News 2013

The United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties formed a partnership with Greenhouse Ministries to provide VITA sites beginning in January 17, 2012. VITA, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, is a free service to aide qualifying local residents (annual household incomes of $50,000 or less) in claiming their tax refund dollars. The 2012 VITA sites resulted in 346 accepted tax returns with a total refund amount of $492,000 going back into the communities of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.
Free Tax Preparation!
For households with an annual income of less than $51,000.
VITA sites will be open January 2013 – April 2013.
To have taxes filed in person at Greenhouse Ministries, call
(615) 494-0499 for an appointment, or file them online at www.uwrutherford.org.
 

Grocery store tours will be led in January at the Save-A-Lot in Woodbury beginning at 8:30 a.m. this morning and again on the  23rd.  Shopping Matters for Adults is a free, guided grocery store tour that teaches low-income adults how to get the most nutrition for their food dollars.  Each tour participant will receive a reusable shopping bag, calculator and participant guide including information about the four main objectives. 1. Identify at least three economical ways of purchasing fruits and vegetables
2. Practice comparing unit prices
3. Practice comparing food labels
4. Practice identifying whole grains   
For more information contact Carla Bush at the UT Extension office at 563-2554
 

Middle Tennessee Electric employees are preparing today for possible icy conditions tonight. “If you wait until the storm hits,” MTEMC Communications Coordinator Todd Palmer said, “it makes power restoration a lot harder and take a lot longer.”
Our on-call crews are ready to work through the night if they have to and do whatever it takes to get power restored, should inclement weather hit this evening.”
Palmer says crews are making sure company trucks have plenty of fuel, chainsaws for tree cutting if necessary are ready and all other tools and equipment for line repair are loaded onto company trucks.
“The National Weather Service in Nashville is calling for most of the icy conditions to be west of our service area,” Palmer said, “however, they are reporting that we could see some light accumulations here.
“We have a plan in place and are ready regardless.”
The cooperative has a tree trimming program that cuts back trees on a yearly basis to keep them from encroaching into the utilities power lines, just for reasons such as this.
“Eight out of ten times we lose power during a storm,” Palmer said, “it’s because a tree or limb, especially if there’s ice, comes in to contact with the power lines.
“This is why we have to keep our rights-of-way cleared in and around our lines.”
Palmer also encourages members to stay away from downed power lines and to report them immediately to the electric cooperative at 1-877-777-9020.
Middle Tennessee Electric, one of the nation’s largest electric distribution cooperatives, serves approximately 190,000 members in Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Cannon counties.

Representative Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) has been named Vice-Chairman of the influential Consumer and Human Resources Committee for the 108th Tennessee General Assembly. Representative Pody was also appointed to the House Business and Utilities Committee, as well as the House Consumer and Human Resources Subcommittee.  
“I am honored to be named Vice-Chairman of the House Consumer and Human Resources Committee,” said Rep. Pody. “As promised when I was first elected, I am committed to making our state government more lean and efficient and this committee will enable me to continue working towards that very goal.”
 
The House Consumer and Human Resources Committee reviews legislation dealing with consumer protection laws, and all human resource and labor law regulations.
 
Pody continued, “I am also looking forward to joining my colleagues on the House Business and Utilities Committee and am eager to continue the fight of helping make Tennessee an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”
 
The Business and Utilities Committee considers bills relating to utilities, communications, and legislation impacting trade. The committee also reviews the rules and regulations for all licensed professionals, businesses, and organizations.
 
Mark Pody is serving his second term in the Tennessee state legislature. He lives in Lebanon and represents District 46, which includes all of Cannon and a portion of Wilson and DeKalb Counties.
 

