We weren’t surprised by the city’s recent announcement that the upgraded SportsCom outdoor pool has been a hit. The eye-popping numbers prove it.

According to city numbers, revenues from the revamped pool and area, dubbed ‘Boro Beach, more than tripled from 2009 to 2011 and attendance at the entire community recreation and fitness center was up 61 percent during that time.

In 2010, the city spent about $3.6 million to renovate the outdoor and indoor pools at SportsCom, both of which date back to 1987. The outdoor pool project added numerous attractions, including a rock-climbing wall, water splash area for younger children, basketball and volleyball areas, three slides and a pavilion for seating to the side.

It’s an impressive additional amenity to the city’s outdoor recreation choices, and though the project took some initial criticism for its price tag and practicality during a tough economic period, it’s proven to be a wildly popular destination that is drawing folks from all over the Midstate.

This investment is well on the way to paying for itself. According to the numbers, the city’s receipts from fees went from about $47,568 in 2009 to $169,606 in 2010 by this past Labor Day weekend, the official cutoff for receipts each year.

Revenues from 2010 to 2011 were up approximately 52 percent at the north Murfreesboro facility after being at $88,241 last year.

“SportsCom has been open for 24 years, and we brought in more revenue this summer than we did in 17 of those 24 years,” Operations Coordinator Tommy Gregory said. “I think that is very impressive. The outdoor pool did not open last year until July, so that had an impact on the totals in 2010 but it still was a very good summer.”

The ripple effects have been obvious as well. Outdoor concessions more than doubled from 2009 to 2011, according to Gregory’s report, or from $43,341 to $93,900. From 2010 to 2011, revenues were up a little more than 13 percent from when they were $71,088 in 2010.

Located off Memorial Blvd. in north Murfreesboro adjacent to McKnight Park, SportsCom provides a variety of quality amenities for local residents that include a gymnasium, 1/16 mile track, aerobics area, fitness equipment, game room, meeting room, 25-yard indoor pool and 50-meter outdoor pool and four sand volleyball courts.

Whitney Calk, a PETA employee who recently moved to Murfreesboro, Tenn., from Virginia, wanted her license plate to “inspire conversation about the benefits of a vegan diet” and eating foods like tofu, according to PETA spokeswoman Kristin Richards.

The Department of Revenue, however, apparently misunderstood the food reference and misread the message as “I-LV-TO-F-U.”

“Tofu is wholesome. What’s ‘vulgar’ is the way that animals used for food suffer on factory farms, in slaughterhouses, and on the decks of fishing boats,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement.

“The Department of Revenue could help animals, the planet, and human health by reconsidering its decision and allowing more people to discover the joy of soy,” Reiman continued.

Calk’s license plate request is not original. In 2009, a Colorado woman failed in her attempts to have the same wording put on her personalized license plate over concerns that it could be seen as obscene.

“We’re concerned about others who may misread the plate,” Mark Couch, spokesman for Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles, told KMGH-TV in April 2009.

No word yet on whether the Tennessee Department of Revenue is reconsidering its decision.

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) announced today it has closed
a $5.4 million purchase of a 60-unit assisted living community with four
independent living cottages in Greensboro, Georgia known as Willow Run
Retirement Center and has leased the facility to Senior Living
Management. The purchase price was funded from NHI’s available cash. The
assisted living community has been renamed Savannah Court of Lake Oconee.

“The acquisition of
this stabilized private-pay assisted living community continues the
execution of our selective growth plan and expands our relationship with
Senior Living Management.”

The Savannah Court at Lake Oconee community, which was built in 1998,
attracts private payment for services and is being leased to Senior
Living Management for a term of nine years at an initial lease rate of
8.5% plus annual fixed escalators. Senior Living Management now operates
or manages 25 assisted living and memory care communities in Georgia,
Florida and Pennsylvania. The lease of the Savannah Court facility
expands NHI’s relationship with Senior Living Management to a total of
six communities in a master lease with an initial term expiring in 2020,
plus renewal options.

Justin Hutchens, NHI’s CEO and President stated, “The acquisition of
this stabilized private-pay assisted living community continues the
execution of our selective growth plan and expands our relationship with
Senior Living Management.”

National Health Investors, Inc. is a healthcare real estate investment
trust that specializes in the financing of healthcare real estate by
purchase and leaseback transactions and by mortgage loans. NHI’s
investments involve skilled nursing facilities, assisted living
facilities, independent living facilities, medical office buildings, an
acute psychiatric hospital, an acute care hospital and a transitional
rehabilitation center. The common stock of the company trades on the New
York Stock Exchange with the symbol NHI. Additional information about
NHI, including its most recent press releases, may be obtained on NHI’s
website at www.NHIReit.com.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements. NHI cautions investors that any
forward-looking statements may involve risks and uncertainties and are
not guarantees of future performance. All forward-looking statements
represent NHI’s judgment as of the date of this release. Investors
are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made
by NHI in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the risk factors and other information disclosed
in NHI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal
year. Copies of these filings are available at no cost on the SEC’s
website at http://www.sec.gov
or on NHI’s website at http://www.NHIReit.com.

MURFREESBORO—Heeding Grandma’s advice to eat your leafy greens, get more rest and do good for others will help MTSU “bleed blue” to beat Western Kentucky again this fall!

The rivalry to replenish the American Red Cross’s local bank of blood products returns Oct. 3-5. The University is asking students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors and residents of surrounding communities to help surpass this year’s total collection goal of 1,050 units of blood to save lives and beat WKU.

The winner of the 2011 “Bleed Blue-Beat WKU” drive will be announced at halftime of the MTSU-WKU game on Thursday, Oct. 6, at Floyd Stadium.

MTSU is the reigning champion, collecting 551 of last year’s 1,059 units of blood. Since each donation can help up to three people, the universities’ combined efforts helped 3,177 hospital patients, Red Cross officials said.

“That’s what it’s all about,” said Diane Turnham, associate director of athletics at MTSU. “While it’s always great to compete against Western on the field, it’s also satisfying to help others. And we can do both with this blood drive. This is a competition that almost everyone can get involved in, and we hope they will.”

MTSU’s collection site is the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. Donors can give blood:
Monday, Oct. 3, from noon to 6 p.m.;
Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and
Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Reserved parking will be available for blood donors all three days.

While walk-in donors will be welcomed, Brittany Durham, donor-recruitment representative for the Red Cross’s Tennessee Valley Region Blood Services in Nashville, said donors can make appointments online to avoid waiting.

MTSU supporters can go to www.redcrossblood.org, click the blue “Enter Sponsor Code” box in the middle of the page and then enter “mtsu19″ to register and make an appointment, Durham said.

For directions to the Rec Center, visit www.mtsu.edu/camprec/directions.shtml. For more information about the blood drive, visit www.mtsunews.com/bleed-blue or www.mtsu.edu/events/blooddrive.shtml.

