News 2013

Tennessee Fire Marshal and Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak wants to remind Tennesseans to be cautious in the use of alternate heat sources.”The colder weather means many people will begin to heat their homes with fireplaces, woodstoves and space heaters,” said McPeak. “Cold weather months typically have a higher number of accidental fire injuries and deaths due to the use of these alternate heat sources.”
Heating equipment is a major cause of home fire devastation. According to the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System, over the last five years Tennessee fire departments responded to 3,078 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires caused 38 civilian fire deaths, 46 civilian fire injuries and $31 million in direct property damage. Heating equipment fires accounted for 8% of all reported home fires (second behind cooking) and 9% of home fire deaths.Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening:

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.

Never use your oven to heat your home.

Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.

Burn only dry, seasoned wood in fireplaces and woodstoves. Never burn garbage or use flammable liquids to start a fire.

Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.

If the pilot light of your gas heater goes out, allow 5 minutes or more for the gas to go away before trying to relight the pilot. Follow manufacturer’s instructions when relighting the pilot. Do not allow gas to accumulate, and light the match before you turn on the gas to the pilot to avoid risk of flashback.
 
Don’t forget to install smoke alarms on every level of your home and to test them monthly. Develop and practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in your home. The plan should include two ways out of every room and a designated meeting place outside where everyone can be accounted for.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is a division of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The last time the York Institute Lady Dragons were held to 15 points in an entire game, they won.  Well it was by forfeit in Oneida 1-0.  Thursday night the Lady Dragons were on the losing end of their worst defeat in over a decade falling to the Cannon County Lionettes 80-15 in Jamestown.  The Lionettes who usually struggle shooting in the visitor’s gym in Jamestown rang up several long distance 3 pointers and cruised to the 65 point win. Abbey Sissom led the Lionette charge with 14 points  Kendra Maynard and Rebekah Faulkner each contributed 11 for the undefeated Lionettes who are now 9-0 and face their toughest challenge of the season to date Tuesday with a important district game at home against Smith County. The Cannon County Lions were able to place 4 in the double figure scoring column as the Lions kept a 7 point gap between themselves and York Institute after the first quarter.  Cory Henley burned the nets for 16 points while Josh Ruehlen knocked down 15 points in his second start of the season as the Cannon County Lions defeated the York Institute Dragons 60-47.  Cannon County goes to 8-1 on the year and 2-0 in district play.  
 

The area weekend weather forecast will make it feel like Christmas winter type weather and Saturday the Lions Club will bring their annual Day of Christmas which features the yearly Christmas parade.  Saturday gets started with a pancake breakfast with Santa at 7 in the morning at the Lions Club Building on Lehman Street.  The Woodbury Lions Club Christmas Parade will get started at 12 noon starting at Edgefield and going through the town square.  The Lions Club Tour of Homes will begin at 4:00 Saturday afternoon.  Seven homes from across Cannon County are included in this year’s tour.  The seven participating are Junior Brandon’s home 1309 Burt Burgen Road, Russell and Shannon Davenport 500 Lonsome Dove Lane, Junior and Tashau Ferrell 3148 Cherry Springs Road.  The Corners Bob and Karen Ford 1990 Readyville Street in Readyville. David and Karen King 350 Olive Branch Lane.  Jackie Prater 108 Auburntown Road and Joe and Teresa Tate 1860 Readyville.  All stops have a Lion’s Club sign at the location.  Maps and tickets are still available at the Lions Club Building.  WBRY-AM-1540/FM96.7 will broadcast Saturday’s parade live on the radio.  You can also check out the WBRY Facebook page for pictures and video clips of the parade moments after the event.  

The annual American Cancer Society’s event Love Lights A Tree takes place this Sunday at the Cannon County Courthouse.  The event is sponsored by the Stones River Hospital.  Everyone is invited to come out and remember a loved one by purchasing a light on the tree.  The ceremony will start at 4:00 with Christmas Carols and refreshments served.  For more information Call Lois Larimer at 542-1858 or Korie Adcock at 563-2311.  

Cannon County S.A.V.E. is very excited to be doing the Angel Tree for our second year! We invite you to pick up an “Angel” from a tree at any of the following locations: Regions Bank
First National Bank
First Bank
Dollar Market
Cannon Co. Courthouse.
Help make this Christmas bright for a child in need. All gifts need to be returned by no later than December 16th. You can take it back to the place where you picked up your “Angel” or you can drop it off at the Cannon County S.A.V.E. office.
If you need more info, call Lisa @ 615-563-6690.
 

