News 2015

A Cannon County woman is charged a second time with TennCare fraud involving prescription drugs. The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Cannon County Sheriff’s Office, last week announced the arrest of Ashley Morgan, 28, of Readyville. A Cannon County indictment charges her with three counts of fraudulently obtaining controlled substances by doctor shopping for the painkillers Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, using TennCare to pay for the clinical visits.
Morgan was first charged with doctor shopping in DeKalb County this past April.  That case is still pending adjudication in the DeKalb County Criminal Court.
“When individuals go from doctor to doctor to obtain prescription drugs through TennCare benefits, state dollars are involved in illegal drug sales,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said.  “We appreciate and value the hard work of the healthcare providers and the local law enforcement across the state and their efforts in helping us develop these cases.”
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge.  District Attorney General Jennings H. Jones is prosecuting the Cannon County case.
 

Pink out night promotion at the Cannon County High School Football Game Friday night was a success as Breast Cancer Awareness was spotlighted throughout the evening and money was raised to fight cancer.  Another color also stood out Friday and that was Green as in Tanner Green the power running back for Middle Tennessee Christian School who ran for 251 yards and three scores to help the Cougars keep the Lions winless at 0-8 with a 33-20 win at Fred Schwartz Field.  The Lions had opportunities to stay in the game.  Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, the Lions were able to get the ball all the way down to the Cougar 1 before turning it over on downs.  The Lions would score on the next posession though as Austin Brock caught a 15 yard pass from Brady Page for a touchdown but the two point conversion failed making it 7-6.  The Cougars scored twice in the second quarter to make it 21-6 Cougars at half.  In the second half after the Cougars scored on the opening possession, Cannon answered with another 15 yard touchdown pass this time to Jeremy Litchford.  Two point conversion was also a success cutting the lead 27-14.  In the fourth quarter, both teams scored with the Lions scoring one last time in the final minute of the game with Maika Fonoti mowing it in from one yard out for the final score of the game.  Cannon County will be back to region play in the final two games of the season with a home game this Friday against Sequatchie County.  Game time at Fred Schwartz Field at 7:00.  

Caring for patients and their families is a daily part of life for the staff at Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital. When United Way reached out for the hospital to help in their local community; it was no surprise that the answer was a resounding yes. The hospital rallied the community together to restore the local playground at Woodbury Grammar School in Cannon County, Tennessee. The project was supported through the Hometown Huddle with United Way. CEO Sue Conley spoke about her staff’s contribution, “It makes me so proud to see our staff reaching out to help in the community with the same care and giving that I see them provide for our patients every day. As a leader, it just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Michelle Russell of United Way spoke with gratitude about the partnership with the hospital, “It takes a generous partner like Stones River Hospital to make a community thrive. These volunteers from the hospital and local community have given up their time to give back to the kids of Cannon County. It is a beautiful thing, and I am so very grateful to them for joining United Way in this project.”
United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties has partnered with companies and organizations that are asked to adopt a playground by sponsoring materials and providing volunteers for the project. This second annual event is aimed at encouraging healthy lifestyles as part of United Way’s impact area of health. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence improves strength and endurance, helps build healthy bones and muscles, helps control weight, reduces anxiety and stress, increases self-esteem, and may improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Hometown Huddle is part of United Way’s focus on healthy lifestyles during the month of September each year.
Principal Rick Meacham smiles with gratitude upon seeing the work begin, “Our students are excited, the teachers and parents are grateful; and I would like to personally thank Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital and United Way for making this a reality for our school. Thank you.”
Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital has decided to further expand the project and is currently raising funds to add a much needed pavilion to the school’s picnic area. For more information on how you can volunteer with this upcoming event, contact Saint Thomas Stones River at 615-563-4001.
 

Middle Tennessee Electric, along with electric utilities across the state and country, recognizes and celebrates nationally designated “Public Power Week,” Oct. 4 through 10. “The employees of MTEMC are honored to serve our public of members, who are both the consumers and owners of our electric cooperative,” said Chris Jones, MTEMC president. “We are also proud to distribute power generated by the publicly-owned Tennessee Valley Authority.
“This is a week to recognize, and be thankful for, public power – where the electric company exists for the good of the public rather than for the profit of stockholders.”
The mission of MTEMC is to provide affordable, reliable, safe electricity and outstanding member service to its nearly 210,000 residential and business members in Williamson, Wilson, Rutherford and Cannon counties. The not-for-profit cooperative boasts rates 20 percent lower than the national average and among the lowest in the state.
“The essence of what we do is service,” Jones said. “We are public servants, delivering a product that is vital to life, comfort, business and commerce. It is a role we embrace seriously and with humility, understanding so many depend on us.”
Middle Tennessee Electric employs more than 400 people, who also live in and around Williamson, Wilson, Rutherford and Cannon counties. More information on the cooperative can be found at www.mtemc.com.
 