Woodbury GrammarHonor Roll/Principal’s List and Perfect Attendance2nd Nine Weeks
 
2nd Principal List:
Hayden Arnold
Dustin Ayala
Bryson Blasingame
Ava Houghton
Kierra Lindeman
Kylie Lindeman
Hunter Matthews
Bradley Passenger
Maddie Reed
Nick Sousa
Makayla Jordan
James Hawkins
Austin Ferrell
Gunter Pitts
Anaston Holt
Sydnee Ecklund
Mason Tramel
Elijah Smith
 
2nd Honor Roll
Chloe Francis
Raven Gillis
Dylan Hoover
Kimberly Johnson
Cheyenne Jones
Chris Luffman
Dana Nixon
Elijah Overall
Taylor Collins
Nickolas Lafever
Kendall Hedrick
C.J. Cook
 
3rd Principal List:
Autumn Barrett
Emma Haley
Issac Walker
Addison Todd
Amber Yancy
 
 
 
 
3rd Honor Roll
Alexis Garza
Kelsey Hayes
Emily House
Keith Lindeman
Nolan Lovvorn
Tyler Sklat
Allen Smith
Emily DeArmond
Alex Foster
Emily Morris
Jackson Thomas
 
4th Principal List:
Abbey Smith
Lauren Knox
Julie Bush
 
4th Honor roll:
Byron Sonderman
Riley Sissom
Abbie Hibdon
Ade Harwood
Josie Gannon
 
5th Principal’s List
Collin Reed,
Aidan Davis,
Parker Bush
Sarah Banks
Anthony Carr
Isabel Haley
 
5th Honor Roll
Blake Wimberly,
Chiana Smith,
Cheyenne Pomeroy,
Brianna Pittard,
Rachel Philhower,
Abbye Moore,
Madison Collins,
Kendra Brown,
Kristen Knox
Emily Alviar
Etta Gaines
Katie Smotherman
Ling Zhao
Priya Patel
 
 
6th Principal List:
Elizabeth House
Belle Russell
6th Honor Roll
Zoe Houghton
McKenzie Mason
Rachelle Mayfield
Hailey Moseley
Olivia Walkup
 
7th Principal List:
Tanay Patel
Carrie Smith,
Emily Hartman,
Maggie Cook,
Seth Combs,
Emily Beaty,
Jessie Arnold,
Austin Moore
 
7th Honor Roll
Alex Eklund
Lindsey Frye
Isaiah Harwood
Taylor DeArmond
Hannah Haley
Hannah Farnsworth
Paula Nipper
Kiersten Kyne
Emily Sullivan,
Amelia Sonderman
Dalton Evans,
Mallory Sadler,
Baily Goin
 
8th Principal List:
Maika Fonoti
 
8th Honor Roll:
Savannah Hunt
Jake Walkup
Kaylee Dinovo
Courtney Talley
Rhiannon Barycz
Cristen Nokes
Kearstin Prater
Faith Womack
Mary Espy
Cassie Pope
Breanna Carr
Michael Young
Tara Thomas
Josh Walkup
Tori Russel
Chandler Todd
 
Perfect attendance :
Andrew Underwood
Austin Sullivan
Gunter Pitts
Kayla Murin
Maddie Reed
Ava Houghton
Bryson Blasingame
Cristen Nokes
Paula Nipper
Hannah Haley
Tanay Patel
Richard Carter
Emily Sullivan,
Mallory Sadler,
Maggie Cook,
Emily Beaty
Riley Sissom
Abbie Hibdon
Julie Bush
Ade Harwood
Josie Gannon
Maika Fonoti
Blake Wimberly,
Collin Reed,
Brianna Pittard,
Sandra Garcia,
Matthew Elmy,
Parker Bush
 
 

Early registration for the second annual Special Kids Race ends on Tuesday.  Right now the entry fee is $30 for the 5k and $35 for the 15k.  On Wednesday prices go up $5 for each distance.  The race is set for March 23 at the Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and Surgicenter on Garrison Drive.  Proceeds benefit Special Kids.  Visit specialkids-race.org/register to reserve your spot. or call  615-893-4892 for more details about Special Kids.  

