2016

Motlow State Community College will be closed Monday, September 5, for the Labor Day holiday according to college officials.
The closing includes all college facilities on all Motlow campuses including Moore County, Fayetteville, McMinnville and Smyrna.
Regular hours and class schedules will resume Tuesday, Sept. 6.
 

The Cannon County Commission will meet tonight for their regular monthly meeting.  On the agenda is Resolution 2016-14 regarding the Five Year Capital Outlay Note.  The Commission will also look at budget amendments presented by the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department and the Cannon County Emergency Management Agency.  There will also be some departments presenting their quarterly reports.  The meeting will start this evening at 5:00 in the Courtroom of the Cannon County Courthouse.
 

 Local Volunteer Emergency Responders from the Cannon County Rescue Squad, Inc.(CCRS) attended a three day training program hosted at the Greenville Emergency & Rescue Squad, in Greenville, TN on August 18-21, 2016.  The Farm and Machinery Rescue Course was presented by instructors from the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads (TARS).  The course was taught by the TARS Rescue College Training Instructors and is offered throughout the year to rescue squads and fire departments in Tennessee. 
 
Michael Underhill, Captain/CEO of CCRS said, “This course is designed to promote effective emergency response to overturned tractors, and emergencies involving farm implements and heavy machinery.” The course is a mixture of classroom training and field work.  The training involving learning how to stabilize farm equipment and heavy machinery.  This course helps responders simulate the response for real life victim treatment and evacuation.”
Brian Robinson, TARS State Training Coordinator said, “The Farm and Machinery Rescue Course is needed by all agencies who respond, or have potential to respond, to farming or machinery accidents.  Every day, in every community, there are high potential situations for injuries from equipment mowing the right-of-ways, equipment being used on farms, and construction equipment.  Teaching responders how to think outside the box and be prepared to handle these situations is an important aspect of their training.  We are grateful that the Cannon County Rescue Squad, Inc. participated in our training event.”
 
Larry Powell and Jonathan Buckingham were the two CCRS responders who attended this important training program. Regarding the course, Larry said, “I am grateful to the Cannon County Rescue Squad and the TARS Rescue College for allowing me to participate in this important training. Cannon County has had several farm machinery accidents in the past few years, and I feel this training will help us to be better prepared for these types of emergencies in the future.” Jonathan said, “Farming is an important part of this nation and the use of machinery in modern farm application is extremely dangerous work.  This training provided by TARS is an import bridge to understanding and safe approach to these types of emergencies.”
 
CCRS is proud of these responders and we are grateful that these guys gave up a whole weekend of their time to learn how to respond to these types of emergencies.  For more information on becoming a volunteer responder with the Cannon County Rescue Squad, Inc., visit our website at www.CannonCountyRescue.com and contact Michael Underhill, CEO, at 615-904-5002 or by email at MUnderhill@CannonCountyRescue.com .To follow us on Facebook, like our page www.facebook.com/CannonCountyRescue and follow us on Instagram @CannonCountyRescue
 

Cannon County Schools has joined a nationwide effort to celebrate Attendance Awareness Month in September and has pledged to raise awareness about the value of regular school attendance and focus on reducing chronic absenteeism in the new school year.
Nationally, 5 million to 7.5 million miss nearly a month of school in excused and unexcused absences every year. Starting as early as kindergarten or even preschool, chronic absence predicts lower 3rd grade reading scores. By middle school it’s a warning sign that students will fail key classes and drop out of high school.
Study after study shows that chronic absence is an early warning indicator that a student will drop out of a high school. A recent study from Utah found that a student who was chronically absent in any year between eighth and 12th grade was 7.4 times more likely to drop out than students with better attendance.
Cannon County Schools recognizes that good attendance is essential to academic success. But far too many students are at risk academically because they are chronically absent. Chronic absence is described as missing 10 percent of the school year—or about 18 days – for any reason, excused or unexcused. That’s the point at which absenteeism begins to affect student performance, research shows.
This is not just a matter of truancy. Many children, especially in the early grades, miss too much school because of chronic health problems, unreliable transportation or housing moves—barriers that city agencies and community partners can help families address.
In September, all Cannon County schools, along with other schools, city agencies, community nonprofits, faith-based groups, businesses and others around the nation are committing time and resources to raise public awareness to improve school attendance starting as soon as children enter school.Each school will have different activities focusing on school attendance not only during the month of September but throughout the school year. 
“September is a particularly good time to focus on attendance,” said Hedy Chang, director of Attendance Works, a national nonprofit dedicated to improve school attendance “Research shows that students who miss two to four days in the first month of school are more likely to become chronically absent during the school year. By paying attention to absences early in the school year and early in a child’s academic career, we can turn around attendance and achievement.”
Parents, schools, and the community can help by doing these things:

