News 2011

Summer annuals such as sorghum/sudan, sundangrass, pearl millet and johnsongrass provide excellent grazing and tremendous tonnage. While a valued forage alternative it does come with limitations and problems. Producers should focus on two issues – 1) late summer toxicities, nitrates and prussic acid 2) stockpiling to extend the grazing season.Although these summer grasses provide a quick first cutting and have good yield potential, problems can exist with cyanide and/or nitrate poisoning.
Prussic acid, or cyanide poisoning can occur when grazing sudangrasses, sorghum x sudangrass hybrids and johnsongrass following a frost. Extension recommends not grazing any of the sudan or sorghum-sudan crosses (including johnsongrass) for two weeks after a frost. The cyanide will dissipate during this time. Any frosts during this waiting period can cause the release of more prussic acid, causing the waiting period to be extended.
Another concern of summer annual grasses are the danger they pose due to nitrate poisoning. High Nitrogen rates, followed by extreme drought or cloudy cool weather is the perfect environment for nitrate poisoning. The toxin accumulates in the stalk and lower portion of the plant, and remains in the hay made from these plants.
It’s always a good idea to have plants tested for nitrates. Obtain plants from throughout the field and drop by the Extension Office. A simple acid screening test will reveal the presence of nitrates. Further testing may be needed in those cases where the screening is positive.
The recent moisture was a blessing for livestock producers across the state. One way to extend the grazing season is to stockpile tall fescue in the fall. One of the greatest expenses for a cow/calf operation is the winter feed cost. Stockpiling the fall growth of tall fescue is a way to lengthen the fall grazing season and reduce winter feed costs. Stockpiling means setting aside up to one acre per cow in early September, fertilizing with 180 lb ammonium nitrate per acre then letting it grow until after frost. For fields that weren’t fertilized in spring, potash and phosphate can be added at the same time to correct any nutrient deficiencies. This growth can then be grazed during the remainder of the fall and into the winter. Forage produced by tall fescue in the fall does not drop in quality as fast as forage produced in spring. Research has shown that the forage can stay above 10 percent crude protein all the way into February. With normal rainfall, stockpiling can add an extra two months to the grazing season, for about half the cost of hay.
For more information on grazing or forage tips, contact the Cannon County Extension Office at 563-2554. Information is also available on the web at http://forages.tennessee.edu/.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Consumer Affairs division is urging consumers to be wary of emails that request participation in a survey and that promise a gift card in return. 
Participants who respond to such a survey and enter personal information often find that, instead of receiving a gift card, they receive calls from telemarketers.
 
The scammers send an email with a set of questions in a survey format. The emails sometimes will include a company logo and copyright of a retail chain or fast food restaurant, making the survey seem legitimate. Through the survey, the scammers attain participants’ email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses.
 
“Scammers posing as retail chains or fast food restaurants are luring victims with false promises of a free gift card,” Consumer Affairs Director Gary Cordell said. “Emails mimicking legitimate communication from these companies have led consumers to believe they would receive a prize after completing an online survey.”
 
“This is a scam that gives scammers access to your information and allows them to target you with nonstop telemarketing calls,” Cordell said. “Retailers and fast food restaurants occasionally ask consumers to complete a survey after a purchase is made, to rate the company and the buying experience. However, they do not contact you before a purchase is made.”
 
To stop harassing telemarketing calls, register your phone number on the National Do-Not-Call Registry by visiting https://www.donotcall.gov.
 

The Cannon County Lionettes host the Warren County Lady Pioneers at Robert Harris Gymnasium tonight for a set of Volleyball Matches.  The junior
varsity will start at 5:30 with the Varsity to follow.  The Cannon County
Lionette Soccer team will get back on the field in Jamestown tonight for a
district game against York Institute. Game is scheduled to start at 6:30.
The Cannon County Junior High Football Team will try for win number one
tonight in front of the home crowd at Fred Schwartz Field as the Dekalb
Middle Saints take the short bus trip to Woodbury for a 7:00 kickoff.

