News

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) has announced $23 million in federal grant funds to be distributed statewide from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 2019-2020 Federal Fiscal Year. Three of those grants affect Cannon County.

The Cannon County Sheriff’s Department will receive $10,000 for alcohol and impaired driver enforcement. The Woodbury Police Department also received a grant for the same purpose, in the amount of $10,150. Additionally, the 16^th Judicial District Attorney General Jennings Jones’ office will receive $202,750 for prosecution of DUI cases.

More than 335 federal grants exceeding $20 million in total have been awarded to law enforcement agencies and highway safety partners across Tennessee. Approximately $3 million in media grant funds will be allocated for statewide highway safety education and public awareness campaigns.

Tennessee exporters suffered a tough second quarter almost across the board, particularly in auto sales, according to the latest “Global Commerce” trade report from MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. Report author Steven Livingston, a professor of political science and international relations at MTSU, said only the medical sector posted strong gains.

Livingston said the state’s foreign shipments fell by $643 million (year over year), a 7.5 percent decline. There were losses across a number of sectors including whiskey, agriculture, and automotive products. He said the losses were worldwide, stretching from Canada and Mexico to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

This placed Tennessee in 33rd in the U.S. in its export performance. Nationally, exports were down a bit over 3% for the quarter, with “the slowdown in automotive sales was particularly serious” for the state, Livingston noted.

The losses involved three factors:

• The continuing slow growth of the world economy.

• The impact of the U.S. trade war with China and other countries.

• Declines in global automotive sales and production.

To read the full report and more detailed summaries, go to https://mtsu.edu/globalcommerce/2Q2019/2q2019.php.

Senator Lamar Alexander said the bill he voted for Thursday in the Senate Appropriations Committee will give states like Tennessee a boost in their fight against the opioid crisis. The bill provides $505 million for U.S. Department of Justice grants to help states including Tennessee tackle the opioid crisis. States could use the grants to help fund their drug courts, educational efforts, law enforcement programs, recovery programs, and treatment programs.

Alexander said, “Our law enforcement officers witness almost daily the tragedy associated with the opioid crisis, which effects virtually every American community. This funding will help give them the support they need to keep our communities safe.”

The bill also includes $100 million for the STOP School Violence Act – legislation that allows the Department of Justice to make grants to states for training, technology and equipment, and technical assistance to help stop school violence. Some #12 million for meth lab cleanup is included in the measure, which also provides $38 million for the Regional Information Sharing Systems Program (RISS) to assist law enforcement agencies in collecting and sharing information, supporting criminal investigations and promoting law enforcement officer safety

The legislation is now ready for consideration by the full Senate.

The Woodbury Lions Club has been serving the community of Cannon County since its beginning in 1935.  When Helen Keller spoke at a Lions Club International Convention in 1925, Lions took her challenge of being the Knights of Sight and make it one of the primary missions.  Lions around the world, screen eyes, help indigent receive eye exams and glasses, recycle glasses for third world countries, assist with magnification readers for those that have limited vision but want to read and see pictures better, buying white canes for those who are legally blind, and helping those who qualify to receive a Leader Dog at no cost. Lions support centers such as World Services for the Blind in Little Rock, Arkansas and Tennessee School for the Blind in Donelson, Tennessee. The Lions of Middle Tennessee also help fund needed eye surgeries at Vanderbilt Eye Center and assist in getting cataract surgeries.

The Woodbury Lions Club each year assist the school health system by screening the children’s eyes of the grades 2^nd, 4^th, 6^th, and 8^th during their health check at the schools.  The Woodbury Lions Club receives the eye screening equipment each year from the first thru the fifteen of October.  This year the schedule for the machines use is as follows:

October 01      Tuesday           Woodbury Grammar

October 02      Wednesday     Cannon County Correction Facility

October 03      Thursday         Woodland Elementary and 7^th Day Adventist Private School

October 07      Monday           East Side Elementary and Short Mountain Elementary

October 08      Tuesday           S. A. V. E. and Stones River Recovery facilities

October 09      Wednesday     Cannon County Senior Citizens Center Health Fair

October 10      Thursday         West Side Elementary and Auburn Elementary

October 14      Monday           Lions Memorial Building open for home schoolers and public

On October 14 the Lions Club building will be open for eye screening for the general public and home schoolers for a free screening.  Along with the eye screeners they will have a KidsSight instrument which can do a digital reading of a child’s eyes age 12 months up to 71 months old.

