News 2016

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) reminds consumers that Open Enrollment for insurance coverage on the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) begins November 1, 2016. During Open Enrollment, Tennesseans can apply for cost assistance, change plans, and enroll in a plan.
Tennesseans will have access to marketplace coverage for 2017 no matter where they live. However, consumers shopping for coverage will notice several significant changes in the marketplace, including: 

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) will not offer coverage on or off the exchange in the Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville markets.
• Cigna will provide coverage in Nashville, Memphis, and Johnson City.
• Humana will provide coverage in Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville and will be the only exchange carrier providing coverage in the Knoxville region.
• BCBST will be the only exchange carrier providing coverage in parts of the state not mentioned above.
• United Healthcare will no longer be in the Tennessee individual market.

Visit the Department’s website to see specific coverage information related to Tennessee’s eight rating areas in 2017 as well as specific insurer plan information.
A consumer whose plan is no longer offered should review all insurance options to make the best choice for her/himself. Consumers may purchase insurance “off” the exchange in the individual market, but those purchases will not be eligible for premium subsidies.
The Department emphasizes the need for consumers to carefully review plan networks. If you like your physician, make sure he/she is included in the plan network and check carrier directories for local hospitals to ensure easy access to ‘in-network’ services, where possible. Several plans provide tight networks and/or limited out-of-network benefits. To avoid unexpected and unpleasant balance bills, always see network providers.
Consumers should also be aware that they may face an increased federal tax penalty for being uninsured in 2017 unless they otherwise qualify for an exemption under Department of Health and Human Services guidance.

Important dates:

November 1, 2016:

First day to enroll, re-enroll, or change a 2017 insurance plan.

 

December 15, 2016:

Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1, 2017.

 

January 1, 2017:

2017 coverage starts for those who enroll or change plans by December 15.

 

January 31, 2016:

Open Enrollment ends.

 
Questions about Open Enrollment? Contact us at 1-800-342-4029 or (615) 741-2218.
– See more at: http://tn.gov/news/46453#sthash.b0sdkqfs.dpuf
 The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) reminds consumers that Open Enrollment for insurance coverage on the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) begins November 1, 2016. During Open Enrollment, Tennesseans can apply for cost assistance, change plans, and enroll in a plan.

Tennesseans will have access to marketplace coverage for 2017 no matter where they live. However, consumers shopping for coverage will notice several significant changes in the marketplace, including:

    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) will not offer coverage on or off the exchange in the Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville markets.
    Cigna will provide coverage in Nashville, Memphis, and Johnson City.
    Humana will provide coverage in Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville and will be the only exchange carrier providing coverage in the Knoxville region.
    BCBST will be the only exchange carrier providing coverage in parts of the state not mentioned above.
    United Healthcare will no longer be in the Tennessee individual market.

Visit the Department’s website to see specific coverage information related to Tennessee’s eight rating areas in 2017 as well as specific insurer plan information.

A consumer whose plan is no longer offered should review all insurance options to make the best choice for her/himself. Consumers may purchase insurance “off” the exchange in the individual market, but those purchases will not be eligible for premium subsidies.

The Department emphasizes the need for consumers to carefully review plan networks. If you like your physician, make sure he/she is included in the plan network and check carrier directories for local hospitals to ensure easy access to ‘in-network’ services, where possible. Several plans provide tight networks and/or limited out-of-network benefits. To avoid unexpected and unpleasant balance bills, always see network providers.

Consumers should also be aware that they may face an increased federal tax penalty for being uninsured in 2017 unless they otherwise qualify for an exemption under Department of Health and Human Services guidance.
Important dates:
November 1, 2016:
First day to enroll, re-enroll, or change a 2017 insurance plan.
 
December 15, 2016:
Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1, 2017.
 
January 1, 2017:
2017 coverage starts for those who enroll or change plans by December 15.
 
January 31, 2016:
Open Enrollment ends.
 

Questions about Open Enrollment? Contact us at 1-800-342-4029 or (615) 741-2218.

