News 2013

 The Nashville Predators and United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties are teaming up to bring you an exciting night in Smashville!
 
We have ticket options for you, your family, and friends to save money for this exciting game.

Premium Lower Bowl – $70 ($94 value)

Lower Bowl – $60 ($84 value)

Lower Bowl Endzone  $50- ($66 value)

Club Endzone – $45 ($62 value)

All You Can Eat Family Option – $45 (This option includes All-You-Can-Eat Hot Dogs, Nachos, Peanuts, Popcorn, and Pepsi products) ($60+ value)

Sideline Balcony – $29 ($40+ value)

Goal Zone – $23 ($32+ value)
  For a seating map Click Here
 PLUS, a portion of every ticket sold through this offer will be donated to the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.
  The deadline to order is Tuesday, December 31st, 2013
 
All tickets subject to availability. Children 2 & up require a ticket. Ticket orders will be emailed to address provided. No refunds or exchanges.

Tennessee State Parks will sponsor free, guided hikes on New Year’s Day. Each state park will host its own special hike in the first few days of the New Year as part of the quarterly hikes program.“Our First Hikes have been very popular and we are excited to continue this series in the New Year,” Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill said. “The First Hikes offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family.”
From Reelfoot Lake to Fall Creek Falls to Warriors’ Path and every state park in between, the 2014 First Hikes are designed for all ages and abilities. Some hikes will be approximately one mile in length and tailored for novice hikers, while others are lengthier and geared toward more experienced hikers. For a more in-depth look into planned First Hikes in your area, please visit http://tnstateparks.com/about/special-events/1st-hikes.  
Tennessee State Parks’ First Hikes of 2014 are part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states. America’s State Parks First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on January 1, 2014, at a state park close to home.
Tennessee’s 54 state parks offer diverse natural, recreational and cultural experiences for individuals, families, or business and professional groups. State park features range from pristine natural areas to 18-hole championship golf courses. The Tennessee State Parks system was established through legislation in 1937. Today, there is a state park within an hour’s drive of just about anywhere in the state, with features such as pristine natural areas and a variety of lodging and dining choices. For more information about Tennessee State Parks, please visit www.tnstateparks.com or connect via Facebook or Twitter. For a free brochure about Tennessee State Parks, call 1-888-867-2757.

West Springfield Lady Spartans came out in the second half on a run that the Cannon County Lionettes could never answer and as a result took the opening round of the Bulldog Bash Tournament in Chantilly Virginia 66-51 over the Cannon County Lionettes Friday.  Abbey Sissom led the Lionettes in scoring with 28 points.  The Cannon County Lions boys basketball team played a sloppy second half of basketball in their second round game against the Riverdale Warriors Friday at the Sonic Shootout in Spartaand Riverdale held on to win 48 to 43.  No one posted double figures for Cannon as AJ Daniel led the way with 9.  Todays action include the Cannon County Lionettes participating in second round action of the Bulldog Bash against the 2 and 3  Woodbridge  at 1:15 this afternoon and the Cannon County Lions will play at 4:30 for a third place game at the Sonic Shootout in Sparta against the Glencliff Colts at White County High School  WBRY-AM-1540/FM96.7 will carry both games live.  You can also hear the game on wbry.com and through the TuneIn Radio App on your Smartphone and Tablets via WBRY  

While searching for a wanted man 35 year old Kevin Glenn Smith out of Dekalb County, the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department found a stolen ATV vehicle at a residence in which Smith frequented.  Sheriff’s Deputies from Cannon and Dekalb Counties were searching for Kevin Glenn Smith who was wanted on several charges and had warrants in Cannon, Coffee, Dekalb and Warren Counties.  During the search they went to a residence on Retha Frazier Lane where they had known that Mr. Smith had been previously staying.  The residence belonged to Mr. Charles Frazier. Deputies gained permission to search the house for Mr. Smith.  Mr. Smith was not in the house.  Then the deputies started questioning Frazier about a Kawasaki Patriot 300 ATV that had been parked out of sight.  Deputies had asked about the same ATV about a week prior after finding the VIN number had been scratched out.  Mr. Frazier stated that he purchased the ATV for about $200 a few months prior but couldn’t remember the name of the person that sold it t him.  Deputies then explained to Fraizer that it wasn’t normal to purchase a vehicle or any other object with an obliterated VIN or serial number.  Since Mr. Frazier again was not able to produce any viable information about the ATV there was strong probable cause that he had either knowingly purchased a stolen ATV or had committed the theft himself.  Frazier was then placed under arrest and charged with theft of property over $500.  

