News 2016

A WBRY reminder the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency will hold a commodities distribution in Cannon County Thursday from 9 to 11 in the morning at the Cannon County Community Center located at the Fairgrounds.  Everyone must present a valid UCHRA commodity card in order to receive commodities.  To sign up or reprint lost commodities cards contact the UCHRA office.  The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin, or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs services or activities.
 

The Summer Reading Program has begun at the Cannon County Libraries.  Thursday Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers will be the first program of the season.  The group is made up of accomplished musicians who have traveled the world singing and entertaining.  They’ve been in concert from Florida to Iowa to California and have even taken their pirate themed music to the British Isles and Australia.  They’ve also been featured on the PBS series Bluegrass Underground.  The program starts at the Adams Memorial Library Thursday at 1:00 in the afternoon.

Several young cyclists will be biking through Woodbury today as part of the 2016 Remember the Removal Bike Ride.  The ride allows young Cherokees to retrace the northern route of the Trail of Tears by bicycle from Cherokee homelands in the Southeast to present-day Oklahoma, the ending point of the trail.
The participants, ages 16-24, started training March for the three-week journey, which started in New Echota, Georgia, on Sunday.
The Remember the Removal Bike Ride is a 950-mile journey that spans Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. This year, students were selected based on essays, interviews and a physical to ensure they were up for the grueling challenge.
“Being selected to participate in the Remember the Removal Bike Ride is an honor for these young tribal citizens. It will be a physical challenge, no doubt, but the reward is immense,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “They will get a unique education in the history of our tribe and learn just how strong our ancestors were as they trekked to modern-day Oklahoma. The bonds they form with the other riders on this annual trip are deep and long lasting, and it’s something the participants will always cherish.”
The Cherokee Nation cyclists will be joined by seven cyclists from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina for the ride.
They travel an average of 60 miles a day for three weeks, mirroring in part the hardships of their Cherokee ancestors who made the same trek on foot. Of the estimated 16,000 Cherokees who were forced to make the journey to Indian Territory, 4,000 died due to exposure, starvation and disease, giving credence to the name Trail of Tears.
 

Tennessee Department of Transportation announces that it will be closing the State Route 145 Auburntown Road Bridge over Rush Creek to traffic beginning Wednesday.  The close is expected to last three weeks.  The Jones Brothers Construction had been working on this project and hadn’t needed to close the bridge until Wednesday.  The existing metal bridge of unknown age will be replaced with a pre-cast concrete bridge during the three week project. Locke Creek Road is the most common bypass for that section.   Message boards will be installed to give information on detours prior to beginning the project and throughout the closure. Motorists should use caution and be alert to construction equipment and vehicles within the work zone.  The bridge should reopen by June 29, 2016 Estimated project completion date is July 2016.  
 

Saint Thomas Health will host a free medical screening day for the community Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Grundy County High School at 24970 TN Highway 108 in Coalmont, TN.  The screening day is free and open to the public.
 
Services to be provided that day include medical care, dental care, foot care, vision care, spiritual care, behavioral health care, diabetes screenings, cholesterol screenings and select prescriptions.  This Medical Mission at Home day is part of Saint Thomas Health’s commitment to serve all persons, with special attention to those who are struggling the most in Middle Tennessee.  Saint Thomas health is a part of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.
 
Volunteer medical personnel, including, physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, nurses, optometrists, technicians, pharmacists, chaplains and dozens of other hospital staff from Saint Thomas Rutherford and River Park Hospitals and across Saint Thomas Health will provide free health care and screenings. Pharmacy services, including select prescription medications for those in need, will also be provided by the Dispensary of Hope. Dental services (on-site fillings and extractions) will be offered by the non-profit organization Hope Smiles. A Mobile Mammography Coach will also be on site.
 