Stick a $20 on the wall in honor of Jefferson’s 20th anniversary. The wings-burgers-oysters spot opened in Jacksonville on Sept. 19, 1991, the brainchild of Jeff (Jefferson) Webb, a JSU grad who decided the city needed a good college hangout. There are now franchises across the region, including new ones in Fort Payne, Summerville and Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Jefferson’s will be celebrating all weekend with 20-year-old prices — $1 hotdogs and 91-cent draft beer on Friday and Saturday, $3.25 wings on Sunday, $3.25 burger baskets on Monday – dine-in, at the Jacksonville location only (407 Pelham Road N., 256-435-3456).

New Ben Jerry’s flavor

Ben Jerry’s revealed a new flavor last week: Schweddy Balls, an homage to a 13-year-old Saturday Night Live skit featuring Alec Baldwin as bakery owner Pete Schweddy, whose unique holiday offerings included a delicacy called Schweddy balls.The new ice cream consists of vanilla ice cream, a hint of rum, fudge-covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls. The company’s not worried about offending people with the name, said spokesman Sean Greenwood. “We think it’s congruent with our values, in terms of having fun.”

Google buys Zagat

Google said last week that it is buying Zagat, maker of the slender guidebooks that offer one-paragraph reviews and numerical ratings of eateries, peppered with partial quotes from the people who love and hate them. Google plans to integrate Zagat’s online reviews into its Google Maps service and its basic search results.

The soda tsunami

Half of Americans drink a soda or sugary beverage each day. Teenage boys drink the most, an average of two cans a day. One in 20 people drinks the equivalent of more than four cans of soda each day, even though health officials say sweetened beverages should be limited to less than half a can. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the figures last week, the same day a coalition of 100 organizations announced a new push to prod companies to limit the sale of sugary drinks. One commercial asks, “If you wouldn’t eat 22 packs of sugar, why are you drinking it?’

The $5 meal challenge

Slow Food USA has launched a $5 meal challenge this month. The object is to get people to commit to making a slow food meal — using whole ingredients rather than processed foods — for $5 per person or less.” This challenge is about taking back the ‘value meal,’” says Slow Food president Josh Viertel. The $5 Challenge launches Saturday with hundreds of gatherings planned across the country. Info at SlowFoodUSA.org.

— Compiled from staff and wire reports. Got news? Email Lisa Davis, ldavis@annistonstarcom.

“The school board manages 75 percent of our budget with seven members, so why can’t the County Commission manage the other 25 percent with 14?” asked Stevens, an attorney who resides in Smyrna. “The map I’m presenting meets all the state guidelines. It’s not gerrymandered.”

Stevens will bring this message to the County Commission’s Redistricting Committee at 5 tonight in Room 205 of the County Courthouse.

He may face opposition from incumbents who feel the number should remain at 21. The state permits as few as nine and as many as 25 commission districts.

“I don’t think we need anymore, but I don’t think we need any less commissioners either,” said Commissioner Steve Sandlin, the chairman of the redistricting committee.

Sandlin plans to update the full County Commission about the committee work thus far during a meeting that starts at 6 p.m. Thursday at the County Courthouse on the Public Square in Murfreesboro.

“The committee thought this process was going to be a lot tougher than what it was,” said Sandlin, adding that all 21 commissioners will have to adjust to the changed boundaries. “Nobody’s district is the same.”

The committee last week approved a redistricting proposal that retains 21 districts, adjusts the lines and meets the requirement that each seat be within 5 percent of 12,505 residents, based on dividing the 2010 U.S. Census count of 262,604 by 21.

The County Commission has until the end of 2011 to approve its redistricting plan and send it to the state for ratification. The redistricting plan also must include new boundaries for the County Board of Education and County Road Board.

Sandlin said he’s more than willing to examine Stevens’ proposal to cut the commission size down to 14, as well as examine positions from others.

“Come with your ideas and your changes, whatever they may be,” said Sandlin, who serves a district that represents areas west of Interstate 24 that are in Blackman and Stewarts Creek school zones. “Let’s work with that. We’re all serving the public. We’re all public servants.”

Commissioner Rhonda Allen, who’s also on the redistricting committee, said she’d like to review Stevens’ proposal.

“I think it’s an important discussion that deserves to be had,” said Allen, who represents Smyrna neighborhoods. “Since we only get to look at this every 10 years, I think it’s an important debate.

“If the majority of the people think we can get it done with fewer, then we need to step up to the plate and get it done with fewer,” Allen said. “If the school board can do it, so can we.”

On the other hand, Allen acknowledged that she is comfortable with the current size of her district.

“I like the fact that I know a considerable amount of the people in my district when I’m asking for their vote,” Allen said.

Stevens estimates the county would save $75,000 for pay and required Social Security and Medicare taxes for eliminating seven commissioners and cutting the committees from seven to five.

“This is a way we can cut spending without cutting a single service for the taxpayers,” Stevens said.

Commissioners each make $300 for regular meetings and $150 for committee meetings.

Their pay can be as high as the $10,300 Commissioner Will Jordan made in 2010-11 for serving on the Budget, Finance Investment Committee, the Health Education Committee and the County Regional Planning Commission.

Other commissioners make less, such as the $7,500 Commissioner Trey Gooch made.

If the pay averaged $8,890 per year per commissioner, removing seven seats would save $66,990 when counting Social Security and Medicare taxes, County Finance Director Lisa Nolen said.

If the County Commission continued to keep four commissioners on the planning commission, the county would spend an estimated $54,300 less on county commission pay with seven fewer members. The total rises to $58,453 when counting Social Security and Medicare taxes, Nolen said.

Regardless of the estimate, the pay and taxes for seven commissioners is more than the $48,210 cost to provide a full-time first-year teacher when counting all benefits and required taxes, Nolen confirmed.

It’s also more than the estimated $29,654 for the pay and benefits of an experienced educational assistant.

Stevens said he’s not worried about a 14-member commission that could have split 7-7 votes because County Mayor Ernest Burgess would have the authority to cast any tie-breaking votes.

State law gives Burgess the option to preside over meetings as the chairman with the potential to cast tie-breaking votes or to hold veto power. Burgess has chosen to be the commission chairman.

Regardless of the size of the commission, “the same principles are still in place,” said Burgess, noting that he hasn’t had to break tie votes with 21 commissioners voting but that might change with 14 commissioners.

“It could happen on more occasions,” Burgess said.

During a recent Redistricting Committee meeting, County Attorney Jim Cope advised that governmental bodies be an odd number to avoid potential tie votes.

Stevens said a 7-7 vote without a mayor to break the tie just means it takes eight votes to approve a resolution with a stronger majority.

Berry of Weston is the machine tool technician instructor at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Previously, he was employed at Northcentral Technical College as a machine tool instructor and associate dean in the Technical and Trades Division.

Crane of Madison is a barber/cosmetologist instructor at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Her experience includes owner/operator of Capitol Lakes Salon and City View Nursing Home Salon in Madison and an educator with Regency Beauty Institute.

Ellingson of Amherst Junction is a nursing instructor at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Previously, she was employed with ThedaCare, Waupaca, as the infection control, employee health and quality coordinator and clinical supervisor.