The Cannon County Lions and Lionettes basketball team continued their success Tuesday night posting wins against the Macon County Tigers teams from Lafayette.  The girls raised their mark to 8-0 as the Lionette defense picked up in the second half and only allowed the Lady Tigers to score 12 points in the 3rd and 4th period.  Abbey Sissom led the way with 24 points, while Madison Walkup added 11 to the Lionettes 65-29 win.  Macon County Tigers stayed in the game basically through the first quarter before the Lions were able to take a sizable lead.  Macon chipped away at it in the third and fourth quarters but could never get any closer than 11 points.  Garrett McReynolds jump started the Lion offense in the first half and finished with 10 points in the game.  Cory Henley had a game high 17 for the Lions who are now 7-1 as a result of the 59-44 win against Macon County.  Tonight the ball teams must be prepared to take the trip to Jamestown early.  The game between Cannon and York Institute was supposed to take place Friday but because of threatening snow and sleet in the forecast Friday night, game officials at York asked to move the game up to tonight.  Both York teams are struggling in the early season but the Lions and Lionettes know that the Dragons love to play on their home floor.  The game time tonight is 6:00 WBRY AM-1540/FM96.7 will have the live broadcast tonight beginning at 5:45.  You can also hear the game streaming on the internet at wbry.com and on the Smart Phones and Tablets using the TuneIn Radio app at WBRY  

A DeKalb County man is charged with TennCare fraud for using the state’s Medicaid program to pay for fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances.The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, today announced the arrest of Jackie Ervin, 36, of Smithville.  He is charged with three counts of TennCare fraud and three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.  An indictment accuses Ervin of presenting forged prescriptions for the painkiller Lortab and Adderrall, an amphetamine, using TennCare benefits to pay for the forged prescriptions.
“We are pursuing cases across the state with a commitment to stop TennCare fraud,” Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. “We’re committed to eliminating the incidence of people fraudulently obtaining drugs and letting TennCare pick up the tab.”
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge, and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud is a Class D felony, punishable by two to four years in prison per charge. District Attorney General Randall A. York is prosecuting.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $3.5 million paid in restitution and recoupment to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $173 million for the TennCare program, according to latest figures.  To date, over 2,000 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions.  Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig/ and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”

Nothing is silent about this night where four singers serve up cool versions of Sinatra mainstays like  “Fly Me To The Moon”, “New York, New York”, “That’s Life”, as well as “Mistletoe and Holly”, “The Christmas Song”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Silver Bells”, and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. The Arts Center is proud to announce the Sinatra Holiday musical revue of Christmas, My Way, featuring Todd Turney, Tiffany Sweeley, Scott Willis, and Chloe Madigan. This show will be performed from December 6th through December 20th featuring  pop and holiday songs made famous by the “Chairman of the Board”. Ticket prices are $30 and dinner (meal prepared by The Blue Porch) and show is included in the price. “SHOW ONLY TICKETS” ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $15! Performance dates are Dec. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, & 20. For Friday and Saturday performances, dinner starts at 6:30PM with the show beginning at 7:30pm. For Sunday performances, dinner starts at 1:00PM and the show begins at 2:00PM. Call 615-562-ARTS to make reservations or tickets are also available online at artscenterofcc.com.

A Warren County woman is charged with TennCare fraud for selling prescription drugs paid for by the state’s healthcare insurance program.The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the arrest of Joyce Ann Brown, 57, of McMinnville, after a joint investigation with the McMinnville Police Department and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
Brown is charged with TennCare fraud, sale of a Schedule II controlled substance and delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance.   Charges accuse her of obtaining the painkiller Morphine using TennCare benefits and delivering a portion of the drugs to a buyer.
“Local authorities are cracking down on prescription drug abuse in communities across Tennessee,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said.  “We are working with many local agencies to bring people to justice if they’re using TennCare to obtain drugs they intend to sell.”
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison.  The sale and delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance is a Class C felony, punishable by three to six years in prison. District Attorney General Lisa S. Zavogiannis is prosecuting.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $3.5 million paid in restitution and recoupment to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $173 million for the TennCare program, according to latest figures.  To date, over 2,000 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions.  Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig/ and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”

The holiday season can be a very difficult time if you’ve lost a loved one. How do you approach the first holiday season after a loss? What can you do to make the season more manageable and reduce stress?Coming up on Dec. 5 in Murfreesboro, Alive Hospice’s Grief During the Holidays seminar will show how to do it with tips and strategies from professional grief counselors. It also includes a time of remembrance.
The Grief During the Holidays seminar will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 210 N. Spring St. in Murfreesboro. There is no cost for attending, but reservations are required due to limited space. RSVP online at http://alivegriefsupportservices.eventbrite.com or by calling 615-346-8680.
This seminar is made possible with support from the Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund.Alive Grief Support, the bereavement support program of Alive Hospice, also offers individual grief counseling and support groups for adults and children throughout the year. Anyone can take advantage of these services, regardless of whether a loved one was served by Alive Hospice.
For more information about Alive Grief Support, call 615-346-8680 or visit AliveHospice.org.