“It is our responsibility as a mission-driven ministry to care for the poor and vulnerable, especially in our own communities. Grundy County has thousands of uninsured residents and has been termed the poorest county in Tennessee.  We are compelled as one healing community to serve those most vulnerable and in need and so it is absolutely fitting that we provide these services right here,” said Nancy Anness, Vice President of Advocacy, Access and Community Outreach for Saint Thomas Health.
 
Grundy County is estimated to have a population of 13,441 as of July 2015 (U.S. Census Data). More than 22% of Grundy County residents are uninsured and nearly 21% of the population under age 65 has a disability. 
 
“We are thankful for the opportunity to serve those needing care so close to home,” said Greg Pope, Saint Thomas Health’s Chief Mission Officer. “Healthcare is still out of reach for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. We are grateful to carry out our Mission to serve all persons through this Medical Mission.”
 
The Ascension Medical Mission at Home is part of a national effort by Ascension and its caregivers to host similar events across the country.  To date, Medical Mission at Home events have been held in Tennessee, Washington D.C., New York, Alabama, Florida, Connecticut, Indiana and Texas, and plans to expand to other markets in the coming months to meet individual and community health needs. 
 
Local leadership for the Grundy County Medical Mission at Home day is provided by the South Cumberland Health Network.  Additional support has been provided by the Grundy County Health Council, South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps VISTA program, Grundy County Schools, South Cumberland Community Fund and the University of the South Office of Community Engagement.  Local community partners providing services are Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System, Delta Dental, Beersheba Springs Medical Clinic, Grundy County Health Department, Grundy Primary Care Clinic and the Grundy County Food Bank.
 

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) requires certain immunizations for students entering pre-k, kindergarten, and 7th grades.  There is only one official TDOH certificate of immunization that must be completed by medical providers for delivery to schools. Parents must present this official form prior to or at their child’s registration for pre-k, kindergarten, 7th grade, or as a new student. This form is available from private healthcare providers or local health departments.
 
Parents are urged to begin this process early to avoid a delay in their child’s school year. Medical providers experience high volumes of last minute immunization requests prior to the start of school. Therefore, beginning this process early can assure parents these requirements are met in advance of fall registration.
 
Remember, according to Tennessee State Law (TCA 49-6-5001), no child shall be permitted to attend any public school, kindergarten, or pre-k until proof of immunization is given to the admissions officer of the school. Parents of pre-k, kindergarten, and 7th grade students must submit an Official Certificate of Immunization on, or prior to, school enrollment. Pre-K, kindergarten, and 7th grades students without proper immunization documentation will not be allowed to attend Cannon County Schools until the Official Certificate of Immunization is submitted. Medical, religious or homeless exemptions may apply in some cases.
 
Parents can call the Cannon County Health Department, located at 301 West Main Street, Woodbury, to schedule immunizations through their clinic.  You can reach the Health Department at 615-563-4243.  Parents may also schedule immunizations through their private healthcare providers.     
 
Below is a summary of the TDOH rule 1200-14-1-29 which details the immunization requirements for children enrolling in Tennessee Schools.
 
Children in Pre-School or Pre-K

• Current immunization requirements:
  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate)
  • Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV)
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (1 dose of each, usually given together as MMR)
  • Varicella (1 dose or history of disease)
  • Hepatitis B (HBV)
  • Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib):  age younger than 5 years only (this requirement is resumed following suspension during a national Hib vaccine shortage in 2008-2009)
  • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV):  age younger than 5 years old.
  • Hepatitis A (1 dose by 18 months of age)

 
Children entering kindergarten

• Current immunization requirements:
  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate)
  • Hepatitis B (HBV)
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR)
  • Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV):  final dose on or after the 4th birthday now required
  • Varicella (2 doses or history of disease):  previously only one dose was required
  • Hepatitis A (2 doses):  effective July 1, 2011

 
Children entering 7th Grade

• Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster (“Tdap”)
• Verification of immunity to varicella (2 doses or history of disease)

 
New Enrollees in a TN School in Grades other than K or 7th

• Current immunization requirements:
  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate)
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR)
  • Hepatitis B (HBV):  previously only for kindergarten, 7th grade entry
  • Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV):  final dose on or after the 4th birthday now required
  • Varicella (2 doses or history of disease):  previously only one dose was required

