News 2015

Although Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law In August of 1935 the seeds and were planted in the previous decade.  During the 1920’s Americans in general and
politicians in particular were less than concerned with social programs of any sort.  Sports, fads,
prohibition and extreme financial speculation dominated the decade.  Black Tuesday, October 29,1929
was the day the stock market crashed and as the roaring twenties faded into memory everyday Americans
plunged into the deep abyss of what historians call the Great Depression.
Panic and deflation fed off one another fueled by 9,000 American bank failures.  Unemployment
increased a whopping 607% and those that took the brunt were the elderly.  Yet with a nation suddenly
finding its citizens tossed into abject poverty Congress bickered among themselves, imagine that, and
finally nearly six years after the crash found compromise.  The powerful triumvirate of Labor, Industry
and Government melded together and formed a system based on a solid underlying  philosophy,
independent funding from its citizens all with an unprecedented nationwide scope.
By any measure Social Security has been a terrific program during its eighty year existence.  While created
to protect against the “vicissitudes” of life, it now protects and pays millions of Americans a monthly paycheck.
Social Security is not a welfare program as workers have a portion of every check held for future payments.
The delicate issue now in 2015, is that there are fewer workers contributing. Unfunded social security obligations
are now measured in trillions of dollars.  As a population many Americans will average twenty to thirty years in retirement.
Our country clearly has a major retirement problem and one that gets bigger everyday.  Reforms to social security
need to be made now; hopefully raising payroll taxes will trump cutting benefits but that may be wishful thinking.
For most Americans the assurance of receiving future social security payments is age dependent.  Studies have shown
seniors are somewhat confident, people in their thirties and forties much less so.  Generally, there are exceptions, benefits
can be requested at age 62.  Yet full benefits depending on the year you were born begin at age 67.  Often a difference of
hundreds of dollars in your monthly check by waiting to file.  Sadly the Social Security “rulebook” is some 827 pages long
and when you inquire via phone you will normally find a polite person who by law, cannot give advice!
Once you file for benefits you have one twelve months to reconsider, after that you have no recourse on your decision.
 As an example, using simple dollars, a person who at full retirement age (67) would receive $1,000 per month,
would only receive $750 if they filed at age 62.  Yet waiting until age 70 the monthly amount
would be $1320.
In conclusion, social security was never intended to be the sole source of retirement income
but merely a supplement.  Clearly Americans must self fund a large portion of their retirement
in order to maintain their standard of living.  A mistake many commit is focusing on asset accumulation
rather than an income stream that they cannot outlive.  The earlier in life we start planning for retirement
the better, but it is never too late.  There are terrific financial vehicles that can provide a guaranteed
lifetime income, many tax free.  Whether your goals are to travel, golf, fish or chase your grandchildren
speaking with your local professional can ensure your retirement will be a successful one!
Catch John on the first Monday of every month.  Money Monday 8:30-9:00 AM-1540/FM96.7 WBRY
 

Southern rock, a fireworks show, classic cars, and over thirty arts and crafts dealers will all convene Saturday June 6th at the eleventh annual Wartrace MusicFest in Wartrace, Tennessee. The six piece Allman Brothers tribute band Midnight Riders from Nashville will close the show with a fireworks display beginning at 10:00 PM. Threatening weather prevented the Riders from performing at last year’s festival.     Other main stage acts include Bad Monkey, a high energy crowd favorite pop and country hits, and The Road Crew performing fifties rockabilly. Music will start earlier this year at 1:00 PM with Nashville singer-songwriter Chris Morse, indie rock band Low Electric Revival, Dave & Darren, songwriter Everett Brown, and country music favorite Mike Allen and Friends on the Adams & Floyd Contractors Tent Stage.
     Gates will open at 10:00 AM with over thirty arts and crafts booths, a classic car display, and barbeque cooked on the premises. Covered table seating will be available in a cabaret setting near the tent stage. A Kid’s Zone with an inflatable slide, art tables, hula hoops, face painting, corn hole contests, and pony rides will be open all day.
     Admission to Wartrace MusicFest is $5. with children twelve and under admitted free. Parking is free. The event is a non-profit endeavor produced by the Town of Wartrace and the Wartrace Chamber of Commerce to raise money for civic improvements to the town. MusicFest’s underwriting sponsors include, Curl Construction & Excavating LLC, Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, First Community Bank, Hawkins Asphalt Paving, Hawkins & Price LLC, M&L Greenhouse, and Adams & Floyd Electrical and Plumbing. 
     A few vendor spaces are still available by calling Wartrace Town Hall at 931-389-6144. For additional information, stage schedules, and directions visit www.wartracemusicfest.org and http://www.facebook.com/wartracemusicfest.
     Wartrace is located approximately one hour’s drive south of Nashville off exit #97 on I-24 East.            
        

