Voter registration for the Aug. 3 Metro Nashville/Davidson County general election ends Wednesday, July 5.

The election will determine Metro Nashville’s next mayor, vice-mayor and Metro Council members, along with the Tennessee House District 51 special primary election and Tennessee House District 52 special general election. If necessary, Metro runoff elections will take place Sept. 14.

Early voting begins Friday, July 14 and continues through Saturday, July 29, at locations throughout Davidson County. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Thursday, July 27.

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Aristocrat of Bands plays CMA Fest, White House

Even with school not in session, Tennessee State University’s Grammy Award-winning Aristocrat of Bands has had a packed schedule this month, making memorable appearances in both Nashville and Washington, D.C.

The AOB served as the opening act for CMA Fest last week, marking the first time a collegiate marching band had performed at the four-day music festival, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

“This is important because people don’t usually associate country music with HBCU bands, says Hailey Russell, a Nashville native who is a piccolo section leader for AOB.

“So, us performing today felt like bridging a gap and letting us celebrate music all around.”

Russell says the best part of the overall experience was kicking off the CMA Fest Hall of Fame Ceremony with a performance on the John Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge. “Playing on the pedestrian bridge with everyone who walked past being able to enjoy our music even if they weren’t there for the CMA Fest was my favorite part.”

The massive crowd at the Riverfront Stage also roared with applause as the band accompanied local eighth grade student Ariah McEwen, who sang the national anthem.

Assistant band director Larry Jenkins says the performance represented everything AOB and the university stands for. “This was an amazing performance,” Jenkins says. “I am glad we were able to represent the university on this stage and that the crowd got to experience the culture as we know it.”

AOB’s director Reginald McDonald says he is grateful that the students took time out of their summer to be a part of CMA Fest memories. “For them to give up two weeks of their summer to be here for TSU, is truly amazing,” McDonald said. “I am feeling extremely proud right now. This is the opportunity for people to see the excellence of TSU.”

Earlier this week, AOB members helped celebrate the nation’s first official observance of Juneteenth with President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House.

New Rosenwald Schools exhibit opens

“Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee,” presented in partnership with Fisk University’s John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library, opens at the Tennessee State Museum Friday.

The community-focused exhibition highlights the work of alumni, descendants and organizations to preserve the legacies of Rosenwald Schools across the state. It is the second Tennessee State Museum show centered on Rosenwald Schools, following the traveling photography exhibit by Andrew Feiler, “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America,” which closed in May.

What are commonly referred to as Rosenwald Schools were the result of an initial partnership between Sears, Roebuck and Co. president Julius Rosenwald, Tuskegee Institute president Booker T. Washington, and Black Communities throughout the South.

Between 1912-1937, that partnership resulted in the construction of almost 5,000 schools for Black children across 15 southern states, including 354 in Tennessee. Rosenwald schools drove improvement in Black educational attainment and helped educate the generation who became leaders of the Civil Rights movement.

State parks to host service events

Tennessee State Parks will offer volunteer work events at 38 parks across the state this month for Tennessee Promise scholars to fulfill their community service hours.

Of those 38 parks, 37 will hold their activities Saturday, June 24. Radnor Lake State Park will have two separate events Friday, June 23.

Details for all the parks involved can be found online at https://tnstateparksvolunteer.galaxydigital.com/need/index?s=1&need_init_id=3690.

All participants must register on the website.

Activities for the workday at various parks include cleanup, removing invasive plants, gardening and park beautification projects. Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing for the work and bring items such as water, snacks and sunscreen.

Tennessee Promise provides students the chance to attend tuition-free any of the state’s community colleges, colleges of applied technology, or other eligible institutions offering an associate degree program. One of the requirements to maintain eligibility is to complete eight hours of community service. The parks also accept help from any other volunteers who wish to participate.

