MURFREESBORO, Tenn.
MTSU starting science building
Middle Tennessee State University has broken ground on its $147 million Science Building.
The Tennessean reports this is the first increase in space for science education since 1967. During that time, enrollment at MTSU almost has quadrupled.
MTSU granted almost 700 degrees in biology, chemistry and related fields in 2009-10. University President Sidney McPhee said that number could increase by 25 percent after the new science building opens in spring 2015.
Gov. Bill Haslam included almost $127 million for construction of the building in his 2012-13 budget, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly on Monday.
ATLANTA
New license plates available
Georgia's new license plates will be available statewide starting today.
The Georgia Department of Revenue said license plates issued prior to Dec. 1, 2003, will be replaced either when owners renew their vehicle registration or when they register a vehicle for the first time.
The new car tag, designed by Linda Sosebee, of Forsyth, was chosen from among 500 entries in a contest last year and features peaches in the foreground against a backdrop of green hills.
The contest drew controversy last year after confusion arose over whether the motto "In God We Trust" would be on the new car tag. People will have the option of adding the religious motto to the tag for free starting July 1.
Cost of airport art project soars
The cost of an art installation designed to create a virtual forest at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has ballooned to $4 million -- more than triple what it would have cost when the project was first proposed 10 years ago.
Steven Waldeck's "Flight Paths" would be the airport's most expensive and ambitious single project to date if approved. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports airport officials soon will ask the City Council to OK the project.
The installation, which would be paid for with airport funds set aside from fees, is raising questions about how much is too much to pay for airport art.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
Superintendent calls for higher standards
State school Superintendent Tommy Bice is recommending a complete overhaul of the state's testing program.
The Birmingham News reports Bice said it is time to require higher minimum scores necessary for a student to pass and add more components that consider more than multiple-choice questions.
Bice said the state should not allow students to reach eighth grade before their weaknesses are identified and remedied. He said that while students may be meeting expectations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the law does not always translate into success. The state has a mediocre high school graduation rate, and many who are accepted into college need remedial courses.