2016

The Woodbury Police Department reports the following arrests recently:
Zachary Barrett-False Identity
Bronson Barrett-DUI
Ethan Sargent-Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Evading Arrest
Jennifer Bennett-Possession of Schedule 2 Meth, Theft of Property Under $500
Jammie Eugene Parker-Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Public Intoxication
Andrea Michelle Davenport-Possession of Schedule 2 Drugs
and Dana Jean Stadleman Simple Assault
 

On Monday, May 16, 2016, Short Mountain Elementary School held its first annual Safety Day.  Several state, county, civic agencies and individuals were on hand to help educate students on how to be safe and protect our environment.  Second grade teacher, Amanda Francis, organized the event and was helped by all staff members at the school.  Students moved throughout multiple stations throughout the day, asking questions and participating in activities.   The highlight of the day was a visit from Smokey the Bear.  Mr. Robert Pitts is to be commended for bringing this fun and educational day to his school.  Special thanks to the following individuals and agencies that helped to make this day a success:
 
 
Cannon County EMS- Jason Barrett and Greta Stone
Cannon County Schools Transportation- Bus Safety- Lisa Black and Felicia Coppinger
Cannon County Sherriff Department – Sherriff Darrell Young, Tommy Barker SRO, Drew Colwell, Anthony Young, 
Hand washing Demonstration-Mandy Gay
Middle Tennessee Electric – Bo Asbury & Chad Hale
Middle Tennessee Natural Gas- Chris Swoape
Tennessee Forestry Department– Cory Ashford, Joe Bryson, Lisa Goodmaster, and Smokey the Bear
Tennessee Highway Patrol- Trooper Roger White
Tennessee Wildlife and Resource Agency (TWRA) Tabitha & Dan Lavacot, Glen Rogers
Tractor Safety- Heath Nokes
Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue – Kevin Kanagy, Will Daniel, Sebastian Novoa, and Clint Cook
 
 

May 23-27—Bus Inspection week
May 25—WBRY Spotlight—Bonnie Patterson, Supervisor of Coordinated School Health and Attendance
May 26—Teacher Work Day—no students
May 27—Report Cards, 7:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
May 27—CCHS Graduation, 7:00 p.m., CCHS Football Field
                 Graduation practice for graduating seniors, 9:00 a.m.
 
May 30—All Schools and the Central Office will be closed for Memorial Day
May 31—School System mowing bids are due to the Central Office by 10:00 a.m.
                 Principals’/Supervisors’ meeting at the Central Office, 8:30 a.m.
 

Motlow State Community College recently held its annual student recognition ceremony inside Nisbett Center on the Moore County campus. Students were honored for academic excellence during the 2015-2016 academic year. Cannon County student Taylor Warren received an award in Natural Science for Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

Tennessee Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced Thursday  the Tennessee preliminary unemployment rate for April was 4.3 percent, two-tenths of a percentage point decrease from the March revised rate of 4.5 percent. The U.S. preliminary rate for April was 5.0 percent, remaining unchanged from the previous month.

Economic Summary

• Over the past year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate decreased from 5.9 percent to 4.3 percent while the national rate declined from 5.4 percent to 5.0 percent.
• Total nonfarm employment increased 1,300 jobs from March to April. The largest increases occurred in professional/business services, wholesale trade, & leisure/hospitality.
• Over the year, nonfarm employment increased 83,800 jobs. The largest increases occurred in trade/transportation/utilities, education/health services, & professional/business services.

If your children grew up in the church, there is a good chance they knew the youth choir song “I’m Adopted.” The lyrics echo a promise found in Ephesians 1:5 and repeated throughout the Scriptures: “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.”

For my family, however, the title of that song rings doubly true.
I am one of many Christian women who have experienced the pain of divorce. My first husband grappled with alcoholism and left me when I was pregnant with our youngest daughter. The result was a season of life spent as a single parent, working the morning shift as a nurse at our local hospital and the night shift as a mother of three.
In the time that followed, I met the man who would become my husband: Dave Black. What began as a friendship (and a recurring babysitting role) grew into a romance. When he asked me to marry him, I knew that I had found the godly partner and role-model for my children that was missing from my first relationship.
Every blended family must decide how to navigate the challenges of their new life together in a way that works for them, but Dave and I felt strongly that we needed to draw a circle around our family by having him legally adopt my children as his own.
My three kids took his last name and, to this day, there has never been any doubt that he is their dad. What Dave and my children lack in shared genes, they more than make up for in shared love—the kind that can only exist between a parent and their child.
Many adoptive parents’ journeys culminate in a courtroom moment, but Dave’s came in the form of a notice in the mail from the Department of Children’s Services. When we got the letter officially declaring us a family, I was reminded of Scripture’s teaching that we are adopted into the family of God. I was also reminded of the children who are still waiting on an earthly adoption of their own.