Homebuying competition pushes prices higher

Competition among buyers over few available houses has made this home shopping season unusually hot, according to the latest market report from Zillow. Meanwhile, high mortgage rates are continuing to deter homeowners from listing, pushing inventory to record lows.

“Many homeowners are still opting not to sell and give up historically low mortgage rates. But those who do have been rewarded with bidding wars as buyers compete for limited options,” says Zillow senior economist Jeff Tucker. “Spring is traditionally the hottest time of year in the housing market, and 2023 has been no exception. Time will tell if seasonal price slowdowns arrive on time this year, later in summer.”

Typical U.S. home values grew by 1.4% from April to May, the strongest monthly appreciation since June 2022. That’s a few degrees cooler than the previous two springs, but hotter than in 2018 or 2019. The typical home value is $346,856 – up 0.9% over the previous May and up 3.4% from a recent low in January.

A new loan on a home priced at the typical value in the U.S. would feature monthly mortgage payments just shy of $1,800.

That monthly payment is 22% higher than last year, double that of May 2019, and the second highest on record after October 2022.

Church Street Park unveils new programs

After months of improvements, renovations and community-led curation of year-round programs and events for Church Street Park, the Nashville Downtown Partnership will unveil the new lineup of activities at downtown’s oldest pocket park during an all-day open house Saturday.

Located in the heart of the heart of downtown directly in front of the Main Library, Church Street Park has long been a “diamond in the rough” with tremendous potential.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the public is invited to drop in for family friendly fun and to sample the Park’s diverse programs, which are offered free-of-charge year-round and rotate seasonally.

The downtown partnership took over the park under a 2022 agreement with Metro Parks to operate and activate the park, working with funding from Amazon to underwrite daily programming.

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Hermitage selected as Hotel of the Year

The Hermitage Hotel has been named Hotel of the Year, United States & Canada by Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand. The Hermitage Hotel was honored for its world-class hospitality, hotel restoration and design enhancements, and its continued excellence.

The Hermitage Hotel recently completed a hotel-wide restoration and redesign encompassing design updates to its 122 guest rooms and suites, its famous lobby and historic ballroom. These changes followed the opening of two new restaurants from Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in 2022.

The multi-year project touched every aspect of the guest experience for the hotel, a National Historic Landmark.

New study helps fast metabolizers quit smoking

A study from Vanderbilt researchers has found that enhanced treatment support can help smokers who have more difficulty quitting because they are fast metabolizers of nicotine.

The study published recently in Nicotine & Tobacco Research is the latest finding from the Vanderbilt Center for Tobacco, Addiction and Lifestyle (ViTAL) that supports a personalized medicine approach to smoking cessation.

Researchers previously determined that fast metabolizers benefit more from varenicline – a medication that mimics the pleasant effects of nicotine on the brain – than nicotine replacement therapy, such as the patch and gum.

Despite this evidence, however, many smokers don’t use varenicline because of its cost and lingering negative perceptions, so the Vanderbilt researchers studied if nicotine replacement therapy could be delivered in a way that made it more effective for fast metabolizers.

The investigators found that providing fast metabolizers with enhanced treatment support doubled their odds of quitting and narrowed the abstinence disparity with slow metabolizers.

Murfreesboro Fire conducts academy

Murfreesboro’s Fire Rescue Department’s upcoming Teen Firefighter Academy aims to teach cadets about the fire service, teamwork, leadership skills, and spark interest in becoming a firefighter.

The Teen Firefighter Academy provides practical training that teaches skills and abilities in firefighting. The teen cadets will learn fire extinguisher training, hose stream, equipment use and tour a fire station and the dispatch center. They will also watch several demonstrations including, extrication, fire investigation, search and rescue, live fire and repelling.

The four-day fire academy will be held at the Doug Young Public Safety Training Center, 701 Bridge Avenue, June 20-23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Academy will conclude with a graduation ceremony.

The cost of the camp is $25 per teen cadet. Space is limited and open to 20 applicants. Information