2016

No individual entertainer in the history of music may have been more electrifying than the King of Rock ‘n Roll, the late Elvis Presley. And while there will never be another Elvis, his music will continue to live on through the many performers he inspired throughout his career and afterwards.

The Arts Center of Cannon County welcomes a little slice of the King in the form of Elvis Tribute Artist, Tom Duggin, who will bring From Memphis To Vegas: A Tribute To Elvis Live to the Arts Center stage. Duggin performs a 1970’s style Elvis concert, with the accompaniment of a full band, the legendary Rangers Quartet, one of the longest running group names in gospel music history, as well as the Soul Sistas, who all combine to bring to life the great hits of the Elvis live era. You’ll rock to classic oldies like Blue Suede Shoes, Teddy Bear, Don’t Be Cruel and Hound Dog, while rolling to great Elvis concert classics like Burning Love, Suspicious Minds and Polk Salad Annie. Elvis himself may have left the building, but his music never will!

A native of DeKalb County, Tom Duggin is a life-long Elvis fan, who has performed the King’s hits since he was a teenager. Duggin has performed in concert multiple times with Elvis’ 1970’s backup group, The Stamps Quartet, and has performed in several venues throughout the Southeast. While considering himself a “tribute artist” rather than an “impersonator,” Duggin feels honored to carry on the legendary music of Elvis Presley. “There’s only one Elvis, and I’m not him,” Duggin tells his audiences. “I don’t wear jumpsuits and sideburns, but rather focus on the remarkable music and the energy that truly made the Elvis Presley concert experience. It’s more than an honor for me to perform his great songs in front of his many, many fans.”

Follow Tom Duggin on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tom.duggin1

For more on the legendary Rangers Quartet, visit www.rangersquartet.com. 
 

The Arts Center is located on 1424 John Bragg Highway, just west of the town of Woodbury, approximately 20 minutes from Murfreesboro, Manchester, and McMinnville and one hour southeast of Nashville. Office hours are 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For reservations or ticket information please call 615-563-(ARTS) 2787.

tnAchieves, partnering organization for Governor Bill Haslam’s TN Promise, is currently seeking volunteers to serve as mentors for program’s third class of students.  TN Promise offers every high school senior the opportunity to attend one of the state’s 13 community colleges or 27 colleges of applied technology tuition free with a last dollar scholarship.  The program also pairs each applicant with a volunteer mentor to ease the transition from high school to college.
 
Tennessee’s Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Randy Boyd has been a mentor with the program since its inception in 2008.  “With the idea of eliminating the barriers keeping Tennessee students from entering the post-secondary pipeline, Tennessee Promise provides a last-dollar scholarship with mentor support to our state’s high school seniors,” said Boyd.  “It sends the message to students and families that college is within everyone’s reach regardless of zip code or socio-economic background.  It also communicates to business and industry that Tennessee is intensely focused on creating the workforce to meet their demands.”  TN Promise is one program of the state’s Drive to 55 initiative that aims to increase Tennessee’s adult population with a post-secondary credential to 55 percent by 2025.
 
In the first two years of the program almost 120,000 students have applied.  In the first year, 16,291 students began college TN Promise eligible.  The state’s college going rate increased 4.6 percent, more than the previous seven years combined.  Enrollment at the state’s community and technical colleges increased more than 20 percent and enrollment at all of the state’s public higher education institutions increased 10 percent.  This translates into approximately 4,000 new students entering the college pipeline. 
 
The scholarship dollars are important, and often creates excitement around going to college, but the support of the mentor can be critical to many students’ success.  Most of the students participating in the program are first generation college attendees and navigating the admissions and financial aid processes can seem overwhelmingly.  Mentors spend about one hour per month reminding students of deadlines, serving as a trusted resource, and encouraging students to reach their full potential.  The time commitment is small, but the impact can be life changing.
 
tnAchieves Director of Community Partnerships Graham Thomas explained the importance of the role of the mentors.  “Mentors provide the encouragement and support students need to be successful as they begin their college careers,” Thomas said.  “Mentors ensure barriers that might cause students to quit are overcome, processes that might prove to be intimidating are completed, and vocabulary that was foreign becomes everyday language.”    
 
tnAchieves needs more than 9,000 volunteers statewide to serve as mentors to meet student demand.  The program operates TN Promise in 84 counties and each county has a specific mentor goal.  To learn more and apply you can visit www.tnachieves.org or contact Thomas at graham@tnachieves.org or (615) 604-1306. 
 

Oct. 17-21—Fall Break
Oct. 22—ACT re-take date for seniors
Oct. 24-26—LEAD Conference, Nashville, TN
Oct. 28—Cannon Co. Lions Football vs. Dekalb Co. at CCHS field
Nov. 2—Principals’ meeting at CCBOE at 8:30 a.m.
Nov. 4-7—Tennessee School Boards Association Annual Leadership Conference, Nashville, TN
Nov. 8—Professional Development Day for teachers and staff, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
                Board policy workshop, 5:30 p.m. at CCBOE
                Board meeting workshop, 6:30 p.m. at CCBOE
 
Nov. 10—School Board meeting, 6: 30 p.m. at WGS Cafeteria
 
Nov. 11—Veterans’ Day Program at CCHS
Nov. 14—Homeland Security Drill at West Side Fire Dept. @ 3:00 p.m.
 
