The Week That Was
School daze
Closely following the suggestions of the school system’s recent performance audit, the Metro school board has proposed a $442.5 million budget for the next fiscal year, about $35 million more than the current budget. The board did make a number of spending cuts, including slashing four assistant principal positions, but the proposed figure still may be optimistic. Even if Mayor Bill Purcell supports the board’s proposed budget, a number of other costly initiatives—such as Metro employee pay raises—might prompt the Metro Council to be tighter with the city’s pocketbook.
Frat dumped
Four months after one of its pledges died while jogging in the early morning hours at the Whites Creek High School track, the fraternity Omega Psi Phi was suspended by Tennessee State University last week. A recent ruling held that the pledge, 25-year-old Joseph Green, died as a result of an initiation ritual. Green was rushed to the hospital with a temperature of 103.7 degrees. The fraternity is barred from engaging in intramural sports and hosting parties and other social functions.
The run down
To hear the local media tell it, the second annual Country Music Marathon was once again a smashing success. But in reality, hot and humid temperatures and inconsistent fan support made this year’s event fall short of expectations. In addition, the intermittently drab course, which includes parts of Charlotte Avenue, the Gulch, and MetroCenter, could use a face-lift. Kenyan Christopher Cheboibich won the men’s race, while Romanian runner Aurica Buia won the women’s race. Local husband-and-wife team Eric Legros and Maureen Manning were the top local finishers, winning $2,000 each.
