News 2011

Wine consumers moved one step closer to being allowed to have wine shipped via direct mail order to their homes after the state Senate approved a bill earlier this week. The bill expands a law passed in 2009 that leagalized wine shipments only to residents of cities with liquor stores. The bill was sponsored by Republican Senator Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro. The proposal would simply remove the barriers so wine can be shipped to anyone in the state of Tennessee whether they live in a dry county or not. The measure was approved by a 21-7 vote. However 17th District Cannon County Senator Mae Beavers voted no on the measure. The House version of the bill which also passed Monday will be set for review in the State and Local Government Committee.

With only a couple of weeks left to file income tax returns with the IRS, many Tennesseans will turn to professionals to handle their last-minute task. Remember that not everyone who claims to be a Certified Public Accountant actually is one.“It’s very simple,” says Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “Our department’s Board of Accountancy protects the public interest by ensuring that people who claim special competence in accountancy or who offer assurance regarding financial statement presentation have demonstrated their qualifications to do so. The quickest way to verify that is to visit the TDCI license database, verify.tn.gov.”
Users who visit verify.tn.gov must type in two random security words before being able to access the database. Once they have access, they can perform searches for names, geographical location and other fields. Users also may search a variety of professions by using a drop-down menu. Verify.tn.gov is also extremely helpful for verifying the license status of home improvement contractors, who also tend to be very active in soliciting business in the spring, particularly after storms.
Tennesseans may contact the Board of Accountancy by calling 888-453-6150 or by e-mailing accountancy.board@tn.gov. The Board for Licensing Contractors may be reached by calling 800-544-7693 or by e-mailing contractors.home-improvement@tn.gov. Staffers at those boards will be happy to assist in verifying license statuses. Remember: An informed hiring choice is always the best choice.
The Board of Accountancy and the Board for Licensing Contractors are regulatory boards of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee. www.tn.gov/commerce/

Beginning in April, TVA will change the way it charges distributors like Middle Tennessee Electric. However, that won’t mean members of the electric cooperative will see much change in their bills.“The average member will see little difference between the total amount of their March and April bills,” said MTEMC President Frank Jennings. “The biggest changes, at this point, are really between TVA and the distributor. We are working to cause as little effect to our members as possible.”
The biggest difference residential members will see is in the “Customer Charge” component of the bill. This monthly charge, which is a charge all electric utilities have, is to cover the electric cooperative’s fixed monthly costs. It is changing from $9.79 to $13.75 a month.
“We, and most distributors in the Valley, have had very low Customer Charges historically,” Jennings said. “Our Customer Charge is not sufficient to cover our fixed costs. One thing TVA’s rate structure change has made us do is to pay more attention to that, as the cooperative is more at risk if we do not appropriately cover our fixed costs.”
Jennings said a cost-of-service study performed by an independent consulting firm suggested MTEMC’s Customer Charge could appropriately be more than $20. “Think of it this way,” he said. “For every dollar the cooperative takes in, 80 cents goes straight to TVA to pay for power, and we operate on the other 20 cents.”
But while the Customer Charge is going up, MTEMC’s residential energy charge is going down.
“From March to April, these changes will mean slightly higher costs for those using less than 1,500 kilowatt-hours a month and slightly lower for those using more,” Jennings said. “The 1,500-kwh mark is about average for our residential members.
“I would want our members to know three things about the changes. First, this change is revenue neutral, which means the cooperative will earn no extra money. Second, this will help our members a little in the summer and winter months when consumption and TVA’s rate are higher. Third, we’re making the changes in the best interest of the membership as a whole…to better protect our rate stability.”
TVA’s Fuel Cost Adjustment, a line item on MTEMC member bills since 2006, will remain.
“The FCA will continue to fluctuate monthly,” said Jennings. “Everything we collect for that charge goes straight to TVA. TVA uses that money to cover changes in their costs for fuels to make electricity – coal, natural gas, power purchased on the open market.”

Judge Susan Melton presided over Cannon County General Sessions Court on Tuesday. Some of the results from the various cases which appeared on the docket included:Samantha Bailey pled guilty to the charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was sentence to 11 months, 29 days in the County Jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying a $150.00 fine and paying the court costs.
Scotty Bowman pled guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He was sentenced to 30 days in the County Jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying the court costs and paying a $50.00 fine.
Calvin Conley pled guilty to the charge of driving on a suspended license. He was sentenced to 6 months in jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying a $50.00 fine and paying the court costs. In another case, Conley pled guilty to the charge of carrying a weapon with the intent to go armed. He was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation and paying the court costs.
Clifford Shane Ferrell pled guilty to the charge of driving under the influence 1st offense. He was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in jail. That sentence was partially suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, serving 48 hours in jail, paying a $350.00 fine and paying the court costs. His driver’s license was also revoked for 1 year.
Tracey Guthrie pled guilty to the charge of driving under the influence 1st offense. She was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in jail. That sentence was partially suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, serving 48 hours in jail, paying a $350.00 fine and paying the court costs. Her driver’s license was also revoked for 1 year.
Belinda Johnson pled guilty to the charge of driving on a suspended license. She was sentenced to 6 months in the county jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying a $50.00 fine and paying the court costs.
Pless Vernon Laxton pled guilty to the charge of traveling on a closed road. He was sentenced to 30 days in the county jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying a $50.00 fine and paying the court costs.
Raine Patterson pled guilty to the charge of child neglect. She was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in the county jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying the court costs, paying a $100.00 fine and attending parenting classes.
Jonathan Simmons pled guilty to the charge of driving on a suspended license 2nd offense. He was sentenced to 6 months in the county jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying a $50.00 fine and paying the court costs.
Michael A. Warner pled guilty to the charge of simple possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in the county jail. That sentence was suspended upon an equal amount of time on probation, paying the court costs and paying a $250.00 fine. He was also ordered to submit to drug screens for 90 days.