The day will be all about America’s veterans.
From the early morning memorial service to a picnic that includes recognizing the Dr. Joe Nunley Award recipients to the MTSU Band of Blue halftime salute, the 35th annual Salute to Armed Services Game is all about making veterans and their families feel treasured.
All activities will take place on the MTSU campus, and most will lead up to the 1:30 p.m. kickoff for the Conference USA football game between the Blue Raiders (6-2 overall) and the University of Texas-San Antonio (4-4) in Floyd Stadium.
Game tickets provided by State Farm are complimentary for veterans and their families, and will be available at the picnic.
To find parking, the stadium, the MTSU Memorial site and other buildings, a searchable campus parking map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.
Since 1982, MTSU’s Salute to Armed Services events pay tribute to the men and women who serve or who have served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. The Blue Raiders want fans to join them in one of the nation’s longest-running veterans’ celebrations.
The timeline of Salute to Armed Services events is as follows:
• 9:30 a.m. — Memorial service honoring veterans outside the Tom H. Jackson Building. Keith M. Huber, senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives at MTSU, will be the guest speaker. Huber retired as a lieutenant general after a nearly 40-year career in the U.S. Army.
• 11 a.m. — Veterans and families picnic on the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame lawn.
• 11 a.m. — Silent auction in Kennon Hall of Fame, benefiting the Salute to Armed Services fund.
• Noon — Veterans Village opens on the stadium concourse.
• Noon. — Dr. Joe Nunley Award presentation at the picnic site. The 2016 recipients are Murfreesboro businessmen and MTSU alumni Bud Morris and Bob Lamb, who both served during the Vietnam War.
• 1:30 p.m. — Football kickoff.
• Halftime salute — MTSU Band of Blue performs military fight songs as each of the U.S. military branches — Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy — march across Horace Jones Field together.
The Nunley award, formerly presented to a World War II veteran who also made his or her mark in life after serving their country, now is given “to a veteran known for service to others in the Middle Tennessee community,” said MTSU alumnus John Furgess (Class of 1965) of Nashville, who helped found the event with Nunley.
The Salute to Armed Services event also features an annual Marines Toys for Tots drive.
Collection barrels for new and unwrapped toys will be placed at each end of Floyd Stadium and at club level. People also can place donations in Marine ammunition cans with a slot; the Marines are not permitted to accept money from donors by hand.
For more information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.

The DeKalb/Cannon Farm Service Agency staff will be in Woodbury at the Cannon County USDA Service Center on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The staff will be onsite to take crop acreage reports for hay and pasture, and any other perennial grasses. Beginning with crop year 2017, the acreage reporting date for perennial grasses, including hay and pasture crops, is November 15, 2016.
Donny Green, County Executive Director for the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency, says that this new acreage reporting deadline came with short notice, and he and his staff want to do everything possible to accommodate and assist producers of hay and pasture crops in getting their acreage reports filed timely. In past years, crop acreage reports for hay and pasture had to be filed by July 15. However, the new Acreage/Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) has established a common USDA framework for acreage reporting dates to be used for all agencies.
In order to participate in most of the Farm Service Agency’s programs, complete and timely crop acreage reports must be filed for program approval and payment eligibility. Green says that’s why his office feels it’s vitally important that hay and pasture producers take advantage of this opportunity to come to the Woodbury office on November 9 from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. to file their crop acreage reports for hay and pasture before the November 15, 2016 deadline. The office is located at 740 Old McMinnville Rd., Woodbury, TN.
If you cannot visit the office in Woodbury on November 9, you can visit the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency located in Smithville USDA Service Center Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The office staff can also assist by taking your information by phone and mailing your crop acreage report for your signature by the November 15 deadline.  If you have questions, please contact the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2.
 

The Women’s World Summit Foundation is sponsoring the sixth annual 19 Days of Activism for the Prevention of Abuse and Violence Against Children and Youth.  This worldwide event happens every year from November 1-19.  For the fourth time, the Child Advocacy Center and local agencies that assist child abuse victims are participating in the event. 
 
“Nineteen days may seem like a short period of time, but to a child being abused it’s a lifetime,” said Sharon De Boer, executive director of the Child Advocacy Centers in Rutherford and Cannon Counties. “Now imagine the impact we can have on a child’s life in 19 days by collaborating with other organizations, raising awareness, and encouraging our community to report child abuse.”
The Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit agency that serves victims of child abuse, child sexual abuse, and drug endangered children.  The Center works as a multi-disciplinary team with the Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office to respond to child abuse cases.  The Department of Children’s Services protects children, law enforcement arrests perpetrators, the District Attorney’s Office prosecutes offenders, while the Child Advocacy Center helps children and families heal from the trauma of the abuse. 
The 19 Day Campaign is a multi-issue coalition of diverse organizations and partners, including young people, involved in the fight against one or more of the 19 abuse issues listed in the 19 Days of Action Prevention Kit, working for a social transformation, mobilizing agents for change, and informed prevention actors to help create public awareness and support at the national, regional and/or international level.  This year’s focus is on malnutrition. Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of the deaths of children under age 5—3.1 million children each year worldwide.
During the 19 Days of Activism, the Child Advocacy Center has two goals.  The first goal is that the 19 Days of Action partner agencies will be sponsoring press releases every day for 19 days to educate our community about child abuse, with a focus on malnutrition. 
The Partner Agencies are:

