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Former nurse RaDonda Vaught is expected back in court Friday morning for a sentencing hearing on two charges related to the death of a patient.

Charlene Murphey, 75, died in 2017 after Vaught gave her the wrong drug at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Why it matters: Vaught's case became a closely-watched lightning rod for health care workers after a jury convicted her on counts of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult. 

Her supporters, including nurses from across the country, worry the case will set a dangerous precedent of punishing medical mistakes with jail time.

Protests are already planned surrounding the sentencing hearing.

Driving the news: Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Smith is expected to set the sentence at the end of the hearing.

What to watch: State law allows for as many as eight years behind bars in this case. But a lesser sentence is likely, and she could receive probation instead of jail time.

Prosecutors have argued Vaught made repeated errors that were so egregious they warranted criminal punishment. Her defense team has said the mistake was unintentional and exacerbated by systemic problems at the hospital.

What they're saying: The district attorney's office will defer to the judge on sentencing, per spokesperson Steve Hayslip.

"We have made it very clear that this is an offense for which probation is an option the judge may consider," Hayslip tells Axios.

"After all, the family wanted this defendant to never be a nurse again. The guilty verdict did that."

Yes, but: Vaught is also facing a perjury charge in Sumner County related to an attempted purchase at a gun store in 2020, when prosecutors say she filed paperwork incorrectly claiming she was not under felony indictment.

Former nurse RaDonda Vaught faces sentencing

A judge will set the sentence after hearing arguments on both sides of the debate.

RaDonda Vaught. Photo: Nicole Hester/The Tennessean/USA Today Network

Former nurse RaDonda Vaught is expected back in court Friday morning for a sentencing hearing on two charges related to the death of a patient.<ul><li>Charlene Murphey, 75, died in 2017 after Vaught gave her the wrong drug at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.</li></ul>

News

Naomi Judd's extraordinary legacy was celebrated Sunday night during an emotional memorial service at the Ryman Auditorium.

Driving the news: Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley and Little Big Town were on hand to perform. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Bette Midler shared video messages.

But the most powerful tributes came from Naomi's daughters.

Between the lines: Naomi Judd was an outspoken advocate for mental health care who struggled with depression.

She died by suicide on April 30, a day before The Judds were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

What they're saying: Ashley Judd began by speaking about her mother's cultivation of "preternatural mother-daughter harmonies."

"We are here tonight remembering an icon and a legend who left country music better than she found it."

Wynonna's majestic voice is one of country music's great instruments. It is a vessel of pure emotion. 

Singing her mother's words on "River of Time" was the ultimate encapsulation of the grief, love and despair that come alongside a sudden loss.

"Flow on, river of time," she sang, looking up. "Wash away the pain and heal my mind."

The bottom line: Wynonna ended the telecast with a pledge to move forward with the reunion tour she had planned with her mother, calling it an extension of the tribute.

"We will continue this spectacle," she said before a rousing rendition of "Love Can Build a Bridge," the last song Wynonna sang with her mother.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

Country music "icon and legend" Naomi Judd remembered

Oprah, Brad Paisley and Judd's daughters pay tribute to an extraordinary legacy.

Ashley and Wynonna Judd. Photo: George Walker IV/The Tennessean/USA Today Network

obituaries

Naomi Judd&#x27;s extraordinary legacy was celebrated Sunday night during an emotional memorial service at the Ryman Auditorium.Driving the news: Emmylou Harris, Brad Paisley and Little Big Town were on hand to perform. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Bette Midler shared video messages.

Rising mortgage rates are adding to the perfect storm putting pressure on the Nashville area's housing market.

National mortgage rates surpassed 5% — the highest it's been in more than a decade, according to data shared by Freddie Mac. 

Why it matters: Low mortgage rates made buying in a sellers' market more affordable in the pandemic.  

In March 2022, median home sale values in Nashville were up 23.9% year over year, and now borrowing money is more expensive, too. 

Already-fatigued buyers could be priced out of homes closer to the urban core.

What they're saying:  "We've got a storm," Brian Copeland, founder of Doorbell Real Estate and immediate past president of Greater Nashville Realtors, tells Axios.

Interest rates are combining with lightning-fast sales and Nashville's broad appeal to "create a supercell," he says.

Zoom out: Copeland says rising monthly mortgage payments continue to drive interest in surrounding counties where prices are more affordable.

Dickson, Robertson and Sumner counties are becoming more attractive to prospective buyers, Copeland says.

Copeland predicts interest will intensify just over the state line in Franklin, Kentucky.

"If someone wants to be in this market with these higher interest rates, they're going to have to look at commute time."

Data: Freddie Mac, Redfin; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios

State of play: A year ago, mortgage rates were at 2.97%. In late April 2022, mortgage rates were at 5.11%.

By the numbers: If you were to take out a $300,000 30-year mortgage loan in April 2021, your monthly principal and interest would be around  $1,260, according to numbers shared by Freddie Mac. 

Your monthly payment on the same loan in April 2022 would be $1,631. 

That's $371 more per month, $4,452 a year and $133,560 more over the lifetime of your loan.

