MONDAY,

OCTOBER

3,

2011

A community says goodbye to a local Marine killed in combat (WVLT-TV Knoxville)

Hundreds in Monroe County pay their final respects to a local hero, killed in action in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Frankie Watson's funeral was held at the first baptist church in Madisonville. The American flag draped over the casket, as family and friends remembered his life. Governor Bill Haslam paid his respect to Frankie as well. In a line that spilled out the door and onto the sidewalk, people waited to say goodbye to Frankie W atson. "It just breaks our hearts. He's young. 21 years old, he was just now starting his life," says Clyde Sutton, a Patriot Guard Rider. His short life on display; that famous smile that could light up a room. His work on the Madisonville police force, and his boot camp graduation video. A reminder that almost a year ago to the day, Watson became a Marine, soon shipped off to Afghanistan. When he was killed last week. Close friend Michael Elliott almost couldn't bear the news. "Bam. It hit me. My heart plummeted to the bottom of my stomach and about caved it in. It hit me hard," says Elliot. The week -- even harder. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/A_community_says_goodbye_to_a_local_Marine_killed_in_combat_ 130953573.html

Higher ed leaders broach $1B bonds (Daily News Journal)

Low interest rates have leaders of Tennessee's two higher education systems talking about a bond issue to pay for new campus construction that could total $1.5 billion. Such a move could pave the way for MTSU's longawaited $126 million science building. University of Tennessee trustee and Knoxville-based developer Robert Talbott said at a trustee committee meeting that a $1 billion bond issue would cost about $58 million a year. UT President Joe DiPietro said he hopes state lawmakers will approve a measure so bonds can be issued by next summer to take advantage of interest rates that have been around 4 percent, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Board of Regents vice chancellor David Gregory said there is a real understanding about the needs of higher education "but there's a lot frustration of how to get it done." MTSU's proposed $126 million science building remains the No. 1 project on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission's priority list, state Rep. Joe Carr said Sunday. Carr, a Lascassas Republican, said it is understood in the Haslam administration, House and Senate that "if at all possible" the MTSU building and a couple of other projects will be funded with bonds in the next legislative session, probably totaling about $200 million. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111003/NEW S01/110030316/Higher-ed-leaders-broach-1B-bonds

Higher ed looking at bonds for capital projects (Associated Press)

Low interest rates have leaders of Tennessee's two higher education systems talking about a bond issue to pay for new campus construction that could total $1.5 billion. University of Tennessee trustee and Knoxville-based developer Robert Talbott said at a trustee committee meeting that a $1 billion bond issue would cost about $58 million a year. UT President Joe DiPietro said he hopes state lawmakers will approve a measure so bonds can be issued by next summer to take advantage of interest rates that have been around 4 percent, The Knoxville News Sentinel reported (http://bit.ly/nXcAEd ). Board of Regents vice chancellor David Gregory said there is a real understanding about the needs of higher education "but there's a lot frustration of how to get it done." "They're saying, 'We see the needs, but how do we accomplish it?'" Gregory said. Most bonds are issued over 20 years. http://www.chron.com/news/article/Higher-ed-looking-at-bonds-for-capital-projects-2199074.php

New evaluation rules affecting educators' focus (Daily News Journal)

Local boards notify state of problems Some local educators say the new process used to evaluate teachers is forcing them to switch their focus from students to themselves. Both the Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City school boards have sent letters to state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman asking him to reconsider portions of the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model, which took effect July 1. The process involves combining scores from classroom visits by an administrator or other certified evaluator with student achievement data. Principals have said the process takes more time away from other administrative duties, while educators feel pressed to meet the required items on the evaluation checklist. Classroom visits may be announced or unannounced, take 15 minutes or an entire lesson and could include pre- or post-conferences, depending on the type of visit. City Schools Director Linda Gilbert said principals prior to the change were already in the classrooms observing student work and working with teachers to create individual plans for students not meeting individual growth goals. "Teachers can stand in a classroom and teach, but are the kids growing in their learning?" Gilbert questioned. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111003/NEW S01/110030315/New-evaluation-rules-affecting-educators-focus

