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January 27^th – 31^st, 2020, is School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee. This week helps build awareness and understanding of the vital functions our locally elected boards of education play in our community. Cannon County Schools is joining public school districts from across the state to celebrate School Board Appreciation Week and honor local board members for their commitment to Cannon County and its children. “Our school system is the backbone of our community, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child,” Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Curtis said. “There is no greater honor that can be bestowed upon a citizen than membership on a local Board of Education. They spend countless hours studying the issues and regulations and make the tough decisions when called upon to ensure the type of accountability people expect.”

Director Curtis said the key work of school boards is to:

• Create a Mission and Vision for what the community wants the school district to be and for making student achievement the top priority.  Cannon County Schools’ MISSION is “Preparing All Students for their Future” through our VISION – “The New E3- Engaged in Excellence Every Day”;

• Establish standards for what students will be expected to learn and be able to do;

• Ensure progress is measured to be sure the district’s goals are achieved and students are learning at expected levels;

• Create a safe, orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach;

• Form partnerships with others in the community to solve common problems; and

• Focus attention on the need for continuous improvement by questioning, refining and revising issues related to student achievement.

“Our local school board impacts every student every day in Cannon County by influencing the high-quality of education that our children and youth receive. The Cannon County Board of Education shows its commitment to educational excellence and equity–and for that we are very grateful for their attitude of service.” The members serving our district are as follows: Chairman Mr. Javin Fann – District 4: East Side/Short Mountain Communities; Vice Chairman Mr. Travis Turney – District 2: Auburntown/Short Mountain Communities; Chairman Pro Tem Mr. Brian Elrod – District 5: Woodbury City Limits; Members – Mr. Nathan Sanders – District 1: West Side Community; and Mr. Bruce Daniel – District 3: Woodland Community.    

The Financial Management Committee of Cannon County met in RECESSED Meeting on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 at the Cannon County Schools Central Office Board Room from 8 AM – 10 AM.  All members were present with the exception of Member Russell Reed. There were only three items on the agenda, Old Business – Finance Director’s Contract, Schedule the next meeting of the Committee, and Adjournment.

All sections on the proposed contract were reviewed, modified, and approved by the Committee.  Mrs. Diane Hickman had been previously selected as Finance Director, and the specifics of the contract were approved.  She will begin her duties as the Finance Director of Cannon County on Monday, February 3rd, 2020.  Please see an attached copy of the approved and signed contract.

The next meeting of the Financial Management Committee will be on Thursday, February 20th, 2020 – 5:30 PM at Cannon County Schools Central Office Board Room, 301 West Main Street, Woodbury.

The Tennessee Department of Health has been notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the individual in Tennessee who was recently tested for possible infection with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has tested negative.

TDH will continue to work with the CDC and other agencies to provide guidance to protect the health of Tennesseans as this situation continues to develop.

The CDC recommends travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Wuhan City, China, where the new coronavirus was first identified. To date, there is no evidence of spread within the United States; therefore there are no additional precautions recommended for the general public. However it’s always good practice to take actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses including covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and washing hands frequently with soap and water.

People with concerns about their health should contact their medical providers. The CDC is providing updated information and guidance online at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.  

Today, Governor Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn awarded 21 Governor’s Civics Seal mini-grants promoting life-long civic engagement in schools and districts across the state. Five of those grants are coming to Cannon County.

“Teaching civics to our students is a key priority of my administration, and I’m pleased to see this initiative is taking shape,” said Governor Bill Lee. “Thanks to these new resources, we can better prepare our students in the classroom and in life for what it means to be a citizen of this great nation.”

The mini-grants allocate $220,000 to support public schools and districts implementing high-quality civic education programs that result in readiness for college, career, and civic life. The grants will be used in the 2020-21 school year to fund programs that include:

1. Promoting life-long civic engagement by providing access to high-quality, standards-based civics resources;

2. Establishing civics programs in rural and urban schools and districts;

3. Supporting highly effective educators through civics-based professional development; and

4. Preparing schools and districts to earn the Governor’s Civics Seal.

“We are very excited for this great program that aligns with our priorities coming to students and classrooms across the state,” Commissioner Schwinn said. “Our Best for All strategic plan calls for providing teachers and students with access to high-quality instructional materials and focusing on supporting the whole child development, including through opportunities to become more civically engaged, and this program will help us do just that.”

