News 2016

A Cannon County woman is charged in nearby Rutherford County with doctor shopping for prescription drugs, using TennCare as payment. It’s her second arrest on similar charges.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with assistance from officers with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, today announced the arrest of Heather Hale, 29, of Woodbury. An indictment charges her with two counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance by doctor shopping, or going to several providers in a short time period to obtain prescriptions for the painkillers Hydrocodone and Tramadol, using TennCare as payment.
Hale was just arrested in September on an indictment in Cannon County, charging her with doctor shopping for the same drugs, painkillers Hydrocodone and Tramadol, using TennCare to pay for either the clinical visits or the prescriptions.  She was charged with two counts of TennCare fraud by doctor shopping.
“Tennessee is fortunate to have the laws and the authority to pursue people who are doctor shopping for drugs, whether it’s for personal abuse or with the intent of distribution,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said.
District Attorney General Jennings H. Jones is prosecuting.  As of July 1, 2016, TennCare fraud was changed to a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,759 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”
– See more at: http://tn.gov/news/46781#sthash.oNuGaifj.dpuf
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with assistance from officers with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, last week announced the arrest of Heather Hale, 29, of Woodbury. An indictment charges her with two counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance by doctor shopping, or going to several providers in a short time period to obtain prescriptions for the painkillers Hydrocodone and Tramadol, using TennCare as payment.

Hale was just arrested in September on an indictment in Cannon County, charging her with doctor shopping for the same drugs, painkillers Hydrocodone and Tramadol, using TennCare to pay for either the clinical visits or the prescriptions.  She was charged with two counts of TennCare fraud by doctor shopping.

“Tennessee is fortunate to have the laws and the authority to pursue people who are doctor shopping for drugs, whether it’s for personal abuse or with the intent of distribution,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said.

District Attorney General Jennings H. Jones is prosecuting.  As of July 1, 2016, TennCare fraud was changed to a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,759 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.

Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”
 

 
Nov. 23-25—Thanksgiving Break
 
Nov. 28—Progress Reports
 
Dec. 6—Board meeting workshop, 6:30 p.m., CCBOE
 
Dec. 7—Principals’ meeting at CCBOE, 8:30 a.m.
 
Dec. 8—School Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., WGS Cafeteria
 
Dec. 9—TTU Science Fair
 
Dec. 16—Student abbreviated day
 
Dec. 19, 2016 – Jan. 2, 2017—Winter Break
 
Jan. 4—Principals’ meeting at CCBOE, 8:30 a.m.
 
Thanks to all of you that applied to be a TN Promise mentor.  We have almost met our goal of 22 mentors.   Cannon County needs only 7 more mentors.  To register to be a TN Promise mentor, go to the following website:  https://tnachieves.org/mentors/requirements/.

Last week marked the dawn of a new day in our nation’s capital, with a unified Republican government led by President-elect Donald Trump that will work to change the status quo in Washington and turn this victory into real progress for hardworking Americans. 
For six years now, my conservative colleagues and I have been playing defense in Washington. We worked to stop liberal bills to enact onerous gun control measures and give mass amnesty to illegal immigrants — but we didn’t get to see many of our own ideas make it past President Obama and his infamous “pen and a phone.” Now, conservatives can go on offense, and we have a real chance at getting our solutions signed into law. I believe that starts with repealing and replacing Obamacare. As Tennessee’s only member of the Budget Committee and Ways and Means Committee, I’m excited to be at the center of that fight. 
We know Obamacare isn’t working — over 70 Tennessee counties only have one insurer on the exchange, and premiums in our state went up by 63 percent this year alone. So fully repealing and replacing this law must be a top priority for our Republican majority, and we have a real plan to do that. Earlier this year, House Republicans unveiled our “Better Way” agenda and included in it is a 37 page plan for how we replace Obamacare; things like commonsense tort reform, expanding access to health savings accounts (HSAs), and spurring competition by allowing the sale of insurance across state lines. With Donald Trump in the Oval Office, that  plan can become a reality. 
A Victory for Life
I’ve long said that I believe one of the biggest ways the incoming Trump administration can have an impact is in the fight to protect the unborn. The Obama presidency was a callous betrayal to our most vulnerable and voiceless. He was, and remains, deeply entwined with the abortion lobby, as evidenced by his repeated threats over the years to veto even the most modest of pro-life bills. President-elect Trump will be a welcome change for all who believe in honoring the dignity of life at every stage, and I’m excited to work with him on three specific areas: passing the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to end the harmful practice of late-term abortion, protecting the conscience rights of individuals who refuse to perform or pay for abortions, and defunding Planned Parenthood so that we can instead send federal dollars to community health centers that provide better care to women without performing abortions. Earlier this week, I spoke with TheBlaze about the difference that President-Elect Trump will make for pro-lifers. Click HERE to read the article. 
Restoring the Power of the People
President Obama has never been one to let the Constitutional separation of powers stop him from imposing unpopular new backdoor rules and regulations with the force of law. In fact, his administration just set a dubious new record — 527 new pages of federal rules in a single day. We can expect more of these politically motivated stunts in the coming weeks. That is why House Republicans just sent a letter to every federal agency instructing them to halt any new rules until President-elect Donald Trump takes office. But we can’t stop there. Congress must put this administration on notice that any so-called “midnight rules” (rules issued in the final months of a presidency) will be subject to careful scrutiny. That is why, just this week the House passed H.R. 5982, the Midnight Rules Relief Act, with my support. 
Since 1996, a law known as the Congressional Review Act has been in place allowing Congress to disapprove rules set in place by a Presidential administration. Under this law however, Congress can only disapprove one rule at a time — meaning that a President could overwhelm Congress with an onslaught of new rules knowing they can’t possibly pass a resolution disapproving of each one. That is why this bill allows Congress to bundle new rules together and disapprove of them with a single stroke — establishing a simple, rapid-response method for Congress to put a check on an overreaching Presidency. 
Our new unified Republican government has a lot of work ahead, but I’m excited to have President-elect Donald Trump leading the charge, and I’m up to the challenge. It is an honor to continue serving you in Congress! 
               

