News 2012

Tennessee public high school graduates improved their performance on the ACT test in 2012, earning an average score of 19.2 out of 36, up from 19.0 the year before, according to state-by-state results released by ACT today.  
Tennessee is one of only nine states to mandate that all high school students take the ACT test, so statewide scores help the Tennessee Department of Education measure the state’s progress towards its goal of greater college and career readiness for all students.
 
The percentage test-takers meeting all of the ACT’s college readiness benchmarks rose from 13 percent to 14 percent in Tennessee as scores increased in 2012.
 
“It’s going to take year after year of these incremental gains to see Tennessee students exhibiting the high levels of achievement we know they can reach,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “Far too many students in our state graduate without the knowledge they need for college or the job market. We are implementing education reforms designed to address these deficiencies and drive continuous improvement.”
 
In Tennessee, 56 percent of graduates met ACT benchmarks in English, 26 percent in math, 39 percent in reading and 18 percent in science.
 
This year’s scores highlight the necessity for Tennessee to increase college readiness among certain racial minorities. Only 3 percent of black students and 9 percent of Hispanic students met college benchmarks in all four core subjects, compared to 18 percent of white students and 31 percent of Asian students.
 
Under the leadership of Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee has prioritized establishing pathways to post-secondary education and careers. With the education department’s No Child Left Behind waiver, the state now measures schools’ overall achievement as well as their progress closing gaps between groups of students.
 
Through curricula targeted at developing the skills needed for college and the workplace, the department strives to better prepare students and continue to improve Tennessee’s ACT results.

The Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Service Unit 158 serving Cannon County and part of Rutherford County, are having an interest and registration meeting on Thursday, August 23 at West Side School beginning at 6:00 p.m.Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. There’s a Girl Scout experience for every type of girl, to fit nearly every interest! Whether it’s through art, music, science, technology, outdoor adventure, fitness, community service or leadership, every girl is bound to find something they will enjoy.
For only $12 a year, discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together.
To learn more about the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee programs, view calendar of events, or find out how you can either take part in a program or serve as a leader visit http://gsmidtn.org/.
Our local contacts are Emily Tate at 615-563-4177, emsuetate@hotmail.com or Catherine Fowlkes at 615-890-2451 or cfowles@gsmidtn.org.
There are six program levels for Girl Scouts: Daisy (grades K-1), Brownie (grades 2-3), Junior (grades 4-5), Cadette (grades 6, 7, and 8), Senior (grades 9-10), and Ambassador (grades 11-12). Interested?
Join us for this informational meeting at West Side School on Thursday, August 23 beginning at 6:00 p.m.

As Tennesseans pack up and head out to their favorite campsites, the State Fire Marshal’s Office urges campers to be aware of carbon monoxide dangers in and around tents and RVs. Carbon monoxide (CO), often called “the silent killer,” is an invisible, odorless gas created when fuels (such as kerosene, gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. Carbon monoxide can result from a number of camping equipment, such as including barbecue grills, portable generators or other fuel-powered devices.
“Carbon monoxide levels from barbecue grills or portable generators can increase quickly in enclosed spaces,” said State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. “Campers should keep and use these items in well-ventilated areas to avoid fumes leaking into the openings or vents of RVs and tents.”
Last September in Clarksville, Tenn., five campers died in their sleep when fumes from a generator seeped into their rented RV. The RV’s carbon monoxide detector, which could have prevented the deaths, was found to have no batteries.
As a result of this tragedy, rented RVs are now required by Tennessee law to have a functioning carbon monoxide detector before being leased for use. The bill, which went into effect in July, also holds RV rental companies responsible if they fail to document and test the CO detectors in their leased vehicles. It is important to note that as this law only applies to rentals. It is still imperative that personal RV owners stay diligent in testing and changing the batteries of the carbon monoxide detectors in their own campers.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include headache, nausea and drowsiness. Extremely high levels of poisoning can be fatal, causing death within minutes. Anyone who suspects they are suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning should immediately move to a fresh air location and call 9-1-1 or the fire department.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Important Carbon Monoxide-Poisoning Prevention Tips

Only use barbecue grills outside, away from all doors, windows, vents and other shelter openings. Lit or smoldering barbecue grills should never be taken inside a home, tent, or RV.