The Cannon County Lions High School Football Team will have pink uniforms tonight and so will their opposition the Middle Tennessee Christian School Cougars.   The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and both schools have been selling T-Shirts the past couple of weeks to raise money for cancer research.  The Cannon County Lions are 0-7 and if that isn’t bad enough, a couple of prep football sites have now ranked them near the bottom of all of the high school football programs in the state.  A win tonight against the Cougars would help improve the rankings but it isn’t going to be easy.  The high school team from Murfreesboro comes into tonight boasting a 5-2 record including a 28-7 win over Red Boiling Springs a team that has beaten the Lions earlier this year.  Football Friday returns to WBRY today with the starting of Tailgate followed by Murphy Fair at 5:30.  Friday Night Thunder Rolls in at 6.  At 6:45 we will be on the field giving you the play by play with the kickoff at 7 You can catch the game live on AM-1540 WBRY Shine 107.9 FM on your computer at wbry.com and on WBRY through the Tune In Radio app on your smart phones and tablets
 

The weather forecast calls for good weather this weekend.  The officials of the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce Color of Fall Car show hope it holds true.  The annual event was scheduled for the last Saturday of September but rain and bad weather forced the activity to be rescheduled twice.  This Saturday the forecast calls for sunny skies, so the Color Of Fall Car Show will commence starting at 8:00 for car registration.  Trophies will be awarded after all judging has been completed.  The event coincides with a previously scheduled event which is the last car cruise in on the square event of the year.   The cruise in will start around 2:00.  Participants are encouraged to bring a toy for the Cruise In Toy Drive which will go toward the Angel Tree this Christmas.  The TV from DTC Communications and Prizes from Iron Pig Antiques will be also given away during this all day event. Have you ever played Cow Patty Bingo?  Saturday is your chance to win some money during this unique event at SAVE Fest at the Cannon County Fairgrounds.  Cow Patty Bingo will take place from 2 until 3 in the afternoon.  There will be games, facepainting, bouncy houses, several information booths from various non profit organizations, a self defense demonstration, and a silent auction.  All proceeds will go toward the domestic violence program.  Save Fest will take place until 6 pm Saturday night.

The DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring an Amateur Radio Exam Session on Saturday, October 10th, 2015 – 1:00 PM (Walk-ins are welcome) at the Cannon County High School – Room # 115, 1 Lion Drive, Woodbury TN 37190-5240.  Contact Jeffrey Kemper – KV4VV at (615) 364-3913 or check out the club’s website at http://www.dccarc.org if anyone has any questions. Amateur Radio Operators also called “hams” communicate with other operators in the local area, statewide, nationally, and even worldwide.  Hams also aid during times of emergencies with vital communication links.  The DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club is an affiliated club of the American Radio Relay League.
 

A Cannon County woman filed a report of vandalism with the Sheriff’s Department recently after her mailbox was hit. Deputies responded to a Porterfield Road residence and made contact with Ms. Pamela McCandless.  Ms McCandless stated that she was standing in her kitchen when she looked out the window and saw a lime green dump truck run off the right side of the road and hit her mailbox along with knocking down some solar lights.  She said it wasn’t a county truck and that there has been several dump trucks going up and down the road for several months.  Possibly working at a construction site nearby.  The mailbox was valued at $200.  Sheriff’s Department is still investigating.  

The Cannon County Board of Education will meet Thursday night at the Woodbury Grammar School Cafeteria for their regular monthly meeting.  On the agenda: Representatives from Five Points Benefits will present their proposal to the board concerning offering GAP insurance as an alternative to board employees.
Bryan Cofer will address the board concerning E-Rate RFP’s
Approve bids for fire extinguisher and pest control.
Cannon County High School Principal Mike Jones will address the board concerning the number of required chaperones for field trips.  The meeting tonight starts at 6:30.

Two meetings are taking place tonight.  A meeting of the Cannon County Homeland Security Committee will take place at the Cannon County Court House on October 8, 2015.  The meeting will begin at 4:30pm.  For questions about the meeting, please contact Chairman Tim Bell at 615-849-2730 or tbell@cannoncountyrescue.com Oct 8: The Cannon County Audit Committee will meet on Thursday, October 8, 2015 in the Jury room at the Cannon County Courthouse at 6:00 pm.