🏚️ Advice for dealing with storm damage

🧑‍⚖️ Storm Recovery Advice

Nearly two weeks after Winter Storm Fern paralyzed Nashville, questions are swirling about damages, insurance, and where to get help — especially if you’re a renter. What’s your landlord responsible for? Can you withhold rent? When do you need a lawyer? On today’s City Cast Nashville podcast, Elizabeth Leiserson, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, answers these questions and breaks down the recovery process. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is conducting a survey of local businesses impacted by the storm. [Nashville Chamber]

🌳 Audit Warned of Inadequate Tree Trimming

An internal NES audit conducted two months before the ice storm warned of inadequate vegetation management, which would likely increase the duration and frequency of outages, especially during natural disasters. NES said “unforeseen challenges prevented trimming sufficient miles” in 2025. [NewsChannel 5]

• At a Tuesday meeting, when pressed about recent criticism and overhauling leadership, NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said, “Accountability is important,” but right now the utility is focused on active recovery. [WKRN]
• As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, there were about 7,600 outages in Nashville. [NES]

🚗 Boring Gets Closer To Tunneling

The Boring Co. needs five more permits to begin tunneling for the Music City Loop, including a long-term lease with the Tennessee Department of Transportation for free use of its underground right-of-way. [🔐 Nashville Business Journal]

• Metro councilmembers will meet with Boring representatives on Feb. 19, so the company can address any questions. Ten councilmembers have filed a resolution opposing the Music City Loop’s construction, but the resolution has been deferred twice. [WSMV]
• In an interview about the tunnel, Mayor O’Connell says he hopes no one dies. [Bloomberg]
• Listen to our conversation with a City Cast Las Vegas contributor about how the Tesla tunnels are faring in their city. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

📚 Rutherford County Library Keeps Flagged Books

At a packed Tuesday meeting, the Rutherford County Library Board decided to keep nearly 3,000 library books flagged for removal on shelves, with some changes to age categories. Books flagged for removal based on Tennessee’s age-appropriate content law included Anne Frank biographies, a Charlie Brown book, and “Winnie the Pooh.” [🔐 The Tennessean]

• See pictures from the meeting. [🔐 The Tennessean]

🏫 State Considers Education Bills

In committee, Tennessee Republicans passed House Bill 47, which would allow public schools to display the Ten Commandments. Democratic lawmakers argue that the bill will open Tennessee to lawsuits. The Senate Education Committee will consider the bill next. [Chalkbeat Tennessee]

• Last year, Tennessee passed a bill that more than doubled recess time in elementary schools and banned teachers from taking away recess as punishment. Now, lawmakers are considering a bill to alter those changes, allowing PE to stand in for recess time, and letting teachers take away recess. [WKRN]