E. Tenn. truck stop got stimulus money despite bankruptcy (Tennessean/Gee)

In July, Tennessees transportation commissioner applauded the opening of the states first truck- stop electrification terminal at TR Auto Truck Plaza in Dandridge, a project taxpayers paid for with a $424,000 federal stimulus fund grant. Thursday, the shiny new equipment languished uselessly as U.S. Bank took possession of the bankrupt business after an auction at the Jefferson County Courthouse failed to solicit a single bid. While not as spectacular a flop as Solyndra the California solar panel manufacturer that filed for bankruptcy last month after receiving a $535 million guarantee from the federal government the truck stops collapse further illustrates flaws in the way stimulus projects were evaluated that extended to the state level. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Transportation approved the stimulus grant to Mountain Plaza Inc., the truck stops owner, despite many red flags. The company, whose creditors included the state and federal governments, filed for bankruptcy protection in the middle of the process. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111003/NEWS0201/310020028/E-Tenn-truck-stop-got-stimulus-moneydespite-bankruptcy?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

County attorney told of jail liability problems (Daily News Journal)

Rutherford leaders debate methods for fix Newly-obtained documents reveal the county attorney's office warned jail officials in August that Rutherford County could be sued for negligence if issues raised during a recent Tennessee Corrections Institute inspection are not addressed. The sheriff's office requested an opinion from County Attorney Jim Cope's office following the Aug. 15 TCI inspection that found problems with the jail's kitchen, along with security and safety inside the jail. Those "security and safety" issues cited by the TCI relate to the jail's staffing of only one of two towers on each four levels of the jail for 24 hours a day. TCI inspectors Miller Meadows and Joe Ferguson, along with newly-appointed TCI Executive Director Beth Ashe, "strongly recommend(ed) that both towers on tower level are manned on a 24-hour basis for the safety and security of staff and inmates." The fear is that an inmate or jail employee could be severely injured while inside a group of cells since no personnel is in the tower to monitor what is happening. Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold, after a county Public Safety Committee meeting last week, told The Daily News Journal that he did not feel the issue could be addressed without hiring more detention staff. Each tower on all four levels of the jail would need at least two people working during each three shifts at the jail, he added. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111003/NEW S01/110030319/County-attorney-told-jail-liability-problems

Kisber Doesnt Recall if Amazon Deal was in W riting (TN Report)

Former Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber said Saturday night he does not remember if the controversial Amazon.com tax arrangement with the state was ever put in writing. The question of whether the Amazon deal was actually put on paper or was the result of a handshake deal has been one of many questions surrounding the agreement, which was made during former Gov. Phil Bredesens administration, in which Kisber served. The Tennessee Department of Revenue commissioner at the time, Charles Trost, has previously refused to comment on specifics of the Amazon arrangement, as has Bredesen. Amazon struck a deal with Tennessee in the waning weeks of Bredesens second term, where the Internet sales giant would build two distribution plants in the state and not have to collect sales taxes on its transactions as opposed to the collection of the sales tax by the many bricks-and-mortar retailers in the state.Some lawmakers, including chairs of both the House and Senate finance committees, have criticized the deal with Amazon, saying it gives Amazon an unfair competitive advantage. 2

http://www.tnreport.com/2011/10/kisber-doesnt-recall-if-amazon-deal-was-in-writing/

Voters say precincts don't make sense (Tennessean/Cass)

Voters in two parts of Nashville say they arent being assigned to the polling places closest to their homes, making it more difficult for those who dont have reliable transportation to vote. Lorrie Hinkle-Reedy lives in Cayce Place, a public housing development in East Nashville. Shes just two blocks down South Seventh Street from the Martha OBryan Center, one of five polling places in Metro Council District 6. Hinkle-Reedy, who doesnt have a car, said she walks to Martha OBryan every day, and many public housing residents do the same to take advantage of the computer lab, GED classes and other offerings. But she and other voters in the area have been assigned for at least four years to East Park Community Center on Woodland Street, which is about six blocks away, on the other side of busy Shelby Avenue. While this is not a great distance to most people, it is to many of our residents, Martha OBryan Center President and CEO Marsha Edwards wrote to former Davidson County Election Administrator Ray Barrett in 2007 and again in 2008. Hinkle-Reedy said she couldnt make it to the community center on Sept. 15, when Metro held a runoff election for the council seat. Early voting had been available the previous two weeks, but only at the election commissions offices downtown. Theres a problem with people in my community being able to get to East Park, Hinkle-Reedy said. If it was at Martha OBryan, I could have walked right up there. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111003/NEWS0202/310030029/Some-Nashville-voters-say-precincts-dont-make-sense?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Affection for McWherter, Antipathy for Republicans at Dems J. Day Dinner (TNR)
In praise of the late Gov. Ned McWherters record on education, House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh reignited battles of this years legislative session Saturday night at the Tennessee Democratic Party Jackson Day Dinner. Ned wouldnt have backed down when my colleagues across the aisle began to attack teachers in this state, and neither did we in the House and Senate Democratic Caucus, Fitzhugh said to applause. Ned would have stood for teachers when politicians decided to stop being partners with our teachers and wanted to be dictators to our teachers, and so did we in the House and Senate Democratic Caucus. We know what Ned would do. He would fight for teachers, not against them. He would work with teachers, not attack them. Those lines rekindled controversial fights this year when Republican Gov. Bill Haslam led the way on changing the teacher tenure system, and the GOP-dominated Legislature repealed a state law passed in 1978 that mandated collective bargaining between local school boards and teachers unions, replacing it with a collective conferencing system that many unionized teachers believe undermines their negotiating leverage. http://www.tnreport.com/2011/10/affection-for-mcwherter-antipathy-for-republicans-at-dems%e2%80%99jackson-day-dinner/

