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Former Nashville Mayor and Congressman Richard Fulton Dies at 91

Richard Fulton, who served first as Nashville's congressman and then as mayor for a combined 26 years has died at the age of 91. His death represents the passing of another political giant from the city's past.

A Navy veteran who served during World War II, Fulton was a progressive who supported civil rights for African-Americans when many of his generation didn't. He was the second mayor of the consolidated Metro Nashville government.

"Richard Fulton helped make modern-day Nashville what it is with his leadership as mayor, and he helped America live up to its promises by creating new freedoms with his votes for civil rights, voting rights, health care and fair housing in Congress," Mayor David Briley said in a written statement Wednesday night. "He was the right man at the right time to lead our city forward. I’ll never forget interning in Mayor Fulton’s office when I was a college student. Watching him work taught me a lot about Nashville, about building a better city and about leadership, and I still carry those lessons with me every day."

Fulton's political career began with a false start. In 1954, at the age of 29, he was elected to the state Senate to take the place of his brother Lyle, who had died from cancer. He was unseated, though, after a legal challenge based on the fact that he was too young to serve. Two years later, Fulton ran again and won.

Read more: https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pith-in-the-wind/article/21034300/former-nashville-mayor-and-congressman-richard-fulton-dies-at-91

TVA to Remove Arsenic from Aquifer

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced Friday it will remove the arsenic found in groundwater near its now-shuttered Allen Fossil Plant, and begin forming a plan for the future of the coal ash there that caused the contamination.

Last year, investigators found 300 times the legal limit of arsenic in an alluvial aquifer that sits above the Memphis Sand Aquifer, the source of Memphis' famously pure drinking water. It is from that shallower, alluvial aquifer above the Memphis Sand that the TVA will pump water and treat it to remove the arsenic.

State officials mandated an investigation of the site and found that contaminated aquifer and the Memphis Sand aquifer were connected, posing a possible threat to the city’s drinking water.

“TVA intends to remove the arsenic by pumping out the water in the alluvial aquifer and capturing the contaminants,” TVA officials said Friday in a blog post called, “What’s Going on at the Allen Fossil Plant?”

Read more: https://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2018/11/30/tva-to-remove-arsenic-from-aquifer

Bullied teen: Instagram posts wrongly portray him as potential school shooter

Instagram posts suggesting former Farragut High School student Riley Schrick could pose a threat as a school shooter began circulating this week, according to Riley and his mother, Rayna.

Rayna had to meet her son and authorities at Knoxville Catholic High School Friday as school officials and authorities investigated.

"To me, this is more bullying," she said.

When interviewed by the News Sentinel, Riley said someone had recirculated one joking Instagram post he made in January with a photo of him at a shooting range and another Instagram post he made in August featuring him with a shotgun during weapons qualifications at U.S. Coast Guard training.

He is a SeaCadet with the Navy.

Read more: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2018/11/30/riley-schrick-farragut-high-instagram-posts-portray-him-potential-school-shooter/2162308002/

Vanderbilt didn't tell medical examiner about deadly medication error, feds say

Vanderbilt University Medical Center was not upfront with the county medical examiner about a deadly medication error when a patient died after being accidentally injected with a paralyzing anesthetic, according to a recent federal investigation report.

The patient, who has not been publicly identified, died last December after a nurse intended to give them a routine sedative but instead injected vecuronium, a powerful drug used to keep patients still during surgery.

Vecuronium is also part of the deadly three-drug cocktail used to execute death row convicts in Tennessee and some other states.

In this case, the drug appears to have caused the patient, who was otherwise stable, to lose consciousness, suffer cardiac arrest and ultimately be left brain dead. The patient died one day later after being taken off of a breathing machine.

Read more: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/11/30/vanderbilt-patient-death-medication-error-medical-examiner/2155152002/

Karen Camper voted first African-American leader in Tennessee House of Representatives

Tennessee House Democrats have selected leadership for the upcoming legislative session, choosing Rep. Karen Camper in a historic election for House minority leader.

Camper, D-Memphis, becomes the first African-American to serve as Democratic Party leader in the House. She replaces House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, who did not seek re-election to his West Tennessee seat.

Fitzhugh ran unsuccessfully in this year's Democratic gubernatorial primary after serving more than two decades in the Tennessee General Assembly.

"I am honored by the faith the Caucus has shown in me and I pledge to bring the type of aggressive leadership needed to advance legislation that promotes the Democratic agenda," Camper said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/26/tennessee-legislature-karen-camper-voted-house-minority-leader/2113471002/

Kid Rock out as grand marshal of Nashville Christmas Parade after controversial comments

Kid Rock is officially out as grand marshal of Saturday's Nashville Christmas Parade.

But he might show up anyway, even though sponsors have invited Waffle House mass shooting hero James Shaw Jr. to be the new grand marshal.

Late Friday three of the parade's main organizers stripped Rock of the title after the music star made controversial comments that morning, which quickly caused a public backlash and led Nashville's mayor to threaten sitting out of the event.

A split decision

But there's a split among the parade's sponsors over the decision. Steve Smith, the owner of several Lower Broadway bars that are co-organizers of the parade, vowed that Rock will be at the parade and will remain the grand marshal.

Read more: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/11/30/kid-rock-out-grand-marshal-nashville-christmas-parade-after-controversial-comments/2165170002/