COVID-19 has left no community untouched. Infecting more than 1 million Americans and resulting in the deaths of more than 75,000 people as of May 8, the coronavirus has taken an especially dramatic toll on African Americans and other communities of color. While the nation still lacks complete racial data on COVID-19 patients, according to the latest data where race was provided, African Americans accounted for more than one-third (33%) of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., yet make up only around 13 percent of the population. This disproportionate impact is seen here in Tennessee, too. Despite comprising only 17 percent…
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Sen. Brenda Gilmore says state must do more to protect prison staff, inmates from virus NASHVILLE, TN — After one of the nation’s largest Covid-19 outbreaks, the state should do more to protect prison guards, staff and inmates, according to Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville). “It’s a serious concern to see our prison facilities seemingly unprepared for the coronavirus, at this unprecedented level, when we’ve known for months the heightened threat these conditions present to prison guards and inmates,” Sen. Gilmore said. “There was plenty of time to reduce prison populations and put more effective safeguards in place to protect our…
Submitted by Senator Brenda Gilmore NASHVILLE, TN — Black Ministers, who are a part of the Nashville City Missionary Baptist District Association, are calling on the members of their churches and the community to meet them Monday, May 4, 2020 at one of the three (3) community sites to get tested. The testing sites offer drive through testing. The Coronavirus is killing Black people at a higher rate. In Nashville the fatality rate of Black Nashvillians is about 40% of the deaths. According to the president, Rev. Michael Joyner, of the Nashville City Missionary Baptist District Association, “We are trying to…
MEMPHIS, TN — Cato Johnson, University of Memphis Board of Trustee and chief of staff/public policy and regulatory affairs of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, has been selected to serve on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s Healthcare Working Group. The group is meeting via Zoom three times this week before making recommendations to the Governor’s Economic Recovery Group (ERG). The ERG has assembled several working groups in various sectors to make recommendations to Gov. Lee on how each sector should operate in a post-COVID landscape. “I’m honored,” said Johnson, who has been chief of staff and senior vice president of Public Policy…
NASHVILLE, TN — As council moves into the next phase of the budgeting process, the Metro Minority Caucus is stepping up to lead by establishing a budget committee and appointing former Metro Council Budget Chair and current Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher as the caucus’s budget chair for the 2020-2021 budget process. Councilmember At-Large and Chair of the Minority Caucus Sharon Hurt said, “These are unprecedented times of uncertainty and our caucus needs to expand our role and step up and provide even more leadership on budgeting. That’s why I appointed Councilwoman Vercher, the former budget chair for the council, to lead…
NASHVILLE, TN — Nashville International Airport (BNA) has launched a new website, replacing the previous version that had been in place for seven years. The new website, https://flynashville.com/, is a fresh, dynamic and interactive presentation of all BNA, John C. Tune Airport and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority have to offer and will benefit users with its efficiency and ease of use. The site is designed with the traveler in mind, making it “mobile first,” with prominent features such as flight tracking, real-time parking data and security checkpoint wait times. Additional features of the new site include: Streamlined organization and…
By Peter White NASHVILLE, TN — Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia reopened barbershops and bowling alleys last week while Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the state of emergency to keep businesses closed for another month. The two opposing views on re-opening the economy show state leaders are hopeful but uncertain about what “returning to normal” will mean in their states in coming weeks. Mr. Kemp, a Republican, was widely criticized for loosening restrictions too soon and a University of Georgia poll showed a majority of residents think his plan is too risky. Even President Trump thinks Kemp jumped the gun…
Special to the TnTribune by Justin Kanew/TN Hollar NASHVILLE, TN — Governor Bill Lee made public school-harming private school vouchers his #1 priority coming into office. Not fixing our public schools, which get an “F” for funding. Not fixing health care, which has us at #1 in Medical bankruptcies & rural hospital closures per capita, which could easily be addressed by expanding medicaid and accepting the $1 BILLION of OUR OWN TAX DOLLARS earmarked for us every year. Nope. Vouchers. Lee wants to see MILLIONS of public school funds steered to private (often religious/Christian) schools. To get it passed, he had…
Editor’s note: Metro schools and City Hall have been closed for two months. Teachers are working from home using the Internet to give lessons and assign projects to their students. Mayor John Cooper has been holding remote daily press briefings with health officials and other city leaders. The courts and Metro Council have continued to work using virtual technology to hear cases and hold meetings to carry on in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are three recent noteworthy news items. Judge Strikes Down School Vouchers NASHVILLE, TN — Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin struck down the state’s…
By Adrian Mojica NASHVILLE, TN — Metro Nashville Councilmembers on the Affordable Housing Committee are reminding landlords they cannot evict residents or take such actions of an eviction process without permission from the courts. The letter reminds landlords they cannot conduct “self-help” actions such as changing locks, turning off utilities, or removing belongings during the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, evictions are not being processed by the General Sessions Courts of Metro Nashville and the Davidson County Sheriff is not serving or enforcing eviction notices. Under the law, landlords cannot evict tenants without permission from the courts. The letter states despite the…