News 2015

As the temperatures plummet and the icy conditions take hold, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is urging citizens to take steps to keep livestock safe and healthy. “Most livestock tolerate cold weather well,” state veterinarian Dr. Charles Hatcher said. “However, extreme temperature changes can have a dramatic impact on an animal’s health and performance.”
Access to fresh water is a must. Stock tanks and ponds should be monitored closely and any ice should be broken if freezing occurs.
Quality hay, feed or forage is critical. Livestock will consume more hay during cold weather as their bodies use the material to create heat during digestion. If you are not already feeding grain, consider adding it as an additional source of nutrition. A parasite control program will also ensure that feed is being digested and used appropriately.
While a barn, shed or roofed shelter is ideal during a winter storm, they aren’t always necessary. A natural barrier, like a row of trees or a bank, can provide coverage to block the wind and provide some relief from precipitation.
Finally, check your livestock daily, as health problems can worsen more quickly in extreme weather situations. Special attention should be paid to animals that are very young or very old, as they may be less able to tolerate the conditions. Consult your veterinarian with any questions or concerns.
The state veterinarian is responsible for monitoring for animal disease and promoting animal health in Tennessee. The office works with private veterinarians, animal pathologists and disease diagnostic laboratories to identify diseases and determine the cause of animal deaths.

Motlow College Campuses Closing Friday At Noon and Will Remain Closed SaturdayCannon County Schools Are Closed For The Rest Of The Week!
Adams Memorial Library Closed Friday.  Adams Memorial will reopen Saturday at 9A.  Auburntown will reopen Wednesday at 10A
Elizabeth Davidson’s presentation of “Harriet Beecher Stowe: Literary Soldier” at the Dr. and Mrs. J. F. Adams Memorial Library on Saturday, February 21st has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a TBD date.
Auburntown Historical Society’s Meeting Scheduled For Thursday February 19th has been canceled and rescheduled for March 26th
First Methodist Church Food Distribution Scheduled For Saturday Feb 21st has been postponed to a later date to be announced.
Music Night Scheduled For The Cannon Senior Center Friday Night has been canceled.
The entire District 8-AA Basketball tournament championship games have been moved solely to Saturday.  Cannon County will play at 5:00 (Girls Championship) and at 6:30 (Boys Championship)  at Cookeville High School.

Please refer to WBRY Facebook as General Manager Doug Combs keeps all informed of the latest developments of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s State Of Emergency Developments.  Also please check the news story of closings today for added closings and reschedulings throughout the day.  We will be updating as they are called in. 

Two different reports of downed power lines later Monday evening affected over 1040 Cannon County residents.  Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation worked feverishly to restore those lines due to the severe weather.  On average power was restored within a 3 hour period.  MTEMC kept busy working several power line outages throughout its service area.  Reports of 2133 residents and businesses in one area were without power.  The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency activated the Tennessee Emergency Management Plan and declared a State of Emergency Monday night.

Woodbury City Hall will be closed tomorrow. Our service crews will be available for any emergencies. Please call 563-2388 for emergency service. Cannon County Schools will be closed Tuesday and the Cannon County Library System is also closed Tuesday.  The Cannon County Courthouse is also closed on Tuesday.  The meeting of the Woodbury Planning Commission scheduled for Tuesday night has been cancelled. Motlow State Community College announces all campus sites are closed Tuesday.  Staff will not report to work.  Cannon County Convenience Center Is Closed Tuesday.  Woodbury Trash Route will be run as normal. District 8-AA Basketball Tournaments have been called off tonight and they will be rescheduled for Thursday.  First National Bank Of Woodbury will close at 3:00
Tennessee has not received the predicted snowfall amounts from the cold front that settled in the state overnight Sunday. However, there has been widespread sleet, freezing rain and ice making travel on Interstates and roadways treacherous. The National Weather Service continues to show snow in the forecast and temperatures will not be above freezing before the weekend.
Tennessee State Agencies are advising caution when driving in the state and urging people to avoid unnecessary travel as the southern part of the state remains under an Ice Storm Warning. Other areas of Tennessee are still under either a Winter Storm Warning or Winter Weather Advisory.
We have placed all Tennessee Highway Patrol strike teams on standby so troopers will not only be ready to respond to roadside emergencies and crashes, they will also be prepared to assist local emergency management officials and first responders, if necessary,” Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons said.
Some reminders for motorists who must travel under severe winter weather conditions:
Call 511 before traveling into areas affected by severe winter weather for updates from TDOT on hazardous roadway conditions.
Call *THP (*847) from any mobile phone if your vehicle gets stranded to be connected to the closest Tennessee Highway Patrol dispatcher who can send help.
Call 911 in the event of an emergency.If your vehicle becomes stranded or you are involved in an accident, stay with your vehicle until help arrives.
Monitor local radio and television broadcasts, and NOAA Weather Radio, for updates on weather conditions.
Travel with emergency supplies, including blankets, water, a windshield scraper, a flash light with fresh batteries, jumper cables and a first aid kit.
Ensure your vehicle has plenty of fuel and that tires are properly inflated.  
Use extreme caution and take the roadways that have been treated with salt or brine.
Always wear a seat belt and make sure all passengers are properly restrained in the vehicle at all times.
Cannon County as well as most of the surrounding area remains under a winter storm warning until 12 noon Tuesday.
 