Cannon County Schools Officials received information on Wednesday Evening, September 25th, about a possible firearm brought to Woodland School on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019.  Law Enforcement Officials investigated and have determined that NO actual gun was brought to Woodland School.  However, the investigation is continuing and school policies will be adhered to and followed regarding this incident.  The student has been suspended pending the investigation.

Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Curtis stated, “Keeping OUR Students safe is Cannon County Schools top priority.  We know these situations alarm parents/guardians, but we want to thank them and our students for continuing to be vigilant and for reporting any suspicious activity you see. Please talk with your children and please tell school officials (Teacher, Principal, Counselor, etc.) about these and other types of situations.  Doing so is one of the best ways to assist us with maintaining a safe campus.”

Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Penny Schwinn announced the nine finalists for the 2019-20 Tennessee Principal of the Year and Supervisor of the Year awards today. The finalists represent each Center of Regional Excellence (CORE) region in the state, with three finalists in each Grand Division (West, Middle and East).

“Strong leadership is vital to the success of our students,” Schwinn said. “I’ve traveled the state and have seen first-hand how leaders positively impact our students on a daily basis. These are the people who go above and beyond for our kids and educators. It is my pleasure to recognize and celebrate these dedicated leaders who support education across the state.”

Each year an outstanding public school supervisor earns distinction as the Tennessee Supervisor of the Year. To qualify, candidates must demonstrate a record of implementing innovative programs and managing and motivating students and faculties. Additionally, the nominees must have a minimum of three years’ experience as an administrator and a minimum of five years’ experience in Tennessee public schools.

The Supervisor of the Year 2018-2019 for the Upper Cumberland Region of Tennessee is Bonnie Patterson.  Patterson has served Cannon County for the past thirty-eight years. During her tenure with the school system, she has served the children of Cannon County as a teacher at Woodland School, Woodbury Grammar School, Cannon County High School, Cannon County High School Assistant Principal, and was Principal at Woodbury Grammar School before assuming her current position as the District’s Attendance Supervisor and Coordinated School Health Supervisor. Patterson is married to Eddie Patterson and they reside in Centertown, TN. They have three grown children – Megan, Clint, and Kaitlin and five grandchildren.

Director of Cannon County Schools William F. Curtis stated, “Mrs. Bonnie Patterson is one of the most giving and caring individuals that I have known in education.  As Attendance Supervisor she deals with students, parents, other agencies, and the juvenile court system.”  Juvenile Court Judge Susan Melton recently stated, “Mrs. Patterson is a ‘jewel’ and aids the court in working with families through difficult circumstances.”  Director Curtis further stated, “I am dependent on Mrs. Patterson on multiple issues because of her tremendous expertise from safety issues to family issues regarding students.  She was instrumental in the recent establishment of a Pre-Truancy Hearing where parents/guardians meet with Judge Melton before having to go to actual Juvenile Court regarding truancy.  Cannon County Schools are extremely fortunate to have a person such as Mrs. Patterson and her skills in our School System.”

The Nine Regional Supervisor of the Year finalists will proceed to an in-person interview that will be held in the coming weeks where each will meet with a panel of interviewers made up of department staff and other education leaders. Winners for each Grand Division and the Tennessee Principal and Supervisor of the Year will be selected from this group and announced at a banquet on Nov. 5, during the department’s LEAD Conference in Nashville.

Middle Tennessee history will step into life during a history hayride at Edgar Evins State Park on October 12. Participants will take a hayride through the park while making stops and meeting costumed characters portraying some of the people who made history in this part of the state.

