Napaway Coach, a new type of premium sleeper coach service designed to offer comfortable, convenient, overnight journeys between cities across the country, has revealed it will officially begin operations June 17 with service between Washington, D.C., and Nashville.

Napaway’s proprietary concept divides their coaches into 18 private suites, all of which contain 13-plus feet of usable space and a two-in-one lie-flat bed. The fully-flat, 6.5-foot-long bed can also be transformed into a personal lounge or two separate seats.

Bedding and other amenities are provided.

Napaway coaches leave from city-central points and are equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi and an onboard digital entertainment center.

Napaway’s inaugural route will initially operate on a Friday-to-Sunday schedule. Coaches will depart Washington, D.C., Friday evenings before returning from Nashville Sunday evenings. Additional days and routes will become available in the coming months.

Napaway’s inaugural route will depart from 131 M St NE Parking, Washington, D.C., Friday, June 17, 10 p.m. It will arrive at 421 Rep. John Lewis Way N, Nashville, at approximately 7:30 a.m. the following morning. The return coach will depart Nashville Sunday, June 19, 8 p.m. and arrive in Washington, D.C. at approximately 7:30 a.m. the following morning.

Tickets will begin at $125. Information: www.napaway.com.

Construction law firm establishes local office

Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP (Smith Currie), a construction industry and government contracts law firms, has announced the opening of a new office in Nashville.

The expansion further broadens the firm’s national footprint to provide legal counsel to construction, engineering and other companies involved in public works projects and private commercial development and construction in one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, the company states.

Smith Currie’s Nashville office will be the firm’s 10th location. Smith Currie opened its initial office, located in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1965. The other offices are in Charlotte, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami, Raleigh, North Carolina; San Francisco, Tysons, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

The firm reports it already represents a large number of clients based and/or conducting business in Tennessee.

WeGo Star to offer rides to CMA Fest

WeGo Public Transit will operate a special event train Saturday, June 11, from Lebanon to downtown Nashville for the CMA Fest concert at Nissan Stadium. That show features Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Luke Bryan, and Luke Combs. Tickets are still available.

The train will depart from Lebanon Station at 4 p.m., Hamilton Springs at 4:08 p.m., Martha at 4:15 p.m., Mt. Juliet at 4:25 p.m., Hermitage at 4:35 p.m., Donelson at 4:45 p.m. and arrive at Nashville’s Riverfront Station at 5 p.m. The return train to Lebanon leaves at midnight.

An allotment of 380 tickets is available to the general public. Round-trip tickets cost $15 plus a $2 processing fee and are available for purchase through ticketsnashville.com with a credit card. Tickets will not be for sale on the platforms. Parking is free at all of the outlying stations. Anyone needing special accommodations to board should call 615 862-5950 prior to their trip.

Customers will receive only one ticket for the round-trip and will need to show the ticket to train personnel when boarding. Upon boarding, each customer will receive a colored wristband in place of the ticket, which will serve as their train ticket. Customers must show the wristband to the conductor for the return trip.

Children ages 4 and younger will not need a ticket to board but will be required to sit in a parent or guardian’s lap. Weekday Star tickets and monthly passes are not accepted on the WeGo Star CMA Fest train.

Texas-based builder closes 100-acre Columbia site

Texas-based private builder Gehan Homes has closed on a recent land purchase in the town of Columbia, Tennessee. The 100+ acre property, known as McClure Farms, was purchased for $14.2 million.

The acquisition will bring more than 400 new homes to the Nashville metropolitan area, including 315 townhomes and 116 single-family homes.

The new community will be located just outside of the Spring Hill area on Highway 31, 23 miles from downtown Franklin and 39 miles from downtown Nashville.

With Gehan Homes’ commitment to provide workforce housing options in the Nashville area, McClure Farms will be close to large employment centers, including General Motors, Amazon, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Randstad, Community Health Systems, Ultium Cells Battery Plant and Nissan North America.

Those in McClure Farms will attend Battle Creek Elementary School, Battle Creek Middle School and Spring Hill High School.