Dean's goal of Paper/Garrison)

doubling

city's

college

grads

won't

come

easily

(City

In an inauguration speech that skimmed a potpourri of topics and leaned on the familiar mantra of education, public safety and economic development, Mayor Karl Dean said something two Fridays ago he never had before: Nashville should double its number of college graduates in just five years. Im setting a marker on this today, Dean told a few hundred onlookers, sharing the stage with a newly elected crop of Metro Council members. Our city needs to double our number of college graduates. The experts say this should take 10 years. I see no reason why we should not try to do it in five. Using the podium to discuss public education is nothing new for Dean, who begins his second term with an unchanged reality when it comes to that topic: As a school district with all the inherent challenges of an urban setting, Metro Nashville Public Schools and its 78,400 students three-fourths of whom qualify for federal free and reduced lunches continue to lag behind the state in test scores. Metro students, for example, earned a composite score of 18.1 on the ACT in 2011, nearly a full point lower than the state average. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/deans-goal-doubling-citys-college-grads-wont-come-easily

Alexander's leadership exit move may have been coy (City Paper/Woods)
Sen. Lamar Alexander has won favor with pundits for his decision to quit his Republican leadership position in January to focus on reaching bipartisan solutions to the nations problems. But hes drawing scorn from the GOPs Tea Party wing, which sees any attempt to accommodate Democrats as a betrayal of principle. Quite honestly, Alexanders a nice, gentle man. But the fact of the matter is, hes not up for the fight, said Mark Skoda, 3

the founder and chairman of the Memphis Tea Party. People are fed up with his machinations to reach out to the quote-unquote other side, he told The City Paper. Meanwhile, Democrats are calling the Tea Party everything in the book. It just gets more and more horrific. Lamar should be calling them out, and hes not. It hasnt helped that, over the weekend, Alexander hosted a re-election campaign fundraiser on Nashvilles Music Row for some of the Senates few remaining moderate Republicans including Maines Olympia Snowe and Indianas Richard Lugar all of whom are detested by the Tea Party for their willingness to compromise. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/alexanders-leadership-exit-move-may-have-been-coy-tea-partyresponse-was-anything

Health-care law looms over new Supreme Court term (Associated Press/Sherman)
The nine justices of the Supreme Court, who serve a life term without having to seek election, soon will have to decide whether to insert themselves into the center of the presidential campaign next year. The high court begins its new term today, and President Barack Obamas health-care overhaul, which affects almost everyone in the country, is squarely in its sights. The Obama administrations request last week that the justices resolve whether the health-care law is constitutional makes it more likely than not that they will deliver their verdict by June 2012, just as Obama and his Republican opponent charge toward the fall campaign. Already, Republican presidential contenders use virtually every debate and speech to assail Obamas major domestic accomplishment, which aims to extend health insurance to more than 30 million people now without coverage. If as now expected the justices agree to review the laws constitutionality, those deliberations would certainly define the courts coming term. Their decision could rank as the courts most significant since the December 2000 ruling that effectively sealed George W. Bushs election as president. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111003/NEWS02/310030024/Health-care-law-looms-over-new-SupremeCourt-term?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

