DAVIDSON COUNTY GRANT
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MUSIC CITY BOWL
JANUARY 5, 2023 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 1
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Gov. Lee Issues Clemency, Expedites Parole for 46 Tennesseans BY ELI MOTYCKA
PHOTO BY METRO NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
210,000 people celebrate New Year’s in Nashville’s biggest celebration STAFF REPORTS
A record 210,000 people attended Nashville’s New Year’s Eve celebration on Saturday night. The five-hour long Music City Drop filled Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and
featured dozens of live musical performances, including from Brooks and Dunn, Thomas Rhett and Ashley McBryde, and, of course, the note drop and fireworks. According to the Metro Nashville Police
Department, hundreds of officers were on duty throughout the celebration, which was streamed online on Paramount+ Premium where it can still be viewed on the platform.
Gov. Bill Lee intervened in the cases of 46 individuals on Thursday, issuing 16 pardons and commuting the sentences of 30 Tennesseans. Commuted sentences ease punishment for individuals sentenced under nowchanged laws that carried harsher penalties for drug-free school zone offenses, according to a press release from the governor’s office. In 2020, Tennessee passed a law striking mandatory minimum requirements for drugfree school zone offenses. Lee issued a similar round of clemency on Dec. 2 of last year. “In light of recent updates to Tennessee state law, I have made the decision to grant parole eligibility to certain low-level drug offenders who merit consideration for an expedited review of their sentence,” says Lee in the release. “Each parole hearing will be considered individually, and the Board of Parole will determine the appropriate outcome.” As a candidate, Lee campaigned on reforming the state’s criminal justice system. He struggled with reforms during his first term, butting heads with Republican leaders who pushed through new legislation tightening sentencing restrictions without Lee’s signature. >> PAGE 2
Man shot and killed in Monday Bellevue apartment robbery BY MATT MASTERS
A man was shot and killed in what police said was a “drug-related robbery” on Tuesday afternoon at Bellevue’s Aventura apartment complex, and now police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspects. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, officers were dispatched to the Amberwood Circle complex at 1:18 p.m. on Monday where they found 22-year-old
Daniel Bonner suffering from a gunshot wound. Police said in a news release that Bonner was shot inside of an apartment after two unidentified men “broke into the apartment demanding money and drugs.” Bonner was in the apartment’s bedroom and retrieved a gun as the robbery unfolded, which resulted in him being shot and those
two suspects fleeing the scene after “taking items.” Bonner was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died of his injuries. It’s unclear how many times Bonner was shot, the extent of his injuries, or if he was a resident of the apartment complex. An email to residents from Aventura’s
management which was obtained by The News acknowledged the incident, but did not offer any additional details. MNPD is now asking that anyone with information about the shooting or the identities of the two suspects contact Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
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