“We are ecstatic regarding the receiving of these Governor’s Civics Seal mini-grants for our School District, as well as, School Grants for Short Mountain School, West Side School, Woodbury Grammar School, and Woodland School,” Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Cutis, stated.  “As a Social Studies educator and former US Government, Sociology, and AP US Government Teacher at Cannon County High School, I very much have promoted Civics Education, and know that these funds will assist us in enhancing and utilizing high-quality civics education programs in all Cannon County Schools.  I am especially appreciative to Woodland Social Studies Teacher Mr. Brian Parker and Woodbury Grammar ELA/Social Studies Teacher Mr. Jeff Todd for their many hours of tireless work on the District Grant, working on their individual school grants, as well as, assisting all the other Cannon County Schools in writing their grants. These funds will enable us to purchase additional Chromebooks for student use to access fantastic civics programs and information. I asked all Cannon County Schools to apply for these grants, and four of our seven schools were successful! Five out of the twenty-one grants or $40,000.00 out of the total state allocation of $220,000.00 will go toward Cannon County Students’ Civics Education!  This is one of my proudest moments as Director of Cannon County Schools, because these funds will directly impact our students’ civic engagement!”    

The recipients of the Governor’s Civics Seal mini-grants are:

School-Level Grants ($5,000)

·        Glencliff High School

·        Ivy Academy

·        Short Mountain Elementary School

·        Soddy Daisy Middle School

·        Unaka High School

·        West Side Elementary

·        Woodbury Grammar School

School-Level Grants ($10,000)

·        Chattanooga Charter Schools of Excellence

·        Perry County High School

·        Smyrna High School

·        South Fulton Middle High School

·        Woodland Elementary School

District-Level Grants ($15,000)

·        Cannon County School District

·        Claiborne County Schools

·        Collierville Municipal School District

·        Hamilton County Schools

·        Knox County Schools

·        Shelby County Schools

·        Stewart County Schools

·        Warren County School District

·        Washington County Schools

Governor’s Civics Seal Mini-Grant recipients were selected through a rigorous and competitive application process. Districts and schools submitted applications outlining the strengths of their current civics programming. Additionally, applicants presented a proposal to illustrate how the school or district would utilize grant funds to provide high-quality standards-based civics resources, establish civics programming, provide civics-based professional development for teachers, and/or prepare schools and districts to earn the Governor’s Civics Seal. A committee reviewed and scored all applications with a rubric evaluating qualifications, impact strategies, and needs identification. Mini-grants were awarded to top scoring applicants based on the Governor’s Civics Seal Evaluation Framework.

Today, Gov. Bill Lee announced that he will submit comprehensive pro-life legislation to the Tennessee General Assembly this year, including the prohibition of an abortion where a fetal heartbeat exists. This legislation would make Tennessee one of the most pro-life states in the country.

“I believe that every human life is precious, and we have a responsibility to protect it,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Today, Tennessee is taking a monumental step in celebrating, cherishing, and defending life at every stage. I’m grateful to be joined by so many leaders in our state who are boldly standing up for our most vulnerable.”

This legislation would build upon successes in other states while incorporating innovative approaches to enhance existing law, including provisions such as:

• Prohibiting an abortion where a fetal heartbeat exists;
• Requiring a mother to undergo an ultrasound prior to an abortion;
• Prohibiting 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. 

To protect against legal challenges, the new law would also include a creative “ladder” provision, modeled after Missouri law, of sequential abortion prohibitions at two-week gestational age intervals, along with severability clauses for each step of the ladder.

Donny Green, County Executive Director of the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency, announces the DeKalb-Cannon County Farm Service Agency is hosting two Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC)/Price Loss Coverage (PLC) informational meetings at the following dates, times, and locations:

Thursday, January 30  1pm- 2pm Smithville USDA Service Center 647 Bright Hill Rd, Smithville

Friday, January 31st   1 pm- 2pm  Woodbury Lions Club 634 Lehman St, Woodbury

These meetings are intended to provide producers with information to help them make a choice between the ARC and PLC programs.

Signup is underway for the 2019 and 2020 ARC/PLC programs. The deadline to make program elections and enroll for 2019 is March 15, 2020. The enrollment deadline for 2020 is June 30, 2020.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in these meetings should contact Donny Green at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2, or Federal Relay Services at 1-800-877-8339.

 These meeting are free and open to the public and will provide an overview of the 2018 Farm Bill ARC/PLC program election and enrollment process.