New State Rules Raising Hurdles at Voting Booth (New York Times)
Since Republicans won control of many statehouses last November, more than a dozen states have passed laws requiring voters to show photo identification at polls, cutting back early voting periods or imposing new restrictions on voter registration drives. With a presidential campaign swinging into high gear, the question being asked is how much of an impact all of these new laws will have on the 2012 race. State officials, political parties and voting experts have all said that the impact could be sizable. Now, a new study to be released Monday by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law has tried to tally just how many voters stand to be affected. The center, which has studied the new laws and opposed some of them in court and other venues, analyzed 19 laws that passed and 2 executive orders that were issued in 14 states this year, and concluded that they could make it significantly harder for more than five million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012. Republicans, who have passed almost all of the new election laws, say they are necessary to prevent voter fraud, and question why photo identification should be routinely required at airports but not at polling sites. Democrats counter that the new laws are a solution in search of a problem, since voter fraud is rare. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/us/new-state-laws-are-limiting-access-for-voters.html?_r=1&hp (SUB)

As states cut aid, localities learn to do less with less (Stateline)

You can get accustomed to hard times, and over the last few years Ohios towns and cities learned to scrape by. Faced with the long-term decay of Rust Belt manufacturing and the financial travails of homeowners, banks and businesses of all sorts, they watched their tax revenues shrink and did their best to adjust. They deferred road maintenance. They laid off employees and delayed new hires. They reorganized departments, merged positions, and generally looked for any means of saving a few dollars. Then, this past summer, the state decided to step in. Only not with a helping hand. Local governments need to change the way they do business, Republican Governor John Kasich announced. And in the budget that took effect July 1, he and the GOP-controlled legislature made sure that if towns, cities and counties hadnt already changed their ways during the Great Recession, they would have no choice from here on out. The states leaders cut what is known as the Local Government Fund a Depression-era vehicle through which the state sends a portion of sales and income taxes back to the communities that provide them along with two other funds local governments relied on heavily. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=603292

Five ways to squeeze Medicare (USA Today)

Nearly 50 million people on Medicare, as well as those entering the program at a pace of one every eight 4

seconds, are likely to get more than their money's worth before they die. The same can't be said for anyone under 55 who will rely on the federal health care program for those 65 and older in the future. They face higher costs and, possibly, longer waits before they qualify for coverage. Medicare one of the most popular programs ever devised by the federal government is on the chopping block. Again. But just a year after President Obama's health care overhaul called for $500 billion in Medicare savings, a variety of factors may protect the program this time. An effort to exempt older workers from cuts, the advertising and lobbying clout of health care providers, and the approaching 2012 elections all point toward putting off major changes. "There's not much left in the well," says Dan Mendelson, CEO of Avalere Health, a consulting firm. "There's nothing that is politically acceptable or pain-free." Since its creation in 1965, Medicare has risen in public esteem. Today it enjoys the sort of favorable ratings President Obama and Congress can only dream of. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/5-five-ways-to-cut-medicare/50640558/1

TVA building landfill to handle remaining ash from spill (Times Free-Press/Sohn)
Streets of empty houses sit with dark windows around the glittering coves of the Emory River. A glance away, giant earth-moving machines scoop, pull and push ash, the unwelcome trespasser that nearly three years ago belched from a failed landfill to ooze over 300 acres and the river. As the machines reshape the muck, massive tankers continually sprinkle water to keep dangerous silica floaters out of the air and out of peoples lungs. One by one, more than 180 homeowners packed up and left, saying they had come to fear that even if they survived health threats they could barely pronounce, their land values and financial futures could not. We have to be out by mid-January, said Gary Topmiller, whose two-story brick house sits on a cul-de-sac with the-once picturesque river wrapping around it. Now his view is the gray horizon of a disaster cleanup. A Realtor has told me, Your propertys not worth anything, he said. So we decided to get out before we got stuck here. Just up the street, holdout Charlotte Strandberg doesnt have the harsh view of the landscape unless she turns her head. Still, she says, shes concerned. But at 72, the widow of one year is also sentimental. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/03/tva-building-landfill-handle-remaining-ash-spill/?local

Unemployed face few insurance options (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Rupp)

Private insurance premiums for families rose nine percent this year, according to a report released last week. For families trying to survive on unemployment checks, food stamps or part-time, low-pay work, affording private insurance becomes next to impossible. "We witness many customers who accept positions that are not consistent with their education, previous experience or wage history in order to obtain health insurance," said Ray Abbas, Tennessee Career Center in Knoxville services manager. There aren't many realistic options for people who are unemployed or underemployed, said Beth Uselton, executive director for Tennessee Health Care Campaign. "There are many, many people that just have zero insurance options if they are unemployed," Uselton said. However, options do include TennCare, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) insurance extension and short-term insurance options. TennCare The state's Medicaid program is mostly geared toward low-income children under 18 and pregnant women as well as people with disabilities, said Larry Crooks, director for Knox County's office of the state Department of Human Services. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/oct/02/unemployed-face-few-insurance-options/