• Build a habit and a culture of regular attendance
• Use data to determine when and with whom chronic absence is a problem, and
• Identify and address barriers to getting children to school.

This matters to all of us, not just those with school-age children. Fostering good attendance habits throughout our community will help our students be more prepared for the workplace.  Working together, we can make a difference in helping students create good habits that will lead to future success.

A Woodbury man who was arrested recently with a public intoxication charge now faces an introduction of contraband into a penal institution.  According to Woodbury Police reports Donald W. Smith was picked up recently and arrested with public intoxication.  After getting to the Cannon County jail, police found a crushed Xanax pill in his possession.  He was also charged with introduction of contraband in a penal institution.  Smith will answer to the charges October 11th in Cannon County General Sessions Court.
Other arrests made recently by the Woodbury Police Department include:
Ila K Smith-Public Intoxication
George O Mears-Public Intoxication
Jimmy Ray Wilson-DUI 1st Offense and
Mildred Nicole Smith-Theft under $500.

Cannon County Sheriff’s Department received a call that someone was throwing items off of Auburntown Bridge onto Auburntown Road below.  According to Sheriff’s Department reports, when deputies got to the bridge there where no vehicles or subjects on the bridge however when they looked down at the roadway below, they saw a pair of shoes, 2 bricks and a small red bicycle in the road way.  It appeared someone throw the items at southbound traffic attempting to strike vehicles driving in a 55 mph zone which could easily cause  serious bodily injury or death to occupants of passing vehicles.  The bicycle was dusted for fingerprints.  Police are still investigating.
 

Being prepared for a home fire is particularly crucial for adults aged 65 and over. Statistics suggest this segment of the population faces increased risks for fire-related deaths and injuries. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) urges older adults and their caregivers to take necessary steps to stay safe from fire dangers.

“Addressing basic safety precautions such as changing the battery in a smoke alarm can become difficult as we age,” said State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “It’s important to check in regularly with the older adults in your life to ensure they’re living in a fire-safe environment and that they know what to do should a fire occur.”

SFMO data shows that adults aged 65-years-old or older comprised 39 percent (27 fatalities) of the 70 residential fire deaths reported in Tennessee last year. The risk of dying in a home fire increases at the age of 50. At the age of 65, Tennesseans are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fire. Tennesseans aged 85 and up are four times as likely to be fire victims.

Older adults are at a greater risk of fire death and injury because reduced mobility may slow their escape time and diminished hearing could make it difficult to detect the sound of the smoke alarm. In addition, some older adults may have hoarding tendencies. Collecting or keeping large amounts of items in the home can not only hinder a person from escaping a fire, but can deter first responders from being able to reach them in an emergency. In 2015 there were five fire fatalities in Tennessee in which hoarding was a contributing factor to the fire or to the spread of the fire according to state data.

