Metro Nashville Public Schools and a network of Nashville-based college access organizations will host FAFSA completion clinics at more than a dozen locations through July to help recent MNPS graduates and others maximize their financial aid options this summer.

The organizations will bring extensive staff experience to helping anyone who has not started or completed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Staff members will not only help students and families complete the FAFSA but also assist them in understanding the nuances of various types of financial aid.

MNPS and Tennessee College Access & Success Network will lead outreach to recent graduates, and the other partnering organizations will provide direct FAFSA assistance and have one-on-one conversations with students and families.

Martha O’Bryan Center will facilitate FAFSA clinics through July 30 to serve anyone needing assistance completing the FAFSA, submitting documents for financial aid verification, or interpreting college financial aid award letters.

Clinics will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-11 a.m. in Martha O’Bryan’s Hope Building, 711B S. 7th Street, Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-5 p.m. in the center’s Faith Building, 711A S. 7th Street, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday at Hunters Lane, Maplewood and Stratford high schools, with appointments available both in person and virtually.

Meanwhile, Oasis Center will offer FAFSA support at the following locations:

• Oasis Center, 1704 Charlotte Avenue, Suite 200, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Nashville State Community College’s White Bridge, North Davidson and Southeast campuses, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

• John Overton and Glencliff high schools, Mondays, 12-5 p.m.

• Cane Ridge High School, Tuesdays, 12-5 p.m.

• Nashville Public Library, Southeast branch, Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Nashville Public Library, Edmondson branch, Wednesday-Thursday, 1-3 p.m.

• Nashville Public Library, Madison branch, Wednesdays, 2-5 p.m.

• Nashville Public Library, Main Library, 615 Church Street, Thursdays, 2-5 p.m.

• Nashville Public Library, Bellevue branch, Thursdays, 2-5 p.m.

Persist Nashville will host FAFSA clinics at its office at 301 Plus Park Boulevard, #300, from 1-3 p.m. June 27 and 2-4 p.m. July 9, as well as a FAFSA completion event at College Con from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 26.

Persist also will work to increase FAFSA completion for the 1,250 students already participating in its College Enrollment Coaching and College Persistence Coaching.

Recent graduates and others are welcome at any of the locations, regardless of their high school.

‘Tennessee Crossroads’ host Elmore dead at 80

Joe Elmore, longtime host of the popular Nashville Public Television program “Tennessee Crossroads,” died early after a long illness. He was 80.

Elmore

His immediate survivors include a son and daughter.

Elmore served as the Tennessee Crossroads host since its inception in 1987. The magazine-style travel show airs on stations across Tennessee and the Southeast and remains one of the highest-rated shows in the PBS system.

“We have lost a legend and a dear friend. We’ll miss his phenomenal skills, his kind-heartedness, and his wonderful sense of humor,” said Ed Jones, executive producer of the show. “Tennessee Crossroads was his baby and as Joe would’ve wanted, it will continue, as will his spirit.”

Elmore’s long career in television also included co-hosting “Detroit Muscle,” a weekly show celebrating American muscle car culture on NBC Sports. He hosted “Horsepower,” a high-performance automotive show on Spike TV from 1997 to 2013.

3LS Ventures stakes student-athlete platform

3LS Ventures Inc., which invests in early-stage behavioral health products and services, announced a strategic investment in The Zone, a digital-health solution that supports the mental health and well-being of student athletes, athletic staff and athletic organizations.

3LS Ventures’ investment in The Zone coincides with an emerging national conversation on how colleges and universities can protect and enhance the mental and physical health of student athletes. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has called on its 1,100 member institutions to “facilitate an environment that reinforces physical and mental health” by ensuring access to high-quality resources and supports.

The Zone is an AI-powered platform that assists student athletes in monitoring and improving their mental health and wellness. The platform offers access to premium mental health resources, connects athletes to health care providers for clinical support and leverages preventative data to proactively address mental health concerns. The Zone is deployed in college-athletics conferences and institutions including Lehigh University, Seton Hill University, and the University of North Carolina Asheville.