Coping in the Recession (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Rupp)

Medical professionals create continuum of care for uninsured, unemployed When Brock Davidson needed a doctor a few weeks ago, he didn't know what to do. Davidson, a West Knoxville father of five, had lost his health insurance when he lost his commercial construction job in April. TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid, covers his kids but doesn't cover him and his wife. Private insurance is too expensive when there are some months he doesn't even make that. "I am delivering pizza at night," Davidson said. "My wife is working part time at Walgreens trying to make it work." Getting the pizza delivery job was difficult. "It took persistence on my part, several interviews and me going in there telling them that I really wanted the job," Davidson said. So like many 49.9 million nationwide according to recent census numbers he goes without insurance hoping he doesn't get sick. When people lose their jobs, most of the time they immediately lose their employer-sponsored health insurance. If people don't have a decent-paying job, it's next to impossible to afford private insurance. Dr. Roy King, a pathologist at Knoxville Dermatopathology Laboratory, said insurance rates in his own office increase 10 to 15 percent every year. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/oct/02/coping-in-the-recession-medical-professionals-of/

Herenton submits applications to start charter schools (C. Appeal/Roberts)

By next fall, former mayor Willie Herenton intends to be running Orleans Elementary, Manassas High and a 5

significant hunk of Booker T. Washington as charter schools, based on seven applications he submitted Friday. With Texas-based Harmony Schools as advising partner, Herenton and his newly formed W.E.B. DuBois Consortium of Charter Schools expect to be the first private company to take over an entire public school here. Most charter firms start with one grade and add a grade per year, eliminating the risk of failure while also giving them time to build school culture. "If you look at my career, I have always been bold and innovative in my leadership," Herenton said, adding that he sees no threat "just because something hasn't been tried before." The deadline for charter school applications is today. The 23-member unified school board will have 60 days to approve or reject the plans, said David Pickler, current chairman of the Shelby County Board of Education. No firm has ever submitted more than two applications since the Tennessee Legislature approved charters in 2002. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/03/herenton-applies-for-charter-schools/

New unified school board members to be sworn in (C. Appeal/McMillin)

7 appointees become official at tonight's ceremony at Board of Education When they attended last Thursday night's inaugural meeting of the schools merger transition commission, it was, technically, as private citizens. But if Vanecia Kimbrow, Reginald Porter Jr. and Kevin Woods attend the transition team's second meeting -- this Thursday night -- it will be as official members of the Shelby County Board of Education. As three of the seven people appointed by the Shelby County Commission to a newly constituted 23-member unified county school board, they will be part of a swearing-in tonight at the Board of Education offices. In a bit of symbolism, tonight's swearing-in will take place in the Memphis City Schools side of the large office complex, in its auditorium. A reception will follow on the other side of the complex, in the offices of the suburban Shelby County Schools. The seven new appointees join the seven board members who represented SCS as a suburban-only entity, as well as the nine MCS board members. "I am just trying to learn as much as I can," said Porter, a W hitehaven resident and FedEx project adviser, after Thursday's transition team meeting. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/03/school-board-members-to-be-sworn-in/

Students hit salad bar for health (Tennessean/DeVille)

Its lunchtime at Glendale Elementary School, and kids have the option of a whole-grain cheese pizza, a turkey sandwich, or a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies from the schools new salad bar. Brightly colored foods such as red cherry tomatoes or carrots and oranges make up the Whole Foods-like salad bar for youngsters. Many follow the leader if they see a friend trying it. And since its debut last month, its already gaining popularity, school staff members say. The students are drawn to the salad bar. We dont have to encourage them to eat it, said Barbara Carney, the schools secretary, who also assists in the cafeteria. A lot of our kids are encouraged by their families to eat well. The students are very health-conscious and want to make sure their meal is healthy. The salad bars, part of a pilot program at 10 Metro schools, fit into a larger initiative to improve the districts school nutrition program. Through the healthy school food project, cafeteria cooks also are cooking more from scratch and serving less processed food. A national push is urging school districts to become innovative in improving school menus. New rules issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January are requiring schools to cut sodium, use more whole grains and serve low-fat milk. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111003/NEWS04/309240073/Students-hit-salad-bar-health?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|News

Williamson schools may teach Chinese in K-12 (Tennessean/Giordano)

