News 2015

The Town of Woodbury Aldermen asked and the Cannon County Chamber of Commerce is providing a solid answer. Recently, at a Cannon County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors regular meeting, Chamber President Ron Fryar reported that he had been approached by a Woodbury Town Alderman as to why the City or County did not have a representative on the Chamber Board.  Several board members were in agreement that this would be a positive move to include the Woodbury Town Mayor or an alderman,Town of Auburntown Mayor or town council member and the County Executive or Cannon County commissioner to serve in a ex-officio capacity.  A motion was made at the meeting to ask County Executive Mike Gannon, Woodbury Mayor Harold Patrick and Auburntown Mayor Roger Turney to either serve or recommend someone to serve for the purpose of sharing information with their governing bodies.  The ex-officio member would not have voting privileges and would serve for a one year term.  Chamber of Commerce bylaws would be amended to reflect the three ex-officio members.

A new year end report released recently shows the Woodbury Police Department solved 84.72 percent of the reported crimes of 2014.  The report showed that 122 out of 144 offenses were cleared by the Police Department during last year.  The Woodbury Police made 196 arrests during 2014 with 175 of those being adult offenders.  The report showed that 36 drug and narcotic offenses were reported and 35 of those cases resulted in an arrest.  Domestic Violence crimes totaled 29 reported and 27 were solved while the majority of those cases were simple assault.  No murders, kidnappings or rapes were reported in the Town of Woodbury. There were 35 DUI reports and 12 trespassing cases reported during 2014.    

Guests at the 23rd annual Motlow College Foundation Gala on March 7 will be treated to dinner, dancing, and the chance to bid on some outstanding items in a silent auction, according to Jan Rogers, director of advancement at the College. Planning for the upcoming Motlow College Foundation Gala are, seated, Michael Tevrucht, chief credit officer of American City Bank. Standing, from left, Troy Martin, CEO of American City Bank; Phyllis Daniel, coordinator of advancement and special events at Motlow; Jan Rogers, director of advancement at Motlow; and Michelle Martin, vice president of human resources at American City Bank.
“In addition to having a great time, the gala also is an opportunity for area citizens to show support of Motlow College students,” said Rogers. “All proceeds from the gala benefit our students, primarily through scholarships. It is our most important fundraiser of the year, and we invite everyone to come out for an enjoyable evening.”
This year’s event will be held in the Tennessee Ballroom of the Manchester/Coffee County Conference Center and is sponsored for the ninth year by American City Bank and the Clayton Family Foundation. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. and dancing to the music of Entice until 11:45 p.m. Dress is black tie optional. The cost is $100 per person and tables for eight or 10 guests may be reserved.
A Motlow representative will be contacting area businesses for donations to the silent auction, which is always a popular part of the gala. One item of particular interest in this year’s auction is a judging opportunity at the 26th Jack Daniel’s World Barbecue in October, along with attendance at a judging seminar and two passes to a private party on BBQ hill.
“We appreciate and thank the many businesses and individuals who donate items for the auction, as well as everyone who attends the gala,” Rogers added. “The community’s support is vital to the college and its students. We also appreciate and thank American City Bank and the Clayton Family Foundation for their ongoing support of the gala. Their generosity benefits many students who otherwise might not have the opportunity to change their lives and those of their family by obtaining an education.”
Reservations are required and can be made by calling Phyllis Daniel at 931-393-1543 or emailing pdaniel@mscc.edu.
 

Approximately 8,000 Tennesseans are hospitalized each year with brain injuries. For each patient, there are physical and economic impacts, sometimes causing lasting distress for individuals, families and communities.Health and medical professionals from across the state will gather in Nashville March 17 to discuss new developments in preventing traumatic brain injury. The conference is open to the public and will be held on the campus of David Lipscomb University.
“Every decision and every action we make is dependent on the control center that is our brain,” said Jean Doster, director of the Tennessee Department of Health Traumatic Brain Injury program. “TDH and the Brain Injury Association of Tennessee are hosting this event to bring additional focus on what can be done to help reduce the physical suffering and financial costs resulting from preventable brain injuries.”
Keynote speaker is Chris Nowinski, co-founder and executive director of the Sports Legacy Institute, a non-profit organization focused on reducing sports concussion injuries through education, policy and research. As a professional wrestler, he suffered a serious concussion, developed post-concussion syndrome and was forced to retire.  
For more information on brain injury or the conference, call 800-882-0611. Cost for attendance is $150 for professionals and $30 for survivors and families. The conference coincides with March being National Brain Injury Awareness Month. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, a brain injury can be caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that can change the way a brain normally works. For more information about the association, visit www.biausa.org/.
The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. TDH has facilities in all 95 counties and provides direct services for more than one in five Tennesseans annually as well as indirect services for everyone in the state, including emergency response to health threats, licensure of health professionals, regulation of health care facilities and inspection of food service establishments.  Learn more about TDH services and programs at http://health.state.tn.us/.