Never use a fuel-powered lantern or portable camping stove inside a home, tent or camper/RV.

Use portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas away from all doors, windows, vents and other building openings to prevent exhaust fumes from entering the home.

Install and maintain CO alarms inside homes, campers and RVs to provide early warning of carbon monoxide.

“Stop, drop, and roll” has been one of the most recognizable fire safety messages for decades. Many adults remember the concept from being introduced to it as a young child. Unfortunately, it is common for people, especially children, to mistakenly believe that they should utilize stop, drop, and roll as a reaction to all fire situations.State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak wants to make sure Tennesseans know how and when to stop, drop, and roll. “It is important to stress, especially to children, that stop, drop, and roll is appropriate when your clothing or body is on fire,” says McPeak. “If a fire occurs in a home or a building, however, they need to know that getting out fast and staying out is the priority.” Make sure you and your family are prepared for what to do in case a clothing fire occurs:
 

If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, and roll. Stop immediately, drop to the ground, and cover your face with your hands. Roll over and over or back and forth until the fire is out.

If you cannot stop, drop, and roll, keep a blanket or towel nearby to help you or others smother flames. Cover the person with a blanket to smother the fire. If you use a wheelchair, scooter, or other device and are able to get to the floor, lock the device first to stay in place before getting on the floor to roll until the flames are out.

Use cool water to treat any resulting burns immediately for 3 to 5 minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Get medical help right away by calling 9-1-1 or the fire department.
 To prevent clothes from catching fire:
 

Wear short, close-fitting, or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking or grilling,

Teach children to never play with matches or lighters, and

Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around fireplaces, candles, grills, and stoves.

The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties will kick off its annual fundraising campaign at the August Business Before Hours on August 23 from 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. 
During the kick off, the annual fundraising goal will be announced, and the percentage already attained and the Pacesetter campaigns will be revealed.
 
The annual campaign, which occurs during the fall each year, has a goal of securing pledges from the community through workplace campaigns and individual contributions that benefit the local United Way’s impact areas of education, income, health, and rebuilding lives.  
 
The Business Before Hours is a Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce event that is hosted monthly by Chamber members at various locations in Rutherford County.
 
The cost to attend is $5 for Chamber of Commerce members and $15 for non-members. For more information, please visit www.uwrutherford.org or www.rutherfordchamber.org.
 

Over the years many American Red Cross supporters have asked for it, and now it’s here! We’re proud to announce that working in cooperation with our state officials, we have been able to make this request a reality. Imagine how powerful it will be for us to drive home awareness of the American Red Cross everywhere we go with the new American Red Cross Tennessee license plate!As one of the nation’s leading humanitarian organizations, the mission of the American Red Cross is to provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. But we can’t do it without your support.
You can make a difference in people’s lives and show your Red Cross pride by purchasing the American Red Cross Tennessee license plate.
The proceeds from each license plate will go to statewide disaster readiness, preparedness and response.
License plates can be traded in for specialty plates at any time. The cost of the Tennessee American Red Cross license plate is $35.
To order, visit american.redcross.org/tnlicenseplate or call 615-250-4272

