News

Today the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) will join various state and local partners to launch Operation Incognito statewide. The Operation Incognito campaign was developed last year to evolve Tennessee’s statewide distracted driving enforcement and education initiative, known as “the bus tour.” The operation will also promote National Work Zone Awareness Week, which occurs now thru the 12th. 
 
The launch of Operation Incognito will educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving and emphasize Tennessee’s “move over law.”
 
 

Like clever, one-of-a-kind creations?  Hate waste?  The 4-H Trash to Treasure contest which is sponsored through the T.D.O.T. Litter Grant Program may be of interest to you. With the 4-H “Trash to Treasure” contest, 4-H members in grades 4th-8th had a chance to help our environment while showing creativity at the same time. Rescue some trash from the recycling bin or the garbage and make it into something pretty or useful. 
The Trash to Treasure Contest was offered in all of the 6 Cannon County public elementary schools and home school allowing 4th-8th graders to submit items they made out of recycled material. The contest was judged in the classroom by the UT Extension Agents over the 4-H Program and pictures were taken of the classroom winners. The classroom winners were then narrowed down by judges, 2 winners per school. Only the 14 items chosen by our judges were posted to the UT Extension-Cannon County Office Facebook Page allowing the public the entire month of March to vote by “liking” their favorite picture. The picture with the most likes by March 31st became the county winners. The contest was a huge success with more than 4,767 people reached through views, comments, likes, and over 113 shares.
 
The winners were as follows 1st place -Spoon and Fork Art by Jaxon Smith, Short Mountain School 4th grade , 2nd place – Tools 4 School by Elayna Robertson, West Side School 4th grade, 3rd place – Birdhouse by Izabel Young, Woodland School 6th grade, 4th place – Key-Jar Windchime by Kail Spray, East Side 4th grade, 5th place – Tire Seat by Rilee Warrick, West Side School 4th grade  and 6th place Pallet Bench by Kenny Kennedy, East Side 5th grade.
 
The 6 winners will be recognized in May at Cannon County Good Ol’ Days and their items will be displayed at the TDOT Litter Grant Booth for the public to see. Stop by and see the well-crafted items. The 4-H members will be invited to set at the booth and share with the public how they made their item and the importance of recycling. This was the 3rd year to implement the 4-H Trash to Treasure Contest.
 
 

Like clever, one-of-a-kind creations?  Hate waste?  The 4-H Trash to Treasure contest which is sponsored through the T.D.O.T. Litter Grant Program may be of interest to you. With the 4-H “Trash to Treasure” contest, 4-H members in grades 4th-8th had a chance to help our environment while showing creativity at the same time. Rescue some trash from the recycling bin or the garbage and make it into something pretty or useful. 
The Trash to Treasure Contest was offered in all of the 6 Cannon County public elementary schools and home school allowing 4th-8th graders to submit items they made out of recycled material. The contest was judged in the classroom by the UT Extension Agents over the 4-H Program and pictures were taken of the classroom winners. The classroom winners were then narrowed down by judges, 2 winners per school. Only the 14 items chosen by our judges were posted to the UT Extension-Cannon County Office Facebook Page allowing the public the entire month of March to vote by “liking” their favorite picture. The picture with the most likes by March 31st became the county winners. The contest was a huge success with more than 4,767 people reached through views, comments, likes, and over 113 shares.
 
The winners were as follows 1st place -Spoon and Fork Art by Jaxon Smith, Short Mountain School 4th grade , 2nd place – Tools 4 School by Elayna Robertson, West Side School 4th grade, 3rd place – Birdhouse by Izabel Young, Woodland School 6th grade, 4th place – Key-Jar Windchime by Kail Spray, East Side 4th grade, 5th place – Tire Seat by Rilee Warrick, West Side School 4th grade  and 6th place Pallet Bench by Kenny Kennedy, East Side 5th grade.
 
The 6 winners will be recognized in May at Cannon County Good Ol’ Days and their items will be displayed at the TDOT Litter Grant Booth for the public to see. Stop by and see the well-crafted items. The 4-H members will be invited to set at the booth and share with the public how they made their item and the importance of recycling. This was the 3rd year to implement the 4-H Trash to Treasure Contest.
 