Confucius Institute may bring program to Williamson site Tai chi in the gymnasium and a Chinese vegetable garden behind the main office? This may be what the future holds for a recently closed Williamson County elementary school, which could become a Chinese language facility. The Williamson County School Districts strategic plan calls for implementing a second-language program for kindergarten through 12th-grade students. School officials have not yet decided on which language, though they have narrowed the choices to Chinese, Spanish, French and German. A proposed partnership with the University of Memphis Confucius Institute would set up a foundation for a Chinese program. If the district were to enter into a contract, the Confucius Institute would provide the operating budget, teachers and the materials. The district would have only to provide a place for the teachers to live. In order for our children to be competitive, they need to know a second language, said Director of Schools Mike Looney. Chinese is one that has bubbled to the surface early. Three representatives of the Confucius Institute recently joined school officials for a tour of the former Pinewood Elementary School, which is about seven miles west of Hillsboro School in Leipers Fork. Pinewood was closed before the start of this school year to save money. 6

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111003/NEWS04/309280147/Williamson-schools-may-teach-Chinese-K12?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Incentives for Advanced Work Let Pupils and Teachers Cash In (NY Times)
Joe Nystrom, who teaches math at a low-income high school here, used to think that only a tiny group of students the smart kids were capable of advanced coursework. But two years ago, spurred by a national program that offered cash incentives and other support for students and teachers, Mr. Nystroms school, South High Community School, adopted a come one, come all policy for Advanced Placement courses. Today Mr. Nystrom teaches A.P. statistics to eight times as many students as he used to, and this year 70 percent of them scored high enough to qualify for college credit, compared with 50 percent before. One in four earned the top score possible, far outpacing their counterparts worldwide. South High students said Mr. Nystrom and his colleagues had transformed the culture of a tough urban school, making it cool for boys with low-slung jeans who idolize rappers like Lil W ayne to take the hardest classes. They were helped by the National Math and Science Initiative, a nonprofit network that provided laboratory equipment and special training for teachers and organized afternoon tutoring and Saturday sessions. It also paid $100 each to students who scored a 3 or above on the A.P. exam and to their teachers, who can also earn additional rewards. Because 43 of his students passed the exam this year, far above his target, Mr. Nystrom will add a $7,300 check to his $72,000 salary. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/education/03incentive.html?ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

Abandoned meth lab found in Hawkins County (Times-News)

During the early morning hours of Sept. 29, officers of the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Unit received information of a possible meth manufacturing lab site in a remote wooded section of property off of Frost Road in the Caney Valley community. During a check of the area, narcotics officers located an abandoned meth lab site nearly 100 yards off the roadway. Numerous meth lab components were found, including empty cans of starting fluid, drain clear, lithium strips, empty lithium battery casings, plastic pictures, rubber tubing and a 13-pound improvised anhydrous ammonia generator. Trained narcotics officers neutralized an anhydrous ammonia generator and packaged all hazardous materials for transport. The Tennessee Meth Task Force then responded to the scene and transported all hazardous materials to an authorized central storage location. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9036480/abandoned-meth-lab-found-in-hawkins-county

Three nabbed in meth bust in Hawkins County (Times-News)

Responding to a disturbance complaint last week just north of Surgoinsville, Hawkins County deputies arrested three people and seized what is suspected to be a recently active meth lab and finished product. Early Tuesday morning the HCSO was dispatched to 410 Watterson Gap Road in reference to some type of disturbance. When sheriffs deputies arrived, they allegedly observed a male start tossing balls of what appeared to be aluminum foil onto the ground. That male was then identified as Robert Lynn Bobby Monroe Jr., 27, of that address, who was determined to be the primary resident of the home. Deputy Kenneth Ferguson retrieved one of the balls of aluminum foil and determined it to contain what appeared to have been used for smoking meth and contained meth residue. Two females at the residence with Monroe were identified as Brittany Christina Helton, 21, 104 Donald Charles Road, Surgoinsville, and Amy Marie Keirsey, 26, 165 Cross Valley Road, Surgoinsville. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9036481/three-nabbed-in-meth-bust-in-hawkins-county

