News

Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council (OAC) today released its second Announcement of Funding for Community Grants.  This offering will add $20 million dollars for approved opioid remediation activities to the tens of millions of dollars that are already flowing to provide services across the state.

The funding available through this grant application process comes from hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies negotiated by the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.  According to legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly, these proceeds are first split with 15% going to the state and 15% going to county governments and 70% going to the Opioid Abatement Trust Fund.  The dollars in the trust fund are split again with 35% going directly to the counties for approved opioid abatement activities and 65% going to the Opioid Abatement Council for community grant applications.  This last, largest percentage is made available through a competitive grant application process.

The Announcement of Funding outlines the process for application including criteria for constructing grant applications, designing programs, building partnerships, and reporting outcomes.  Proposers must design programs that impact opioid use disorder their communities using methods contained in the approved remediation list including: Primary Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, Recovery Support, Education/Training, or Research/Evaluation of Abatement Strategy Efficacy.

This second funding opportunity follows more than $78 million in community grants awarded by the council earlier this year.  Most contracts for those grants are in place, and initial funds have been issued to pay for services.  The council has also made two rounds of payments from the Opioid Abatement Trust Fund to county governments in 2023 and 2024 totaling $62 million to fund their approved remediation activities.

“Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council continues to deliver much needed help for people across our great state,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. “The additional $20 million for Community Grants means more support for Tennessee families and communities struggling with the opioid epidemic. My office worked hard to endow our Opioid Abatement Fund by holding corporations accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, and it is gratifying to see the money put to good use.”

“What we said all along was that we wanted the hard-earned proceeds that the team at the Attorney General’s Office won for Tennesseans to get out the door and start to undo the damage done by the opioid lawsuit defendants,” said Steve Loyd, MD, Opioid Abatement Council Chairman.  “Our actions are proving yet again that Tennessee is a leader in efficiently and effectively applying these funds to save lives and do the most good.”

“What we’re looking for in this second Announcement of Funding is to break new ground with organizations doing great work. We want to hear from the grassroots, local agencies who see the need in their community and want to respond in innovative, collaborative ways,” said Mary Shelton, TN Opioid Abatement Council Executive Director.  “Because the hurt across our state is so great, we know there are even more organizations creating space for healing who can utilize this funding.”

“We’re so grateful for the dedication and hard work of the Opioid Abatement Council members and staff to ensure that these funds get out to the communities that need them the most, and we’re especially grateful to the grantees who are truly creating collaborative pathways to recovery, resilience, and independence for people and communities so greatly impacted by the opioid crisis,” said Marie Williams, LCSW, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner.

Applicants interested in submitting proposals to the Opioid Abatement Council can do so through the council’s website at TN.gov/oac.  Council staff worked with the Department of Finance and Administration’s Strategic Technology Solutions to customize a web-based portal for application, evaluation, and tracking.  The portal will be open for groups to submit proposals November 12 through December 13, 2024.

This National Preparedness Month, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) will provide 300 Emergency Go-Kits to Tennesseans who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and have low vision. While the keys to effective disaster preparedness apply to all of us, people with access and functional needs or disabilities should approach preparedness planning with additional considerations.

“For hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans, preparing for, responding to, or recovering from a disaster or emergency situation can present a real challenge,” said TEMA Director Patrick C. Sheehan. “TEMA is committed to ensuring that Tennesseans have the tools and resources necessary to stay safe and informed.”

The go-kits will be available at 10 TDHS Vocational Rehabilitation locations beginning Tuesday, September 17. Each kit will include a Midland Weather Radio, Midland SBNDL Bundle Kit (strobe light, pillow shaker, batteries, etc.), and family First Aid Kit. The strobe light and pillow shaker, when attached to a programmed weather radio, will vibrate and flash a bright light when an emergency alert is produced.

“We are excited to partner with TEMA to ensure Tennesseans with disabilities are prepared in the event of a natural disaster,” commented TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter. “By providing these go-kits, we are taking a significant step toward ensuring all Tennesseans are ready and resilient in the face of emergencies by having the tools to support their disability specific needs. Everyone deserves to feel safe and protected, and this initiative is a testament to our commitment to Tennesseans with disabilities across the state.”

National Preparedness Month, spearheaded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is recognized every September. The month serves as a reminder that a disaster can strike at any time. TEMA encourages all individuals and communities to take proactive steps in readiness planning. More information on how to prepare for can be found at www.tn.gov/tema/prepare with resources such as a family communication plan template and a basic emergency supplies checklist.