 
Children with medical or religious exemption requirements:

• Medical: Healthcare provider must indicate which specific vaccines are medically exempted (because of risk of harm) on the new form.  Other vaccines remain required.
• Religious:  Requires only a signed statement by the parent/guardian that vaccination conflicts with their religious tenets or practices.  If documentation of a health examination is required, it must be noted by the health care provider on the immunization certificate.  In that case, the provider may explain the absence of immunization information by checking that the parent has obtained a religious exemption.

 
 
For more information, contact the Cannon County Health Department, your child’s physician, your school nurse, or Bonnie Patterson, Director of Coordinated School Health at 615-563-5752 x 245 or bonnie.patterson@ccstn.net.

A couple of resolutions will be up for adoption during tonight’s Town of Woodbury Mayor and Board of Aldermen.  Resolution 2016-02 a Resolution adopting a plan of services for the annexation of property owned by the Dillon Street Baptist Church on Sunny Slope Road and Resolution 2016-03 which is a resolution adopting a plan of services for the annexation of a portion of a Parcel 113.00 Cannon County Tax Map 39 by the Town of Woodbury on Sunny Slope Road.  They will also discuss the position of Public Works Director.  The aldermen will discuss the proposed 2016-2017 budget.  Mr Roy Sullivan 911 Director would like to address the board and the American Legion Post will be on hand to conduct the presentation of the Law Enforcement and Firefighter Awards.  The meeting will be held tonight at 7:00 at the Nolan Dude Northcutt Building formerly known as City Hall.

Once again, the city of Manchester, Tennessee, will host the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which is one of the most popular live music events in the country.  Since 2002, the four-day, multi-stage event has featured a diverse assortment of performers and musical styles on a 700-acre Middle Tennessee farm that for several days in June becomes the temporary home for thousands of people from all over the country.  As in years past, over 80,000 music lovers are expected to attend the 2016 Bonnaroo festival, which kicks off Thursday night, June 9, and winds down Sunday night, June 12.
With 80,000 festivalgoers converging on the festival site, the area in and around Manchester always sees increased traffic throughout the festival.  As Manchester prepares to welcome a multitude of visitors, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Tennessee Highway Patrol are gearing up for the extra traffic expected in the area.  TDOT and THP are working closely with the Manchester Police Department, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and festival promoters to keep traffic moving on I-24 while also getting Bonnaroo attendees to their destination.
“TDOT has once again coordinated with our partners at THP and other agencies to ensure safe, efficient travel during the Bonnaroo festival,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer.  “The main objective is to keep through traffic moving smoothly on I‑24 while getting festivalgoers safely into and out of the Bonnaroo site.  Because of advance planning, we feel certain that we can successfully minimize traffic delays throughout the weekend.”
This year, Bonnaroo will officially open all gates on Wednesday evening June 8 at 8:00 p.m. CDT to allow more time for vehicles to enter the campgrounds.  State Troopers will be on-the-job 24 hours a day, beginning Thursday evening, patrolling on the ground and by air.
“The Tennessee Highway patrol is committed to reducing crashes and saving lives on Tennessee roadways”, Colonel Tracy Trott said.  “Our troopers will take a zero tolerance approach as they enforce the laws during this event.  We believe that the efforts of THP along with TDOT and that of all of our partners in public safety are contributing to reducing traffic related incidents and fatalities.”
During Bonnaroo 2015, Troopers logged nearly 6,800 man-hours, worked 23 traffic crashes (0 fatal, 8 injury, and 15 property damage crashes), and wrote 531 citations and issued 38 warnings.  A breakdown of all THP-issued citations during last year’s festival period is included in this release.
TDOT HELP units will assist with traffic management during the festival and will aid any motorists who require assistance.  In addition to having HELP trucks on-site, TDOT and other agencies will be taking the following steps beginning June 8 through June 13:

