“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Editorial: Pat Summitt’s dignity and grace mean more than titles
… She deserves all the plaudits she receives for her contributions to her sport, to her university, to her state and to the legion of lives she has touched and will continue to influence. With her typical humility, the coach said Thursday that she was the one who has been blessed by her association with UT. “It has been a privilege,” she said. For one of the few times in her career, Summitt was wrong. The privilege has been ours.

KNS: Officials celebrate construction of proton therapy center
… The 90,000-square-foot facility, which is expected to open in early 2014, will be able to treat 1,500 patients per year with a noninvasive and painless form of radiation treatment that has minimal to no side effects. The center will be integrated into the research program at the University of Tennessee for training young professionals. And plans are being developed to eventually manufacture proton therapy equipment.

Shopper News/Sandra Clark: Developers seek tax relief for city projects
Today’s meeting of the Knox County Commission will be about money, and Mayor Tim Burchett hasn’t even presented his budget yet. Expect discussion on the school board’s budget, starting with public forum at 1:45 p.m. and continued discussion (from last week’s workshop) of proposals by two developers to get tax relief in exchange for tackling tough “brownfield” developments inside the city. My prediction is that most public comment will support the school board budget (including remarks by this writer) and both redevelopment requests will pass, although the $10 million TIF for University Commons is a huge frog to swallow.

TENNESSEE NEWS

KNS: Report shows link between money, education and life expectancy
The average life expectancy of the residents of some Tennessee counties is on par with the life expectancies in some of the healthiest countries — Sweden, for example. But in others, residents, on average, don’t outlive people in some of the world’s poorest African countries or former Russian states. That’s the conclusion of a study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, presented last week at the Association of Health Care Journalists national conference in Atlanta. Institute researchers provided a look at nearly every county in every U.S. state, using death records to track the life expectancy by age, gender and, when possible, by race, from 1989 to 2009.

Tennessean: TN’s tax revenue jumps
Tennessee collected more tax revenue last year than it did in 2010, a sign the state’s economy is rebounding from the recession. Tax revenue grew by 8.5 percent in Tennessee during the fourth quarter of 2011 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to a report released last week by the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, N.Y. Sales and income tax revenues grew in 2011, but the state’s share of property taxes probably fell last year, the Census Bureau said in a recent report.

KNS/Humphrey on the Hill: Corker Endorses DesJarlais, Not Fleishman (Cantor backs both)
U.S. Reps. Scott DesJarlais and Chuck Fleischmann secured re-election endorsements Friday from a top Republican in the U.S. House, but only DesJarlais got the nod from Fleischmann’s hometown senator, a former Chattanooga mayor.

Nooga: Urban League program supports budding entrepreneurs, business owners
The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga is joining forces with other local organizations to support small businesses. “Our ultimate goal is to develop a center where we can offer additional resources for entrepreneurs,” Nicole Burney, program director of the Urban League’s Entrepreneur Center, said. The Urban League’s program is part of a larger, statewide effort to support small businesses. Last year, as part of Gov. Bill Haslam’s economic development plan, The Company Lab became one of the state’s nine regional entrepreneurial accelerators.

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Greg Johnson: Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero pushes ideology over pragmatism
Whether on the stump or on official speech duty, President George W. Bush used a standard shtick to remind the gathered of the eternal axiom that all politics is local. After greeting the assembled poobahs and potentates, Bush acknowledged the mayor and admonished him or her to remember first principles. “Mayor, the only advice I can offer you is, fix the potholes,” Bush said, with a grin. Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero could benefit from the advice of America’s 43rd president.

KNS: Knoxville city employees say pension helps recruit
The Knoxville employees pension helps keep underpaid police officers happy in their jobs, according to the leader of the Fraternal Order of Police. “Whatever you do, be careful how you do it,” Mark Taylor, head of the Knoxville FOP, said to City Council on Thursday. “We deal with it, and it can be bad for us, and it can be bad for the citizens.” His point in the Knoxville city employees pension workshop was that morale can affect how happy a worker is in a job, and the police have the job of dealing with people who can be at their worst.

Knoxville Journal: Knoxville 8th largest growing city in U.S.
Knoxville currently has the best employment outlook in the nation, with 25% of employers in the area saying they expect to add jobs this spring, according to staffing firm ManpowerGroup. The area’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which has a budget of $1.65 billion and employs 4,400 people, has had a huge impact on the city’s jobs picture. Not only does it hire a lot of workers with advanced degrees, but its research has also spawned several start-ups, said Mike Edwards, CEO of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce.

