One year and two months after the December 25th bombing in Nashville

Just three days after the bombing in downtown Nashville, TN on December 25, 2020, FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Korneski of the FBI Memphis Field Office released the results of forensic tests of human remains recovered from the blast site on 2nd Avenue. DNA examinations of tissue samples by both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI laboratory in Quantico, VA, were consistent to those of Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, of Antioch, TN.

View fullsize

Above photos were captured on February 19, 2022 - One year and two months after the December 25, 2020 bombing on Second Avenue in downtown Nashville, TN.

The road to North Carolina - Street Photography

Street Photography in Nashville: While on a walk in downtown Nashville, my wife and I came across a man sitting on a small ledge outside the richly appointed Omni Luxury Hotel. The stark contrast was poignant and perhaps humbling for those who noticed him.

Sitting in front of the man was a shopping cart filled with his life.
With a stutter, he said his goal was to save enough money to make it to North Carolina.

#Nashville,#blackandwhite,#streetphotography,#leica

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix 2021

A crowd of more than 140,000 spectators were in downtown Nashville for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. Fans from all over the globe filled hotels throughout Middle Tennessee. The event reportedly generated over $20-million in revenue for Nashville and the 8-counties that surround the Metro area – and that number doesn't include the funds used to organize and set-up the 3-day race (Aug. 6, 7, 8, 2021).

Winning the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday evening was Marcus Ericsson from Sweden. Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, his Honda powered IndyCar won the race after smashing the nose of his ride into car number 14. 30-Year-old Ericsson finished within 1.5596 seconds of his teammate Scott Dixon.

View fullsize

Photography and Story by Scott Walker

View fullsize

Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge during Sunday racing in Nashville, Tennessee - Aug. 8, 2021.

One of the highlights of the race occurred when the 27-cars traveled over the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge. In fact, the bridge over the river was a first for the IndyCar circuit in the U.S. and one of only a few courses in the world to cross over a river the size of the Cumberland.

Known for their speed, the IndyCars were reported to have hit 185 miles per hour as they traveled 80-feet above the Cumberland River while crossing the 553-yard bridge (1,660-feet in length). The straightaway at the start and end of the bridge, including the roadway leading up to and away from the bridge, was approximately 2,200-feet, which made it the longest straightaway for IndyCar this season.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Lot’s of wrecks took place on the race course that included 11-turns in the 2.17-mile run. One of those wrecks (above) involved #48, Jimmie Johnson. Evidently, Johnson tweeted that the course was really “bumpy.”

Murfreesboro's MTSU played a role in helping to ensure safety measures were in place. The MTSU School of Concrete and Construction Management helped to design and build the racing barriers along the course and on pit row.

His heart breaks for his mother, but he is alone

Making ends meet while cooking outside in his campground... It looks as if he is camping in a state park with the large natural rock wall behind him, but in reality he is living in the downtown Nashville area. In front of him is a small stream.

His campsite is tucked away on a sliver of land that if you drove past, you would never guess that a stream and a massive rock wall were what lined his tent and propane stove.

"I've caught people down here smoking crack, so I built a gate," he said while opening it up to enter. Pointing towards the bottom of the gate he continued, "I even put a lock on it."

Before leaving I asked when he last visited his mothers grave and while looking down he responded, "I don't go that often, it makes me sad." Before she passed, his mother was his only support in life. She was everything to him. He battled through special education classes with her help. "I'll probably go this coming week, I need to go," he said.

“She supposed this was the real definition of a mother – a woman who willingly allows her heart to break over and over again for her children.” ― Rhian J. Martin, A Different Familiar