 Do you have one hour per month to help students in your community transition from high school to college? tnAchieves, local partnering organization to Gov. Haslam’s TN Promise, needs 9,000 mentors to work with high school students from the Class of 2017. Mentors remind students of important deadlines, serve as a trusted college resource and, most importantly, encourage students to reach their full potential. The time commitment is small, but the impact can be life changing for a first generation college student trying to navigate the college going process. Learn more or register at https://tnachieves.org/mentors/requirements/.  For the class of 2017, Cannon County needs 22 mentors; currently only 6 adults have registered to be mentors for these seniors.   Our students need you; please consider being a mentor and register today.
 
On Saturday, Oct. 1st, the Adams Memorial Library celebrated 50 years of service to the citizens of Cannon County. Many thanks to the following CCHS football players who helped with the event set up and clean up:  Cort Litchford, Dalton Morris, Kyle Martinez, Tristan Wareham, Brent Scott, and Reece Smith.  Also, thanks to the Lioness members Rachel Hale and Tori Duncan for serving as hostesses at the reception.
 

The monthly meeting of the Cannon County Commission is set for Saturday morning beginning at 10.  Follow up of the special called Commission meeting from last Friday is expected to be discussed under new business.  Other items on the agenda is to approve a new Industrial Development Board member.  The person up for approval is Gayle Morgan.  The Commission will also be asked to approve the 2016-2017 committee assignments and approve the Public Chapter Number 750, Senate Bill 2350.  Quarterly reports will be given by the various department heads.  The meeting once again starts at 10A in the Courtroom of the Cannon County Courthouse.
 

Another big football weekend starts today with the 9th game of the season for the Cannon County Lions. The Lions tonight will travel to Sequatchie County to attempt to dethrone the region standing leader.  Sequatchie County is 3-0 in region play tied at this point with a 3-0 Upperman team. A Lions win on the road would not only stun the Indians but shake up the Region standings as Sequatchie County is by far expected to win the region with games after the Lions being Grundy County and Upperman in the final two weeks of the regular season.  The Lions are 0-4 in region play and 2-6 overall
Football Friday starts at 5:30 with the guru of high school football Murphy Fair and Murphy’s matchups followed by Friday night Thunder at 6:00 featuring live pre kickoff reports from high school football games throughout the mid state.  The Reed Builder’s Supply pregame show starts at 6:45 and kickoff in Dunlap will be at 7:00.  You can hear the game live on AM-1540/FM107.1 WBRY and online at wbry.com
 

 The Gilley Hill Cemetery Fund Raiser will take place from 6 to 9P at the Gilley Hill Cemetery Church Building.  The fund raiser consists of a singing and auction of cake and pies.  The event is open to everyone.  If you have any questions contact Terry Burks at 615-849-6297 Wilma Spry at 615-765-5429 or Betty Harris at 615-765-7241

The Center for the Arts presents the Mel Brooks’ comedy musical Young Frankenstein, running October 14-30, 2016. The hilarious musical takes the classic horror story and turns it upside down! The grandson of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein has inherited the family estate, but when he goes to visit the property, chaos ensues and so does the laughter. *This show is not recommended for ages 17 and under – adult situations and minor language.
Tickets can be purchased on the center’s website at www.boroarts.org; calling 615-904-2787; or stopping by the Center’s box office at 110 W. College St. in downtown Murfreesboro. Prices are $15 for adults; $13 for seniors, students and military; and $11 for children. Group tickets are available. Performances are at 7:30 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings and 2:00 pm on Sunday afternoons.
Young Frankenstein, the musical is sponsored by Bridgestone Trust Fund.
 

Business owners, staff and guests are invited to the Arts Center of Cannon County tonight for a Cannon County Chamber of Commerce Business Mixer.  This is an excellent opportunity to network with other business owners, share ideas and meet the staff of the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce and discover the many resources the Chamber has to help grow business.  The mixer will take place from 6-8 tonight there will be food available and the event is free.  If you do plan on coming tonight, please prepare a 60 second commercial about your business to share it with those in attendance.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in conjunction with the Murfreesboro Police Department and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, have announced a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction for those responsible for the theft of firearms from TC’s Pawn, a federal firearm licensee (FFL).
On Oct. 6, 2016, TC’s Pawn, 903 Mercury Blvd, was burglarized and approximately 15 firearms were reported stolen to the Murfreesboro Police Department. ATF industry operations investigators are in the process of conducting an inventory to determine the exact number of firearms stolen.
ATF is offering the reward in the amount of up to $2,500, which will be matched by the NSSF for a total reward of up to $5,000. This reward is part of a larger national cooperative initiative between the NSSF and ATF in which NSSF matches ATF’s reward in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers. ATF works closely with members of the firearm industry to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms.
Anyone with information about this crime should contact the ATF at (800) ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or the Murfreesboro Police Department at (615) 893-7867. Information can also be sent to ATF via the mobile app www.reportit.com by using the Nashville field division as the location.
 

The Hilton Stone American Legion Post 279 in Woodbury, Tennessee, operated the Popcorn Booth at the Annual Veterans Hospital Carnival last weekend
This is a great annual event for the staff and patients at the Alvin C. York Medical Facility in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  Veterans organizations from all over Middle Tennessee come and operate booths which provide food of all types, cotton candy, snow cones, iced drinks, fruit, music, give away items, all free.   
There were about 100 booths providing lots of food and fun.  It is a great day for the
Veterans who are patients at the VA.  American Legion Post 279 is proud and honored to be part of this program honoring our veterans for their service to this great country.