Stuck Inside Knoxville: A Crazy Big Weekend in the City
The biggest buzz of the weekend, of course, is that the Rhythm and Blooms Festival is finally here. There are a few big names, as usual, but many excellent musicians with whom you may be a bit less familiar. It’s always fun to discover a new favorite at an event like this one.

TENNESSEE NEWS

Commercial Appeal: Tennessee jobless rate fell to 7.9% in March
The Tennessee unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent in March, down one-tenth of a percentage point, marking the eighth straight month of decline. The rate now is the lowest since November 2008, said Karla Davis, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The national figure for March was 8.2 percent, also down one-tenth of a percentage point from the February rate of 8.3 percent. Davis said the state lost jobs in March, but the number of unemployed declined at a faster rate.

Times Free Press: Tourism leaders want Tennessee marketing funds
Tourism leaders are confident they can send Tennessee at least $10 for every dollar spent promoting the state. They just need lawmakers to find that same faith. “We can easily spend tens of millions of dollars more before we reach saturation,” said Colin Reed, chairman of the Tennessee Tourism Committee. “We have to have a realistic sum of money to compete.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam formed the tourism committee in September to find ways to promote tourism across the state.

TN Report: House Dems Unveil ‘Alternative’ Plan for State’s ‘Excess Money’
Democrats in the House of Representatives are looking to dish up a bigger slice of tax cut for Tennesseans who purchase their groceries in the state. During a Legislative Plaza press conference Thursday, Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh, caucus chairman Mike Turner, D-Old Hickory, and other party members laid out a plan to put ballooning state revenues toward restoration of rations to existing government programs in addition to further reducing the state’s tax on food items.

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Editorial: Untangling the knots that bind tourism groups
…The county’s request for information should reveal much about how other organizations promote tourism, but any concrete steps toward bidding out the contract should wait until the organizations involved have untangled the knot that binds them. The city and county should work together to present a unified front in the marketing effort. The goal, in the end, should not be the survival or destruction of any organization but to find the best way to market Knoxville to the world.

Metro Pulse: Po’ridge: An Isolated Neighborhood Evolves and Abides
Po’ridge, short for “Poor Ridge,” is a skinny neighborhood extending north and south along North 6th Avenue, bound by Hall of Fame Drive to the west, and riding hard against the industrial dead zone of the Standard Knitting Mill to the east.

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY NEWS

Nashville Business Journal: Solar tax bill dead for this session
A controversial bill on the taxation of solar installations will go to a summer study committee, effectively killing the bill for this session, with proponents opting to regroup on a complex debate. The Comptroller of the Treasury’s Office, which had initiated the legislation, made the announcement this afternoon. Jason Mumpower, the comptroller’s chief of staff, said proponents decided to delay the issue for study, rather than try to ram it through in the last days of session with so many questions lingering.

TENNESSEE NEWS

Tennessean: Editorial: ‘Don’t say gay’ rears its ugly head again
Never count a bad bill out in this session. The House Education Committee overrode the wishes of its leadership and pushed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill (HB229) out on an 8-7 vote; the nay votes included committee chair Richard Montgomery, R-Sevierville, who you would expect understands what the leadership would like to see. Which is not for us to watch our representatives monkeying around when they should be getting down to business. The bill now sits in the calendar committee which is responsible for scheduling a floor vote.

TN Report: Gun Rights vs. Property Rights Debate Closer to Floor in House
Both Republican speakers in the Tennessee Legislature, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and Rep. Beth Harwell, have indicated they’re uncomfortable with the legislation. Gun rights proponents argue, however, that a floor vote is only fair given that the measures have worked their way through the committee systems.

AP: House votes to boost penalties for domestic abuse
The House on Wednesday passed Gov. Bill Haslam’s bill to require mandatory jail time for people with repeat domestic violence convictions. The chamber voted 98-1 to approve the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim Coley of Bartlett, despite objections from some lawmakers that the measure could be seen as an unfunded mandate for local governments. “This cost is going to be passed on to local governments, and I don’t know about y’all, but I told my people that I won’t do them like the feds do the state,” said Rep. Eddie Bass, D-Prospect, who voted against the bill.

