News 2016

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) reminds Tennessee consumers to be aware of new state regulations governing ridesharing networks and their drivers.

Tennessee’s ridesharing legislation was enacted to eliminate both consumer and regulator questions regarding these increasingly popular services while providing appropriate guidance for the ridesharing companies, their drivers, and riders. The regulations took effect Jan. 1, 2016.

“The Department protects Tennessee consumers every day and adapts to new changes created by technology,” Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance Assistant Commissioner Michael Humphreys said. “This legislation provides certain clarity where there had been confusion regarding when an insurance policy may cover a trip through a ridesharing service. Drivers may still wish to confirm coverage with their personal auto and/or ridesharing companies to ensure they have adequate protection.”

All ridesharing companies and/or their drivers operating in Tennessee must follow these regulations:

    Drivers must maintain primary auto coverage that recognizes the driver as a Transportation Network Company (TNC) driver.
    When logged on to the app but not engaged in a prearranged ride (has not been connected with a rider), the driver must have primary auto liability insurance of at least 50/100/25 (dollar limits in thousands for bodily injury per individual/bodily injury per accident/ property).
    When the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride, driver must have primary auto liability insurance at a minimum of $1,000,000 for death, bodily injury, and property.
    If an accident occurs and the driver does not have coverage, the company is required to provide coverage and has a duty to defend the claim.
    Permits an insurer offering personal auto to expressly exclude coverage during times an insured is acting as a TNC driver under the terms of the policy, and the exclusion alleviates the insurance company from a duty to defend or pay any claim.
    Drivers must carry proof of coverage at all times and are prohibited from transacting their business in cash.
    The TNC must provide a picture of the driver and license plate number.
    Maintain two years of trip records.

For more information, contact our Consumer Insurance Services Division at (615) 741-3805.
 

The sign-up for the Arts Center of Cannon County’s Summer Youth Conservatory is now underway.  
Junior Conservatory-students entering grades 1st-6th.  
Session One is June 6-17-Session Two June 20-July 1
Senior Conservatory July 11-22-Students entering grades 7th-12th.
Summer Youth Conservatory is dedicated to the development of life skills through participation in the arts-helping kids reach a new stage!  In addition to classes, this program offers the opportunity for all participants to appear on stage in a production at the end of each session.  This is also a valuable opportunity to be see on stage by Arts Center directors.
Students will audition for roles in performances.  Classes offered are Fundamentals of Acting/Advanced Acting, Creative Movement/Dance and Voice/Music.  The Arts Center welcomes Cristin Carole of the Joffrey Ballet to the 2016 Summer Youth Conservatory.  Ms Carole is working with Arts Center’s staff to further develop conservatory curriculum enhancing the unique
program in its 23rd year.  
To sign up, go online at www.artscenterofcc.com or call 615-563-2787 for more information.

Adults considering a return to college to finish a degree or pursue a new one might want to go to the MTSU Going Back To School event at the Linebaugh Public Library from 6-9 PM tonight in Murfreesboro.  Representatives from MTSU will be on hand to discuss options for returning to college.  The library is located at 105 West Vine Street In Murfreesboro.
 

Cannon County Executive Mike Gannon has proclaimed this week Tennessee Quit Week in Cannon County in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Health Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control Program who are launching a new Statewide Tobacco-Free Coalition. The coalition consists of key stakeholders and community partners from around the state whose purpose is to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for tobacco control in Tennessee.
The theme for the week-long campaign is “It’s Quittin’ Time in Tennessee” to celebrate Tennesseans who have quit tobacco and inspire more people to join them. It is part of a statewide effort to raise awareness of the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine and other free resources available to help Tennesseans quit smoking and/or using other tobacco products. These proven, effective services can double a tobacco user’s chances of quitting. TDH is emphasizing the importance of teamwork with health professionals to help smokers quit for good.  
“The truth is, for any health care provider in Tennessee about one in four patients or clients are regularly using a tobacco product that can make their lives miserable and shorter and reduces their incomes to boot,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “We all benefit from caring and encouragement. Clear and consistent messages from physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals make a difference. The first, fifth or 15th time we ask may be the one that changes a life, so please ask about tobacco.”
Through the Tennessee Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control Program, smokers have the option to call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine, use a web-based program or attend in-person counseling services and may receive free FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapy. Call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to speak with a counselor who will help you assess your addiction and help you create a quit plan. For more information and resources including an online cessation tool, visit www.tnquitline.org.

