News 2013

Mark this on your calendar for 2014    The “Quilt-Top in a Day” Workshop is scheduled for January 18 and 25, 2014, beginning promptly at 8:00 a.m.  With the help of a friend, you will complete a quilt-top in a day.  Wanda Lawson, the instructor, has selected the 24 square Log Cabin pattern this year in seven colors.  As you may know this pattern gives you many choices for the layout of the finished quilt squares. An information packet will be mailed to you upon request.  The class fee is $35.  To register or to receive more information, contact Carla Bush about the class at 615-563-2554  

Christmas Shopping gets started early here in Cannon County.  You might have heard some of the promos we’ve been airing on WBRY radio throughout the broadcast day.  Cannon Country Christmas Merchants Open House will take place in Woodbury.  Today during our spotlight on some of the businesses participating we look at the various Antique Stores.  Antiques and More 103 North Cannon Street also serves as a consignment shop with 40 dealers.  You can find furniture, children’s antique toys, vintage clothing among the many offerings   Trish Forst, the owner invites you to stop by for some delicious Hot Cider and take part in all of the many specials the vendors are offering this coming weekend.  Another Antiques Store taking part in the Open House activity is Antiques On the Square 126 North Tatum Street In Woodbury.  They sport over 4000 square feet of vintage tools, collectables, and antiques.  They have over 30 dealers ready to go.  The Cannon Country Christmas Merchants Open House will be this Friday and Saturday November 22nd and 23rd.  The event includes most of the businesses around the town square in addition to Cell Plus/Verizon Store and Trendy Treasures and More.  We will continue our spotlight on the various businesses that are participating in the Open House throughout our newscasts on WBRY

“Darkness to Light” is a nationwide initiative designed to teach adults how to protect children from child sexual abuse that the Child Advocacy Centers in Rutherford and Cannon Counties began implementing last year.  
The three-hour training was developed in Charleston, S.C.  “Darkness to Light” Step 2 shows how to limit opportunities for sexual child abuse to occur.
 
Eighty percent or more of child sexual abuse incidents happen in isolated, one-on-one situations, according to the Crimes Against Children Research Center in research conducted by David Finkelhor in 2012.
 
“When we reduce or eliminate isolated one-on-one situations we can lower the risk of child sexual abuse,” stated Ryan Wallace, Child Advocacy Center community education coordinator.
 
“Offenders groom victims,” said Wallace.  “They become friendly with the child and the child’s family and earn their trust by participating in family activities and gaining access to time alone with the child.  Grooming is a process where gradually the offender draws the child into a sexual relationship and tells the child to keep it a secret.”
 
According to the “Darkness to Light” Interactive Workbook used in the trainings, grooming activities include:
·············www.D2L.org/codeofconduct.  
 
Contact Ryan Wallace at the Child Advocacy Center of Rutherford County (615) 867-9000 or Amanda Pruitt at the Cannon County Child Advocacy Center (615) 563-9915 to schedule the “Darkness to Light” training for your organization and learn more about minimizing opportunities for offenders to have access to your child.

Are you chilly?  Why not curl up with a good book?  We have received some wonderful new materials for all ages that have just been prepared for checkout in the past week.  Stop in, please, and see what’s new.  
Thanks to all of you who recommend purchase of materials that you think the library ought to have in its collection.  It really helps to have extra watchdogs out there aware of new items so that we don’t miss any of the “good stuff”.
 
Please don’t forget our pre-school story times at 10 a.m. at the Auburntown Branch Library on Wednesdays and at the Adams Memorial Library in Woodbury at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays.  You can pick up a schedule of themes and books being read at either outlet. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving!

Judge Susan Melton presided over General Sessions Court on Tuesday.  Some of the results of the various cases that appeared on the docket included:Michael Lynn Adcock pled guilty to retaliation for past actions.  He was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation and paying the costs.  In another case Adcock pled guilty to domestic assault.  He was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was partially suspended upon serving 17 days, equal time on probation and paying the costs.
Alan Carrow Dickson pled guilty to DUI 2nd.  He was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was partially suspended upon serving 45 days, equal time on probation, losing his license, paying a $600 fine and the costs.
Emily Rose Lane pled guilty to possession of a schedule VI drug.  She was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation, paying a $250 fine and the costs.
Kristy Ann Merritt pled guilty to theft.  She was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.   That sentence was suspended upon equal time on probation, paying restitution, and paying a $50 fine and the costs.
Cody Parsley agreed to the violation of his probation.  He was ordered to serve 30 days and his probation was extended 5 months.
Eric Justin West pled guilty to DUI.  He was sentenced to 11 months 29 days in jail.  That sentence was partially suspended upon serving 48 hours, equal time on probation, 48 hours of litter removal, losing his license for 1 year, paying a $350 fine and the costs.

