2016

Cannon County Executive Mike Gannon has proclaimed this week Tennessee Quit Week in Cannon County in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Health Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control Program who are launching a new Statewide Tobacco-Free Coalition. The coalition consists of key stakeholders and community partners from around the state whose purpose is to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for tobacco control in Tennessee.
The theme for the week-long campaign is “It’s Quittin’ Time in Tennessee” to celebrate Tennesseans who have quit tobacco and inspire more people to join them. It is part of a statewide effort to raise awareness of the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine and other free resources available to help Tennesseans quit smoking and/or using other tobacco products. These proven, effective services can double a tobacco user’s chances of quitting. TDH is emphasizing the importance of teamwork with health professionals to help smokers quit for good.  
“The truth is, for any health care provider in Tennessee about one in four patients or clients are regularly using a tobacco product that can make their lives miserable and shorter and reduces their incomes to boot,” said TDH Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH. “We all benefit from caring and encouragement. Clear and consistent messages from physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals make a difference. The first, fifth or 15th time we ask may be the one that changes a life, so please ask about tobacco.”
Through the Tennessee Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control Program, smokers have the option to call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine, use a web-based program or attend in-person counseling services and may receive free FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapy. Call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to speak with a counselor who will help you assess your addiction and help you create a quit plan. For more information and resources including an online cessation tool, visit www.tnquitline.org.

Early Voting in the Presidential Preference Primary ends today.  Early voting has been taking place at the Cannon County Election Offices located at 301 West Main Street Suite 24.  The Presidential Preference Primary Election will take place on Tuesday one week from today March 1st.  Today the hours of the last day of early voting will be from 4 this afternoon until 7 tonight.  Today is also the last day to request an absentee ballot.  Call 615-563-5650 for more information.
 

Starting with the May commencement ceremony, Middle Tennessee State University will begin a new tradition of holding a separate ceremony for grad students in the spring and fall.

The first ceremony for the College of Graduate Studies will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, May 6, in Murphy Center, for those students earning their doctorate, master’s and education specialist degrees.

“We think this separate commencement is a very positive step in that it gives graduate students the recognition they deserve,” said Dr. Jackie Eller, interim vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

The speaker for the graduate ceremony will be a recipient of the Career Achievement Award made each August at the university’s Fall Faculty Meeting.

Dr. Carroll Van West, director of the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and Tennessee State Historian, received the award last fall and will give remarks at the inaugural graduate ceremony.

The traditional commencement platform party featuring MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, deans and top executives also will attend the graduate ceremony.

Each doctoral graduate will march into Monte Hale Arena with the faculty member who will present the graduate’s new academic hood. Master’s and education specialist degree candidates will march in according to their college and degree program.

MTSU’s commencement ceremonies for undergraduate students will be held the next day, Saturday, May 7, in the same location, with ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Speakers will be announced later.

MTSU WordmarkStudents in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, the College of Education, and the College of Media and Entertainment will receive their degrees in the morning ceremony. The afternoon ceremony will be conducted for students in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, and the University College.

With the total number of MTSU graduates averaging roughly 2,000 for the May and December ceremonies in recent years, each of the morning and afternoon events could each easily last two hours or more.

University officials said that holding a separate commencement event for graduate students will shorten ceremonies for all graduates as well as their families and supporters in attendance.

The graduate ceremony will be held in May and December.

Summer commencement in August will continue as a single ceremony for all graduates with the addition of readings of brief biographical and abstract information for doctoral candidates. The outgoing president of the Faculty Senate will continue to give the summer keynote address.

Details about MTSU’s commencement ceremonies, including speakers, parking and new traffic information, are updated at www.mtsunews.com/graduation-info.

Sheriff’s Investigators recently made an arrest in a case involving the selling of Ice Crystal Methamphetamine in Cannon County.  According to Sheriff’s Department report, Investigators found out that a Justin Michael Anderson was selling the drug from his apartment at Cedar Ridge Apartments in Woodbury.  After obtaining information, investigators discovered that Anderson would go to several locations in and out of Cannon County on a regular basis.  Investigator Brandon Gullett made a traffic stop near Woodbury Grammar School on West Adams Street.  After stating that he didn’t have any narcotics in the vehicle Anderson refused to let a search be conducted.  Later a K-9 search was conducted and a positive alert was made on the driver side door.  After Anderson got out of the vehicle, he became combative.  It took four police officers to place him into custody due to him resisting arrest.  Police found a large clear bag containing two individual bags with one having a crystal substance inside.  The other was suspected marijuana and money.    Anderson was charged with manufacture, sale and deliver of schedule 2 and schedule 6 drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, aggravated assault and resisting arrest.  He will answer to the charges in General Sessions Court on April 5th.