A little over 25 Cannon County residents and community leaders gathered at the Senior Center in Woodbury to discuss the issues regarding the Wells Group Rock Quarry. The business is located on the John Bragg Highway opposite of the Cannon County Arts Center just outside of the town limits of Woodbury.Don Bryan owns a home next to the quarry, headed up the organizational meeting. Most who attended were against the rock quarry being in that area, citing noise, dust, and air pollution as some of the reasons. Those that live close to the rock quarry voiced concerns about the foundations of their homes cracking due to the quarries rock blasting procedures. Some home owners feel that the flying rock coming off these blasts have caused significant damage to their homes.
Some of the questions raised through the discussions included is the quarry paying a mineral tax to the county, is the rock quarry zoned correctly, and is the rock quarry considered on a scenic highway. Some of the attendants will take the steps to contact the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to ask various question and voice their concerns about the quarry.
The group is planning on attending a public hearing set up by the state. The hearing date has not been set as of yet.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health (TDMH), along with the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH), and the Tennessee Department of Education – Office of Coordinated School Health, have teamed up with the Oasis Center, STARS, Nashville Prevention Partnership, and school districts across the state to reduce the sale and consumption of tobacco to youth. Kick Butts Day, which will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 23, 2011, is a national event that works to engage thousands of children and youth nationwide through a day of activism against tobacco use. In Tennessee, youth have spent the past month working on “Lives Cut Short,”a statewide art project consisting of decorating pairs of shorts in honor of Tennesseans who had their lives cut short due to tobacco use.
“Kick Butts Day is a great day to remind tobacco retailers not to sell cigarettes to youth as it can lead to a lifetime of smoking addiction,”said TDMH Commissioner Doug Varney. “Research has shown that the younger an individual starts smoking the stronger the addiction.”
The Tennessee Youth Prevention Work Group, comprised of staff from TDMH, TDOH, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, has been working over the past year to educate and remind Tennessee tobacco retailers of both the health and legal risks associated with selling tobacco to minors. Without sufficient success, Tennessee stands to lose important prevention and treatment dollars in Tennessee due to the Synar Amendment, a federal regulation covering youth access to tobacco laws.
“By selling tobacco products only to customers over 18, tobacco merchants help ensure that Tennessee complies with the law and reduces the overall number of youth smokers,”Attorney General Bob Cooper said.
Facts from www.tobaccofreekids.org ( http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/ )about Tennessee youth and tobacco:
-Most individuals with an addiction to cigarettes started smoking before they turned 18 years old.
-Tennesseans under the age of 18 will purchase and consume over 19.3 million packs of cigarettes this year.
-Approximately 7,100 young people in Tennessee become new youth smokers each year.
-Approximately 412,000 of today’s Tennessee children will become smokers and nearly 132,000 of them will die prematurely from tobacco related causes.
The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), is a statewide, free tobacco cessation program made possible through the TDOH. There is no charge to callers for services, and callers have unlimited access to a quit coach through the QuitLine. Call to learn more about the QuitLine or visit the website at http://health.state.tn.us/tobaccoquitline.htm.
For more information on Kick Butts Day, or to find a list of events in your area, please visit http://kickbuttsday.org/. For more facts and information about Tennessee or other states, please visit http://www.tobaccofreekids.org. ( http://www.tobaccofreekids.org./ )

Cannon County has been chosen in the past to receive funds to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county under various phases of the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. Because the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) fiscal year 2011 appropriation has not been enacted, the EFSP does not yet have funds available to support grants in fiscal year 2011. “These are difficult times for many and we are hopeful that we will receive funding in 2011 under Phase 29. This will provide help to families facing a job loss or seniors on a fixed income and need help to pay a month’s electric bill or buy groceries,” said local Board Chair Connie Rigsby, Director of the Cannon County Senior Citizens Center.
The selection is made by a National Board that is chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from The Salvation Army; American Red Cross; United Jewish Communities; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; and United Way Worldwide, which provides the administrative staff and functions as fiscal agent. The local board is charged with distributing the funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.
The local board, made up of representatives from Cannon County government, Salvation Army, United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties, and other Cannon County agencies will determine how the funds awarded to Cannon County are distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The local board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program.
Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) have an accounting system, 3) practice nondiscrimination, 4) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 5) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a volunteer board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.
In Cannon County under Phase 28 in 2010, $11,215 in Emergency Food and Shelter funds were distributed to Cannon County SAVE, Cannon County Senior Citizens Center, Upper Cumberland Human Resources Agency, REACH, and Domestic Violence Program.
“This funding enabled these agencies to provide over 2,000 meals, 100 nights of lodging, and assistance to multiple individuals or families for utility payments,” stated Rigsby.
The Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program was created in 1983 to supplement the work of local social service organizations within the United States, both private and governmental, to help people in need of emergency assistance.
Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds must contact United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties at (615) 893-7303 extension 106 for an application. The deadline to submit an application is noon, on Monday, April 4, 2011.

