The Mayor of Clarksville Tennessee, Johnny Piper

“This is great news for Clarksville. Our city continues to be a state and national leader in many economic respects,” said Mayor Johnny Piper. “More and more people are discovering what we’ve known all along, that our community not only offers a tremendous quality of life, but that our business and economic environment is one of the bright spots in our country’s economic climate.”

Clarksville, the fifth largest city in the state, was the only Tennessee city to appear on CNNMoney.com’s list of 50 best places for businesses. The list measures various small business indicators and is produced by CNN’s Fortune Small Business magazine.

An aeriel view of the Historic Downtown in Clarksville Tennessee (May take a few seconds to load)

Fortune reported that fast-growing small companies have historically led the U.S. economy out of recession. According to the article, only 42 percent of U.S. entrepreneurs believe that their current location is the best place for them to thrive, based on a Fortune/Zogby International poll.

Believing that number was much higher, Fortune partnered with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to identify the 50 most business-friendly communities in the nation.

Fortune rated cities based on per capita income, hourly wages, work force quality, crime rates, taxes, foreclosures and population size. It also reviewed factors such as why entrepreneurs choose locations based on proximity to major cities, smaller, close-knit community size and intellectual/cultural factors.

Clarksville also made CNN’s top 25 list of U.S. cities with the fastest local GDP (gross domestic product) for the five-year “boom” period from 2001 to 2006. GDP is a measure of economic health based on the total expenditure for final goods and services produced. Notably, Clarksville was ranked 22 on the list with a 57 percent increase in GDP during the period, even before Dow Corning/Hemlock Semiconductor Inc. announced its $2.5 billion investment to build a polysilicon manufacturing plant there.

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division pass in review at the Fort Campbell Army Base

The article credited Fort Campbell Army base, Austin Peay State University and Hemlock, with its expected 800 initial manufacturing and 1,000 construction jobs, as major growth generators.

Clarksville was also recognized recently by Forbes, MSN Money, Fox News, Reuters, AOL Money News and many other media outlets for additional bullish indicators of recession recovery. Moody’s identified it as one of 23 cities of 381 nationally that has a moderating recession based on its Adversity Index.

A recent home pricing report revealed that the city’s median home price actually increased 2.9 percent in 2008 as opposed to the national slump of 18.7 percent. The same report, by Manier and Exton in Nashville, showed the average Clarksville home price was $147,137 (compared to $142,870 in 2007).

“These kinds of stats prove that Tennessee’s Top Spot is not just a slogan; it’s proof that Clarksville is a city on the right track for many reasons,” commented Piper.

For more news and information, contact the mayor’s office at 931-645-7444 or visit the city’s Web site at www.cityofclarksville.com.

DALLAS — Since its launch three years ago, AT&T U-verse has continually evolved and added new features. This month, AT&T* will rollout another series of enhancements that make AT&T U-verse even better for customers. Today and over the coming weeks, AT&T U-verse will add — at no extra cost as part of customers’ existing subscriptions — upgraded DVR capabilities and user interface enhancements for all customers, increased downstream speeds for AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Max residential and business customers, and a new On Demand Top Picks application for customers in select markets.

“Turning on the TV and seeing something new is what AT&T U-verse customers have come to expect from us,” said Jeff Weber, vice president of video services for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “These latest upgrades are further examples of how we’re using Internet Protocol (IP) technology to give you more control and more value. With AT&T U-verse, you’re getting DVR capabilities you can’t find from any cable providers, exciting and useful apps, and faster broadband speeds. We’re giving you an advanced entertainment experience, and this is still only the beginning.”

The U-verse enhancements announced today include:

