Murfreesboro-Clarksville-Jackson

[doormanpoet]

Does anyone from these cities have any news? Anything from the Tri-Cities?

I was in the Boro last weekend and it was beautiful! On a sad note, although I am a Clinton Democrat, I hated seeing the Republican Party headquarters for Rutherford County vandalized last weekend. Someone, and they got them on tape, smashed out the windows and destroyed stuff. The office manager told us as we walked by and asked what happened, that people have been spitting and urinating on the place. The have also thrown feces on the windows. I hate Bush, but I am not going to destroy property because of it.

[Rural King]

Well I follow whats going on in Jackson to some degree.

Downtown after the 2002 tornado that wiped out or damaged so much of the CBD is recovering nicely. It has spurred alot of rehabbing of existing structures, clearing of old eye-sores, etc etc. So downtown is doing well. There is some effort I think to have more high end bars, restaurants, shops, etc (ala Paducah KY) downtown, but the effort does not seem that great at the moment. They missed a great chance to bring all those things downtown along with people when they built their AA baseball park (Pringles Park) out off I-40 outside of town (ie not near any existing commercial activity downtown or otherwise really) instead of near downtown.

Baseball has been a big issue for the city here of late. Jackson has been working on retaining their AAA baseball team, the Diamond Jaxx (Chicago Cubs affiliate) after nearly losing it to South Carolina, a move their league shot down. The owners and the city are/were not getting along, but movement towards the city, or the city/private entities, or city found entities buying the team are afoot. The Jaxx are less than 10 years old and have a very nice modern stadium (esp. for AA), so it would be a big blow for the city to lose the team.

The other big project in the city and county plan a huge sports complex/park out next to Pringles Park. Its a huge investment, esp. since they are trying to buy or retain the the AA team, but one that appears destined to become reality.

Well thats a brief overview of the bigger things going on in Tennessee's 7th largest city.