The Cannon County Lionettes Girls High School Basketball Team made it safe and sound to Washington D.C.  Northern Virginia area and will participate in one of the premier holiday tournaments in  high school basketball at the Westfield High School Bulldog Bash.  Teams from Tennessee, Florida, Virginia and of course Washington D.C. have been invited to participate.  The first round opponent for Cannon County is one that doesn’t have blemish on their record.  The West Springfield Lady Spartans are 7-0 entering the contest.  Although three seniors on the team are injured and will not play today, the roster is loaded with other senior talent.  Game time will be at 9:45 CST this morning.  WBRY-AM-1540/FM96.7 will have the live broadcast of this game.  We will also stream the game through our website at wbry.com and you can listen to the broadcast through your smart phone or tablet via Tune In Radio app at WBRY.  Gaylon Sissom will handle the broadcast duties throughout the tournament The Cannon County Lions Boys High School Basketball Team didn’t start the first day of action of the Sonic Shootout in Sparta with much of a shootout, but they did enough to get by their first round opponent Franklin County to advance to the second round in the winner’s bracket.  The Lions got 14 points from Cory Henley including 9 in the second half to help the Lions hold off Franklin County 65-59.  The Lions led by as many as 14 before Franklin County came back but the Rebels may have given up too early as they let the Lions melt the clock in the final minute to get the win.  Josh Reuhlan added 11 in the win for the Lions who are now 15-2.  The Cannon County Lions return back to White County High School for a second round matchup against the Riverdale Warriors.  The Murfreesboro team is 8-4 and beat Chattanooga Howard 71-43 in a later game in the Shootout Tournament.  Game time is slated for 1:30.  WBRY AM-1540/FM96.7 will carry the broadcast live.  We will also stream the game on wbry.com and through Tune In Radio App at WBRY
 

The Cannon County Lions Boys Basketball Team will be participating in the Sonic Shootout Tournament in Sparta at White County High School.  First up, they will meet the Franklin County Rebels out of Winchester.  Game time is at 12 noon.  WBRY AM-1540/FM96.7 will have the live broadcast today

Calling himself a “coachepreneur,” Middle Tennessee State University alumnus Micheal Burt is a leadership coach of the highest order — bold, demanding and encouraging.An entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author of nine books on how to improve businesses, Burt is embarking on a journey into the world of reality television to start the new year. And he’s bringing several MTSU alums along for the ride.
The pilot episode of Burt’s reality show, “Zebras and Cheetahs,” will air at 9 a.m. CST Jan. 1 on The CW Network on cable and satellite providers in the Nashville area. (A teaser of the show can be watched on YouTube at http://youtu.be/WhGkGWX8XdU.)
Cameras were there earlier this year to chronicle a two-day leadership boot camp in the Nashville area in which Burt coached five contestants on “how to look different, run faster and be agile in today’s concrete business jungle” — to turn them into zebras and cheetahs for 2014.
The show title harkens to Burt’s latest book, “Zebras and Cheetahs: Look Different and Stay Agile to Survive the Business Jungle.” It was co-written by Dr. Colby Jubenville, an associate professor in the MTSU Department of Health and Human Performance.
“What we’re trying to do is find additional ways to bring the book to life,” said Burt, a Woodbury, Tenn., native and former high school championship basketball coach who hopes the pilot leads to a full season of six to eight episodes. “When I call people zebras and cheetahs, what I’m really saying is that they distinguish themselves. They look different. They run faster or they jump on opportunity.”
The MTSU ties certainly don’t end with Burt and Jubenville.
MTSU alumnus Brock Patterson, also an adjunct business communication professor in the Jones College of Business, is executive producer of the show. Other MTSU connections on the show’s production include alums Rob Janson, director of photography, and Ty Whitaker, cameraman; and MTSU students Jacob Cleaver and John Martinez, assistant cameramen.
“The process was truly transformational, not only for the contestants, but for the rest of the staff,” Burt said. “I had concerns going in if we could make it compelling enough … where a viewer would sit there and say, ‘I want more of this!’ It was a great experience.”
To top it off, recent MTSU graduate Cody Hawkins of Gallatin, Tenn., is one of the five contestants featured on the show. Other contestants are Jason Goolesby of Alabama, Emina Hotilovac of Kentucky, Brandon Maxwell of Nashville, and Christy Neal of Nashville.
“I was very adamant about having a college graduate on the show, because so many college graduates are underprepared when they go out into the workforce,” Burt said. “It’s not that they don’t have the theoretical knowledge. A lot of times they don’t have the practicality.”
Patterson, who is also chief optimizer of Micheal Burt Enterprises, said the program sprung from a lunch discussion with Burt, who wanted to do something special to motivate people going into the new year. Patterson describes the show as a hybrid of popular reality shows “The Apprentice” and “The Amazing Race” in which Burt uses his gifts as “an incredible speaker, author and trainer” to bring out the best in those he’s coaching.
 
