VOL. 39 | NO. 1 | Friday, January 2, 2015
REAL ESTATE
Top November 2014 commercial real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE – Donnie Tyndall has hardly slowed down since the former Southern Miss head coach took over Tennessee’s basketball program in April.
Devon Baulkman won’t forget his first impression of University of Tennessee basketball coach Donnie Tyndall a couple of years ago.
TENNESSEE TITANS
The lockers have been cleaned out, the shoulder pads and helmets taken up to be cleaned and stored.
NEWSMAKERS
Belmont University has appointed Doug Howard, founder of Vandermont Music Group and former senior vice president of A&R for Lyric Street Records/Walt Disney Company, to the position of dean for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Most consumers may figure they have to pay a premium to get German engineering, European road handling and a roomy interior in a family-size sedan. But Volkswagen’s 2015 Passat is proving them wrong.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
As resolutions go, this year’s is a big one.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Change is hard for most people, but only through change can we grow.
CAREER CORNER
The holiday season is a perfect chance to spend quality time with friends and family. It’s fun to put up holiday decorations, exchange gifts and attend holiday gatherings.
I SWEAR
A repeating scene in “Breaking Bad,” which I’ve now watched twice, involves the protagonist’s birthday. Skyler White (Anna Gunn) breaks up bacon strips on the plate of her husband Walter (Bryan Cranston), arranging them into the digits that indicate his age.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
I visited my local Williams-Sonoma store not long ago to purchase a new Dutch oven. I love the durability and assortment of colors of the Le Creuset enameled cast iron bake ware, so opted for one of those.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The bitterly cold temperatures have led several school districts in Tennessee to cancel or delay classes.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Highway Patrol's "no refusal" drunken driving enforcement over the New Year's holiday period netted 68 arrests.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Little Jimmy Dickens entertained audiences at the Grand Ole Opry with humorous songs until shortly before his death on Friday at the age of 94.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Andrew Jackson: President. Hero. Rockstar.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state agency charged with protecting the environment is suing the Tennessee Valley Authority over its coal-burning power plant in Gallatin.
AUTO INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says he understands the "real concerns" raised by some fellow Republican lawmakers about the ongoing role of the United Auto Workers union's role at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, but stressed that they shouldn't sink a $300 million incentive deal to get the German automaker to expand production there.
DETROIT (AP) — Subaru is recalling about 199,000 cars and SUVs for a second time to fix rusty brake lines that can leak fluid and cause longer stopping distances.
TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK (AP) — The app-etite for apps is strong. Apple said Thursday that its App Store customers set a record for billings by spending nearly half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases during January's first week. It said New Year's Day was also the single biggest day ever in App Store sales history.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — When you're searching for the hottest gadgets on the floor of this year's consumer electronics show, be sure to look up. For the first time ever, there's an International CES section dedicated to drones. More than 20 companies are showing off dozens of different models.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Smartwatches don't have to look ugly to be functional. Clothing and accessories designers are collaborating with engineers to produce computerized wristwatches that people will want to wear all day and night.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. mortgage rates started the year by dipping to new lows, with the benchmark 30-year rate marking its lowest level since May 2013.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that employers expect ongoing economic growth and the need to hold onto workers.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose in midday trading on Thursday, boosted by a combination of positive economic news from the U.S. and expectations of stimulus from Europe's central bank. The price of oil is also showing signs of stabilizing after six months of heavy losses. After two days of gains, the market has recovered most of the ground it lost in the first few days of trading.
NEW YORK (AP) — Coca-Cola says it will cut between 1,600 and 1,800 jobs in coming months to trim costs.
NEW YORK (AP) — The pros are getting into pot.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee has taken up a bill approving the Keystone XL pipeline with plans to move it toward the full Senate, despite a veto threat from the White House.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says long-awaited details on his Medicaid expansion proposal should be released "within 24 hours" and that he expects to need the votes of all Democrats in the GOP-controlled Legislature to give the deal a chance of passage.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The University of Tennessee Health Science Center says it is looking at expanding its program in Nashville.