• CADCOR
• CASA
• Centerstone
• Child Advocacy Center
• Domestic Violence Program
• Family Center
• Earth Matters
• Greenhouse Ministries
• Kymari House
• La Vergne Police Department
• Middle Tennessee State University, Food Sciences Department
• Murfreesboro Police Department
• Nurses for Newborns
• Rutherford County Schools
• Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
• Saint Thomas Hospital
• Smyrna Police Department
• Special Kids

The second goal is that the Child Advocacy Center is sponsoring “Darkness to Light” trainings to educate parents, grandparents, and professionals how to protect children from child sexual abuse and what to do if a child discloses abuse.  Contact Rebecca Stamps at the Child Advocacy Center to attend one of the “Darkness to Light” trainings or bring this child sexual abuse prevention training to your church, school, PTO, sports league, civic group, or business.
Watch for more information this month from the Child Advocacy Center and other organizations that provide critically needed services to child abuse victims. 
For more information on the 19 Days of Activism contact Rebecca Stamps at (615) 867-9000 or visit the Women’s World Summit Foundation website at http://www.woman.ch/index.php?page=19daysofactivism.
 

“Darkness to Light” November Trainings:
Date                                    Location                                           
Nov. 1, 2016                      MTSU Family Relations Class
Nov. 10, 2016                    Linebaugh Library            
Nov. 10, 2016                    Village Learning Academy
Nov. 15 & 22, 2016          CAC Non Offending Parent Support Group
Nov. 21, 2016                    Cedar Grove Elementary
Nov. 29, 2016                    Murfreesboro City Schools ESP

 

   East Side School would like to
announce the following honor
students (Principal’s List – All A’s),
Honor Roll (A’s and B’s) and students
with perfect attendance for the first  grading period ending October 7:
   Mrs. Ana Smith’s Kindergarten –
Honor Roll:  Miley Barrett, Haydan Foster, Aidyn Harris, Jeffrey St. John, Rylee Young.  Perfect Attendance: Rylee Young, Miley Barrett, Jeffrey St. John.  Most Improved:  Randen Davenport.
   Mrs. Paige Holt’s First Grade –
Honor Roll:  Elaina Turner, Whitman Walls, Lillie Hunter.  Perfect Attendance:  Dakota Wimberly, Andrew Alexander.
Most Improved:  Lillian Schwartz.
   Mrs. Karen Cook’s Second Grade –
Principal’s List:  Lilly Allen.  Honor Roll:  Amera Smith, Jacob Pirtle, Amber Ivanowski, Kloie Wilson, Kennedi Higgins.  Perfect Attendance: Amera Smith, Jacob Pirtle, Synthia Rogers, Kloie Wilson, Lilly Allen, Kennedi Higgins.  Most Improved:
Brody McPeak.
   Mrs. Connie Phillips’ Third Grade –
Principal’s List:   Laney Mullinax.  Honor Roll:  Marissa Jones, Gage Nokes, Drayden Peebles, Laila Underwood.   Perfect Attendance:  Ayden Dollar, Madelyn Gannon, Marissa Jones, Laney Mullinax, Wyatt Valentino.  Most Improved:  Madelyn Gannon.
   Ms. Samantha Young’s Fourth Grade –
Principal’s List:  Sadey Grizzle.  Honor Roll:  Olivia Moss, Slade Grizzle, Kurstin Warrick. Conor Napier  Perfect Attendance:  Slade Grizzle, Sadey Grizzle, Lillian Davenport, Jayda Young. Jack Grant, Liv Prater Kurstin Warrick, and MaLeah Gould  Most Improved:  Destiny Brannon.
   Mrs. Brad Underwood’s Fifth Grade –
Principal’s List:  Emma Muncey, Sadie Prater, Allie Skimehorn.  Honor Roll:  Devin Grant, Callie Vance. Perfect Attendance:  Tristen Barber Devin Grant, Sawyer Parton, Callie Vance.  Most Improved:  Josie Shoemake.
   Mrs. Connie Foster’s Sixth Grade –
Principal’s List:  Katie Davis.  Honor Roll:  Mykala Barrett.  Perfect Attendance:  David Palmer, Katie Davis, Montana Davis.Brett Skimehorn
Most Improved:  Justin Watts.
 
