Leave it to the Pros
🧊 Nashville's Winter Storm Recovery Fund finally kicks in · Fern racks up to $140M in damages · Former UT professor in Epstein Files · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Winter Storm Recovery Fund is distributing over $1.2 million across Nashville... Fern racks up to $140 million in storm damage... Former UT professor in the Epstein Files... And much more!
Who funds your Councilmember? Checkout our new Council Watch tool. We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Explore)
Things That Never Happen But Should Join us Thursday, February 19th for an evening with Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist. This is the third installment of the Pamphleteer's new monthly event series. Paying Bard-level subscribers receive free access to this and future events. (Buy Tickets)
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The Winter Storm Recovery Fund is distributing resources, and NES wants to leave it to the professionals.
From Megan Podsiedlik
The Mayor’s Office announced that the city’s Winter Storm Recovery Fund has received more than $1.2 million in donations, with $1 million from NES. Eight nonprofits, including organizations like Conexion Americas, Elmahaba Center, and One Generation Away, received $260,000 to provide direct relief to residents impacted by the ice storm.
The majority of the funding supports housing and direct financial assistance ($185,000), with additional funds dedicated to food assistance ($50,000) and disaster recovery supplies ($25,000).
During yesterday’s NES board meeting, NES President and CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin explained that they donated to the fund because “we do not want to be making decisions about who receives the benefit of these funds, so we'll leave that to the professionals that do this.”
Speaking of leaving it to the professionals, Emma May-Bradley, who spoke at the meeting as an NES customer—and also happens to be a PR executive—had a few choice words about NES’ lack of communication and poor vegetation management.
“We moved in six to eight months ago, and we called NES and said, ‘Hey, y'all, this looks bad. There are trees, there’s brush.’” explained May-Bradley. “They said, ‘Oh, you're fine.’”
She went on to question NES’ decision to hire top NYC PR firm Porter Novelli.
“Their recommendation was to establish a clear brand that can positively shape how the community perceives NES,” said May-Bradley. “It's a smart recommendation, certainly not worth paying Porter Novelli for. If I'm going to be very honest with you, there are multiple Nashville PR firms that could have given you that advice over a cup of coffee.”
Given the disastrous communication strategy deployed by NES’s professionals throughout Nashville’s storm recovery, it seems the board should take a closer look at the consultant contract with the outsourced firm.
NES wants to hear from you. Fill out the Winter Storm Comment Form here.
✹ THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPEN BUT SHOULD
Welcome to America in 2026. You're sitting at the End of History. Nothing will ever happen again.
The steady march toward the impossible vision of a borderless world governed by rooms full of perfectly rational leaders incapable of committing evil in thought word or deed continues apace.
Will anything–can anything happen–that shakes us from our stupor? Is "Nothing Ever Happens" the law of the land? What should happen that hasn't happened?
Join us Thursday, February 19th as we sit down with Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, to discuss whether anything will ever happen again and more. (Buy Ticket)
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer and free for paying, Bard-level subscribers.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
Who bankrolls your councilmember? We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- 💰 NES estimates up to $140 million in storm damage, far exceeding past disasters. For comparison, Nashville's 2020 tornadoes in March and a windstorm in May—that set a record for power outages—prompted NES to seek $33 million of federal aid to repair damages to its system. (NBJ)
- 🏝 Former UT at Knoxville professor, met with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2009. Itamar Arel, a former associate professor of engineering and computer science at UT, emailed and was copied in emails describing his research to and from Epstein, including requests for funding. (KnoxNews)
- 🔌 Communities surrounding Nashville are questioning whether they want to stick with NES. After going nearly two weeks without power following the recent ice storm, residents are frustrated with their lack of representation on the NES board and are considering forming their own co-op. (Fox 17)
- 🔎 TN Senator Bill Hagerty filed a complaint alleging Verizon unlawfully disclosed his phone records to the DOJ. The disclosure was connected to Arctic Frost, an FBI investigation launched in 2022 that involved subpoenas seeking phone metadata from telecommunications providers as prosecutors examined efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. (Fox17)
DEVELOPMENT
- José Andrés Group sets opening for first Nashville restaurant, Zaytinya (NBJ)
- Tutti Da Gio closed its Hermitage location following the winter storm (NBJ)
- Philadelphia-based treat shop chain sets first Nashville location (Post)
- Waldo’s Chicken & Beer is opening a Green Hills location (NBJ)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🪕 Analog Bluegrass Featuring Jason Carter Band @ Analog at Hutton Hotel, 7p, $15, Info
🎸 Kayo Dot @ DRKMTTR, 8p, $18.87, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.