, 25 states are expected to submit plans to CMS for three-year pilot programs to manage the services for dualeligibles. Tennessee is among those states. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/COLUMNIST03/305160099/Richard-Cowart-TennCare-Plusprogram-may-next-big-thing?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Editorial: 'Buckle up' message not being heard (Tennessean)

So far this year, 352 people have died on Tennessee roads, each death a tragedy for someone. Tennessee Department of Safety officials are reeling from an abrupt reversal in safety trends. In January, the department announced that in 2011 our highways were the safest in nearly 50 years; traffic fatalities had declined to 947, only the third time since 1963 that highway deaths had been less than 1,000, and annual traffic deaths were down 26 percent during the past five years. This year, traffic fatalities are up more than 12 percent through the same period in 2011, putting Tennessee on pace for 1,065 deaths, the most since 2007. The circumstances in fatalities are depressing; people not wearing seat belts increased 15 percent, and motorcyclists deaths increased 19 percent. Both cities and rural areas have suffered in the increases. We seem to be very complacent about basic safety protocols. On April 6, the Nashville district Highway Patrol conducted a one-day seat belt sweep and pulled 1,101 drivers. The statistics mask some positive news: teenagers and seniors have been involved in fewer fatal accidents in 2012 than last year. Teenage fatalities declined from 43 to 40, and senior fatalities have dropped from 73 to 48. Also fatal accidents involving heavy trucks are down over last year. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/OPINION01/305160067/-Buckle-up-message-not-being-heard? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Gail Kerr: Highway fatality signs are a sobering reminder to drive safely (Tenn)
And now there are 352. Thats the updated number on those gruesome interstate traffic signs that report the number of TN ROADW AY FATALITIES THIS YEAR. If the signs bother you, good. They should. They dont highlight a mere morbid annoyance. The signs are a reminder that each number that adds up to that total represents a dead family member that somebody once loved. Tennessee Department of Transportation spokeswoman Deanna Lambert reported on Twitter yesterday thats 39 more than last year. Tennesseans are dying in droves this year on roadways, a 13 percent increase over the same time last year. Why? State officials say speed, not wearing seat belts, texting and motorcycle crashes are all factors. TDOT started posting the signs 12

to try and wake drivers up and think about what they are doing. Some people dislike them: Its a distraction from driving, wrote Diana Blair Revell in a Facebook discussion. But others say the signs make them pause: I see them and automatically check my speed, said Keri Adams. Its a sobering reminder of the inherent dangers of driving. The signs are a good thing, said Sharon Billingsley Green. Awareness is the key to prevention. It makes you think about it while youre actually in control of your vehicle. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/COLUMNIST0101/305160072/Gail-Kerr-Highway-fatality-signssobering-reminder-drive-safely?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Editorial: Sharper focus on teachers (Commercial Appeal)

While not perfect, the new teacher evaluations have helped identify teachers who aren't doing a good job helping kids learn. The good news is that new teacher evaluations showed that almost 80 percent of Memphis City Schools' 6,400 teachers scored well enough to be considered competent or very competent teachers. The remaining 1,342 are performing below expectations. So the question remains now of how to deal with those who scored badly on a new evaluation system that still needs fine-tuning. That's an important question for a process that has left some teaching jobs in jeopardy. Thirty-nine percent of the teachers scored a 3 (meet expectations) on the 1-5 score card. Forty percent scored either a 4 (above expectations) or a 5 (significantly above expectations) and are considered at the top of their profession. Those teachers help their students make two or three years of academic progress per school year. Before the final scores were released Monday, MCS Supt. Kriner Cash had talked about the possibility that a higher percentage of teachers would not make the grade. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/16/editorial-sharper-focus-on-teachers/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Frank Munger: The strange case of Trench 13 (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

One of the strangest episodes in the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge cleanup program and there have been quite a few strange episodes occurred on Aug. 8, 2005. That's when workers attempted to tap into an old waste burial site known as Trench 13, with plans to retrieve containers of nuclear waste that had been "stored" there for decades. Trench 13 was one of 22 trenches in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Solid W aste Storage Area No. 5. The DOE-funded project was designed to excavate the containers of transuranic waste a particularly nasty class of long-lived radioactive material and repackage the waste for final disposal at a repository in New Mexico. However, soon after workers gained access to the site, flames shot up into the air scaring the heck out of everybody. Unlike some of the other trenches where transuranic waste was securely housed in concrete casks, Trench 13 was loaded with steel drums and boxes, and the attempt at excavation exposed some pyrophoric material to air. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/16/frank-munger-the-strange-case-of-trench-13/ ###

13