Judge Susan Melton presided over General Sessions Court on Tuesday.  Some of the results of the various cases that appeared on the docket included:Melinda Carol Barrett agreed to the revocation of probation.  She was ordered to serve 30 days and her probation was extended 11 months 29 days.
William Richard Barrett agreed to the revocation of probation.  He was ordered to serve 14 days and his probation was extended 16 days.
Boyce Tyrone Brown agreed to the revocation of probation.  Brown’s was ordered to serve 30 days and his probation was extended 10 months 15 days.
Jonathan Briley pled guilty to simple possession.  He was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation, paying a$250.00 fine and the costs.
Isaiah Dennis Burton pled guilty to driving on a suspended license.  He was sentenced to 6 months in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation, paying a $50.00 fine and the costs.
Bobby Jerome Davenport Jr.’s bond was revoked for failing a court ordered drug screen.
Jonathan Dale Davis pled guilty to public intoxication.  He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation and paying the costs.  In another case Davis pled guilty to possession of marijuana.  He was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation, paying a $250.00 fine and the costs.  In another case Davis pled guilty to violating the implied consent law.  He was ordered to lose his license for one year.
Pamela Diane Lafever agreed to the revocation of probation.  Her probation was extended 11 months 29 days and she was ordered to pay the costs and restitution.
Aaron Emerson Lively pled guilty to driving without a license.  He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation, paying a $2.00 fine and the costs.
Dale Ray Mayo pled guilty to DUI.  He was sentenced to 11 month 29 days in jail.  That sentence was partially suspended upon serving 48 hours, equal time on probation, 24 hours of litter removal, paying a $350.00 fine and the costs.
Peyton Andrew Young’s charge of underage consumption was retired for 11 months 29 days.  He was ordered to pay the costs.
Cody Tyler Nunley’s charge of reckless driving was retired for 9 months.  He was ordered to pay the costs.
Nicholas Beaumont St. Cyr’s bond was revoked for failing a court ordered drug screen.

A grocery store who has gained significant business since the closing of Smithson’s Piggly Wiggly store requested that the employees be allowed to park in an adjacent empty lot while they are going through the process of rezoning the lot from residential to commercial.  Osborn’s Bi-Rite Corporate Office sent an email to the City recently asking what steps needed to be taken to rezone the lot from residential to commercial  They also made the request that their employees park in the lot to free up a few extra spaces for customer parking.  The Woodbury Planning Commission approved the request last night during their monthly meeting. A letter will be sent to let them know that it’s okay for the employees to park in the lot while Osborns go through the process of rezoning the lot. The only other business discussed during last night’s meeting was Billy Kauffman of the Short Mountain Distillery requested permission to put up a sign in the town of Woodbury that points the direction of the Distillery.  The sign will be placed near the Old Murfreesboro Road on property that Mr. Kauffman owns close to the Barn that has the quilt on it.  If there’s enough room on the sign, Mr. Kauffman plans to put a “Welcome to Woodbury” type message on it.  The sign will follow city codes and not be any bigger than 200 square feet.  It will be a decorative black sign with white lettering. The motion was made and passed to allow Mr. Kauffman to proceed with plans to put the sign together.
 

The TennCare Standard Spend Down program will again offer open enrollment opportunities to new applicants on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 beginning at 6 p.m. CST. Standard Spend Down is available through a waiver to the Medicaid program for a limited number of qualified low-income individuals, or those with high, unpaid medical bills who are aged, blind, disabled, or the caretaker relative of a Medicaid eligible child. Eligible individuals must have enough unpaid medical bills to meet the “spend down” threshold to qualify for coverage.
 
“We are pleased to once again open enrollment in the Standard Spend Down program to Tennesseans who need additional assistance,” said Department of Human Services Commissioner Raquel Hatter. “This service certainly benefits people with high medical bills who are not already receiving TennCare benefits.” 
 
A special call-in phone line through DHS has been set up for interested applicants. The only way to request an application is by calling the toll-free number — 1-866-358-3230 — which will be open between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. CST on Sept. 13.  Operators will close the phone line once 2,500 applicants call in.  In previous open enrollment periods, 2,500 calls had been taken within one hour. If 2,500 calls are not received on Sept. 13, the phone lines will be open from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on subsequent weekdays until 2,500 interested applicants call in.  
 
