News

Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lt. Governor Randy McNally and Speaker Cameron Sexton issued the following statement:

“Over the last week, we have remained in close contact with the state’s health leaders, and we have continued to carefully monitor the complex and aggressive COVID-19 virus in Tennessee. The latest guidance from both the CDC and Department of Health requires us to take unprecedented action. In the best interests of public health, we have jointly decided to limit all remaining legislative business to fulfilling our constitutional requirement of passing a balanced budget, and any associated actions that will ensure Tennessee can keep its doors open. This is a serious time for our state and country, and we all must make adjustments in response to this threat. Our approach will take into account the unique public health challenges this complex virus presents, as well as the economic disruption likely to occur as a result of its spread. Passing an amended budget now and recessing will allow the General Assembly to focus on an immediate plan of action, while still determining needs down the road. This pathway forward should only be reserved for extraordinary circumstances. We will continue operating out of an abundance of caution and take additional action if it becomes necessary.”

Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued the following statement regarding statewide school closures. 

“As the response to COVID-19 evolves, I urge every school district in Tennessee to close as soon as practically possible, with all schools expected to close by Friday, March 20, 2020 at the latest. Schools should remain closed through March 31, 2020 to further mitigate the spread of this infectious disease and we will issue further guidance prior to March 31. Superintendents and local leadership have the full support of my administration to determine effective dates for closure this week as they evaluate what is best for families within their respective districts. We understand the tremendous burden school closure places on families and we will continue to work with both the federal government and school districts to ensure we continue essential supports like meals for students in need. Every Tennessean has a role to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and I urge Tennesseans to be quick to help neighbors as new needs surface with the closure of schools.”

Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn issued the following statement, “We thank Governor Lee for encouraging school districts to close through the end of the month in order to protect the health and wellbeing of Tennessee’s students, teachers, and entire communities across the state. 

The Department of Education team has been working overtime to communicate with districts and issue guidance to help them make plans and decisions to ensure a continuation of academic instruction as well as critical meal and other services for students during times of school closure. 

Together with district leaders, our department’s top priority as we move forward is ensuring that students can stay healthy and have all the supports they need to continue learning.”

The Tennessee Department of Education will continually update guidance to school districts posted on our website: https://www.tn.gov/education/health-and-safety/update-on-coronavirus.html .

Director of Cannon County Schools, Mr. William F. Curtis, stated, “The week of March 16^th – 20^th, 2020 is scheduled as ‘Spring Break’ for Cannon County Students.  This will continue as scheduled however all athletic events and practices are cancelled as of this date (03-16-2020), and we will try to reschedule once the crisis has diminished. Cannon County Schools will be developing plans to feed students and deliver instruction to students also after Spring Break during the Week of March 23^rd, 2020. This delivery of instruction will occur in multiple ways – online and hard copy paper packets for students’ use.  This situation seems to be changing hourly and sometimes even more like every few minutes, and is unprecedented in modern Tennessee and United States History.  We ask for your patience and understanding during this unique situation for Cannon County Schools.  We will continue to monitor the Coronavirus COVID-19 situation as it continues to develop in Tennessee, and specifically Cannon County.  Just remember, We ARE CANNON and know that OUR MISSION – “Preparing All Our Students for Their Future” through OUR VISION – “The New E3 – ‘Engaged in Excellence Every Day” motivates us to go forward to achieve our goals even in challenging situations such as this.”

Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes (TSVH) has announced a revised preparedness plan after President Trump declared a National Emergency and Federal health officials mandated all nursing facilities suspend visitation to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19 to susceptible patient populations. TSVH facilities in Murfreesboro, Knoxville, Clarksville, and Humboldt will restrict access to all visitors, vendors, and volunteers until further notice. These precautionary measures aim to minimize the risk of exposure to residents, families, and staff. At this time there are no cases of COVID-19 at any State Veterans’ Homes or offices.

Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes are long-term care and skilled nursing facilities that serve veterans and their families. TSVH residents are predominantly older, and many have multiple complex health conditions, making them particularly vulnerable to infection.

“In accordance with the directive from the President, Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes will restrict visitation at all facilities to ensure the safety of our residents,” said TSVH Executive Director Ed Harries. “We remain committed to our proactive approach and will do everything in our power to prevent the virus from entering our facilities.”

“The Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes leadership is continuously monitoring the situation to ensure swift response to a rapidly changing situation in order to protect our veterans,” said Commissioner Courtney Rogers of the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services.