One of the primary causes of residential fire deaths and injuries for children under 10 is playing with a heat source, which includes lighters and matches. It’s a nationwide problem that the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office hopes parents will address by following some simple safety tips.“We urge parents to teach children at an early age about the dangers of playing with fire, to prevent child injuries, fire deaths and fire-setting behavior,” said Tennessee Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “If your child expresses curiosity about fire or has been playing with fire, calmly but firmly explain the dangers and that matches and lighters are tools for adults only.”
During 2009-2013, 1,059 fires were reported in which playing with a heat source was identified as a factor contributing to ignition, state records show. Playing with a heat source resulted in three deaths, 21 injuries and $8.2 million of property damage. Thirty-nine percent of these fires were in structures and nearly 55 percent were outside fires. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than 3,500 Americans die and approximately 18,300 are injured annually in fires.
In 2008, Tennessee banned the sale of novelty lighters in the state. These lighters usually resemble cartoon characters, toys, guns, watches, musical instruments, and animals, and often include entertaining audio and visual effects. They pose a serious fire hazard, especially in the hands of children who mistake them for toys. Toy-like or novelty lighters have been responsible for injuries, deaths, and accidents across the nation.
Below are some facts about children and fire safety. Teach your children the importance of fire-safe habits, and practice a home fire escape plan with them today.
Curious kids set fires

Children 14 and under make up 10-15 percent of all fire deaths.

Fifty-two percent of all child fire deaths occur involve those under 5. These children are usually unable to escape from a fire independently.

At home, children often play with fire in bedrooms, in closets and under beds to avoid detection. These locations just so happen to contain a lot of flammable materials.

Too often, child fire-setters are not given proper guidance and supervision by parents and teachers. Consequently, they repeat their fire-setting behavior.
Practice fire safety in your home

Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone, even for short periods of time.

Keep matches and lighters in a locked drawer or cabinet, high out of the reach children.

Purchase and use only child-resistant lighters. Even child-resistant lighters are not childproof and should be stored securely out of the reach of children. Lighters that look like toys can confuse children and cause fires, injuries, and death. Again, they are prohibited in Tennessee. Do not buy or use them.

Teach young children to never touch matches and lighters, and to tell a grownup if they find them.

Take the mystery out of fire by teaching children that fire is a tool to be used carefully by adults, not a toy for children. Never use lighters or matches as a source of amusement for children; they may try to do the same.

Check under beds and in closets for burned matches, evidence your child might be playing with fire.

Develop a home fire escape plan, practice it with your children and designate a safe meeting place outside your residence for the family to gather in case a fire occurs.

Teach children not to hide from firefighters but to get out quickly and call for help from another location.

Show children how to crawl on the floor below smoke, to get out of the home and stay out.

Demonstrate how to stop, drop to the ground, cover their face, and roll if their clothes catch fire.

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Familiarize children with the sound of smoke alarms. Test smoke alarms each month and replace their batteries according to manufacturer’s instructions. Daylight saving time changes, in the fall and spring, are great times to replace smoke alarm batteries if they are not 10-year batteries.

Entirely replace any smoke alarm that is 10 years old or older.

The Cannon County School System is hosting an instructional fair tonight for all parents of Cannon County Students.  The fair will take place from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Cannon County High School and features sessions for all grade levels pre-k through 12th.  Some of the topics of tonight’s fair includes:  Key concepts students learn in English and Math at each grade level.  Suggested activities that parents can do at home to help support student learning.  Tips for Parents in helping your student prepare for TCAP testing and steps to take for college enrollment.  There will be demonstrations by teachers from each school in the Cannon County system.  This fair offers the opportunities to ask questions about Tennessee Curriculum standards, learn about Tennessee Student Assessment Program, Promoting School Family Partnerships and Networking with other parents.  For more information on tonight’s event please contact the Cannon County Schools Central Office and ask for Dr. Regina Merriman or Mrs. Bonnie Patterson at 563-5752

