Good morning, Nashville. Here’s your roundup of today’s headlines:

• Gone rogue. A tornado siren in Inglewood is driving everyone crazy, playing a “Close Encounters” / merry-go-round sound at random times, day and night. Officials suspect a hacker or prankster after sending crews to replace parts on the siren three times in the past week.
• Is Arriola out?Metro Council will vote tonight on a resolution to ask Davidson County Clerk John Arriola to step down, in light of state reports confirming that he pocketed more than $100,000 in cash “gratuities” for weddings performed on the taxpayer dime.
• The roof is always greener. Crews have begun installing a four-acre green roof on the Music City Center, and it’s a pretty fascinating process. Squirting soil through fat hoses, you say?
• Bits & pieces. Randy Travis would like everyone to know that he is very sorry for partying too hard after the Super Bowl … Warm winter weather has saved Metro Schools about $50,000 in overtime and electricity bills … 2011 set a new high record for tornadoes in Tennessee at 113 … Gas is expensive, $0.43 more expensive than at this time last year, even … Tornadoes and gas prices are setting records, but here’s something more cheery – the Nashville Zoo also set an attendance record in January with more than 14,000 guests … Occupy Nashville members are protesting new legislation that would evict them from their encampment at Legislative Plaza … The old Melrose Lanes property has a new owner.

Photo by Paul Nicholson.

Good morning, Nashville. Apologies for our recent absence, but sometimes life gets in the way of bringing you the latest breaking news. Hey, did you know that Angry Birds will be landing on Facebook on Valentine’s Day? Good, now that we’re caught up on everything we missed in the past two weeks, here’s the rest of your morning roundup:

• David Hall Rocks Y’all. It was a sad weekend for the Lightning 100 family – longtime DJ, program director and voice of the station David Hall passed away on Sunday. We’re incredibly saddened by this news, and our thoughts are with Hall’s family and everyone at Lightning 100 this morning.
• Nashville magic at the Super Bowl. Madonna’s flashy halftime show at the Super Bowl was made possible in part by Nashville’s LMG Design Studio, who spent the last eight months prepping the over-the-top special effects featured last night.
• Adios, ancient oak. The 61-year-old oak stage at the Ryman Auditorium saw its last spotlights on Friday night. Construction crews began removing the splintered planks on Saturday to make way for a new Brazilian teak stage, which will incorporate pieces of the old stage around the edges. The new stage is expected to last for 100+ years.
• Last call. Today is the last day to register if you want to vote in the Tennessee presidential primary. Early voting is February 15 -28, with the primary on March 6, and don’t forget your photo ID! For info on how to register to vote, click here.
• Bits & pieces. Former Belmont University soccer coach Lisa Howe has been named the Executive Director of Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce … Our dreams of wine in grocery stores have been shelved yet again … In case you forgot that it’s still winter, Mother Nature will be reminding you this week … Titans owner Bud Adams took 33 Fort Campbell soldiers to the Super Bowl … State Farm is hiring for 60 positions in Tennessee … Cool Springs Galleria is getting an ALDO Shoes, J. Crew, White House | Black Market and a Great Wraps sandwich shop this spring … 27 cars were vandalized at Vanderbilt University on Friday night … Rodney Atkins will headline this year’s Country Music Marathon concert.

Photo by Abby Schultz.

If there’s one thing we learned from a certain late-night excursion last year, it’s that Nashville loves Mumford & Sons – or maybe they just really love us. Okay, they definitely love us. If you didn’t get a chance to catch Mumford & Sons at their sold-out War Memorial show in November 2010, they’re coming back for another round (or three). The band announced today that they’ll be playing three consecutive Nashville shows in March, at none other than our beloved Mother Church. Tickets go on sale February 4th. If you’ll excuse us, we’re off to go stand in line now.

Mumford & Sons at the Ryman Auditorium, March 6, 7 & 8.
Tickets on sale February 4 at Ticketmaster.

Photo by christyfrink.

Good morning, Nashville. We had a late night hanging out in our “safe place” as tornado warnings for Davison and Williamson county and thunderstorms with 70-80mph winds rolled through in the wee hours of the morning. A possible tornado was reported in Dickson, although no tornadoes have been confirmed in the Middle Tennessee area and it seems we escaped with just tree damage and power outages. Birmingham, AL wasnt so lucky, with two confirmed deaths from last night’s storms. Possible tornadoes have also been reported in several Arkansas counties. We’d like to give a big thanks to Twitter for keeping us informed and even amused during last night’s storms.