East Side School would like toannounce the following honor
students (Principal’s List – All A’s),
Honor Roll (A’s and B’s) and students
with perfect attendance for the fourth grading period ending May 22:
   Mrs. Lesa Davis’ Kindergarten – Principal’s List:  Jacob Pirtle, Lilly Allen, Amber Ivanowski.  Honor Roll:  Aden Seymour, Lyric Pittard, Kennedi Higgins, Riley Melton, Brody McPeak, Lindsay Powers.  Perfect Attendance: Brody McPeak, Mackenzie McCurry, Lilly Allen, Lindsay Powers, Synthia Rogers.
   Mrs. Paige Holt’s First Grade –Principal’s List:  Wyatt Valentino, Laila Underwood. Honor Roll:  Malachi Walls, Marissa Jones, Laney Mullinax, Gage Nokes.  Perfect Attendance:  Laney Mullinax.
   Mrs. Karen Cook’s Second Grade – Principal’s List:  Sadey Grizzle, Ronn Guinaran, Olivia Moss, Connor Napier.  Honor Roll:  Slade Grizzle, Jack Grant, Dustin Keller, Lexie Simon.Perfect Attendance: Ronn Guinaran, Jack Grant, Sarah Rogers.
   Mrs. Connie Phillips’ Third Grade –Principal’s List:  Jeremy Earls, Sadie Prater, Devin Grant, Emma Muncey.  Honor Roll:  Austin Johnson, Allyson Skimehorn, Callie Vance.   Perfect Attendance:  Tristan Barber, Austin Johnson.
   Mrs. Greta Reed’s Fourth Grade –Principal’s List:  Katie Davis.  Honor Roll:  Mykala Barrett.  Perfect Attendance:   Montana Davis.   Mrs. Brad Underwood’s Fifth Grade –Principal’s List:  Cathan Cecil.  Honor Roll: Braxten Alexander, Chloe Pack, Johnnie Pirtle, Katlyn Prater.  Perfect Attendance:  Braxten Alexander.      Mrs. Gay Burger’s Sixth Grade –Principal’s List:   Eli Cantrell.  Honor Roll:  Stella Brown, Hannah Naylor, Emalee Rogers.  Perfect Attendance:  Hunter Davis, Caden Duke, MaKeiley Gould.
       Mrs. Amy Underwood’s SeventhGrade –Principal’s List:  Honor Roll:  Clay Fagan, Austin Grant, Culyer Isenhart, Shawn Matheny, Lacon Parton.  Perfect Attendance: Clay Fagan, Culyer Isenhart, Lacon Parton, Mattison Prater, Aaliyah Young, Brent Scott, Jasmine Young, Austin Grant.
 
 Mrs. Jackie Burger’s Eighth Grade – Principal’s List:  Katie Gunter, Lauren Underwood, Erin Scott, Michelle Stone.  Honor Roll:  Jory Isenhart, Landon Parton, Bryson Prater.  Perfect Attendance: Jory Isenhart, Erin Scott, Lauren Underwood.
 

Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement on the announcement of the requests for double-digit rate hikes by four Tennessee health insurance companies, recently submitted to the Tennessee Commissioner of Insurance for approval and posted on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website earlier today:“The unfortunate reality is, principally because of Obamacare, tens of thousands of Tennesseans who buy individual Obamacare policies could see their health care premiums go up next year by double digits—and by more than 36 percent if they’re enrolled in the state’s most popular plan. This is money that will come straight out of many of these Tennesseans’ pocketbooks. Republicans are ready to reduce Tennesseans’ costs with plans to restore freedom and competition to the insurance marketplace and allow individuals to choose the health care plan that meets their needs and their budget.”
The information posted on the administration’s website today only includes health plans requesting a rate increase of 10 percent or more, with full reporting coming closer to the third Obamacare open enrollment. So far, hundreds of health plans have requested this double-digit increase, often citing increased costs due to Obamacare. Of the five insurers in the Tennessee exchange, Community Health Alliance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Humana, and Cigna have all requested rate increases from the state. The fifth, Assurant, has announced it will not be on the exchange for 2016.
 