NEW YORK (AP) — Struggling teen clothing retailer Wet Seal is closing 338 stores, about two-thirds of its stores, resulting in nearly 3,700 full- and part-time workers losing their jobs.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam plans for his inauguration to a second term include an outdoor ceremony, a dinner and ball and tours of the state Capitol and governor's mansion.
AUTO INDUSTRY
German luxury automobile maker Mercedes-Benz said Tuesday that it's moving its U.S. headquarters from New Jersey to Atlanta, in part to be closer to its manufacturing facility in Alabama.
TECHNOLOGY
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A year ago, pundits were declaring the personal computer dead. Smartphones and tablets were cannibalizing sales, and the once-revolutionary PC seemed unnecessary — and boring.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — First-time homebuyers whose home loans are guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration would benefit from an Obama administration move to lower mortgage insurance premiums.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve policymakers who met in December expressed concern about weakness overseas but were upbeat enough about the U.S. economy and impact of lower oil prices to prepare for a likely interest rate hike sometime this year.
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing higher, ending a five-day losing streak, as investors cheered a slight upturn in the price of oil and hoped for more stimulus for Europe's struggling economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. businesses ramped up hiring last month in the latest sign that the nation's economy is expanding despite worries about global growth that have sent financial markets tumbling.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit fell in November to the lowest level in almost a year, thanks to the country's swiftly shrinking thirst for foreign oil.
PARIS (AP) — Three masked gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" stormed the Paris offices of a satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people, including its editor, before escaping in a car. It was France's deadliest postwar terrorist attack.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — France's economy minister says his country's tax regime is becoming internationally competitive, notably now that it has dropped a 75-percent tax on high earners.
LONDON (AP) — It's official. Following months of speculation, the eurozone is seeing a fall in consumer prices, a development that's likely to reinforce expectations that the European Central Bank will soon provide an aggressive monetary stimulus.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for flood damage at the Grand Ole Opry in 2010.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly would move up the date of supermarket wine sales to this July.
AUTO INDUSTRY
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The car of the future according to Mercedes-Benz is one that drives itself, has seats inside that swivel to face each other and features a computerized brain that can watch a pedestrian walk by and even offer a digital projection of a crosswalk to help the person cross the road.
TECHNOLOGY
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Does anyone just watch TV anymore? The dramatic shift toward online and mobile viewing is driving television set makers to design as much for streaming video as for watching broadcast or cable channels.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sony Corp.'s top corporate executive on Monday condemned the recent hacking assault against its film division, saying his employees were victims of a "vicious and malicious cyberattack," while adding that he's proud of them for standing against "the extortionist efforts of criminals."
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home values rose at a measured pace in November, a sign that demand remains weak as many buyers have been priced out of the market.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. services firms expanded at a solid but much slower pace in December compared with the previous month, a sign growth may have cooled at the end of last year.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories fell for a fourth straight month in November, with demand in a key category that signals business investment plans down for a third month.
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. economy ended last year on a tear, but financial markets are saying the outlook for this year is less bright.
LONDON (AP) — Weakness in the eurozone's major economies, such as Germany and France, risks choking off the growth emerging in countries that were at the forefront of the region's debt crisis, a closely monitored survey indicated Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — A man shot his hedge fund founder father to death inside his apartment near the United Nations headquarters after they argued over the son's allowance, police said Monday.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has selected the former head of a community bank in Hawaii to fill a vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Tuesday threatened to veto the first piece of legislation introduced in the Republican-controlled Senate, a bill approving the much-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline, in what was expected to the first in many confrontations over energy and environmental policy.
MONDAY, JANUARY 5
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed former Federal Communications Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate as director of the Administrative Office of the Courts.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state Transportation Department is looking for a few good safety slogans.
