Mike Pirtle
Former strategy consultant brings 20-plus years of experience in multiple fields to the office
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam announced Theresa Carl as president of the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF).
The former Strategy Consultant at Solutions Simplified brings more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, relationship building, resource connecting and creative marketing to GBBF. She will focus on developing strategies for promoting and strengthening the statewide Imagination Library program, established in 2004 in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
“The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, is one of the most effective ways to get books into the hands of children,” Crissy Haslam said. “Theresa is perfect for this position. Not only is she exceptionally qualified to run the program, but she also has a passion for its mission to foster a love for learning and reading beginning at birth.
The foundation partners with Imagination Library grassroots organizers in each county to provide fundraising, volunteer management and public relations support, and it raises both public and private funds to support its operation and to provide assistance to distressed counties.
A native of Union City, Carl has a B.A. with distinction in Political Science and Urban Studies from Rhodes College.
“The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, working in partnership with the dedicated grassroots organizers of the Imagination Library programs across the state, is having a profound and lasting impact by helping to instill a love of learning and reading in Tennessee’s young children ” Carl said. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to help Tennessee continue as a champion for early literacy and learning.”
Carl has worked as Director of Development for LEAD Public Schools, Inc.; Vice President of Fund Development for Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee; and Director of Development for the First Center for Visual Arts.
She has been also served as president of The Junior League of Nashville; Rhodes College trustee; as an alumni board member of Leadership Nashville; and as a current member of the board of directors of The Rotary Club of Nashville. She attends Westminster Presbyterian Church where she serves as an elder.
To all the great Mothers, Moms, Mamas ...
Announces more than $37 million in grants to turn around low-performing schools
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today signed the piece of his 2012 legislative agenda that redefines school accountability in the state and waives Tennessee from portions of the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Surrounded by educators from across the state and students, Haslam also announced more than $37 million in federal grants for three school districts to assist in their efforts to turn around low-performing schools.
The waiver was approved in January by the U.S. Department of Education and required changes to Tennessee law, which were approved by the General Assembly earlier this spring. The federal School Improvement Grants fund Innovation Zones: small clusters of schools, as described in the waiver, where innovative educational systems can be developed, implemented, assessed, and shared.
“This administration is committed to continuing Tennessee’s momentum in education reform, and days like today are the reason so many eyes are on us as a leader in the effort to improve education for every student in every classroom,” Haslam said. “This legislation was a priority for me this session, and I appreciate the broad bipartisan support it received – a testament to a lot of hard work by many people.”
The legislation, HB 2346/SB 2208, replaces the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards and designations for LEAs and schools and establishes a state accountability system requiring, in aggregate, significant growth in student achievement in core subjects and the reduction of the achievement gap between student subgroups. For additional details, click here.
Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville) and House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga) and Rep. Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville) sponsored the bill.
For the School Improvement Grants, Memphis City Schools will receive a three-year award for $14,744,394, which will serve seven schools. Metro Nashville Schools will receive a three-year award for $12,384,213 to serve seven schools, and the state-run Achievement School District will receive a three-year grant for $10,395,111 to serve six schools. Hamilton County will also receive a one-year $600,000 planning grant for the creation of a district Innovation Zone to begin its turnaround efforts. For a complete list of schools, click here.
“Through our waiver, we committed a great deal of resources to turning around the bottom 5 percent of schools in this state, and it’s exciting to see some of those pieces coming together,” Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said. “The Innovation Zones give districts greater autonomy, responsibility and resources to turn around some of their low-performing schools.”
The money given to each district can be used to fund a variety of practices, including extended learning time for students and a greater use of technology in the classroom.
Complementing the Innovation Zone funds, the Charter School Growth Fund also announced a $6.75 million investment in two Tennessee-founded charter school organizations to help serve students in the highest-need neighborhoods in Memphis and Nashville. Made up of federal money and private donations, the fund is giving $3.25 million to Nashville’s LEAD Public Schools, which will expand their K-12 program to five campuses and ultimately serving more than 4,700 students. They also are investing $3.5 million in Gestalt, which is located in Memphis. That investment will take Gestalt from two schools to 10 by 2016, ultimately serving 5,300 students.