Tennessee Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced last week the Tennessee preliminary unemployment rate for October was 4.8 percent, up two-tenths of a percentage point from the September revised rate of 4.6 percent. The U.S. preliminary rate for October was 4.9 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month.
Economic Summary
Over the past year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate decreased from 5.6 percent to 4.8 percent while the national rate declined from 5.0 percent to 4.9 percent.
Total seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased 7,500 jobs from September to October. The largest increases occurred in leisure/hospitality, professional/business services, and education/health services.
Over the year, nonfarm employment increased 70,700 jobs. The largest increases occurred in education/health services, professional/business services, and trade/transportation/utilities.

Middle Tennessee Electric cut the ribbon on a Cooperative Solar project last week. The one-megawatt solar array is the first of its kind for the cooperative.
“This is a big day for Middle Tennessee Electric and its members,” said MTEMC President Chris Jones. “It is our goal to be the solar leader among electric companies in the Tennessee Valley. Last year, working with our members, we connected more solar generation than any other power distributor across the 7 states of the Tennessee Valley.”
The cooperative expects to open the Cooperative Solar program for participation to its members in the first quarter of 2017. Interested members will be able to enroll in the program and, for a $20 per energy block per month participation fee, they will have their portion of the local, green generated power applied to their bill. In some months, electricity generated by the solar array may be less than the monthly participation cost, and in others it may exceed that cost.  Members wanting solar will have the opportunity to participate with ease, letting their cooperative handle all of the details.
“Just as 80 years ago, we were built to serve, today, we are taking the steps to broaden those service capabilities to our members,” Jones said.
Also on hand for the ribbon cutting were Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation Bob Martineau, Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, MTEMC board members and other dignitaries.
Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative providing electricity to more than 215,000 residential and business members in Williamson, Wilson, Rutherford and Cannon counties.

 In an effort to keep chronic wasting disease (CWD) out of Tennessee, the state’s wildlife agency is reminding hunters who travel beyond state lines that they must be mindful of import restrictions before they return home.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is concerned about hunters who pursue big game in the cervid family, which includes white-tailed deer, elk, and moose.
Because chronic wasting disease is contagious and deadly to deer, the agency is urging sportsmen to read this year’s Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide for instructions on properly preparing game for transport.
Import restrictions apply to most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces where chronic wasting disease has been discovered.
“This includes Arkansas and Missouri, which border Tennessee,” noted Col. Darren Rider of the TWRA Law Enforcement Division. “If someone comes back into the state without following the restrictions we would have to confiscate their prized deer, elk, or moose, which is something we definitely do not want to do.”
Virginia has also reported CWD, but because the positive counties are more than 150 miles from Tennessee, hunters outside of Frederick and Shenandoah counties are not bound by this year’s restrictions.
“The import restriction will go into effect for all of Virginia beginning next spring,” said Col. Rider.
While Tennessee’s import restrictions do not halt the transport of legally taken deer, elk, or moose, they do require carcasses be cleaned and dressed beyond what is typically done by most hunters.
The following can be imported into Tennessee from CWD positive areas:
*Meat that has bones removed
.*Antlers, antlers attached to cleaned skull plates, and cleaned skulls (where no meat or tissues are attached to the skull.)
*Cleaned teeth.
*Finished taxidermy, hides, and tanned products.
More information about CWD, including many of the states and provinces where CWD has been reported, can also be found on TWRA’s website homepage under “Hot Topics.”
Hunters should inquire with wildlife agencies prior to their out-of-state trip if CWD has been identified in local cervid populations.

