VOL. 36 | NO. 37 | Friday, September 14, 2012
The Wilson County Commission’s has voted to eliminate funding for its convention and visitors bureau.
A 400-person wedding, a bachelorette party, the latest No. 1 hit … 5 o’clock. Nashville is a town that will use any excuse to party. But it can’t be just any kind of party. It has to be a Nashville party, one that really shows off the personality of the area.
The irony was inescapable. Bill Demain found himself in Nashville, at the epicenter of country music, and nowhere could he find anyone making a living talking about the roots of the genre and pointing out its landmarks.
REAL ESTATE
Consumer confidence is rising, workers aren’t as worried about losing their jobs, European investors are buying U.S. Treasury securities and driving down mortgage interest rates, and home prices are as affordable as they’ve ever been.
August 2012 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
REALTY CHECK
I suffer from yoyo-itis, meaning I am prone to rapid weight gain (RWG). For years, after following a regimen of diet and exercise that allows the scale to switch from foe to friend, I watch as the machine commits treason as fast food quickly works its way into the ever expanding belly. In short, if I’m not losing weight, I’m gaining weight.
TERRY McCORMICK
Everybody has a theory, but I’m not sure anybody really has an answer for the Tennessee Titans ailing running game.
NEWSMAKERS
Thirty-four community and business leaders from the Middle Tennessee region have been selected for membership in the 2013 Class of Leadership Middle Tennessee, Inc., a regional leadership institute encompassing the 10-county area involved with Partnership 2020.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Considering how hard salespeople have to work to land a meeting with a prospective customer, it’s surprising how little effort is typically put into the follow-up with that prospect after the meeting. The result is lost opportunity and the need to work harder than necessary to meet sales targets.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
Our most recent musings in this space have focused on the political and fiscal dynamics here at home.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
Let’s talk about a zero-cost strategy that can significantly improve the productivity and job satisfaction of your employees. The strategy involves understanding four major behavior modes referred to as the Stern Parent, Adapted Child, Adult and Natural Child.
I SWEAR
Thanks for the cards and letters regarding how much you enjoyed the past few weeks’ return to our roots – our roots being quotations from “the record,” that large, vague compendium of things people have actually said or written in court proceedings.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
A few of our out-of-town relatives came for a short visit during the Labor Day weekend, which prompted a lot of cooking and eating.
NASHVILLE AREA
NEW YORK (AP) — Fidelity National Financial Inc., a Florida-based title insurer which also has a stake in restaurant brands including Bakers Square and O'Charley's, said Thursday that it acquired majority control of J. Alexander's Corp.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced almost $12 million in additional drought aid.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennesseans can download a new app for their iPhones and iPads called ReadyTN, a preparedness program developed by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' wealth dipped about 0.5 percent in the April-June quarter as a drop in stock prices more than offset a gain in home values.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is phasing out the sale of Amazon.com's Kindle Fire tablet and Kindle e-readers, the second major retailer to stop offering the items in six months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Add a pair of blue jeans to the grocery list.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week to a seasonally adjusted 382,000. The level suggests hiring remains weak.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is showing signs of finally bottoming out: Americans are on the move again after record numbers had stayed put, more young adults are leaving their parents' homes to take a chance with college or the job market, once-sharp declines in births are leveling off and poverty is slowing.
NEW YORK (AP) — A batch of worrying economic figures tugged stock markets down Thursday. Measures of manufacturing and business activity in both China and Europe slumped.
The price of oil is steady around $92 a barrel Thursday after three days of losses. But weak economic data from Europe, China and Japan are reinforcing expectations of lower oil demand.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of U.S. economic activity declined in August for the second time in three months, suggesting the economy remains weak.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average U.S. rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage touched its record low this week and the rate on 15-year mortgage hit a new record.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice is demanding that a "remorseless" Taiwanese company pay a $1 billion fine and two former top executives each serve 10 years in prison for their roles as central figures in what prosecutors called the most serious price-fixing cartel ever prosecuted by the U.S.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just which 47 percent of Americans was Mitt Romney talking about? It's hard to say. He lumped together three different ways of sorting people in what he's called less-than-elegant remarks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fresh signs of a national housing rebound and growing support in public opinion polls boosted President Barack Obama's bid for a new term in the White House on Wednesday as Republican rival Mitt Romney struggled to quell his video controversy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 6 million Americans — significantly more than first estimated— will face a tax penalty under President Barack Obama's health overhaul for not getting insurance, congressional analysts said Wednesday. Most would be in the middle class.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans blocked legislation Wednesday that would have established a $1 billion jobs program putting veterans back to work tending to the country's federal lands and bolstering local police and fire departments.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam acknowledges that a $3.4 million fine on Nashville's public school system will affect students, but insists that the fault lies with school board members who refused to approve a charter school.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Justice Department and HCA have reached a $16.5 million settlement over violations of federal laws that restrict financial relationships between hospitals and physicians.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The public hospital in Nashville might stop all hospitalizations and specialize on outpatient and clinical services.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sales of previously occupied homes jumped in August to the highest level in more than two years, adding momentum to the housing recovery.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. builders started work on more homes in August, driven by the fastest pace of single-family home construction in more than two years. The increase points to steady progress in the housing recovery.
