2016

Woodbury Police were on the lookout for a man Tuesday who allegedly stole items from two businesses and they found him harrassing customers and employees at a convenience store.  According to Woodbury Police Reports Richard Hodge II was at Parsley’s Market 2 on Main Street harrassing customers and employees.  It appeared to the arresting officer that he was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics.   Not only was Hodge arrested for public intoxication, he was also arrested for stealing an oxygen tank from Hometown Respiratory valued at $100.  Hodge also received a second theft under $500 charge by stealing multiple items from Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store.  
Other arrests made by the Woodbury Police Department recently:
James Bryan Smith DUI 1st offense

The Cannon County Sheriff’s Department served the following warrants recently:
Kenneth Ray Parker-Violation of Probation
Daniel Blake Marlow-Amended Violation of Probation
Glenda Hendrixson-Passing a Worthless Check
Catherine Marie Sherrell-Violation of Probation
Larry Van Davis-State Violation of Probation
 

PARQ Preserve Our Area’s Rural Qualities has scheduled the quarterly meeting for tonight at 6:00.  Location of the meeting is 373 Old Woodbury Pike In Readyville.  Everyone is invited to come and hear what is going on in your community or inform us of one of your interests or concerns.  
If you would like to attend, please call to confirm the time and place at 563-2200, 563-8088 or 409-6009.  More information about PARQ and upcoming meetings can be found at www.PARQ.org

A meeting of the DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club will be held
on Thursday, July 28th, 2016  – 6:30 PM at the DeKalb County   
Complex, 722 South Congress Blvd., Smithville, TN 37166. All local amateur
radio  operators and those interested in amateur radio are invited to attend.

Amateur radio operators also called “hams” communicate with other operators in the local area, statewide, nationally, and even worldwide.  Hams also aid during times of emergencies with vital communication links.  The DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club is an affiliated club of the American Radio Relay League.  Call 615-597-9563 for more information or check out the
club’s webpage at http://www.dccarc.org.
 

Mark Vance, local TWRA officer, has announce a Hunter Education Course to take place starting August 22nd, 23rd, 25th and 26th at the Woodbury Lions Club Building 6-9pm nightly.  The Hunter Education course is designed to help people learn about guns and responsiblities and people’s ways around various woods.  Pre registration is going on now by registering at twra.state.tn.us/HunterEdEventRegistration.  Any questions call Mark at 615-203-4688
 

The First United Methodist Church in Woodbury located at 502 West High Street is hosting a free perishable food item event in the fellowship hall of the church on Thursday from noon till 3:00.  This is free and open to anyone.  There’ll be assorted breads, pastries, fruits, vegetables and dairy products.  There are no prequalifications everyone is welcome.  Please bring your own grocery bags in which to put the food.  Participants should park in the parking lot and come into the fellowship hall through the downstairs door.  For more information contact the church office at 615-563-2135.

Due to the massive increase in full-time student enrollment this fall, Motlow State Community College is inviting anyone interested in potentially becoming an adjunct faculty member to attend an Open House on Thursday, July 28, at 5 p.m., on the Smyrna campus at 5002 Motlow College Blvd.

Attendees will have an opportunity to meet Motlow State’s academic team and learn about employment opportunities. Refreshments will be served.

Adjunct faculty teach part-time for Motlow State and are allowed to teach a maximum of nine hours in the fall and nine hours in the spring for a total of 18 hours per academic year.

Positions available include teaching day, evening, weekend and online classes at the Moore County, Fayetteville, McMinnville and Smyrna campuses.

Course subjects include: accounting, anthropology, art, biology, business, chemistry, clinical nursing (BSN accepted, MSN preferred), computer science, criminal justice, early childhood education, economics, education, engineering, English, geography, geology, health/physical education, history, information systems, mass communications, mathematics, mechatronics, music, physical science, physics, political science, psychology, reading, sociology, Spanish, speech and theatre.

A master’s degree in any of the aforementioned areas of study, or a master’s degree in any area with 18 graduate semester hours in one of the areas, is required to apply.

Mechatronics requires engineering or engineering technology, with a minimum of five years’ experience in a manufacturing environment.

The nursing program is seeking qualified clinical adjuncts with a minimum of three years’ experience in acute care settings; MSN is preferred.

To learn more about opportunities at Motlow, or to RSVP to this event, please contact Estelle Davis at 615-220-7805 or email classes4u@mscc.edu.