Prospective applicants are encouraged to check eligibility qualifications before calling in. More information on the Standard Spend Down program and more detailed eligibility criteria are available here.
 
The toll-free number system is used to ensure equal access to Tennessee citizens interested in this program. DHS will send applications to all callers who are not already on TennCare and will review their eligibility for any open Medicaid categories and the newly opened Standard Spend Down category.  Advanced notifications will be made to the public and other stakeholders prior to subsequent openings of the application request line.
 
Standard Spend Down Eligibility:
• In addition to being aged (65 or older), blind*, disabled,* or a caretaker relative, 
• An individual must meet certain income restrictions, or be able to “spend down” qualifying unpaid medical bills to that limit. (*To be considered blind or disabled, an individual must meet standards set by the Social Security Administration.) 
 
The following chart shows the income limits:
 
Household Size
1
2
3
4
5
6
Monthly Income
$241
$258
$317
$325
$392
$408
    
Applicants also must not have resources that:
• Exceed $2,000 for a family of one and $3,000 for a family of two with an additional $100 added per additional individual in the family. 
• A person’s unpaid medical bill must have been accrued within the past 90 days.  Medical bills paid by the applicant within the past 30 days may count towards meeting an applicant’s spend down requirement.
 
Pregnant women and children still are eligible for the Medically Needy Spend Down program.
 
The ONLY way to request an application for the TennCare Standard Spend Down Program is through the toll free number 1-866-358-3230. Individuals interested in accessing the Standard Spend Down call-in line who are deaf/hard of hearing/speech impaired and using a TTY (text telephone) device should first call the Tennessee Relay Service at 1-800-848-0298. They will be prompted to enter the number they are trying to reach (the call-in line #) and a communications assistant will act as the go-between.  Those wishing to apply for other TennCare categories should contact their local DHS county office, call the Family Assistance Service Center at 1-866-311-4287 during normal business hours, or visit www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/.

Ricky Harris of the State Fire Marshall’s Office back in July through an email advised the Cannon County Commissioners that the State did not recognize Faye Morse as being the County Fire Chief due to lack of certification. Also it was indicated in the email that Cannon County Volunteer Fire Departments were not recognized by the state as being valid as they too did not turn in their certification papers. The commissioners brought the issue up in their August meeting last Tuesday and followed up with calls to make sure the email was accurate. As of Thursday morning, the commission was told that the fire departments nor fire chief was indeed not recognized by the state, so an emergency meeting had to be called to deal with the issue. The only item of the agenda was to appoint/affirm a county fire chief as recommended by Mike Gannon and the meeting was set for last night. In between Thursday and last night the County Executive’s office produced paperwork to show that the Volunteer Fire Departments were recognized by the state after turning in certification papers and paying a $50 fee back in February. Further research by the State Fire Marshall’s office also confirmed by a certificate issued to Faye Morse did recognize her as the County Fire Chief. The certificate comes up for renewal in 2015. Mr. Harris in his email back in July stated that Morse did not complete continuing education hours as required by the state. Ms. Morse contended that since she was appointed Fire Chief in 1995, she was grandfathered in and the only people that had to meet the education requirement were those that were appointed since the 2008 year. After being questioned Thursday afternoon, Ricky Harris sent an email to the County Executive’s Office clearing the confusion up and stating that the original paperwork had been filed wrong and as a result Cannon County’s Volunteer Fire Department is indeed recognized by the State of Tennessee and Faye Morse is recognized by the State as the County Fire Chief. That email did not satisfy a handful of County Commissioners who have now stated that after researching minutes of past County Commission meetings, they could not find a record of a fire chief being appointed by a previous county executive or approved by a previous county commission. According to state code a fire chief has to be appointed by a county executive and that appointment must be approved by the county commission. A suggestion was made to obtain an opinion from the State Attorney General to determine if Morse is in fact the County’s Fire Chief