Effective immediately, Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes have put the following precautionary measures in place at all four State Veterans’ Homes:

• Visitation is suspended until further notice. An exception may be made for end of life situations.
• Facility access is restricted to all volunteers and non-essential vendors

• Staff travel between facilities is frozen for all non-essential travel
• Outside facility trips are cancelled until further notice
• Access to the facilities will be denied to any individuals who screen positively for symptoms
• TSVH will not admit any resident with known exposure to the COVID-19 virus for at least 14 days post-exposure

Members of the TSVH leadership and clinical teams are meeting daily to monitor the situation and any changes will be communicated promptly. TSVH is following their internal response plan, guidance from the Tennessee Department of Health, the CDC, CMS, and the VA in order to stay consistent with partner agencies.

Family and friends are encouraged to communicate with residents via telephone, email, text, video chat or social media. Staff member assistance will be provided when needed.

Questions and concerns should be directed to the Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes Executive Office at 615-225-1816.

For the most current information about coronavirus or COVID-19, please refer to cdc.gov or tn.gov/health.

Due to the White House statement and declaration of national emergency regarding COVID 19, all visitations at Woodbury Health and Rehabilitation have been suspended until further notice. No visitors are permitted on the campus of Woodbury Health and Rehabilitation. Only staff members are permitted through the front doors of the facility. Woodbury Health and Rehabilitation has established an emergency number for individuals to speak to the nursing home about their family members. The number you can call is 615-482-7932, again, 615-482-7932 to reach your loved ones.

Woodbury Health and Rehabilitation management will advise the public when conditions change.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an Order stating all Tennessee courts will remain open during the coronavirus outbreak, but sTuspending all in-person judicial proceedings through March 31, 2020. Chief Justice Jeff Bivins declared a state of emergency for the judicial branch, which follows Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order and declaration of a state of emergency on March 12, 2020. The Order applies to state and local Tennessee courts, including appellate, trial, general sessions, juvenile, and municipal courts.

• The order will have the following affect on the Cannon County Courthouse:
• County Executive Brent Bush has announced: Incompliance with the Tennessee Supreme Court, in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus, Cannon County will suspend and limit most in-person Court proceedings beginning next week. The Courthouse will continue to open normal hours, but will control access to the building at the East and West Entrances. 
• Cannon County Public Defender Gerald Melton posted the following: Cannon County General Sessions Court is open, but all in-person hearings are suspended through March 31st, 2020. The only exception is INMATE CASES. For incarcerated persons, your case will be heard. If you are on bond,, go to the east side of the courthouse, the Clerk’s office will have a table setup and you will be assigned a new court date.

“Each day across the State of Tennessee, thousands of people attend court proceedings in-person when they come to the courthouse as jurors, witnesses, litigants, or in another capacity. Public spaces in courthouses tend to be small, tightly packed bench seats that provide the type of situations public health officials have encouraged people to avoid during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Chief Justice Jeff Bivins. “However, judges, court clerks, and others provide essential constitutional functions that must be carried on. In issuing this Order, the Court struck a balance in limiting the public’s exposure to the virus with continuing essential court functions judges must provide to ensure the administration of justice.”

The Order includes a substantial list of exceptions including proceedings necessary to protect constitutional rights of criminal defendants, such as bond-related matters and plea agreements for incarcerated individuals; civil and criminal jury trials that are in progress as of March 13, 2020; proceedings relating to orders of protection; proceedings related to emergency child custody orders; Department of Children’s Services emergency matters related to child protection; proceedings related to petitions for temporary injunctive relief; proceedings related to emergency mental health orders; proceedings related to emergency protection of elderly or vulnerable persons; and proceedings directly related to the COVID-19 public health emergency. In addition, other exceptions to the suspension of in-person court proceedings may be approved by the Chief Justice. Any permitted in-court proceedings will be limited to attorneys, parties, witnesses, security officers, and necessary persons as determined by the trial judge.  

“We are reducing the number of people physically in the courthouse each day while ensuring judges and court clerks have the ability to continue with their constitutionally required duties,” Chief Justice Bivins said.

The Court’s Order includes several other provisions to help alleviate hardships or unintended consequences caused by the suspension of non-essential, in-person proceedings. For example, deadlines set forth in court rules, statutes, and administrative rules, including statutes of limitations, that are set to expire between March 13 and April 6, 2020, are extended through April 6, 2020 and orders of protection that would expire between March 13 and April 6, 2020, are extended until April 6, 2020.

