Nashville Soccer Club unveiled their brand-new Man in Black Kit, honoring one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time, Johnny Cash.

Created in collaboration with the estate of Johnny Cash, Sandbox Succession, and Wasserman Music, the Man in Black Kit was inspired by The Backline Supporters Collective, the club’s fans.

Nashville SC will don the Man in Black Kit for the first time Saturday as it hosts New York City FC as the first match of the MLS Is Back weekend. Scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m., the match will honor the collaboration with a special ‘Man In Black’ match. Limited tickets remain available at www.NashvilleSC.com/Tickets.

The all-black ensemble is embellished by dark graphite and iron metallic accents including a jocktag of Johnny Cash’s iconic photo at Folsom Prison, Cash’s autograph on the back-of-the-neck, the Nashville SC crest, and an iron metallic Renasant Bank logo as well as an adidas logo. The left sleeve celebrates the Apple and MLS partnership by featuring the Apple TV and MLS logos, and the right sleeve features the Hyundai logo.

TACN partners with VUMC for EMS comms

The Tennessee Advanced Communications Network has announced that Vanderbilt University Medical Center will be the first hospital system to join the statewide radio network.

This provides the ability for redundant communication capabilities in areas with inadequate service coverage or in the event of a disaster where internet and phone services are compromised.

TACN, a division of the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, provides statewide radio tower communication connectivity infrastructure for local, state, and federal first responders. With TACN, law enforcement, health care providers, and first responders can have reliable communication and can coordinate a statewide response in the event of an emergency.

“The statewide TACN system allows everyone responding to a medical emergency or any type of emergency to talk to each other,” says Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long. “No matter where you are in Tennessee, even when other means of communication fail, TACN will allow seamless communication for our partners.”

To utilize the TACN radio system, VUMC purchased 500 compatible radios that they strategically deployed to their regional hospital facilities and LifeFlight transport. LifeFlight is VUMC’s regional emergency medical services air and ground ambulance system, which completes approximately 12,000 patient transports every year.

During an emergency or while transporting a patient for specialized care, the care an EMS provider can perform is limited to acts within their scope of practice. To administer a drug or perform a procedure outside their guidelines, an EMS provider must receive authorization from a physician. This is why EMS providers must have reliable communication, especially in Tennessee’s rural areas.

TDOE collaborates on teacher licensing prep

The Tennessee Department of Education, in partnership with Study.com, has announced all Tennessee Teacher Apprenticeship candidates through the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center have free access to “Keys to the Classroom” to provide test prep support for their licensure tests to earn their Tennessee teacher’s license.

“Keys to the Classroom” will provide high-quality test preparation supports, removing barriers for teacher apprentices preparing to take licensure tests to earn their teacher’s license. Participating districts in the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center will have access to 1,200 free licenses for their prospective teachers to be equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to prepare for and pass their teacher licensure tests.

In Tennessee and across the nation, passing the required licensure test to earn a teacher’s license can be a significant obstacle and further challenges districts as they work to combat staffing shortages. This initiative, as a part of the state’s Grow Your Own strategic efforts, will help eliminate barriers to ensure more qualified teachers are entering the teaching profession in Tennessee.

Tennessee is the first state in the country to sponsor registered teacher occupation apprenticeships between school districts and Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs). Tennessee’s Teacher Apprenticeship models align leading practices in teacher preparation and development with the rigors of the national registered apprenticeship process.

Redfin: Sales stall as mortgage rates jump

Some homebuyers are retreating back to the sidelines as mortgage rates ascend toward 7%, according to a new report from Redfin, the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index – a measure of requests for tours and other services from Redfin agents – fell 1% from a week ago, the first decline after a month of increases, and mortgage-purchase applications dropped 6%.

Meanwhile, pending sales in U.S. metros continue to trend down, with Nashville declining 47.4% year-over-year. That places fourth behind Las Vegas, Nevada (-57.6%); Austin, Texas (-51.7%) and Phoenix, Arizona (-48.8%) through Feb. 12. Pending sales rose in two metros, Chicago and Cincinnati.

