News

Cannon County High School Head Football Coach Matthew Daniel, has resigned as Head Coach effective immediately. He submitted his resignation to Cannon County High School Principal Courtney Nichols and then announced his decision to staff and his team on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Mr. Daniel has been the head coach of the Cannon County High School Lions Football program for the past six years. Mr. Daniel will be staying as a teacher at Cannon County High School, where he currently teaches Economics and US History.

Cannon County High School Principal Courtney Nichols stated, “On behalf of Cannon County High School, I would like to thank Coach Matt Daniel for his contributions and hard work over the past six seasons to our football program. Coach Daniel has filled many roles to help promote the football program at CCHS. I am thankful for the leadership and integrity he has shown both on and off the field. We are pleased that Mr. Daniel will remain on staff at CCHS.”

Cannon County High School Athletic Director Lydia Garrett stated, “We appreciate Coach Daniel’s commitment to CCHS over the last six seasons. We hope to build upon his established foundation and wish him the best in future endeavors.

Cannon County Director of Schools, Mrs. Bonnie Patterson, stated, “The resignation of CCHS Head Coach Matthew Daniel saddens me. He has been a coach of impeccable character and a role model for our Cannon County High School Football program. I sincerely believe Coach Daniel gave of himself completely toward our football program. We are indebted to him for his commitment and service to our student athletics and we are excited that he will still be a part of our staff at Cannon County High School.”

Cannon County High School will begin the search for a new head football coach immediately.

Tennessee’s statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for October 2023 came in more than half a percentage point below the national average, according to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).   The state rate was 3.3% in October, 0.6 of a percentage point lower than the seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate of 3.9% for the month. Tennessee’s all-time low unemployment rate is 3.1%, last reached in August 2023.   The October rate is 0.1 of a percentage point higher than the rate from the month before but is 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the October 2022 statistic.   During the last 12 months, Tennessee employers added 40,100 jobs to the state’s workforce. The education and health services sector saw the most growth, followed by the government sector, and then the other services sector.   In a month-to-month comparison, the three sectors with the most reduction in workforce included the leisure and hospitality sector, the mining, logging, and construction sector, and the manufacturing sector.   TDLWD has prepared a complete analysis of the state’s October 2023 unemployment data that is available here.

The national average for seasonally adjusted unemployment in October inched up 0.1 of a percentage point when compared to September’s rate. The U.S. rate is 0.2 of a percentage point higher than it was this time last year.   Governor Bill Lee has proclaimed November 13–19, 2023, as Apprenticeship Week in Tennessee. The state currently has more than 8,500 apprentices and over 380 Registered Apprenticeship Programs. The learn-while-you-earn model has proven to be an effective way for Tennessee employers to grow their workforce with quality, highly-skilled employees. Additional information about becoming an apprentice or starting a Registered Apprenticeship program is available here.

Do you have cattle, sheep, goats, or equine animals?  If so, you could be eligible to receive payment from the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency. According to Donny Green, County Executive Director, signup for the Livestock Forage Program is now underway and will continue through January 30, 2024.    

The Livestock Forage Assistance Program (LFP) has been approved for DeKalb and Cannon countiesdue to recent and extreme drought conditions that have affected livestock grazing during the 2023 normal grazing period.  LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock on land with permanent vegetative cover or planted specifically for grazing. 

According to the U. S. Drought Monitor, DeKalb and Cannon counties were designated as D3 (Extreme Drought intensity) counties on October 31, 2023.  This designation qualifies eligible livestock producers in the county for three monthly payments.

Livestock producers operating in DeKalb and Cannon counties will need to visit the FSA office in Smithville to report their livestock inventory and complete their application. Customers are encouraged to call the office at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2 to provide some preliminary information that will be needed to process the application. Signup for the 2023 LFP will end on January 30, 2024.

This week, November 13 – 17, the Tennessee Department of Education is celebrating the 9th Annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), highlighting how apprenticeship programs build a stronger workforce and address labor market challenges through a combination of on-the-job training and high-quality curriculum and instruction. Across the state, there are now 45 certified pre-apprenticeship programs to support high school students in transitioning to one of seven different registered apprenticeship programs across 15 different areas of coursework. 

Tennessee is a national leader in promoting apprenticeship opportunities as high school students have access to apprenticeship programs in machining, welding, maintenance, culinary arts, mechatronics, and information technology, being one of only seven states awarded the Pathways to STEM Apprenticeships. 

To spotlight the nationwide celebration of NAW, Governor Bill Lee issued a proclamation, highlighting the vital role apprenticeships play in expanding workforce opportunities for Tennesseans. Throughout the week, the department will spotlight innovative apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities on social media using #NAW2023 and #ApprenticeshipTN.

