News 2015

The Arts Center of Cannon County is proud to announce their Holiday Jug Band Review and Vaudeville Circus featuring the Jake Leg Stompers, Eggplant Faerie Players and Friends.  This event will include live music, juggling, trapeze, stilt walking, unicycle, holiday surprises and fun.  This highly entertaining ensemble performance is sponsored by the Village Idiot Society of Middle Tennessee and features Murfreesboro’s inimitable minstrels of musical mayhem, the Jake Leg Stompers. Along with your Christmas favorites expect heavy doses of Chicken-Fried, Pre-War, Hokum-Billy Jug Band music of the variety that makes you want to get up and shake your lederhosen.  Performing on vintage instrumantes such as the bajor-uke, fiddle, tuba, guitar, washboard and saw, the Stompers capture the rebellious spirit of pre-1941, American Music from Memphis Jug bands to Appalachian Hillbilly to Fats Waller when folk music was still dangerous.
In keeping with the fine traditions of true Vaudeville Circus, the Stompers will be joined onstage by Cannon County’s own Tom Foolery and his Eggplant Faeire Players who bring years of professional experience in the fine arts of juggling., unicycle, stilt-walking and general hilarity.  Rounding otu the Vaudeville Circus will be the incomparable Leela Sophina, Queen of the Air on her burlesque trapeze.  All ticket prices are $10.  The shows are on Friday and Saturday starting at 7:30.  For reserverations or for more information call 615-563-2787 or check out the website at www.artscenterofcc.com

The Tennessee Highway Patrol announced today that it will receive traffic safety grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to provide increased enforcement, public awareness campaigns and help reduce serious injury and fatal crashes on state roadways in 2016. The grant funds were distributed through the Governor’s Highway’s Safety Office (GHSO). The THP continues to target seat belt usage across the state. The BELTS program will provide funding to allow state troopers to enhance the current seat belt usage rate of 86.2%. Statistical data revealed that unrestrained fatalities are most likely to occur on Fridays and Saturdays than any other day of the week.
Goals of the BELTS Program include:
    Conducting seat belt checkpoints in each of the eight THP Districts each month;
    Each district will participate in the 12 statewide seat belt blitzes scheduled;
    Reducing the number of unrestrained drivers in fatal and injury crashes by 5%;
    Increasing the seat belt usage rate by 2.5%.
THP received $130,068.48 in grant monies for the BELTS program.
The Sober Up TN program allows the THP to allocate additional hours for state troopers to patrol the interstates, conduct sobriety checkpoints, perform bar checks, and educate the public on the dangers of drinking and driving.
State Troopers have utilized a data-driven approach to address alcohol-related crashes by targeting times and locations where these types of incidents are most prevalent. Predictive analytics has revealed that the majority of impaired driving crashes occurred between the hours of 4 p.m. and 5 a.m., and a higher rate of alcohol-related wrecks occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Goals of the Sober Up TN Program include:
    Increasing the number of sobriety checkpoints;
    Enforcing DUI and alcohol-related offenses;
    Reducing fatalities where alcohol was indicated as a contributing factor;
    Facilitating community meetings to solicit citizen attendance and input and involve local agencies, District Attorney Generals, school and court officials and associated stakeholders.
Sober Up TN grant funds that were provided to the agency amounted to $750,000.00.
Both grant programs run through September 30, 2016.
 

The Goodwill Career Solutions Center at 2955 South Church Street in Murfreesboro is presenting a job fair Tuesday from 11 in the morning till 2 this afternoon for four employers seeking to fill more than 50 positions in Rutherford and Wilson Counties.  Openings include hospital sitter, forklift operator, warehouse associate, industrial maintenance tech, childcare, teller and other positions.  Rates of pay range from $8-$12 per hour.  Representatives from Fifth Third Bank, Sitters and More and YMCA Fun Company will be on site, and interviews are possible, so job-seekers should dress for success.  Job candidates are encouraged to bring a resume, photo ID and their social security card or birth certificate.  

Cannon County Sheriff’s Deputies recently made a stolen report from a Cannon County resident who reported that someone had taken her Sony Playstation 4.  Deputies spoke with Samantha Taylor of Melton Hollow Road who stated that she left for work and her roommate returned home from work and stated that he noticed the Playstation 4 was not there when he arrived home however thought that they might have left it across the road at Ms. Taylor’s father’s house as they take it there often.  However when Ms Taylor returned home they looked for it and couldn’t find it.  Ms. Taylor’s brothers according to police reports stated that someone came over and asked where Ms. Taylor was while she was at work and then left but it wasn’t anything out of the normal.  Investigation is still ongoing.

A Cannon County man had four wheels and tires stolen off a car that was sitting in his yard recently.  According to Sheriff’s Department reports Mr. James Benton of Jim Perkins Road stated that the wheels and tires were on the car around midnight but when he got up around 6 in the morning they were gone.  A neighbor stated that two people came to visit around 11:30 the night prior and that she though she heard a vehicle backing out of the driveway around 5 in the morning.  Deputies are following up on the case.