Stories taken from the letters and diaries of men who fought and died in the Civil War will be presented this summer at the Stones River National Battlefield. Join a park ranger for an hour-long walk by lantern light through the Stones River National Cemetery. Hallowed Ground is a walk back in time through the Stones River National Cemetery. Visitors will learn to look beyond the stones and into the stories of the men and women who felt the impact of war.
This free program will be offered on June 6 and June 20 at 7:45 p.m. Reservations are required and may be made beginning the Monday prior to the cemetery tour at 9:00 a.m. by calling the visitors center at (615) 893-9501. Reservations will not be taken in the visitor center or by email. There is a limit of four (4) tickets per caller and reservations are not transferrable to another program date. Comfortable walking shoes and insect repellent are recommended.
Additional cemetery tours will be offered on July 11 and July 25 at 7:45 p.m., August 8 at 7:30 p.m.,
Additional information is available at the visitor center or by calling (615) 893-9501. Visit the web site at: www.nps.gov/stri
 

County unemployment rates for April 2015, released last week, show the rates decreased in 94 counties and increased in one county. Cannon County’s unemployment figures for April decreased 1.2 percent from March’s figure of 6.4 percent to April’s figure of 5.2 percent.    Out of an estimated workforce of 5960 people 5680 were employed while 310 were unemployed.  All surrounding counties also showed a decrease.  Dekalb at 6.5 percent, Coffee at 4.9 percent, Rutherford at 4.2 percent, Warren at 5.4 percent and Wilson at 4.3 percent.  Cannon County’s unemployment rate at this time last year is at 5.5 percent.
Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for April was 6.0 percent, three-tenths of one percentage point lower than the March revised rate of 6.3 percent. The U.S. preliminary rate for April was 5.4 percent, one-tenth of one percentage point lower than the prior month.
The state and national unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted while the county unemployment rates are not. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that eliminates the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from economic time series.

More exciting Summer Reading Program events this week!  This week our Summer Movies begin and sign up for the Summer Reading Program continues.  Summer Reading is for everyone  — all ages are included.  If you haven’t come by the library to sign up yet, do it this week and get started reading for summer fun and prizes. 
This year for children birth to 4 years and children 4 to 12 years the subject is Every Hero Has a Story.  For Teens, ages 12 to 17, the theme is Unmask.  The topic for adults, ages 18 and up, is Escape the Ordinary.  Every book counts toward the Summer Reading Program prizes.  Come into the library, sign up and start reading.  Don’t forget to pick up a calendar with all the Summer Reading Program events listed.
 
Through June and July there will be NO story time.  Story Time resumes in August.  Until then join the Summer Reading Program with your children.
 
June 9 we begin our summer movie program.  Come to the Jennings Community Room, hang out in the cool, eat some popcorn, have a drink, meet some new friends, visit with some old friends (quietly, of course) and enjoy a FREE movie on the big screen.  What’s the movie?  Come by or call the library to find out.  Due to licensing considerations, we can’t print the title in the paper, but it’s going to be great.
 
June 11, we have a Summer Reading Program event called Community Heroes.  For this event you must have your own car or driver.  During this event, for all ages, we will take a trip to the 911 Center for a tour.  We’ll meet some of the local Heroes who stand ready to meet any emergency.  The Library will not be providing transportation, so make sure you have your own ride for this exciting and informative Hero event.  Thursday, June 11, 1 p.m., @ Adams.
 
Don’t forget our ongoing program One Thousand Books before Kindergarten that continues all year.  If you have a child of pre-kindergarten age, stop by the circulation desk and sign up.  You’ll get a packet of materials to keep a record of your child’s progress as well as fun games and activities.  This will be a wonderful addition to your child’s memory book.  Someday your child will be astonished at all the books she read when she was little and too young to remember reading.
This is not a misprint.  We are showing TWO movies at the library this week.  Come to one, come to both.  We will be showing different movies each time.  Come by the library or call to find out what’s on the big screen then join us as the Jennings Community Room becomes a movie theater for a day.  Popcorn and drinks will be served.  Don’t miss it.
 
Summer is always a great time because there’s no school.  It’s even better at the library with movies and books to read for fun and prizes.  Sign up today and have a great summer at the library!

