News 2012

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer begins his statewide “TDOT Projects Tour” today in TDOT’s Region Two, which is based in Chattanooga. During this week-long tour, Commissioner Schroer, elected officials and transportation officials will travel by bus to view TDOT projects currently underway and those listed on the department’s “Three Year Program.”   The Region 2 Tour is the first of four tours that will be held in East, Middle, and West Tennessee. The Region 2 Tour kicks off in Cannon County on Monday, August 13, 2012 and will wind up in DeKalb County on Thursday, August 16, 2012.

A mixed boxer dog found near death on the roadside in nearby Warren County is alive and doing well thanks to a Cannon County veterinarian.  According to reports, the stray dog was found in a front yard of a residence beaten down and bloodied.  The family called officials of the Warren County Humane Society who transported her to Dr. Gayle Tate’s office for help.  Once there Dr. Tate had thought the dog, who answers to the name of Corona, was hit by either a baseball bat or a 2 x 4 repeatedly and after x-rays and emergency surgery it was discovered that the dog had been shot at point blank range down the throat as Dr. Tate found muzzle burns down her throat and her tongue was split down the middle.  Dr. Tate was able to save the dogs life and she is doing well under his care.  Well wishes and support have literally come from all over the world.  WBRY News was notified of this story from a caller in Houston Texas who saw the story through the Warren County Humane Society’s Facebook page.  Anyone who wants to donate toward Corona’s medical bills can give to the Cannon County Animal Clinic by calling them at (615) 563-4022. You can also give through the Warren County Humane Society at www.hswarrenco.org or through PayPal by sending to hswarrenco@hotmail.com. Donations can also be mailed to: Humane Society of Warren County
P.O. Box 111
Smartt, TN 37378
The Warren County Sheriff’s Department is investigating this animal cruelty case
 

The 3rd Annual SAVE National Spotted Horse Show was a big success.  The show is held annually to help raise funding for SAVE, a not for profit organization in Cannon County geared to stopping domestic violence in our area.  SAVE would like to thank the sponsors, volunteers and members of the National Spotted Horse Show Association for all their support and help during this event.  
Sponsors                                                           Volunteers                  Horseshow Personnel                
Woodbury Insurance                                       Renee House                   Dorinda Mankin
Reed Reality                                                    Office John House          Derrick Fann
Cornerstone Community Church                     John Lenzy House         Donna Fletcher
Simmons Chapel Free Methodist Church        Elizabeth House             Dannette
First United Methodist Women                       Elana House                        Mooneyham       
Lebanon Wal-Mart- Doug Shepard                 Emily House                   
Rannie’s Alterations                                        Devin Grant                     Photographer:
Off the Hanger                                                 Kay Peeler                           Lisa Nixon,
Joes Place                                                         Penny Daniels                   Loving Touch
Lewis Bakery                                                   Amanda Sweeney                    Portraits
NSSHA Amateur Committee                           Debra Mooneyham
County Commissioner Tony Neal                    Penny Daniels
Terry’s Plumbing                                              Myrna Blair
County Executive Mike Gannon                      Carl Jones
First Bank                                                         Tony Neal
Ted and Dede Earnhardt                                   Tracy Neal
Osbornes Bi Rite                                                                 
SAVE A Lot
Animal clinic of Smithville
Mcminnville Dr. Pepper- Doug Milner
Larry’s Discount Grocery of Smithville
Woodbury Sonic
Cash Express Woodbury
Neely’s Ice
Friends of SAVE
Veteran Service Officer Penny Daniels
SAVE Board President Wanda Parker and Family
Dollar Market of Woodbury
Short Mountain Distillery
Curves of Woodbury
Legendary cuts
Dickie Gardner Stables and Customers
Prichards Bi Rite of Alexandria
 
Without all these wonderful sponsors and volunteers, this event would not have happened.  We greatly appreciate all your support, hard work and dedication to this agency and the victims we serve.

Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Karla Davis is announcing changes to unemployment laws that allow a spouse of military personnel facing a military transfer to collect unemployment benefits if they quit their job. In most cases voluntarily quitting a job makes an applicant ineligible for unemployment benefits. 
“This expansion of eligibility for unemployment is the right thing to do in supporting Tennessee’s military families whom are often affected by military transfers,” said Labor Commissioner Karla Davis.  “Lawmakers and the Governor have created this temporary assistance and protected employers from additional tax burdens, which is ideal for everyone involved.” Typically employers pay higher taxes when they lay off a worker and unemployment insurance is approved.
 
The bill that was sponsored by Senator Tim Barnes and state Representative Joe Pitts of Clarksville was signed by Governor Haslam in April, but $278,800 in appropriations for the measure became available to claimants in July.
 