Early Voting in the Presidential Preference Primary ends today.  Early voting has been taking place at the Cannon County Election Offices located at 301 West Main Street Suite 24.  The Presidential Preference Primary Election will take place on Tuesday one week from today March 1st.  Today the hours of the last day of early voting will be from 4 this afternoon until 7 tonight.  Today is also the last day to request an absentee ballot.  Call 615-563-5650 for more information.
 

Starting with the May commencement ceremony, Middle Tennessee State University will begin a new tradition of holding a separate ceremony for grad students in the spring and fall.

The first ceremony for the College of Graduate Studies will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, May 6, in Murphy Center, for those students earning their doctorate, master’s and education specialist degrees.

“We think this separate commencement is a very positive step in that it gives graduate students the recognition they deserve,” said Dr. Jackie Eller, interim vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

The speaker for the graduate ceremony will be a recipient of the Career Achievement Award made each August at the university’s Fall Faculty Meeting.

Dr. Carroll Van West, director of the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and Tennessee State Historian, received the award last fall and will give remarks at the inaugural graduate ceremony.

The traditional commencement platform party featuring MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, deans and top executives also will attend the graduate ceremony.

Each doctoral graduate will march into Monte Hale Arena with the faculty member who will present the graduate’s new academic hood. Master’s and education specialist degree candidates will march in according to their college and degree program.

MTSU’s commencement ceremonies for undergraduate students will be held the next day, Saturday, May 7, in the same location, with ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Speakers will be announced later.

MTSU WordmarkStudents in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, the College of Education, and the College of Media and Entertainment will receive their degrees in the morning ceremony. The afternoon ceremony will be conducted for students in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, and the University College.

With the total number of MTSU graduates averaging roughly 2,000 for the May and December ceremonies in recent years, each of the morning and afternoon events could each easily last two hours or more.

University officials said that holding a separate commencement event for graduate students will shorten ceremonies for all graduates as well as their families and supporters in attendance.

The graduate ceremony will be held in May and December.

Summer commencement in August will continue as a single ceremony for all graduates with the addition of readings of brief biographical and abstract information for doctoral candidates. The outgoing president of the Faculty Senate will continue to give the summer keynote address.

Details about MTSU’s commencement ceremonies, including speakers, parking and new traffic information, are updated at www.mtsunews.com/graduation-info.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) and United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) announced a renewed partnership focused on addressing SNAP trafficking. The two agencies are signing a new State Law Enforcement Bureau (SLEB) agreement.

SNAP is the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. SNAP trafficking refers to the buying, selling, and/or attempt to buy and/or sell SNAP benefits in exchange for money, drugs, guns, ammunition, or any other exchange on value.

The new agreement gives DHS the authority to operate as a SLEB as designated by USDA-FNS. With this authority, DHS is empowered to partner with state and local level law enforcement.

“SNAP benefits support more than a half million Tennessee households which includes more than a half a million Tennessee children. DHS is committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and to addressing fraud, waste, and abuse with the intent to alleviate hunger and support food insecurity in Tennessee,” said DHS Commissioner Dr. Raquel Hatter. “The SLEB agreement is a collaborative approach to fighting SNAP trafficking and we appreciate everyone’s involvement in this effort.”

“The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations (USDA-OIG-I) is proud to partner with DHS, FNS, and other state and local law enforcement agencies in a proactive measure to combat fraud, waste and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through the SLEB. Integrity in USDA programs exists as a high priority for the OIG, and the SLEB partnership will assist DHS in protecting the program’s integrity while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are properly utilized, states Karen Citizen-Wilcox, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, USDA-OIG-I.

“USDA has a zero tolerance policy regarding fraud and abuse of SNAP benefits. We are investing in innovative, forward-looking tactics, such as the pilot program announced today with Tennessee, to ensure that these vital nutrition assistance benefits are used as intended – to help America’s families in need put food on the table, ” said Robin Bailey, Jr., Southeast Regional Administrator, USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

The SLEB agreement is intended to assist state and local law enforcement if during the course of conducting retailer investigations, information is discovered that shows involvement between the retailer and/or others in the commission of SNAP fraud (e.g. other retailers, SNAP benefit recipients, and/or other individuals or entities that may or may not be authorized program participants). The SLEB, in this case DHS, is granted authority to broaden its use of SNAP EBT benefits to the extent warranted for the purposes of fully documenting the nature, extent, and scope of SNAP violations being committed. In fact, as recipient fraud is the purview of the department, SLEB investigators must, based on available resources, act on any and all SNAP recipient fraud that is discovered as a part of a non-recipient focused SLEB investigation.