Come out and see me at one of these Town Meetings scheduled this and every month.  I always look forward to meeting with each of you. This would be a great time for more lengthy input from you, the constituents. 1st Friday – Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce from 8:00a.m. until 10:00a.m.
3rd Friday – Depot Junction Cafe in Watertown from 8:00a.m. until 9:30a.m.
Smithville at the Dekalb County Board of Education from 10:30a.m. until Noon
Woodbury Senior Center from  1:00p.m. until 2:30p.m
“Pancakes and Politics”Hosted by Americans for Prosperity of Tennessee
I will be wrapping up the first part of the 109th Session, and answering your questions.
Come enjoy a great pancake breakfast at
 Depot Junction Cafe, Inc.
 108 Depot Street in Watertown, TN
 Saturday, June 20, 2015
 8:00a.m. until 10:00a.m.
**There is no cost to attend, but seating is limited.
Please RVSP tohttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/pancakes-and-politics-wilson-county-tickets…
 

Dr. Anthony G. Kinkel was named the new president of Motlow College during a special called meeting of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) on May 27. Kinkel, who will begin his new position on Aug. 1, will become the institution’s sixth president. He succeeds Dr. MaryLou Apple who will retire June 30. Dr. Anthony G. Kinkel addresses the crowd during his public question and answer session on the Moore County campus in April. Kinkel, one of four finalists to be the next president of Motlow College, was selected by the Tennessee Board of Regents and will begin his new position Aug. 1. Motlow College photo.
According to TBR Chancellor John Morgan, “Dr. Kinkel is a leader with a commitment to service, to helping students reach their potential, and to understanding the workforce and education needs of the communities he serves. In addition to his previous work as a college president, he will bring teaching, administrative and policy making experience to the role, a distinguishing combination. We expect him to carry on the momentum of the campus and continue its progress in the Drive to 55 for Tennessee.”
Kinkel has 30 years of service in public education, including 11 years as a president in higher education. His public service extends beyond education, having been elected six times to the Minnesota House of Representatives and twice to the Minnesota Senate.
Kinkel was chosen to lead Wichita Area Technical College, one of the largest two-year colleges in the Kansas Board of Regents System, in December 2010. During his tenure, enrollment has grown 15 percent, the college’s National Center for Aviation Training was selected by the National Association of Manufacturing to develop the national standards in aviation curriculum, the number of students earning a credential doubled, and job placement increased each year.
Before moving to Kansas, Kinkel served as president of Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado, where he was named President of the Year by the Colorado Community College Student Association, nominated as Business Person of the Year by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, and selected as Innovator of the Year by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Center for Limited Government. While he led the campus, retention rates for underrepresented minority students grew 20 percent.
Kinkel served as chancellor at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville from 2004 to 2007 after leading Maryland’s community colleges as state director for the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. He was also the dean of general education at Northwest Technical College and previously taught political science at Central Lakes Community College in Minnesota.
Kinkel’s early career was in public service, having been elected at age 24 to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where he served 12 years. He was elected to the Minnesota Senate from 1999-2002. He is married to Melva Kinkel, and they have two sons, Bret, 28, and Kellen, 14.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau today announced the winners of the 2015 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards (GESAs). The 11 winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Nashville on June 23.  “Today’s award winners have demonstrated a commitment to our environment that will pay dividends for current Tennessee residents and generations to come,” Haslam said. “We want to thank all of the nominees for playing an important role in the continued health of Tennessee’s air, land and water.” 
 “The quality of our environment directly impacts our quality of life, impacting how Tennesseans live, work and play,” added TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau. “It’s important that we pause to recognize the people and organizations that work so hard to protect our environment while teaching others about sustainability.” 
The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards program recognizes exceptional voluntary actions that improve or protect the environment and natural resources with projects or initiatives not required by law or regulation. Now in its 29th year, the GESAs cover nine categories: Building Green; Clean Air, Energy and Renewable Resources; Environmental Education and Outreach; Environmental Education and Outreach (school category); Land Use; Materials Management; Natural Heritage; and Sustainable Performance. 
In addition, the 2015 awards roster includes one Pursuit of Excellence Award, which recognizes past award winners who continue to demonstrate a high regard for environmental stewardship practices. The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the awards ceremony.
A panel of 22 professionals representing agricultural, conservation, forestry, environmental and academic professionals judged more than 80 nominations and selected this year’s award recipients based on criteria including on-the-ground achievement, innovation and public education. 
Category: Building Green
