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A ONE VEHICLE CRASH RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF A CANNON COUNTY MAN. 
AT APP. 7:25 THURSDAY NIGHT ON US HIGHWAY 70, TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTED THE FOLLOWING;
 
THE DRIVER OF A 2004 CHEVROLET WAS TRAVELING EASTBOUND ON US HIGHWAY 70
SOUTH AND ATTEMPTED TO PASS A VEHICLE TO THE LEFT. THE SUBJECT OVERCORRECTED AND LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT, STRIKING THE GUARDRAIL.
AFTER STRIKING THE GUARDRAIL, THE VEHICLE OVERTURNED SEVERAL TIMES COMING TO A STOP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMBANKMENT. 
 
PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE WAS 28 YEAR OLD, JOHNATHAN W DARROW, A RESIDENT OF WOODBURY.
 
ACCORDING TO THE CRASH REPORT, DRINKING WAS INVOLVED AND TESTS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. DARROW WAS WEARING A SEATBELT.  HOWEVER, THE REPORT INDICATES SAFETY RESTRAINTS WOULD NOT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
 
NO CITATIONS OR CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE ISSUED.
 
TROOPER CHRISTOPHER DELONG TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL WAS THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER.
 

The Cannon County Commission has announced the agenda for the May meeting.  Items for consideration by the commissioners includes:A report from James Adkins on establishing a grievance committee, consider for approval Litter Grant resolution 2018-8 for the 2018-19 year and review quarterly reports, approve notaries, budget amendments and department reports.
According to Commission Chairman Mark Barker, the regular meeting is Thursday, May 3rd at 5:00pm. The meeting will be held in the courtroom of the Cannon County Courthouse.
 

Scouting programs in Cannon County received a boost Tuesday night when the Hilton Stone American Legion Post 279 served as the sponsor of the annual fund raiser. The post is sponsor for Troop 1180 (Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, and Cub Scouts) in Cannon County.Commander Dave Faulkner was the master of ceremonies.  Scouts from Troop 1180 opened the ceremony by posting the Colors, leading the Pledge of Allegiance, The Scout Oath, and Scout Law, and the invocation.
Guest speaker for the program was Brent Bush, who was introduced by his son, Zach, an Eagle Scout.
Former Woodbury Chief of Police Tony Burnett received the “2018 Good Scout of the Year Award.” Burnett now serves as a local law enforcement liason for the State of Tennessee’s Highway Safety office.  The Good Scout is one of the organization’s highest awards. 
Seven table captains assisted with the event, Darryl Young, Lowell Womack, John House, Herb Alsup, Al Bugg Jr., Stan Hollandsworth, and Tim Bell.  Col. Jim Stone expressed thanks to all who participated including Ian Weir, Director or the Middle Tennessee Council Boy Scouts of America, the Trail of Tears District.
 

 As the prevalence of new construction continues to increase across the Volunteer State, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has declared May 2018 as Building Safety Month to increase public awareness of the critical role building codes play in ensuring fire and life safety. 
The International Code Council (ICC) created Building Safety Month 38 years ago to reinforce the importance of code adoption and celebrate the victories of building codes in saving lives during disasters. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is proud to join Governor Haslam and the ICC in promoting the annual campaign.
“The importance of building codes cannot be overstated,” said State Fire Marshal and Tennessee Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak.
 
“Ensuring that buildings are constructed to code helps to limit the risk of death, injury, and property damage. Our team of fire prevention experts work closely with homebuilders, contractors, and other construction industry trades to ensure Tennesseans are provided with the highest level of public safety.”
 
Codes officials in a variety of departments—building, fire, planning, and elsewhere—work hard to ensure buildings are constructed safely. Building Safety Month aims to bring recognition to the work of these professionals as they create safe, resilient, affordable, and energy efficient places for Tennesseans to live, work, learn, worship and play. “Fire inspectors with the State Fire Marshal’s Office have public safety as their No. 1 priority,” said McPeak. “Their hard work ensures the SFMO is fulfilling its mission of protecting consumers by reducing loss of life and property due to fire.”
 