TECHNOLOGY
LAS VEGAS (AP) — One of the biggest changes in television this year will be more channels being available online with no separate cable or satellite subscription. But for would-be cord-cutters, watching sports has been the Holy Grail. Until now — Dish Network Corp. on Monday unveiled an Internet-only subscription offering that includes ESPN.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Imagine a world in which your garage door opens automatically as you pull into the driveway. The living room lights and heater turn on — perhaps the oven starts warming up, too. In the so-called "smart home," cars, appliances and other devices all have sensors and Internet connectivity to think and act for themselves, and make your life easier.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Buoyed by a resurgent economy, holiday sales, cheap gasoline and a love affair with pickup trucks, Americans headed to car dealers in droves last month, pushing full-year sales to what's likely to be the highest level since 2006.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — After six months of falling oil prices, investors are starting to worry that the prolonged slump is signaling a weaker global economy.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil plunged again Monday and fell below $50 a barrel for the first time since April 2009 as evidence mounted that the world will be oversupplied with oil this year.
DALLAS (AP) — Trips in Europe or Asia should be cheaper for Americans this year.
NEW YORK (AP) — A 70-year-old hedge fund founder has been found shot dead inside his Manhattan apartment.
The pilots union at American Airlines has agreed to put up for a vote a five-year contract proposal that would boost pay by more than 26 percent and offer smaller raises in later years.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The incoming chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee says raising the federal fuel taxes is among the options under consideration to replenish the dwindling Highway Trust Fund.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Little Jimmy Dickens, a diminutive singer-songwriter known for his sense of humor and as the oldest cast member of the Grand Ole Opry, has died. He was 94.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — William Lewis Rudolph, a former Krispy Kreme vice president who helped to build the company, has died.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling 92,221 full-size trucks and SUVs for a defect in ignition lock systems that can cause safety problems in hot conditions.
TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber, Facebook, Instagram — sure, they've been all the rage, but as 2014 winds down we're all ready for something fresh. From ride-hailing to photo sharing, here are a few up-and coming apps and startups to watch in in 2015. Which will be the breakout hit of the new year?
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks got off to a sluggish start on the first day of trading in the New Year, ending the day mixed as a report showed that manufacturing growth slowed in December.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — As a Mexican-American woman who started her own consulting firm in Los Angeles, accountant Sonia Luna has taken advantage of programs aimed at helping minority- and women-owned businesses compete for government and corporate contracts. But increasingly, the fact that Luna also is a lesbian entrepreneur hasn't hurt either.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factory activity grew at the slowest pace in six months in December, weakened by declines in orders and production. Yet growth was still healthy, a sign manufacturing may help drive the economy's expansion in 2015 as it did last year.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharp slowdown in government-built schools and infrastructure caused U.S. construction spending to fall slightly in November.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Beset by critics and buffeted by economic woes, European Union chiefs might have been forgiven for thinking that at least Pope Francis would apply some balm for the New Year in his address to the EU parliament.
MIAMI (AP) — The Publix grocery store chain now offers employee insurance benefits to same-sex couples legally married in other states.
NATIONAL POLITICS
SEATTLE (AP) — A year into the nation's experiment with legal, taxed marijuana sales, Washington and Colorado find themselves wrestling not with the federal interference many feared, but with competition from medical marijuana or even outright black market sales.
DENVER (AP) — To see the tax implications of legalizing marijuana in Colorado, there's no better place to start than an empty plot of land on a busy thoroughfare near downtown Denver.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - A group of young activists fighting for racial justice around the country met in Nashville this week to strategize at a historically black college tied to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. mortgage rates rose slightly this week, but the benchmark 30-year rate stayed near a 19-month low.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market had another solid year.
Stocks delivered again in 2014. Even after a poor start in January and wobbles in October and December, the U.S. market has climbed 13 percent and is ending the year close to record levels.
It was another great year for the stock market in 2014, but as is often the case the gains were not evenly distributed across industries.
NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood's 2014 may well go down as a mere box-office blip, or it could be Act One in a drama of coming digital disruption.
NEW YORK (AP) — New Year's Eve: the day to overpay for everything from that glass of flat Champagne to the impossibly-high heels you'll wear just once, to, once again, that ride home from Uber.