The District 8-AA basketball District Teams were announced before the District Tournament last week:
Autumn King made 2nd team all district and was named to the all defensive team.
Maleah Scott was named 3rd team all district as was Kelli Davis.  
Cannon County landed Tori Knox and Olivia Walkup on the all freshman team.
Austin Martin was named all District 3rd team.  Martin was also named All Defensive team.
Briar Jakes all district honorable mention and Brandon Miles and Charlie Parrish were both named to the all freshmen team.
 

The 2016-17 Tennessee hunting and fishing licenses are now on sale.
Licenses are available at Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) regional offices, license agents, on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org, and at the TWRA “On the Go App” and charged to a credit card. Licenses may also be ordered by telephone and charged to a credit card by calling 1-888-814-8972 FREE.
The new licenses annually go on sale each Feb. 18. The 2016-17 licenses are valid through February 2017. License sales provide the primary funding for the TWRA, which does not receive any funding from the state’s general fund (i.e. state sales tax). The 2015-16 licenses expire Feb. 29.
Resident licenses may be purchased by persons who possess a valid Tennessee driver’s license; persons who have lived in Tennessee for 90 consecutive days with the genuine intent of making Tennessee their permanent home(but do not hold a driver’s license in another state); military personnel on active duty in this state and their immediate families, who reside with them, regardless of resident status; students who are enrolled in a Tennessee school, college, or university for at least six months. A Social Security number is required to purchase a Tennessee hunting or fishing license.
All licenses purchased by credit card will be charged a processing and handling fee.  The fees over the telephone are $7.50 for those licenses mailed and $6.25 for those not mailed. Through the internet, charges are $4.25 for those licenses mailed and $3 for self-prints.
To expedite telephone orders, the caller should have ready the name, address, physical description, Social Security number, driver’s license number, TWRA ID number (if renewal), and credit card number.
Licenses are printed on a special tear-resistant, water-proof paper.  In case of a lost license, duplicate licenses can be obtained from any TWRA license agent for an $8 fee.

February 23rd—February 29—Part One of the state achievement testing in Cannon County Schools
 
February 24th—WBRY Spotlight—Woodbury Grammar is the school of focus.
 
March 1st—Election Day—No school for students or teachers
 
March 3rd-4th-5th—B-team Tournament at Auburn School
 
March 3—Leadership Academy, 3:00 p.m., Central Office
March 4—End of grading period
March 7—Special Ed. Legal Conference, Jackson, TN
March 8—Report cards go home
March 8—New Teachers’ meeting, 3:00 p.m., Central Office
March 8—School Board meeting workshop, 6:30 p.m., Central Office

The turnover bug that has plagued the Cannon County Lionettes all this season struck once again and this time played a huge part in ending their basketball season.  Friday afternoon the girls basketball team traveled to Tennessee Tech University to open the second day of the District 8-AA basketball tournament against the third seeded Smith County Lady Owls.  The Lionettes welcomed back Kellie Davis who missed most of the second half of the season with a hand injury.  Davis helped Cannon get out to a small lead in the first quarter.  Smith County found success with their post play and led by three at half.  Then the Lionettes who committed 9 turnovers in the first half alone threw the ball away 9 more times in the third quarter.  Smith County built a 7 point lead but struggled from the field in the fourth quarter as Cannon trimmed the lead down to one before throwing the ball away 5 more times.  Smith County was able to escape with free throws down the stretch to win the game 44-41.  Maleah Scott scored 14 in the loss.  Cannon ends their season with a 10-20 overall record.

The Cannon County Lionettes basketball team will take center stage this afternoon at the Hooper Eblen Center at Tennessee Tech to kick off day 2 of the District 8-AA tournament in Cookeville.  The Lionettes finished the regular season 10-19 and 4-10 in District play.  Currently the Lionettes are on a 7 game losing streak and the team knows it has to win
tonight or their season is finished.  Their opponent the Smith County Lady Owls finished third in the district with a 10-4 District record 17-10 overall.  Two of those wins were against the Lionettes 61-40 in Carthage and 46-37 in Woodbury.  The game starts at 4:00 this afternoon and will be broadcast live on AM-1540/ FM107.9 WBRY and streaming live on wbry.com
 

A Cannon County man recently got caught shoplifting and as a result police found out he had a warrants out in Cannon County for his arrest.  According to Murfreesboro Police Reports,  Police were dispatched out to one of the newer Walmarts that was located on Joe B Jackson Parkway.  Upon arrival they made contact, with a man who identified himself as Mr. John Vergile Lee Hill.  After questioning the suspect further, he changed his story and gave police his real name Jeffery Nelson Alexander of Petty Gap Road in Woodbury.  A warrants check came back that he had a warrant out of Warren County and one in Cannon County currently out on him.  Loss prevention associate stated that Alexander concealed items totaling slightly over just $34.00 before attempting to leave the store.  He was arrested and charged with theft under $500 and criminal impersonation.  Alexander will answer to the charges in Rutherford County General Sessions Court On April 14th.