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Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matthew Kisber announced that Cannon County has achieved certification under the state’s Three-Star program.

“This designation is a sign of Cannon County’s tremendous hard work, and I am proud to offer my congratulations,” Kisber said. “Strong community development is the basis for sustainable economic growth, and Cannon County has demonstrated their commitment to improvement by accepting and meeting Three-Star’s challenging requirements. This dedication has yielded progress, and Cannon County is more prepared than ever for long term success in the economic, and every other, arena.”

Cannon County and the cities of Woodbury and Auburntown are now eligible to receive additional incentives under the guidelines of the Tennessee Three-Star program.

The Three-Star program has set high standards and incentives like no other state-run program in the nation. Governor Phil Bredesen’s five-year asset-based economic development strategic plan is the cornerstone of the program. In 2005, the Southern Growth Policies Board, a bipartisan public policy think tank devoted to strengthening the South's economy, recognized the Three-Star program as a best practices program and a Southern leader in community certification programs.

Tennessee’s Three-Star program helps urban and rural communities develop strategic economic and community development plans that meet the needs and challenges of an ever-changing economic environment. It helps communities preserve existing employment, create new employment opportunities, improve family income and develop a strong leadership base for economic development.

The Tennessee Three-Star Program, which is currently active in 89 counties and one city, represents more than 348 Tennessee cities, making this year’s participation the largest ever.

“It’s an honor for me to celebrate with Cannon County in their achievement of Three-Star certification,” said ECD Assistant Commissioner of Community Development Rick Meredith. “Cannon County is truly taking a strategic approach to economic development in their community, and its success in the Three-Star program is evidence that it is poised for marked growth. ECD is proud to provide support to this forward-thinking community.”

In order to receive the certification, communities are required to meet criteria in organizational, community, business, education and work force development categories. Incentives for receiving the certification include identification on all FastTrack infrastructure and job training applications; eligibility for matching grants, if criteria set by ECD are met; and the advantage of earning points in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The United Way in Cannon County is gearing up for a milestone year. After kicking off a $50,000 fundraising goal at the Senior Center last week, United Way officials worked with all 3 local banks – First Bank, First National Bank, and Regions Bank – to open up United Way accounts. United Way hopes that making giving easier will result in more funds for the fall fundraising campaign.

“We are grateful to the local financial institutions for allowing us to open up these accounts,” said United Way President Rachel Holder. “By doing so, they will allow anyone – a business person, a teacher, a retiree, a stay at home mom – to deposit any amount they like into the account without the hassle of filling out a form or mailing in a donation. No donation is too large or too small. We just hope that people will take advantage of this opportunity to give back to their local community.”

If someone wants to give to the United Way campaign in Cannon County, they simply need to go into their financial institution and let them know they’d like to make a deposit (check, cash, etc.) into the United Way account. All of the money deposited into the United Way accounts will stay in Cannon County to help local agencies funded by the United Way – Cannon County REACH Program, Cannon County Senior Citizens Center, Cannon County 4-H Program, Upper Cumberland Nutrition Program, Cannon County Child Advocacy Center, Red Cross, Domestic Violence, Alive Hospice and many more.

For more information on the United Way or the partner agencies it serves in Cannon County, contact the United Way office at 893-7303 or Debbie Vaughn at Regions Bank 563-5091.

On Monday, October 6th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be coming to the Middle Tennessee area to raise awareness about the nationwide digital television (DTV) transition that will take place on February 19, 2009.

“It is important for Cannon County residents to understand that in less than 5 months, their televisions might not work anymore,” said Congressman Bart Gordon said. “Most people won’t be affected, but if you have rabbit ears on your TV, you will be.”

On February 17, 2009, all television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting an analog signal and begin exclusively broadcasting in digital. For viewers who have one or more televisions that receive free over-the-air programming (with a roof-top antenna or “rabbit ears” on the TV), you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue to watch broadcast television on that set. If you have a digital television or a television connected to cable, satellite, or other pay TV service, you will not have to do anything.

Converter boxes are widely available, usually costing $40-70, and the government is offering two $40 coupons per household to purchase boxes. You can apply for the coupons and find local and online stores that sell the boxes by calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or by going online and visiting www.dtv2009.gov.

“I encourage you to not wait until the last minute to get a converter box,” Gordon added. “Broadcasters are already broadcasting in digital and the converter boxes will enable you to get a crisper TV picture on your analog TV as well as pick up new digital TV channels.”

