www.dailypostathenian.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | NEWS DAILY POST-ATHENIAN | A11 ADDRESS: Money for safety, Weather woes continue small businesses discussed

FROM A1 problems with state build- Frigid temperatures lead to severe water problems ings,” he said. “We have sev- excited for.” eral state buildings in Nash- BY ADRIAN SAINZ He noted that the gover- ville and across the State of AND JAKE BLEIBERG nor’s budget is focused on Tennessee, plus we have The Associated Press investing in people, educa- a lot of university build- tion, health, business and ings across the state that MEMPHIS — About 7 jobs. have deferred maintenance million people in Texas — “We are investing in seeds issues, so he is saying that a quarter of the nation’s and the state’s health care we have to get these fixed second-most populous safety net, for example, he up because it is going to cost state — were told to boil has proposed several mil- us a whole lot more in the their water or stop using lion dollars to go into that future if we do not take care it entirely as homeown- safety net,” Howell point- of this now.” ers, hospitals, and busi- ed out. “He also expressed That funding will also be nesses grappled with bro- interest in providing $20 used to maintain parks as ken water mains and burst million to small businesses, well. pipes, many in areas unac- which is important because “He is proposing that we customed to dealing with when you look at the statis- invest $30 million in catching sustained frigid tempera- tics, historically, small busi- up with our state parks and tures. nesses provide the most jobs. bringing them up to speed Winter storms during the Seventy percent of our jobs because during this pandem- past week in the Midwest, in America are provided by ic Tennesseans, are going out Texas and the South forced small business, so if we are to their state parks in record water service providers to going to invest in our econ- numbers,” he noted. “Our scramble to manage flows LM OTERO | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS omy it just makes since that citizens really like the state as sub-freezing tempera- City of Richardson workers prepare to work on a water main pipe that burst due to extreme cold we invest in small business.” parks and I think it was great tures presented serious in a neighborhood on Wednesday in Richardson, Texas. The final topic that caught for the governor to propose problems. Howell’s attention was the that idea along with the rest The Texas city of Kyle, open flames or boiling because of a drop in water just shut off the water com- governor’s proposal to invest of his address ... It was just a south of Austin, asked resi- water to thaw pipes.” pressure. pletely and who knows $900 million in capital main- really good speech.” dents Wednesday to sus- Three hospitals in Nueces Brewing Co. in when I’ll get it back,” he tenance. pend water usage until fur- Shreveport, Louisiana, lost Corpus Christi offered said. “It’s kind of the Wild “That would help fix the EMAIL shane.duncan@ ther notice because of a water because of the storm, water to those experienc- West out here.” backlog of maintenance dailypostathenian.com shortage. KSLA-TV reported. City ing shortages. Tap room “Water should only be fire trucks delivered water manager Gwen Ponder said used to sustain life at this and officials were getting they plan to give out 2,000 point,” the city of 45,000 bottled water for patients gallons of filtered water said in an advisory. “We and staff. originally intended for beer are close to running out In the southwest Louisi- brewing. of water supply in Kyle.” ana city of Lake Charles, “We are happy to do it,” In Memphis, the power hospitals were faced with Ponder said. “These are and water company asked the possibility they might strange times.” residents to reduce their have to transfer patients In Abilene, Texas, fire- water usage through Friday. to other areas because of fighters were hampered by Memphis, Light, Gas low water pressure that low water pressure as they & Water said in a news followed a power outage, tried to extinguish a house release that it is experi- Mayor Nic Hunter said. fire, the Abilene Reporter encing reduced pressure The weather also caused News reported. across its distribution sys- major disruptions to water “They had to watch that tem due to freezing tem- systems in the Texas cit- house burn,” City Manag- peratures this week. ies of Austin, Houston, er Robert Hanna said at a The utility also said it is San Antonio, Fort Worth, news conference. seeing reduced reservoir Galveston and Corpus In Dallas, Gerry Gross levels at pumping stations Christi. tried in vain to reach the and several water mains In Austin, residents were cut-off valve outside his have burst. MLG&W has told Wednesday night to home after a pipe burst and asked customers to refrain boil their water after the sent water pouring through from leaving the water run- city’s largest treatment the wall of his utility room. ning while rinsing dishes, plant lost power. Mean- Dressed in a knit sweater take short showers and while, the city’s fire depart- and sweatpants tucked into hold off on washing clothes ment said it has received his rubber boots, Gross, 60, until Friday. Officials also hundreds of broken water struggled to use a wrench asked customers to save pipe calls since Monday. to pry open a metal cover water by letting faucets On Tuesday alone, the in the sidewalk outside his drip, instead of streaming department fielded 685 home that covers the valve. water, to prevent pipes calls about busted pipes. Gross said he had been from freezing over. In Houston, also, resi- without power for 36 hours Oklahoma City officials dents were told to boil their and the temperature inside said on Twitter that pow- water — if they had power his home had fallen into the er outages and extremely to do so — because of a 30s when the pipe burst. He low temperatures caused major drop in water pres- got power back Wednesday water service interruption sure linked to the weather. but he has been unable to and low pressure for cus- Austin Water told residents get a plumber to come to tomers. Crews helped turn in the southwest section fix the leak. off water for thousands of of the city to boil water Gross wrapped the pipe customers who had their before using it for drink- in duct tape to try to dam private water lines break. ing or cooking. the flow into the room that “Leave your cabinet doors Leaders in Austin and holds his washer and dry- open to allow warm air to the Houston area asked er, but it continued to seep circulate,” the city said in residents to stop dripping through. a tweet. “Do not try to use water from their faucets “If I call the city, they’ll Tenn. moves vote on removal of Confederate bust to March