U.S. stocks are closing higher after a pair of encouraging reports about the housing market.
Oil prices fell on Wednesday for the third day in a row as traders realized that a recent run-up to $100 may have been overdone.
NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates remains the nation's richest man by far, as the tech and philanthropy giant took the top spot on the Forbes 400 list for the 19th year running, with a net worth of $66 billion.
NEW YORK (AP) — Groupon launched a new payment service Wednesday that allows businesses to run credit cards using an iPhone or iPod Touch, the latest company to seek a portion of that growing market.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's central bank expanded its monetary easing by 10 trillion yen ($126 billion) Wednesday, moving to nurture the country's feeble economic recovery and cushion its exporters from the yen's rise.
NEW YORK (AP) — A $400 million makeover is giving New York's iconic Macy's store a sleek, new 21st-century style.
NATIONAL POLITICS
DENVER (AP) — A catchy pro-marijuana jingle for Colorado voters considering legalizing the drug goes like this: "Jobs for our people. Money for schools. Who could ask for more?"
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer groups are pressuring the Food and Drug Administration to set federal guidance on allowable levels of arsenic in rice, prompting the agency to study the issue and consider possible new standards.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee officials are expected to announce a new college savings plan.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A new study examines the average first-year earnings of graduates from two-year and four-year institutions across Tennessee.
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — The Rutherford County Republican Party is opening a second county office in Smyrna this week in preparation for the general election campaign.
MURFREESBORO (AP) — Hundreds of people became naturalized U.S. citizens during a ceremony Monday afternoon at Middle Tennessee State University on the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The state Department of Education announced Tuesday it will withhold $3.4 million from the public school system in Nashville over a rejected charter school application.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Olympic snowboard champion Shaun White apologized Tuesday for "unwise choices," saying he got "carried away" after police accused him of pulling a hotel fire alarm that forced guests to evacuate.
AUTO INDUSTRY
ROME (AP) — Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will meet Saturday with Italian Premier Mario Monti to discuss the automaker's "strategic prospects" amid increasing fears about possible plant closures in Italy.
The issue: The U.S. government has challenged Chinese policies it says improperly subsidize exports of auto parts in violation of World Trade Organization free trade rules. The issue is politically sensitive at a time when Western governments are trying to boost exports, especially of higher-value industrial goods, to cut high unemployment. China is the world's biggest auto market but rapid sales growth is slowing, increasing pressure on Beijing to avert the loss of manufacturing jobs.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford hopes the redesigned 2013 Fusion will finally be its Camry killer.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple's stock reached $700 for the first time on Tuesday, the day after it announced that orders for its iPhone 5 topped 2 million in the first 24 hours.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rose this month to its highest level in six years and many expect the housing recovery will strengthen in the next six months.
Glum economic news from FedEx left stocks mixed on Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil fell for a second day, as a major shipping company gave investors reason to question the strength of oil demand.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. current account trade deficit narrowed in the April-June period, pushed lower by an increase in American exports and cheaper oil imports.
NEW YORK (AP) — FedEx Corp. says the global economy is stalling, and it's going to get worse next year.
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Walgreen Co. has completed its $438 million purchase of a regional drugstore chain that operates in several states under the USA Drug, Super D Drug and Med-X names.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Bar Association is planning public hearings across the state this fall to look for ways to improve the state's conservatorship law.