“This week, we are proud to highlight apprenticeship opportunities in Tennessee, as they provide students with practical learning experiences and enable them to gain valuable skills in various industries, increasing their chances of future success in the workforce,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education.

Registered apprenticeship programs combine paid coursework and on-the-job training from Tennessee employers to provide enriching and valuable learning opportunities for students. Certified pre-apprenticeship programs can be paid or unpaid opportunities, but like apprenticeships, can be done in a district’s work-based learning courses.

To learn more about apprenticeships in Tennessee, visit the ApprenticeshipTN webpage here.

A variety of upgrades have been announced for the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency’s (UCHRA) transit services in the coming weeks.

Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 14, UCHRA Public Transportation will begin charging a flat rate of $2 each way for in-county travel. Special discounts, for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans, are also available for eligible passengers.

In another move to improve overall efficiency, a new trip management software will go live next week; allowing UCHRA Public Transportation to be more efficient without requiring passengers to schedule trips on specific days and providing a more user-friendly experience for passengers.

“Our old fare system was designed to encourage passengers from outlying areas of the county to coordinate their trips on certain days to improve efficiency,” said Holly Montooth, UCHRA Public Transportation Director. “We can introduce a more straightforward fare structure as a result.

“We’re very excited to bring these technological innovations to our rural public transportation users in the Upper Cumberland region,” Montooth added. “We’re also thrilled to announce the launch of the UCHRA Transportation app.”

In the coming weeks, a new app, UCHRA Transportation, will also launch. The UCHRA Transportation app is designed to better serve the agency’s existing PickUp Upper Cumberland passengers who currently access this popular on-demand service through the Uber app. This new app, UCHRA Transportation, is available for download via the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.

For more information about UCHRA’s Public Transportation services, visit www.ucpublictransit.com or call 833-828-7477 to connect with the department’s call center.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced today a record-breaking number of students applied for Tennessee Promise program in the most recent application cycle that closed on November 1, 2023.

Preliminary data for the High School Class of 2024 show that over 66,000 high school seniors applied for Tennessee Promise, an increase of 3.6% over the Class of 2023. Surpassing last year’s record, the Class of 2024 now holds the highest number of applicants since the inception of the Tennessee program in 2015.

“This is an exciting moment as record numbers of Tennessee students took the first step in their pursuit of a postsecondary credential,” said Tennessee Promise Program Director James Snider. “We are thankful for the efforts of our college access partners and professional school counselors in highlighting the program and encouraging students to pursue a brighter future. This news, along with increases in fall 2023 enrollment at postsecondary institutions across Tennessee, paints a compelling picture of the future for Tennessee students.”

The Tennessee Promise program includes a last-dollar scholarship that provides recent high school graduates the opportunity to complete an associate degree, certificate, or diploma program free of tuition and mandatory fees at a public community college, a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), or a public or private university with an eligible associate degree program. As a last-dollar scholarship, Tennessee Promise funds the remaining balance of tuition and mandatory fees after all other gift aid has been applied. The program pairs Tennessee Promise students with a mentor and support through the state’s partnering organizations, tnAchieves and The Ayers Foundation.

Each year, THEC produces a report outlining the impact of Tennessee Promise. The annual report presents descriptive data on Tennessee Promise applicants and students, student outcomes, student transfer behavior, and program finances. Today, THEC released the Tennessee Promise Annual Report for 2023 with several key findings:

• From the inception of Tennessee Promise in 2015 through spring 2023, over 126,000 students have been served by Tennessee Promise at public institutions.
• More Tennessee Promise students are enrolling at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) than in any previous cohort. In 2022-23 cohort, 16.6% of Tennessee Promise students first enrolled at a TCAT.
• As of fall 2022, nearly 19,000 Tennessee Promise students have transferred to a Tennessee public university to continue their education. Over 41,000 Tennessee Promise students have earned a credential since the program began.

Nashville, TN—The Tennessee Department of Education has released the calculation to generate A-F letter grades for schools, in alignment with state law.

School Letter Grades will measure how the state’s K-12 schools are serving students and helping them succeed academically.

In 2016, T.C.A. § 49-1-228 was established and required the department to develop a school letter grading system beginning in the 2017-18 school year in order to provide parents and families with a rating system for school performance. Following passage of the legislation, testing administration issues and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed a roll-out of school letter grades as part of Tennessee’s state accountability system; however, the law will be implemented for the first time this year. 

Over the past several months, the department has invited Tennesseans across the state to engage on this topic via public town halls, a working group of stakeholders, and a public comment opportunity to discuss legal requirements for the calculation. 

