News 2011

The Cannon County Lionettes shook off the first game jitters, overcame abad shooting night and notched an opening night win over the Cumberland
County LadyJets 67-53. The Lionettes shot only 22 of 68 from the field.
Abbey Sissom led all Lionettes with 24 while Lindsay Reed added 23. The
Cumberland County Jets took off on a 3 point clinic to get a fast start
out of the gates and never look back in the boys contest. The Jets
coasted to a 49 to 31 win over the Lions in the second game. Tanner
Larson ended up being the leading scorer for the Lions with 8 points. The
Lions and Lionettes will travel to Marion County Friday

The road for a possible return to the state tournament starts tonight as the Cannon County basketball teams begin their 2011-2012 campaign.
Lindsay Reed, Abby Sissom and Joanna Young lead a very talented Cannon
County Lionette squad to Crossville to take on a rebuilding Cumberland
County Lady Jet Basketball team.  Lionettes are hoping to get back to
Murfreesboro again this year in March.  Although the Cannon County Lions
boys basketball team are mainly young and inexperienced, they have Jarrett
Melton and Zack Higgins as cornerstones in which to build around.  .  WBRY
AM 1540 FM 96.7 will have the live broadcast beginning at 5:45 with the
Coaches Corner and 6:00 for the tipoff.  The game will also be streamed live beginning at 5:45 tonight on wbry.com

Help  the Cannon County Senior Center seal and pave their parking lot by supporting the Thanksgiving Dinner Fundraiser on Wednesday. You are
invited to purchase your tickets for only $5.00 in advance and $6.00 at
the door tomorrow.  The dinner is open to anyone wanting to come eat.
Carry out will be available from 10:30A to 1:00P or you can eat in from
11:30 to 12 noon.  The center would like to raise at least $2500 for the
cost to seal and pave their parking lot before it gets too cold.  For more
information call the center at 615-563-5304

The Veterans and Concerned Citizens for the Veterans of Cannon County want to thank all of those that supported the Veterans Day Program at the
Cannon County High School and the Veterans Day parade to honor the
veterans.  They would also like to give a special thanks to those that
that participated in the parade and to all of the many who provided
donations.  The winners in the 2011 Veterans Day Parade are Best Float-The
Woodbury Lions Club.  The best Antique Vehicle military or civillian went
to Randall Davis and the Sunny Hills Baptist Church won best overall
entry.  Each of the winners received a check for $100.00

USDA Announces Disaster Assistance Sign Up for 2010 Crop Losses Woobury, Tennessee – November 9, 2011 – Cannon County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Donny Green today announced that the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program enrollment for 2010 crop year losses begins November 14, 2011.
“Producers across the state experienced several natural disasters during the 2010 crop year that caused hardship and financial losses to many agricultural operations,” said Green. “The SURE program provides assistance to producers when disaster strikes, so I strongly encourage producers with 2010 crop losses to contact the Cannon County FSA office to learn more about the program,” he said.
To qualify for a SURE payment, the producer’s operation must be located in a county that was declared a disaster for 2010 and have at least a 10 percent production loss that affects one crop of economic significance. Producers with agricultural operations located outside a disaster county are eligible for SURE benefits if they had a production loss greater or equal to 50 percent of the normal production on the farm.
To meet program eligibility requirements, producers must have obtained a policy or plan of insurance for all insurable crops through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and obtained Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage on non-insurable crops, if available, from FSA. Eligible farmers and ranchers who meet the definition of a socially disadvantaged, limited resource or beginning farmer or rancher do not have to meet this requirement. Forage crops intended for grazing are not eligible for SURE benefits.
For more information on SURE program eligibility requirements contact the Cannon County FSA office at (615) 563-4321, extension 2,.