Girtz of Plover is the economics instructor at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. Previously, he was a part-time graduate instructor in macroeconomics at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Kaiser of Mosinee is a communications instructor at the Stevens Point campus. Previously, she worked at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as an adult associate academic adviser.

Linde of Custer is the energy efficiency technician instructor at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. He is the owner of HomeSafe Building Performance Inc. and LightSource Distributing Inc.

Stilson of Plover is a business division associate dean. He has district-wide management responsibility for the development, coordination and supervision of various educational activities related to information technology and business programs.

Thayer of Marshfield is a communications instructor at the Marshfield campus. He most recently worked with Marshfield Clinic as a media relations specialist.

Weidman of Wisconsin Rapids is an office assistant in the campus office at the Wisconsin Rapids campus. She provides customer service and general office support.

In July, for example, Cooper urged his colleagues at a congressional hearing to “resist the partisan talking points” and, instead, “be civil to each other.”

This was not grandstanding. Cooper cares about crafting good policy rather than good sound bites, he votes his conscience rather than toeing the party line, and he embraced the details of difficult issues — like health care reform and the national debt — long before it was hip to do so.

All of these characteristics make Cooper an exemplary representative. But, in the current political environment, it’s not enough to lead by example. He needs to persuade others to join him in the middle.

Cooper should stop talking about why Congress doesn’t work and start talking about the work it can do — especially to create jobs in Tennessee.

Last week, President Obama proposed a bill to do just that. With Republicans in control of the House, its passage looks unlikely, but it’s worth fighting for.

Cooper can do his part by fostering a frank, face-to-face conversation with the public about how the president’s jobs plan or the Republican alternatives would affect people’s lives.

The goal? Change enough minds on either side of the political aisle to pass a bill to kick-start this economy.

The first minds Cooper should target belong to his Republican colleagues from Tennessee.

This includes Sen. Lamar Alexander, who only a few months ago rejected the payroll tax cut that Obama has embraced in his jobs plan. Alexander’s rationale? The plan is only a “short-term gesture.”

When Republicans say they don’t like tax cuts, what they mean is they don’t like tax cuts offered by Democrats.

This political posturing may work in Washington or on cable news, but it only makes the rest of us angry.

Could Senator Alexander convince you that extra money in your paycheck is worthless because it’s a “short-term gesture?”

Probably not, which is why Cooper should lobby Alexander and the rest of his Republican colleagues in public, particularly at open events where Tennesseans can listen to both sides’ arguments, ask questions and have a voice.

He should invite Rep. Diane Black to join him in Murfreesboro for a town hall, ask Rep. Marsha Blackburn to debate the jobs plan in front of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and challenge Rep. Scott DesJarlais to answer questions with him at Columbia State Community College.

And then he should invite them again, to new events every day, in every town in Middle Tennessee, until Congress does its own job and passes a jobs bill.

This sort of sustained effort won’t be easy. Leadership never is.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Denard Robinson stunned Notre Dame in the final minute again.

He threw a 16-yard pass to Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds left, lifting Michigan to a 35-31 heart-pounding win over Notre Dame on Saturday night.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Ohio State’s Verlon Reed stiff-arms his way past Toledo’s Taikwon Paige as the Buckeyes held on to win, 27-22.

The Wolverines took their first lead on Robinson’s 21-yard pass to Vincent Smith with 1:12 left, then lost it.

Briefly.

Tommy Rees threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick with 30 seconds left, but the Fighting Irish left Jeremy Gallon wide open on a pass that let Michigan go from its 20 to the Notre Dame 16.

The Wolverines (2-0) have won three straight against the rival Irish (1-1) on late-game plays by their quarterbacks. Last year at Notre Dame, Robinson ran for a touchdown with 27 seconds left and Forcier threw a TD pass against the Irish two years ago with 11 seconds left.

IN OTHER TOP 25 GAMES

(5) Florida State 62, Charleston Southern 10 at Tallahassee, Fla.: EJ Manuel threw for a career-best 329 yards and four touchdowns as Florida State (2-0) defeated Charleston Southern (0-2) in a tune-up for next week’s showdown against top-ranked Oklahoma.

Manuel hit Bert Reed on two short TD passes while the Seminoles’ defense limited Charleston Southern to 84 total yards.

(6) Stanford 44, Duke 14 at Durham, N.C.: Andrew Luck matched a career high by throwing four touchdown passes as Stanford (2-0) routed Duke (0-2).

Luck was 20 of 28 for 290 yards with touchdown passes of 60 and 3 yards to Coby Fleener, 10 yards to Chris Owusu and 3 yards to Zach Ertz.

(8) Wisconsin 35, Oregon 0 at Madison, Wis.: Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns and Wisconsin (2-0) overcame a slow start from its running game to beat Oregon State (0-2).

With Oregon State’s defense stuffing running backs Montee Ball and James White early on, Wisconsin pounced on special teams mistakes and leaned on Wilson and the defense to do the rest.

(10) Nebraska 42, Fresno St. 29 at Lincoln, Neb.: Ameer Abdullah returned a kickoff 100 yards after Fresno State made it a two-point game in the fourth quarter, and Taylor Martinez’s 46-yard touchdown run secured the 10th-ranked Cornhuskers’ victory.

Martinez ran 15 times for 166 yards and two TDs and passed for another as the Huskers turned back an upset bid by the Bulldogs, who were four-touchdown underdogs.

(13) Oregon 69. Nevada 20 at Eugene, Ore.: Darron Thomas matched a school record with six touchdown passes and Oregon (1-1) romped past Nevada (0-1).

(15) Ohio State 27, Toledo 22 at Columbus, Ohio: John Simon pressured backup Toledo quarterback Terrance Owens, forcing an incompletion on fourth down with 48 seconds left, to preserve an Ohio State (2-0) victory over the Rockets (1-1).

(17) Michigan State 44, Florida Atlantic 0 at East Lansing, Mich.: Kirk Cousins threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns, and Michigan State (2-0) held Florida Atlantic (0-2) to one first down.

(19) West Virginia 55, Norfolk St. 12 at Morgantown, W.Va.: Geno Smith threw for 371 yards and four scores and West Virginia (2-0) overcame a rough start to beat Norfolk State (1-1).

(22) USF 37, Ball St. 7 at Tampa, Fla.: B.J. Daniels threw for a career-best 359 yards and one touchdown, leading South Florida (2-0) to a rout of Ball State (1-1).

(24) Texas 17, BYU 16 at Austin, Texas — Backup quarterbacks Case McCoy and David Ash pumped new life into a struggling Texas offense and Cody Johnson scored a fourth-quarter touchdown as the Longhorns (2-0) rallied to beat BYU (1-10).

(25) TCU 35, Air Force 19 at Air Force Academy, Colo.: TCU (1-1) shook off its loss to Baylor and routed Air Force (1-1) in the Mountain West opener.