January is “Radon Action Month” and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has joined forces with the Department of Health to help educate Tennesseans about the dangers of radon exposure, encouraging actions to identify and to address radon problems in the home.The American Lung Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and various local and county health departments also serve as partners in this outreach effort, designed to raise awareness about the health risk and the importance of testing.
“Tennesseans can check for the presence of radon with a very simple test,” said TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau.  “These test kits are readily available and inexpensive to buy and we encourage each household to take this important step to safeguard homes from the dangers of exposure to radon.”
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can seep into homes through cracks and openings in the foundation.  It cannot be seen, tasted or smelled, but in concentrated levels radon can pose a threat to human health.  The EPA estimates that approximately 70 percent of Tennessee’s population lives in high risk or moderate risk radon areas.  According to the EPA, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
“Testing for radon is an important and relatively simple step to protect your family from a colorless, odorless and naturally occurring radioactive gas that can increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner John J. Dreyzehner, MD, MPH.
The best time to test is during consistently cold weather, usually from October to March.  This is the time of year when doors and windows are shut, so the test results are more representative of in-home exposure.  Radon problems can be fixed by qualified contractors for a cost comparable to that of many common household repairs, such as painting or installing a new water heater.
“It is essential to test your home because radon acts unpredictably,” added Martineau.  “Nationally, about six percent of homes surveyed had elevated levels of radon.  In contrast, 16 percent of Tennessee homes surveyed had elevated levels and in some counties, 33 to 75 percent of homes being tested have elevated levels of radon.”
While radon poses a threat to our community’s health, radon test kits are the first step toward a straightforward solution and are easy to use. In Tennessee, radon test kits can be purchased at most local hardware and home improvement stores.   
To learn more about the dangers of radon exposure, please visit the Tennessee Department of Health’s Healthy Homes website at http://health.state.tn.us/HealthyHomes/radon.shtml.  In addition to radon tips for the home, the Healthy Homes website offers a comprehensive approach to preventing diseases and injuries that result from housing-related hazards and deficiencies.
For additional information about radon, please visit TDEC’s website at www.tn.gov/environment/ea/radon or contact the department’s Tennessee Radon Program at 1-800-232-1139.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Consumer Affairs Division is urging consumers to start the year off with a free review of their credit report. Gaps in your computer’s security, a data breach at a company you patronize, even a failure to properly dispose of private information – all can lead to cases of stolen identities.   
“Consumers can fight identity theft by monitoring and reviewing their credit report,” Consumer Affairs Director Gary Cordell says. “You may request your free credit report online, by phone or through the mail. New accounts opened with your identity will appear on your report, revealing any potential cases of identity fraud to you.” 
Consumers who fail to stay current with their credit profiles risk being unaware of fraudulent credit activity being conducted literally in their names. “If you don’t check your credit report,” Cordell says, “it could be months before a creditor, fed up with nonpayment, turns the account over to a collector who tracks you down and demands payment for a loan or charges you’ve never even heard of.”
 
Go to the Consumer Affairs website, http://consumer.tn.gov, and click on “Get a Free credit report.” Other means for getting credit reports at no charge: 
 
• Online: AnnualCreditReport.com
• Phone: 1-877-322-8228
• By mail: Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105283
Atlanta, GA 30348-5283

Due to weather, Cannon County Schools will open two hours late today

After the loss to Smith County Friday night, the members of the Associated Press that participated in the basketball poll dropped the Cannon County Lionettes from being the number one team last week to being the number four team in the state.  The new poll came out on Monday night, the same night the Cannon County Lionettes traveled to Wartrace to play the Cascade Lady Champions.  The Lionettes started out the game like they were the number one team in the state getting out to a 23-9 end of first quarter lead.  The Lionettes controlled the pace throughout the game getting out by as many as 18 before they almost collapsed in the fourth quarter, letting that lead dwindle to 4 before pulling it out 58-52.  Abbey Sissom led in scoring with 25, Abby Jakes contributed 14 while Madison Walkup added 10.  The Lionettes moved to 19-2 with the win.  The Cannon County Lions were looking to build on their win Friday night by following it up with a victory on the road.  Unfortunately, the lid closed on the Cannon basket once again as Cannon stayed in the game until the fourth quarter came along.  A couple of bizarre technical fouls called against Cannon County broke the game open for Cascade en route to a 53-43 win.  Tommy Mitchell led the Lions with 11 points .  Next up for the Lions and Lionettes will be district action on the road to Jamestown for a set of games against York Institute Friday night starting at 6:00