 

The Cannon County Commission in conjunction with the Cannon County Board of Education will meet in a Workshop Session on April 16, 2019 at 6:00 pm in the Woodbury Grammar School Gymnasium. 
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and plan for long term Capital Outlay projects for the next 5, 10 and 15 years as suggested by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s Office.
 
All ideas in relation to Capital Expenditures are on the table, and the public is invited and encouraged to attend.
 

State Representative Clark Boyd  has successfully guided House Bill 946 through the Tennessee House of Representatives. 
The measure — which is part of the Governor’s legislative package this year — improves transparency within our state’s education system by requiring Local Education Agencies  to report to the Department of Education how additional funds are used every year an local education agency receives increased funding from the state for salaries and wages.
 
According to Representative Boyd, “Our teachers work tirelessly to solidify the academic foundations of Tennessee’s current and future leaders. We must ensure they are receiving the salaries and pay increases they have earned. I am proud to have carried this bill, which will increase transparency on the subject of teacher pay.”
 
House Bill 946 ensures taxpayer funding allocated to schools is being used responsibly and to support our educators who play a critical role in the current and future success of our state. The bill now heads to Governor Lee’s desk for his signature.
 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that his administration, in coordination with the Tennessee General Assembly, is temporarily reinstating paper-based assessments for students in the 2019-2020 school year. 
 
Testing for the 2018-2019 school year, the final year with the current vendor, begins on Monday, April 8 and the online version of the test will be delivered as scheduled. In preparation for testing, 100% of districts reported as meeting the criteria for technical readiness to give the online assessment.
 
The move to temporarily reinstate paper-based testing next year will allow the new vendor to establish an accountable, long-term solution to be put in place for students, teachers and taxpayers.
 

Graduation at Cannon County High School is scheduled for May 17, at 7:00 p.m.  Guidelines for tickets have been announced.Each graduate may purchase a maximum of 5 chairs that will be on the field (inside the fence) at graduation. The chairs cost $5.00 each.  They will be sold on April 8th and 9th by appointment.
Each Senior will draw a number at random during lunch on April 4th & 5th to determine his/her appointment time and day to purchase chairs for family members. Seniors will receive their appointment date and time when they draw their number. Seniors may not purchase chairs before their appointment time, but they may come in late. If a senior misses their appointment time, they will have the opportunity to visit the library during lunch to purchase.
No chair orders will be taken after April 30th.  No chair orders will be taken over the phone.
The chairs are non-refundable.  All debts must be paid before purchasing a tIcket.  Additional family members will be able to sit in the bleachers or bring their own chair and sit anywhere outside the fence. 
No one will be allowed inside the fenced area without a ticket until after the graduation ceremony.
Graduates will be seated alphabetically.  Therefore, we will not know where each graduate is sitting until the day of graduation.
If it rains, graduation will be in the CCHS gymnasium.  Unfortunately, if this is the case, there will not be sufficient room for the chairs. 
Each guest must present his or her ticket to the gate ushers at the field in order to be allowed into the seating area.
No Ticket –No Entry!
No strollers will be allowed inside the fenced area.  Children under the age of 5 will be permitted to sit on an adult’s lap.  Children over the age of 5 must have a ticket to sit inside the fenced area.
For the courtesy of all guests, please do not stand in front of others (blocking their view) for any reason. No smoking will be allowed in the seating areas.
 
 

If the Mayor and Board of Alderman were to have a fun and games meeting, the April meeting could have been it. Approving races, planning fireworks and naming a recreation board were all on the agenda. 
Lacey Buchannan informed the board that Cannon County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) would like to hold a 5k Race.  The board approved. The event will be Saturday, May 25th (Memorial Day weekend) with an 11am start.
 
The board approved members for the recreation board. Members will include; Ron Fryer, Debbie Vaughn, Mike Reed, Joann Tate as well as Alderman LuAnn Curlee and Mayor Duggin.
 
It was announced at the meeting that plans are underway for the annual city/county fireworks celebration for July 4th. The event has been sponsored in previous years by the county, Town of Woodbury and Auburntown.  For several years the Mooretown Volunteer Fire Department has presented a fireworks display.  This year, Mooretown will present the display at the city/county celebration.
 
