News

Eighty-nine of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates of less than 5% for August, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

Two counties recorded rates of 5%, and four counties had rates of more than 5%, with the highest at 5.5%.

In 22 counties, unemployment rates were down when compared with July. Rates were unchanged in 28 counties and increased in 45 counties.

Sevier and Cheatham counties recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rates for August at 2.9%. Five counties — Macon, Dickson, Williamson, Wilson, and Robertson — followed with rates of 3%.

Meanwhile, Hancock and Perry counties posted the state’s highest unemployment rates for the month at 5.5%. Pickett County followed at 5.2%.

Cannon County’s unemployment rate for August was 3.1%, this was the same as July. Three point one percent represents 217 county residents are looking for work.

Data released last week showed that Tennessee’s unemployment rate in August was 3.4%. Unlike the statewide rate, county rates are not seasonally adjusted.

TDLWD has compiled an analysis of the August 2026 county unemployment data.

September is National Workforce Development Month, a time to recognize the partnerships and investments that help Tennesseans and employers succeed.

Launched in November 2025, the TNWorks initiative is strengthening workforce development by connecting employers with talent, resources, and solutions to meet their workforce needs.

In its first year, TNWorks has served 6,300 employers, delivered 927,000 services, and helped connect $9.4 million in direct employer investment. These results reflect Tennessee’s continued commitment to building a skilled workforce, supporting business growth, and expanding economic opportunity in communities across the state.

To learn more about TNWorks and the services available to employers, visit TNWorks.com.

The Tennessee Department of Health is offering everyone over the age of six months the opportunity to receive this year’s flu vaccine. Flu vaccinations will be free on Tuesday. Oct. 20, 2026, at all local health departments in the state for Fight Flu TN ’26.

“Getting a flu shot is the best thing you can do to reduce the risk of getting the flu and having severe disease. Additionally, your decision to get the flu shot can help prevent others from getting sick,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. John Dunn. “It is important for Tennesseans over the age of six months to consider a flu shot. Talk to your provider today about the risks and benefits of flu vaccine.”

Fight Flu TN 2026
On Tuesday, Oct. 20th, more than 200 locations across the state, including Local Health Departments and partners participating in the event, will offer free flu vaccine to Tennesseans, ages six months and older, who are eligible.

Click to visit the Fight Flu website and visit the Fight Flu event location map to find the site closest to you and its hours of operation. On the event location map, enter your address and find the site of the closest event location for a free flu shot on Oct. 20th.

Fight Flu TN, now in its 9th year, is an annual event that offers free vaccine while also exercising your Local Health Department’s ability to provide important services in the community.

The flu vaccine is safe and effective and can protect against the most common types of flu, and the virus’s worst symptoms and outcomes. Nationally, flu vaccination is estimated to have prevented about 10 million flu illnesses, 5 million medical visits, 180,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths during the 2024 – 2025 influenza season.

Pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and those with chronic medical conditions are at the highest risk of getting the flu and facing its severe complications. Flu symptoms can include mild to severe cough, fatigue, fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, and stuffy or runny noses.

Precautions to prevent the spread of the flu virus include proper handwashing with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the bend of an elbow, and staying home if you are sick.

For more information about precautions against respiratory viral illnesses, like the flu, visit TDH’s Respiratory Viral Illness webpage.

DeKalb Telephone Cooperative, Inc. d/b/a DTC Communications will host its annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria.

Directors will be elected in the Milton, Norene and Woodbury exchanges.  Incumbents Jim Vinson – Milton exchange, Terry McPeak – Norene exchange, and Brian Alexander – Woodbury exchange are running unopposed. 

Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 26.  This year’s meeting will follow new hours. Gates to the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria will open at 7:45 a.m., with voting from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m.  The business meeting will begin at 10 a.m. or once the last person in line at that time has voted.

Only DTC members may vote, and each member must present proper photo identification.  For a single membership, only that individual may vote.  Either member of a joint membership may vote, but not both.  In the case of a business membership, a business affidavit is required.

For questions regarding membership and voting, call DTC at (615) 529-2955.

DTC Communications is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative established in 1951. DTC provides world-class broadband and technology solutions to improve the quality of life of our members and communities in the regions we serve.

From Sept. 21 – 26, 2026, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for National Child Passenger Safety Week to remind parents and caregivers to ensure all child passengers are properly restrained to reduce the risk of injury or fatality.

“Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children,” said THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “In order to protect our most vulnerable roadway passengers, we should make sure they’re secure every trip, every time. This means using child safety seats and ensuring they’re properly installed.”

According to Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN), there were 8,959 traffic crashes statewide involving an unrestrained occupant aged 18 or younger during 2021 to 2026, as of Aug. 25, 2026. Counties ranked with the highest number of crashes involving unrestrained child occupants during 2021 to 2026 include Shelby (2,120 crashes), Rutherford (788 crashes), Davidson (537 crashes), Hamilton (522 crashes), Knox (331 crashes), Montgomery (222 crashes), Sumner (213 crashes), Tipton (184 crashes), Sevier (182 crashes), and Madison (175 crashes).