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — Middle Tennessee State University is celebrating Constitution Day by hosting a naturalization ceremony for 300 new citizens, including two MTSU students.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — After surging over four days to near pre-recession highs, stocks slipped further from that goal Monday following a new sign of a slowdown in the U.S. economy and worries over Europe's struggle to keep its currency union intact.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil plunged suddenly Monday afternoon, dropping more than $4 per barrel at one point in a dramatic end to an otherwise quiet trading day in New York,
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Home-improvement company Lowe's is withdrawing its buyout bid for Rona Inc., saying that the Canadian home-improvement company's board does not seem to want to engage in talks.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Orders for the iPhone 5 topped 2 million in their first 24 hours, more than double the amount of its predecessor over the same period.
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Monday it will no longer seek oil off the coast of Alaska this year after suffering several setbacks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — So much for silence from telemarketers at the cherished dinner hour, or any other hour of the day.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is launching a new trade enforcement case against China as he seeks an advantage over Republican rival Mitt Romney on an economic issue that has become a flashpoint in the presidential campaign.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government's monthly jobs report has become Washington's most anticipated and studied economic indicator, pounced upon by politicians, economists and journalists for snap judgments as the presidential election nears. But in the real world, most everybody else just looks around and figures things out for themselves.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Davidson County election officials have backed away from using electronic poll books in the November election.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff announced that $3 million is being awarded to Nashville to replace four hybrid buses with zero-emissions electric buses that will serve downtown riders.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's tax collections have fallen short of projections in the first month of the budget year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A 60-year-old Knoxville woman who has voted in every election since she registered at age 18 was stopped from casting a ballot in the Aug. 2 primary.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - State Rep. Curry Todd is pleading not guilty to drunken driving and gun charges.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court announced that James "Tony" Vick will serve as the interim chief disciplinary counsel for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - For years, acclaimed singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile kept her personal life exactly that - personal. As other gay entertainers made pronouncements about their relationships, Carlile, while not hiding her sexuality, kept the public focus on her music.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A gift from the Country Music Association is helping elementary students make music in Bronx, N.Y.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Delivery times climbed quickly as Apple Inc. started taking orders for the iPhone 5 on Friday, suggesting strong demand.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing higher, propelled for a second day by the Federal Reserve's plans to try to energize the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The New York Stock Exchange is paying $5 million to settle federal civil charges that it gave some customers an unfair head start by providing them with trading data ahead of the wider public.
Oil rose for a second day on the back of the Federal Reserve's aggressive plan to boost the U.S. economy. More gains are expected, but that might not translate into a spike in prices at the gas station.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kodak is postponing indefinitely an auction of its imaging patent portfolios.
WASHINGTON (AP) — No sooner did the Federal Reserve unveil a bold plan Thursday to juice the U.S. economy than it dangled the prospect of doing even more.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies restocked their shelves in July at the fastest pace since January while their sales increased. The combination could boost economic growth.
NEW YORK (AP) — Avon Products Inc.'s legal woes may finally be on the wane.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. industrial production fell in August by the largest amount in more than three years as factories produced fewer cars and other manufactured goods and Hurricane Isaac triggered shutdowns along the Gulf Coast.
WASHINGTON (AP) — More expensive gas drove up consumer prices in August by the most in three years. But outside energy, inflation was tame.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales rose in August from July because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. They were more cautious elsewhere, suggesting the weak economy has made many selective about spending.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve has lowered its growth forecast for this year but is more optimistic about the next two years. The brighter outlook likely reflects a series of bold stimulus measures that the Fed launched Thursday aimed at boosting the sluggish economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve does not have a specific economic target for its new stimulus program, Ben Bernanke said Thursday. He said the Fed will keep buying bonds until it sees more jobs, lower unemployment and stronger growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage held steady this week, staying slightly above the lowest level on record. Low mortgage rates have aided a modest housing recovery.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A customer in Shenzhen, China, took a new laptop out of its box and booted it up for the first time. But as the screen lit up, the computer began taking on a life of its own. The machine, triggered by a virus hidden in its hard drive, began searching across the Internet for another computer.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House report issued Friday warns that $109 billion in across-the-board spending cuts at the start of the new year would be "deeply destructive" to the military and core government responsibilities like patrolling U.S. borders and air traffic control.
BOSTON (AP) — Mitt Romney is promising to reduce taxes on middle-income Americans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is moving to quash the threat of a government shutdown, but the prospect of a one-two punch of tax increases and slashing, automatic spending cuts will still confront lawmakers when they return to Washington after Election Day.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Paul Ryan on Thursday went along with a stopgap spending bill that avoids a government shutdown but carries a price tag $19 billion higher than the budget he wrote.