Camp Read to be Ready provides students with a total reading experience where books take life in relation to our community. Students are given the opportunity to read, think, talk, and write about various texts in relation to our focus of learning. The second session of Camp Read to be Readyallows students to experience Camp Reading River. Twenty five students have spent their third week of camp as freshwater explorers. Students are learning about and discussing animals, insects, and plants in freshwater habitats. We have dug deep into the following books: Only One You written by Linda Kranz, A Wetland Habitat written by Bobbie Kalman, You be You written by Linda Kranz, and Water Rolls, Water Rises written by Pat Mora.
The ultimate goal for Camp Read to be Readyis to make books come to life for our students. Co-directors Melisha Simmons and MaryBeth Young as well as Troop Leaders Kathy Gannon, Emily Hughes, Beth Mathis and Joy Pope are working toward this goal by creating movements, songs, and art that relate to our books. Campers have created their own bird feeders and examined the life in a wetland. Troop leaders have created experiences where campers became conchologists in order to study and compare snails. Campers also identified invertebrates and vertebrates that make their homes in wetlands.
Campers continue to visit the Adams Memorial Library each week so that campers can learn more about topics that are interesting to them. We are working closely with Huff & Puff Trucking to teach students more about the geography of our state and country. Flat Stanley continues to travel to different states along his trucking route. Campers are able to Skype daily in order to see landscapes and track his progress across our country and continent.
During our first week of Camp Reading River, campers traveled to The Discovery Center at Murfree Springs in Murfreesboro, TN. Campers toured the wetlands at Murfree Springs with Heather Mullican from the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. Ms. Heather taught campers the history of Murfree Springs and how it was used by Native Americans during the Trail of Tears. We were able to explore the wetlands to see numerous plants and animals that we had read about earlier in the week. Campers were also able to see how the watershed brings trash and pollution into the wetlands. This was an excellent firsthand experience with the importance of taking care of our water for plants, animals, and even our own water supply.
 

Saint Thomas Stones River Physical Therapy Department provided a local balance education event and free balance screening at Cannon County Senior Center recently. This is an ongoing partnership between Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital and the local Senior Center promoting senior health education opportunitiesto local residents.Saint Thomas Health is a part of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.
“The physical therapy team at Saint Thomas Stones River is pleased to provide a class to the local community at Cannon County Senior Center with a  focus on balance deficits and fall prevention,” said therapist Jamie Sadler of Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital, “Free balance screenings were administered for preventative measures to help pinpoint individual risk to help avoid future falls.  I would like to personally thank the staff at the senior center for allowing us to provide these services and give back to our wonderful seniors across our community.”

Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital looks forward to providing monthly education topics and screenings in the future, with the next class being scheduled for July 29, 2016 from 1pm to 2pmat the Cannon County Senior Center. The upcoming class will focus on arthritis management and how physical therapy can help.
 

Tennessee’s sales tax holiday will now be one weekend earlier than it has been in the past, due to a 2016 law change. Starting this year, the sales tax holiday will be held during the last weekend in July, instead of the first weekend in August each year.

From July 29 through July 31, Tennessee shoppers can save nearly 10 percent on clothing, school supplies and computers, as students prepare for the back-to-school season.

“The sales tax holiday for back-to-school items is earlier this year. We encourage Tennesseans to mark their calendars so they don’t miss this opportunity to save on important items,” Gov. Bill Haslam said.

Under the new law, Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday will be held beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the last Friday in July and end at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday night. This year, the sales tax holiday begins Friday, July 29 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, July 31 at 11:59 p.m.

“We hope Tennessee shoppers will take advantage of the tax relief offered by this year’s sales tax holiday,” Revenue Commissioner Richard Roberts said.

The new law did not change any other aspects of the sales tax holiday. As in prior years, consumers will not pay state or local sales tax on clothing, school and art supplies that cost $100 or less per item and computers that cost $1,500 or less.  

For more information about the sales tax holiday, please visit www.tntaxholiday.com. The general public may also search for answers to questions or submit inquiries to the Department through the Revenue Help application at https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us.

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2015 fiscal year, it collected $12.6 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $2.4 billion in taxes and fees for local governments.
 

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is announcing it will soon begin accepting applications for the next Trooper Cadet Academy. Men and women interested in a career as a state trooper can begin the application process online only, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3, through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, August 16.

The THP anticipates the agility test and interview appointments to begin mid-September, at the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Training Center. Individuals interested in applying for the position of state trooper must be at least 21 years old, a U.S. Citizen and have a high school diploma or equivalent. No applicants with felony convictions will be considered.

Legislation enacted in October 2012, called the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability and Management Act (TEAM Act), revised the hiring method to incorporate an interview process that tests an applicant’s knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies. As a result, selected applicants will be required to successfully pass the physical agility test prior to being admitted for an interview. There is no longer an examination portion to qualify for the state trooper position.

If hired, individuals must obtain a valid Tennessee driver’s license prior to class start date January 28, 2017, and are required to successfully complete a Level II background investigation, which includes a credit check and polygraph test. Recruits must also pass a psychological and medical examination, including a drug screening.

Those interested in and qualified for the position of state trooper should submit an employment application to the Tennessee Department of Human Resources. All applicants must apply online at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/tennessee/default.cfm beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3. Applications will not be accepted after August 16. Once approved by the Department of Human Resources, applicants will be notified of their qualification status via email.

There are currently 621 authorized commissioned trooper positions within the THP. Trooper cadets will be assigned to vacant positions across the state upon graduation. The starting salary for a trooper cadet during the training academy is $2,859 per month.

Upon graduation and commissioning as a Tennessee state trooper, the salary will increase to $3,163 per month and include a pension plan, health insurance and paid holidays. Troopers are also provided a uniform, equipment and patrol vehicles. With regular pay increases, a state trooper can earn $56,412 per year after 10 years of service under the current pay structure.

For additional information on becoming a state trooper, visit http://www.tn.gov/safety/article/trpqualifications.

For more information about applications, interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Tennessee Department of Human Resources Applicant Services Division at (615) 741-4841.