October 12, 2023

Page 1

FALL FOR CHEEKWOOD

PAGE 12

OVERSIGHT BOARD

OCTOBER 12, 2023 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 40

PAGE 4

Looking Forward:

Issues for council members to address as southwest Nashville grows BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO

Hundreds of members of Nashville’s Jewish community gathered at the Gordon Jewish Community Center for a solidarity rally on Oct. 8 following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel which killed more than 1,000 Israelis and has evolved into a full-scale war. PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS

Nashvillians gather to support Jewish community in wake of attack in Israel BY MATT MASTERS

Hundreds of Nashvillians gathered at the Gordon Jewish Community Center on Monday night for a solidarity rally following this past weekend’s Hamas attack in Israel, which has now evolved into a war between the two factions. According to ABC News, the surprise attack came as Israelis were celebrating the end of the seven-day-long Jewish festival Sukkot on Saturday, with Hamas militants breaching Israeli territory by land, sea and air. While exact casualty numbers are unclear, The Associated Press reports that at least 1,000 people, many of whom were civilians, have been confirmed dead in Israel, including at least 14 Americans. As of Tuesday, more than 800 people have been reportedly killed in Gaza following Israeli counter-attacks. The number of people wounded on both sides is also unclear. Israeli officials estimated that 100-150

people are missing. Israelis and Americans are among the kidnapped victims that were transported to Gaza during the attack. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden addressed the nation, calling the attack “terrorism” and “pure unadulterated evil.” “In this moment we must be crystal clear -- We stand with Israel,” Biden said, pledging “critical assets” in the form of military aid, as the U.S. has also increased their military presence in the region, and is working to help with negotiations and rescues of hostages. “When Congress returns, we’re going to ask them to take urgent action to fund the national security requirements of our critical partners,” Biden said. “This is about the security of our world [and] the security of the United States of America.” Biden also said that security in and around Jewish communities across the U.S. is being stepped up in conjunction with federal,

state and local law enforcement agencies to deter any potential domestic threats. In addition to hundreds of members of Nashville’s Jewish community, Monday’s gathering also saw the attendance of Gov. Bill Lee, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, State Sen. Heidi Campbell, State Rep. Caleb Hemmer and Nashville At-Large Council Member Olivia Hill. “What we do good as Nashvillians is coming together and finding out ways to support each other,” Hemmer told The News, adding that he spent part of his weekend checking on and getting getting in touch with some of his constituents who are in Israel. “To see so many friends and allies across communities reach out in concern and solidarity, even if we don’t agree on everything, we can show up for each other when our communities are >> PAGE 3

The first Metro Council meeting since the election took place on Oct. 3. There are multiple new and returning council members in The News’ southwest Nashville coverage area, so we sat down with each of them to talk about the issues they want to address during their term. Looking Forward will be an ongoing series of topics addressed by each member we were able to speak with ahead of the first council meeting. Nashville Metro council members have similar concerns and priorities as the city grows. While transportation and infrastructure are naturally interconnected to the future development plans, there are some other key pieces that the southwest council members touched on in their interviews. “I think we’ve seen a lot of investment over the past four years,” Jeff Preptit, District 25, said. “But I don’t necessarily feel as if it’s really been geared towards our neighborhoods or geared towards the people who make Nashville what it is.” Preptit said he wants to make sure that they are prioritizing local businesses by having business districts and investment in their communities. “Development is always a need and a concern and making sure that we manage that responsibly,” Tom Cash, District 18, said. “We need more housing in Nashville for sure. But, we also need transit and better roads and other kinds of infrastructure. So, [we need to be] making sure that those things are moving forward together.” Cash said there are some regulations they have to work around when it comes to creating more housing, but there is room to negotiate in some ways. “We can negotiate affordable housing as part of new development that we have some means to plan for inclusionary >> PAGE 2

THENEWS @ FWPUBLISHING.COM | 615.298.1500 | INFO@THENEWSTN.COM TICKED OFF: tickedoff@fwpublishing.com

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID NASHVILLE, TN PERMIT # 338


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.