News

Cannon County Emergency Management Agency issued a release overnight:

Cannon County had many inches of rain fall suddenly this evening with this severe storm system as it passed thru our area. If at all possible, please do not venture out in the morning if you do not absolutely have to. The County Road Dept, State Highway Dept and Woodbury Public Works is very busy, continuing into the morning over the next several days, cleaning up flood debris. Some roads are still not passable and many roads are barley passable tonight with large debris with streets and roads including, but not limited to; Doolittle Rd, Sunny Slope Rd, Locks Creek Rd, Hurricane Creek Rd, Sycamore Creek Rd, Big Hill Rd, Wilmouth Creek Rd, Gassaway Main St, Auburntown Rd, McBroom St and several other city streets, just to name a few. There is large debris on the roadways including large rocks and logs that are very unforgiving to your vehicles tires and under carriage…….So again, do not get out if you do not have too.

Cannon County Schools announced Wednesday night that they will be closed today due to flooding.

The latest update from the National Weather Service:

Light to moderate rain will continue to affect southeastern Middle Tennessee this morning. Some flooding of roads and other low lying areas will continue before waters recede later today.

Light rain is expected to redevelop this evening, then mix with and change to light snow tonight across Middle Tennessee. A dusting to a few tenths of an inch is possible, with up to 1 inch

on the Cumberland Plateau.

Several more waves of heavy rainfall are likely from Monday through Friday of next week, which could lead to additional significant flooding across the area.

The Tennessee Department of Health joins partners across the state in celebrating the fifth annual Tennessee Quit Week February 3 – 7, 2020. This year’s theme is “Seeing 2020 Tobacco-Free,” and the goal is to inspire Tennesseans to live healthier lives by taking advantage of the state’s free resource, the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine to quit using tobacco products.

“In Tennessee, 31 lives are lost each day as a direct result of smoking,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “In addition to these tragic early deaths, tobacco use costs our state upward of six billion dollars each year in lost productivity and health care costs, preventable losses that hurt the prosperity of our state and those who live and work here.”

Tobacco use is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases. Tennessee Quit Week aims to increase partnerships across the public and private sectors to educate people on the harms of tobacco use and how Tennesseans can work together to help people improve their health and their lives by beating nicotine addiction.

Quitting is hard, but help is available! Tennesseans who use tobacco and are ready to quit can call theTennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOWor access web-based services at www.tnquitline.org for free coaching and nicotine replacement patches (if eligible). All services are free to Tennesseans and can double a tobacco user’s chance of quitting successfully.

Pregnant women who smoke are encouraged to contact their local health department to learn about the Baby and Me – Tobacco Free™ program. This program provides education and support to help pregnant women quit smoking, and participants can earn free diapers each month for up to one year. Learn more and find a location near you by visiting www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/fhw/baby-me-tobacco-free.html.

Gov. Bill Lee delivered his State of the State address, Monday night showcasing Tennessee’s progress over the past year and outlining his legislative and budget priorities for the coming year.

Key highlights are noted below, and the full speech as prepared for delivery is available on Governor Lee’s website. The proposed budget is available on the Department of Finance & Administration website.

The governor’s address focused on one of his core priorities, supporting public education. The proposed budget includes the largest investment in K-12 teacher salaries in Tennessee history, and a series of initiatives designed to ensure that Tennessee is recruiting, retaining and training the best teachers in America. The governor also announced legislative and budgetary priorities to build a comprehensive approach to advancing literacy across the state which includes additional teacher training and development. In the coming fiscal year, the proposed budget includes more than $600 million new dollars for public education.

“Make no mistake: we will do whatever it takes to make Tennessee the best state in America to be a student, and that means making Tennessee the best state in America to be a teacher. That means better pay, as we’ve said, but it also means better training and professional support, so that our teachers can perform at the top of their trade,” said Lee.

Additional education initiatives include:

• Investing an additional $117million in teacher salaries, an amount equal to a 4% increase in the state’s contribution
• Recommending moving the minimum teacher salary schedule from $36,000 to $40,000 over the next two years
• Creating the K-12 Mental Health Trust Fund through $250 million in one-time funds to support the growth and placement of mental health services for students through a systemwide, evidence-based, whole child approach
• Growing school-based behavioral health liaison program from 36 counties to all 95 counties
• Setting new standards for public elementary literacy training and instruction and providing improved literacy supports and interventions for K-2 students
• Launching the Governor’s Teaching Fellowship to support the education of over 1,000 future teachers per year
• Supporting district-led “Grow Your Own” programs with new curriculum and grants
• Investing $4 million into professional development and career advancement opportunities for teachers and school leaders
• Applying for a new AP education teaching course
• Establishing the Tennessee Teacher and Leader Institute which will solicit proposals from across the country to help launch a new initiative to build the best educator preparation program in the nation

Gov. Lee emphasized that these education initiatives are designed to produce economic and workforce development. 