• Dollyland. Since we last checked in, Dolly Parton and Gaylord Opryland have announced plans to bring the US of A’s first water-and-snow-themed amusement park to Nashville. And everyone rejoiced! $50 million will go into Phase 1 of the park, scheduled to open in 2014 across Briley Pkwy from the Opryland hotel & resort (here’s a map). More here, here and here.
• BREAKING NEWZ. Senator Rand Paul is currently, as of this writing and not four days ago like the other news we are writing about, being detained by the Nashville airport TSA for refusing a full body patdown after setting off a full body scanner.
• Building it up. More building permits for Opry Mills have been issued, including Tommy Hilfiger, Aeropostale, Build-a-Bear, Vera Bradley, IT’SUGAR, Journey’s, Off Broadway Shoes, Gap, Bose, Panda Express, Pyramid’s Cafe, Ann Taylor Factory Store and Lego. The mall is still scheduled to reopen on March 29.
• Bits & pieces. A SUV crashed through the front of a South Nashville laundromat at 5am, and the driver took off on foot … Dave Ramsey has purchased a strip mall in Spring Hill for $1.8 million (cash, we presume) … East Nashville consignment boutique Old Made Good has had several unfortunate brushes with crime this month … Two teens behind a recent rash of car break-ins at LP Field have been caught … A new black bear hunting season is part of wildlife officials’ black bear management plan in Middle Tennessee … Brentwoodians do not enjoy the new electronic billboard at Old Hickory and Franklin Road, placed just 12 feet outside of the Brentwood city limits … This year’s Restaurant Week was a success … Dan McGuiness on Demonbreun is getting a remodel … If you trust Complex Magazine, Tootsies is one of the 25 best nightclubs of all time … Speaking of nightclubs, an 11-year-old child was shot inside one on Jefferson Street this weekend.

Photo by Peppysis.

Good morning, Nashville. Fun day we had yesterday with the weather, wasn’t it? Heavy rain, high winds, dropping temperatures and a brief tornado warning across Davidson, Williamson and surrounding counties had many people on Twitter saying “WTF, tornadoes in January?” Yes, it’s true – The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-0 tornado did indeed touch down in Rutherford County yesterday. In January.

• Cluck cluck. The “Backyard Chickens” measure is a go, passed by Metro Council last night with a 21-15 vote. No roosters will be permitted, and residents will be limited to 2-6 chickens, depending on the size of the property.
• SOPA-what-uh? If you haven’t stumbled across something about SOPA or PIPA on the interwebs today, well, we’re honored that Nashvillest.com is the only place on the interwebs that you visit. No, Wikipedia is not against cleanliness – technology companies are using today to speak out against the Stop Online Piracy Act and its Senate counterpart, the PROTECT IP Act. Locally in Nashville, the issue is a big one. Copyright owners support the acts in order to protect their intellectual property, but local tech companies are just as passionate about protecting the internet from censorship.
• Bits & pieces. The plan of attack against synthetic drugs, including “bath salts,” has been halted for a week … Franklin is toying with allowing horse-drawn carriage rides … Granite City Food & Brewery will open in Cool Springs this summer … 128 live dogs, 1 dead dog and 1 cat were found in a U-Haul pulled over in West Tennessee … Merle Haggard is hospitalized in Georgia … The Preds lost to the Rangers 3-0 last night … Whoops! Tipton County was left out of the new Tennessee Senate redistricting measure.

Photo by Ray Sundusky © 2012.

Good morning, Nashville. Metro flood buyouts are still chugging along at a slow & steady pace, with 78 homeowners still waiting to complete their buyouts. Metro Water spokesperson Sonia Harvat says that the city is close to closing on another 25 homes, which will leave just over 50 to go. In other “recovery” news:

• Jobs! Massachusetts-based roadside assistance company Agero is considering bringing 500 jobs to Clarksville, and will hold a job fair Tuesday & Wednesday from 8am-6pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clarksville to gauge the demand for jobs. Sam’s Club of Madison is also holding a job fair on Wednesday at the Tennessee Career Center.
• All For The Hall. Keith Urban’s annual “All for the Hall” Country Music Hall of Fame benefit has been rescheduled for April 10. Tickets go on sale January 27, and performers include Vince Gill, Alabama, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert’s Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Band Perry, Thompson Square and of course, Keith Urban.
• Bits & pieces. We thought we’d heard the last from Luau Louie’s, but they’re still making headlines months after closing for serving alcohol to a minor who was then involved in a deadly car crash … A tractor trailer carrying 38 horses overturned early this morning on I-40. Four of the horses died … Tennessee is exploring placing stricter licensing requirements on senior citizens … “Don’t Say Gay” will make its first appearance in the 2012 legislative session tomorrow … On today’s agenda at Capitol Hill – “Bath salts” and meth … Is everyone looking forward to the cold front that will turn this 60-degree morning into a 20-degree evening? … Jeff Fisher was the first to stop and help at the scene of a serious car crash involving two teens on Sunday night … A 59 year old Franklin man is one of the oldest people to ever play in the NCAA.

Photo by Denise Mattox.