Emergency Go-Kit Distributions Locations

BridgesTN 935 Edgehill Avenue Nashville, TN 37203 P: 615-248-8828 (voice) / 615-290-5147 (VP)

Kits will be available for pick-up during the location’s regular hours of operation. Please contact the location directly with any questions.

Cannon County School System, working closely with the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department along with Homeland Security, investigated a possible online threat made against Cannon County High School. The administration became aware of a potential threat at roughly 6:30 a.m. and notified school officials and authorities. Although the investigation is ongoing, it has been determined that the threat is not credible.

Currently, there are several social media posts circulating in our state regarding school threats.
We encourage students and parents to report credible information directly to local law
enforcement or through SafeTN.com. We also ask parents to remind their students to be
mindful of creating and sharing false information that may create disruption in the school setting.
It’s important to note that any language or behavior that is found to threaten our schools will not
be tolerated, and those found making threats will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Cannon County High School will be open tomorrow, and tonight’s football game will be played
as scheduled. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed a single positive measles test of a Tennessee resident who recently travelled internationally, spent time in Kentucky during the infectious period, and is now recovering from the virus.

TDH has not identified additional positive measles cases in Tennessee, and no additional details are available about Tennessee’s positive measles case.

The measles virus can spread through the air when an infected person speaks, coughs or sneezes. Measles symptoms can include fever, headache, and generally not feeling well, followed by fever, rash, cough, red eyes, or congestion. The illness is typically accompanied by a red, spotty rash that begins on the face and spreads over the body.

Measles is a highly infectious and potentially fatal disease, so it’s important to report suspected measles cases immediately to TDH at 615-741-7247.

More information for the public and for providers about measles is available on this page of the TDH website.

The last year in which TDH reported positive measles cases in Tennessee was 2019.

To commemorate National Voter Registration Month, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is encouraging all eligible Tennessee residents to register to vote.

“More Tennesseans than ever are registered to vote, but we want all eligible citizens to register and participate in the Nov. 5 State and Federal General Election,” said Secretary Hargett. 

National Voter Registration Day is September 17, and the deadline to register and be eligible to cast a ballot in the Nov. 5 State and Federal General Election is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7.

The fastest way to register, update, or check your registration status is through the free GoVoteTN App or online at GoVoteTN.gov. Voters can also download a paper voter registration application at GoVoteTN.gov.

“We anticipate a robust voter turnout for the presidential election,” said Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. “If you have not registered or need to change your address, don’t wait. This will ensure your voice is heard during early voting or on Election Day later this fall.”

Early voting for the Nov. 5 State and Federal General Election begins Oct. 16 and runs through Oct. 31. For more information, visit your trusted source for election information, GoVoteTN.gov, or download the free GoVoteTNApp.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), in collaboration with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, is excited to announce the launch of a new Tennessee Direct Hay Report. This tool will provide comprehensive insights into hay pricing and trends across the state, helping Tennessee’s farmers and producers make informed decisions.

“For farmers, the Direct Hay Report helps answer critical questions about commodity valuation,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “By launching this hay report, TDA aims to extend its market news presence beyond livestock auction barns, providing Tennessee farmers with a valuable new resource.”

A direct hay report is a crucial price-discovery tool, aggregating hay prices based on location, class, grade, and type. The report will display high and low prices and an average price for each category. This state-specific report reflects current market conditions and trends, providing an essential resource for local agricultural decision-making.

The inaugural report was launched on August 29, 2024, and is available here. All hay reports can be found online at www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/hay-reports.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry’s (TDF) East Tennessee Nursery is accepting tree seedling orders until April 1, 2025, or while supplies last. More than 30 species of tree and shrub seedlings are currently available for reforestation and conservation projects.

“The seedlings we grow at the East Tennessee Nursery are a vital part of Tennessee’s future forests,” State Forester Heather Slayton said. “Whether rural or urban, private or commercial, our forests and trees have a direct impact on our state’s economy, infrastructure, and health. We are proud that the seedlings we grow at the nursery each year will positively impact our state for generations to come.”

The East Tennessee Nursery, which cultivates millions of native trees and shrubs each year, sells seedlings in bulk at affordable prices to public, nonprofit, and private organizations, as well as individuals.