North Carolina: A State Grooms Its Best Students to Be Good Teachers (NY Times)
When Mr. W illiams means business, he is not kidding around. Hes pretty quiet, pretty serious, said Ashabur Rahman, a fifth grader at Glenn Elementary School who has him for math and science. John Williams III, 36, is not some jokey teacher. At the start of the year, some kids said he was going to be the meanest teacher in the school, said Trajen Womack. Chelsea Parra, heard the same: A lot of people were saying it. Nor is he easy about giving out 1s, the top grade. If were joking, he doesnt say anything, but on the progress report, hell give you a 3, Trajen said. Still, the more time they spent with Mr. Williams, the smarter he seemed to get. In science, they made terrariums, growing rye, mustard and alfalfa. There is no running water in the trailer behind the school where Mr. Williams teaches, so he carries it in, using jugs. This week, the students will add crickets and rollypollies to their ecosystems. He always calls them ladies and gentlemen, and speaks so softly that they must be quiet to hear him; even a little noise sounds loud in Mr. Williamss room. Last week, during a lesson on common denominators, a new boy began tapping on his desk. Mr. Williams ignored it and kept teaching. The boy sat on 7

the floor, twirled a ruler and wandered around talking to other students. Mr. Williams kept teaching. When the boy could no longer be ignored he knocked over a chair Mr. Williams made eye contact with a special education teacher, who took over the class. Mr. W illiams went and sat by the boy. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/education/03winerip.html?ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

OPINION Tom Humphrey: Governor eyes overhaul of TRA, might settle for less (N-S)
Perhaps the third time will be the charm for Gov. Bill Haslam in his dealings with the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, now that he has results from a 'top-to-bottom review' of the agency created as one of former Gov. Don Sundquist's most-heralded accomplishments. The TRA's functions have been reduced considerably since 15 years ago, when it regulated the trucking industry and set rates for telephone customers. Those functions are gone. But it still has significant duties, ranging from refereeing disputes within the telecommunications industry to oversight of sewer systems in subdivisions. And it still sets significant utility rates, an example being the privately-owned monopoly water company that serves Chattanooga. Sundquist succeeded in his first legislative session abolishing what his office's news releases always labeled 'the scandal-plagued Public Service Commission,' which in 1995 was headed by three Democrats elected by statewide popular vote. He got a couple of key Democrats including now-Congressman Steve Cohen to go along with the then-Republican minority to kill the PSC and replace it with the TRA. Haslam, in his first legislative session this year, made two attempts to tinker with the TRA. Both fizzled. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/oct/03/tom-humphrey-governor-eyes-overhaul-tra-might-sett/

Times Editorial: W aging war on drunk drivers (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

It's both sad and predictable that drunk drivers in Tennessee are responsible for much of the carnage on the state's highways and other roads. They cause, on average, about 30 percent of the state's traffic deaths and they are involved in a large number of non-fatal crashes. The resultant toll is high. About 300 people, for example, were killed in alcohol-related crashes on state roads last year. That, of course, is far too many, and the effort to reduce the number of DUI-related incidents and deaths on the state roads is on-going. It involves multiple law enforcement agencies and other organizations, and is demonstrably effective. There have been fewer alcoholrelated deaths so far on state roads this year than in the same time period last year. The effort continues. Many groups and agencies are involved in anti-DUI campaigns. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, for instance, remains a stalwart in the effort. Local and county law enforcement officials have stepped up DUI enforcement through the use of sobriety checkpoints and expanded holiday patrols. The Tennessee Highway Patrol, though, is involved in what is likely the most visible and effective anti-DUI campaign in the state. The numbers tell the story. The number of drunken-driving arrests on the state's highways is up 39 percent through Sept. 29 compared to the same period in 2010. Last year, the agency reported 2,474 arrests; this year 3,434 have been recorded. It can hardly be coincidental that the increase in arrests has produced a 14 percent drop in Tennessee this year. http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/03/waging-war-on-drunk-drivers/?opiniontimes

Editorial: Spending cuts can't be made without making sacrifices (Jackson Sun)
Jackson area residents are beginning to experience fallout from the nation's efforts to cut spending and reduce the national debt. It is early in the process, and there surely is more to come. W e can expect to make sacrifices, and we must be willing to do that. One example is the recent decision by the federal government to cut Essential 8

Air Service subsidies to some airports around the country. Jackson's McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport is on that list. The airport authority has requested an exemption, but the recommendation to cut Jackson's airport subsidy is based o the fact that it is within 90 miles of a major airport in Memphis. Loss of the subsidy of more than $1 million likely would mean Jackson would no longer have commercial air service. Is this a reasonable sacrifice for the community? W e believe it would be. It could have a negative impact on economic development, and personal travel could be made less convenient for some residents and visitors to Jackson. But it is a sacrifice we believe the community could live with. The largest economic development opportunity in West Tennessee is the industrial megasite in Haywood County. That location is an easy drive to the Memphis airport. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111003/OPINION01/110030303/Editorial-Spending-cuts-can-t-madewithout