Persistently low inventory is also contributing to the slump in demand, as prospective sellers are also sensitive to rate hikes: 85% of mortgage holders have a rate far below 6% and many are eager to hold onto it. Although the decline in new listings of homes for sale has slowed since December, they were still down 17% from a year earlier during the four weeks ending February 12. Asking prices posted their smallest increase since the start of the pandemic (1.2% year over year) as those who are selling homes attempt to attract buyers.

The bump in mortgage rates is largely due to this week’s inflation report, which was full of mixed signals. Inflation eased ever-so-slightly in January, but the overall price of goods and services is still much higher than a year ago and the pace of economic recovery has slowed.

Leap Partners acquires two HVAC companies

Leap Partners, a fast-growing home services company with HVAC and plumbing businesses across the Southeast, continues to expand in the Alabama and Kentucky markets through its new acquisitions of A1 Heating & Air Conditioning based in Huntsville, Alabama, and Engineered Heating and Air based in Lexington, Kentucky.

“I could not think of a better way to kick off 2023 than with the opportunity to welcome A1 Heating & Air Conditioning and Engineered Heating and Air to our all-star team,” says John Cerasuolo, Leap Partners CEO. “We look forward to welcoming all of the A1 and Engineered members to our growing family so we can work together to best serve our customers and communities.”

Established in 2007, A1 is a full-service air conditioning and heating service company that serves Huntsville and Madison, Alabama, and their surrounding communities. The former owner, Steve Tangeman, and his team will now work with the existing Leap Partners branch in Huntsville – Conditioned Air Solutions.

Engineered Heating and Air is a full-service heating and air conditioning company in Lexington that has served the surrounding community for over 23 years. The former owner of Engineered Heating and Air, Tom Robeson, will continue to lead his team and operate as Engineered Heating and Air.

Over the last 10 months, Leap Partners’ portfolio has grown to include seven HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies across Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The portfolio includes companies of all sizes, and Leap Partners provides support and investment for these businesses to grow and expand while empowering the local leaders to manage with autonomy.

In-home pet care ReadiVet expands to Nashville

ReadiVet, a leading provider of full-service in-home veterinary care, recently launched its fourth location in Nashville.

“ReadiVet offers a full range of treatments to cater to your pet’s needs. Our services include wellness exams, treatment of illnesses, blood work, microchipping, X-rays, surgery, and more,” says ReadiVet CEO and founder Landon Lawson. “Instead of sitting in traffic and busy waiting rooms, we deliver stress-free veterinary care in the comfort of your own home. In addition, we have an extensive suite of communication and proprietary technology solutions that enhance pet ownership and provides customers with a more consumer-friendly vet care option.”

ReadiVet addresses the growing issue of burnout among veterinarians. The company promotes daily appointment limits for mobile care teams while earning competitive wages and benefits. In addition, scheduling optimization allows mobile teams to devote more time to spend with your pets.

ReadiVet has served almost 8,000 pets to date, with more than 35,000 pet encounters. The company also has two locations in Dallas and one in Atlanta with plans to open more clinics this year.

ReadiVet Nashville’s clinical hub is located near I-440 and West End Avenue. The company is currently offering services in Downtown, the Gulch, The Nations, Green Hills, Belle Meade, West Meade, Vanderbilt/Belmont, Brentwood, and Franklin, with plans to cover the broader Nashville metropolitan area within the coming months.

State Ag dept. opens specialty crop grants

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the United States Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

SCBGP funds are granted to enhance production and competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, tree nuts, honey, floriculture, and other nursery crops.

“With the diverse range of crops produced throughout Tennessee, I’m proud that we can offer this program to further enhance the value of our specialty crops,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher says. “If you have an education or research-driven project in mind, we encourage you to reach out to our office to learn more about this opportunity.”

The grant program supports initiatives that directly affect multiple Tennessee producers and provide a learning foundation for future generations of specialty crop growers. Producers, universities, institutions, cooperatives, industry, and community-based organizations are eligible to apply.

Applicants must email completed paperwork no later than close of business on March 15. First-time recipients have a funding limit of $25,000.

The project template, performance measures, and information required to apply are available online. Information