Three Liberty residents face charges of attempted murder after they attempted to destroy a mobile home with a person inside the structure. According to Cannon County Sheriff’s Department reports, the incident happened Wednesday March 16th around 10:30 in the morning. The initial call came as a fire call on Big Hill Road. Cannon County Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Neal the responding officer upon arrival at the scene saw the condition of the owner of the home, Lonnie Estes from Cannon County and called warrant investigations.
Investigator Anthony Young was able to travel with the EMS to the DeKalb County Hospital with Estes and got a statement from him. Estes was treated for a laceration to the head and multiple bruises. Estes explained that James Hill, Mary Hill and Charlotte Hill were all in the process of moving their possessions from the Big Hill Road residence to a house on Pea Ridge Road when an argument between Hill and Estes ensued.
Estes alleged that Hill had hit him in the head with a can and with Estes’ own walking cane. Then Hill allegedly beat him with a chair. After Hill left Estes in the floor, Hill allegedly then walked outside to his car, returned with a gallon jug full of gasoline, threw it on the floor and set the mobile home on fire with Estes in it. Hill shut the door and left. Estes made it out of the house, went to a nearby residence and called 911. Bomb and Arson Division was called in and did an investigation and at this point the Sheriff’s Department started to try to find the subjects. Investigator Young received information that they were at a residence on Pea Ridge Road. All three were taken into custody in around three hours.
All three were charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, and especially aggravated robbery. The suspects are being held at the Cannon County Jail on $1million bond for the attempted murder charges each, $750,000 on each of the other two charges for a total of 2 and a half million dollars each.
They will be headed to court June 7th to answer the charges. Investigator Anthony Young, along with Cannon County Sheriff Darrell Young, Cannon Sheriff’s Deputies, Eric Moss, Reed Bryson, Brandon Mims were involved in the investigation and arrest. Investigator Young gave credit to Kim Hall and Connie Graves of the 911 Dispatch. Their flawless information and professionalism in the process was the key to catching the suspects in this case in a timely manner.

A Murfreesboro man faces DUI charges after a Cannon County deputy investigating a wreck found him lying in a creek bed surrounded by dogs.According to police reports, Deputy Chip Avera was dispatched to Seals Hollow Road for a one vehicle accident involving a 1997 grey Buick registered to Michael or Vivian Hoover. Upon arrival to the scene, Deputy Avera noticed no one was in the vehicle. He also noticed beer cans in the passenger floor board.
A volunteer emergency worker who was assisting at the scene told Avera that a man who appeared intoxicated was walking down the road a few tenths of a mile away. The deputy went in search of the man and found him lying on the creek embankment surrounded by several dogs. The man had a laceration and knot on his forehead, and was having trouble getting up the creek bank.
After being assisted to firmer ground, the man stated he was Michael Shane Hoover. Police reports show he told the deputy he had been sitting at the creek with his dogs. Minutes later, however, Hoover changed his story and told the deputy that he had wrecked the vehicle up the road in the creek.
He also told the deputy he was the only one in the vehicle and had been drinking before the accident. The report shows he volunteered to perform the standardized field sobriety tests, and performed both unsatisfactorily. He was then transported back to the scene of the accident to be evaluated by the EMS.
A license check showed Hoover’s license was suspended because of prior DUIs. Hoover was arrested and charged with DUI third offense, driving on a revoked driver license first offense and failure to provide financial responsibility.

He was also served a notice of property seizure, and his car was towed to the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department. The initial court date is set for April 5th.

Judge Susan Melton presided over Cannon County General Sessions Court on Tuesday. Some of the results from the various cases which appeared on the docket included:Phillip Adams was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on April 5th. He is charged with domestic assault.
Hope A. Dennis was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on April 5th. She is charged with violation of probation and domestic assault.
Doyle Mooneyham was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on May 3rd. He is charged with maintaining a dwelling to keep, use or sell drugs, initiating the process to manufacture meth, possession of drug paraphernalia and manufacturing meth.
Matthew Baker was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on May 3rd. He is charged with aggravated burglary, theft over $1,000, criminal trespass, possession of schedule II drugs and contraband in a penal institution.
Joseph Tyler Green was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on April 5th. He is charged with unlawful carrying of a weaponand evading arrest.
Patrick J. McCulloug was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on April 5th. He is charged with driving on revoked 2nd, theft over $1,000 and DUI 3rd offense.
Pamela LaFever was appointed an attorney and set for hearing on April 5th. She is charged with theft.
The remaining cases on the docket were civil and simple traffic violations.