There are many reasons for a student to attend school. First, attendance is important because it is the law. State law requires every child to attend school until his or her eighteenth birthday or until he or she has a high school diploma or a GED. There are consequences if a student misses too many days which can include a $50 fine for each day missed, public service work, a parent court-ordered to attend school with the child, and even incarceration of the parent if the student doesn’t return to school. While these consequences are very serious, there are others for students who don’t attend school regularly. Grades will not be as good, getting into trouble happens more often, graduation might not be achieved, and a good paying job might be hard to obtain.Students who don’t attend school regularly are more likely to drop out. Dropouts often abuse drugs and have marital and career problems as well. Research indicates a link between truancy and later problems such as violence, adult criminality, and incarceration.
There are a few good reasons to miss school, but only a few. These include a death in the family, other family emergencies, or when a student is truly sick.What can parents do to help keep their child in school? Make sure they go to school every day well fed and rested. Provide a quiet place for them to do homework, and set aside time every day to help with their homework. Pay attention to your child’s health needs, and take care of problems early. Encourage him or her to participate in extra-curricular activities such as sports and music. Read to your child daily, or if your child is older, you can read silently together and talk about what you read. Praise your child for what he or she does well and talk about any problems he might have. A parent can also talk to the teacher or school counselor. Make school and learning a priority in your home. Talk about college and have high expectations which you talk about frequently. Be sure that they know you believe in them, have high hopes for them, and are there to help them do their best.
Assuring that your child attends school daily and gets a good education is one of the best gifts you can give as a parent. You are helping make their future a bright one!
 

We are very pleased to announce that the Cannon County Library System is among the first 25 libraries in the state to sign up for the upcoming Shared Integrated Library System. Making it into the first group will save us substantial money by making us eligible for extra state aid to pay for setup and first year charges. This new system will be much more powerful and will allow our patrons to easily search for library materials around the state. Also connected to this project is a courier service to transport library materials being loaned among libraries. This service is projected to begin sometime next summer. 
Watch for major bargains coming after Thanksgiving from the Friends of the Library Book Sale. They are preparing some fun and inexpensive ideas for stocking stuffers and other gift giving.
 
If you haven’t investigated this website, please do. It is a valuable resource that is already paid for via your tax dollars. www.tntel.info is the Tennessee Electric Library. There are test preparation resources, resume writing help, consumer health information and so much more available for your use. Please help us pass the word about this wonderful service and resource.

Governor Bill Haslam has proclaimed November Adoption Month in Tennessee joining states around the country in celebrating adoption and raising awareness of the continued need for adoptive families.  
“Many Tennessee children have been able to realize their potential and lead full, happy lives because of adoption,” said Haslam. “It’s important that we take this opportunity to honor our state’s adoptive families.”
 
Tennessee leads the nation in time to adoption, meaning children eligible for adoption in Tennessee find permanent homes more quickly than children in any other state in the country, according to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).
 
Last year, 953 children were adopted through the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS). There are currently 623 children awaiting adoption in Tennessee.
 
“The impact of adoption on the life of a child cannot be exaggerated,” said DCS Commissioner Kathryn O’Day. “Adoption can provide children with a safe, stable and loving foundation where they have the opportunity to grow and flourish.”
 
Adoption Month has been celebrated nationally since 1995. This year’s initiative, themed Build Capacity to Make Lasting Change, seeks to build the capacity of adoption agencies and professionals to recruit and retain parents. It is targeted toward the recruitment of families for preteens (8-12 year olds).
 
Throughout the month of November, agencies across the state will celebrate adoption with events and activities, and many local courthouses will open their doors on Saturday, November 19 to finalize pending adoptions. For more information about Adoption Month activities or for information about adopting a child in Tennessee, please visit http://www.tn.gov/youth/adoption.htm.