WPLN: Bill to Allow Religious Expressions One Vote Away from Becoming Law (WPLN)
The Tennessee Senate approved a bill today to allow students to cite their religious beliefs in doing schoolwork and to allow prayer groups to be formed as easily as a chess club. Senator Kerry Roberts of Springfield says students should be allowed to express their “religious world view” in doing school work. His bill also sets up a right to form religious clubs. “Under this bill, a student may organize student prayer groups, religious clubs, or other religious gatherings to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities and groups.”

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Knoxville City Council approves TIF for Walmart, Publix development
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/17/knoxville-city-council-approves-tif-for-walmart/
The Knoxville City Council on Tuesday voted in favor of awarding a proposed $10 million tax increment financing package for a development at the former Fulton Bellows site next to the University of Tennessee campus.

KNS: Editorial: Weigh incentives for Fulton Bellows redevelopment
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/18/editorial-weigh-incentives-for-fulton-bellows/
… Incentives sometimes are necessary to stimulate growth, especially as the economy slowly pulls itself out of the recent recession. The University Commons project appears to be a project worthy of consideration for tax incentives, but local officials must look closely at the costs, the benefits and the long-term viability of the project. If University Commons makes sense both in the short run and the long term, officials should back incentives to bring the project to fruition.

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY NEWS

Memphis Daily News: Pending Bill Could Raise Solar Taxes
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/18/pending-bill-could-raise-solar-taxes/
The week that two solar farms located in Haywood County and Memphis were dedicated, a bill that would increase property taxes on owners of solar production facilities like the two arrays was undergoing more changes in Nashville and encountering increased opposition from the state’s solar industry. The proposal by the Tennessee comptroller’s office would not affect the Haywood County facility because the University of Tennessee owns it. Silicon Ranch LLC of Nashville owns the Agricenter International array.

TENNESSEE NEWS

TN Report: Tennessee Seeking to Bolster Business Ties with China, South Korea
http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/04/16/tennessee-seeking-to-bolster-business-ties-with-china-south-korea/
A trade mission to China and South Korea, underway this week by state economic development officials and nearly a dozen health care-related companies in Tennessee, looks to build on the state’s already productive trade relationships with east Asian countries. Through the mission, which will be led by Bill Hagerty, commissioner for the Department of Economic and Community Development, the state intends to help increase exports by small- and mid-level businesses in Tennessee.

WSJ: Chattanooga Reinvents Itself, at Its Own Pace
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303624004577341932764696276.html
Crippled by Manufacturers’ Exodus, Tennessee City Rebuilt Over Four Decades With Urban Renewal and Business Incentives

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Council members have short wish lists for 2012-13 budget
…With unplanned pension costs looming, new money may be tough to find in the budget. The city faces years of rising pension obligations, in part because the investment market has failed to meet expectations on return.

KNS Editorial: Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett learns hard lesson in perils of cronyism
…Cronyism can be defined as patronage run amok, and Burchett found out that friendship is no substitute for a thorough vetting of a job candidate. In hiring a permanent replacement for Webb, Burchett should advertise the job and take applications from all interested parties. A solid track record, particularly, in public-sector finance, should be a high priority. Experience, not friendship, should be his guide, and taxpayers should expect nothing less.

KNS: Knox Schools unveils preliminary technology upgrade plan
Knox County Schools has a plan to put an electronic device — whether it’s an iPad, laptop or tablet — into the hands of every student within the next five years. At the Knox County school board’s mid-month meeting Monday, the system’s chief technology officer laid out the preliminary plan and goals to implement technology into its 88 schools. The three goals, Gail Byard said, are to support instruction both in and outside of the classroom; establish and maintain a robust infrastructure in the district; and provide comprehensive and reliable management information systems.

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY NEWS

Daily News Journal: Nissan’s Smyrna plant may make new electric Infiniti
Spokesman can’t confirm report After the new zero-emissions Infiniti LE Concept made its first appearance at the 2012 New York International Auto Show in New York earlier this month, there have been questions about where the car will be built. Though not expected to be rolling onto showroom floors for about two more years, some have speculated that it would make sense for the car to be built in Smyrna alongside the all-electric Nissan Leaf, which is slated to be produced here starting in December.

TENNESSEE NEWS

TN Report/Release: State Transportation Plan Released
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer today released the 3 year transportation program, featuring approximately $1.5 billion in infrastructure investments for 96 individual project phases in 55 counties, as well as 10 statewide programs.