In addition to The Zone, the 3LS Ventures portfolio includes HopeNation Campus, which provides somatic-based trauma intervention programs to colleges and universities.

360 View named top CRM provider

Franklin-based 360 View, a provider of customer relationship management software for financial institutions, is being recognized by Banking CIO Outlook magazine as a top CRM provider for 2024.

Offering one of the first CRM’s built specifically for banks and credit unions, 360 View has been serving financial institutions for more than 23 years. Their industry trusted CRM records every customer touchpoint in real time, then channels those interactions into tools that help their clients offer dynamic personalized service.

Banking CIO Outlook is an enterprise technology magazine that offers senior-level technology executives a reliable resource for gaining industry insights and staying abreast of technology trends. The platform regularly evaluates industry providers, and through a nominations process and assessment by an expert panel recognizes top technology companies serving financial institutions.

The Banking CIO Outlook award comes on the heels of several milestones within 360 View: a recent software release including a redesigned easy-to-navigate and visually pleasing user interface, the addition of user-defined dashboards and a growth-focused restructuring of senior management.

Sage Dental expands with 4 Midstate offices

Sage Dental, a dental service organization, has announced plans to open four practices in central Tennessee.

As the leading DSO in South Florida, with more than 120 practices across Florida and Georgia, this expansion marks Sage Dental’s official entry into Tennessee.

Practices are set to open throughout June and July at:

• 4091 Mallory Lane, Franklin

• 1443 W Main St, Lebanon

• 481 Sam Ridley Pkwy W, Smyrna

• 228 Hamilton Crossing Dr, Alcoa.

The practices offer a range of oral health services, including restorative dentistry, periodontics, orthodontics, pediatric care and more.

Amazon adds $1.4B to Housing Equity Fund

Amazon announced it is committing an additional $1.4 billion in funding to the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, bringing the total to more than $3.6 billion to fund more than 35,000 affordable homes across the Puget Sound region; the Arlington, Virginia/National Capital region; and Nashville.

The extension of the Housing Equity Fund underscores Amazon’s commitment to affordable housing and to helping thousands of families live closer to where they work or near transportation hubs, removing a major barrier to success.

Amazon launched the $2 billion Housing Equity Fund in 2021 with the goal of creating and preserving 20,000 affordable homes across three of its hometown communities within five years. The Fund is designed to help moderate- to low-income residents access quality affordable housing.

Amazon also announced that it has exceeded its original goal two years early by providing $2.2B to create and preserve more than 21,000 affordable homes.

The Housing Equity Fund supports affordable housing developments focused on households that earn 30% to 80% of the area median income. That often includes first responders, teachers, health care workers, and others who may not typically qualify for subsidies but whose wages haven’t kept pace with escalating rents.

Lincoln Tech’s NADC gives engines to schools

With more than 240,000 openings for diesel & truck technicians projected across the country by 2032, Lincoln Tech’s NADC recently donated a series of diesel engines to area high schools and vocational programs as part of their commitment to student success.

Formerly known as Nashville Auto Diesel College, the program has been serving the community for more than 100 years and understands the importance of supporting future skilled technicians throughout all stages of their education.

“It’s a privilege to be able to assist schools in our area and enhance their diesel technology programs,” says Brent Jenkins, president of Lincoln Tech’s NADC campus. “With such high demand for technicians in the industry – not only nationwide but right here in Tennessee – we all need to support one another in growing the overall workforce.”

Hickman County High School and East Hickman County High School each received two rebranded 1,000-lb. CAT engines, valued at $20,000 each.

Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) also received engines for its campuses in Nashville and Hartsville.

Houston County High School, which also received a donated engine, is one of several schools across the region to graduate students who have then gone on to earn credentials at Lincoln Tech.

As one of the country’s leading destinations for diesel industry career training, the Nashville campus is home to the Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI). In addition to the Diesel & Truck Service Technology program, the campus also provides career training for the automotive, collision repair, heavy equipment and welding industries.

Cemplex Group enters Nashville market

The Cemplex Group, an installer of gypsum underlayments, sound control and elevated waterproofing systems, has announced its expansion into the Nashville area.

The company already operates in Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Colorado.