“The Governor’s support of this bill shows that Tennesseans truly care about our military families,” State Representative Joe Pitts said. “This is a tangible way to show our support and gratitude to our veterans, and I’m humbled to have the opportunity to do so.”
 
“With the passage of unemployment benefits for military spouses, Tennessee became the twelfth state in the nation to attain all of the Department of Defense’s desired outcomes regarding military spouses,” said Sen. Barnes. “I am proud that Tennessee is leading the way in showing how our military families should be treated.”
 
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development projects more than 70 families could take advantage of the benefits during this fiscal year. Funding for these benefits is paid from the state’s General Fund rather than from the state’s unemployment trust fund.
 
The only exception to the new eligibility laws are assignments outside the United States, Canada, or any United States territory. Federal law prohibits the payment of unemployment benefits to claimants outside these areas.
 
Claims can be filed on the Internet at www.tn.gov/labor-wfd or by the phone. A dedicated phone line has been established to take initial claims for military spouses. The number is 1-866-331-1271 ext 7590.
 

Amid a national movement in education to better prepare students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Tennessee Department of Education announces the opening of three new STEM-focused schools this year. The new programs are part of the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, a collaboration between the department and the Battelle Memorial Institute.“STEM is an important part of our statewide effort to increase the rigor and relevance of our students’ education,” said Kathleen Airhart, Tennessee’s deputy commissioner of education. “Additionally, these schools will help to fill STEM jobs across the state, while improving the growth and sustainability of our local communities.”
Classes begin today at Innovation Academy of Northeast Tennessee, with 80 students in each sixth and seventh grades. The academy operates as a joint venture between Kingsport City Schools and Sullivan County Schools, with the support of Eastern Tennessee State University. The school plans to expand to eighth grade in 2013-14.
“The Kingsport City Schools are proud to be a partner in the creation of the region’s first STEM middle school,” said Superintendent Dr. Lyle Ailshie. “It is an exciting time for Kingsport and Sullivan County.”
The Southeast Tennessee STEM School, located on the campus of Chattanooga State Community College in Hamilton County, will open to students the following week, with 75 ninth-grade students. The high school will add an additional 75 students for its first three years.
The first class of students will get to name the school, design the logo and choose the mascot, a process that began in a summer STEM camp convened to introduce the students to each other and to the STEM style of learning.
“The Southeast Tennessee STEM Innovation Hub has helped us create strong partnerships with our regional businesses,” said Rick Smith, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “Business leaders are working with our teachers to create curriculum projects that reflect real-world business situations. This collaboration will not only enhance the students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills, but it will also expose them to STEM career opportunities.”
The Upper Cumberland Rural STEM Initiative kicked off the school year in July at Prescott South Elementary School and Prescott South Middle School in Putnam County. As they transition to become the region’s first STEM program, teachers will be collaborating with the hub at the Millard Oakley STEM Center at Tennessee Tech University.
They will lead students on virtual field trips through the schools’ distance learning lab, and all students will receive iPads to access course materials and take notes.
“Our purpose is to provide our students with the opportunity to invent, discover, and develop themselves so they can move into the 21st-century workforce with the skills they need to be successful,” said Jerry Boyd, director of schools in Putnam County. “The Upper Cumberland Rural STEM Initiative is more than science, technology, engineering, and math. It is the integration of those skills and the development of critical thinking, both of which are required for students to achieve. We are excited to be working with the TSIN and all of our regional partners in this endeavor.”
 

The final slate of candidates is set for DTC Communications’ election of directors next month. Directors will be elected in the Alexandria, Liberty, and Smithville exchanges. Incumbents Bennie Curtis, Randy Campbell, and Ronnie Garrison are running unopposed in the Alexandria, Liberty, and Smithville exchanges, respectively.
Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 15. Gates to the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria will open at 11:45 a.m., with voting from noon until 4 p.m. The business meeting will begin at 4 p.m. or once the last person in line at that time has voted.
Only DTC members may vote, and each member must present identification. For a single membership, only that individual may vote. Either member of a joint membership may vote, but not both. In the case of a business membership, a business affidavit is required.
The last day to make changes to your membership or to be eligible to vote in the 2012 election will be Thursday, September 6.
DTC Communications is a member-owned telephone cooperative established in 1951. The cooperative supplies communication, entertainment, and security products and services to residential and business customers primarily throughout Middle Tennessee.
 

 Middle Tennessee Electric’s Annual Meeting will be held Aug. 18 at Embassy Suites Murfreesboro – Hotel and Conference Center located next to The Avenue shopping center. Prize registration for members starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. The meeting’s business session begins at 9.
 
