Austin Hornbostel

1 week ago | tennessean.com | Austin Hornbostel

The group learned that the Department of Emergency Communications failed to comply with an executive order requiring departments to notify the mayor's office of immigration enforcement communications. Both the committee and community members voiced frustration with the situation during a more than three-hour meeting where emotions ran high. From here, the committee is asking for the city to take actions like creating a community safety plan within the next 30 days.

1 week ago | tennessean.com | Austin Hornbostel

The mayor's office says the redevelopment will "revitalize the area" with multiple housing types, new retail, restaurants and more. The mayor's office says the mall has declined in public use and economic value over the past decade, generating $10 million less in property tax revenue. From here, the proposed redevelopment still needs to earn approvals from Nashville's Industrial Development Board and the Metro Nashville Council.

1 week ago | tennessean.com | Austin Hornbostel

District 16 Council Member Ginny Welsch's rezoning plan is headed back to the drawing board, after previously failing to earn a recommendation for approval from the Metro Planning Commission. Welsch was critical of both the Planning Commission and the Metro Planning Department at the May 6 Nashville Council meeting, and said her approach is what Nashville needs to address its housing gap.

1 week ago | tennessean.com | Austin Hornbostel |Angele Latham

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell told reporters on May 5 that the city was seeking answers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol and ICE to determine exactly who was arrested during the recent operation. O'Connell called the arrests a "really tough moment" for Nashville, and a signifier of a "significant" moment of rising tension between local and state officials. State representatives and Nashville Council members joined forces in an official inquiry to Gov.

1 week ago | tennessean.com | Austin Hornbostel |Evan Mealins

The $4.2 million paid out in settlements in 2024 is a decrease from the year before. The largest was a settlement for a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a former high school student. The most impactful legal payout the council considered in 2024 may end up being one the group refused to pay. The Metro Nashville Public Schools board approved a settlement early last year that would end up being the city’s single-highest legal payout of 2024.