👀 Wow, that’s A LOT of overtime pay

😞 Preventing School Shootings

If the Antioch High shooter was a “walking red flag,” why didn’t anyone intervene? On the City Cast Nashville podcast, we’re talking with WPLN reporter Paige Pfleger about the warning signs that officials missed, and how Tennessee’s lax gun laws leave few paths to prevent future tragedies. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

💰 Metro Employees’ Eye-Popping Overtime Pay

In 2024, Metro Nashville’s 12,871 employees received $45 million in overtime, with bus drivers, maintenance workers, and police officers earning the most. Several employees received more in overtime pay than regular pay. [🔒 The Tennessean]

👮 CRB’s Zero-Tolerance Sexual Misconduct Policy

Silent No Longer TN is calling upon the Metro Nashville Police Department to adopt the Community Review Board’s zero-tolerance sexual misconduct policy, which Metro Council has already approved. The organization says 98 victims of MNPD sexual misconduct are still waiting for justice, and one victim recently took her own life. [WKRN]

• If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 988 for help. [988 Lifeline]
• Inside the Community Review Board [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🚴 New Cheekwood Road Intersects With Percy Warner

A proposed access road to Cheekwood that would cut across the northern border of Percy Warner Park is causing outcry among parkgoers. The plan addresses Cheekwood’s use of Metro Parks’ property for overflow parking, but creates dangers for wildlife and bikers by cutting through the park. [🔒 The Tennessean]

With only a two-hour drive south of Nashville, you can explore a rocket park and see if you have what it takes to be an astronaut in a g-force accelerator. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, founded in 1950, in Huntsville, Alabama is one of my favorite day trip destinations. The scientists at the center have created some of the world’s first rockets and satellites to orbit Earth, including the rocket that sent the American Apollo astronauts to the moon. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting this iconic landmark.

💵 The Basics

• Cost: Adult tickets are $30, children ages 5-12 $20, and kids four and under get in free. Tip: Check and see if you qualify for any discounts.
• Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Parking: Free and plentiful.
• The Drive: The center is an easy 2-hour drive south of Nashville. I usually stop at the first Alabama rest stop, but sadly the Saturn IB rocket that lived there for more than 40 years was demolished in 2023 due to ill repair.
• Time: Expect to spend 2-4 hours at the center.
• Shopping: The gift shop is in the front, and includes souvenirs for all price ranges, from NASA suits to rocket candy. Last time we came home with a cat astronaut toy and space ice cream.

🧑‍🚀 Dive Into Space History

The space center is also a museum and home to numerous historical exhibits and space artifacts and memorabilia, from a moon rock and test vessels to space toys and even spacesuits worn by real astronauts.

In addition to the exhibits, scientists lecture about space history and the science behind space exploration. We met several NASA scientists on our last trip who answered my daughter’s many questions, like “Why isn’t space ice cream cold?”