• Exclusive new AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR feature. AT&T U-verse Total Home DVR capabilities will be expanded market-by-market in the upcoming weeks to add the ability to schedule and manage recordings from any U-verse receiver — a feature exclusive to AT&T among multi-room DVRs. The feature adds even more convenience and control over recorded shows by allowing customers to set or delete recordings from any room in their home, instead of from the DVR receiver room only. The enhancement follows the launch of Total Home DVR in 2008, which allows all U-verse DVR customers to watch standard and High Definition recorded shows on up to eight connected TVs in the home — all from a single DVR.
• Free speed increase for AT&T U-verse Internet Max customers. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Max customers have been given increased downstream speeds from up to 10 Mbps to up to 12 Mbps — a 20 percent increase in speed at no extra cost. The faster up to 12 Mbps downstream speed is available to all new and existing U-verse Internet residential and business customers who subscribe to the Max service.
• New On Demand Top Picks application. U-verse TV movie buffs will also have a new way to find that perfect movie with On Demand Top Picks. The new application will enable U-verse TV customers to view On Demand recommendations based on their past video rental history and view a list of the top ten On Demand titles U-verse TV customers are renting. The app will also give customers the ability to rate a movie they have previously rented, which will be averaged into other U-verse TV customer ratings and displayed next to the title in the On Demand recommendations list. On Demand Top Picks will be available to customers in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Hartford, St. Louis, Atlanta, Sacramento, San Antonio and Austin within the next few weeks. AT&T plans to make the app available to all U-verse TV customers next year.
• Web Remote Access to DVR enhancements. U-verse TV customers will soon have a new interface to schedule and manage their DVR recordings from any web-connected PC. Powered by Yahoo!, the enhanced functionality enables faster browsing of the program guide; sorting the program guide by genre, favorites or High Definition (HD) channels; easily referencing recently recorded shows and upcoming scheduled shows on a side panel; targeted searching by title, actor, and channel; and personalizing favorite channels. U-verse TV customers will also be able to utilize sub accounts — in addition to their U-verse master account login — to access this app. AT&T was one of the first providers to introduce online DVR control in November 2006, and brought three-screen DVR access to all U-verse TV customers with Mobile Remote Access to the DVR in April 2007. On average, more than 100,000 U-verse TV customers use Web Remote Access every month to schedule and manage their recordings.
• U-verse TV navigation improvements. U-verse TV customers will have a more simple and streamlined way to navigate and find programming with enhancements rolling out market-by-market along with the Total Home DVR upgrade. From within the U-verse programming guide, users will be able to select Enter to pull up a panel of options to jump to another channel, time or day to find the programming you want to watch. Customers will also be able to select Enter while watching live TV to bring up a side panel that allows them to select from zoom and audio options.
• Free movie month. As an added bonus, all U-verse TV customers will get even more options for their summer entertainment with unlimited access to Starz at no extra charge during July.

These upgrades are the latest examples of standard AT&T U-verse services and applications that give customers more freedom and flexibility over their entertainment experience. U-verse TV customers can also enjoy several other integrated applications, including personalized, on-screen weather, sports, traffic and stock information via AT&T U-bar; local and national weather forecasts on-demand; the ability to view personal photos on your TV that you have uploaded to flickr.com; remote access to the DVR from any web-connected PC or wireless phone; and more.

AT&T’s U-verse deployment is rapidly introducing competitive choice and next-generation services to more consumers. AT&T U-verse customers enjoy quadruple-play integration, enhanced features and greater value, all made possible by IP technology. AT&T U-verse TV ranked “Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the North Central, South, and West Regions,” according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study^SM.

Residential and small business customers who want additional information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in their area — can visit http://uverse.att.com.

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“This study provides new insight into the opinions of small business owners across Tennessee and shows their preferences for health care reform issues,” says Craig Anne Heflinger, professor of human and organizational development in Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development and a coauthor of the report.

Key findings from the report include:

• 79% report they are “really struggling” to afford the cost of health coverage.
• 61% believe that reforming health care now is a step to getting the economy back on track
• 73% report everyone should have a choice between quality, affordable public and private plans
• 88% report that it will be a significant challenge in the future to offer health insurance coverage to employees
• 70% want more public oversight of private insurers
• 61% agree that the government should play a stronger role in guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care.

“Historically, small businesses lead the way out of recessions. But they can’t perform this vital function for our economy when they’re paying, on average, 18 percent more in healthcare premiums than large corporations,” said John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority, a national nonprofit organization that does extensive scientific research on small business owners’ perspectives on healthcare reform. “It will be almost impossible to provide relief to small businesses, and in the process dig our way out of this recession, without reforming the healthcare system first.”

Most Americans (59.3%) receive health insurance coverage through their employer. With the economic downturn taking a large toll on small businesses’ bottom line, many can’t afford to continue offering health insurance. Nashville small business owners Chris and Becky Link remain concerned that, if nothing is done, they will eventually have to drop all of their employees’ medical coverage due to rising costs. “We pride ourselves in taking care of our employees because we believe that it is the right things to do and because it helps us recruit and retain the best talent in Tennessee,” the couple said. “If we don’t see relief from ever-increasing health care costs it will be impossible for us to continue to provide health benefits.”

The report was released at a Nashville press conference that also served as the kickoff event for the Tennessee Small Business Coalition, a non-profit, non-partisan coalition that was formed to give a voice to small business owners who are adversely impacted by America’s current health care system. “Some kind of reform legislation is going to pass by the end of this year,” said report co-author Lori Smith of the Tennessee Small Business Coalition. “We don’t have time to waste, because the impact of that legislation on our businesses and ultimately on all Tennesseans will be determined by how much we voice our opinions and preferences to our leaders.”

The survey was conducted by Craig Anne Heflinger, Marielle Lise Lovecchio, and Jill Robinson, of the Peabody Center for Community Studies, and Lori Smith of Tennessee Small Business Coalition. The research was funded by the Small Business Majority and “Consumer Voices for Coverage,” a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Community Catalyst.

A copy of the report is available online at:
http://www.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/Center_for_Community_Studies/CCS_Research_Project_Reports.xml

If you or someone you know is a small business owner who wants to speak up in favor of reform, contact the Change That Works campaign at 615-244-9791 or by email at .

