The 24th lighting of the grand Christmas tree in Public Square Park Friday at 5:30 p.m.

The annual lighting ceremony will feature performances by the Andrew Jackson Elementary School choir as well as singer and actress Grace Leer (from Hallmark’s “Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas”).

Local sports mascots Gnash, T-Rac, Booster, Sheruff and Socket will join master of ceremonies Brenda Wynn to celebrate the harbinger of the holiday season and the unveiling of the 5,500 multicolored lights that adorn the tree.

David and Sherry Caldwell donated the massive Norway spruce tree which has lived in their yard for the past two decades. The tree is about 30 feet tall.

Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Christmas Basket Program, which is a 60-year tradition of officers delivering food baskets and toys to Nashville families on Christmas Eve. Boxes will be on-site for Nashvillians to drop off toys at the event.

For easy access to Public Square Park, attendees can park in Public Square Garage under the courthouse. The event will conclude shortly after 6 p.m.

New business filings set another quarterly record

New business filings in the third quarter of 2023 were the highest for a third quarter in the 25-year history of the data being collected, the new Quarterly Business and Economic Indicators report issued by secretary of state’s finds.

During the third quarter, 19,304 new entities filed in Tennessee. During the past year, 77,596 new businesses filed, which is a 2.9% growth rate. State employment rose by 8,700 jobs and unemployment remained at 3.2%, below the national rate of 3.8%.

Davidson and Shelby counties saw the largest number of filings in the third quarter, followed by Knox and Hamilton counties. These four most-populous counties accounted for 44.1% of new filings statewide.

Knox County business filings continue to grow most rapidly of the large counties, expanding by 54.2% year-over-year for the third quarter. Tennessee’s other 91 counties grew year-over-year by 2.8%.

88 of 95 TN counties below 5% unemployment

Unemployment rates in most Tennessee counties remained below 5% in October, according to newly released county data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate in October was 3.3%. That’s just 0.2% above the all-time low jobless number of 3.1% which was last recorded in August.

Unlike the statewide unemployment rate, county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted to account for different seasonal events that can impact employment.

Eighty-eight of Tennessee’s 95 counties recorded rates lower than 5% in October. The remaining seven counties had rates that were greater than 5% but lower than 10%.

Rates decreased in six counties across the state during the month. They held steady in 16 counties and increased in the remaining 73 counties.

For the second consecutive month, Moore and Sevier counties had Tennessee’s lowest unemployment rates. Moore County’s rate came in at 2.6%, which was unchanged from the previous month. Sevier County’s rate was 2.7%, which accounted for a slight increase of 0.1% from its September rate.

Perry County had Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate in October. Its new rate of 7.9% was 3.2% higher than its September rate. Warren County saw the second-highest rate for the month. Unemployment there increased by 3.5% from 4% to 7.5%.

Hall of Fame offers special locals pricing

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will offer pay-what-you-want admission for Nashville area residents beginning Friday through Jan. 31.

Providing an opportunity for locals to explore the museum and the history of country music, the pay-what-you-want admission will apply to those living in Davidson and its bordering counties – Cheatham, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson.

Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance. Timed tickets are available for museum entry 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., with a limited number of museum admission tickets available each day. The museum is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and offers a variety of family and public programs, which are included with pay-what-you-want admission and based on availability.

For the first four Tuesdays in January – Jan. 2, 9, 16 and 23 – the museum will extend its hours to 8 p.m. and include music-centric evening programs included with pay-what-you-want admission.

During these four Tuesday evenings, the museum will also offer complimentary parking at Nissan Stadium with a free shuttle service for museum ticket holders.

Tuesday evening programs will include a “silent” country disco with DJ Jerry (headphones will be issued) Jan. 2, East Nash Grass Jan. 9, Charlie Worsham featuring Long Jon Jan. 16 and Stephanie Urbina Jones and The Honky Tonk Mariachi Jan. 23.

Visit the museum’s website for more information, including information on reserving tickets, parking and showing proof of residency on-site.

Information

Tennessee has 10th-lowest gas prices in the US

Gas prices continue to fall across Tennessee, reaching an average of $2.87, which is 26 cents less expensive than one month ago and 24 cents less than one year ago.

Tennesseans who took a road trip over the holiday weekend were met with the cheapest Thanksgiving gas prices in three years.

• 89% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $3.00

• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.60 for regular unleaded

• The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.34 for regular unleaded

• Tennessee is the 10th-least-expensive market in the nation

Memphis was the most expensive metro at $2.93, while Chattanooga was the cheapest at $2.70. Nashville’s average was $2.92.

Integrity announces ‘Listen to Sell’ book

Integrity Solutions, a global leader in sales training and sales performance improvement, has announced the upcoming release of “Listen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance,” co-written by Integrity Solutions CEO Mike Esterday and executive partner Derek Roberts.

“Listen to Sell” draws on the authors’ decades of industry experience as sales experts and coaches to provide salespeople and their managers with an actionable plan and tool kit for building a new level of confidence and bringing purpose to their customer relationships.

Designed to address the unique challenges of today’s complex selling environment, the book explores the conversations, mindset and skills for success, helping people think differently about their role, break through plateaus and unleash their full potential.

Information

Toll Brothers begins new Nations construction

Toll Brothers, Inc., a leading builder of luxury homes, announced the company’s newest community, Toll Brothers at The Nations.

Construction is underway at the community, located at 731 41st Avenue in Nashville, and sales will begin in the spring of 2024.

Toll Brothers at The Nations will feature 68 two-level condominiums and 29 three-story townhomes. Homebuyers will choose from a range of home designs with flexible floor plans and designer-curated finish selections. Homes will be priced from the low $500,000s.

Toll Brothers at The Nations is located within walking distance to Charlotte Pike. The community provides easy access to Nashville’s vibrant downtown, employment centers, Vanderbilt University and major highways including Interstates 40 and 440. It is also within a short distance of Boyd Park, England Park, West Park, and the Cumberland River, offering ample recreational opportunities.

TSU seeks to lead in AI among HBCUs

Tennessee State University is positioning itself as a trailblazer in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education.

A five-week online AI course is just one of the ways Robbie Melton has had TSU bridge the digital divide by bringing this latest technology to the Nashville community and others.

Melton, who also oversees the Smart Innovation Technology Center, taught the free AI course that attracted over 160 participants globally.

“I strategically positioned TSU to serve as the professional development center for the HBCUs, looking at the opportunities, the possibilities and the challenges regarding AI,” Melton says.

The recent course, titled ‘The Impact of AI in Higher Education,’ highlighted technological opportunities from a higher education standpoint. Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Samantha Morgan-Curtis says participating in the weekly course was well worth the time.

“Other people have to go to conferences or sign up for workshops, while at Tennessee State University, we have the privilege of having internationally recognized experts like Dr. Melton and her Smart Center team readily available,” she said.