A good crowd was on hand to salute the Veterans in Cannon County at the Robert A. Harris Gymnasium as the Cannon County High School hosted a very
impressive Veterans Day Program.  Veterans from all branches of service
were recognized and several special tributes were given in honor of
soldiers serving today,  and soldiers that have served their country in
the past both living and deceased.  High School students participated in
contests leading up to the Veterans Day Celebration.  In the Photography
contest the winners were Katie Adams, Mary Neal and John Linzey House.
The Veteran’s Essay Contest was won by Lindsey Reed , Sarah Hickman and
Katie Hickman.  Winners in the Multimedia Contest included Patrick Jacobs,
Zack Higgins, and Ricky Gannon.  The Poster Contest Winners were Ashley
Ruth, Kristin McReynolds, Katie Medlin and Jason Garcia.  Veteran’s Day
celebrations continue today with the Veterans Day Parade starting at 1:00
in Woodbury.  Sunday the various churches around the area will honor
Veterans.  WBRY will continue our Veterans Weekend celebration live
coverage with the Veterans Day Parade

Unemployment remains above nine percent and foreclosures continue to deeply impact the lives of Tennessee families. In response, NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee is intensifying its efforts to assist any Tennessean facing foreclosure, including mortgage payment assistance for the unemployed and underemployed. 
A consortium of nationally chartered housing nonprofits, NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee will provide a range of free mortgage services to help Tennesseans seek solutions to pending foreclosure. In addition to the federally funded mortgage payment assistance, these services include assistance mitigating payments with the mortgage provider as well as information and guidance with every aspect of homeownership and foreclosure.
 
“We know keeping people in their homes is the best option for the family, their community and for improving the Tennessee economy,” said Eddie Latimer, CEO and founding director of Affordable Housing Resources, the Middle Tennessee member organization of NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee. “After years of recession, even the most fiscally responsible can find themselves in a difficult place and we want to do everything possible to help them.”
 
The Unemployed Mortgage Payment Program, which is funded by the U.S. Treasury and administered in the state by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA), provides payment assistance to Tennessee homeowners who are unemployed or underemployed through no fault of their own. Program funds may be used to pay past-due, current and future monthly payments on mortgages and mortgage related expenses such as property taxes, homeowner insurance and homeowner dues.
 
The loans are zero percent interest and are available up to $20,000 to cover up to 18 months of home expenses. If the borrower stays in the home without refinancing for five years, the loan is considered repaid.
 
Regardless of employment status, additional services are available through NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee to all Tennessee homeowners facing foreclosure.
 
Emotionally daunting, foreclosure is made even more difficult by unfamiliarity with the process and legal jargon involved. NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee will provide the guidance to ease this additional burden. Counselors will work with each homeowner to explain the steps they and the bank must take, clarify complex information and lead them through challenging decisions.
 
Beyond assisting homeowners understand foreclosure, NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee can help them mitigate mortgage payments with the mortgage servicer. Negotiating with the lender for lower monthly payments that can be met by the borrower can stop foreclosure, give borrowers the opportunity to show good faith on the loan and keep their home.
 
“The earlier homeowners in trouble seek help, the more tools are available to them,” said Latimer. “Lenders are more willing to work with those who are proactive and show they intend to repay the loan. Our staff works with homeowners daily to gather and provide lenders the information that proves this good faith.”
 
NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee is comprised of Affordable Housing Resource in Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise in Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee, Knox Housing Partnership in Knoxville and East Tennessee, and United Housing in Memphis and West Tennessee. Each is a NeighborWorks America-chartered member.
 
Any homeowner who may be in danger of foreclosure is encouraged to visit HardestHitTN.org or call 888-588-9129 to be connected with a local NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee center.
 
 About NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee
NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee is a statewide consortium of NeighborWorks America-chartered, non-profit organizations. The Alliance is comprised of Affordable Housing Resource, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, Knox Housing Partnership and United Housing, each a NeighborWorks America-chartered member. NeighborWorks America was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1978 as the country’s preeminent leader in affordable housing and community development.
 
Members of NeighborWorks Alliance of Tennessee provide a range of services including: down payment loans and first mortgages, homebuyer education, HUD-certified counseling, financial and foreclosure counseling, home purchase and post-purchase support, home improvement energy retrofitting, home maintenance and improvement financing, and housing management such as infill and foreclosure property rehabilitation.