Sevier Park Community Center (Davidson County) – Nashville’s newly constructed Sevier Park Community Center received LEED Gold certification for its green building strategies in October 2014. The center, built by Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, incorporates rain gardens and pervious concrete to help control stormwater and vegetated/cool roofs to reduce the heat island effect. Other sustainable features include the use of recycled materials from the former community center. The development did not disturb mature trees and the building was integrated into the natural slope of the terrain helping to conserve natural resources and conserve energy through passive heating and cooling technologies. Green infrastructure improvements helped to improve water quality.
Category: Clean Air
Building a Natural Gas Infrastructure (Shelby County) – Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) is reducing area diesel emissions and improving air quality in Memphis and on state highways by building and assisting in the development of natural gas fueling stations. Providing alternative fuels helps to reduce air pollution and address the city’s poor air quality.
MLGW is currently operating the only public access compressed natural gas station in Memphis. In 2014, it built a second compressed natural gas station in South Memphis and there are plans to construct a third one. MLGW has 92 compressed natural gas powered vehicles and four tank trailers allowing them to save more than 37,000 gallons of gasoline and more than 100 tons of greenhouse gas. Last year, their stations sold more than 250,000 units of compressed natural gas which resulted in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, NOx and VOCs, particulate matter and other tailpipe air pollutants.
In 2014, MLGW’s fueling station enabled local companies to switch out their fleets to compressed natural gas because of easy access to their fueling stations. Inland Waste, a garbage collection in Memphis, purchased 24 new trash trucks powered by compressed natural gas; which in turn saves the company’s bottom line 30 percent and reduces its emissions by 90 percent per truck.
Category: Environmental Education and Outreach
GreenTrips (Hamilton County) – The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency established the GreenTrips program in 2014 to educate and encourage citizens to reduce emission and improve air quality in Hamilton County. The program encourages people to think about “green trips” like walking, biking, carpooling or taking public transit instead of driving. Their website allows members to register and log their green trips to get points that can be redeemed for prizes through contests.
The program was funded through a three-year $600,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Transportation Planning Organization given to the agency in 2011. GreenTrips’ staff educates the public about the program at neighborhood meetings, fairs, summits, festivals and work with organizations like the Sierra Club, Outdoor Chattanooga, Bike Walk Chattanooga, Bike Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority and other sustainable transportation organizations. Area companies are taking part in the program like Amazon, BlueCross BlueShield of TN and Unum. In 2014, GreenTrips organized the MoveRight Challenge where Chattanooga-based employer partners competed to see which company could log the most green trips. The competition helped to save more than 83,000 pounds of automobile emissions among other gases and matter as well cut down on traffic congestion. 
Category: Environmental Education and Outreach – Schools
Trevecca Urban Farm (Davidson County) – The Trevecca Urban Farm was formed in 2011 as a way to create good quality, fresh food for neighbors in the area, educate the community about growing fresh food and as a teaching tool for Trevecca Nazarene University students to help food-insecure neighborhoods. The farm includes livestock guardian dogs, heritage goats, pigs, chickens, a worm farm, an aquaponics fish farm, campus composting, beekeeping, an urban orchard, a greenhouse, a vegetable garden and community gardens where they teach the public to grow food. The concept for the farm began because the university is located in an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food or as some call it a “food desert.”  The neighborhood also has a high-crime rate and low-performing schools. Discussions and research began as part of the university’s Social and Environmental Justice Program. The university received a grant from Aetna Foundation and an environmental education grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to build the farm.
The farm helps to conserve fuel that would have been needed to truck in food, helps to reduce crime by turning unattractive deserted lots into gardens, improves the skill sets of citizens and increases neighborhood interaction. Farm staff and students have taught their planting and growing methods to local organizations like Hands on Nashville and have done presentations locally, nationally and worldwide in places like the Philippines.
Category: Energy and Renewable Resources
McMinnville Leads the Way with LEDS (Warren County) – McMinnville converted its entire city street lights to LED’s reducing their energy use, saving tax payers money and providing citizens with safely lit streets. McMinnville is the first city in the Tennessee Valley to totally convert its street lights to LED’s.
Approximately three years ago, Mayor Jimmy Haley decided he wanted to replace city street lights with LED (light emitting diodes) and he began working with McMinnville Electric System to find a cost-effective LED. The city chose an extended life, 15-year photocell to control when the street lights come on and off and saved more money as LED’s don’t have to be maintained as much as the standard street lights. The city also plans to replace outdoor yard lights with LED’s controlled by managed photocells.
Category: Land Use