Gail Kerr: State's official Blue Book ignores useful critters (Tennessean)
Tennessees rare and elusive Barrens darter has been robbed. The fascinating 3-inch fish is one of 16 species from the Volunteer State being examined to see if it should be added to the federal endangered list. Get this: The girl Barrens darter makes a nest under rocks and turns upside down to lay her eggs, and then the boy Barrens darter swoops in to raise the kids. For that alone, every female member of the state legislature should be offering resolutions in its honor. But the little darter that could was ignored in the states official listings of endorsed creatures and objects. This is akin to when former University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning didnt win the Heisman. Goodness knows the legislature is not that selective in tagging stuff with an official status. The Tennessee cave salamander won the title of Tennessees official amphibian, according to the Tennessee Blue Book. W e have an official state fruit, the tomato. An official drink, milk. There are official fish, a state rock, two insects and seven state songs. There is even an official state reptile, the box turtle. But theres nary a darter. Chock-full of facts That online version of the Blue Book, by the way, should be required reading for every Tennessee school child. It explains how state government works or is supposed to, at least. It has a heavy dose of readable history, a listing of historic sites, election returns, county and city statistics, and all sorts of other goodies. Including the long list of official stuff. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111003/COLUMNIST0101/310030026/Gail-Kerr-State-s-official-Blue-Bookignores-useful-critters?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Editorial: Sweet music for MCS (Commercial Appeal)

Memphis City Schools once again has been recognized nationally for its music education program. Last week, MCS was honored for the fourth time as one of the Best Communities for Music Education in America by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation. Memphis is one of 179 U.S. cities honored. Kingsport, Tenn., was the only other Tennessee community recognized by the foundation. The recognition is a fitting tribute to Memphis' decades-long rich music heritage that has spawned numerous nationally and internationally acclaimed artists in a host of musical genres. Music education has another plus. The determination, discipline, practice and scholarship it takes to really master a musical instrument or a stunning voice translates positively into the classroom. Serious music students usually are serious about academics. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/03/sweet-music-for-mcs/

Free-Press Editorial: Chattanooga housing market may be stabilizing (TFP)

No one is saying that the Chattanooga-area housing market is "out of the woods" yet, but it is encouraging that August sales of homes in the area reached the highest monthly total in more than a year. Nearly 600 residential units sold here in August, which was up almost 14 percent from July and 24 percent from the previous August. That puts Chattanooga well ahead of the nationwide 18.6 percent increase in home sales from August 2010 to August of this year. Jay Bell, owner of Bell Development, pointed out that we're still below the stronger housing market of a few years ago. But he sounded a hopeful note nonetheless. "It's going to be slow, steady growth from here on out," he told the Times Free Press. Low interest rates -- and low prices resulting partly from unfortunately high rates of foreclosures -- appear to be driving the growth in local home sales. There are still, sadly, many more foreclosures to come as millions of Americans remain unemployed and more and more of them become unable to pay their mortgages. http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/oct/03/chattanooga-housing-market-stabilizing/?opinionfreepress

Guest columnist: What if the NFL Played by Teachers' Rules? (Wall St. Journal)
Imagine the National Football League in an alternate reality. Each player's salary is based on how long he's been in the league. It's about tenure, not talent. The same scale is used for every player, no matter whether he's an 9

All-Pro quarterback or the last man on the roster. For every year a player's been in this NFL, he gets a bump in pay. The only difference between Tom Brady and the worst player in the league is a few years of step increases. And if a player makes it through his third season, he can never be cut from the roster until he chooses to retire, except in the most extreme cases of misconduct. Let's face the truth about this alternate reality: The on-field product would steadily decline. Why bother playing harder or better and risk getting hurt? No matter how much money was poured into the league, it wouldn't get better. In fact, in many ways the disincentive to play harder or to try to stand out would be even stronger with more money. Of course, a few wild-eyed reformers might suggest the whole system was broken and needed revamping to reward better results, but the players union would refuse to budge and then demonize the reform advocates: "They hate football. They hate the players. They hate the fans." The only thing that might get done would be building bigger, more expensive stadiums and installing more state-of-the-art technology. But that just wouldn't help. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204226204576601232986845102.html?mod=ITP_opinion_0 (SUBSCRIPTION)

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