Motorists are encouraged to use caution and obey reduced speed limits in all TDOT work zones, regardless of lane closure activity. Information in this report is provided to the Department of Transportation by the contractors. Most work is weather dependent and subject to change due to inclement weather. For more information on this or any other TDOT road construction project or to view travel conditions in this area visit the TDOT SmartWay Information System web site ( http://www.tn.gov/tdot/tdotsmartway/ ). People can also dial 511 from any land-line or cellular phone to access up to date traffic conditions, or visit www.TN511.com ( http://www.tn511.com/ ). TDOT is also now on Twitter. For up to date traffic tweets for the Nashville area follow Nashville511 ( http://twitter.com/nashville511 ) on Twitter. For statewide traffic tweets just follow TN511 ( http://twitter.com/TN511 ). Motorists are reminded to use all motorist information tools responsibly. Drivers should refrain from texting, tweeting or using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle. TDOT advises drivers to “Know before you go!” by checking traffic conditions before leaving for your destination.
Metro police are searching for 15-year-old who escaped police custody Tuesday morning.
Santonio Jenkins was being transported by an employee of Omni Visions from Nashville's Juvenile Justice Center to a facility in Shelby County when he jumped out of the car on First Avenue North at Spring Street around 10:15 a.m.
Omni Visions contracts with the state of the Tennessee.
Jenkins is black with a heavy build and spiky hair.
He was wearing leg shackles, blue sweat pants and a white shirt at the time of his escape.
Click here for full article, courtesy of WKRN Nashville News 2
SWAT officers assigned to the Special Response Team Monday night arrested murder suspect John Travis Baker at a home in the 1600 block of Essex Avenue.
Baker, 27, is under indictment for the December 14, 2011 shooting death of Calvin Davis, Jr., 27, outside his apartment in the Noah’s Landing complex on Murfreesboro Pike. Hermitage Precinct detectives had been searching for Baker since his indictment last Friday on charges of first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery. Baker’s bond was set by a Criminal Court judge at $750,000.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Nashville Predators made a series of changes at the trade deadline in order to beef up their offense and toughness -- and transform themselves into a fairer fight with the Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks and the other elite teams in the Western Conference.
And for one playoff series against the Red Wings, the plan worked to perfection. There was just one problem: The Blackhawks weren't waiting for them in the second round.
It was the Phoenix Coyotes, a team built more like the plucky Nashville teams of the past, who weren't interested in matching skill and were more than happy to grind in front of elite goaltender Mike Smith.
Start with some frustration, add in a little team dissention and, just like that, the Predators are going home much earlier than they expected – just like the Blackhawks. Monday's 2-1 loss in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals capped 11 days of frustration that included defensive breakdowns, suspensions to forwards Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov and enough blown scoring chances to fill an entire postseason.
"It's the worst feeling in the world," said Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, who allowed three goals in the last three games of the series and came out a loser twice. "You think that if this would have happened or that … but they worked hard and their goalie was unreal. He was the difference in the series.
"It's tough to swallow. The series goes by so fast it is over before you ever realize it. We played a lot of good hockey, but now it's done."
Nashville brought in defenseman Hal Gill, center and faceoff specialist Paul Gaustad and a scorer in Kostitsyn at the deadline; they brought Radulov back from Russia to beef up its team for the postseason. But the Preds' work ethic wasn't there in the first two games, and the distraction of the Kostitsyn and Radulov suspensions hung over the team the rest of the way.
But Smith stoned Nashville at every turn, and the Predators allowed the first goal in all four games they lost – and never led in any of them.
"As (general manager) David (Poile) said, he was 'All in,' " Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We gave up some draft choices to get some pieces that we needed -- the Hal Gills the Gaustads -- and they were big pieces. We had high expectations as an organization and we didn't get it done.
"I don't want to take anything away from the Coyotes. They found a way to beat us and they've beaten two pretty good hockey teams now. [The] Chicago Blackhawks are a good hockey team. We're a good hockey team, and they found a way to get it done with a really good goaltender, a strong defensive commitment and some timely goals and they got it done."
Nashville captain Shea Weber said the first two games in Phoenix -- where Nashville lost 4-3 in overtime and 5-3 in an uncharacteristic, high-scoring affair -- was where the series was lost.
