The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page A1

By SUE McCLURE StaffWriter OLUMBIA As far as waterways go, the Duck is a rare bird indeed. In fact, a just released biological survey says the Duck River is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America and is bouncing back from years of abuse, pollution and the construction and destruction of a dam. one of the last rivers of its kind anywhere in the said Leslie Colley of The Nature Conservancy, an environmental protection agency that so values the Duck it opened a field office in Columbia to help conserve the unique ecosystem. truly More freshwater mussel species are found in the Duck River today than in all of Europe, Colley said. And recently a stunning discovery was made: A rare sheepnose mussel was found a species that been found in the Duck in more than 100 years.

according to Steve Ahlstedt, an aquatic biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, which conducted the three-year survey, along with the Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute and The Nature Conservancy, through a grant from the Tennessee Environmental Endowment. to the last recorded survey results in 1988, we have four times more mussels in the Ahlstedt said. a tribute to the resiliency of Mother Nature that these species are still Not only are the mussels still in the river, they are increasing dramatically in both density and range moving more than 30 miles downstream and re-establishing colonies. The rebound of mussels and snails in the Duck River is of the most important conservation stories in the United said Paul Johnson, a research scientist with the Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute.

other place in the world has the diversity of freshwater mollusks that we do in the Southeast United States. And the Duck is likely the most bio-diverse tributary system in all of North Johnson gets downright giddy talking about his survey results. found only three Cumberland monkeyface mussels in our 1979 and 1988 he said. this time, we found 32. So we had a tenfold increase.

the oyster mussel, we found four in 1979, none in 1988 and we have found literally hundreds CONTENTS Sections: Local News Sports Living Business Classifieds Classroom 3B Dave Ramsey 2E Deaths 5B Editorials 8-9A Running 12C School News 4B Shortcuts 8D TennesseanBroadsheet Master TennesseanBroadsheet Master 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 5 TennesseanBroadsheet Master TennesseanBroadsheet Master 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 To subscribe call: 242-NEWS or (800) 342-8237 1A www.tennessean.com Monday September 29 Weather forecast on 6B 65 45 2003 NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE A GANNETT NEWSPAPER VOLUME 99, NO. 272 6 SECTIONS 3 COPYRIGHT 2003 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID IN NASHVILLE, TN www.tennessean.com RECIPES Rescue by rotisserie Roasted chickens make easy meals for busy cooks LIVING FOOD, 1D ALBUM REVIEWS Emmylou, Martina soar Newest tunes by stars get marks as high as their voices LIVING FOOD, 5D Diverse Duck Pollution once threatened its mussels and other species. But the Duck River is positively teeming with life these days. ALAN POIZNER Earl Bailey and Mitch Brooks begin a canoe trip on the Duck River in Milltown earlier this month. Their educational trip was designed to teach them about the Duck River, which biologists say is one of the most bio-diverse rivers in North America.

Redesigned Business section inside today This week The Tenness- ean is launching new features and a redesign in its business section. Today the section launches The Morning Memo, which highlights local people in the news and other business topics. Also beginning today are: A new international page. A small-business column. Company to Watch, a weekly feature on local firms.

Redesigned local business calendar with best bets. TO OUR READERS: NHC had hinted at inadequate insurance in a crisis By SCOTT REEVES Associated Press and GETAHN WARD and DIANE LONG StaffWriters The corporate owner of the Nashville nursing home where a fire killed eight residents and injured dozens of others has self-funded liability insurance coverage that the company previously warned may be inadequate in an emergency. No lawsuits have been filed yet over deadly fire at the four-story NHC Nashville HealthCare Center, a building with 116 residents and no sprinklers in the living areas. Eight residents remained in critical condition last night of the 30 or so still being treated for burns, smoke inhalation and other fire-related injuries at Nashville hospitals. National HealthCare Corp.

of Murfreesboro said it decided to fund liability insurance on its own because it received only two bids to provide coverage in 2002. It has paid the quoted premium into a fund it administers, but it said in a document filed this Claims could exceed coverage, filing said MCCAREINS, HOLCOMBE NFL Titans cash in on mistakes SPORTS, 1C backups, big plays sink error-prone Steelers RICKY ROGERS STAFF TWRA biologist and mussel program coordinator Don Hubbs walks out of the Duck River near Caney Springs, after checking out the mussels. In one spot, he found seven species of mussels. The river holds about 53 mussel species, 22 snail species and 147 fish species. Inside facts on the Duck River and its mussels.

On 2A look at the endangered species in the Duck. On 2A Don Hubbs maintains a mussel breeding and research facility in Marshall County. On 2A one ofthe last rivers ofits kind anywhere in the world. truly Leslie Colley of The Nature Conservancy Please see DUCK, 2A Night ofsmoke, fear for residents, rescuers By NICOLE GARTON StaffWriter Trapped inside a smoke-filled room with two frightened, elderly women, firefighter Jeff Neely called on his radio for help. No one answered.

He had crawled down the third- floor hallway to rescue the women from their room at the NHC Nashville HealthCare Center, which caught fire Thursday night. But by the time he reached them, the hallway had gone black with smoke and the room had started to fill with it. Without an air tank, he knew they survive the trip through the hall and down the stairs to the exit. Neely broke out the window for air and tried to reassure the frail nursing home residents, who alternatively shouted for help and coughed in the choking smoke. He told them help was on the way, that get them out.

But he sure anyone even knew he was in trouble. In another part of the building, firefighter Tom Lawrence hear his crewmate call for help. He had his own problems. He had climbed a ladder to the second floor, where the fire had started, and was breaking windows so he could hand residents to the courtyard below, when the air in his tank ran out. Without it, he risked breathing deadly smoke that could permanently damage his lungs.

Nearby, six more residents coughed and choked in their rooms waiting for rescue. Lawrence took one last gulp of air, flung off his mask, covered his nose with his hood and rushed to help evacuate the rest of the floor. It until later that he real- Two firefighters describe efforts at nursing home JAE S. LEE STAFF Firefighter Tom Lawrence continued evacuating patients at the NHC Nashville HealthCare Center even after his tank ran out of air. Inside Update on those who survived nursing home fire.

On 3A Please see FIRE, 2A Please see FIREFIGHTERS, 3A Davidson.