To help the older adults in your life be prepared and protected from fire dangers, share these fire safety guidelines from the National Fire Protection Association:

Fire Safety Tips for Older Adults

    Keep it low: Consider sleeping in a room on the ground floor in order to make emergency escape easier. When looking for an apartment or high-rise home, look for one with an automatic sprinkler system. Sprinklers can extinguish a home fire in less time than it takes for the fire department to arrive.                                                           
    Sound the alarm: The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping. Smoke can put you into a deeper sleep rather than waking you, therefore it’s important to have an early warning of a fire. You should have smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Install smoke alarms in hallways leading to bedrooms and inside every bedroom in your home. Ensure that you can hear the alarm by utilizing the test button. Test your smoke alarms regularly and replace the batteries once a year or consider alarms with long-life batteries. Smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older need to be replaced. If anyone in your household is deaf or if your own hearing is diminished, consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light or vibration to alert you to a fire emergency.
    Do the drill: Have a home fire escape plan with two ways out of every room and a designated safe meeting place outside. Practice your plan regularly. If you or someone you live with cannot escape alone, designate a member of the household to assist. Fire drills are also a good opportunity to make sure that everyone is able to hear and respond to smoke alarms.
    Clear the way: Remove any items that may block your way out of the room or your home. Remember, your exit routes may change as new items are brought into the home.
    Open up: Make sure that you are able to open all doors and windows in your home. Locks and pins should open easily from inside. If you have security bars on doors or windows, they should have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened easily. Check to be sure that windows haven’t been sealed shut with paint or nails.
    Stay connected: Keep a telephone near your bed, along with emergency phone numbers, so that you can communicate with emergency personnel if you’re trapped in your room by fire or smoke. Have glasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, or canes nearby if applicable.
    Cook with care: Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Don’t leave cooking unattended on the stove. Use a timer to remind you of food in the oven. Check to see that the oven and stovetop are off before going to bed each night. Never use the oven to heat your home.
    Give space heaters space: Keep space heaters three feet from anything that can burn, including furniture, blankets, pets, and yourself. Turn space heaters off when you leave the room and when you go to bed at night.
    Eliminate careless smoking: Never smoke in bed or when drowsy. Refrain from smoking near an oxygen source, gas stove, or other flammable objects. Use deep, sturdy ashtrays and extinguish cigarette butts completely with water or sand before disposal.

For more information on how to make your home fire-safe, print the State Fire Marshal’s home fire safety checklist and escape grid. Tennesseans in need of a smoke alarm can also utilize the SFMO’s online alarm request form.
 

Cannon County has a new Emergency Management Agency Director.  Justin Harris, who is a paramedic with the Cannon County Ambulance Service fills the volunteer role, after former EMA Director Faye Morse retired from the position earlier this month.  A resident of the Eastside community, Harris started out as a paramedic in Cannon County in 2006 before moving on to working with the Rutherford County Special Operations Unit for 8 years.  He recently rejoined the Cannon County Ambulance Service.  Harris is currently working on relocating all the equipment and radios to the old Ambulance Service building on High Street.  This was as a result of the County Commissioners calling for the action during their August meeting in which former director Morse had stored equipment and radios at her private residence.  In addition to relocating and reacquiring all of the Emergency Management Agency’s Equipment, Harris has also been working on a new operations plan in just one week on the job.

The Cannon County UT Extension Office announces its 4-H Chick Chain Poultry Auction will take place September 29th at 9A at the Cannon County Farmer’s Market Pavillion located in the Arts Center of Cannon County’s Parking Lot.  Please support the Cannon County 4-Hers as they bring their best pullets to be judged and auctioned.  All proceeds will benefit the future chick chain projects.  For more information about the auction, please call extension agent Sarah Malone at 563-2554.

The Dr. and Mrs. J.F. Adams Memorial Library is currently having the huge Friends of the Library Book Sale located in the Jennings Community Room of the library. There’s a little bit of everything from children’s books to DVDs and several fiction books by well known authors like James Patterson and Nora Roberts up for grabs. All proceeds from the sale go to helping the Friends provide for the Cannon County Library System in ways that other resources can’t. So be sure to stop by today and check out the offerings.