The Smith County Lady Owls contained the Cannon County Lionette tandem of Kelli Davis and Autumn King in Carthage Friday night and the Lionettes lost their second district game of the season 61-40.  King got into foul trouble early in the game collecting two fouls in the first quarter.  The Lionettes fell behind by only 7 at half but Smith came out and expanded the lead by 20 to end the third quarter before closing out the game by 21.  Kelli Davis was the only Lionette in double figures with 20.  King only scored 2 and Maleah Scott ended up with 6.  The Lionettes fall to 2-7 overall and 1-2 in District 8-AA play Neither Cannon County nor Smith County were shooting lights out ball but the lights in the Smith County gym decided to go out anyway.  With 4:54 left to go in the first quarter, Smith County went on a little run to lead by five when half the lights went off in the gym.  After a 20 minute delay, the Lions were able to catch up and tie the game but Smith kept a cushion of a lead and ended up winning 62-50.  Freshman Charlie Parrish led the team with 13 points while Austin Martin added 11.  Cannon County has a 3-6 record and are 0-3 in district play.
Both teams play their last district opponent for the year 2015 as York Institute will come to Woodbury Tuesday
 

Many District 8-AA basketball fans might have thought that the Smith County Lady Owls program would struggle this year.  After all the success of last year’s team centered around Miss Basketball nominee Callie Hackett and now that she graduated Smith County would be rebuilding.  With a new head coach the Lady Owls have responded well and even though they are currently 6-3 they have picked up some big wins including a win over Central Magnet and are 2-0 in the District standings.  The Cannon County Lionettes discovered their success lies in the hands of Kelli Davis and Autumn King.  Both seniors took matters in their own hands against Macon Tuesday night and came away with their second victory of the season.  Tonight’s important district matchup takes place in Carthage. The Cannon County Lions hope that a change of scenery might lead to some success in the win column as they travel to take on the Smith County Owls.  The Owls are 6-4 however they have collected a upset win over York by two and beat Central Magnet Tuesday so the Lions know they have their work cut out for them.  A victory on the road however against Smith County would give Cannon County a shot in the arm before they tackle York next week.
You can hear the games live Friday night from Carthage starting at 5:55 with the Coaches Corner followed by the tip off of the girls game at 6:00.  Games will be broadcast on AM-1540/FM 107.9 WBRY, streaming online at wbry.com and on your smartphones and tablets at wbry.com
 

May The Force Be With You.  The Adams Memorial Library will be celebrating the release of the new Star Wars movie which hits theaters December 18th, The Force Awakens by hosting a Star Wars Party on Saturday starting at 11:00 in the morning.  The public is invited to dress as their favorite Star Wars character and come enter the costume contest.  There will be Star Wars themed refreshments like Storm Trooper cup cakes and a photo booth where everyone can have a picture made with Star Wars props.  For more information call the Adams Memorial Library at 615-563-5861.

Horses at large got a Cannon County man in deep trouble with law enforcement especially since it wasn’t the first incident in the last two years.  According to Cannon County Sheriff’s Department reports, Deputies were dispatched out to a Hollis Creek Road residence.  When they got there, Todd Baxter along with Deputy Greg Falls were both trying to get the horse back in its fenced in area but the horse would not jump over the pushed down fence.  One of the deputies had noted Baxter’s history with animals and his troubles of keeping them fenced in on various properties.  Baxter had been cited twice in December and had an incident in November of last year.  He also had an incident back in October.  At that point, Deputies were advised by administration that the next time that Mr Baxter had an animal out, it was not on his property, he was to be arrested.  Since this incident was after the warnings and the citations, deputies arrested Mr. Baxter after the horse was secured in inside the fenced in area and charged him with livestock at large.  He will answer the charge in General Sessions Court in January.

An item tabled from the November meeting of the Cannon County  Board of Education will be scheduled to be brought up during tonight’s monthly meeting of the Cannon County School Board.  Michael K. Jones will address the board concerning the hiring of a math teacher at Cannon County High School and will also propose a new method of evaluation of a Director Of Schools.  The item was tabled until this month’s monthly meeting because the school board was one member shy after board member Frank Walkup passed away in November.  Newly appointed member Tim Powers who is taking Frank’s place on the School Board is expected to attend tonight’s meeting.  Other members on the agenda will be to approve the fire marshall’s plan for removal of the stage at the Cannon County High School gymnasium and plan for new bleachers.  Approve tenure for Elizabeth Davis and Shane Hollandsworth.  Jennifer Walls will approach the Board of Education in regards to a transfer request.  There will be a discussion about Quick Scores and Board Member Nathan Sanders will address the rest of the Board concerning the TSBA Convention and legislative session that he attended recently.  The meeting is set to take place tonight at 6:30 at the cafeteria of the Woodbury Grammar School.