Middle Tennessee State University is bringing “Senior Day”back to campus to salute graduating seniors and to share graduate school options and opportunities to stay connected to the Blue Raider community as an alumnus.Organized by MTSU’s Office of Alumni Relations, the Development Office and the College of Graduate Studies, Senior Day is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, on the second floor of the Student Union. A free lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with door prizes available.
“We wanted to bring back Senior Day because we feel that it was important to send the seniors off correctly and offer them a service that had been missing the last few years,” said Paul Wydra, assistant director of alumni relations.
The free event is targeting seniors graduating Dec. 14, but all seniors are welcome. No registration is required.
“It is all about the connection between the graduating senior and MTSU,” Wydra added, “and we feel that this is an important step towards completing your time here as an undergraduate student and strengthening that connection to your university now and for the future as an alumnus.”
In addition to the development and alumni relations offices and graduate studies, campus organizations participating include the MTSU Financial Aid Office, Career Development Center, Young Alumni Group, Blue Raider Athletic Association, Blue Raider Ticket Office, Phillips Bookstore and the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center.
 
Organizers said students can learn about graduate programs, make an appointment with career services to review their resumes, find out what the MTSU Alumni Association has to offer and learn more about giving back to their alma mater.
Among the students planning to attend is senior Demarius Love, a criminal justice major set to graduate in May 2014. Like other students, Love has navigated personal twists and turns during his higher education career, changing his chemistry major as a sophomore.
“It feels great to be a senior and to finally make it this far in my collegiate career … I’m in that home stretch,” said the 22-year-old Nashville resident. “It’s been a great experience here at MTSU.”
Love, who plans to go to law school, said he’s glad the university is bringing back Senior Day because “it inspires you and pushes you to go further. You can never be too educated — that’s one of the things my parents always stressed to me. No one can ever take away your education.
“As a future alumnus, I will definitely want to give back to the university and present those current students with any advice about internship opportunities and things like that,” he continued.
 
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said the return of Senior Day reflects the university’s renewed emphasis on increasing student success — part of MTSU’s Quest for Success program unveiled in early October.
The initiative targets processes and practices that create barriers to student success. It also outlines plans to revamp academic advising, such as creating an alumni map for every student from recruitment through graduation to alumni status. Activities such as Senior Day bolster this effort, the president said.
“It’s an opportunity to reach out to seniors in appreciation, celebrate their success, treat them to lunch and offer them access to services they may need as they prepare to graduate,” McPhee said. “This is a great opportunity for seniors to get their questions answered about life after college.”
Senior Shandi Sigler, 22, will graduate in December 2014. Like Love, she plans to attend Senior Day and is strongly encouraging others to attend, too.
“I think Senior Day is a great idea because I think a lot of students just aren’t aware of the opportunities that are available to them after they graduate,” said Sigler, who works in the university’s Development Office and is involved with alumni relations.
The Oregon native moved to Murfreesboro to study music business in MTSU’s nationally recognized recording industry program. She’s already applying for internships and plans to stay in the Nashville area once she graduates and hopes to begin a career in Music City.
“I love the recording industry program because it’s one of the best in the country,” Sigler said. “I’ve really enjoyed school, so the idea of graduating soon is somewhat bittersweet in a lot of ways. … I’ve met a lot of great people at MTSU.”

The nation’s top easement program for protecting fertile agricultural land is making it easier for people to enroll land through advanced certification.The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program is certifying eligible entities, such as states, organizations or tribes, to place lands in this Farm Bill conservation easement program.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the program that has protected more than 2 million acres of the nation’s most valuable lands for the production of food, feed and fiber since 1996.
This program provides matching funds to organizations to purchase conservation easements on private working lands.
“Certification is the recognition of a successful partnership between the entity and NRCS, meaning they’ve already successfully implemented the program and don’t need direct NRCS involvement,” said Jeremy Stone, the program’s manager. “It allows them to streamline their processes and get more conservation on the ground faster.”
State, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations as well as other entities that become certified have more flexibility and a shorter process to acquire easements.  Certified organizations may enter into longer term cooperative agreements and conduct the program’s closings without prior submission of individual appraisals, deeds or title documents for NRCS review. 
To qualify for certification an eligible organization must hold, manage and monitor a minimum of five of the program’s conservation easements.  For a full list of the certification criteria, see the program’s web page.
Entities may apply for certification by submitting a letter of request and application materials to the NRCS state conservationist where they’re seeking certification at any time.  Although this is a continuous application process, to be considered for the first certification round in the 2014 program year, applications must be received by January 3, 2014.
These easements ensure that productive farms and ranches will be kept in agricultural uses forever.
“In order to feed the increasing world population, we must ensure farmers and ranchers have prime agricultural land available. FRPP plays a crucial role in keeping land in agricultural uses and certifying entities make that process easier,” NRCS Chief Jason Weller said.
For more information on the application materials required for certification, contact the NRCS FRPP manager in your state.
 