“This is new territory for everyone,” Chief Bivins said. “We encourage judges, court clerks, attorneys, law enforcement, and others to work together to develop creative solutions that work for their individual jurisdictions. The goal is to limit the number of people coming into court each day while continuing to meet our duty and administer justice. We may amend this Order as the situation evolves, and we understand more about the obstacles judges and court staff are facing.”

The order expressly does not prohibit court proceedings by telephone, video, teleconferencing, email, or other means that do not involve in-person contact. The Court’s Order also suspends any Tennessee rule, criminal or civil, that limits a judge’s or clerk’s ability to utilize available technologies, including telephone conferences, video conferences, and video arraignments, that can help limit in-person contact. The Order does not affect a court’s consideration of civil or criminal matters that can be resolved without oral argument. 

Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued further guidance regarding mass gatherings, schools, state employees and the State Capitol Building as more confirmed cases of COVID-19 surface in Tennessee. 

“COVID-19 is an evolving situation but we urge vulnerable populations, including those over age 60 and with chronic medical conditions to limit participation in mass gatherings and to take extra precautions for personal well-being like increased hand-washing,” said Governor Lee. “With 26 confirmed cases in our state, we have issued further guidance to help communities mitigate the spread of COVID-19.” 

Mass Gatherings

Heading into the weekend, many Tennesseans will be making decisions regarding faith gatherings and church attendance. Congregations and groups are urged to consider alternatives to traditional services by utilizing livestreams, pre-recorded messages and other electronic means. 

While at this time, mass gatherings such as conferences or other large social events remain at the discretion of the organizer, we strongly discourage events of 250 people or more as an important step in limiting exposure to COVID-19. 

Schools

At this time, school districts have been advised to exercise discretion when canceling school for K-12 students. The state will provide further support for districts pursuing this action but urge districts to consider the prevalence of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in their area. In partnership with districts, students who depend on school-provided meals will still receive this support, regardless of school closure.

State Employees, Business Travel 

Effective immediately, state employees who have been trained and certified to work from home within the state’s Alternative Workplace Solutions (AWS) program will work from home through March 31, 2020. Approximately 11,000 state employees are certified AWS employees and can begin work from home with no disruption to state business. 

Effective immediately, state employees have been instructed to cease all non-essential business travel through March 31, 2020. 

Tennessee State Capitol Closed to Visitors

The Tennessee State Capitol is closed to tours and visitors through March 31, 2020. Members of the media will continue to have access to the State Capitol building. 

Updated confirmed case numbers of COVID-19 in Tennessee are available here. Updated guidance for COVID-19 is available here. 

Tennessee Tech University has made the safety and health of our students, faculty and staff a priority in all conversations about our COVID-19 response. Our other planning goals have included ensuring our students can complete the semester.  We also have a responsibility to the larger community to do our part with precautionary decisions and actions. At this time, there are no reported cases of COVID-19 on campus, in Cookeville or Putnam County. However, after considering all the information available to us, we have made the following decisions: Tennessee Tech will extend its spring break with no classes for students from March 16 through March 27. University offices will operate with regular hours. Faculty and staff are expected to report to work as usual. Anyone who is feeling ill is asked to stay home. The university plans to transition from face-to-face instruction to online classes and alternate delivery on Monday, March 30. Students should take all technology and materials with them needed for their coursework when they leave campus for spring break. Students must regularly check their tntech.edu email for more information and updates. For residential students  who need to remain on campus, housing will be available on request to Residential Life.   While faculty have begun preparing for this type of transition, they will receive additional information and resources in coming days. Many major campus events are cancelled. A list will be posted at https://www.tntech.edu/news/covid-19/index.php. Athletic event cancellations will be determined in conjunction with the Ohio Valley Conference.  Tennessee Tech continues to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control, the Tennessee Department of Health, and the Upper Cumberland Regional Health Department to closely monitor the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Today, Governor Bill Lee issued Executive Order No. 14 declaring a state of emergency in Tennessee to facilitate the treatment and containment of COVID-19.