TN Report: Tax Cuts Passed By State House
Reductions to the taxes on groceries and inheritances were approved by the state House Thursday. Leadership at the Legislature expressed confidence the tax cuts would ultimately pass and be signed into law.

Commercial Appeal Editorial: Priorities need a tune up
State Rep. Charles Sargent, R-Franklin, called the House passage last week of a bill that will phase out Tennessee’s inheritance tax by 2016 “an exciting day for everybody.” Really? More people probably would have been more excited if on the same day the House had voted to end the sales tax on grocery food. After all, that would have had a bigger impact on the citizens of Tennessee. Instead, House members voted, 90-0, to cut the state sales tax on grocery food from 5.5 percent to 5.25 percent on July 1. The vote on the inheritance tax was 88-8.

KNS/Humphey on the Hill: Fleischmann Leads 3rd District Fundraising
Four months before Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District Republican primary, incumbent Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, with the help of $390,874 from industry-backed political action committees, maintains a sizable cash-on-hand lead over Scottie Mayfield and two other GOP challengers.

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Editorial: City pension fix won’t produce immediate savings
…The pension plan’s problems are long-term and systemic. Officials — and voters — must arrive at a solution that reorganizes the system for financial health in the long term.

KNS/Josh Flory: Codes sweep planned in Fort Sanders
…Mayor Madeline Rogero will join inspectors and officials from the City’s Public Service Department for a codes enforcement sweep through Fort Sanders. They will be looking for housing violations, solid waste violations, overgrown lots, dilapidated buildings, and other neighborhood problems.

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY

Daily News Journal: Editorial: TN should do more to protect our mountains
The mountains of Tennessee got the short shrift from state legislators this session, and we think that could have big ramifications for our environment. The Scenic Vistas Protection Act would have prohibited mining in Tennessee that changes the ridge lines more than 2,000 feet above sea level, a practice similar to mountaintop removal. But the House Conservation Subcommittee recently sent the bill to a summer panel, effectively tabling it for the year. Representatives of the coal industry, wearing black shirts that read “Legalize Coal,” packed the hearing room as the subcommittee considered the bill.

Tennessean: This is no time to back off clean energy
For Tennesseans, the current debate on continuing the state solar incentives involves deeper questions than just tax policy. Should we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels? Should the government continue supporting the nascent clean-energy industry, as it has done for decades with the traditional energy industries? Do we really even need clean energy in our country? As a military professional with 36 years experience, my answer to all these questions is a resounding “yes!” America’s national security and economic vitality are threatened by our dependence on fossil fuels.

TENNESSEE NEWS

Tennessean: Lamar Alexander, others revisit political ‘pickle’ of 1979
Three days before the official start of his term as governor of Tennessee, Lamar Alexander had a decision to make. That afternoon, he was told by U.S. Attorney Hal Hardin that Gov. Ray Blanton was planning to continue a “pay for pardons” scheme that had already allowed 52 criminals and many felons to be set free in exchange for bribes. Hardin told Alexander he needed to take the oath of office on Jan. 17, 1979, and assume the governor’s office three days early. Alexander, preparing for a triumphant inauguration he’d been working toward for five long years, needed time to think about it. “I was in a pickle,” Alexander said. “A high-class pickle.”

WPLN: Haslam Hints at Fleischmann Support, Stops Short of Endorsement
Governor Bill Haslam hinted today he might back an incumbent Congressman who’s facing a tough Republican primary fight in East Tennessee. But Haslam stopped short of full-on endorsement for Chuck Fleischmann. In the district that includes Chattanooga, the freshman Fleischmann is hoping to fend off several challengers. One is the 25-year-old son of Zach Wamp, who held the seat for more than a decade before Fleischmann. Another is Scottie Mayfield, a dairy executive who says he raised almost a half-million dollars in his first seven weeks running.

AP: Sen. Corker to visit Nashville, Franklin
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker is scheduled to visit mortgage bankers in Nashville and community leaders in Franklin on Tuesday. Corker’s office says the Republican member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee is expected to discuss reform of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with members of the Tennessee Mortgage Bankers Association in Nashville. Later Tuesday, Corker is scheduled to meet with community leaders involved with “Franklin Tomorrow,” an initiative designed to create a shared vision for the future of the city.