Centerstone, one of the nation’s leading not-for-profit behavioral healthcare providers, is among 19 agencies in Rutherford and Cannon Counties participating in the sixth annual “19 Days of Activism for the Prevention of Abuse and Violence against Children and Youth.” This worldwide awareness event is held November 1-19 each year and sponsored by the Women’s World Summit Foundation. It presents an opportunity for like-minded organizations in local communities to collaborate on spreading the word about key abuse/violence issues and helping create a world fit for children.

The main awareness theme for the 19 Days campaign in 2016 is malnutrition, a serious concern in many places worldwide.

Centerstone helps all ages through its rich continuum of behavioral health services, including families with children in the prenatal through preschool age range. Breastfeeding support in the home, an effective way to combat malnutrition in children and promote better health in general, is one of many services in which Centerstone specializes in Middle Tennessee.

E.Ann Ingram, program manager for Centerstone Early Childhood Services, said, “For nearly all infants, breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition and immunologic protection. Research suggests breastfed babies have lower risks of asthma, childhood obesity, ear infection, respiratory infections, diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome. For mothers in need, there are services to assist with successful breastfeeding. They include lactation consultation, linkage to resources for obtaining breast pumps and support for common challenges like how to breastfeed in public or at work.”

Leading health organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed without other foods or liquids—even water—for the first six months and to continue breastfeeding for at least 12 months. Studies also show the risk of breast and ovarian cancer is decreased in moms who breastfeed.

Data indicates 83 percent of the families enrolled in Centerstone’s Early Childhood Services have reported feeding breast milk to their babies at six months of age, more than double the statewide rate for Tennessee (40.7 percent). Home visiting services are critical tools in helping parents raise healthy, happy kids. Expanding such services to even more counties and communities would be a wise investment in children.

Centerstone Early Childhood Services offers a dynamic range of support in care coordination, specialized services, family attachment, child development, education and resource linkage. To learn more please visit centerstone.org/earlychildhood.
 
For more information about the 19 Days of Activism campaign visit 19days.woman.ch.

Downtown Woodbury will be busy tonight as the 26th Annual Cannon County Country Christmas Merchants Open House will take place.  Most stores will be holding their open house starting when they open this morning  and most all businesses participating in the event will stay open later hours tonight than normal till 9:00.  Saturday’s hours vary per business but the event is scheduled to continue well until 2:00 Saturday afternoon and some shops will remain open normal business hours on Saturday.  
Santa is scheduled to arrive on the square in a mule pulled wagon at 5:00.  After about an hour and a half of Santa touring the various businesses and riding around the square with kids and their parents, Santa will be set up at Ethan’s Custard and Chips at 6:30 for picture opportunities.  You must bring your own camera to take pictures.  In addition to the various sales, the participating merchants are offering some door prizes ranging for gift certificates to leather jackets.  WBRY will be giving away two tickets to the Volunteer Jam set to take place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on November 30th.  Everyone who registers in each business for that particular business’s door prize will be automatically eligible to win the tickets.  Our drawing will be held Monday morning at 8:00 immediately following the local and area news.  Christmas music will be playing throughout the square tonight and tomorrow.  WBRY Radio will air the Cannon County Country Christmas Radio Special starting at 5:00 on AM-1540/FM 107.1
 

The American Red Cross will be conducting a Cannon Community Blood Drive today from noon till 6 at the Woodbury Lions Club Building on Lehman Street
This November, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give the perfect gift – a blood donation – to help ensure a sufficient blood supply throughout the holiday season.
A decline in donations occurs from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day when donors are busy with family gatherings and travel. However, patients don’t get a holiday break from needing lifesaving transfusions. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.
The Red Cross encourages donors to start a new holiday tradition and bring family and friends together to donate blood or platelets. Donors of all blood types are needed to give this November to help ensure a sufficient supply for hospital patients. As a thank you for donating around the Thanksgiving holiday, all those who come to donate Nov. 24-28 will be invited to download a set of recipes from celebrity chefs.
To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time when donating.
Everyone is encouraged to donate blood today as the Woodbury Lions Club hosts the Cannon Community Blood Drive today from noon to 6 at the Woodbury Lions Club Building.

Sgt. Jimmy Jones has been assigned to the Cannon/Warren County area of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.  Jones is taking the supervisor spot formerly held by Sgt. Billy Prater who was recently promoted.
Jones began his career in the Tennessee Highway Patrol in 1988, serving in Van Buren County.  He transferred to Warren County in 1989.  
Jones was on the Highway Patrol’s Drug Interdiction team for five years, during which time he was a K-9 officer.  He also worked on THP’s special operations team, working on the underwater recovery team, the bomb unit and K-9 unit.  He also worked with the governor’s office where he was the driver for then Gov. Phil Bredesen.
For the last 11 years Jones was supervisor in White, Van Buren and Cumberland counties.