IN OTHER GAMES

Danny Dembry had two TDs and Tanner Price threw for 297 yards and a touchdown as Wake Forest (1-1) held on for a 34-27 victory over North Carolina State (1-1) in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams at Winston-Salem, N.C. … Tevin Washington threw for two long touchdowns and ran for two scores, and Georgia Tech (2-0) romped to a 49-21 victory over Middle Tennessee State (0-2) at Murfreesboro, Tenn. … Giovani Bernard rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns to help North Carolina (2-0) hold on for a 24-22 victory over Rutgers (1-1) at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Ryan Nassib threw for a career-high 318 yards and three touchdowns, including the decisive one to walk-on Michael Acchione midway through the fourth quarter, and Syracuse (2-0) held on for a 21-14 win over Rhode Island (1-0) at Syracuse, N.Y. … Tajh Boyd threw three touchdowns and Andre Ellington ran for 165 yards as Clemson (2-0) held on for a 35-27 victory over Wofford (1-1) at Clemson, S.C. … Mike Harris rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns, and Murray State (1-1) recorded its first shutout in seven years in a 39-0 rout over Mississippi Valley State (0-2) at Itta Bena, Miss.

Jeremiah Williams ran for two touchdowns, and T.J. Pryor returned from an injury to gain 215 yards as Eastern Kentucky (1-1) won 28-24 over Missouri State (0-2) at Richmond, Ky. … Reserve running back John Howell rushed for touchdowns of 57 and 50 yards, Kriss Proctor threw two long touchdown passes and Navy (2-0) sent Western Kentucky (0-2) to its 16th straight home loss with a 40-14 victory at Bowling Green, Ky. … Ronnie Hillman rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns to lead San Diego State (2-0) to a 23-20 win over Army (0-2) at West Point, N.Y.

Ray Graham ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns to lead host Pittsburgh (2-0) to a 35-29 win over Maine (1-1). … Brock Lough rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns, leading Indiana State (1-1) to a 48-34 victory over Butler (1-1) at Terre Haute, Ind.

Kain Colter delivered again while filling in for injured star Dan Persa, running for a career-high 109 yards with three touchdowns and throwing for 104 more to lead Northwestern (2-0) to a 42-21 victory over Eastern Illinois (1-1) at Evanston, Ill. … Freshman running back Donovonn Young had a pair of touchdowns and Nathan Scheelhaase ran for two more in Illinois’ (2-0) 56-3 blowout of South Dakota State (1-1) at Champaign, Ill. … Defensive end Cam Johnson ripped the ball right out of Edward Wright-Baker’s hands with 1:13 left, setting up a 23-yard field goal from Robert Randolph to give Virginia (2-0) a 34-31 come-from-behind win over Indiana (0-2) at Bloomington, Ind.

A 28-21 victory by New Mexico State (1-1) over Minnesota (0-2) at Minneapolis was overshadowed by a health scare for Gophers head coach Jerry Kill, who had an apparent seizure on the sideline and was taken from the stadium by ambulance with seconds left in the game. He was later reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital. … James White’s 4-yard TD run in triple overtime pushed Iowa State (2-0) to a 44-41 victory over rival Iowa (1-1) at Ames, snapping a three-game losing streak to the rival Hawkeyes in thrilling fashion. … Jordan Webb hit B.J. Beshears with a 6-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 9 seconds to go and Kansas escaped with a wild, back-and-forth 45-42 victory over Northern Illinois at Lawrence, Kan. … Dominique Sherrer ran for a touchdown and Eastern Michigan (2-0) piled up 336 rushing yards on the way to a 14-7 victory over Alabama State (1-1) at Ypsilanti, Mich.topped Brian Reader threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns as Idaho (1-1) rolled to a 44-14 victory over North Dakota (1-1).

IN A DEVELOPMENT

Veteran kicker: A 61-year-old Vietnam veteran and grandfather of five became the oldest player ever to get in a college football game. Alan Moore kicked an extra point for NAIA Faulkner in its season-opener at Montgomery, Ala.

Moore wore a square-toe shoe and kicked old-school style, not soccer style — trends that were popular when he first played college football in the late ’60s. He gave Faulkner a 25-0 lead early in the second half en route to a 41-19 win over Ave Maria, located in southwest Florida.

Players one-third his age swarmed Moore as he jogged off the field smiling. Gray-bearded and tanned, Moore swapped high fives and fist bumps with teammates.

MURFREESBORO — Ten years later, retired Presbyterian minister Richard Paddon calls Sept. 11, 2001, “the longest morning of our lives.”

His wife, Anna, was getting ready to take her morning walk while he was having breakfast with a Northminster Presbyterian men’s group at Shoney’s when they found out airplanes had crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City. Like all Americans, they were shocked, but they also had a very personal connection: Their son, James, worked in the North Tower, and for several hours they had no idea if he was dead or alive.

“I was just sure he wasn’t going to make it out. I didn’t see how he could when it looked to me it was just right where his office was,” recalled Anna, 73, a retired journalism teacher, as they prepared last week for today’s 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in the nation’s history.

James Paddon’s office was on the 83rd floor, so when Richard saw the news accounts of the flaming tower, he counted the floors, 20, 40, 60, 80, and that’s where the smoke started.

Said Richard, 72, who rigged a TV at his church office after leaving Shoney’s that morning, said, “I just sat at my desk and prayed.”

That afternoon, his prayers were answered when his son’s ex-wife called them with word: “James is on the ground, he’s alive.”

He got out of the North Tower — the first one struck — less than five minutes before the South Tower collapsed, and started walking, finally finding a phone and calling his ex-wife, who relayed the message.

Anna remembers having the “most wonderful relief” after hearing her son was alive and later talking to him. The next night, they attended a service at First Presbyterian, with Richard too shaken to lead an event at Northminster.

The Paddons, both of whom consider themselves New Yorkers, told their story to The Daily News Journal the day it happened a decade ago, and in the years since they’ve felt connected to the event. Richard has read “102 Minutes: The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers,” and he’s watched “Flight 93,” which depicts the struggle between passengers and terrorists inside one of the hijacked planes before it crashed into a Pennsylvania field.

MURFREESBORO — The Blue Tie Centennial Celebration Gala brought MTSU alumni and supporters from all walks of life and areas of the country together Friday night to mark a milestone in the university’s legacy.

The Mirabella ballroom of the Embassy Suites Hotel Convention Center was alight in royal blue and sparkling silver, glimmering with candlelight and reflections of flame on glass vases and silver dinnerware. Old friends caught up on and shared memories, and new acquaintances exchanged stories during the reception and dinner.

“I owe this university everything I am, so I’ve come here to celebrate this great occasion,” said Jim Free, an alumnus who traveled from Washington, D.C., to be at the gala.

Free graduated from MTSU in 1969 after studying political science. He later received his master’s from the university as well.

Free credits an internship his junior year at MTSU with where he is in life, as it took him to the office of Ned McWherter, who later became speaker of the House and governor or Tennessee.

“I went to the state legislature and I became the chief clerk of the House, and at the same time I was the administrative assistant for Ned McWherter. From there I went to work for the Jimmy Carter for President organization,” Free said.

And that landed him in the White House.

“And it all started with that internship,” Free said.

David Todd, great-grandson of Andrew Todd Sr., for whom the Todd Art Building on campus — formerly the Todd Library — is named, made his way from Colorado to be at the Blue Tie Centennial event.

