News 2015

The Arts Center of Cannon County presents the local production of Disney’s Tarzan The Musical starting tonight.  The performance is directed by Darryl Deason, musical direction by Allison Hall with Choreography by Lauren Johnson Tarzan®:The Musical is based on the Disney film of the same name, which is, in turn, adapted from the 1914 novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The songs are written by Phil Collins with a book by David Henry Hwang. The musical follows the plot of the Disney film: Shipwrecked off the coast of Africa, the young son of an English couple is raised by a tribe of gorillas to manhood, when a pretty English naturalist crosses his path and teaches him about love and civilized  ways. Phil Collins expands his Oscar-winning song (“You’ll Be in My Heart”)   from Disney’s cartoon feature film into a full Broadway score.
Performances run Friday and Saturday at 7:30 & 2pm on Sunday,  March 20th- April 4th. Call 615-563-2787 to make reservations

The American Red Cross encourages families and individuals get prepared during Flood Safety Awareness Week which has been running all this week. Floods are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters. According to the National Weather Service, flooding caused more than $2 billion in damage in 2013. Flooding is a nationwide threat. Conditions that cause floods include heavy or steady rain for several hours or days that saturate the ground. However, flash floods occur suddenly due to rapidly rising water along a stream or low-lying area. Know the difference between a watch and a warning.
It is important to know the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning. You will likely hear weather forecasters use these terms when floods are predicted in your community:
Flood/Flash Flood Watch—Flooding or flash flooding is possible in your area.
Flood/Flash Flood Warning—Flooding or flash flooding is already occurring or will occur soon in your area.
Download the Flood App today.
Download the Red Cross Flood App to have step-by-step instructions on what to do if flooding threatens, even if the cell towers and television are out. Find Red Cross shelters and know what to pack in your family emergency kit. This Red Cross app and more can be found in your app store by searching for American Red Cross.
Now is the time to make a disaster kit.
Purchase a Red Cross emergency preparedness kit or make one yourself with the items below. You’ll be better prepared to withstand a flood if you have the following supplies available – packed and ready to go in case you need to evacuate your home.
Water—at least a 3-day supply; one gallon per person per day
Food—at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food
Flashlight [Available on the Red Cross Store]
Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible) [Available on the Red Cross Store]
Extra batteries
First Aid kit [Available on the Red Cross Store]
Medications and medical items
Copies of personal documents
Cell phone with chargers
Extra cash
Emergency blanket

March is Red Cross Month, a time when we recognize the ongoing work of the people who bring our mission to life. These individuals – financial donors, blood donors, CPR trainees, disaster volunteers and others – are the everyday heroes of the Red Cross; and they are making a difference in communities nationwide and throughout the world.    Today at the Woodbury Lions Club Building Lions Club Member and newly elected second vice district governor Carl Hirlston will have the doors open from noon until 6 tonight as the bi monthly American Red Cross Blood drive will take place.  There is a critical need of blood donations at this time.  Please stop by today and participate in the Blood Drive.  

A Cannon County woman who called police in regards to a juvenile possibly consuming alcohol with relatives present was issued a citation herself for contributing to the deliquency of a minor.    According to Sheriff’s reports, deputy Mike Hainey was dispatched to Main Street in Auburntown.  He spoke to the complainant Misty Mingle who informed him that her daughter had gone fishing in Dekalb County with Ashley Boner and her husband Justin Mingle.  After speaking to her daughter on her cell phone, she admitted to having consumed several beers by “sneaking them out of the cooler” A short time later the vehicle in which they were in arrived in Auburntown.  Deputy Hainey explained to Ms. Boner and Mr. Mingle the basis for the traffic stop and then explained the complaint regarding underage consumption.  Two juveniles were in the vehicle and Deputy Hainey could detect the faint odor of alcohol coming from them.  Both admitted to drinking but also stated that the cooler was about only 20 feet from where both adults were fishing and were in the direct line of sight which gave probable cause that both adults knew about the juveniles drinking.  Boner was placed under arrest for contributing to the deliquency of a minor after she admitted to buying the beer prior to going fishing.  Ms. Mingle approached Deputy Hainey and stated that her daughter needed her purse.  After asking Mr. Mingle if his daughter could have the purse, Mr. Mingle recommended to Deputy Hainey that he ask Misty about the cigarettes she had provided to her daughter.  Deputy Hainey then instructed for the purse to be open at which point several packs of cigarettes were discovered.  Misty was issued a citation for contributing to the deliquency of a minor.  Deputy Hainey initiated juvenile petitions against both juveniles in the vehicle for deliquency.