 
 
 
       Mrs. Amy Underwood’s Seventh
Grade – Honor Roll:  Drinix Peebles, Braxten Alexander, Ashley Mooneyham, Emma Richardson, Katlyn Prater, Layla O’Sullivan.  Perfect Attendance:  Johnnie Pirtle, Braxten Alexander, Micah Prater, Ashley Mooneyham, Dallas Roller, Layla O’Sullivan.  Most Improved:  Johnnie Pirtle.

      Mrs. Jackie Burger’s Eighth Grade – 
Principal’s List:  Eli Cantrell, Emalee Rogers.  Honor Roll:  Stella Brown, Cheyanne Moss.  Perfect Attendance: Stella Brown, Eli Cantrell, Hunter Davis.  Most Improved:  Cheyanne Moss.
 

The Cannon County Board of Trustees announces a change to its By-Laws. The Board of Trustees is to approve meeting every other month rather than monthly at their November 10 meeting. The public, as always, is welcome to attend the meeting on November 10 at 4 pm in the Jennings Community Room.

The Adams Memorial Library will be observing Halloween Monday afternoon from 3 to 5:00. Children are encouraged to stop by today and get some treats.  The event will be indoors only.  For more information call the library at 615-563-5861.  Halloween Trick or Treating then continues at the Woodbury Health and Rehab Center West High Street from 5:30 to 7:30 Monday evening..  WBRY wishes everyone a safe and happy Halloween.
 

Two Woodbury men have been placed under arrest recently after Woodbury Police chased one when recognizing him.  According to Woodbury Police reports, Police observed Dustin L. Nichols driving on South McCrary Street.  When Nichols saw the officer turn around, he accelerated quickly and sped down East High Street.  After canvassing the area, the officer saw the vehicle and Nichols on East High Street.  Nichols then took off running and evaded the officer.  The officer then went and questioned Austin Blake Markum.  Markum told police that it was not Nichols that was running from him but that it was Markum himself, police then arrested Markum and charged him with false report.  Nichols was eventually caught and charged with evading arrest.  Nichols is scheduled to answer to the charge November 8th in Cannon County General Sessions Court.  
Other arrests made recently by the Woodbury Police Department.
Bobby Joe Wilson-Carrying A Weapon, Possession of a Weapon While under the influence, Aggravated Burglary, Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon
Michael A. Wiedemann DUI 1st offense.

Cannon County’s unemployment rate for the month of September rose two-tenths of a percentage point from the August rate.  Out of an estimated 6200 eligible people in the workforce, 5,890 people were employed while 310 people were unemployed giving Cannon County a 5.1 percent unemployment rate up from the 4.9 rate in August.  Other surrounding counties also reported an increase.  Coffee County is at 5.2 percent, while Dekalb has a 5.9 percent unemployment rate.  Rutherford County stayed the same at four percent.  Warren and Wilson Counties showed slight increases at 4.9 and 4.1 percents respectively.  Cannon’s unemployment rate at this time last year was 5.6 percent
Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for September was 4.6 percent, increasing two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s revised rate. The U.S. preliminary rate for September was 5.0 percent, increasing one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month

The Cannon County High School Football season is over.  The Lions faced rival Dekalb County Friday night in Woodbury.  11 Seniors were recognized before the game.  Cannon took the field with a lot of excitement.  However they may have been too excited as mistakes led to two Dekalb County touchdowns in the first quarter as Dekalb forced several turnovers and won 42-0.  Senior Quarterback Josh Walkup threw four interceptions in the game, three in the first quarter.  Walkup also couldn’t recover a high snap on a punt in the end zone leading to a Dekalb score.  In addition to the interceptions, the Lions offense couldn’t gain any significant ground in their offensive drives against the Tigers.  The Lions finish the season 2-8 and in last place in the region at 0-6.