BY JONATHAN MATTISE The Associated Press

NASHVILLE — Due to severe winter weather, a Tennessee panel won’t vote until next month on whether to remove the bust of a Confederal general and early leader from the state Capitol. Tennessee Historical Commission spokesper- son Susan McClamroch said consideration of the bust is rescheduled from Thurs- MARK HUMPHREY | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS day and Friday until March The bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest is displayed in the state capi- 9. The meeting will remain tol July 1 in Nashville. Gov. Bill Lee announced Wednesday that mainly virtual because of a state panel that has the authority to help remove the bust of the ongoing COVID-19 pan- the former Confederate general and early leader of the Ku Klux demic. Klan will take up the issue next week. “Due to severe travel restrictions caused by the made six recent commis- symbol has sparked mul- winter storm, the hearing sion appointments ahead tiple protests demanding its has been continued until of the meeting. removal over the years. The some of those involved House Speaker Cameron national outcry for racial including the administrative Sexton said he and Senate justice after the death of law judge, legal counsel, and Speaker Randy McNally, George Floyd and other key witnesses can be phys- both Republicans, are ask- Black people at the hands ically present,” commis- ing the attorney general if a of police rekindled the push sion spokesperson Susan third panel, the State Build- to remove Confederate sym- McClamroch said. ing Commission, needs to bols, including the Forrest A State Capitol Commis- approve the change as well. bust. sion vote in July began the Sexton’s office previously In 2017, the State Capitol lengthy process for the pro- said a legal review found Commission voted against posal, which would move State Building Commission moving Forrest’s bust to the busts of Forrest and approval must precede His- the museum, bucking for- Admirals David Farragut torical Commission action. mer Republican Gov. Bill and Albert Gleaves from the Lee spokesperson Laine Haslam’s call for the move. Capitol to the state museum. Arnold said the administra- Forrest was a Confeder- A two-thirds vote is needed tion is “taking it one step at ate cavalry general who in the Historical Commis- a time, starting with the His- amassed a fortune as a plan- sion. torical Commission.” tation owner and slave trad- Republican Gov. Bill Lee, The bust was unveiled in er in Memphis before the who changed positions to 1978, with the late Demo- Civil War. His involvement suggest moving Forrest’s cratic Sen. Douglas Henry with the Klan came after bust to the museum, has promoting the idea. The the war.