The American Legion Post 279 will meet on Thursday, March 19, 2015, at 6:30pm, at the Senior Citizens Center in Woodbury. Dinner will be served at 5:45pm ($5.00). Our Special Guests will be Mrs. Lisa Choate from Cannon County High School, and her special guests, LTC (Ret.) Paul Dean who is the JrROTC Senior Instructor at the Ooltewah High School in Chattanooga, and his wife Jenette, Director, Early Childhood Education Programs, Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga.

The Auburntown Historical Society has announced their next meeting will be Thursday March 26th at the Auburntown Church of Christ Fellowship Hall .  This meeting is a reschedule of the canceled February meeting .  Andrea Calfee will be the speaker.  She is the Daughters Of The American Revolution For the Col. Handy Murphee Chapter.  Ms. Calfee will discuss what is required to become a member of the chapter.  The meeting starts at 7:00

Governor Bill Haslam has proclaimed March 18 as Agriculture Day in Tennessee. This day coincides with National Agriculture Day to celebrate the abundance provided by the farms and producers of America.“We thank Gov. Haslam for recognizing the influence of agriculture on our state,” Commissioner of Agriculture Julius Johnson said. “As the world population soars, the demand for food, fiber and fuel continues to grow. Tennessee is helping to meet that demand.”
Agriculture contributes to almost everything we eat, use and wear every day. The purpose of Agriculture Day is to unite Tennesseans and to appreciate the role the industry plays in our lives.
“We want to thank the farmers who produce the crops and livestock, the staff who support the industry, and the individuals who use Tennessee products to improve the world,” Commissioner Johnson added. “Although our state is incredibly diverse in people and landscape, we can all agree to the importance of agriculture.”
Tennessee Agriculture by the Numbers
• 68,000 farms
• 10.9 million acres of farmland
• More than $4.1 billion in annual farm income
• Nearly $1 billion in annual exports
Tennessee’s Top-Selling Commodities
1. Soybeans
2. Cattle
3. Corn
4. Broiler Chickens
5. Cotton
The celebration will continue March 24 with Ag Day on the Hill when the General Assembly will experience much of what Tennessee agriculture has to offer. The event gets underway at Legislative Plaza in Nashville at 8 a.m. with live animals and displays from all sectors of Tennessee agriculture. House and Senate members will compete at 9 a.m. in a corn shelling contest.
Festivities also include a silent auction to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and a sweet potato bagging project for the Society of St. Andrew.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol has announced they will be conducting a Sobriety Checkpoint March 20, 2015 on State Route 53 in Cannon County.Impaired driving is a serious crime that kills more than 16,000 people and injures 305,000 others every year in the United States. Troopers will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. Troopers will target those who operate a vehicle while impaired and take corrective actions for other violations observed while ensuring the protection of all motorists.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol recognizes that sobriety checkpoints are highly visible and effective tools in the battle against impaired driving.

A Cannon County man who decided to recently go for a cruise using a tractor that didn’t belong to him was arrested on violation of probation.  According to Cannon County Sheriff’s reports, deputies were dispatched to a Jim Cummings Hwy residence for reports of an unwanted guest.  While en route to the home dispatched advised that the subject later identified as John Jones was on a blue Ford Tractor and left on his own heading down Toy Denny Road.  After trying to locate Mr Jones one of the deputies who happened to know where Jones lived tracked him down at his residence on Hollow Springs Road.  After telling Mr. Jones not to go back to the Jim Cummings Highway residence, deputies informed him of a warrant for his arrest for violation of probation.  Deputies then asked if the owners of the tractor knew he took it all the way to the other residence.  Deputies then contacted the owner of the tractor and asked the same question.  The reply was that Mr. Jones was not allowed to do so and the owner wasn’t even asked before Mr. Jones went on his cruise.  Jones was transported to the Cannon County Jail for his violation of probation warrant and was given a release citation for Joy Riding.

County unemployment rates for January 2015, released Thursday, show the rate increased in 95 counties.  Cannon County’s unemployment rate increased during the month of January from 5.7% to 7%.  Out of an estimated work force of 5,850 people 5450 people were employed while roughly 410 Cannon County residents were unemployed.  All surrounding counties also showed an increase in unemployment.  Coffee County was 6.7%, Dekalb had the highest of the surrounding counties at 8 percent.  Rutherford had the lowest of 5.5% with Warren reporting 7.3% and Wilson at 7 percent Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for January was 6.7 percent, one-tenth of one percentage point higher than the December revised rate of 6.6 percent. The U.S. preliminary rate for January was 5.7 percent, also rising one-tenth of one percentage point from 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.