“My father died last year, and my uncle was Aaron Todd (MTSU chemistry professor who died of brain cancer), so my cousins and I decided we would come and honor the family,” Todd said.

“It’s really quite an accomplishment, to go from a teacher’s college to the university it is today. I couldn’t be prouder to have the Todd name associated with this university,” he added.

Sitting at Todd’s table for dinner was Oma McNabb, a Murfreesboro native who graduated from MTSU in 1945.

Updated 1:41PM

Cordia Harrington and James W. (Jimmy) Spradley Jr., have joined The Bank of Nashville’s local Board of Directors.

Harrington is owner founder of Tennessee Bun Company, which includes three plants and five product lines, serving customers in the United States, Caribbean and South America. Her other businesses include Bakery Express (trucking) and Cold Storage of Nashville (a freezer facility). Harrington also is in her second term on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Nashville Branch. Harrington served as chairman of the St. Thomas and Baptist Hospital Foundation Board from 2009-2011.

Spradley serves as CEO of Standard Candy Co., Inc. and Standard Functional Foods Group, Inc. Spradley and his family purchased Standard Candy Company, originally founded in 1901, and known for the Goo Goo Cluster. Standard Functional Foods Group, Inc., launched in 1999, has grown to become one of the leading contract manufacturers in nutritional and healthy snack bars.

Mr. Spradley has served on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Nashville Branch, the Nashville Alliance for Public Education and as an at-large trustee for Presbyterian College.

Both the Tennessee Bun Company and Standard Functional Foods Group, Inc. have been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as one of Nashville’s 25 Fastest Growing Companies.

Nephrology Assoc. adds 3 kidney specialists

Nephrology Associates, a provider of personalized renal care in Middle Tennessee, has added Dr. Christie A. Green, Dr. Ranjan Chanda and Dr. Ling Yu to its team of experienced kidney disease specialists.

Green will serve patients at Nephrology Associates’ Murfreesboro location. Prior to joining the practice, Dr. Green was an associate professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis. She also was medical director of the Hemodialysis In-Center and Home Dialysis Program for University of Tennessee Medical Group (UTMG) and clinical director of the UTMG Outpatient Hemodialysis Practice.

Green is a member of the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation, and she is certified as a clinical specialist in hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension. She earned her medical degree and completed her internal medicine residency and Nephrology fellowship at The University of Tennessee College of Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes College.

Chanda, who will care for patients at Nephrology Associates’ Nashville offices, recently completed a transplant nephrology fellowship at the University of California-San Francisco and a nephrology fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Chanda completed his internal medicine and general preventive medicine residencies at State University of New York in Buffalo. He completed his internship and earned his medical degree from All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi.

Yu, who will practice at Nephrology Associates’ Dickson office, completed a nephrology fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where he was awarded the program’s “Professionalism Award” in 2009. Dr. Yu completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He earned a medical degree from Peking University Health Science Center in Beijing and his bachelor’s degree from Beijing Medical University. He completed a post-doctorate fellowship in the Department of Nephrology at the University of Utah. Dr. Yu is a member of the American Society of Nephrology.

Bocanegra joins Pinnacle Partners

Eric Bocanegra has joined Pinnacle Financial Partners as a network support analyst.

Bocanegra brings 31 years of experience to his role and most recently was employed by HCA Healthcare, where he was a consulting engineer. Prior roles include First American National Bank (now Regions Bank), where he was a senior network engineer, and Fluor Daniel in Irvine, Calif., where he was a network engineer.

Bocanegra is based at Pinnacle’s Mt. Juliet Road office.

Southeast Venture adds 4 to design services team

Nashville-based commercial real estate firm Southeast Venture, LLC, announced today the addition of four members to its design services team: Joe Bucher, Rachael Ferrill, Darrel Hayes and Douglas Writh.

Bucher joins Southeast Venture as a graduate architect. Under this role he will design, plan and manage architectural projects. He is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects and received his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University.

Ferrill will work within Southeast Venture’s interior design team as a junior designer. She will assist in design development and production of construction documents. She joined the firm after graduating from

U T-Chattanooga.

Hayes joins as an architectural CAD Manager. Under his new role he will manage projects and produce CAD documents. He previously worked for Southeast Venture as a construction detailer, coordinating and producing construction documents for health care, institutional and commercial projects. He graduated with his bachelor’s of architectural engineering from Tennessee State University. He is a member of Construction Specifications Institute.

Writh joins the firm as a LEED accredited professional and graduate architect. He previously worked with Southeast Venture’s design services team. He earned his master’s of architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Sigler appointed to state commission

Gov. Bill Haslam has named attorney Christy C. Sigler to the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth representing the Mid-Cumberland region.

Sigler, a native Knoxvillian, practices law in Murfreesboro, specializing in representing juveniles and families in juvenile court. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where her accomplishments included receiving the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award and writing for the Tennessee Journal of Practice and Procedure.

Prior to attending law school, Sigler served in the U.S. Army as a Signals Intelligence analyst, earning two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals and a Good Conduct Medal.

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth is an independent state agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly. Its primary mission is to advocate for improvements in the quality of life for Tennessee children and families.

Dotson promoted to vice president at DVL

DVL Public Relations Advertising recently announced the promotion of Becky Dotson to vice president.

Her promotion comes after successfully leading one of DVL’s largest accounts. She specializes in media relations, special events and product launches.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Martin, Dotson spent 15 years working in television news, first as a producer at WTVF and then as executive producer at WSMV. She joined DVL in 2010, and is a member of several account teams ranging from retail to healthcare.

Ricketts is recipient of Norvell Award

Chris Ricketts, operations coordinator for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), is the recipient of the 2011 Glenda C. Norvell Award.

Named for longtime MNAA employee and community advocate Glenda C. Norvell, this leadership award is presented annually to an MNAA employee who works hard to ensure the Nashville Airports Experience is provided to all passengers, strategic business partners and employees.

Norvell died of cancer in 2004. The memoriam award has been presented since 2007.

Ricketts joined the MNAA full time in 1996 after completing an internship with the operations department in 1995. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in with a degree in aerospace administration. Ricketts is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives.

Rolston appointed to Nat. Assessment Board

Tennessee State Board of Education Chairman B. Fielding Rolston has been appointed to serve a four-year term on the National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced this week.

Rolston, who was first appointed to the state education board in 1996, will serve in the category of “state school board member” on the Governing Board, which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as The Nation’s Report Card. NAEP is the country’s only nationally representative assessment of student achievement in various subjects, including mathematics, reading, writing and science.

With a professional background in engineering, Rolston also has served as board chairman for several other organizations in the field of higher education, health and industry, including the Wellmont Health System, the Board of Trustees for Emory and Henry College, and the Eastman Credit Union Board of Directors. In 2003, he retired from Eastman Chemical Company with more than 38 years of service that included work as an industrial engineer. Rolston held a series of management posts in industrial engineering, strategic planning, supply and distribution, and human resources and communications.