The event, which always sells out, takes place on Saturday, October 12th. Wagons begin going out early in the afternoon and continue into the early evening. Seating is limited. Make reservations now to make sure your place is there for you. The price is $15.00 per person. Online registrations continue through October 10, or when seats sell out.

This is not a Halloween themed event and is not suitable for small children or anyone else who might have difficulty sitting still for 2 1/2 hours. This event is the major fundraiser for the Friends of Edgar Evins State Park. Its proceeds help to fund other projects throughout the year that benefit the park.

To make reservations, follow the instructions at this link:  https://foeesp.123signup.com/event/registration/rcmrv 

If you need assistance, email the designated member of the Friends of Edgar Evins State Park in charge of registration at abertram@dtccom.net or contact the park office at 1-800-250-8619 or 931-858-2114  for the registrar’s telephone number.

The Board of Zoning Appeals was called to review a “Special Exception Request” for a duplex within the R-1, Residential District..  The request was made by Myra McCarthy who proposes to convert a house into a duplex at 401 West Colonial Street.  Ms. McCarthy originally made the request at a previous planning meeting.

Ms. McCarthy did not bring a plat for the board to review.  Upon questioning, board members determined that the property did not have adequate parking for the additional occupants.  A group of other West Colonial Street property owners were present and voice their concern over the zoning exception.

The board advised Ms. McCarthy to finish her renovations as a single family building. They voted not to approve an exception to the zoning request.

The Planning Commission meeting follow with one scheduled item and two non-scheduled items.

Listed as the Bill Trail Subdivision, Planning Commission members reviewed the Final Plat for approval. The office building on the highway side of the property will be removed from the plat. The property is being sold and the property owners are requesting a change to the layout to add additional parking for the building.  The change was approved by the board.

Stones Rivers Apartments, a new project on Main Street was recently approved and the developers returned with a design change.  The revisions will change the apartments to a townhome design.  Board members reviewed the changes and approved.

Following those actions, a discussion among all board members followed about the possibility of a remodeling project at 309 Water Street in the downtown business district.  Questions were answered about taking the existing building (across from the Old Feed Store Antique Mall), expanding the square footage and establishing a coffee shop. After a discussion for about ten minutes, the individual was invited to have a drawing and plat for the project to be considered at a future planning commission meeting.

An investigation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the arrest of a former employee at the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department.

At the request of 16th District Attorney General Jennings Jones, on June 11, 2019, TBI Agents began investigating a report of theft from the evidence room at the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information that identified Tony Barrett, a civilian employee of the Sheriff’s Department at that time, as the individual responsible for the theft.

Barrett was no longer employed by the Sheriff’s Department.

On Friday, the Cannon County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Tony Barrett  with one count of Theft under $1,000 and two counts of Official Misconduct.

Barrett was arrested and booked into the Cannon County Jail. His bond was set at $10,000.

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) joined AAA – The Auto Club Group to announce the Reduce TN Crashes Scholarship Award. The THSO has partnered with AAA – The Auto Club Group to offer one high school senior the opportunity to earn a $3,000 scholarship by working with the THSO’s Reduce TN Crashes program to improve driver safety within their local community.

 All high school seniors in Tennessee are encouraged to apply. In order to be considered, the student must be nominated by a principal, teacher, mentor, or school resource officer. The student must be a current high school senior who demonstrates leadership qualities, driver safety skills, school involvement, and citizenship/volunteerism. The student must plan to attend a college or university in Tennessee.

In order to apply, the student must register his/her high school in the Reduce TN Crashes program at www.ReduceTNCrashes.org. The student must complete at least one traffic safety activity offered through the Reduce TN Crashes program during the school years of 2016 to 2020. In 500 words or less, the student must write an essay describing how he/she used at least one traffic safety activity to make a difference in a local community. The student nomination, essay, and all application information must be submitted to www.ReduceTNCrashes.org/scholarship by March 31, 2020. The scholarship award recipient will be announced in May 2020.