 
“We’re at the point where we want to expand our reach from community to country, that’s our goal,” Patterson said of the show’s purpose. “There’s going to be heartache, there’s going to be tears, there’s going to be laughter, there’s going to be frustration. There’s going to be a wonderful transformation that happens over the course of the television show. It far exceeded our expectations.”
The contestants will compete in three challenges: The Zebra Challenge — Trying to understand what makes them unique; The Cheetah Challenge — Determining how agile and quick thinking they can be; and The Final Challenge: Appearing before a three-person board of advisers to make their pitch.
“Coach challenges five people who have high aspirations for 2014, but are not taking that next step,” Patterson said. “He’s going to force them to evaluate where they are, determine what makes them unique and what’s going to help them stand out, either in their businesses as entrepreneurs or as individuals.”
Potential contestants submitted videos about how they wanted more from their lives in 2014 and wanted to be coached by Burt to achieve their goals. Burt and his staff looked at 20 to 25 videos and narrowed the list to five contestants, whose backgrounds range from a former teacher/coach to an office manager.
“We picked those candidates based on their stories, their backgrounds, how bad we thought they were interested in coaching and the diversity of the group,” Burt said.
 
 
The final challenge takes place at The City Club in downtown Nashville, with a grand-prize winner selected at the end. Middle Tennessee restaurateur Peter Demos, real estate agent Kendra Cooke, and investment and retirement specialist Phil Cavender make up the three-person panel.
“The board represents the world … to get contestants in front of them and say, ‘This is why you should have a relationship with me,’” Burt said of the final challenge. “These advisers are experienced zebras and cheetahs in the world critiquing these contestants. They ultimately decided who the winner was.”
Burt said he and his staff will be engaging with the audience on social media now and throughout the show, on Twitter @michealburt, hashtag #ZebrasCheetahs and also on his Facebook page. He thinks the show will give viewers plenty to discuss online.
“We laughed, we cried. Every contestant said it changed their life,” Burt said. “And it changed our lives. It shows us how we can truly affect people, and it doesn’t take years to do it. We can do it in a very short period of time if we just get in the boat with them, and it’s that intense of an interaction.”
For more information, visit Burt’s website www.coachburt.com.

The cold temperatures and dreary days that often occur during the winter months can often bring about feelings of depression for many Tennesseans. These feelings may be caused by a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).It is now estimated that about five (5) percent of the population suffers from SAD – this is the equivalent of approximately 317,000 Tennesseans, based on a 2010 U.S. Census state population of 6,346,105. SAD is four times more common in women than in men, but when it is present, men likely have more severe symptoms. Young adults are also more likely to suffer from SAD, but it is uncommon in people under 20.
“There is no test for SAD, so it’s important for anyone who is feeling that they may be depressed to speak with their behavioral health care provider as soon as possible,” says E. Douglas Varney, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS). “This is a very serious, very real condition, and people shouldn’t try to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs – either illegal drugs or prescription drugs – to deal with it on their own.”
SAD is a mood disorder that follows a seasonal pattern related to variations in sunlight. Symptoms of SAD are often similar to those of other forms of depression, and often can include:

Feeling sad, grumpy, moody, anxious, or depressed

Losing interest in usual activities

Eating either more or less, and craving sugary or starchy foods

Gaining weight

Sleeping more and feeling drowsy during the daytime

Avoiding social situations
If a person experiences these symptoms, a mental health expert can accurately diagnose SAD so that treatment options can be explored. Symptoms are often triggered by a lack of exposure to light and tend to drastically decrease, and even go away completely, when light increases. Lack of light can upset a person’s sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms, and can cause problems with the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.
“Without treatment, symptoms can improve with the changing of seasons,” says Dr. Howard Burley, TDMHSAS Medical Director. “But with treatment, symptoms can improve much more quickly, and people can return to living their so-called ‘normal’ life.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), SAD is characterized by recurrent episodes of depression, usually in late fall and winter, alternating with periods of normal or high mood the rest of the year. Also, some people with bipolar disorder can also have seasonal changes in their mood and experience acute episodes in a recurrent fashion at different times of the year. For more information on NAMI, go online to namitn.org or call (615) 361-6608.