The THSO works to improve child passenger safety education and spread awareness through the Tennessee Occupant Protection Center, a THSO grant-funded program dedicated to reducing traffic fatalities by promoting occupant protection and providing resources for Tennesseans.

“Tennessee’s misuse rate of child safety seats is 78 percent,” said Director Julie Brewer from the Tennessee Occupant Protection Center. “Our mission is to educate adults on how to properly protect child passengers in the event of a crash. Common issues include children being in the wrong types of car seats for their age and size, and car seats being installed incorrectly — both of which leave children vulnerable to injury.” 

Children are best protected in a traffic crash when they are correctly buckled in the right seat for their age and size. Car seats and booster seats have height and weight limits. To maximize safety, children should stay in each seat until they outgrow either of those limits. The safest place for all children under 13 is the back seat, as frontal air bags are designed for adult passengers.

Keeping a child in the right seat for their age and size can make all the difference in a crash. Once a child outgrows a rear-facing car seat, he or she is ready for a forward-facing car seat with a harness. Only after reaching the maximum height or weight limits of a forward-facing car seat — which takes longer than most parents think — a child should be buckled in a booster seat until large enough to fit in an adult seat belt correctly.

Booster seats are a critical step between harnessed car seats and adult seat belts. If the seat belt doesn’t fit a child correctly, it won’t offer them the optimal protection in a crash. Once a child is ready to use a seat belt, parents should ensure that it fits correctly — that the seat belt lies across the upper thighs and is snug across the shoulder and chest, away from the face and neck.

To assist parents and caregivers with best practices and proper installation child safety seats, the THSO offers an instructional video narrated by Director Julie Brewer from the Tennessee Occupant Protection Center: https://youtu.be/07ht7xFvd9c

During National Child Passenger Safety Week, the Tennessee Occupant Protection Center will host child seat safety checks statewide, leading up to National Seat Check Saturday on Sept. 26. To access a certified child passenger safety technician in your area, please visit www.tntrafficsafety.org/cps to locate a fitting station near you.

All but two of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported a drop in their unemployment rates in July, according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

Unemployment rates decreased from June to July in 93 counties. Obion was the only county where the rate remained the same in the month-to-month comparison, while Weakley was the only county to see an increase in unemployment.

Eighty-nine counties recorded unemployment rates of less than 5%. The remaining six counties had rates of 5% or greater, with the highest at 5.8%.

Cheatham, Sevier, Williamson, and Dickson counties recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rates for July at 2.8%. Cheatham County’s rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month, while the rates for Sevier, Williamson, and Dickson were down three-tenths of a percentage point.

Cannon County saw a decrease in unemployment in July of two tenths of a percentage point to 3.1% from the June rate of 3.3%.  This reflects 216 county residents looking for work during the month.

Perry County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate for July at 5.8%, down three-tenths of a percentage point from June.

Hancock County had the next-highest rate at 5.7%, which was down one-tenth of a percentage point. Weakley County followed with a rate of 5.3%, up four-tenths of a percentage point.

TDLWD has compiled an analysis of the July 2026 county unemployment data.

Tennessee employers looking to grow their workforce can explore hiring incentives through TDLWD. These programs are designed to encourage workplace diversity, expand access to good jobs, and help individuals who face significant employment barriers enter or reenter the labor force.

Through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, eligible employers may receive federal tax credit incentives for hiring workers from targeted groups.

Employers can learn more about available incentives, eligibility requirements, and how to apply through TDLWD’s Apply for Hiring Incentives webpage.

Do you have cattle, sheep, goats, or equine animals?  Were your commercial livestock animals grazing on land physically located in DeKalb County on May 11, 2026, or Cannon County on May 18, 2026? If so, you could be eligible to receive payment from the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency. According to Donny Green, County Executive Director, signup for the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) is now underway and will continue through March 1, 2027.   

The LFP has been approved for DeKalb and Cannon countiesdue to recent and extreme drought conditions that have affected livestock grazing during the 2026 normal grazing period.  LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock on land with permanent vegetative cover or planted specifically for grazing. 

According to the U. S. Drought Monitor:

• DeKalb County’s drought eligibility date is May 11, 2026
• Cannon County’s drought eligibility date is May 18, 2026

Both counties have been designated as D2 (Severe Drought intensity). This designation qualifies eligible livestock producers in both counties for one monthly payment for calculated feed loss.

Cannon County livestock producers can schedule an appointment to meet FSA staff at the Woodbury USDA Service Center on Thursday, September 10. Appointments are available on this date only in Woodbury from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Livestock producers operating in DeKalb and Cannon counties are urged to call the Smithville USDA Service Center at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2 to schedule an appointment to complete the Livestock Forage Program application before the March 1, 2027 application filing deadline.

The Cannon County Lions begin the 2026 season with a road game in Putnam County. WBRY continues our tradition of broadcasting all regular season games. The Voice of the Lions, Matt Daniel returns along with Will Caster and Chris Robinson for the action.

Games will air on FM 107.1, AM 1540 and streaming on wbry.com. You can click HERE, to enjoy the broadcast from your computer, tablet of smartphone.

