NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Opry Mills Stores Near Opening After 2010 Flood
After being closed since the May 2010 flood, Opry Mills stores are releasing some opening dates. Here's what's going on: Dave and Buster's had a move-in party Thursday morning, they're getting ready to reopen Nov 28th, the Regal 20 and IMAX theaters reopened yesterday, Sun and Ski Sport says it'll open on Friday, the VF Outlet opens next Wednesday, Nov. 23rd, and the rest of the more than 200 outlet and retail stores at Opry Mills are set to open March 29th of next year.

Local Mall, Police Work Together To Prevent Holiday Crime
The Franklin Police Department says it's teaming up with Cool Springs Galleria again this year to prevent holiday crime. The Franklin police chief says the Mid-State is one of the safest regional shopping destinations in the country, and he's working to keep it that way.

Indiana Hit By Tornado
Southern Indiana residents are in cleanup mode this morning after severe storms spawned at least one possible tornado last night. In Orange County, mobile homes were overturned and some roofs were torn off buildings.

Sandusky Lawyer Says Victim Denies Sexual Assault Happened
The attorney for Jerry Sandusky says a child allegedly sexually assaulted by the former Penn State Defensive Coordinator is now an adult, and denies the assault happened.

PA Lawmakers Look To Pass Law Requiring Authorities Are Notified In Abuse Cases
Measures designed to avoid delays in reporting sex abuse are being fast-tracked in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are scrambling to put together legislation in the wake of the Penn State scandal. A bill sponsored by a Western Pennsylvania Senator is popular because it requires anyone receiving a college paycheck to report child abuse to authorities immediately.
 
Tennesseans Sour On Economy
How do you feel about the economy? A Vanderbilt poll says about 25-percent of those surveyed say they'll be better off next year. The number of people who say they're better off now than a year ago, has increased from five- to elevent-percent.

Gas Prices Going Up
Gas prices could be headed toward record highs. A new AAA report shows U.S. crude oil prices are up 20-percent since the beginning of last month. That puts the price for a barrel of crude close to $100, the highest it's been since mid-July. An oil industry newsletter says the continued rise in oil prices could lead to an average gas price of more than $4/gallon.

Study: One In Five Suffers Hearing Loss
As many as one-in-five Americans over the age of 12 suffers from hearing loss. A new study out of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine shows more than 48-million people in the U.S. have trouble hearing in one or both ears. The study contradicts the popular notion that hearing loss is only a problem among the aging. Researchers say one of the biggest culprits in hearing loss is listening to music that's too loud. The study appears in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine."
 
Supreme Court To Rule On HealthCare Reform Constitutionality
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the controversial healthcare reform law is constitutional. Oral arguments will be scheduled in the spring and a final ruling could come right in the middle of the 2012 presidential campaign. Legal challenges in lower courts have focused on the part of the law requiring most Americans to buy health insurance. White House Communications Chief Dan Pfeiffer says the administration is confident that the high court will find the Affordable Care Act constitutional.

Chelsea Clinton Joins NBC News
NBC News is hiring Chelsea Clinton as a special correspondent. The 31-year-old will work on the network's "Making a Difference" series on the "NBC Nightly News." NBC News president Steve Capus says Clinton was compelled by her mother's 2008 presidential campaign to report on Americans contributing to society.

Online Spending Up 13%
There is some good economic news: U.S. online spending is up 13% from a year ago.

NBA Labor Fight Going To Court
The NBA's labor troubles are likely headed to court, the legal kind. The Players Association has rejected the NBA's latest proposal and intends to file a lawsuit against the league. Union Chief Billy Hunter announced that negotiations have completely broken off.

Protesters Rally Outside CCA Headquarters
Occupy Nashville protesters are turning their attention to the Corrections Corporation of America. Demonstrators shouted outside the Green Hills headquarters yesterday venting their resentment of for-profit prisons. CCA issued a statement in response asking why the group would be angry at a company that creates thousands of jobs and saves taxpayers millions.

Occupy Wall Street Update
Occupy Wall Street protesters are being forced out of Zuccotti Park in New York City. Police in riot gear started clearing the protesters out just after midnight. It's not clear whether the police will allow protesters back in the park at some point.

Pink Ribbon Creator Dies
The woman known to most as the creator of the pink ribbon campaign to fund breast cancer research has died. Evelyn Lauder passed away over the weekend in New York City after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 75. Lauder, the daughter-in-law of the late Estee Lauder, is survived by her husband, two sons and five grandchildren.
 
State Lobbies For NCLB Exemption
Tennessee is looking to be exempt from federal education standards. The state wants the education department to release it from the review system set up under No Child Left Behind. The program penalizes schools that don't show a 20-percent performance increase in math and reading scores year after year.

Metro Considers Urban Chicken Farming
Guess what you might soon have right next to you in your neighborhood? A chicken farm. The Metro Council is looking at a proposal to let people have up to six chickens in their backyard, all hens, no roosters. It crows and it's gone.They'd just have to have a chicken coop and pay a $25 fee.

Michael Jackson's Personal Belongings To Be Auctioned
The contents of the house where Michael Jackson died are being sold at auction next month, including Jackson's personal paintings and antique furniture. The mansion itself will go on sale separately.