Hill to assume new VU diversity role

George C. Hill, Ph.D., the Levi Watkins Jr. Professor and professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has stepped down as associate dean for Diversity in Medical Education, effective Sept. 1. Hill will continue to serve the University as assistant vice chancellor for Multicultural Affairs and special assistant to the provost and vice chancellor for Health Affairs.

Since joining Vanderbilt in 2002, Hill has served as associate dean for Diversity in Medical Education for Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) and as director of the school’s Office for Diversity in Medical Education.

Andre Churchwell, M.D., associate dean for Diversity in Graduate Medical Education and Faculty Affairs, has taken on broader responsibility, overseeing all Office for Diversity activities in VUSM.

Hill came to Vanderbilt from Meharry Medical College to direct the office and to become VUSM’s first associate dean for Diversity in Medical Education.

NORMANDY — Troubled boys or boys from troubled homes, ages 10 to 16, are getting a taste of life on the ranch in Normandy.

According to executive director Jeff Sweeney, a former CEO for a national homebuilding company, the young boys coming to Christian-based Arrowhead Ranch are starving for a sense of belonging and attention.

“We take level-one boys, those with no criminal background or low-risk behavior,” Sweeney said during a recent visit at the ranch. “Most of the kids deal with anger issues or addiction.”

Some of the youth are from one-parent homes or homes where grandparents are raising them.

“Most single parents work 10- to 12-hour days, and don’t have time to help these kids,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney has his staff provide structure, discipline and opportunities for good-old-fashioned work and play to provide direction for the youth.

The boys live on the ranch with houseparents and other youth.

Ryan Mitchell, 16, from Smyrna, said he had been at the ranch for 11 months and four days.

“It’s going good,” Mitchell said. “I’ve changed a lot since I’ve been here. Before, I really didn’t listen to authority. I did my own thing. Now, I’m more respectful. I do what I’m told.”

His attitude changed over time, partly from moving a bucket of rocks from one place to the other as punishment.

Mitchell admitted he had a lot of problems and there was no future in the way he was.

The boys participate in equestrian classes, cattle raising, team-building exercises, swimming, canoeing and water sports, family activities and devotional time. Students attend public school at Cascade High School in Bedford County.

“They have to stay here a minimum of one year,” Sweeney said. “It takes that length of time to change their behavior patterns and to understand what we are trying to do.”

Parents can’t visit in the first 30 days. Trained counselors work with the youth to help them through issues.

The ranch is privately funding through corporations, individuals and churches. Health Service Management CEO Preston Sweeney of Murfreesboro is a partner with his son, Jeff, in the nonprofit.

“Our goal was that no child would be turned away for financial reasons,” Jeff said.

A fundraiser golf tournament set for Monday at Stones River Country Club is already sold out.

But a fundraising spaghetti supper, live auction and bluegrass music is planned from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 15 at the ranch, located at 241 Cortner Mill Road, Normandy. Tickets are $10 each. Phone 931-857-4000 for more information or go to www.ArrowheadRanchTN.org.

Church to host health fair

MURFREESBORO — Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Franklin Road Church of Christ will partner for a community health fair from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church, 3700 Franklin Road.

Free and open to the public, the fair will feature the hospital’s Mobile Health Unit and provide attendees with comprehensive blood work to check for heart, liver and kidney functions. Cholesterol, glucose, iron, sodium and potassium levels will also be checked.

Those planning to participate are asked to fast 10 to 12 hours prior to lab work, with the exception of water. Diabetics should not fast.

For more information, contact Kathy Ferrell at 615-631-7739.

Silent auction to help end hunger

MURFREESBORO — The Murfreesboro chapter of the AARP will auction off several items autographed by NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon to help the AARP Foundation’s “Drive to End Hunger.”

The silent auction will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office 9/11 Community Fair, 940 New Salem Highway. Items up for bid include a Gordon racing jacket, hats and photos.

Drawings will take place at 3:30 p.m. Entrants must be present to win.

Craddock cemetery dedication Sept. 17

MURFREESBORO — After years of searching for the old Craddock cemetery, it was discovered on state Route 96 between Lascassas and Milton.

Craddock descendants cleaned out all the underbrush and trash, straightened all the headstones and filled in the sunken graves. A new fence surrounds the small plot where some 20 graves are located. Four graves are marked with names.

A dedication of the cemetery will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Carlton Glynn Craddock, a Craddock descendant of Mobile, Ala., will give a short dedication, and Drew Rhodes, also a Craddock descendant of Murfreesboro, will give a short history of the cemetery.

Those interested in the cemetery are invited to attend. Heading away from Murfreesboro (east) on state Route 96, it is located on the left side of the road. The new fence is easily seen from the highway. Parking is available on both sides of the highway, but do not block the private lane that goes beside the cemetery. Enter by walking up the lane to go through the side gate. Bring chairs. Handicapped parking only near the double gate on the south side of the cemetery.

Flowers and wreaths are allowed. Wreaths may be placed on the ground around grave stones or hung on the gates. Potted plants may be placed near the steps going into the side gate. Bring tools to set out the plants.

Main Street on hunt for
county’s Christmas tree

MURFREESBORO — It may be September, but Main Street: Murfreesboro and Rutherford County are already thinking about Christmas.

Main Street is in search of an 18- to 20-foot tall evergreen — preferably a cedar, fir or blue spruce — to celebrate Christmas.

The tree will be lit during a ceremony at the courthouse on Dec. 2.

Those interested in assisting should call the Main Street office at 615-895-1887 or e-mail kbherzog@bellsouth.net.

Angie Boyd-Chambers will serve as community relations and physician services director, Kristi Gooden as public relations and media relations director and Joe Hagan as marketing director.
 
Boyd-Chambers will manage Saint Thomas Health sponsorships to ensure all relationships are in support of the system’s strategic initiatives.  She will lead marketing and communications efforts for Saint Thomas Physician Services and develop communications plans to ensure promotion of all Saint Thomas Health physicians. Boyd-Chambers will also function as the marketing and communications liaison for Middle Tennessee Medical Center (MTMC). She most recently served as public relations director for MTMC.
 
Gooden will manage and execute public relations strategy to promote initiatives and successes for Saint Thomas Health, including Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital, MTMC, Hickman Community Hospital and The Center for Spinal Surgery, and serve as spokesperson.  She will also oversee internal communication and act as the marketing and communications team liaison for Baptist Hospital. She previously served as public relations director for Baptist Hospital.
 
Hagan will manage and oversee all marketing efforts for the Saint Thomas Health system, including advertising, print collaterals, marketing initiatives to help grow patient volumes and media services. He also serves as the marketing and communications liaison for Saint Thomas Hospital. Hagan previously served as cardiac marketing liaison for Saint Thomas Heart, the cardiac division of Saint Thomas Health.
 
The three directors have several years of experience in marketing and communications and are active in the community.
 