 

Ingestion of Buckeye nuts can be a source of poisoning for cattle in Tennessee.Generally, cattle, as well as other animals that ingest buckeyes can experience toxic effects and
in some instances, end in death. But, it is more likely to occur when forage is limited or the
cattle are bored. So, the problem may not be an issue this fall.
Buckeye trees are found in woods throughout Tennessee where the soil is rich and moist
and most of the time it will be as a single tree. They are sometime referred to as “Horse
Chestnuts.”
Buckeye poisoning can occur from consuming sprouts that grow around a tree, leaves and
nuts from the tree. Cattle, sheep and pigs can be affected. Animals should not have access to
wooded areas when forage is limited. If sprouts are present in pastures, they should be
“grubbed” out. The tree does not produce timber of any value. Buckeyes are also toxic to
humans but, not squirrels. It appears that squirrels do not eat the poisonous part of the nuts.
Poisoning occurs due to glycosides, especially one called aesculin and perhaps a narcotic
alkaloid. Buckeye poisoning affects the central nervous system of cattle. Symptoms include
staggering, weakness, severe trembling and in some instances, vomiting. Coma usually precedes
death. Colic has been reported in horses.
Although the conditions for buckeye poisoning are limited this fall, it would be a good
practice to observe the cattle and scout the pasture for buckeye trees and restrict cattle’s access.
In the “long run,” remove any mature trees and sprouts.
For more information about this topic please call Bruce Steelman UT Extension Office at 615-563-2554

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau today announced a third offering of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grants, totaling $1.9 million, to fund energy efficiency projects for municipal governments, county governments, utility districts and other similar entities across Tennessee.“Increasing Tennessee’s energy efficiency will help us be even better stewards of both taxpayer dollars and our environment,” Haslam said. “The projects we’ve been in a position to fund have benefited Tennesseans on both fronts, and I’m proud to work with local governments and districts to achieve these results.”
Funding for the projects comes from an April 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Program provides financial assistance to these public entities to purchase, install and construct energy projects. Eligible categories of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Program include:
 

Cleaner Alternative Energy – biomass, geothermal, solar, wind

Energy Conservation – lighting, HVAC improvements, improved fuel efficiency, insulation, idling minimization

Air Quality Improvement – reduction in greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, hazardous air pollutants
 
“We are pleased to announce this third round of Clean Tennessee Energy Grants and look forward to receiving an equally impressive array of projects as we did this past year,” Martineau said. “These grants provide an outstanding opportunity to promote environmental stewardship and energy efficiency across the state, while decreasing emissions and reducing expenses at the local level.”
The maximum grant amount per project is $250,000 and requires a match from the applicant. Grant applications are available on TDEC’s website and will be accepted until January 31, 2014. Recipients are expected to be announced by late spring.
Grant recipients will be selected with careful consideration given to the projects that meet the selection criteria and express the greatest need. To learn more about the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant or to obtain an application, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/grants_energy.shtml or contact Kathy Glapa at (615) 253-8780 or Kathy.Glapa@tn.gov.

First there was “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving, when the holiday shopping season officially begins and retail store ledgers typically go from red ink to black. More recently, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been dubbed “Small Business Saturday” to remind shoppers to include local businesses in their search for perfect presents.This year, Small Business Saturday is November 30. For those who like to live local, this is a great time to remember that it’s also possible to give local by choosing farm direct and locally made gifts. 
Tennessee’s Pick Tennessee Products website, www.picktnproducts.org , is ready for the holiday rush with options for gift baskets, corporate gifts, foods made with local ingredients, and artisan farm products ranging from local cheeses and handmade soaps to smoked bacon or beeswax candles. Holiday recipes featuring seasonal fresh or locally produced ingredients are available not only on the website but through social media like Pinterest, as well.
When visitors click “Shop Now” on the PTP home page, The Taste of Tennessee Online Store provides links to local businesses that conduct “e-commerce,” meaning that items can be ordered and sent online with a credit card. The online store features a wide variety of upscale and specialty products in addition to Tennessee’s traditional farm fare including handmade artisan chocolates, farm-milled flours and fine rums. E-shoppers can send, straight from a farm, local honey or sorghum syrup, a naturally raised fresh turkey—or even a Christmas goose.
Not all Tennessee farmers and artisan food makers conduct e-commerce, but still sell and send items when contacted via telephone. The farmers and producers of these foods are not included in the online store but are listed by food category in the Pick Tennessee Products “Food” section. 
Several companies specialize in gift baskets made with Tennessee farm products. Click “Shop Now,” then click the gift basket image to go directly to Tennessee gift basket companies. Gift baskets are also an option from some other Taste of Tennessee producers with their online stores who produce items like sauces and jellies.
Many of Tennessee’s wineries are also happy to put together and send a basket of items from their gift stores or add a lucky name and address to their wine clubs, sending regular shipments of their wines to club members.  The directory of Tennessee wineries is linked with the gift baskets page.
Find holiday recipes, farms and retail stores with local products, seasonal farm products, wineries and gift baskets at www.picktnproducts.org .