The District 8-AA Coaches Meeting took place Friday in Cookeville.  The annual meeting officially sets the times and place of the District 8-AA tournament.  The coaches also vote on the all district teams, MVPs, freshmen team and all defensive team.   The first round of the district tournament will take place Thursday with three games at Cookeville High School.  The opening round continues Friday night as the Cannon County Lionettes will participate in the third game of the night at 7:30 against Smith County.  Smith County will be without District 8-AA MVP Callie Hackett as Hackett was lost for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. The Cannon County Boys got a first round bye and will not have to play until Saturday.  The Lions will however play the winner of the Upperman Smith County Boys game.  Saturday’s contest is the last of the evening of the semifinal round and will take place at 8:30.    
Coach Matt Rigsby of the Cannon County Lions was named the District 8-AA Coach Of The Year.  Coach Rigsby’s team boasts a 24-5 overall record, finished in the top spot of the district standings and currently has a 11 game winning streak going.  Cannon also has the district MVP as Josh Ruehlen was named MVP of District 8-AA.  Ruehlan shares the spotlight with York’s Colton Blevins for the top honor.  Jacob Nave was named to the first team all district while Garrett McReynolds was named third team.  Marshall McReynolds, Austin Martin and AJ Daniel were named honorable mention.  Marshall and Austin were also named to the all defensive team as well.   The girls teams were announced at the meeting but since Coach Michael Dodgen has not shared that information with his team at the time of this story, WBRY will honor his request from making it public until he has officially given word to the Lionettes.  Congratulations to all the ball players both Lions and Lionettes on their recognitions.  
 

Coordinated School Health and Cannon County Schools would like to promote Random Acts of Kindness week, February 9 -15. Our goal is to help our schools build and sustain a positive school environment as well as support students’ social emotional development.  Goodness spurs goodness; and a single act of kindness, regardless of how small, can influence a dozen more.  Join in with our students and staff across the county and pass on a dose of kindness not only next week, in the weeks to come.    

 A joint investigative effort by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the 13th District Attorney General’s Office has resulted in the arrest of a Smithville man charged with the murder of his girlfriend.                                                                   
At the request of 13th District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway, TBI Special Agents began investigating the death of 28-year-old Ashley Bain that occurred at 3870 Cookeville Highway on February 5th. On that same day, Anthony Tyrone Crews called DeKalb County 911 to report he arrived at the home he shared with Ms. Bain and found his girlfriend unresponsive. During the course of the investigation,  TBI Special Agents, working alongside detectives from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department and the 13th District Attorney General’s Office, developed information that led them to Crews as the individual responsible for the murder.
 
Yesterday, Anthony Crews, 42, was arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder in the death of Ashley Bain. Crews was booked into the DeKalb County jail, where he is being held on a $250,000 bond.
 

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) today officially unveiled the One Stop licensing database which streamlines how customers can apply, renew and verify their licenses.One Stop is a customer-friendly and efficient online resource where professionals can download vital documents needed to obtain or renew their licenses. One Stop also creates more transparency because it creates a new way to verify licensees’ current information, allowing consumers to make more informed choices. 
“We listened to our customers who asked for a simpler way to get the information they need – whether it’s an application form or up-to-date licensure information,” said TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “One Stop is the latest way that the Department is continually striving to improve our customer service.” 
One Stop is an easy-to-use timesaver because it centralizes all licensure applicant information, fees and requirements. Just visit One Stop on the TDCI website at and search using the profession name, regulation name or by topic. For example, if you’re looking for a cosmetologist license, you can search for “Cosmetologist” or search using a related term such as “hair.”
Search results will include applications, renewals, verifications, reinstatements and more. Results will also include a list of requirements, fees and other important information associated with a regulation.
“TDCI is excited to be the pioneer state agency for this effort, and it is another great example of our commitment to Governor Haslam’s Customer Focused Government initiative,” said TDCI Deputy Commissioner Bill Giannini. “We will continue to improve the One Stop licensing database to meet our customers’ needs. As other agencies come on board, it will only continue to improve.”                 
After a soft launch in January, the One Stop licensure database has been increased to include all the professions regulated and licensed by TDCI and its Division of Regulatory Boards which serves 232,000 active licensees in 22 professions including accountancy, cosmetology, real-estate, funeral directors, and home inspectors, among others. One Stop’s other databases include TDCI’s Consumer Affairs division (which include beauty pageants, credit repair companies, debt management and health clubs) as well as those regulated by the Department of Agriculture’s Division of Consumer and Industry Services.