“The true measure of a successful education system is a cohort of high school graduates who are well-prepared to be productive citizens, whether they choose a career or college. To me, education isn’t just about a test score,” said Lee.

Key economic and workforce development highlights include:

• Cutting the professional privilege tax by 50%
• Returning over $100 million to cities and counties
• Offering an enhanced incentive package for companies considering locating in Tennessee’s 15 distressed counties and 24 at-risk counties.
• Launching ApprenticeshipTN, a new effort that will realign our approach to getting individuals back into the workforce
• Investing $160 million for capital improvements and $70 million for capital maintenance projects on higher education campuses

The governor’s strong ongoing commitment to rural Tennessee was showcased through initiatives including:

• Increasing broadband accessibility through an additional $25 million investment
• Expanding the TN Agriculture Enhancement Program through a $7 million investment
• Investing $2 million for UT Extension Agents in distressed rural counties
• Investing $20 million in the Rural Opportunity Fund which supports site development, main-street development, and critical infrastructure assistance
• Investing $4 million for payment increases to rural health clinics and expanding rural access to dental care through the Department of Health and a new public-private partnership with SmileTN
• Supporting the Department of Tourism’s Office of Rural Tourism through a nearly $2.4 million investment

Gov. Lee also outlined plans to improve public safety.

“When properly implemented, criminal justice reforms save taxpayer dollars, shrink the size of government, properly punish wrongdoers, and make our communities safer,” said Lee.

Key public safety initiatives include:

• Increasing the criminal penalties associated with theft of a firearm and increasing the criminal penalties associated with reckless endangerment of a police officer or first responder
• Revising the occupational licensing process to encourage employment for those leaving prison
• Expanding recovery courts and community supervision

Gov. Lee further discussed plans to provide all Tennesseans access to high-quality affordable health care by:

• Investing $6.5 million additional recurring funds in the Health Care Safety Net
• Creating a Children’s Behavioral Health Safety Net through a $7.5 million investment
• Funding the third year of the Rural Hospital Transformation Program
• Extending postpartum coverage for women on TennCare to 12 months
• Providing a dental and oral health benefit to pregnant women on TennCare who do not currently receive dental benefits during the time of pregnancy through 60 days post-delivery

Finally, Gov. Lee discussed his previously announced comprehensive pro-life legislation to prohibit an abortion where a fetal heartbeat exists. That legislation also includes provisions to require a mother to undergo an ultrasound prior to an abortion and prohibit an abortion where the physician is aware that the decision to seek an abortion is motivated by the race, sex, or health or disability diagnosis of the unborn child. 

Cannon County Commission is one member short.  Commissioner Kim Davenport notified County Executive Brent Bush of her resignation on Saturday.  In her notice to the county and in a message on social media, Davenport listed health concerns for her decision to resign.  Davenport who was one of two commissioners representing the fifth district (Woodbury) and was nearing the midpoint of her first term.

The Cannon County Commission is scheduled to meet Thursday for their monthly meeting for February. Numerous items are on the agenda including:

• Budget Amendments for Solid Waste Department and Highway Department
• Resolution declaring Cannon County a Second Amendment Safe Haven County
• Discussion on the Old Hospital, also know as the Adams Office Building
• Resolution donating Good Samaritan Hospital to the Board of Education

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 5:30pm at the Courthouse.

Cannon County Schools will be closed Monday, February 3rd, 2020 and Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 due to illness.  “Absences of students has increased to near thirteen percent (13%) range on Friday, January 31^st, 2020, however staff absences have increased dramatically to 36 staff members being absent on Friday, and we are having major difficulty finding substitutes,” stated Cannon County Director of Schools Mr. William F. Curtis on Friday, January 31^st, 2020.  “We hope this respite over the weekend, and the two days off, will help, and our attendance will improve next week.  Cannon County Schools will be back in session on Wednesday, February 5^th, 2020.”    

Director Curtis continued, “Our Bright Arrow Alert message system has been activated today, to all who have signed up, and the message was sent out to recipients, local Cannon County Media were informed, and then the Nashville TV Stations.  The steps to sign up to the Bright Arrow Alert System are as follows:

How to sign up for Bright Arrow Alerts:

Here are the steps:

1. Go to http://www.ccstn.net/

2. Click on RESOURCES

3. Click on Bright Arrow Self-Signup

4. Click on Register New User

5.  Fill in your information – Email Address and Enter a password

6.  Fill in your First Name, Last Name, Login Password, Login Password verification, Cell Phone Company, Email, and Hit Apply, OK, or Test.  You will then get a Complete Page will come up depending on what you selected.

7.  Now you will get the first alerts that the Director of Schools will send out regarding school closures for weather and other important Cannon County Schools information!!

8.  To Unsubscribe, Simply log back in using your password and Unsubscribe!

The School District hopes this helps parents/guardians, students, grandparents, and community members understand regarding these decisions and determinations that are made regarding school closure events. 

