APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

This litigation concerns dissolution of a marriage 24 years in duration. The appellant, Lawrence Edward Norton, Sr. (“Husband”), has appealed from the final decree of divorce, challenging the correctness of the trial court’s decision to award the appellee, Brenda Kay Norton (“Wife”), one-half of his railroad retirement benefits, rehabilitative alimony and attorney’s fees. For reasons expressed below, we affirm and remand.

This consolidated appeal of three separate proceedings involves the efforts of BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. to take advantage of the 1995 legislation easing the traditional regulatory burdens on telecommunications service providers. After making significant adjustments in BellSouth’s reported operating results, the Tennessee Public Service Commission determined that BellSouth’s current earned rate of return exceeded its authorized rate of return and that BellSouth was receiving $56.285 million in excess revenues. The Commission directed BellSouth to reduce its rates by $56.285 million and set the initial rates in the company’s price regulation plan accordingly. On this appeal, BellSouth and another intervening party take issue with the procedures employed by the Commission to consider and act upon BellSouth’s application for a price regulation plan. We have determined that these proceedings were not preempted by the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. We have also determined that the General Assembly did not give the Commission authority to adjust BellSouth’s reported operating results and that the Commission should have convened a contested case hearing when BellSouth took issue with the Commission’s decision to adjust its reported operating results. Accordingly, we vacate the Commission’s January 23, 1996 order and all earlier related orders.

Issac Lydell Herron appeals from the trial court’s order dismissing his petition for a writ of mandamus.  The complaint alleges that Mr. Herron is the president and incorporator of the Church of God at Cold Creek, Inc., a Tennessee corporation.  Jimmy Harrison is the warden of Cold Creek  Correctional Facility (CCCF) and Elizabeth T. Rice is the District Attorney General of the 25th Judicial District.  Although not specifically stated in the complaint, it is apparent from the exhibits to the complaint that Mr. Herron is incarcerated at CCCF.

In this suit, the Plaintiff seeks a determination that he owns a right-of-way from his property located in the Fourth District of Hancock Counter over the adjoining property of the Defendants.
 

This appeal stems from a decision of the Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals to grant a conditional use permit for a medical office building and parking garage adjacent to St. Thomas Hospital. The homeowners’ association of a neighboring condominium development and other parties who opposed the project filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the Chancery Court for Davidson County. The trial court heard the case without a jury and upheld the Board’s decision to grant the conditional use permit. On this appeal, the project’s opponents take issue with the procedures followed by the Board in granting the conditional use permit and also assert that the project does not comply with the Zoning Ordinances for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. We affirm.

The petitioner, William David Clapp, appeals as of right from the Sullivan County Criminal Court’s dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. The trial court dismissed the petition, concluding that it was barred by the statute of limitations. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

This complaint was filed July 17, 1978, by a Conservator seeking an accounting from a Trustee - Executrix.
 

The captioned plaintiff, a prisoner in custody of the Department of Correction awaiting execution has appealed from a decision of the Board of Paroles denying his request for parole. His death sentence has been stayed by a federal court which ordered a retrial of the issue of punishment. This retrial has not yet taken place.

Peggy McCann Patterson Weathers appeals the trial court’s order which granted the petition of Appellees Anthony Earl McCann and Cynthia McCann to adopt the two minor children of Weathers’ daughter, Virginia Darlene McCann Wills. We affirm the court’s final order of adoption.