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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It is a billion-dollar utility, but tonight some fear the Nashville Electric Service is wasting money. Metro Council members have tough question sfor NES leaders after a troubling state audit. Several Metro Council members are not happy with NES. They fear that money is being squandered, and managers are not doing a good job. Problems they say ratepayers are paying for. Metro Council members came with a list of questions for Nashville Electric Service.
"When the public sees these findings, it's like it's a big party up there for management," says Councilman Charlie Tygard.
Concerns have heightened ever since a state audit released last month uncovered 14 problems inside the electric utility.
"Hopefully the process we are going through will serve as a lesson, and going forward we won't have this issue come up again," says Council member Phil Claiborne.
The audit revealed a $17 million contract was not competitively bid, and a transformer was leased in exchange for hotel rooms and golf passes.
"At what point in our society can fraudulent actions occur, and someone still maintain their employment?" asks Tygard.
The NES Board Chairman Ron McCabe says the utility has adopted a plan to fix the problems and has already implemented most of it.
"Rest assured that the NES board and management take the findings very seriously, and we are committed to addressing control weaknesses within the company," says McCabe.
Concerned citizen Ken Jakes isn't convinced.
"The philosophy at NES is anything goes, they are not above the law," says Jakes.
Jakes believes it is time for a change in leadership, and is calling for the firing of President Decosta Jenkins.
"I am dedicated, I am committed and I am going to see this through until it gets to the U.S. District Attorney's Office, and I don't think he'll see this public corruption as something to be swept under the carpet," says Jakes.
One step NES has taken is limiting the number of company credit cards. There used to be 160 cards, now NES only has 11. You can find all our WASTE WATCH stories on Fox17.com. Just go to HOT TOPICS and click on WASTE WATCH. You can also submit your ideas for WASTE WATCH stories in that same section.
"When the public sees these findings, it's like it's a big party up there for management," says Councilman Charlie Tygard.
Concerns have heightened ever since a state audit released last month uncovered 14 problems inside the electric utility.
"Hopefully the process we are going through will serve as a lesson, and going forward we won't have this issue come up again," says Council member Phil Claiborne.
The audit revealed a $17 million contract was not competitively bid, and a transformer was leased in exchange for hotel rooms and golf passes.
"At what point in our society can fraudulent actions occur, and someone still maintain their employment?" asks Tygard.
The NES Board Chairman Ron McCabe says the utility has adopted a plan to fix the problems and has already implemented most of it.
"Rest assured that the NES board and management take the findings very seriously, and we are committed to addressing control weaknesses within the company," says McCabe.
Concerned citizen Ken Jakes isn't convinced.
"The philosophy at NES is anything goes, they are not above the law," says Jakes.
Jakes believes it is time for a change in leadership, and is calling for the firing of President Decosta Jenkins.
"I am dedicated, I am committed and I am going to see this through until it gets to the U.S. District Attorney's Office, and I don't think he'll see this public corruption as something to be swept under the carpet," says Jakes.
One step NES has taken is limiting the number of company credit cards. There used to be 160 cards, now NES only has 11. You can find all our WASTE WATCH stories on Fox17.com. Just go to HOT TOPICS and click on WASTE WATCH. You can also submit your ideas for WASTE WATCH stories in that same section.
Tuesday, February 5 2013, 12:04 AM CST
Tennessee News
Couple's bodies found in their Blount County home
May 20, 2013 20:14 GMT
LOUISVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Blount (blunt) County sheriff's office says preliminary results of autopsies on the bodies of a couple found dead in their home in Louisville (LEW'-ihs-vil) show their deaths are consistent with murder-suicide.
Marian O'Briant said in an email that it appears 54-year-old Steven Adkins shot 53-year-old Rebecca Adkins, then shot himself.
O'Briant said a family member found the bodies Sunday night. It wasn't clear how long they had been dead.
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