The State Of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Water Pollution Control held a public hearing Tuesday night at the
Cannon County Courthouse in regards to a new rock quarry’s application for
a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Discharge Permit.  The permit
also known as NPDES has been tentatively granted by the Division.  The
permit  establishes conditions and limitations on discharges of
wastewater.  The permit does not involve other issues such as blasting,
noise, air pollution, traffic, land use, zoning or health and safety
questions involving the proposed project.  Site visits and stream
assessments were conducted prior to the hearing by the Division personnel.
The operations will be run Stones River Quarry LLC listed out of Flat Rock
Indiana.  Brad Ward is the President while Michael Heath is the Vice
President and General Manager. The site is located at 962 Bradyville Road
near the 4 way in the Readyville Community.
14 people including representatives from the Division were in attendance
at the meeting.  Although no testimonies were given last night, the
comment period extends until September 23rd.  During this time period,
people can submit  written comments, emails. additional data and
information for the hearing record.  Written comments, emails etc are
given the same weight as oral testimony in making the permit decision.
Local operations are speculated to begin sometime in 2012 as the company
must get the required permits and develop the property.  The permit
boundary will cover 65 acres of land.

Past International Woodbury Lions Club President Austin Jennings has been asked to serve as part of an international Advisory Commitee that manages the Lions/ Quest program world wide.
Lions Quest is a life skills and prevention program of Lions Clubs International Foundation, implemented in more than 60 countries around the world  Lions Quest programs teach young people skills necessary for everyday success.
Past President Jennings was in Lions International headquarters in Oak Brook IL meeting recently with members of the committee from around the
world.

Legal Aid of Rutherford and Cannon County will be providing a legal aid clinic for Cannon County on September 19th from 1 to 3 p.m.  Attorney
Amelia (Aime) Luna will be here to answer questions regarding domestic
issues, custody, divorce, and other legal matters.  To set an appointment,
please contact the SAVE office at 615-563-6690.
Ms Luna is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and a 2003
graduate of the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.
She joined the Legal Aid Society upon graduation. While at law school, she
worked with the Elder Law Clinic. She was also an editorial board member
of the Tennessee Journal of Practice and Procedure and a member of the
Moot Court Board, Phi Delta Phi and the Christian Legal Society. She is
the District Seven Representative to the Young Lawyers Division of the
Tennessee Bar Association and is a 2010 graduate of the Tennessee Bar
Association’s Leadership Law Program for outstanding young lawyers.
To set an appointment for legal advice, please contact the SAVE office at 615-563-6690

The Cannon County Lionettes Volleyball Team enjoyed success Monday night at Robert A Harris Gym.  The Lionettes opened up the set of games with a
two one set against Middle Tennessee Christian School.  The Lady Cougars
took the first set 26-24 but the Lionettes won two in a row to take the
set of matches for their second victory of the year 29-27 25-17.  The Lady
Cougars and the Lionettes would both fall to Gordonsville in their matches
respectively.  Gordonsville swept both series including the last match
against Cannon 25-21 and 25-13

The State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s division of water pollution control out of Knoxville will be conducting a
public hearing tonight concerning the proposed issuance of a National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit  to the Stones River Rock
Quarry.
The Quarry is requesting authority to discharge treated wastewater and
stormwater runoff from a proposed limestone quarry and processing
facility.  The tentative decision is to issue the permit but the hearing
will be used to gather information from the public relevant to a final
decision on the application.  Obtaining a broad range of facts and
opinions is one of the best ways to ensure quality decisions.
Public comments should be related to water quality or to the information
contained in the permit application.  Issues such as zoning, blasting,
noise, dust and traffic are not water quality related and are not
regulated by the Division of Water Pollution Control, therefore
consideration of these issues would not contribute relevant information to
the decision making process for the permit application.  The hearing
officer may limit oral presentations to five minutes and require that all
testimony be relevant to water quality related issues for the proposed
facility.  The hearing will  take place tonight at 6:30 at the Cannon
County Courthouse.

The history of Bradyville will be the topic for the semi-monthly meeting of the Cannon County Historical Society tonight.  Robert Bush, a native
Cannon Countian who grew up in Bradyville will give a history on the
downtown and surrounding area with emphasis on Civil War happenings in the
vicinity, the post office and rural mail routes, a plat of the town of
Bradyville and other related matters.  The society will meet at 6:30 for
snacks and fellowship with the programming beginning at 7:00.  The meeting
will take place at the Adams Memorial Library in the basement meeting
room.

Free sign language classes may be coming to the Adams Memorial Library. Library Director Rita Allen reports that there is a volunteer who is
willing to teach a free class in sign language.  As of right now plans are
to offer a 4 week course lasting one hour.  The class will be for adults
18 years and older.  There have been some people already interested in the
class.  If anyone would like to be added to the list, they are asked to
call Ms. Allen at the library at 563-5861.  Maximum class size can only be
ten people.