Individuals and businesses making contributions to charity should keep in mind several important tax law provisions that have taken effect in recent years. Some of these changes include the following:Special Tax-Free Charitable Distributions for Certain IRA Owners
This provision, currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2013, offers older owners of individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) a different way to give to charity. An IRA owner, age 70½ or over, can directly transfer tax-free up to $100,000 per year to an eligible charity. This option, first available in 2006, can be used for distributions from IRAs, regardless of whether the owners itemize their deductions. Distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans, including SIMPLE IRAs and simplified employee pension (SEP) plans, are not eligible.
To qualify, the funds must be transferred directly by the IRA trustee to the eligible charity. Distributed amounts may be excluded from the IRA owner’s income — resulting in lower taxable income for the IRA owner. However, if the IRA owner excludes the distribution from income, no deduction, such as a charitable contribution deduction on Schedule A, may be taken for the distributed amount.
Not all charities are eligible. For example, donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are not eligible recipients.
Amounts transferred to a charity from an IRA are counted in determining whether the owner has met the IRA’s required minimum distribution. Where individuals have made nondeductible contributions to their traditional IRAs, a special rule treats amounts distributed to charities as coming first from taxable funds, instead of proportionately from taxable and nontaxable funds, as would be the case with regular distributions. See Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), for more information on qualified charitable distributions.
Rules for Charitable Contributions of Clothing and Household Items
To be tax-deductible, clothing and household items donated to charity generally must be in good used condition or better. A clothing or household item for which a taxpayer claims a deduction of over $500 does not have to meet this standard if the taxpayer includes a qualified appraisal of the item with the return.
 Donors must get a written acknowledgement from the charity for all gifts worth $250 or more that includes, among other things, a description of the items contributed. Household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens.  
Guidelines for Monetary Donations
To deduct any charitable donation of money, regardless of amount, a taxpayer must have a bank record or a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Bank records include canceled checks, bank or credit union statements, and credit card statements. Bank or credit union statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the amount paid. Credit card statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the transaction posting date.
Donations of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction. For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity.
These requirements for the deduction of monetary donations do not change the long-standing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more. However, one statement containing all of the required information may meet both requirements.
Reminders
To help taxpayers plan their holiday-season and year-end giving, the IRS offers the following additional reminders:

Contributions are deductible in the year made. Thus, donations charged to a credit card before the end of 2013 count for 2013. This is true even if the credit card bill isn’t paid until 2014. Also, checks count for 2013 as long as they are mailed in 2013.
 

Check that the organization is eligible. Only donations to eligible organizations are tax-deductible. Exempt Organization Select Check, a searchable online database available on IRS.gov, lists most organizations that are eligible to receive deductible contributions. In addition, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and government agencies are eligible to receive deductible donations, even if they are not listed in the database.
 

For individuals, only taxpayers who itemize their deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A can claim deductions for charitable contributions. This deduction is not available to individuals who choose the standard deduction, including anyone who files a short form (Form 1040A or 1040EZ). A taxpayer will have a tax savings only if the total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, charitable contributions, state and local taxes, etc.) exceed the standard deduction. Use the 2013 Form 1040 Schedule A to determine whether itemizing is better than claiming the standard deduction.
 

For all donations of property, including clothing and household items, get from the charity, if possible, a receipt that includes the name of the charity, date of the contribution, and a reasonably-detailed description of the donated property. If a donation is left at a charity’s unattended drop site, keep a written record of the donation that includes this information, as well as the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation and the method used to determine that value. Additional rules apply for a contribution of $250 or more.

The deduction for a car, boat or airplane donated to charity is usually limited to the gross proceeds from its sale. This rule applies if the claimed value is more than $500. Form 1098-C or a similar statement, must be provided to the donor by the organization and attached to the donor’s tax return.
 

If the amount of a taxpayer’s deduction for all noncash contributions is over $500, a properly-completed Form 8283 must be submitted with the tax return.
 

And, as always it’s important to keep good records and receipts.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is now accepting entries for its 2014-15 photo contest for publication in the Tennessee Wildlife Magazine’s annual calendar issue. All interested photographers are invited to submit their best photos on fishing and wildlife species native to Tennessee, and fishing and hunting scenes in Tennessee. Interested photographers must submit their photo entries by the March 10, 2014 deadline.
The photos will be reviewed for publication in the annual calendar edition of Tennessee Wildlife Magazine which is the summer issue. If a photo is selected for the calendar edition, the photographer will receive a cash stipend of $60.
The format is horizontal digital images on disk. Only digital images in JPEG format and of high resolution (300 dpi) sized as an 8 1/2×11 will be accepted.
Each disk submitted must have the name of the photographer stamped or written on it. No prints can be accepted. (Sorry, disks cannot be returned).
Entries can be mailed to: Tennessee Wildlife Magazine Calendar Issue P.O. Box 40747 Nashville, TN  37204
Tennessee Wildlife is the official magazine for the TWRA. Subscription rates are $10 for one year, $17 for two years and $25 for three years.