Out on the Weekend

Good afternoon, everyone.

If you were worried about the power grid holding up during the week’s cold snap, you shouldn’t have been. Three Decembers ago, the Tennessee Valley Authority instituted rolling blackouts for the first time in its history. But in the intervening years, it seems they made good on their promise to strengthen the grid.

"TVA has added capacity for their system, they have contracts for additional fixed capacity,” Brent Baker of NES told NewsChannel 5. “They also have some of their own facilities that they've added capacity to or increased in the TVA footprint, so all in all there's more generation capacity to be able to serve customers.”

The short week hit hard with all that snow. The weekend is shaping up to be cold, sunny, and crisp. It's the perfect opportunity to go far afield and grab a beer somewhere. Eater Nashville put out a list of the best happy hours in the city, but I want to add one to the list: Noble’s in the Metrocenter.

On a long, loopy jaunt about town with my brother yesterday, he insisted we go to Noble’s to grab a late lunch. I was skeptical. Metrocenter? But boy was I wrong. Sitting on the bank of that weird reservoir by the Titans’ practice facility, they have a generous happy hour (11-6) and a cozy dining room that gets ample natural light. The perfect hideout. Good spot.

Onward.

🚨 No Bail For Violent Offenders “Enough is enough,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton posted yesterday. “A man with 105 PRIOR CHARGES was set free—only to kidnap, rape, and rob an Amazon driver in Nashville. This is exactly why [Senator Jack Johnson] and I have this constitutional amendment - to stop the revolving door, to protect families and stand with victims. Judges must have the tools to keep these violent offenders behind bars. No more revolving door justice that the bail association wants to protect.”

Sexton was referring to an incident last April in which, according to WSMV, a woman delivering packages at LC Sobro was attacked by a man identified as Carl Hamilton. Fox 17 followed up with District Attorney Glenn Funk to find out why the criminal had been allowed back on the streets. At the time, the DA’s office explained that Hamilton was credited for the “two and a half years he spent in jail waiting for trial” and released.

The House and Senate Joint Resolution would remove the right to bail for acts of terrorism, second-degreethe murder, rape, grave torture, and “any other offense, as of November 3, 2026, for which a defendant, if convicted, could not be released prior to the expiration of at least 85 percent of the entire sentence imposed.” According to the Lookout, after receiving a two-thirds majority approval from the General Assembly, the constitutional amendment will appear on next year’s ballot “where it must receive a majority vote of those who participate in the gubernatorial election.” Though expected to pass, attorney Michael McClaren of the American Bail Coalition continues to challenge the proposal's constitutionality.

🏚️ Homelessness And Harassment Last week, we published an unsettling quote from Councilmember Sheri Weiner’s newsletter stating that "MNPD cannot require someone to leave your private property (camping on your property) if you do not have a trespass waiver on file with their office." During the West Precinct community meeting last Thursday, we learned that Weiner is incorrect. Sergeant Amanda Kozen told us that the Metro Nashville Police Department can, in fact, remove squatters and other trespassers from private property without a waiver. Though the correction came as a relief to many in the meeting, some expressed concerns over the growing encampments on state land under I-40 and aggressive panhandling.

“There's a huge encampment all the way down [Delaware, 46th, and 51st interjected another] that is literally lined with tents of homeless folks,” said one attendee. “They come up and down the Nations, every street, checking every trash bin.”

“My daughter and three grandchildren were coming to my house in Sylvan Park and they were the third car waiting to turn on 46 and a homeless person, with a big quilt wrapped around them, beat on the window on my granddaughter's side of the car,” explained another. “My daughter was scared to death. He wouldn't go away. My granddaughter’s crying. What do you do in a situation like that when you’re stuck in traffic and you can’t move?” 

The department’s quality of life officer “has made the state aware, and they are taking care of the problem” said Kozen in regards to the homeless encampments. As for what to do about aggressive panhandling, attendees were told to contact the MNPD. “We also always reach out to the Office of Homeless Services to make sure that they are getting wrapped around services as well,” Kozen assured the group.

🪙 Not Quite Nashville D.O.G.E. During this morning’s media roundtable Mayor Freddie O’Connell praised the Nashville Department of Transportation’s response to the recent snowstorm. This year, new plows have been acquired by Metro’s fleet allowing them to add about 800 miles of new routes. 

While underscoring the importance of Metro employees, the mayor warned about the freezes implemented by the new administration. “When we hear about indiscriminate cuts to the federal workforce, the cuts impact our ability to do our job serving Nashvillians,” said O’Connell. “It runs counter to our shared goal of ensuring residents can count on us working in real time on issues, or even anticipating issues before they arise.”

After highlighting how “strong federal programs, lined with local priorities, help keep us prepared and ultimately help us lower costs for everyone,” the mayor was asked about instances of financial mismanagement in Nashville. Stopping short of vowing to establish the Department of Nashville Government Efficiency, O’Connell said that Metro already has a system in place.

“We do have an Office of Internal Audit, and that's pretty much what it is,” he explained. “I mean, it's the equivalent of having a Metro Inspector General, and they routinely find findings.” O’Connell pointed to instances where audits have led to departmental leadership turnover. “We take this very seriously, and our Metro finance leadership takes it very seriously,” he said. “We want local government to be extremely well-run, and we want it to be accountable and efficient.”

DEVELOPMENT

• Luxury hotel chain Pendry eyes Nashville debut in Gulch tower (NBJ)
• Vacant Five Points bar building offered for sale (Post)
• Downtown restaurant building offered for $11.9M (Post)

✹ WEEKLY FILM RUNDOWN: February 21st-27th

The latest releases and special screenings hitting Music City this week. For a complete list of upcoming title, check out of 2025 Film Guide

The Monkey (Dir. Osgood Perkins; Starring Theo James and Adam Scott) The mind behind Longlegs takes on Stephen King’s short story about two brothers plagued by an indestructible monkey toy with the power to kill at random in the most elaborate of ways. Despite the obvious similarities, the movie has a lot more on its mind than paying homage to Final Destination. Now playing in theaters.

The Unbreakable Boy (Dir. Jon Gunn; Starring Zachary Levy and Patricia Heaton) Franklin’s Kingdom Story brings the bestselling memoir about a couple dealing with the trials and tribulations of raising an autistic boy with a genetic brittle bone disease. Ignore Rotten Tomatoes, it’s a sincere movie with lots of wit and depth. Now playing in theaters. 

Parthenope (Dir. Paolo Sorrentino; Starring  Celeste Dalla Porta) Italy’s greatest maximalist takes on a coming-of-age tale about a young woman born in the Sea of Naples and her summer romances in A24’s latest. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred 20.

Cleaner (Dir. Martin Campbell; Starring Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen) When radical activists hold energy company execs hostage in London, it's up to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner (Ridley) to set things right. Now playing in theaters.  

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown 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

🎸 Cody Parks and the Dirty South @ Row One Stage, 8p, $25, Info

🪕 Appalachian Roadshow @ Station Inn, 9p, $25, Info

🎸 WMOT Finally Friday feat. Marc Broussard, Mark Stuart @ 3rd and Lindsley, 12p, Free, Info

🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info

🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

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