Through the SLEB, EBT benefits may also be made available for the purposes of states’ conducting investigations involving businesses/organizations/individuals suspected of trafficking via social media websites and other means. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) will be an integral partner in this effort as well.

“Should they arise, we’re always prepared to assist in cases alleging a misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said TBI Director Mark Gwyn. “We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at the Department of Human Services to further protect the resources meant to assist our state’s most vulnerable residents.”

The partnership will kick off with a pilot in partnership with a local law enforcement authority to be determined by USDA-FNS and DHS.

The Department of Human Services has recently launched additional information on its website focused on program integrity and efforts to combat fraud. To learn more, visit: http://www.tn.gov/humanservices/topic/dhs-inspector-general

If you suspect fraud contact the Department of Human Services Fraud Hotline at 1-800-241-2629, or email InspectorGeneral.DHS@tn.gov
– See more at: http://tn.gov/news/37697#sthash.UXpV4lkL.dpuf

Sheriff’s Investigators recently made an arrest in a case involving the selling of Ice Crystal Methamphetamine in Cannon County.  According to Sheriff’s Department report, Investigators found out that a Justin Michael Anderson was selling the drug from his apartment at Cedar Ridge Apartments in Woodbury.  After obtaining information, investigators discovered that Anderson would go to several locations in and out of Cannon County on a regular basis.  Investigator Brandon Gullett made a traffic stop near Woodbury Grammar School on West Adams Street.  After stating that he didn’t have any narcotics in the vehicle Anderson refused to let a search be conducted.  Later a K-9 search was conducted and a positive alert was made on the driver side door.  After Anderson got out of the vehicle, he became combative.  It took four police officers to place him into custody due to him resisting arrest.  Police found a large clear bag containing two individual bags with one having a crystal substance inside.  The other was suspected marijuana and money.    Anderson was charged with manufacture, sale and deliver of schedule 2 and schedule 6 drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, aggravated assault and resisting arrest.  He will answer to the charges in General Sessions Court on April 5th.

The District 8-AA basketball District Teams were announced before the District Tournament last week:
Autumn King made 2nd team all district and was named to the all defensive team.
Maleah Scott was named 3rd team all district as was Kelli Davis.  
Cannon County landed Tori Knox and Olivia Walkup on the all freshman team.
Austin Martin was named all District 3rd team.  Martin was also named All Defensive team.
Briar Jakes all district honorable mention and Brandon Miles and Charlie Parrish were both named to the all freshmen team.
 

The 2016-17 Tennessee hunting and fishing licenses are now on sale.
Licenses are available at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) regional offices, license agents, on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org, and at the TWRA “On the Go App” and charged to a credit card. Licenses may also be ordered by telephone and charged to a credit card by calling 1-888-814-8972 FREE.
The new licenses annually go on sale each Feb. 18. The 2016-17 licenses are valid through February 2017. License sales provide the primary funding for the TWRA, which does not receive any funding from the state’s general fund (i.e. state sales tax). The 2015-16 licenses expire Feb. 29.
Resident licenses may be purchased by persons who possess a valid Tennessee driver’s license; persons who have lived in Tennessee for 90 consecutive days with the genuine intent of making Tennessee their permanent home(but do not hold a driver’s license in another state); military personnel on active duty in this state and their immediate families, who reside with them, regardless of resident status; students who are enrolled in a Tennessee school, college, or university for at least six months. A Social Security number is required to purchase a Tennessee hunting or fishing license.
All licenses purchased by credit card will be charged a processing and handling fee.  The fees over the telephone are $7.50 for those licenses mailed and $6.25 for those not mailed. Through the internet, charges are $4.25 for those licenses mailed and $3 for self-prints.
To expedite telephone orders, the caller should have ready the name, address, physical description, Social Security number, driver’s license number, TWRA ID number (if renewal), and credit card number.
Licenses are printed on a special tear-resistant, water-proof paper.  In case of a lost license, duplicate licenses can be obtained from any TWRA license agent for an $8 fee.