“This year’s meeting will feature two contested board of directors seats,” MTEMC President Frank Jennings said. “So there will be voting by machine both in the local offices the week prior to the Annual Meeting and at the Annual Meeting.”
 
The meeting gives members an opportunity to sit in on a business session, receive a free health screening and be eligible for a number of prizes, including a 2007 Ford Ranger extended cab pickup truck. 
 
As always, the Miss Middle Tennessee Electric beauty pageant is part of the day’s events. Twenty-six contestants ages 16-21 will compete for the title. The winner will have her choice of $1,000 cash or a trip to Washington D.C. as part of the Rural Electric Youth Tour. The first and second runners-up also earn prizes.
 
As part of its bylaws, MTEMC has held a members’ meeting every year since the not-for-profit cooperative was organized in 1936 by a group of Middle Tennessee citizens. The organization has grown to become one of the largest electrical cooperatives in the country. MTEMC has a membership of approximately 190,000 residences, businesses and industries in Rutherford, Williamson, Wilson, Cannon and surrounding counties.
 
Members who can’t make it to the meeting but who wish to vote on the Board of Directors and Nominating Committee candidates may vote at their local offices. Voting at the Franklin, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, Mt. Juliet, Smyrna and Woodbury offices will be Aug. 13-17 from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
                                               
For more information, call  MTEMC’s Communications and Member Services Department at (615) 494-1545.
Cannon County special interest itemsNominating Committee candidate for District 3 (Cannon County)Melodie DanielThe nominating committee is the group that nominates candidates for the following year’s vacant board of directors positions.Miss MTEMC contestantsfrom District 3 (Cannon County), their parents and sponsorsNatalie Peay, daughter of Joey and Charlotte Peay of Readyville. Sponsored by the Rutherford County Farm Bureau Women.
 
 

Last month the County Budget Committee showed just how much it values the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce when it only appropriated $1500 to the Chamber to help keep the struggling organization afloat.  Tonight it’s time to see if the Town of Woodbury will step up to the plate and be a leader in helping what is one of the most under utilized and under funded organizations to help the town and the county as a source of significant revenue. Neal Applebaum, President of The Cannon County Chamber Of Commerce is on the agenda of the Town of Woodbury and Board Of Aldermen to request additional funding to the Chamber.  Other items on the agenda include a public hearing for Ordinance 446 which is an ordinance to amend the 2006 edition of the International Building Code for the Town of Woodbury.  The after the public hearing, the board will vote on whether to adopt the ordinance on second and final reading.  The Board will then be asked to consider an adoption of the first reading to amend the zoning ordinance of the Town of Woodbury to add minimum residential parking regulations within the zoning ordinance.  They will consider a bid to proceed with demolition of structure at 209 Hayes Street.  The Board will consider donating a City of Woodbury police car to the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department and they will have a special recognition of Lowell Womack and John Passenger.  The meeting starts at 7:00 at City Hall tonight.  

The Cannon County Industrial Development Board meets tonight for their regular monthly meeting.   Some of the items on the agenda include Committee Reports, Mission Statement, Updates on Business Cards and brochures, the webpage humane society property and the rotation of members  They will also give the status of the Southern Automotive Conference taking place October 11th and 12th  In addition the board will give reports on the status of meeting with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and their industrial development board.  They will also discuss the Request from Crane Interiors for Building Repairs and Maintenance.  The meeting will take place at Global Industrial Components at 705 South College Street in Woodbury tonight at 6:00
 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the 2012 Back to School CoverKids outreach campaign to help enroll Tennessee’s children in the state’s low-cost, comprehensive health insurance plan.  
“We’re focused on continuing the state’s momentum in education reform, and healthy children have a better chance of learning and staying in school,” Haslam said. “This program provides Tennessee children with access to quality health care, and more families can apply.”
 
Together with the Tennessee Department of Education, CoverKids is including a flier with program and enrollment details in the back to school packet of every public school student in Tennessee.
 
The annual campaign has enrolled tens of thousands of children in the low-cost health insurance plan, which provides coverage for everything from physician visits to hospitalization to dental and vision care.  The program’s current membership sits at more than 55,000, and there’s room for more children to enroll.
 
Launched in 2007, CoverKids is Tennessee’s plan under the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a federally-funded effort to provide coverage for children in families who do not qualify for Medicaid, but cannot afford private coverage.
 
Tennessee families earning less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $57,625 per year for a family of four, can qualify for CoverKids and will pay no monthly premium for the plan.  Children must also be uninsured for three months, though exceptions apply for children coming off TennCare or in cases of an involuntary loss of other insurance coverage.
 
Signing up for the program is easy.  Families can apply online at www.CoverKids.com or request a paper application by calling 1-866-620-8864.