The calculation to generate A-F letter grades for schools, presented today to the State Board of Education, includes up to four separate indicators—overall success rate for achievement, overall growth, growth for the lowest performing 25% of students in the school, and a college and career readiness indicator—and will differentiate between elementary and middle schools, and high schools. Schools will receive a sub-score for each indicator, ranging from levels 1-5, and each sub-score will be multiplied by assigned weights to generate an aggregate score then will be cross walked to determine the school’s letter grade. 

“School letter grades will be a powerful communication mechanism for our parents and families, which is why it is so important to ensure the calculation of the letter grade is clear and easy-to-understand, and I deeply appreciate all the stakeholders across the state who have engaged with us during this process,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “While we cannot satisfy all priorities and perspectives that were shared, we believe we have developed a calculation for school letter grades that aligned with the spirit of the law and will more meaningfully differentiate school performance to parents, and I look forward to continuing to work with our stakeholders to focus on continuous improvement and deliver the best for all our students.”

During August and September, nearly 300 public comments were submitted from Tennesseans on their top priorities for measuring a school’s academic success, and how the state should measure progress towards those priorities. Public comments were submitted via e-mail, written, and also during the 10 town halls hosted in each region of the state.

In October, the department held five working group meetings to review the public comment submitted and make recommendations on the new calculations for each letter grade. Working group members represented district and school leaders, elected officials, parents, and education stakeholders.

Learn more about these school letter grades here. For media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.  

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is encouraging all Tennesseans to look at the prescription medications in their homes and prepare to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to encourage the safe and secure disposal of potentially addictive and otherwise harmful prescription medications.  In Tennessee, community groups including the state’s Substance Use Prevention Coalitions team up with local law enforcement and other partners to host Take Back Day events.  The events serve to collect thousands of pounds of medications while also providing opportunities to start conversations about preventing substance misuse and addiction.

Find a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event near you at TNtogether.com/takebackday

In the last National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in April of this year, agencies collected more than 8,200 pounds of medications at more than 120 locations across Tennessee.  Since the start of Take Back Day, Tennesseans have safely and securely disposed of more than 350,000 pounds of medications.

Tennesseans who miss out on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day can still safely and securely dispose their medications at one of 383 permanent drug drop boxes across the state.  These drop boxes are located in many pharmacies, police precincts, and sheriff’s offices.  Find a permanent drug drop box near you at this link: tdeconline.tn.gov/rxtakeback

Members of the Cannon County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will be accepting unused and outdated prescription drugs. You can drop off those items at Woodbury Drug Center 604 West Main Street between 10 A.M. AND 2 P.M.

Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. It’s dangerous and often tragic. Everyone is encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in safely and anonymously any prescription drugs. The members of the Cannon County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition ask you to not be an unintended dealer.

The Cannon County Health Departmentwill participate in the statewide Fight Flu ’23 effort on Nov. 1, 2023, and provide free flu shots to all Tennesseans who are eligible, six-months and older.

‘’We want to protect as many people as we can in our communities from the flu,” County Director, Michael Railling, MPH, CPH said. “Getting an annual flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and everyone around you.”

Cannon County Health Department will provide free flu shots on Nov. 1, 2023, at the Cannon County Health Department located at 106 Alexander Drive, Woodbury. The hours of operation will be from8:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

An appointment is not needed to receive a free flu vaccine at the Cannon County Health Department’s Fight Flu ’23 event.

Also, the flu vaccine will remain free to anyone eligible to receive it at all local health departments across the state throughout flu season.

The flu vaccine is safe and effective and can protect individuals against the most common types of flu, and the virus’s worst symptoms and outcomes.

The flu virus is very contagious. Pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and people with certain medical conditions are at the highest risk of severe complications from the flu. Annually, more than 7.5 million illnesses, 400,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths could be prevented in the U.S. if more people chose to get the flu vaccine.

To prevent spreading the flu virus to others, follow precautions such as proper hygiene and handwashing, cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and stay home if you are sick.

For more information about the flu virus and Fight Flu ‘23, visit tn.gov/health/fightflu. For information about getting a free flu shot, contact the Cannon County Health Department at 615-563-4243.

Cannon County Schools holds the safety of our students, faculty, and staff as a top priority. With this in mind, Safety Director Bill West would like to announce that the school system will be holding a Safety Drill Week at each campus the week of Oct. 23rd. The school district already holds drills of different types throughout the school year mandated by the state and allows the students and staff to practice procedures for many situations. This particular awareness week is of importance to not only practice our procedures but also is a reminder to families to please have conversations with their children about school safety and personal safety in general. Mr. West stated, “Our school system can’t be successful without the support of parents, and we believe that this particular week is important for your children to see what this means to you. Also, be aware that if you arrive at your child’s campus and find the doors locked and are informed of a drill in progress, please be patient with us and know the drill will not take very long.”