Pregame coverage begins at 6pm each Friday with Murphy’s Matchups. Football Guru Murphy Fair will review the games across the Volunteer State. At 6:30, Lions Roar with Cannon County Head Coach Tommy Hinch. At 6:40pm, the pregame coverage is from the field. Kick off is 7pm.

CANNON COUNTY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

August 21 Monterey Away

August 28 Providence Christian Home

September 4 Pickett County Away

September 11 Community Away

September 18 Gordonsville Away

September 25 Clay County Home

October 2 Smith County Home

October 9 Jackson County Home

October 16 Warren County Away

October 30 Trousdale County Away

All games begin at 7pm, Region 4-2A games

In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Tennessee Department of Correction will host a free community event focused on education, prevention, remembrance, and recovery.

Observed annually on August 31, International Overdose Awareness Day is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those who have lost their lives, acknowledge the grief of families and friends, and share life-saving education about overdose prevention.

The event will be held at TDOC’s Community Resource Centers in Murfreesboro and is designed to connect community members with local organizations, valuable resources, and support services. Attendees will hear from guest speakers, participate in awareness activities, visit community resource booths, and enjoy food from local food trucks.

Event Details:

Murfreesboro Community Resource Center
Thursday, August 27, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
1938 Southpointe Way
Murfreesboro, TN 37130

This event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about overdose prevention and recovery resources are encouraged to attend.

Gas prices across the state steadily declined over last week, falling 11 cents, on average. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $3.55 which is five cents more expensive than one month ago and 77 cents more expensive than one year ago.  

“Lower crude oil prices continue to provide relief for Tennessee drivers by helping to push pump prices lower across the state,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “However, volatility in the global oil market remains a factor, and any significant shifts could place upward pressure on fuel costs. If crude oil prices remain stable, motorists may see additional savings at the pump this week.” 

National Gas Prices

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline fell nine cents this past week to $4.00. Crude oil prices are down in the $70 per barrel range amid optimism that the Strait of Hormuz will resume normal operations. Currently, half of states are paying below $4 per gallon on average. Gas prices typically start going down this time of year, as many schools and universities begin fall semesters, and fewer people are taking road trips compared to earlier in the summer. 

National Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell 55 cents to settle at $75.22 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 2.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 407 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five-year average for this time of year. 

 Tennessee Regional Prices 

• Most expensive metro markets – Jackson ($3.75), Memphis ($3.67), Kingsport ($3.56)
• Least expensive metro markets – Clarksville ($3.32), Chattanooga ($3.37), Cleveland ($3.47) 

The Woodbury Police Department will be launching an automated photo speed enforcement program at the Cannon County Elementary and Middle School and Cannon County High School. Speed studies conducted in April 2025 at the Cannon County Elementary and Middle School and Cannon County High School zones identified a significant problem with speeding in this area, recording 2,088 violations in a 5-day period.  

In Woodbury at the Cannon County Elementary and Middle School and Cannon County High School zones, we had 41,433 drivers a week in the school zone with 2,088 speeding vehicles (5% of all vehicles). Of those speeding, 1,627 of those speeders exceeding 11-14 MPH over the posted enforceable speed limit (77.92% of speeders).  Another 406 of those speeders exceeding 15-20 MPH over the posted enforceable speed limit (19.44% of speeders). Finally, and most dangerously, 55 more of those speeders were exceeding 21+ MPH over the posted enforceable speed limit (2.63% of speeders).

We know that speed kills; statistics show a child struck by a vehicle traveling 40 MPH, only has a one in 10 chance of survival, but if you slow that down to 20 MPH, that same child has a much-improved survival rate of nine in 10. Speeding is also a primary contributing factor in motor vehicle crashes resulting in personal injury and deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 64% of child pedestrians killed in traffic crashes occurred during the weekday (6 a.m. Monday to 6:00 p.m. Friday)  (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).

Our goal is to increase safety for students, parents, teachers, and the motoring public traveling through our school zones. This program combines robust public information & education, along with a 30-day warning period to encourage people to slow down and change their driving behavior.  School zones are clearly marked with posted speed limit signs. Zones will also have flashing lights and additional road signs to capture a vehicle’s speed and give advance warning to the driver of the upcoming school zone. Cameras will be used to identify any non-compliant motorists traveling at 10+ MPH over the posted speed limit.

August 7 will be our warning period. During this warning period, violators will receive a warning in the mail marked in red advising of the violation that occurred on such date and time.  Warning citations serve as a reminder to slow down in places where our children learn and play and carry no monetary implications.

Live enforcement begins after the 30-day warning period, starting September 8. At this time, motorists who exceed the posted school zone speed limit will receive a citation in the mail.  These citations are civil in nature, carry a $50.00 fine, but do not come with points against your license, or insurance penalties.

Photo speed cameras will be active and enforced on days that school is in session, children are present and when the school zone beacons are flashing. If you are traveling through Cannon County Elementary and Middle School and Cannon County High School zones during school hours, these cameras will be actively enforcing the lower school zone speed limit.

We are committed to changing driver behavior, slowing speeders down, and protecting our children. Please drive safely in our school zones and in our community. Working together, we can achieve our vision of ZERO. “Zero injuries, Zero crashes, and Zero fatalities.”