Boyd-Chambers has more than eight years of experience in the health care and automotive industries. She joined MTMC in 2006 as public relations manager. Prior to her employment with MTMC, Boyd-Chambers served as a training facilitator for BMW and as a product specialist and team lead for Mini Cooper with JHA Marketing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.  She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis in public relations from Middle Tennessee State University. She currently is a member of the board of directors for Read to Succeed, health and wellness committee chair for Murfreesboro’s bicentennial annual celebration, a part of the Business Women’s Council through the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and a member of Nashville CABLE and Rutherford CABLE, which presented her with the Rising Star Award in 2009.
 
Gooden has 14 years of professional experience in public relations, media relations, issues management and marketing. She joined Baptist Hospital in 2006 as public relations manager. She developed her extensive background in public and media relations from serving previously as a senior account executive at Katcher Vaughn Bailey Public Relations and assistant media relations director with the Vanderbilt University Athletic Department.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with an emphasis in public relations from Virginia Tech. She is a member of the Nashville Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and has held board member positions with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Nashville Chapter, which presented her with the President’s Award in 2002.
 
With more than 10 years of experience in marketing and corporate communications, Hagan’s first job in health care was as a volunteer at Baptist Hospital.  Since then, he has held multiple positions in marketing for Saint Thomas Health hospitals and entities, including most recently as the marketing liaison for Saint Thomas Heart, the cardiac division of Saint Thomas Health. His core responsibilities included overseeing the promotion of the cardiac program, branding of the more than 24 satellite office locations and managing the outreach efforts and co-branding initiatives of the 18 Saint Thomas Chest Pain Centers located throughout Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. As an accomplished graphic designer, Hagan was responsible for brand and logo development for Saint Thomas Health and its joint ventures as well as content development and design of marketing materials and collateral distributed throughout the service market. Before joining Saint Thomas Health, Hagan worked in public relations for Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla.

But as some of Nashville’s most prominent figures heaped praise on the court at an Aug. 24 fundraiser and roast of its presiding judge, Criminal Court Judge Seth Norman, one couldn’t help but wonder what happens next.

The program — which isn’t really a “court” but a sentencing alternative for nonviolent felons with substance abuse problems — is Norman’s brainchild and passion. Lawmakers at the roast said the former Democratic state representative is a common sight in the halls of the legislature lobbying for the money necessary to keep his vision alive.

Norman’s long-term future at the helm of the drug court is uncertain, however. He’ll be 80 years old when he comes up for election in 2014 and hasn’t decided whether he’ll run again. In an increasingly challenging state budget environment, the drug court may soon face the daunting task of trying to replace a leader who hails from one of Nashville’s most prominent legal families, boasts friends on both sides of the political aisle and understands addiction on a personal level.

“I am an alcoholic,” Norman, who checked himself in to the Betty Ford Center in 1988, said in an interview. “I just decided I was drinking too much. It didn’t interfere with my law practice, I don’t think. I think it was beginning to interfere with my family. I suppose I just wasn’t happy.”

Norman was elected to the bench in 1990. Five years later, he began to explore the idea of creating a drug court in Nashville to address criminal dockets increasingly dominated by drug-related offenses.

“He saw a revolving door of people who came in with addiction issues over and over,” said Janet Hobson, director of Davidson County Community Corrections and the drug court. “That’s our whole purpose of being there.”

The judges, Norman especially, realized that warehousing criminals in prisons was doing little, if anything, to address the underlying addictions that fueled their crimes.

“It gave me a better understanding of addiction than a lot of people have,” Norman said of his alcoholism. “The first thing you have to understand is it’s a disease. If you understand it’s a disease, it has to be treated like any other disease.”

The drug court concept was new at the time. With grant funding, Norman modeled Nashville’s after an outpatient program in Miami, but it was quickly decided that a longer-term, inpatient program was needed to effectively address the problem. Initially housed in the old Tennessee Mental Health Institute facilities on Murfreesboro Road, the program moved to a new $3 million facility on County Hospital Road in 2000.

The number of drug courts nationwide has grown from about a dozen when Davidson County’s was created to nearly 1,400 today, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

“Judge Norman is one of the early pioneers,” White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said in an interview this week.

All drug courts couple addiction treatment with close court oversight as an alternative to incarceration, but the inpatient component of Nashville’s program is unique.

“We’re the only court-operated, residential drug program in the country,” Norman said. “There is no book on how to run one. We have been trying to write the book over 15 years.”

Court provides hope

“I don’t have to dress anybody down today,” Norman said the afternoon of Aug. 30. He had just been briefed by the drug court’s counselors on how participants are doing in treatment and whether they’re following the rules. There were no problems to report that week.

In a seersucker suit, with one pen and three cigars in his shirt pocket, the tall white-haired judge walked down the hallway to a large empty room with aluminum sides and a concrete floor. The “courtroom” consists of rows of chairs facing a podium on a stage.

Norman calls the “docket” — a weekly ritual on Tuesdays. It’s not a formal court proceeding, but an opportunity for participants to get feedback directly from the judge on their progress. Gregory Gilbert and Amber Duncan graduate from the program this day, and offer brief words of appreciation.

As of last week, 1,431 people have been given the opportunity to avoid prison by enrolling in Davidson County Drug Court. Five-hundred sixty-eight, or about 40 percent, succeeded.

“Some people are just going to fail, and that’s all there is to it,” Norman said. “In the field of addiction, they say you can’t heal until you bottom out.

“What you get to understand is there are good people with a bad problem. These are people with a problem, and you just want to help them.”

While the drug court’s success rate may appear low, participants still fare much better than they would in the state prison system. Drug use and crime commission by drug court participants are half that of offenders processed through the standard criminal justice system, according to a recently completed Urban Institute study in eight states over five years.

Thomas Gooch knows firsthand what a stay in the program can do. An addict and habitual offender who thought the system was picking on him, Gooch said that before he was enrolled in drug court, he wanted to simply die.

“I am so grateful to God for giving Judge Norman this vision … even though he doesn’t know where he’s going to get the next piece of money to run this place,” Gooch said at Norman’s roast. “This world needs this program. Because, for people who don’t think this program works, my kids wouldn’t have a dad without this program.”

Drug courts also save money. It costs $48 a day to house someone at the Davidson County Drug Court compared with the $65-per-inmate-per-day cost of running Tennessee’s prisons. By reducing the number of crimes, rearrests and days incarcerated, drug courts save taxpayers $5,680 per participant and return a net benefit for $2 for every $1 spent, the Urban Institute study found.

“It saves the taxpayers a ton of money if we can divert those individuals from prison to drug court. In addition, you’re helping somebody’s life,” Hobson said. “We have a lot of people who would probably be dead or in prison.”

Evaluating costs

Despite the long-term savings they have been shown to produce, the up-front costs of drug courts can make them a target of government budget cuts.

A recently completed audit of Nashville’s state trial courts found that three of the system’s top five vendors over three years service drug court needs such as meals and medical supplies, including $183,722 in payments to the Nashville Drug Court Support Foundation, an independent nonprofit created to raise money, buy supplies and otherwise support the program. In 2009, Metro government had to give Davidson County’s trial courts an unexpected $1.5 million supplemental appropriation to prevent negative account balances. More than $800,000 of that total went to drug court administration expenses.