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Editorial: Changes make a good state budget proposal better
Gov. Bill Haslam has proposed using the state’s unexpected revenue windfall from the recovery to speed up a reduction in the food tax, distribute more money for local jails and restore cuts to some social services. The governor’s decisions on how to spend up to $30 million in added revenue demonstrate a firm grasp of Tennessee’s priorities. The Legislature will have to sign off on the $31 billion spending plan.

TENNESSEE NEWS

KNS: Mixed signals for largely stagnant Oak Ridge economy
…Depending on your perspective, it’s a glass half-empty or glass half-full economy in Oak Ridge today. As Oak Ridge City Manager Mark S. Watson put it in an overview for a City Council workshop in February: “We are at a crossroads.” There are dozens of empty office buildings and storefronts in the city. The latest shutdowns include Ryan’s restaurant and the nearby Sears store in the beleaguered Oak Ridge Mall. Then there are residential development woes. At one time, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce President Parker Hardy would tell of the 5,000 new homes that were in the pipeline for Oak Ridge. That pipeline has all but dried up, hit by foreclosure sales, bankruptcies and lackluster demand.

KNS/Tom Humphrey: 3rd District Cash on Hand: Fleishman $750K, Wamp $436K, Mayfield $416K
Dairy executive Scottie Mayfield said he raised $450,648 in the first seven weeks of his inaugural run for office, setting a quarterly fundraising record in Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District and positioning himself as a serious challenger to U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn.

Knox Views: Tennessee named one of the five worst states for voting rights
Graphic.

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS/Josh Flory: Hammond: KaTom going to Sevier
A Hamblen County restaurant supply company won’t be relocating to East Knox County after all. Knox County Commission Chairman Mike Hammond said Thursday that KaTom Restaurant Supply chief Patricia Bible (pictured above) told him the company was going to Sevier County. Hammond also serves on the board of The Development Corporation of Knox County, which owns the Midway site where KaTom had considered a new headquarters.

WVLT: Wave of “Innovation” makes Knoxville one of America’s fastest growing
Low taxes, low crime rates, and a strong local economy has helped make the Knoxville area one of the fastest growing in the country, according to a new survey by CNNMoney. Over a half-million people now fill Knoxville-Oak Ridge’s Innovation Valley, the report found. The region grew over 33% between 2000 and 2010.

KNS: Pension workshops, public forums announced for Knoxville City Council
A series of workshops this month for Knoxville City Council to discuss the city employee pension system has been announced. At issue is the city’s ballooning pension obligation. It’s expected to cost the city $20 million in 2012-13. Before any changes to the pension happen, City Council must form a referendum to put before voters in November. Here’s the schedule and agendas for the workshops.

Tennessee Journalist: Knox Heritage to host second annual Salvage Show
Knox Heritage will hold its second annual Salvage Show on Friday, April 6 from 6- 9p.m. on the second floor of 36 Market Square. The functional design items were created by nineteen local artists, architects, students, and designers.

Old North Knoxville: 2012 ONK Dogwood Walking Trail
We’re excited to be the host of a new walking trail to showcase the beautiful trees and landscapes of our neighborhood in 2012. The 2012 Trail features two sections, with a connection to the First Creek Greenway. The trail is posted with signs at the start of each section and bright pink arrows to mark the turns. Look carefully for newly planted white and pink dogwoods in yards along East Oklahoma, East Scott, West Glenwood, among other streets.  They’re marked with white circular tags and were planted in December.

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY NEWS

University of Tennessee, Knoxville: UT Hosts 2012 Leadership Summit on Sustainability
UT’s Center for Sustainable Business and Tourism will host two events allowing university and state leaders to discuss critical issues that impact the state’s environment and economy. The events will be held from 2:10 to 3:30 p.m. in the John C. Hodges Library Auditorium on April 10 and 12.

TENNESSEE NEWS

WSJ: Tennessee Is Lab for National Clash Over Science Class
…Opponents, including science organizations, teacher groups and the ACLU, argue the law injects religion into public education and raises the specter of the famous “Scopes Monkey Trial” of 1925, when a high-school science teacher in Tennessee was convicted of teaching evolution. The bill, which passed with large margins through Tennessee’s Republican-dominated House and Senate, would allow teachers to question “the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses” of theories “including, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning,” according to its text. It would also block administrators from preventing teachers from raising questions about these subjects.

