Consortium featuring Ingram Barge nets grant
Posted on November 20, 2009 at 8:28 am
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a $2 million grant from the Recovery Act kitty for the Mississippi River Corridor Tennessee to retrofit Ingram Barge diesel engines. The program is expected to remove particulates equivalent to 200 trucks.
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Vanderbilt researchers: Let’s talk about containing school spending
Posted on November 5, 2009 at 10:57 am
Professors James W. Guthrie and Arthur Peng worry that the Recovery Act billions being poured into school systems across the country will lead to persistently rising education outlays “regardless of the diminishing returns in terms of student outcomes.”
Based on historic spending trends and estimating that the federal government’s stimulus contribution will grow to approximately $90 billion, Guthrie and Peng project that national per pupil revenues could increase at a rate of nearly 2.5 percent annually over the next ten years.
Yet, reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have been level for four decades. And, for a half century, nearly one-third of the nation’s high-school students have failed to graduate with their class each year, while graduation rates for black and Hispanic students are even lower.
SEE ALSO: The full paper, “The Phony Funding Crisis“
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Millions of stimulus dollars for area water projects
Posted on October 27, 2009 at 8:03 am
Officials in Nashville, Franklin and Dickson County can expect a stimulus check in the mail for water and wastewater system improvements. The total money being allocated to the three as part of the third round of Recovery Act spending is a shade under $14 million.
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Meharry received $5.7M in stimulus funds
Posted on October 22, 2009 at 11:45 amMeharry Medical College has received $5.7 million in funding from the $4.35 billion made available by the National Institutes of Health through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The money will expand the school’s research on health disparities, including research on women’s health, cancer and HIV/AIDS.
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Bredesen and Kisber announce stimulus grants
Posted on at 8:18 amGovernor Phil Bredesen and Commissioner Matt Kisber of the Department of Economic and Community Development announced today that $9.3 million in federal stimulus funds will be available to small- and medium-sized cities and counties through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The competitive grants are available to assist local governments in conserving energy and reducing fossil fuel emissions.
“I am very pleased these Recovery Act dollars are available to help local governments become more energy efficient,” said Governor Bredesen. “I have emphasized how important I believe it is for government to lead by example at the state level when it comes to conserving energy. Now our local governments will have the same opportunity to promote energy efficiency in their own communities.”
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The latest hurdle to health IT investments
Posted on September 9, 2009 at 7:18 amParts of the Recovery Act has been touted by many — including local player Healthcare Management Systems — as a nice kick in pants for spending on electronic health records and other health IT projects. But the attorneys at Baker Donelson say providers may want to wait for a little while before committing serious cash. The criteria, you see, are still a little fuzzy.
Obviously, this is wreaking havoc in a number of ways - it is nearly impossible to know for certain if existing technology will qualify, or to make plans for investing in new information systems that can be paid for from incentive payments.
Stimulus for clean diesel
Posted on August 18, 2009 at 2:30 pmTennessee will get about $1.7 million from the Recovery Act to help truckers convert their fleet to run on clean diesel.
The grant rebates will cover up to 50 percent of the costs of idle reduction technologies, such as auxiliary power units, which provide an alternative to the truck’s main engine when power is needed for electricity or heating and cooling the cab during rest periods. Auxiliary power units use an average of 0.2-0.3 gallons of diesel fuel an hour, compared to the approximately one gallon of diesel fuel used every hour when the truck’s engine is idling.
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Stimulus act continues to boost HMS
Posted on August 11, 2009 at 12:22 pmNashville-based IT provider Healthcare Management Systems has inked a deal to expand its relationship with an Iowa hospital. One of the key factors: The accelerated depreciation allowed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for investments in electronic health records.
SEE ALSO: HMS lands West Memphis deal
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Goodlettsville gets stimulated
Posted on August 5, 2009 at 1:42 pmFederal and state stimulus funding will help Goodlettsville upgrade thousands of feet of sewer lines as well as a collection basin near the Mansker Creek pumping station.
This will reduce the amount of infiltration and inflow entering the sewer collection system during rain events and temporarily store excessive flows that reach the pump station, reducing sewage overflows to Mansker Creek. The project will be funded with a 20-year, $7.5 million loan with an interest rate of 2.88 percent and $5 million in principal forgiveness that will not have to be repaid.
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Minority supplier conference coming to town this month
Posted on August 3, 2009 at 1:10 pmThe Nashville Convention Center will host the Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council late this month. Among the key topics: Plugging into the Recovery Act’s cash flow, which is also the topic of the cover story of this week’s Nashville Post print edition.
SEE ALSO: Information on “Hispanic Integration as an Engine for Economic Growth Forum,” an event that will take place Aug. 11.
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Matthew Walker gets more stimulus cash
Posted on June 30, 2009 at 11:52 pmThe Nashville-based operator of health clinics will get $1.2 million from the Recovery Act.
The renovation project will also create additional office space for health education, outreach and behavioral health staff. Finally, AARA-CIP funds will be used to significantly improve the core of its information technology infrastructure. The major improvement includes advancing the integration of the electronic health record to include radiology and ophthalmology services.
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Water stimulus cash on its way
Posted on June 10, 2009 at 11:14 amGov. Bredesen has signed legislation that helps the state clear the way for various clean-water infrastructure projects to get going.
The debt forgiveness provision means part of the funding distributed to communities, water authorities and utilities will be in the form of a grant, which does not need to be repaid. Tennessee’s allocations from EPA are expected to be approximately $59 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to fund planning, design and construction of wastewater facilities and approximately $20 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to fund planning, design and construction of drinking water facilities.
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One way the stimulus can create rural jobs
Posted on April 15, 2009 at 1:53 pmAnd possibly hurt a segment of the commercial real estate sector…
Locally based call center company Sitel says the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s push to bring broadband services to rural communities will allow it to run more of its business out of its employees’ homes.
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Council member wants stimulus cash for Hickory Hollow
Posted on March 18, 2009 at 2:58 pmSam Coleman says the struggling mall needs the money for an improvement district focused on public safety.
Coleman likened the Hickory Hollow situation to last year’s approval by the Dean administration of a tax-increment financing deal to improve Bellevue Center Mall.
“… Due to the economy, business owners simply do not have money to pay for the additional assessment that would be required to implement the Central Business Improvement District,” his letter stated.
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State announces first stimulus bridge jobs
Posted on March 3, 2009 at 8:03 amContractors, get ready: The state has begun accepting bids for the first round of construction projects funded by the recent federal stimulus bill.
Under the ARRA, at least half of all TDOT highway and bridge funds must be obligated within 120 days. TDOT plans to let all remaining ARRA funded projects in May and June. All ARRA funds will be under contract and projects should be underway this summer. TDOT and the Department of Economic and Community Development estimate some 24,000 jobs could be created through the ARRA infrastructure funding for Tennessee.
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