Also during the meeting, a public hearing regarding the proposed annexation territory into the town of Woodbury by owner consent, and the plan of services. Property owned by Cole Reed, Kendall Smith, and Mike Hutchins located off Old McMinnville Road and found on Cannon County tax map 038, parcel 063.01 was approved. 
 

With Tax Day (April 15, 2019) less than two weeks away, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs and the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy is offering Tennesseans the following tips to help navigate the income tax filing process, make the most of their income tax refund and avoid fraudulent tax preparers and scammers.1.     Get your refund fast through direct deposit. Did you know that your income tax refund can be electronically deposited into your financial account for free? The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can automatically deposit your refund into up to three separate accounts, if you set up direct deposit when you file your return. Direct deposit gives you access to your refund faster than a paper check.
2.     File your tax return for free. If your income is $54,000 or less, if you are 60 years old or older, or if you have a disability or speak limited English, you can generally get free tax return preparation assistance at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) location near you. In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those 60 and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.
If you decide to do it yourself:

If your adjusted gross income is $66,000 or less, you can use any one of several major tax return preparation software products, offered through the Free File Alliance, to prepare and file your return for free. The Free File Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of industry-leading tax software companies partnered with the IRS to help taxpayers prepare and e-file their federal tax returns for free. If your adjusted gross income is more than $66,000, you can still download free tax filing forms from the IRS’s website.                                                                                          

There are many easy-to-use tax return preparation software products on the market that will help you walk through the tax return filing process step-by-step. These are not free, but they may be less expensive than paying someone to file your return for you.                                                          

Tip: Depending on your age, income and filing status, you may not be required to file a return. Check the IRS’s guidelines to see if you are required to file a tax return.         
3. Beware of potential tax fraud. While the majority of tax preparers are honest, tax fraud does occur. Unfortunately, the IRS reports that tax fraud has become increasingly common, but there are several steps consumers can take to protect themselves:

File electronically and request that your refund be deposited directly into your account.  Direct deposit avoids the possibility that your check could be stolen. However, beware of this new twist on a scam involving erroneous tax refund deposits.

Vet your Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Check to ensure your CPA is properly licensed by visiting verify.tn.gov. If you have questions, contact the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy.

Stay alert for scam phone calls from criminals intent on stealing your money or your identity. Remember, the IRS will never:

Call or email you to verify your identity by asking for personal and financial information.    

Demand immediate payment via a prepaid gift card or wire transfer without first sending you a bill in the mail and giving you an opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

Require you to use a specific payment method for taxes, like a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.

Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or email.

Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

If you suspect you’ve been a victim of identity theft involving your income tax return, report it to the IRS. Imposter scams and identity theft are among the leading complaints of Tennesseans, according to a new report by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Consumers can find more detailed information about tax refund scams, by visiting the IRS website.
For more consumer tips and resources, visit www.tn.gov/consumer. 
 

A pursuit of persons wanted for questioning in connection with an armed robbery in a room of a McMinnville motel lead to a multi-agency takedown in front of Woodbury Town Hall yesterday. 
Tuesday morning the patrol officers of the McMinnville Police Department were dispatched the Best Value Inn on an armed robbery call.  A vehicle description was given out as one of the parties involved.  Sgt Austin Wortman spotted a Chevy truck on Hwy 55 and tried to initiate a traffic stop.  The vehicle stopped momentarily and then fled.  The truck went out into the county and came back onto Nashville Highway and proceeded toward Woodbury.
 
The Warren County Sheriff’s Department assisted along with Tennessee Highway Patrol on the pursuit into Cannon County.  Once in Cannon County, members of the Sheriff’s Department and Woodbury Police assisted. Arrested in Woodbury was Nicholas Flores, age 20. There was also two juvenile females in the vehicle that were on runaway status out of the Chattanooga area.
 
Deputies with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department made a traffic stop on Rebel Hill Street later in the afternoon that had occupants that were present at the armed robbery.  Two of the three occupants have been charged with armed robbery.  They have been identified as Rafael Lopez age 24 and Leo Garcia age 26. Nicholas Flores has also been charged with evading arrest and multiple counts of reckless endangerment based on the pursuit.