SkyHarbour opens private aviation campus

Sky Harbour Group says it will open a private aviation campus at Nashville International Airport, marking their arrival in the Nashville market.

This is the second opening of the company’s six national private hangar locations.

Sky Harbour’s private hangar member experience includes exclusive line crew and dedicated personal hangar space. Premium interior suites include private offices, lounges, kitchens, restrooms, showers, laundry and crew facilities.

At the Nashville campus, each Sky Harbour hangar features temperature and humidity control, drive-in vehicle access, indoor and outdoor parking, and all features required for routine aircraft maintenance and inspection. Members manage their space through the SkyHarbour Smart Hangar App, which includes remote access control, video monitoring, remote environmental control, and service management.

Grand opening held for Horton visitors center

Officials of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Department of General Services (DGS) held a grand opening June 1 for a new restaurant and visitors center at Henry Horton State Park.

The 6,381-square-foot restaurant and two-story visitors center represent $8.25 million in capital improvements at the park.

“Our visitors to Tennessee State Parks deserve the best in accommodations, and these facilities provide just that,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers.

“This has been a much-anticipated day for Henry Horton State Park, and we couldn’t be happier with the amenities we see here today.”

“A project of this size and scope requires a collective effort involving the talents and commitment of many dedicated people,” said DGS Commissioner Christi Branscom. “As the department responsible for building projects across the state, it’s been an honor for us to work with our colleagues in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to create this new, magnificent facility that visitors will enjoy for years to come.”

The restaurant will seat 106 people inside and 52 people outside. A 32-seat area will be for private dining, and a lounge will hold 30 seats. The visitors center has a 1,154-square-foot exhibit and interpretive area and a conference room of the same size. It includes a gift shop, and offices account for another 2,100 square feet of the building. The Duck River Agency donated interactive exhibits that feature the history and ecology of the Duck River.

Henry Horton State Park is on the shores of the Duck River. The park was constructed in the 1960s on the estate of Henry Horton, former governor of Tennessee.

State sales tax holiday for food, ingredients in Aug.

The state’s Department of Revenue announced a monthlong sales tax holiday for food and food ingredients for August.

Public Chapter 1131 (2022) creates a new sales tax holiday starting at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, and ending at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31.

During this period, food and food ingredients may be purchased tax-free. Food and food ingredients purchased from a micro market or vending machine remain subject to sales tax.

“Food and food ingredients” are defined as liquid, concentrated, solid, frozen, dried, or dehydrated substances that are sold to be ingested or chewed by humans and are consumed for their taste or nutritional value.

“Food ingredients do not include alcoholic beverages, tobacco, candy, dietary supplements and prepared food. For more information and examples of food and food ingredients, please see Important Notice 17-20.

The most common example of a dealer selling food and food ingredients is a grocery store. Food and food ingredients are those items otherwise taxed at the 4% state sales tax rate plus the applicable local rate.

This exemption will only be available for the holiday period. All retail sales of food and food ingredients made after Aug. 31 will be subject to sales tax.

Endeavor Business Media acquires 10 Missions

Nashville-based Endeavor Business Media has announced the acquisition of 10 Missions Media, a Minnesota-based company producing leading media brands in multiple segments of the automotive aftermarket, including independent repair facilities, independent tire dealerships, collision repair facilities and quick lube/fast maintenance outlets.

Brands included in the acquisition are ADAPT, Auto Job Central, Auto Service Professional, FenderBender, Modern Tire Dealer, MTD TEN, MWACA magazine, National Oil and Lube News and Ratchet+Wrench.

Complementing Endeavor’s Transportation business, these titles will join such brands such as Motor Age Training, Professional Tools and Equipment News (PTEN), Fleet Owner and Vehicle Service Pros among others.

Specializing in print, digital content, live events and training, 10 Missions Media has centered their business model around connecting people and driving their businesses forward through providing inspiration, proven business strategies, and the latest in trends affecting the automotive aftermarket.

Their audiences represent highly-engaged decision makers and professionals across the automotive aftermarket.