What's next: Mortgage rates are expected to rise throughout the year, averaging 4.6% for 2022 and 5% for 2023, according to Freddie Mac's trend forecast. 

So far in 2022, home prices haven't jumped drastically month to month, like they did in 2021.

But we're still in a critical supply crunch, so inventory would have to catch up to the remaining demand for prices to actually cool.

Surging mortgage rates make home buying more expensive in Nashville

Illustration of a house's roof being taken off by a trend line soaring upward through the home

Rising mortgage rates are adding to the perfect storm putting pressure on the Nashville area&#x27;s housing market.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National mortgage rates surpassed 5%" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/05/mortgage-rates-inflation-home-borrowing" data-vars-content-id="8b4fca00-5dce-46cb-8dcd-f9f9b5c2d711" data-vars-headline="Surging mortgage rates make home buying more expensive in Nashville" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/05/mortgage-rates-inflation-home-borrowing" target="_self">National mortgage rates surpassed 5%</a> — the highest it&#x27;s been in more than a decade, according to data shared by Freddie Mac. </li></ul>

Real Estate

Tennessee's latest state song might not have made it to Gov. Bill Lee's desk if not for a basket of wine and cheese left on singer Jamie Dailey's front porch.

Driving the news: About 10 years ago, songwriter Karen Staley left a CD of song demos and a welcome basket outside Dailey's Brentwood home.

Dailey's house was hard to miss — a tour bus for his bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent was parked out front, with a large picture of him on the side.

They became friends, and she eventually asked if they'd be interested in her song "I'll Leave My Heart in Tennessee." She thought her neighbor's powerful tenor would be a perfect match for the nostalgic ballad.

The intrigue: With lyrics describing the peaceful rolling hills of rural Tennessee, the song took Dailey back to his childhood in the small town of Gainesboro. He knew he had to sing it.

"It literally tells the story of my life," Dailey tells Axios. "Automatically, my mind goes right back to my happy times up in the country."

Between the lines: The song has a topical element that echoes long-running debates in Nashville.

The narrator laments "cold and heartless" developers who bulldoze farms "in the name of progress."

Flashback: Staley wrote the song in 2004, when the Williamson County farm where she kept a horse was facing redevelopment.

Earlier in her career, Staley wrote the Tracy Byrd classic "The Keeper of the Stars" and Faith Hill's early hits "Take Me As I Am" and "Let's Go To Vegas." But she tells Axios this song stood out.

"This one was from the heart," Staley says.

State of play: After Dailey & Vincent added the song to their setlist, it gained traction among fans and eventually won support from lawmakers.

State Rep. John Mark Windle (I-Livingston) and Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) sponsored legislation this year to make it a state song.

How it works: Tennessee has several state songs, including "Rocky Top," "Tennessee Waltz" and "Smoky Mountain Rain."

The bill adding "I'll Leave My Heart in Tennessee" to the list passed during the legislative session with near-unanimous support.

Dailey, Darrin Vincent and Staley celebrated with live renditions in the capitol. 

What she's saying: "It was mind-blowing because it had just laid dormant," Staley says of the song's winding journey.

"To me, it was just a literal God wink. A gift from God."

What to watch: A new Dailey & Vincent album featuring a studio recording of "I'll Leave My Heart in Tennessee" is set for release in August.

The winding journey of Tennessee's new state song

Bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent. Photo: Sanford Myers/The Tennessean/USA Today Network

Tennessee&#x27;s latest state song might not have made it to Gov. Bill Lee&#x27;s desk if not for a basket of wine and cheese left on singer Jamie Dailey&#x27;s front porch.Driving the news: About 10 years ago, songwriter Karen Staley left a CD of song demos and a welcome basket outside Dailey&#x27;s Brentwood home.

Tennessee State University announced an influx of funding this week to support scholarships and added programming.

Why it matters: The funding will expand TSU's footprint in multiple ways that leaders describe as game-changing.

By the numbers: Home improvement retail giant Lowe's is donating $1 million for student scholarships and new programming, including case studies in supply chain management.

A $284,000 state grant will create a certificate program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Zoom in: The state-funded program, awarded through the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, will launch this fall with the goal of enrolling eight students between 18-26 years old.

"We all want to see our students, our children succeed in life and we believe that this program is a tool to provide that," Anita McGaha, TSU's director of disability services, said in a news release.

Flashback: The news follows a high-profile weekend that saw Vice President Kamala Harris come to campus for a commencement address that celebrated the impact of historically Black colleges and universities.

TSU's funding surge

The funding will expand TSU's footprint in multiple ways that leaders describe as game-changing.

A sign outside Tennessee State University 

Tennessee State University announced an influx of funding this week to support scholarships and added programming.Why it matters: The funding will expand TSU&#x27;s footprint in multiple ways that leaders describe as game-changing.

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Stories

Country music "icon and legend" Naomi Judd remembered

Former nurse RaDonda Vaught faces sentencing

Surging mortgage rates make home buying more expensive in Nashville

TSU's funding surge

The winding journey of Tennessee's new state song