• Efforts will be concentrated on keeping I-24 traffic flowing.
• Exit 111 (SR 55) will be used as the main festival exit. Exits 97, 105, 112 (temporary exit on westbound side only), 117 and 127 are alternate exits if congestion occurs on the interstate.
• TDOT maintenance units will be posted throughout the festival region, and maintenance personnel will be on call all weekend.
• TDOT will provide variable message signs to warn drivers of delays.
• There will be no construction-related lane closures on I-24 near the Bonnaroo festival area between 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, through 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 13.
• Median crossovers will be guarded to prevent motorists from parking in the crossovers and blocking emergency vehicles.
• Festival traffic will be kept in the right lane and/or on the shoulder of the interstate, allowing through traffic to utilize the left travel lane unimpeded.
• Emergency vehicles will use county roads that will be kept at low volume.
• Bonnaroo promoters issued early news releases to the trucking industry and other sources to alert the traveling public to festival times, location, and alternate routes.
• Temporary communication towers are in place to improve emergency communications.

During the festival, motorists should call 511 from any mobile or landline phone for traffic updates, or visit the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot for information on alternate routes.  From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest traffic information and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic.  TDOT is also on Twitter.  For statewide traffic tweets, follow @TN511 or for regional traffic information follow @Nashville511, @Chattanooga511, @Memphis511 and @Knoxville511. 
– See more at: http://tn.gov/news/42829#sthash.jsv7080O.dpuf
 Once again, the city of Manchester, Tennessee, will host the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which is one of the most popular live music events in the country.  Since 2002, the four-day, multi-stage event has featured a diverse assortment of performers and musical styles on a 700-acre Middle Tennessee farm that for several days in June becomes the temporary home for thousands of people from all over the country.  As in years past, over 80,000 music lovers are expected to attend the 2016 Bonnaroo festival, which kicks off Thursday night, June 9, and winds down Sunday night, June 12.

With 80,000 festivalgoers converging on the festival site, the area in and around Manchester always sees increased traffic throughout the festival.  As Manchester prepares to welcome a multitude of visitors, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Tennessee Highway Patrol are gearing up for the extra traffic expected in the area.  TDOT and THP are working closely with the Manchester Police Department, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and festival promoters to keep traffic moving on I-24 while also getting Bonnaroo attendees to their destination.

“TDOT has once again coordinated with our partners at THP and other agencies to ensure safe, efficient travel during the Bonnaroo festival,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer.  “The main objective is to keep through traffic moving smoothly on I‑24 while getting festivalgoers safely into and out of the Bonnaroo site.  Because of advance planning, we feel certain that we can successfully minimize traffic delays throughout the weekend.”

This year, Bonnaroo will officially open all gates on Wednesday evening June 8 at 8:00 p.m. CDT to allow more time for vehicles to enter the campgrounds.  State Troopers will be on-the-job 24 hours a day, beginning Thursday evening, patrolling on the ground and by air.

“The Tennessee Highway patrol is committed to reducing crashes and saving lives on Tennessee roadways”, Colonel Tracy Trott said.  “Our troopers will take a zero tolerance approach as they enforce the laws during this event.  We believe that the efforts of THP along with TDOT and that of all of our partners in public safety are contributing to reducing traffic related incidents and fatalities.”

During Bonnaroo 2015, Troopers logged nearly 6,800 man-hours, worked 23 traffic crashes (0 fatal, 8 injury, and 15 property damage crashes), and wrote 531 citations and issued 38 warnings.  A breakdown of all THP-issued citations during last year’s festival period is included in this release.