We’re prepping ourselves for some serious eating this week, as Nashville’s first Restaurant Week of 2012 is upon us. Restaurant Week, for the unfamiliar, is a week of fixed-price meals at nearly 50 of Nashville’s finest local restaurants, mostly at $20.12 or $30.12 price points. We like to use the semi-annual event as an opportunity to try newcomers to the list of participating restaurants, but we have a little problem – it seems that every single menu is calling our names this time around.

Even at special reduced prices, Restaurant Week could easily wreak havoc on our bank accounts if we’re not careful. Our plan this time around is to make the most of it by partaking in some of the fantastic (and lower-priced) lunch offerings – $20.12 for a two-person lunch at Fido or Noshville, $2.12 for a cup of soup and bread at Provence, $12.12 for burgers for two at McCabe Pub, or $10.12 for a generous lunch at either Sunset Grill or Fish & Co. We may splurge on a dinner or two - we’re dying to try the mysterious and much-blogged-about Mama Myint’s House Salad at ChaChah - but the lunch deals should keep us fat and happy.

Check out all of the Restaurant Week participating restaurants and their menus here. The first Restaurant Week of 2012 runs January 16-22, but check individual restaurants for operating hours and days (most recommend reservations).

Photo by Keith Gallagher.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Frist Center is offering free admission today! This drizzly, dreary weather may keep us inside on our day off, but at least we’ll be getting cultured instead of sitting on the couch watching Netflix all day. (Who are we kidding, we’ll be doing that too.)

We’ve been itching to check out the current exhibits at the Frist, including Tracey Snelling’s “Woman on the Run” and “A Divine Light, a collection of Northern Renaissance paintings. Today’s the day! The Frist is open until 5:30pm on Mondays.

Photo by EAndJsFilmCrew.

Good morning, Nashville. We’re a bit short on time this morning, so here’s your roundup of the day’s news:

• It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Nashvillians are observing in a variety of ways, including the annual 11am King Day March. [WSMV]
• The food truck craze in Nashville is still going strong. More than a dozen mobile food vendors camped out in Germantown on Saturday for the first Wanderland FEASTival, and as we learned the hard way, they were so popular that the entire festival packed up several hours early as trucks ran out of food. If you missed out like we did, keep an eye out for “Food Truck February” weekends next month. [WKRN]
• Two men with parachutes jumped off the downtown Sheraton Hotel onto Legislative Plaza in the wee hours of Sunday morning, landing safely but getting snatched up by Metro police. [WSMV]
• Cracker Barrel founder Danny Evins passed away this weekend. [WSMV]
• Downtown retail recruiters hope to attract 40 new businesses to downtown Nashville in 2012, a tall order for a part of town that added just two retailers in the past year. [Tennessean]
• News 2 producer Monica Volante was scheduled to be on the Costa Concordia cruise ship that capsized off the coast of Italy this weekend, but postponed her trip after being hired by News 2 late last year. [WKRN]
• Two new breweries are working to open locations in Nashville. Cheers! [Nashville Post]
• Construction on Jefferson Street’s “Gateway to Heritage” project has begun. The project includes a plaza at the I-40 overpass with historical displays featuring the African-American history of the area. [The City Paper]
• Four deaths occurred in Nashville this weekend. [Tennessean]
• Brace yourself for a rainy couple of days. [Nashville WX]

Photo by Sabrosa Vintage.

Good morning, Nashville, and happy first snow day of the year to the kiddos! Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner and a host of other school systems in Middle Tennessee are closed for the day, making it the luckiest Friday the 13th to ever grace our state (for kids, at least). The dusting of snow we got yesterday afternoon gave way to slippery roads and black ice as the sun went down, and with temps in the teens overnight and into this morning, roads may still be slick. Stay safe!

• Bye bye. Just days after hitting the 600,000 room mark, the Music City Center has lost at least two conventions over concerns that the convention center will not be ready in time. The Southern Baptist Convention is backing out, as is the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.
• Potty talk. Tennessee Representative Richard Floyd has proposed a bill that would restrict public restroom and dressing room usage to members of the designated sex, and require birth certificate proof if there are any questions. Naturally, state transgender advocates are not pleased! The bill currently has no senate sponsor, but Rep. Floyd is “just sick and tired of society having to adjust to every little alternate life style, or little whim or someone who thinks they’re different” and plans to look for another senate sponsor.
• Bits & pieces. In other important news, “Will Ho Hos (and Twinkies) go the way of the dodo?” … The Preds are on a winning streak! … Metro Nashville Public Schools have hired a new coordinator of music … Tennessee business tax collections were way up in December, but officials don’t expect it to be a trend … Rutherford County made their first meth lab bust of 2012 … The owners of Hotel Indigo on West End are cranking the drama way, way up … Speaking of going up, that’s what airline prices are doing right now … Keith Urban’s first performance after vocal cord surgery will be at the Grand Ole Opry on February 3 … Nine mid-state Food Lions are among those closing nationwide … Governor Haslam has endorsed Republican candidate Mitt Romney for president.

Photo by raisinsawdust.