Last year, Norman fought in Nashville and Washington for money to keep the drug court’s doors open after more than $600,000 in federal stimulus funds dried up. He struck a deal with the Tennessee Department of Correction, and the state’s contribution to the drug court budget jumped from about $500,000 to $982,000. The appropriation allowed the drug court to keep its doors open, but it only afford to fill only about 80 of more than 100 beds.

Norman said a five-year contract with the Department of Correction is in the works that will provide some much-needed long-term financial stability, but the question of who will run the court after 2014 remains unanswered. While the Urban Institute’s study found drug courts to be highly effective, it also included an important caveat: “effectiveness hinges on the judge.”

“I would like to continue, but I’m getting a little flak on the home front,” he said. “I always worry about the future of this place, but I think other people would step up.”

Jeri H. Thomas, director of the support foundation, agreed.

“It would never be the same,” she said, “but there’s a strong foundation. He’s a man with a plan.”

One Nashville psychiatrist’s take from five major drug companies for a two-year period crossed the half-million-dollar threshold, the data show.

Overall, drug companies disclosed $20.8 million in spending in Tennessee for speakers’ fees and consulting work or picking up the tab for doctors’ meals and travel costs. The total includes money that went to individual doctors and research institutions such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Sarah Cannon Research Institute.

That revised total is up from $8.9 million when ProPublica last compiled drug-company disclosures in December, combing through a database of such payouts as fresh information from additional pharmaceutical companies has been reported.

Among Nashville-area physicians, psychiatrist Jon W. Draud collected the largest amount, a total of $633,181 in speaking and consulting fees, travel and meals from the first quarter of 2009 through this year’s first quarter.

Doctors, firms say patients benefit

Dr. Hal M. Roseman, a cardiologist who has collected nearly $300,000 in industry payouts over the past two years, makes no apologies for receiving fees for being a speaker at events organized by drugmakers.

His payments from the second quarter of 2009 through this year’s first quarter were $294,000. That includes money from Merck and GlaxoSmithKline.

“It has not altered my practice,” Roseman said of the financial gains, adding that sharing his knowledge with other doctors about medical issues helps patients get proper care, and it doesn’t determine which drugs he prescribes.

“The pharmaceutical industry clearly benefits by promoting their products, but in many instances it’s to the benefit of society that these educational efforts continue,” Roseman said.

That stance echoes drugmakers’ explanation of payments to doctors.

As ProPublica was preparing to release its report on Wednesday, the drug industry defended its practices as a way for doctors to stay current with information about drug performance and related risks.

Diane Bieri, executive vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in a news release:

“Interactions between biopharmaceutical research companies and healthcare professionals play a critical role in improving patient care and fostering appropriate use of medicines. …

“Through these programs, physician speakers are able to help their peers stay up-to-date with clinical data about new FDA-approved medicines, new uses of medicines, emerging risks and side effects, and more,” she said.

Bieri said the industry also supports increased transparency to reveal to consumers the business and research relationships between drugmakers and doctors.

Still, Dr. Kevin H. Beier, an emergency medicine physician with Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, has concerns about doctors taking the payouts.

“Unless there’s complete separation between drug companies and physicians and hospitals, the most cost-effective and best medicine for the specific illness may not be utilized,” he said.

However, he believes only a small fraction of physicians are prescribing drugs and treatments under the direct influence of the pharmaceutical industry.

Beth Uselton, executive director of patient advocate group Tennessee Health Care Campaign, said the disclosures by the drug companies are a key step toward transparency and a more efficient, fair and cost-effective health-care system.

“Shining a light on those sorts of economic relationships tells us a lot about why the health-care system is the way it is,” she said. “In and of itself, financial ties don’t necessarily compromise physicians’ judgment, but there’s always a possibility that an economic relationship affects delivery of care to patients and the types of drugs prescribed.”

Volunteers sought

for pair of Read

To Succeed events

MURFREESBORO — Schools and libraries across the county are preparing for two popular literacy events and need volunteers to pull them off.

Schools will welcome visitors for Reading in the Schools Day on Sept. 23. Readers are needed to spend a few minutes in more than 1,000 classrooms. While the day is mainly about promoting literacy, it is also about connecting the community with the classroom.

“When community leaders, sports figures, medical professionals, police officers, parents and neighbors take time out of their busy schedules to go to a classroom and read, the children immediately understand how important reading should be in their lives,” said Read To Succeed Executive Director Lisa Mitchell.

On Sept. 24, local libraries will pull out all the stops for the Read To Succeed Reading Rally, which takes place at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne public libraries.

The midday festival is open to the public at no charge. Its goal is to bring attention to what the libraries have to offer, such as classes, computer labs, audiobooks and DVDs. Rallies also offer inflatables, storytellers, musicians, magicians, healthy snacks, door prizes and visits by storybook characters.

To learn more about either event or to sign up, visit www.readtosucceed.org.

Senior center to host Medicare workshop

MURFREESBORO — St. Clair Street Senior Center will host an informational workshop presented by the State Health Insurance Program at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 29.

The program will provide information about basic Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans and Part D, as well as information about financial assistance programs for beneficiaries who qualify for extra help.

SHIP is sponsored by the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability and the statewide Area Agency on Aging and Disability network. The program will be presented by SHIP representatives Glenn McReynolds and Sidney Schuttrow. Mary Beth Best, founder of the non-profit agency MedAssure, will be available to assist with information and to answer questions. Both agencies work to make sure Medicare beneficiaries receive non-biased Medicare information and assistance in understanding the choices offered by Medicare.

My father has had three heart attacks. I’m wanting to know what causes fluid buildup for congestive heart failure.

— ALR, Hendersonville

Heart attacks are one of the most common causes of fluid buildup, also known as congestive heart failure. Other symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty sleeping and poor appetite. The common factor in these symptoms is decreased contraction of the heart muscle and its interaction with the kidneys. Lifestyle changes such as limiting sodium and fluid intake, stopping tobacco and alcohol consumption, stress reduction and regular exercise can improve congestive heart failure.

There are many medications to minimize the symptoms of CHF, and these medications have also been proved to lengthen the life expectancy of persons with CHF. A sampling of those medications includes diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and statins. Regular follow-up with a cardiologist can help ensure that your father has been evaluated for any other reversible causes of heart failure and that he is receiving all the right medications.

— Dr. Mark Aaron, cardiologist, Saint Thomas Heart at Saint Thomas Hospital

Discuss shingles
with doctor

My 40-year-old daughter has shingles every year since she was 18 months old. Can she get the shot for shingles? Thanks.

— C.A.W.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once you’ve had chickenpox, varicella zoster stays in your body for the rest of your life and can be reactivated at any time, resulting in shingles. Recurrent bouts of shingles are often associated with immune system problems that occur with aging or as a result of a medical condition or treatment.

The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for adults older than 60 with no immune system compromise. Your daughter should address with her physician any potential health issue that may be contributing to her recurrent episodes of shingles and begin anti-viral medication at the first onset of symptoms.

— Dr. Linda McCafferty, internal medicine physician, Middle Tennessee Medical Group in Murfreesboro