My kids faced some challenging years before Dave entered our lives, but their experience cannot truly compare to that of the more than 415,000 children in the foster care system today.
May is National Foster Care Month; a time that I hope will encourage us all to engage afresh and anew with the cause of adoption, remembering our gospel calling to “look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27).
Of course, not every family is called to adopt, but we can all intercede on behalf of these children.

For some, that may mean offering a gift of time or resources to a faith-based adoption organization. My family’s journey, for example, drew our hearts to the work of Decisions, Choices & Options, a nonprofit organization in the Nashville area that visits local schools to promote adoption for students who may be facing an unplanned pregnancy and might otherwise consider life-ending choices for their unborn baby.

In my current role as a member of Congress, I believe this calling to look after widows and orphans means using the platform that I have been given to ensure that adoption is attainable for every family who has room in their hearts—regardless of the room in their budget.

I am convinced that nothing could have stopped Dave from adopting my children. But the truth is, we were also fortunate that the costs our young family incurred were minimal. I wonder how long we would have been waiting for that letter in the mail had we needed to raise thousands of dollars just to call ourselves a family?
When God unites a parent and child together through the miracle of adoption, we cannot let barriers stand in the way. That is why I introduced the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that a foster care adoption can cost up to $2,500, while adoptions through a private agency can cost upwards of $40,000. Those costs are staggering to just about anyone, but when you consider that almost half of all children adopted from foster care live in households with incomes of less than 200 percent of the poverty line (around $48,500/year for a family of 4), the financial toll becomes overwhelming.

We cannot change the high cost of adoption overnight, but we can ensure that our tax laws provide some help to offset that expense.
Currently, the adoption tax credit is not fully refundable. That means it offers no benefit to a family making less than $35,000 a year because they simply will not have enough income to generate sufficient tax liability. We all know that no family chooses to adopt for a tax credit, but I have personally met families who tell me in anguish that adoption is just beyond their financial reach and that this credit would bridge the difference—if only they were able to actually use it.

The Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act would change the law to ensure that every adoptive family benefits from this vital tool.
This legislation is as non-political as they come in Washington. I am grateful for the support it has received by champions for adoption like Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman’s “ShowHope” and from members of Congress across the ideological spectrum. The bill’s cosponsors range from some of the most progressive Democrats to the most conservative Republicans—proof that, even today, some things still transcend partisan politics, family being first among them.

Not a lot of parents can say that their happiest moments came in the form of a written notice from Children’s Services, but mine sure did. The instant that “Dave” officially became “Dad” is a gift that I will hold in my memory for the rest of my life. I want more parents and children to be able to experience that same joy, and I have to believe that God, in his perfect love, desires this too.

During National Foster Care Month, and throughout the year, may we rise up to lead this cause, knowing that as we do, we are modeling what Christ did for each of us by inviting us into the most glorious adoption of all.

The 2016 National Safe Boating Week is May 21-27 and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will be participating to promote the wear of life jackets as the summer boating season begins.
The Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day is Friday, May 20 with the goal of demonstrating how easy it is to wear a life jacket. Participants wear a life jacket to work, demonstrating how easy to wear one, even while at work. Those who wear a life jacket to work are asked to have a photograph taken and email it to tennesseewearit@gmail.com. Group photos are also welcome.
On Saturday, May 21, Ready, Set, Wear It!, will enter its seventh year in trying to bring awareness on the importance of life jacket wear by holding a world record day. 
The worldwide event kicks off the start of National Safe Boating Week.  
Participants will be part of the attempt to break a world record for the most life jackets worn at one time.  
Both events help usher in National Safe Boating Week which is annually held the week prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Boating partners across the United States and Canada are teaming to promote safe boating practices, including the wear of life jackets for National Safe Boating Week and throughout the 2016 boating season.
The goal of National Safe Boating Week is to educate the public about the importance of safe boating practices and wearing life jackets while on the water.
– See more at: http://tn.gov/news/42444#sthash.EKfq7EN6.dpuf
The 2016 National Safe Boating Week is May 21-27 and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will be participating to promote the wear of life jackets as the summer boating season begins.

The Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day was Friday, May 20 with the goal of demonstrating how easy it is to wear a life jacket. Participants wear a life jacket to work, demonstrating how easy to wear one, even while at work.
On Saturday, May 21, Ready, Set, Wear It!, entered its seventh year in trying to bring awareness on the importance of life jacket wear by holding a world record day.

The worldwide event kicks off the start of National Safe Boating Week.  

Participants will be part of the attempt to break a world record for the most life jackets worn at one time.  

Both events help usher in National Safe Boating Week which is annually held the week prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Boating partners across the United States and Canada are teaming to promote safe boating practices, including the wear of life jackets for National Safe Boating Week and throughout the 2016 boating season.

The goal of National Safe Boating Week is to educate the public about the importance of safe boating practices and wearing life jackets while on the water.
 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam last week announced Advise TN, a program to increase the number of students accessing higher education by providing college counselors to 30 public high schools and 10,000 junior and senior students across the state this fall.
The new initiative, administered by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), supports the state’s Drive to 55 campaign to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or credential to 55 percent by 2025.
“As a result of Tennessee Promise, first-time freshmen enrollment has increased 25 percent at community colleges. We are changing the conversation in Tennessee around going to college, and there’s more we can do,” Haslam said. “Research tells us that having a school-wide culture of college-going – of students knowing that college isn’t only an option for them but it’s an expectation – is one of the best indicators of whether students will pursue higher education. This program will provide schools across the state with one more adult in students’ lives, focused on helping them navigate the transition from high school to college.”
Partner high schools will be selected through a competitive process based on a strong commitment to building a college-going culture. To be eligible for consideration, high schools must have a college-going rate that is less than the state average. For more information and to access an application, visit http://tn.gov/thec/topic/advisetn. The deadline for schools to apply is August 12.  
College advisors are being hired and trained this summer and will be placed with partner schools in fall 2016. They will work alongside the school’s counselors, educators, parents and local partners to implement college-access best practices and foster the school’s college-going culture, devise creative approaches to reach and connect with students, and, most importantly, assist students and their families as they navigate the college-going process. Advisors will supplement, not replace, existing high school counseling staff.
“Advise TN will complement the programs that have emerged statewide through the Drive to 55 by providing more resources, time, and individual focus to ensure postsecondary access and success,” THEC’s interim executive director Russ Deaton said. “We are all looking forward to this expanded school-level collaboration and ensuring that Tennessee’s college enrollment continues to grow.”
Advise TN was included in Haslam’s 2016-17 budget with funding of $2,455,800. High schools selected to participate in Advise TN are expected to develop sustainability plans to continue the program beyond initial state funding.

As the school year winds down, many Tennesseans are turning their attention to vacation planning. The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs wants to remind consumers to be wary of summer vacation scams.
“Vacation scams occur when a stranger offers you a free or discounted cruise, travel club membership, exotic resort stay or rental property in exchange for a large, upfront fee or deposit,” said TDCI Deputy Commissioner Bill Giannini. “If you accept, the scammer takes your money and/or personal identifying information, and you never receive the free or discounted offer. Tennessee consumers need to be diligent to avoid scams like these during the summer season.”
Consumers may receive scam offers via phone call, pamphlet, postcard, letter or email. To report a vacation scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
Tips to Avoid Vacation Scams and Identity Theft:
 Research before accepting free or discounted offers. If a stranger calls to offer you a free or discounted vacation package, do not offer personal information or payment without knowing all the facts. Request as much information as possible to validate the offer. If the caller refuses to answer your questions or replies with a scripted response, this is a red flag. A legitimate salesperson will answer your questions and allow you time to consider. When in doubt, write down the caller’s contact information and consider returning the call once you are sure the call is not a scam. If you believe you are being scammed, contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov. You may also register for the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov.
Verify before you pay. Before paying a company or individual for your vacation travels, vacation package, rental property or timeshare, contact the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs at 800-342-8385 FREE or your local Better Business Bureau to ask if complaints have been filed against the company or individual. If you are considering leasing vacation property or purchasing a timeshare in Tennessee, verify the agent is properly licensed by visiting verify.tn.gov.
Read the fine print. Before signing any contract, read all the terms, conditions, policies and financial obligations. When you consider leasing or purchasing a property or timeshare, it is recommended to have a lawyer review the agreement or contract before signing.
NEVER wire money to strangers. When booking a vacation or renting property, avoid anyone who only accepts payment via wire transfer. Always use a secure method of payment, such as a credit card or legitimate online payment option.
Confirm your vacation package. If you purchased your vacation package through a third party, directly call the cruise line, resort, hotel, airline, etc., to confirm the prices, reservations, quality of accommodations, and the number of seats and/or rooms are correct.
Before leaving town, call your financial institution(s). Before traveling out of town for vacation, notify your credit card provider(s) and/or banking institution(s). If not, your card transactions may be declined, especially if your purchases don’t match your usual spending patterns.
Monitor your credit during vacation. Don’t go on hiatus from checking your credit reports and credit scores. If someone fraudulently opens an account in your name, you may not notice until your credit is damaged. Request a free credit report every year at www.annualcreditreport.com.  Unexpected changes in your credit scores are red flags indicating potential fraud.
When you return, check all receipts and statements. As soon as you return from vacation, reconcile your credit card and banking statements with your receipts. Extra charges are not necessarily fraudulent. Mistakes do happen, but regardless of whether a charge is an error or unauthorized, you should report the problem as soon as possible. For more consumer tips, visit www.tn.gov/consumer