DALLAS – Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to providing affordable solutions for small businesses in a tough economy, AT&T* today announced the industry’s first bundled offer targeted at small businesses that includes wireless, wired and high speed Internet services, starting at less than $100 a month.

The “All for Less” bundle is now available to qualifying small business customers (one to four lines in a single location) across AT&T’s 22-state footprint. The services, which come on one consolidated bill, include:

• Wireless from AT&T: Customers will be able to conduct business on the go with 450 minutes each month per wireless device, which operates on the nation’s fastest 3G network, available in nearly 350 U.S. metropolitan areas. AT&T provides a full suite of wireless devices and solutions that are ideal for small businesses.
• AT&T High Speed Internet Business Edition: Available in a variety of speeds to accommodate the needs of any small business, the service includes U.S.-based business-class technical support, all-in-one protection suite for selected tiers, up to 11 e-mail accounts and AT&T Wi-FiSM connectivity at more than 20,000 hot spots at convenient locations nationwide and more than 90,000 hotspots worldwide.
• Local Voice: Unlimited local calling voice package, including Call Forwarding and Caller ID.
• Long Distance Voice: Unlimited domestic long distance calling.

To qualify, customers must already have wireless service or purchase new wireless service from AT&T in addition to new or existing local voice, long distance voice and broadband services.

“We know that small businesses today depend on communications services to keep their operations productive and to do business wherever they live and work,” said Ron Spears, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Business Solutions. “Small business customers also tell us that they like the simplicity of bundles – one provider, one bill, and greater discounts. That’s why we’re introducing an offer that includes our portfolio of industry-leading services at a great value, helping jump start small business activity in a tough economy and giving them yet another reason to select AT&T.

“In addition, the wireless component of this bundle is enabling the anytime, virtually anywhere communications desired by small businesses on the go,” Spears said. “Through our nationwide capabilities and unparalleled product and service portfolio, we offer bundles that maximize productivity both inside and outside the office.”

According to industry research firm In-Stat, small businesses with one to four employees spent nearly $17 billion last year on telecom services and associated equipment in such areas as wireless, broadband, and local and long distance voice – all of which AT&T is positioned to serve.

For more information or to purchase All for Less, small businesses should call a small business advisor toll-free at 1-866-790-3712 or visit att.com/AllForLess. Businesses with more than four lines or businesses with multiple locations that are interested in similar bundled offers from AT&T should contact their small business advisor or designated AT&T account manager.

Small businesses looking to find information about all AT&T products and services or free business resources such as webinars, white papers, training, case studies and best practices can visit att.com/onwardsmallbusiness.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Voters Council has thrown its support to Senator Rosalind Kurita (D-Clarksville) in the Democratic Primary for Senate District 22. The endorsement was made at a rally held at New Providence Outreach Center. The council is a voter advocacy group focused on minority issues.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Voters Council,” Kurita said. “I am and will continue to be a staunch advocate for women, minorities, children and seniors in the state legislature.” Senator Kurita is speaker pro tempore of the Senate.

On the heels of that endorsement, the National Federation of Independent Business, Tennessee’s leading small business advocacy association, also announced its endorsement of incumbent Rosalind Kurita in Senate District 22. Sen. Kurita has been a strong supporter of the needs of her small business constituents, NFIB/Tennessee State Director Jim Brown said.

“I am honored to have the support of the National Federation of Independent Business. I will do everything I can to pass legislation that encourages small businesses to grow and continue creating jobs.” — Sen. Rosalind Kurita

Brown noted Sen. Kurita’s co-sponsorship of an important healthcare reform bill, SB 4014, as an example of her outstanding leadership. The legislation, which passed this year, will enable certain small businesses and their employees to join small group health cooperatives to spread risk and obtain better predictability of health insurance rates. Sen. Kurita also voted for regulatory flexibility for small business in 2006, the comprehensive workers’ compensation reforms of 2004, and the CoverTN health insurance program that offers an affordable and portable option for certain small businesses.

Kurita is speaker pro tempore of the Senate. She is vice chair of the Senate General Welfare, Health & Human Resources Committee and a member of the following committees: Transportation, Rules, Finance, Ways & Means, Joint Veterans Affairs, Joint Workers’ Compensation and Joint Select Oversight Committee on Education. She is a registered nurse.

House District 22 encompasses Cheatham, Houston and Montgomery counties. The primary will be held Thursday, Aug. 7. The general election will be held Nov. 4.

NFIB’s endorsement is important for Kurita. Small-business owners and their employees vote in high numbers and are known for actively recruiting friends, family members and acquaintances to go to the polls. NFIB has pledged it will activate its grassroots network on Sen. Kurita’s behalf. NFIB’s political support is based on the candidate’s position and record on small-business issues. Rosalind Kurita’s endorsement comes from NFIB/Tennessee SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust, the political action committee for NFIB/Tennessee’s membership. The endorsement brings the considerable grassroots support of Tennessee’s small-business owners to Rosalind Kurita’s campaign.