"We didn't play our style early in the series and they took advantage early and we dug ourselves a big hole. After that, it's tough to beat a team like (four times five games)," Weber said. "In Game 1 we deserved a better fate, even though they played well defensively. In Game 2, we weren't ourselves at all. They definitely deserved that game."
Now the Predators have decisions to make. Weber is a restricted free agent, while defense partner Ryan Suter is unrestricted. The draft picks cashed in for immediate help are gone. And there are no assurances those rent-a-players acquired at the deadline will be re-signed.
"You know that every year it's going to be a different team and it's always one of the things that stings the most," Rinne said. "You battle for your teammates and then next year, maybe they aren't here. You never know."
Author: Jerry Brown | NHL.com Correspondent
Operation May Day, an undercover effort led by Hermitage Precinct detectives Friday night and over the weekend to take eleven indicted murder or attempted murder suspects off of Nashville’s streets, has presently led to the apprehension of all but two.
The eleven suspects are each charged in one of three separate and unrelated homicide cases, two from 2011 and one from this year, or a violent home invasion robbery last October. The Davidson County Grand Jury returned sealed indictments against the eleven on Friday.
Investigations by Detectives Johnny Crumby, Andrew Injaychock and Andrew Vallee resulted in the ultimate identification and indictment of the suspects in these cases:
March 24, 2011 murder of Avery Hernandez, 18, outside a Nashboro Village apartment buildingOfficers responded to a shots fired call at 1:30 a.m. and discovered Hernandez slumped over the steering wheel of a Mercury Marquis in the 300 block of Village Green Drive.
Indicted in this case is:
Davis, who was known to sell marijuana, was fatally wounded during a confrontation with individuals in the breezeway outside his apartment. He ran to a sidewalk where he collapsed and died. A baggie of marijuana was recovered from the breezeway.
Indicted in this case are:
Witnesses reported that Covington was watching several girls argue on the sidewalk when a gunman approached, asked Covington who he was, and then shot him.
Indicted in this case are:
Kelly was sitting inside the living room with three friends when a gunman rushed through the front door and ordered everyone to the ground. The gunman called Kelly by name, ordered him to get up and demanded to know where the money was. Kelly’s mother was ordered from the kitchen to the living room. Kelly wound up fighting the gunman and was very critically wounded by a gunshot to his head.
Arrested in the case on November 8, 2011 was Johnnie Frank Newsom, 22, who was charged with attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, especially aggravated burglary and aggravated kidnapping.
Now indicted on the same charges are:
“The outstanding police work tied to these time consuming and complex investigations has, without a doubt, taken several dangerous persons off the streets and enhanced the safety of several communities,” Chief Steve Anderson said.
The coordinated effort to bring these individuals into custody involved a number of Hermitage Precinct components, SWAT officers, the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force, the police department’s Gang Unit and the Central Precinct’s Crime Suppression Unit.
Terrell Fields
Brandon Horton
Daniel White
Joshua Holt
John Travis Baker
Donald Peoples
Cordell D. Clark
Donnetha Lewis
Gabrielle Holmes
Michael T. McDade
Marcus J. Short
A total of 64 persons took advantage of the two-day Failure to be Booked Self-Surrender Program. Fifty-eight failure to be booked arrest warrants were recalled. Thirty-four additional outstanding warrants were served.
Thirteen persons surrendered May 4. Fifty-one persons came in May 5.
Persons who had received misdemeanor citations for offenses such as driving without a license, criminal trespassing, drug possession or any other minor crime, but who neglected to be booked on the date specified on the citation, were able to see their failure to be booked arrest warrants recalled by taking advantage of this special initiative. Judges, assistant public defenders and assistant district attorneys were also on hand during the two days to help resolve the charges that resulted in the citations in the first place.
Joining the police department in taking part in this program were the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and the General Sessions Court.
Detectives Sunday morning charged off-duty West Precinct officer Brandon D. Smith with misdemeanor domestic assault after his girlfriend alleged that Smith struck her in the face during an argument at his South Nashville apartment.
The 29-year-old woman said the argument began while the couple was at a Bellevue pub and continued after they left. She called police from Smith’s apartment to report being assaulted.
Smith, 35, is a four-year police department veteran. His police authority has been suspended and he is now the subject of a separate but parallel administrative investigation.
Smith’s bond was set at $1,000.