“TDF’s nursery is uniquely positioned to support reforestation on a large scale across the state,” TDF Reforestation Unit Leader and Nursery Manager Gina Sowders said.

Please visit www.planttntrees.org to purchase seedlings online.

Several cost share and financial assistance programs are available to qualified landowners to provide financial assistance for seedling purchases. Sponsored programs include:

• The Beam Suntory program promotes the purchase of oak, hickory, pecan, and shortleaf pine seedlings.
• The Promark (formerly D’Addario) program supports the sustainability of hickory and oak in Tennessee.
• The Huber Engineered Woods, LLC program, Trees for Tennessee, is designed to expand pine regeneration on fallow fields and recently harvested land.
• The Tree City USA program supports cities and towns seeking to grow urban and community forests.
• The White Oak and Shortleaf Pine Initiatives assist landowners in purchasing white oaks and shortleaf pines.

Each program has its own eligibility requirements, and some require a forest management plan. Contact your local area forester at www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests/staff to learn more about these programs and their eligibility requirements, including forest management plan development.

Landowners may also quality for cost share opportunities for hardwood and softwood seedling purchases through the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP). For information about TAEP, visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests/landowners/financial/taep-for-forest-landowners.

The Division of Forestry protects and promotes the responsible use of forest resources in Tennessee. Focus areas include assisting landowners with a variety of services, providing quality tree seedlings, supporting forest health programs, collecting forest inventory data, assisting forest industries, and fighting wildland fires. Visit http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests for more information.

The Tennessee Department of Health is launching a significant maternal health campaign devoted to stillbirth prevention to provide expecting mothers and their families with education, information, and tools they can use to monitor their health, especially in the third trimester of pregnancies.

“We are working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes across Tennessee,” State Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP, said. “Stillbirths have a profound impact on families and preventing these tragedies is a top priority. We are committed to providing expectant mothers and their families with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard their pregnancies and support healthier outcomes.”

Among the common signs and symptoms expectant mothers may experience indicating a potential problem with a pregnancy – cramping, abdominal pain, fever, vaginal bleeding or spotting – the TDH campaign will focus on how a change in the timing of a baby’s normal movement is often the first, or only, indication to parents there could be an issue with the pregnancy.

TDH will launch the stillbirth prevention campaign in September encouraging expecting parents to download and use Count the Kicks, a free mobile app with online digital education materials and printable paper charts also available.

The Count the Kicks app will help expecting parents monitor and track their baby’s movements once-a-day from the start of the third trimester, or 28 weeks, of their pregnancies. Changes to the time it normally takes for their baby to get to 10 movements could indicate potential problems and mean expecting parents should contact their healthcare provider right away.

The Count the Kicks app will be available in 21 languages and will make printed educational materials available to maternal health providers, social service agencies, and childbirth educators in English and Spanish.

TDH will host a free Count the Kicks webinar, at 10:30 a.m., Central, on Tue., Sept. 17, 2024, for healthcare providers and others to learn more about the importance of fetal movement monitoring and how to use the Count the Kicks app and materials effectively. Webinar registration is available at https://bit.ly/CTKTNWebinar.

Stillbirths are the loss of a baby at or after the 20th week of pregnancy. In 2021, there were 541 stillbirths in Tennessee. Approximately 32 percent of stillbirths occurred from 28 to 37 weeks gestation, and 16 percent occurred at more than 37 weeks gestation. It is estimated that one quarter of stillbirths are preventable.

See TDH’s 2024 Report on Fetal Death in Tennessee for more information.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Department of Health join with people across the state to recognize August 31^st as Overdose Awareness Day.  Events including candlelight vigils, trainings, and stigma-busting activities are planned across Tennessee.

The annual opportunity for remembrance of the lives lost to overdose and celebration of those who have survived overdose comes as Tennessee is starting to see significant progress in reducing overdoses.  According to the most recent full-year overdose death statistics, more than 3,826 Tennesseans died from drug overdose or poisoning in 2022.  That averages to more than 10 people per day.  But provisional data from 2023 and more recent numbers from early 2024 show encouraging trends of significant reductions in overdose deaths.

“It’s so painfully true that one death from overdose is one death too many, but we’re hopeful that our state is finally seeing declining numbers of deaths.  The scourge of illicit fentanyl has taken a huge toll, but with huge investments in comprehensive prevention, treatment, and recovery supports, Tennessee is able to meet the need of our neighbors who need help and want help for addiction issues,” said TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW.