Memphis Commercial Appeal: Editorial: Veto science bill
Gov. Bill Haslam should heed the appeal of more than 3,000 petitioners and veto a bill that would protect Tennessee teachers who allow students to criticize evolution and other scientific theories. It’s bad legislation in a 21st century world that would allow teachers to help students critique “scientific weaknesses” on matters where there is no controversy about the science.

AP: ‘Guns in Parking Lots’ Bill Is Dead, Speakers Say
House Speaker Beth Harwell says a bill seeking to guarantee workers’ right to store firearms in vehicles parked at work has likely died for the year. The Nashville Republican told reporters on Thursday that she has been informed by her Senate counterpart Ron Ramsey that the bill will not be scheduled for a vote in the upper chamber.

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

Metro Pulse: Convention Panel to Deal With Campfield
Looks like state Sen. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, will have another round of national publicity (imagine that) since he is an elected delegate for Newt Gingrich and the Gingrich campaign doesn’t want him. The issue will likely be resolved before the credentials committee, which meets the week before the Republican National Convention in Tampa. The Tennessee Republican Party told the Gingrich campaign that since Campfield was elected as a Gingrich delegate they do not have the authority to remove him.

KNS: Editorial: Boosting the arts in the Dogwood Arts Festival
…Music, art and literature can enrich the lives of residents and draw visitors to the city. Knoxville’s signature dogwoods are attractions, too. In the Dogwood Arts Festival, natural beauty and artistic expression flow together, like the Holston and French Broad rivers, to create an experience unique to Knoxville.

KNS: Knoxville looks to add new growth to urban tree program
Lush, green trees offer much more than scenic beauty. Gene Hyde, the city forester for Chattanooga, said their value to a city also can be measured in dollars and cents. He has found that every tree planted in his city also has a monetary value for its help in stormwater management, pollution absorption and energy savings. “Those are economic and practical reasons and, well, they’re doggone beautiful,” he said. Hyde was in Knoxville on Wednesday afternoon to present information about Chattanooga’s urban forestry program to the Knoxville Tree Board and city leaders.

Stuck Inside of Knoxville: We Have Graffiti, Do We Have Gangs?
…I’m slowly being brought around as I understand more about the unique dynamics that are downtown Knoxville. We aren’t just the neighborhood for downtown residents; we are the collective neighborhood for the region. We also have some baggage that we have a hard time leaving behind.

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY NEWS

Nashville Business Journal: TN solar tax debate: Compromise bill emerges
Legislators approved a compromise Wednesday on a bill that would phase out a Bredesen-era renewable energy tax break, despite previous warnings of devastating the state’s solar industry. The House Finance Subcommittee agreed to amend the bill and send it on to the full finance committee by voice vote, approving a deal that the Nashville Business Journal told full subscribers on Friday was underway.’

TENNESSEE NEWS

WPLN: Governor Asks Business Leaders to Keep Lawmakers “Focused”
As bills that outlaw sagging pants or guide the teaching of evolution await the governor’s signature, Bill Haslam says lawmakers should be spending time – in his words – on “things that really matter to a state.” On Wednesday, Haslam asked for a hand from one of the most influential lobbying groups at the capitol – the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. “There are a lot of people wanting the ears of our legislators and those of us in the executive branch, and what you can do is help us keep our focus.”

Tennessean: D.C. can do more to help economy, Lamar Alexander tells TN chamber
Although Washington has become the target of abuse in recent years, it still has a role to play, Sen. Lamar Alexander told several hundred people at a 100th birthday celebration for the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce. “Washington, D.C. can help Tennessee, and Tennessee can teach Washington, D.C.,” said Alexander, the keynote speaker at the chamber event. Alexander laid out a broad plan to improve the economy, mainly by improving education and making government more business-friendly.

TN Report: Volunteer State Taxpayers Off the Hook Earliest: Study
Tennessee, which has one of the highest combined state-and-local sales tax rates in the country, also has the lowest overall tax burden, according to a report released recently by one of the nation’s oldest organizations that tracks such data.

TN Report: GOP Not Uniified on Judicial Selection
Republican leaders say consensus over how to pick the state’s most powerful judges is still “up in the air” despite efforts early this year to sell lawmakers on legitimizing the current practice.