“Today’s action will move us into position to utilize additional emergency funds as needed and relax provisions of certain laws to provide the flexibility needed to respond to this disease,” said Gov. Lee. “While the risk to the general public remains low, we encourage all Tennesseans to exercise caution and maintain good hygiene practices as there are serious risks to our vulnerable populations. We will continue to evaluate and adapt our position accordingly to fit what we believe is best for Tennesseans.”

Executive Order 14 declares a state of emergency to facilitate the treatment and containment of COVID-19.  To achieve these goals, the order:

• Implements the Tennessee Emergency Management Plan;
• Permits health care professionals licensed in other states to provide health care services in Tennessee related to COVID-19;
• Allows pharmacists to dispense an extra 30-day supply of maintenance prescriptions as needed in response to COVID-19;
• Allows health care professionals to provide localized treatment to patients in temporary residences;
• Expands testing sites for COVID-19;
• Allows the construction of temporary health care structures in response to COVID-19;
• Implements price gouging protections on medical and emergency supplies;
• Suspends restrictions on vehicles transporting emergency supplies to areas affected by COVID-19;
• Permits the waiver of certain regulations on childcare centers as needed to respond to the effect of COVID-19;
• Authorizes TennCare policy changes to ensure that covered individuals receive medically necessary services without disruption; and
• Directs coordination with health insurance plans to improve access to screening, testing, and treatment for COVID-19.

Vulnerable populations should stay home where possible and avoid large gatherings or locations where they are more likely to contact the virus. Vulnerable populations include older adults and adults with underlying conditions like diabetes, heart disease and respiratory illness. Non-essential visits to nursing homes and hospitals are strongly discouraged.

The full text of Executive Order No. 14 can be found here.

Up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Tennessee can be found here.

Tennessee Certified Pesticide Applicators must take recertification training in 2020. Current cards will expire the end of June 2020. The recertification training is good for three years. In addition, those who will be spraying Engenia, Tavium, FeXapam or XtendiMax on Xtend crops must take dicamba training in 2020. A new addition from the EPA will be the requirement that anyone who purchases, mixes or applies a paraquat-containing herbicide to take the “How to Safely Use and Handle Paraquat-Containing Products” training module.

Applicators who attend this recertification training will not only satisfy the dicamba and paraquat training requirements but also recertify their pesticide applicator license. The new card will expire June 2023.

This recertification will include Dicamba and Gramoxone Certification for operators who use those herbicide technologies. Cost of this training is $25 per. Please contact the UT Cannon County Extension Office at 615-563-2554 to schedule a recertification training. This one hour training is only for those producers with unexpired cards. If you do not have a private applicator card or have an expired card, this training is also available at the UT Extension Office.

Cannon County Schools has announced Cannon County’s representative for Supervisor of the Year!

Supervisor of the Year 2018-2019 for Cannon County Schools is Jennifer Insell.  She was honored at a Staff Meeting of all Central Office Personnel on Monday, March 2^nd, 2020 to announce her selection as Supervisor of the Year for Cannon County by Director of Schools William F. Curtis.  Insell has served Cannon County for the past fourteen years. During her tenure with the school system, she has served the children of Cannon County as Supervisor of School Nutrition/Food Service. In this role she supervises the Cannon County Schools breakfast and lunch programs that serves all Cannon County students.  She also supervises funds for Food Service that must meet specific Federal guidelines. Jennifer is married to Mr. Blake Insell, and they have two children – Anastyn and Avery.

Director of Cannon County Schools Mr. William F. Curtis stated, “Mrs. Jennifer Insell does a tremendous job feeding the students of Cannon County Schools. She not only supervises the daily operations with breakfast and lunch during the regular school year, but goes the extra mile feeding children during the Summer months.  These Summer programs include Project Transformation, Read to be Ready, ESP, Cannon County Football Program, Youth Conservatory at the Arts Center of Cannon County, and the STEM Camp at Cannon County High School.  Cannon County Schools are extremely fortunate to have Mrs. Jennifer Insell’s caring guidance for the nutrition of Cannon County children year-round.  She is an outstanding example of ‘support personnel’ that enables our students to learn more because of great nutrition.”  

The Cannon County Board of Education offers congratulations to this wonderful and deserving educator.  She will be representing Cannon County Schools in the Upper Cumberland CORE Region of Tennessee.  We honor Cannon County Schools Supervisor Mrs. Jennifer Insell for personifying the Mission and Vision of Cannon County Schools – “Preparing All Students for Their Future” through the New E3 = “Engaged in Excellence Every Day!”