“We are standing with our state and community partners to end overdoses in Tennessee,“ State Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP, said. “Every individual action matters and together we can show compassion to, and support for, those connected to the tragedy of overdose, honor those we’ve lost, and encourage healing through treatment and recovery in a powerful collective action.”

The 2024 theme for International Overdose Awareness Day is “Together We Can,” and that will be on full display in communities across Tennessee.  Substance Use Prevention Coalitions, community-based treatment providers, and other groups have organized more than 65 events across the state.  Find an event near you at this link on TNtogether.com.

Tennessee’s Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists have been working to address drug overdose since 2017.  In that time, they have distributed more than 678,000 units of naloxone in communities across Tennessee, and as a result, they have documented more than 82,000 lives saved.  The ROPS training on overdose prevention and reversal is free and available to anyone or any group that would like to receive it.  Use this link on TN.gov to find contact information for your local ROPS.

For Tennesseans who are ready to enter treatment for addiction, services are available even if you have no means to pay.  Call or text the Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789 or visit FindHelpNowTN.org for a free and confidential referral to substance use disorder treatment services.

Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) leadership updated cooperative members about the status of the organization and answered questions during its livestreamed Annual Meeting Saturday, Aug. 24.  

Board Chairman Steve Seger, CEO Chris Jones and various MTE team members shared details about the cooperative’s community outreach and member engagement efforts, overall organizational vision, general updates about MTE’s progress and more.  

“MTE is committed to providing reliable electricity and world-class service to our members,” said Chairman Seger. “These have been our hallmarks since our founding 87 years ago and will continue to guide us in the future.” 

“The vision to provide world-class member service is simple, but it’s one that gives us organizational clarity in the decisions we make and in the way that we serve,” Jones said.  

Items of note from the meeting program include:  

• The co-op ranked in the top 6% nationally among all utilities surveyed in the J.D. Power 2023 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, in addition to being ranked first in the country for customer care in the same survey.  
• Despite regional growth and inflationary pressures, MTE has held the average cost per kilowatt-hour at 29% below the U.S. average. The electric cooperative has achieved a 99.9% reliability rating. 
• MTE’s Electric Griddle, EnergyHub and Hotline Demo trailers allow members to engage with representatives from the cooperative out in the community to learn about electrical safety, energy efficiency or to enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich.  
• Improvements to the free myMTE app allow members to access helpful data and see a breakdown of their electric bills to learn more about what their electric costs are going toward.  
• The cooperative continues to invest in Smart Grid technology to reduce the impact of power disruptions.  
• MTE President/CEO Chris Jones discussed his role on the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council and provided insight about the future of nuclear power.  

United Communications President and CEO William Bradford shared updates about Project UNITE, an initiative to provide broadband internet access to rural and underserved areas. At the end of 2023, more than 21,000 homes and businesses in Middle Tennessee had been served through Project UNITE. In the second half of 2024, more than 7,000 MTE members in Williamson County will gain access to broadband service through United projects. The organizations also recently completed projects in Wilson and Rutherford counties.  

Following this update, a Q&A session was conducted and questions from members were answered live. Members inquired about MTE’s vegetation management program and how the organization prioritizes the environment while maintaining rights-of-way, smart thermostats and thermostat settings, resources for senior citizens and more.  

Per the cooperative’s bylaws, the election results for four seats on the Board of Directors were announced during the Annual Meeting. Three members were re-elected: Maureen Thornton – Williamson County (District 1B); David Lee – Rutherford County (District 2B); and Jim Mills (District 4C) – Wilson County. In the contested election for Rutherford County’s District 2E, Lynn Edwards was elected by members.  

MTE board members serve staggered three-year terms, and the Nominating Committee is responsible for nominating next year’s Board of Directors candidates. The 2024-2025 Nominating Committee election resulted in the appointment of Jessica Davey, Karen Paris and Juanita Patton from District 1 – Williamson County; Thomas “Teb” Batey, Tracey Binkley, Jamey Faulkner and Danny Sapp from District 2 – Rutherford County; Jeanne Melton from District 3 – Cannon County; and Greg Butler, Zachary Butler, and Sonya Smith-Wright from District 4 – Wilson County. 

In an organizational meeting following the Annual Meeting, the board re-elected Steve Seger of Williamson County as chairman, Jim Mills of Wilson County as vice chairman and Vanessa Hickman of Wilson County as secretary-treasurer.