New Alcoa High School (Blount County) – The City of Alcoa is opening a new energy-efficient high school built on 26 acres of a 350-acre Brownfield site. The site was once home to West Plant, an aluminum fabricating mill operated by the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA, Inc.). In 2008, ALCOA began to look for firms to redevelop the site.
Data was compiled from environmental studies and reports to form a mixed-use development plan. West Plant, who occupied the site for 69 years, had by-products from their manufacturing processes that were disposed of in several on-site landfills. To build the 170,000 square foot high school on the site safely, officials had to eliminate using the landfill area that included various contaminants. They also remediated a 2.5 acre storm water management area once containing settling ponds to make green space for the school campus. 
Category: Materials Management
Lawrence County Recycling Program (Lawrence County) – Since October 2013, Lawrence County’s regional recycling program has prevented more than 35,000 tons of waste from landfills, created more than $200,000 in recycling revenue for the area and helped the county avoid transportation and disposal costs. Recyclable materials are pulled from Lawrence, Hickman, Lewis and Perry counties resulting in a landfill diversion rate of 64 percent. Area students are helping to recycle with 15 county and private schools housing recycling drop off storage buildings.  The schools accounted for 80 percent of materials recycled in Lawrence County. In 2014, the schools helped to collect nearly 1 million pounds of material. The county donated an old school bus dubbed the “Re-User Cruiser” to collect recyclables from schools storage buildings and transport them to the recycling facility. At the Lawrenceburg industrial park area recycling facility, they receive and dispose of batteries, motor oil, tires, paint and electronic waste as well as receive and grind wood waste and transport it to an industrial plant for boiler fuel. In addition, a truck collects cardboard and paper products from more than 200 area businesses.
Category: Natural Heritage
Lower North Potato Creek Watershed Project (Polk County) – Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency has been remediating the environmentally degraded Lower North Potato Creek Watershed for the past 14 years. Dating back to the 1850s, the watershed, part of the Copper Basin in Polk County, was a site of extensive copper mining and processing. To improve the water quality and biological integrity and diversity, Glenn Springs Holdings Inc. has installed and is maintaining fences to restrict access to designated hazardous areas, removed and isolated waste materials, constructed passive and active water treatment systems, captured poor quality water for treatment, diverted water of good quality, enhanced vegetation and wildlife habitat and restored stream segments and wetlands. In 2014, modifications were made to the North Potato Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant allowing contaminated water to get treated for metal removal before going to the Ocoee River.
Category: Sustainable Performance
Enhancing the Nashville Airports Experience (Davidson County) – Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) began implementing sustainability initiatives in 2010 that promote water conservation, energy efficiency, social well-being and community involvement.
MNAA opened a car facility that reclaims water for washing rental cars and a lighting management system that adjusts lighting levels as well as opened solar-covered electric vehicle charging stations. It reuses and repurposes materials including recycled/reused concrete and asphalt to build runways; using recycled or repurposed demolition debris; reusing asphalt millings for roads, shoulders and entrances; using excavated rock and demolished concrete for erosion control and for slope stabilization and reusing tree mulch for berm material, erosion control and matting for new grass seed. It has also implemented an energy savings project upgrading lighting fixtures and motion sensors. The airport has helped educate people about sustainability by presenting their sustainability program at national and regional conferences, hosting community recycling days, working with local contractors on development and this summer they are installing an interactive green screen in the terminal to allow passengers and business partners to learn about their sustainability initiatives.
Category: Pursuit of Excellence
ThyssenKrupp Elevator Manufacturing LEED Improvement Projects (Hardeman County) – ThyssenKrupp Elevator Manufacturing in Middleton reduced their energy consumption by 38 percent in 2014 and in February of this year the plant became LEED Gold certified. The company achieved a Governor’s Award for Environmental Stewardship for the Salvagnini project in 2011.  That same year, it began to work with the Department of Energy’s Better Building Better Plants program pledging to reduce energy consumption. 
To reach this goal, the plant has reduced energy and improved sustainability in various ways. It is maintaining and repairing HVAC units to be more efficient and putting a system in place to control or monitor HVAC, air systems, natural gas and water. ThyssenKrupp added high speed exterior doors to keep hot and cold air from getting inside. They have replaced 28 propane fork lifts with electric fork lifts. It has installed refrigerated air dryers and additional air storage capacity reducing the number of air compressors and saving over 1,400,000 kWh/per.  The plant has added energy efficient bulbs with motion sensors and replaced outside lighting with LEDs. It has reduced irrigation and added low flow fixtures to save over 600,000 gallons of water per year and covered 75 percent of the plant’s roof with reflective coating to reduce the building heat load. ThyssenKrupp is increasing recycling efforts to divert 97 percent of waste from landfills. In addition, it is practicing sustainable housekeeping, pest control and purchase of office supplies as well as setting aside land for native vegetation growth.