TDOT HELP units will assist with traffic management during the festival and will aid any motorists who require assistance.  In addition to having HELP trucks on-site, TDOT and other agencies will be taking the following steps beginning June 8 through June 13:

    Efforts will be concentrated on keeping I-24 traffic flowing.
    Exit 111 (SR 55) will be used as the main festival exit. Exits 97, 105, 112 (temporary exit on westbound side only), 117 and 127 are alternate exits if congestion occurs on the interstate.
    TDOT maintenance units will be posted throughout the festival region, and maintenance personnel will be on call all weekend.
    TDOT will provide variable message signs to warn drivers of delays.
    There will be no construction-related lane closures on I-24 near the Bonnaroo festival area between 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, through 7:00 p.m. on Monday, June 13.
    Median crossovers will be guarded to prevent motorists from parking in the crossovers and blocking emergency vehicles.
    Festival traffic will be kept in the right lane and/or on the shoulder of the interstate, allowing through traffic to utilize the left travel lane unimpeded.
    Emergency vehicles will use county roads that will be kept at low volume.
    Bonnaroo promoters issued early news releases to the trucking industry and other sources to alert the traveling public to festival times, location, and alternate routes.
    Temporary communication towers are in place to improve emergency communications.

During the festival, motorists should call 511 from any mobile or landline phone for traffic updates, or visit the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot for information on alternate routes.  From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest traffic information and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic.  TDOT is also on Twitter.  For statewide traffic tweets, follow @TN511 or for regional traffic information follow @Nashville511, @Chattanooga511, @Memphis511 and @Knoxville511.

A McMinnville Highway man has been arrested recently and charged with a felony arrest after he allegedly gave a false report concerning a stolen vehicle.   It all started at Davenports service station in Woodbury when 29 year old Matthew Richison called the Sheriff’s Department to report a stolen vehicle.  Also about the same time another call came into dispatch that a man stated he walked out side an found a unoccupied car in his driveway that had struck his parked vehicle.  The tag of the car match the complainants name involving the stolen automobile.  Richison stated that the previous night, he parked his 2012 Kia, somewhere along Gassway Road to look for a camping spot because he did not want to sleep at his residence.  He stated that he left the car running and walked off into a field.  A unknown car pulls up and someone gets in his car and both cars drive off.  He stated that he walked back to Woodbury to seek help. The deputy then told Richison that his vehicle had been involved in an accident and was located in someone’s yard on Gassaway Road.  The deputy also advised Richison that if he was giving a false report after crashing his vehicle he would be subject to a felony arrest.  After further investigation at the scene it appeared that the driver of the vehicle drove straight through a curve, exited the roadway to the left and struck a parked car hard enough to spin it around an separate the rear axle from the frame.  The Kia appeared to be a total loss but deputies thought it was strange for the key to be missing from the vehicle.  Furthermore in plain sight there was a game console that was still in the car and nothing seemed to be missing.  The deputy stated in his report that after speaking to Richison there appears to be probably cause that he was in fact driving the vehicle when the crash occurred and he gave a false report of the vehicle being stolen after he left the scene.  Richison will answer to the charges in Cannon County General Sessions Court July 5th.

A Smithville man was cited Friday after illegally killing a black bear which had wandered onto his property near the Old Snow Hill Road.  According to wjle.com Jim Beshearse will soon make a court appearance on the citation.
The bear was spotted by several other people in DeKalb County Thursday evening and Friday morning including the areas of Patterson Road, Short Mountain Highway, Robinson Road, and Dry Creek Road. It may have been the same bear seen in the Rock Island area of Warren County Wednesday.
Friday afternoon, the TWRA issued the following prepared news release concerning the killing of the bear:
“Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) officer Tony Cross was off duty when he responded to a call concerning shots fired in an area where a transient, male black bear had been spotted earlier. Wildlife officer Cross quickly found the bear and shooter near Old Snow Hill Road in Smithville, DeKalb County.
Wildlife officer Cross stated, “This isn’t the kind of day I like.” Cross, a 24 year veteran with TWRA, believed the man had no intent of killing a bear when he left his house. “I think he just shot before he thought of another solution,” shared Cross. However, state laws were violated and the man was charged with shooting big game outside of the season. Additionally, there is not an open season for black bear in DeKalb County”
(WJLE)