🏫 Undocumented student bill stalls

📰 Bill Might Have Unintended Consequences

Today, state lawmakers are voting on the PEACE Act, intended as a way to deter hate crimes. However, Nashville-based Rep. Aftyn Behn is worried it could have a negative impact on First Amendment rights. She joins the City Cast Nashville podcast to explain. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

📚 New Library Branch

Metro Council has approved the purchase of a property for building a new Hadley Park Library Branch. Its current building was built in 1952, and was the only branch Black Nashvillians could use during the Jim Crow era. [WKRN]

• The Donelson Library Branch has won the Green Good Design Award for its environmentally friendly features. [NewsChannel 5]
• 11 free things to get with your library card [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🌪️ Nashville Has No Public Tornado Shelters

Despite our numerous tornadoes, Nashville has no public shelters. The CDC recommends sheltering in basements, but only 17% of Nashville homes have them. Our lack of shelters especially puts people who live in mobile homes, unhoused people, and those in substandard housing at risk. [Nashville Banner]

🎒 Undocumented Student Bill Stalls

House Republicans have delayed voting on the bill allowing public schools to deny undocumented immigrant children, hoping to receive a response from the Trump administration about how it would affect the $1 billion in federal funding Tennessee schools receive. With the session ending soon, the bill may be shelved until 2026. [Nashville Scene]

Children’s birthday parties can be expensive. While I love the Nashville Zoo, parties can be $825. Adventure Science Center? $500. Sky Zone? At least $300. If you can’t or don’t want to spend that kind of money on a birthday party, here are some options under $200 for all ages, ordered from least to most expensive.

🍕 Pizza Perfect

You can rent the party room at the Bellevue Pizza Perfect for free! You’ll still need to buy pizzas for everyone, but that’s a bargain compared to other places. Pizza Perfect has a small arcade, and I’ve seen some parents give kids pre-loaded game cards to play in the arcade as party favors, but others have noted on the invite that parents need to bring their own money for the arcade. Whatever works best for your budget!

🧺 Park Shelters

Find a park shelter by a playground, and you’ve got the perfect spot for a birthday party. Shelter reservations run from April through October, and start at $30. If your kid has a birthday outside these months, you don’t need to make a reservation. We just show up at a shelter with my December kid, and have never had an issue. Many of these shelters have grills for a birthday cookout, or you can bring your own food.

🏊 Community Centers

Metro community center room rentals start at $35, and some of these centers have indoor pools and lifeguards you can rent! The downside of having a community center birthday party is you’ll need to plan the entertainment; the plus side is it’s inexpensive, many have kitchens, and you’ll be indoors, so weather won’t be a problem.

🕹️ Game Terminal

With a $50 deposit, rent a lounge couch for 2-10 people, and if more are coming, you can rent multiple couches. This deposit will go toward food and drink. This is Nashville’s largest arcade, so there’s plenty to do, but it’s best for teen birthday parties.

🎳 Strike & Spare

This bowling alley has three Nashville-area locations, with kid and teen party packages that start at $85 per lane. Packages include pizza, drinks, and a birthday shirt.

🐭 Chuck E. Cheese

Our childhood’s number-one birthday party experience is still around, and packages start at $99.99 for six kids. I admit the pizza is underwhelming and the noise overwhelming, but there’s lots of gameplay in the arcade, and a birthday show. There are several locations in the Nashville area.

🐒 Monkey’s Treehouse

I’m surprised by how affordable birthday parties are at this giant indoor playground — they start at $140, and come with a dedicated party host. Kids 2-6 will have a blast here. Word of advice: Bring hand sanitizer. My kid loved going here when she was younger, but we definitely picked up some viruses!