by Susan Mattson | Dec 15, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speaker: Doug Adair, Nashville Diaper Connection
Diapers cannot be purchased using food stamps or other governmental programs. The Diaper Connection has been providing cover for Middle Tennessee “butts” for ten years.
by Susan Mattson | Nov 15, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speaker Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, Co-Lead for Legislative Work for “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America/Tennessee” shared with attendees facts and data gathered by the grassroots movement fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Paige Pfleger, a WPLN reporter, also joined the session to share some of her research from a two-year project underway and sponsored by ProPublica on domestic violence and the Tennessee gun dispossession law.
To learn more about gun legislation and public safety, visit:
TN-DHS Handgun Carry Permits
Tennessee Under the Gun
Secure Gun Storage
Consider adding the Domestic Violence Hotline to your contacts: 800-799-7233
You may also choose to join Moms Demand Action by texting the word Ready to 64433.
by Susan Mattson | Oct 15, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speaker: Reverend Stacy Rector, Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, shared the TADP mission and disheartening data on the current TN Death Row situation. TADP works to honor life through education and citizen advocacy efforts that empower surviving families of murder victims, families of those incarcerated with death sentences, death row exonerees, and others by partnering with the racial justice and faith communities and other citizen groups.
by Susan Mattson | Sep 9, 2023 | Hot Topics
As Judge Hedrick discussed, probate court is an incredibly busy court. In a typical month,150-200 new cases are filed in the probate court. Each case requires at least one hearing to be conducted by Judge Hedrick or Special Master Lojek. Some cases are uncontested and involve only one hearing. Other cases are complex and/or contested and require multiple (sometimes lengthy) hearings and trials. The administration of an estate, conservatorship or guardianship is an ongoing process that can last many years. The process can involve a fiduciary bond and filing of an inventory, property management plan, periodic accountings and status reports.
Judge Hedrick provided an engaging and informative presentation of her court and the cases. There were numerous questions, and Judge Hedrick also provided an informational background packet on the court.
by Susan Mattson | Jun 1, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speakers: Joseph Woodson, Board member and Advocacy Chair of the Tennessee Pride Chamber and Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP).
Speaker Sanders pointed out, progress is not always linear. “It advances, retreats, twists. and turns and this is why groups such as TEP and the Pride Chamber exist.”
For additional information, refer to:
by Susan Mattson | May 1, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speakers: Dr. Angela Sutton and Mr. Cyril Stewart.
Fort Negley began as a Union fortification built by nearly 5000 laborers, including free blacks, enslaved persons, as well as “contraband” folks seeking refuge in Nashville during the Civil War. The working and environmental conditions were very poor, and 800 folks died during the construction. Following the end of the Civil War, the Fort went through many different phases, including a shameful time as a gathering place for the Klu Klux Klan.
Most recently, in the 2018, plans to create the Cloud Hill commercial development brought many Nashvillians together to save the park, its history, and the green space it provided to an area hemmed in by interstates and other developments. Importantly, in 2019, the Fort was designated a ‘Site of Memory’ within the Slave Route Project by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Since then, Metro Parks began its work to create an Open-Air Museum of National Significance. The Master Plan was finalized in October of 2022, and the first phase started this winter. The development and expansion of building and activities will continue through 2023 and into the future, dependent upon funding. The presentation was moving and informative. This is a place that Nashvillians should preserve and treasure. Our history must not be denied nor forgotten, but provide for a shared future with meaningful hope and justice for everyone in our community.
by Susan Mattson | Apr 1, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speaker: Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews, Jr. and Judge Sheila Calloway, his self-proclaimed “Partner in Justice.”
The speakers focused on shifting the culture of the juvenile court systems and operations to prepare for the opening of the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment. Juvenile Court is responsible for making sure that every child and parent who passes through our court is met with justice, fairness, and hope. Williams provided data and commentary on the reduction in youth intersections with law enforcement and the courts and a detailed overview of the new development project and goals for continued reduction in harms.
As described by Tennessee Code Annotated Section 37-1-101, the purpose of juvenile court is: “To provide for the care, protection, and wholesome moral, mental and physical development of the children coming within its provisions.” Clerk Matthews and Judge Calloway go further to note that their roles at the Juvenile Court are responsible for making sure that every child and parent who passes through the court is met with justice, fairness, and hope.
The current Juvenile Justice Center, located on Woodland Street opened in 1994 with just 4 judicial officers, one elected juvenile court judge and three appointed juvenile court magistrates. Today, it houses 10 judicial officers, one elected juvenile court judge and 9 appointed juvenile court magistrates. The Juvenile court handles petitions to cover custody, visitation, establishing parentage, child support, guardianship, child abuse, neglect, dependency, delinquency, unruly and other juvenile related issues. In addition, the pre-trial housing facility houses an average of 35-40 justice-involved youth daily. Clerk Matthews noted that two-thirds of the court’s business is devoted to family-conflict issues while one-third of the cases involve delinquency, unruliness or status offenses. Contrary to public perception, juvenile delinquency has decreased from 4745 cases in 2013 to 1921 cases in 2021 and can be partly attributed to the de-incarceration strategy of providing treatment, training and rehabilitation over criminalization.
The new Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (“NYCE Campus”) on Brick Church Pike will be “a family-oriented, trauma-informed campus designed to support the intrinsic value of all members of our community. In addition to serving as the home of the Davidson County Juvenile Court and a pre-trial housing facility for justice-involved youth, the NYCE Campus will house resources and agencies that can provide immediate service delivery to families in need. A 24-hour Assessment Center will support youth in crisis, while maintaining the safety of the community. Spacious meeting rooms and courtrooms will allow Court staff, community partners, litigants, and attorneys to conduct private meetings and mediations to peacefully resolve family conflicts with dignity and respect. A safe exchange facility will allow for therapeutic custodial visitation to help strengthen families and build resilience in children. In short, the NYCE Campus will provide a center of growth, opportunity, and empowerment for young people in our community from birth through adulthood.”
The 14-acre site was chosen based on its proximity to additional resources for children and families, easy access for attorneys and other court partners, accessibility to public transportation, adequate space for free parking for staff and the public.
View and read the entire master plan document at this link: Nashville Juvenile Justice Center Master Plan.
by Susan Mattson | Mar 1, 2023 | Hot Topics
Speaker: Dr. Dan Firth, Chair of the Solid Waste & Mining Committee of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Dr. Firth gave a thorough analysis of: Tennessee’s trash problem; Why recycling, although not a complete solution, is necessary; Why producers must be responsible for supporting recycling programs throughout the state, both in urban and rural jurisdictions; Why producers must focus on reducing the amount of packaging for their products as well as remove harmful chemicals of concern used in their packaging; and How the TWRRA addresses these issues.
For additional information: Tennessee Waste Reduction & Recycling Act (TWRRA)