Tennessee State Parks, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry and The Nature Conservancy, is advising the public of a new policy regarding bringing firewood into parks.
Beginning June 1, Tennessee State Parks will advise visitors to use certified heat-treated wood. The new policy aims to prevent or slow the introduction of exotic insects or diseases into parks that could otherwise threaten the health of our trees and forests.
Visitors who want to have a campfire can bring certified heat-treated firewood into a park or use dead and down wood from an area adjacent to the fire. Manufactured fire logs will also be acceptable. Many parks, in conjunction with approved vendors, will have certified heat-treated firewood available for sale.
“Transportation of firewood is a primary pathway for the introduction of harmful pests and pathogens to Tennessee’s forests and woodlands,” said Jere Jeter, Tennessee State Forester with the Department of Agriculture. “We are pleased that State Parks has taken this important step to reduce the risks of new infestations and assist us with the protection of Tennessee’s trees.”
Forests cover more than 14 million acres, or 52 percent, of Tennessee. Insects can hide or lay eggs in firewood and spread widely if introduced into a park. Heat-treated firewood eliminates this danger by killing pests during the drying process and is safe for a campfire. It lights easily, burns well and is safe to cook over.
Insects and diseases hitchhiking undetected on firewood include the emerald ash borer, thousand cankers disease, hemlock woolly adelgid, gypsy moth and Asian longhorned beetle, among others. All have already killed tens of millions of trees in North America. The pests feed on trees like ash, black walnut, hemlock, oak and maple, disrupting the trees’ ability to transport water and nutrients. Infested trees soon die, which means impaired habitat for wildlife, a greater risk for wildfires, reduced timber values, and the loss of some of our state’s most beautiful places.
”We are happy to partner with these organizations to educate our guests about the risk of moving firewood and the dangers that it can create,” said Brock Hill, TDEC Deputy Commissioner for Parks and Conservation. “Since camping season is upon us, visitors should be aware of this new policy, and check with the park before arriving.”
Tennessee State Parks’ policy is similar to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park policy put into place in March 2015. All Tennessee State Parks that feature overnight accommodations will have information on-site about safe firewood. Visitors should contact specific parks to see if firewood is available to purchase on-site. If firewood is not available at a park, visitors should purchase certified heat-treated firewood before they arrive. Firewoodscout.org is an online directory for firewood vendors, including those who provide certified heart-treated firewood, and is searchable by zip code. Campers are also welcome to collect and burn dead and down wood found in a park.
“Our exceptional forests are a big part of what makes Tennessee’s State Parks beautiful,” said Trish Johnson, Director of Forest Conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee. “This new firewood policy for State Parks will decrease the risk of tree pests spreading into our parks, and keep our forests healthy for future generations to enjoy.”
Visit www.protecttnforests.org to learn more about the insects and wood and see a statewide map of where to find heat-treated wood. For information about individual parks, visit www.tnstateparks.com.