Yesterday the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) announced a significant increase in the state’s overall seat belt usage rate, compared to previous years. The usage rate rose from 90.9 percent in 2018 to 91.75 percent in 2019. This marks the second year Tennessee’s usage rate surpassed 90 percent. Tennessee’s 2019 usage rate also exceeded the national usage rate of 90.7 percent.

Highlights from Tennessee’s 2019 seat belt survey are as follows.

• Research data was collected at 190 pre-identified roadway locations across the State of Tennessee.

• Researchers observed more than 34,000 vehicle occupants.

• Vehicles observed included cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs.

• Overall, female occupants displayed a higher usage rate (96.7 percent) than males (87.9 percent).

• Pickup trucks displayed the lowest usage rate (84.9 percent).

This data was collected through an annual roadside observational survey conducted by the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Center for Transportation Research. Tennessee’s seat belt usage rate has been certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A bill that has cleared the U. S. Senate designates all forms of illegal fentanyl as Schedule 1 narcotics. It passed in the upper chamber of Congress on Monday.

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released a statement noting that, “Last year, more Tennesseans died from opioid overdoses than were killed in car crashes. And the leading cause of these opioid related deaths was fentanyl – a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin.” He continued, “The opioid crisis is ravaging Tennessee communities, and by designating all forms of illegal fentanyl as Schedule I controlled substances, this bill will save thousands of Tennessee lives.”

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, almost all the illegal fentanyl coming to the United States is produced in China. Alexander said members of Congress on a recent visit to the country, as well as the Trump administration, made a request of the government there. “We asked the Chinese officials to control all forms of fentanyl and to allow Chinese narcotics agents to go after anyone in China who uses or produces fentanyl illegally or improperly.”

Fentanyl-like substances can be created by modifying the chemical structure of fentanyl to escape law enforcement scrutiny, including manufacturing, distribution, importation and exportation. The legislation passed in the Senate would make fentanyl analogues Schedule 1 narcotics. Scheduling fentanyl analogues as Schedule I narcotics would place the most stringent restrictions on the distribution of these substances, and allow for strict law enforcement penalties, including criminal penalties.

According to data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, excluding methadone, for the 12-month period ending October of 2018 reached 30,511, more than triple the corresponding data for the period ending October of 2015

If you or a family member is not getting the information or services needed for a physical or mental disability, State Senator Mark Pody wants to hear from you. Pody will host a public meeting Friday, January 24 at 10:00 a.m. at the DeKalb County Complex for this purpose.

Pody said, “If you or someone in your family has a physical or mental disability this is an opportunity for you to come and ask questions. I will have people from the state departments with me to answer your questions and try to get a handle on what services are available and how we can help if you or your family are not getting the services you need. We will be glad to sit down and talk to you about what is going on with you and then try to make life better for you.”

Although the focus will be on disability, anyone is invited to ask questions or make comments on other issues or concerns.

Source: Media Partner WJLE

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Memphis Grizzlies Vice President of Community Engagement and Grizzlies Foundation Executive Director Abusheri Ohwofasa have announced a partnership in the Your Vote Matters voter registration and voter participation campaign.

“As a Memphis Grizzlies fan, I know that this team is a unifying force across Tennessee,” said Secretary Hargett. “Through this partnership, we have the opportunity to increase civic engagement not only of Grizzlies fans but all Tennesseans.”

Secretary Hargett will work in partnership with the Memphis Grizzlies to register voters at games, show fans how to easily register to vote online and visit schools to educate students on civic engagement.

“Partnering with Secretary Hargett and the Your Vote Matters campaign is a natural complement to our activities leading into the MLK Celebration Game on Monday, where we actively encourage the Memphis community to remember, celebrate and act on Dr. King’s legacy,” said Abusheri Ohwofasa, Vice President of Community Engagement for the Memphis Grizzlies and Executive Director of the Grizzlies Foundation. “I think we would all agree that not only registering to vote, but also committing to exercise that right on election day, is indeed a powerful way to put one’s beliefs into action.”

The Your Vote Matters campaign encourages all eligible Tennesseans to make their voices heard in 2020 by registering to vote, making sure their voter registration is up to date and exercising their right to vote on election day.

Registering to vote, updating your address, or checking your registration status is easy, fast and secure through the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system at GoVoteTN.com. 

The Secretary of State is partnering with Tennessee’s three professional sports teams–the Memphis Grizzlies, Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans–for the Your Vote Matters campaign. The campaign is designed to increase voter registration and election day turnout and marks the first partnership between the Secretary of State and Tennessee’s professional sports teams. Further details on activations with each team will be announced at a later time.