News Briefly
Frightfully quiet
Two years ago, Metro Council members embarrassed themselves by recommending that children observe Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 30, because it fell on a school night. The legislative body came into a fair amount of public ridicule. Now, in the face of terror attacks nationwide, many public officials are warning parents to consider limiting their children’s fright night activities. It’s unlikely that Osama bin Laden is busily stuffing razor blades into apples, but better safe than sorry. But once burned, twice shy. This time around, when it might actually matter, the council is silent.
Case closed
The FBI’s investigation into abuse of Hispanics at a South Nashville apartment complex has been closed, federal sources say. The FBI probe began in November 1999, but local investigators couldn’t convince the U.S. Department of Justice to seek indictments. Nashville District Attorney Torry Johnson says that he will seek the FBI files to see if “any state prosecution” is warranted. He warns that prosecution could be hampered because so much time has elapsed since the alleged wrongdoing.
A dumb gesture
State Department of Education workers apparently felt they might generate some media sympathy after their new commissioner recently abolished “casual Friday.” In a breathtakingly poorly written memo to the Scene—littered with the kind of grammatical and spelling errors especially disheartening from a state department charged with educating children—employees complain mightily about the change. But minutes from a recent staff meeting indicate that managers had to chastise employees for wearing “house shoes.” It was probably a good move.
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