WBIR: Gov. announces “Meth Stops Now” campaign
Gov. Bill Haslam has announced a statewide campaign designed to inform Tennesseans about the consequences of violating the “I Hate Meth Act,” which took effect on July 1, 2011. The announcement took place in coordination with the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association meeting in Nashville. “The goal of this campaign is to communicate the harsh consequences of violating our anti-meth law,” Haslam said. “We want to deter people from making and using meth in our state, which will save lives, protect children, save taxpayer dollars, and make Tennessee safer overall.”

“The Right News” is a daily compilation of Knoxville and Tennessee news/commentary to start your day out right. We’re center-right with a crunchy granola middle. Enjoy!

KNOXVILLE NEWS

KNS: Editorial: Finance director must prove worth to taxpayers
…Webb — a person Burchett describes as being able to understand numbers and translate them for laymen — must earn the taxpayers’ trust. His advice to Burchett must be sound. He must make sure county departments follow the controls in place for spending the public’s funds. And he must not allow any sort of financial shenanigans slip by under his watch. Burchett said he made a “political mistake” by hiring Webb. It’s up to Webb to prove him wrong, but if there’s a problem, the taxpayers will have no one to blame but Burchett.

KNS: Tim Hutchison picks up petition to run for state House
Add former Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison’s name to the list of those interested in running for a newly created state House district. Hutchison picked up a petition Tuesday morning to seek the newly-created state House 89th District, according to the Knox County Election Commission. The longtime Republican has until noon Thursday to return the petition with the signatures of 25 registered voters in the district, according to the election commission.

KNS/Josh Flory: Gay Street’s Arcade Building sold
A Knoxville couple has purchased the Arcade Building, at 618 S. Gay Street. Kevin and Melinda Grimac, through an entity called La Corona Fine Properties, paid $1.1 million for the building, which is the former home of the Knoxville Journal. They plan to live in a 2,700-square foot residence they will develop on the south side of the building’s second floor, and to eventually convert the remainder of the second floor to residences.

KNS/Gerald Witt: Knoxville City County OKs incentive for hotel work
Knoxville City Council approved $600,000 in incentives Tuesday night for a hotel owner to redevelop a hotel near the University of Tennessee into a Hilton Garden Inn. Plans for the project and its financing will next go to the Industrial Development Board. Nick Lakha, president of Atlanta-based Paramount Hospitality Management, which is leading the development, said that the 8-1 vote by City Council was support for his work to rehab the former Days Inn Campus, something he called “an eyesore.”

GREEN/CLEAN ENERGY NEWS

University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Go Green Fair Highlights Environmental Action in Knoxville
More than twenty environmental organizations from UT and the surrounding community will showcase their work at the Go Green Fair at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, on the Johnson-Ward Pedestrian Mall.

Clean Energy Authority: Tenn. Conference celebrates state’s growth in solar industry
Tennessee’s solar industry is growing fast. The state has a rich history in manufacturing and had several companies already located there that were well-positioned to transition into the new industry. The state’s infrastructure is also attractive to new businesses that have relocated there, and Tennessee is not shy about courting the new clean technology sector. It established the Tennessee Solar Institute in 2010 to foster solar industry growth, said John Sanseverino, executive director of the institute. And April 10-11, the state will host its second annual Tennessee Solar Solutions Conference in Memphis.

TENNESSEE NEWS 

WPLN: Haslam Defends Expansion of State Government, Passive Stance on Veto
Governor Bill Haslam is defending his plan for how to spend excess tax revenues, admitting that he is “adding to the size of government.” Last year, Governor Haslam could say he was shrinking state government, even if out of necessity. Uncertain tax collections and the end of stimulus money meant fewer employees and smaller budgets across the board. Not this year. Revenues are up by a quarter of a billion dollars. So Haslam’s “budget amendment” released this week adds back millions more for children’s services, land acquisition and local jails.

Government Technology: How Chattanooga Markets Its Way to Broadband Success
Watching Chattanooga’s progress using broadband to impact economic development, I’m reminded of a slogan I used to print on my business cards: “The great thing about marketing is … it works.” Chattanooga has engaged its diverse community in the marketing of its broadband network to spur economic outcomes. And it works.

Tennessean: Effort to allow anti-bias policies suffers setback
A bill repealing legislation that keeps local governments from implementing certain non-discrimination policies failed in a state Senate committee Tuesday morning. The bill, which has come to be known as the non-non-non-discrimination bill, would have allowed local government to create policies requiring people doing business with that government not to discriminate in hiring and firing based on sexual orientation or gender identity.