You do not need a special antenna to view the digital signal. However, if you get poor analog reception today, you may need to adjust your antenna to get the best digital picture. For information about what type of TV antennas will give you best reception at your home address go to www.antennaweb.org.

The FCC will be holding a Town Hall about the DTV transition in Nashville on Monday, October 6th, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. The event address is 511 Union Street, Suite 2700.

The Tennessee Department of Human Service is making sure child care providers across the state gear up for flu season. Licensed agencies are required to keep detailed health records on children in their care, and must report any cases of the flu to the local health department. But a new law now requires them to inform parents about the benefits of the flu vaccine.

DHS Commissioner Gina Lodge says the new law is an excellent way to help ensure our most vulnerable children are protected from this dangerous virus. Lodge says, “If parents take steps to have their children immunized, they not only protect their own children, but also help keep everyone else around them healthy.”

The new law requires DHS to work with child care agencies and the Department of Health in getting the word out to parents about protecting their children from the flu. Letters have been sent to providers across the state, and information is posted on the DHS website.

Each year in the U.S., an average of 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized because of influenza complications, and some die. During the 2007-2008 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports that 86 children died from complications of influenza. Children who are sick with influenza can easily spread the virus to other children and adults in their home or child care facility.

To protect the health of children, the CDC recommends all pregnant women and children age six months through 18 years be vaccinated against influenza every year. Because infants younger than six months are too young to be vaccinated, CDC and the Tennessee Department of Health strongly recommend all household members and care givers of young infants be vaccinated to help prevent exposure.

The Department of Human Services licenses 3,400 child care agencies across the state.

Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2008 has been released showing the rate at 6.6 percent, two-tenths of a percentage point lower than the July revised rate of 6.8 percent. The United States unemployment rate for August was 6.1 percent.
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for August 2008 show 78 counties decreased. The rate increased in eight counties and remained the same in nine counties.

Cannon County was 7.2, down 0.2 percent from the July rate of 7.4. In surrounding counties, DeKalb County was up 0.2 percent, moving from 6.2 in July to 6.6 percent in August. Warren County increased from 8.4 to 8.7. The rate decreased slighted in Rutherford and Wilson County. Rutherford County dropped from 5.9 to 5.8 percent. Wilson County moved from 5.9 to 5.7 percent. There was no change in Coffee County.

Williamson County registered the state's lowest county jobless rate at 4.7 percent, up 0.1 from the July rate of 4.6 percent. Perry County had the state’s highest at 16.2 percent, down 3.3 from the July rate of 19.5.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan county rate at 5.0 percent, down 0.5 percentage point from the July rate of 5.5 percent. Davidson County’s rate increased to 5.6 percent, up 0.1 from the July rate of 5.5 percent.

Congressman Bart Gordon announced today that Cannon County Arts Center has been awarded a $500,000 loan for expansion costs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development Agency (USDA-RD).

The Arts Center recently finished expanding its facilities by 4,900 square-feet, which will allow the Center to serve over 100 craft artists, 400 performing artists and 19,000 students each year from across Middle Tennessee. The expansion included a two-story 2,400 square-foot Cultural Tourism Complex that contains a museum with exhibits on local artists and cultural history.

“The new facilities have excellent cultural and educational resources, which have made the Center very popular,” Congressman Gordon said. “Tennesseans from all over travel to the Cannon Arts Center and the tourism revenue has become an asset for the County’s economy.”

The USDA-RD loan will make the Arts Center’s expansion costs more affordable. The $500,000 is a fixed-rate loan that will replace the loan originally obtained to fund the expansion.

“The Arts Center began as the Cannon County Playhouse some 25 years ago,” Arts Center Board President Debbie Vaughn said. “Through its recent expansion and the talent and sacrifice of staff members, volunteers and community supporters, the Arts Center will not only continue to bring forth outstanding theatrical productions, but will bring to light local craft artists, local history and education in the arts.”

“The USDA-RD loan that the Arts Center received underscores the importance of the art history and heritage of Cannon County and the greater Middle Tennessee area,” added Gordon.

The mission statement of the USDA-Rural Development Agency is to help improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. In Tennessee’s rural communities alone, the Agency has provided substantial financial and technical assistance through its development programs. In 2007, the Agency helped more than 600,000 Tennessee families, businesses, and communities by providing over $308 million in financial assistance through loans and grants.