Tennesseans who want to vote in the Super Tuesday, Presidential Preference Primary, must register to vote by Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. 

Registering to vote, updating your address or checking your registration status is fast, easy and secure with the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system, GoVoteTN.com. Any U.S. citizen with a driver’s license or a photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security can register online at GoVoteTN.com. 

According to Secretary of State Tre Hargett, “It has never been easier to register to vote in Tennessee and registering to vote is the first step for Tennesseans to make their voice heard at the polls. State and local officials are eager to help our fellow Tennesseans.”

Voters can also download a paper voter registration application at GoVoteTN.com or pick up an application in person from the county election commission, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, or public library. Completed paper voter registration applications must be submitted or postmarked to the local county election commission office by Feb. 3, 2020.

Election Day registration is not available. The Presidential Preference Primary is Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Early voting begins Wednesday, Feb. 12 and runs Mondays through Saturdays until Tuesday, Feb. 25.  
Voters can find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots and much more on the GoVoteTN app available in the App Store and Google Play. 

For more information about how to register to vote, voter eligibility, photo IDs, and other election day details, visit GoVoteTN.com or call the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections toll-free at 1-877-850-4959.

New data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed the vast majority of counties in the state had unemployment rates below 5% during December 2019.
 
In December 2019, unemployment rates compared with the previous month decreased in 12 counties, increased in 55 counties, and remained unchanged in 28 counties.

Williamson County continued to have Tennessee’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.2%, which mirrored its November rate.
 
Lincoln and Clay counties recorded the state’s highest unemployment in December. Each has a rate of 6.2%, which amounted to a 1.8% increase for Lincoln County and 0.3% for Clay County.

 In Cannon County, 180 residents were unemployed generating an unemployment rate of 2.7, down from 2.8 in November.  Among the counties neighboring Cannon, the 2.7 rate was in the middle.  Rutherford had the lowest 2.3, followed by Wilson and Warren with 2.4 percent. DeKalb’s rate was highest with 3.8 followed by Coffee with 3.2 percent.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment statewide held steady in December. The latest rate of 3.3% remained unchanged from Tennessee’s November unemployment rate.
 
Tennesseans looking for new employment opportunities will find more than 195,000 current job openings from across the state on Tennessee’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov. They can also find job search assistance, resume writing tips, and job interview advice at more than 80 American Jobs Centers across the state.

Governor Bill Lee has announced that he will deliver his second State of the State address to the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans on Monday, February 3 at 6 p.m. CST. The joint session will be aired statewide and take place in the House Chamber in the Tennessee State Capitol.

Governor Lee commented, “I’m looking forward to sharing my vision for the future of Tennessee, including my legislative and budget priorities for this year. We have made remarkable progress during my first year in office, and thanks to the support of the General Assembly, I believe we will continue to make our state a leader in the nation and create a brighter future for those who call Tennessee home.” 

In an effort to continue reaching Tennesseans outside of the state capitol, Governor Lee will also deliver addresses in East and West Tennessee. This will mark the Governor’s second time delivering his State of the State address in each of Tennessee’s Grand Divisions.

The major renovation project for Cannon County Schools took another step forward yesterday.  Contractors were invited to submit bids for the roofing projects at Cannon County High School, Woodland School and Woodbury Grammar School.  Eight companies sent representatives on Wednesday to review the projects first hand. County and School officials met with the interested parties as they prepared to submit bids.

Next Thursday is the deadline for roofing contractors to submit their bids for the project. 

The bids will be presented to the members of the Cannon County Board of Education at their meeting Thursday, February 13^th.

State Rep. Clark Boyd is working with other colleagues in the State House of Representatives on legislation that provides additional tax cuts for Tennesseans.
These cuts include legislation designed to create a Food Tax Holiday for 2020 across the state through House Bill 1697. This initiative would exempt the retail sale of food and food ingredients from a 4 percent sales tax for the months of June and July.  However, local taxes – up to 2.75 percent – would still be collected by cities and counties. Rep. Boyd explained because most students are out of school in June and July, this will help families better provide food for their children during summer months, especially those who rely on free and reduced lunches throughout the school year.

General Assembly members are also considering reductions in the corporate tax, which currently sits at 6.5 percent — one of the highest rates in the entire southeast region. This tax penalizes businesses by taxing their net earnings. By reducing it, additional revenue should allow our businesses to reinvest and potentially expand operations, which could create new jobs.

Legislation to advance recent progress made eliminating the professional privilege tax is also being considered for the 2020 legislative session. Legislation last year slashed $22 million worth of  tax on accountants, architects, athletic agents, audiologists, chiropractors, dentists, engineers, landscape architects, optometrists, pharmacists, podiatrists, psychologists, real estate brokers, speech pathologists, and veterinarians.

Tennessee is the lowest tax and lowest debt state in the entire country.