Cannon County Roads are covered with ice.  The Cannon County Rescue Squad is urging extreme caution   Ice is covering trees causing them to sag and limbs to break.  There have been reports of a few areas on Judge Purser Road where the tree limbs are hanging down in the road.  There has also been a report on Hollow Springs Road where a tree was down on the power lines.   The weather so far has not affected any Cannon County residents as far as power outages are concerned Monday night.  However many homes throughout the town of Woodbury reported lights continually flickering off and on.  MTEMC crews worked several power outages in the Rutherford, Wilson and Williamson County areas Monday In addition to these larger outages, there were a number of isolated outages where trees had come in contact with lines and crews were able to restore service. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, MTEMC is focused on providing reliable service to members across the service territory. Crews will remain on standby to quickly respond to any outages overnight.
The most up-to-date outage information and weather related tips can be found on our Facebook (facebook.com/MiddleTennesseeElectric) and Twitter (@MidTnElectric) sites, and our outage map (http://www.mtemc.com/status/status.cfm) will show any current outages.

It hasn’t officially been called off yet but the weather may just affect the District 8-AA basketball tournaments for the second day in a row.  Mother nature postponed Monday night’s games pushing them back to tonight but officials will make the call a little later today on whether or not the games will continue as planned.  The Girls consolation and championship games are up for grabs at Cookeville High School weather permitting Tuesday night.  The opening game will be yet another chapter in the dramatic competitive saga between the Upperman Lady Bees and the Livingston Lady Wildcats at 6:00.  This is for third place in the tournament as both teams were upset in the district semifinals.  The championship game starts at 7:30 and will feature the Central Magnet Lady Tigers who advanced to the district tournament championship for the first time in school history.  They will take on the Cannon County Lionettes who make their third straight district tournament championship appearance.  WBRY will have the live coverage of the championship game weather permitting on AM-1540/FM96.7WBRY streaming online at wbry.com, and on smartphones and tablets using the TuneIn Radio app WBRY  

The Cannon County  Republican Party met last week for the purpose of a mandatory reorganization which included electing leadership officers. A large group of party activists meeting in Woodbury elected Jim Gibbs seeking to succeed Chairman Corey Davenport, who was not able to seek reelection. After a majority vote, Gibbs was immediately promoted to Chairman of the Cannon County Republican Central Committee and oversaw the election of the following additional officers: Bonnie Thomas, Vice-Chair; Nathan Nichols, Treasure; Dana Davenport, Vice-Treasure and John Wilkinson, Secretary.
Current officials serving Cannon County as Republicans include: Governor Bill Haslam; Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey; Tennessee State Senator Mae Beavers; Tennessee Representative Mark Pody; Circuit Court Judge Keith Siskin;  Chancellor Howard Wilson; District Attorney General Jennings Jones; Public Defender Gerald Melton; U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander and U.S. Congress Woman Diane Black.
Chairman Gibbs said he was very pleased with the election and happy with the slate of officers he will be working with. On his immediate agenda is the forming of several groups which support the Republican Party such as a local branch of the Tennessee Federated Republican Women’s Club and a Young Republicans Club.
Gibbs said he would like to create an informal bipartisan legislative review group such as the one utilized by Representative Mark Pody in Wilson County. Representative Pody actually depends upon the group to help analyze the hundreds of pages of bills presented to the legislators each session. While Mark votes his own conscious, he respects and relies upon the opinion and advice of his citizen committee. “Cannon County needs to share in that input on Capitol Hill,” said Gibbs.
Gibbs noted, “While short on notice, I would like to invite all Cannon County Clergy to attend Ministers Day on the Hill Tuesday, February 24, 2015 from 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM. This special opportunity will be at the Old Supreme Court Chambers in Nashville. While the event is free to attend, an optional lunch is available for $10.  Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey will address the group. I suggest you register as early as possible.
If we can get a group of Cannon County Clergy who are planning to attend Ministers Day on the Hill, I will try to coordinate a group visit to the offices of Senator Beavers and Representative Pody.”  A registration form can be found on the Internet here: http://bit.ly/1CuX9CO
The next meeting of the Cannon County Republican Party is Monday March 9th at 6:00pm in the Courtroom of the Cannon County Courthouse in Woodbury.  The public is invited and Gibbs personally encourages everybody to attend.
Representative Mark Pody will also hold his monthly “town hall meeting” at the Cannon County Senior Center Friday February 20th at 1:00pm.

The Stones River Hospital is presenting “An Interdisciplinary Approach To Aspiration Pneumonia” Tuesday during a lunch and learn session.  People who RSVP’d by February 9th will enjoy lunch provided by Reeves and Sain as they learn the signs, risks, prevention and treatment of aspiration pneumonia.  Guest speakers, along with a video powerpoint presentation will be the guide through warning signs of this dangerous illness into the opportunities for prevention and treatment.  You are more than welcome to check to see if all of the spots are full for Tuesday’s presentation by calling the hospital at 563-7207  

The Cannon County Central Office has named its district teachers of the year last week.  Kindergarten through 3rd grade is 3rd grade teacher at Short Mountain School Mrs. Judy Cootes.  The district teacher of the year in grades 4th through 8th is Mrs. Gay Burger.  Mrs. Burger teaches language arts to 6th-8th grade students at Eastside School. And the Cannon County High School district teacher of the year is Mrs. Norma Lewis.  Mrs. Lewis is a math teacher at the high school.