I nearly kissed the fellows in yellow NES hard hats as they brought my house back to the 21st century on Friday.
We had been 13 days without power — fortunate to be in a hotel paid for by insurance but getting a little cranky about being among the final homes reenergized after winter storm Fern froze us out.
While cornered, I had to ask my hard-working heroes about something that came up on our daily show, “This Is Nashville,” last week.
An NES retiree called in (you can watch it) with concern about linemen not getting proper praise for working 16-hour days in the ice and cold to get the city running again. In fact, he’d heard from former colleagues that managers suggested they avoid sitting in restaurants, lest they be caught on camera looking like they weren’t working as hard as humanly possible.
The crew that came to my rescue seemed to say it was less of a direct order but confirmed there had been concerns about the “optics” of resting in public.
I wish it weren’t true.
WHAT TO KNOW
Photo: Courtesy NES via X
Anyone griping about the slowness of power restoration may not have seen just how bad some of Nashville was hit by the ice storm. To get my street glowing again required a dozen trucks, half a dozen new transformers and load of new poles.
Installing just one of those poles on a muddy and icy hillside in the woods is a feat to behold. It required what I’ll call a “bucket tank.” And to even get the pole in place, they had to drag it with a wench since no truck could get any closer.
To say nothing of the setbacks. One bucket truck slid down my icy driveway, nearly toppling in the ditch. Work came to a standstill while a heavy-duty wrecker sprang the truck from precarious perch.
All while it was freezing and foggy. The conditions couldn’t have been much worse.
Those who have been most critical of NES’s communication strategy and response operation have made sure to say they don’t fault the linemen. But there’s a difference between absolving the rank-and-file from the blunders of management and leading with full-throated gratitude.
The linemen should be able to rest in peace wherever they please. And when we see them, I hope we offer to buy their lunch.
Without their skilled hands, life skids to a halt.
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How does a state so unfamiliar with snowfall have any connection to the Winter Olympics? Tennessee may not be the most wintery place (ice storms aside), but we do have some connections to the Winter Games. Plus the local news for February 9, 2026.
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MORE TO KNOW
- A major federal disaster was declared Friday for 15 counties in Tennessee. This provides funds for local governments and some nonprofits, including for cleanup and infrastructure repairs. State officials are still seeking cash assistance for individuals and say residents can prepare by documenting damage, saving storm-related receipts and filing insurance claims.
- Mayor Freddie O’Connell is asking Metro Water Service to suspend all penalties on water bills. If approved by the Metro Council, the measure would also suspend turn-offs and late fees for February. [WPLN]
- The city is re-allocating $750,000 of American Rescue Plan funds to the Emergency Winter Housing Assistance program, which launched last week with a $250,000 donation from the Tennessee Titans. The funding is administered through the Metro Action Commission, which received more than 130 applications in the first hour.
- The Legal Aid Society says that the disruptions from the storm were far worse than expected, and renters are often vulnerable following disasters. The nonprofit is asking landlords not to evict tenants who are late on payments until at least March 1 and waive any late fees.
- Republican leaders in the Tennessee House say they’re exploring options for making changes to Nashville Electric Service. Speaking to reporters, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Majority Leader William Lamberth said they think the state should step in if Metro doesn’t make major changes. [WKRN]
- A federal judge has vacated the federal corruption convictions of Tennessee’s former House Speaker and his top aide. Glen Casada and Cade Cothren were about to begin their sentences for federal corruption charges when President Trump pardoned the pair in November. While that cleared all penalties, the conviction still remained on their record until this new judicial action. [Tennessean]
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