In 2017, the SFMO completed 2,902 inspections of residential structures, issued 124,431 electrical permits, reviewed 879 building plans, and conducted 13,702 inspections of state buildings, commercial occupancies, high hazard buildings, jails, malls, and assembly spaces.
 
Building codes address all aspects of construction, including fire prevention, structural integrity, and energy efficiency, to name a few. Because these structures are being built with such resiliency, the risk of property damage is reduced which may provide property owners with lower insurance costs and save millions of taxpayer dollars in the wake of natural disasters.
 
The theme for Building Safety Month 2018 is “Building Codes Save Lives”, which brings awareness to the life-saving impact building codes have when disasters strike. The five-week-long campaign has weekly themes that showcase the importance of partnering with code officials, advancing communities through science, and technology and protecting communities from disasters.
 
One of the most effective ways to reduce the loss of property and life in fires is to use a fire sprinkler system. Fire sprinkler systems can limit heat, flames, and smoke until the fire department arrives on scene.
 
For more information on Building Safety Month, visit the International Code Council’s website: http://www.iccsafe.org/.
 
For more information on home fire sprinklers, visit the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition’s website: www.homefiresprinkler.org.
 
 

This year saw a Republican primary for voters in Cannon County and 935 persons went to the polls. And her are the results. Only one race determined a winner yesterday, the Circuit Court Judge race: Nathan Nichols got 76.49% (693) of the votes and Barry R. Tidwell got 23.51% (213). In Rutherford County Barry R. Tidwell 73.03% (10,164) Nathan Nichols 26.7% (3,754). Total for both counties, Barry R. Tidwell 70% (10,377) Nathan S. Nichols 30.00% (4,447). 
The primary also saw a few names on the ballot that will be determined in August. County Executive Brent Bush got 98.67% of the votes; County Commissioner District 1 Jeannine Floyd got 95.42%; County Commissioner District 2 Corey Davenport 63.33% Paul Morgan 35.83%; County Commissioner District 5 Kim Davenport 97.92% Sheriff John House 91.71%
 

An area judge seeking re-election has retained counsel to represent him, based on wording in a campaign flyer sent to voters by the campaign of his opponent. Judge Barry Tidwell’s attorney denies wording in the flyer suggesting he allowed a convicted child rapist to reside in the same home as an 11-year-old child. Attorney Brad Hornsby, who represents Tidwell, said his client actually denied the defendant’s request to live with a family member and a minor child. In a published statement, Hornsby said the allegations in the flyer were either intentionally misleading or indicate incompetence on behalf of the other candidate.The flyer in question was distributed by the campaign of attorney Nathan Nichols, who currently works in the legal department at the City of Smyrna. Nichols said he stands by the allegations, and also said court records clearly show what actually happened. Nichols asserts that Tidwell did alter his opinion two weeks after issuing it, but only after being contacted by state authorities.
 

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development today released the March 2018 unemployment rates for each county in Tennessee.  The newest statistics highlighted improved rates during March for the majority of the state’s counties.  
Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties experienced lower unemployment rates when compared to February 2018.  The rates in nine counties mirrored the previous month and four counties experienced a slight increase in unemployment during March.
 
Williamson County once again had the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.5 percent.  That number did increase 0.1 of a percentage point from the previous month.
 
At 2.6 percent, Davidson County’s rate was the same as its February rate and was the second lowest in the state.  Rutherford County also had a March rate of 2.6 percent, which was 0.1 of a percentage point lower than the month before.
Cannon County’s rate for March was 3.1, that is .2 of a percent higher than February.  In neighboring counties, DeKalb, Warren and Wilson all saw a slight drop in unemployment for March. Coffee County remained the same.
The unemployment rate in Houston County decreased a full percentage point during March to 5.8 percent but continued to have the highest unemployment rate in Tennessee.  Bledsoe County also had a rate of 5.8 percent in March, which is lower than its February rate of 6.1 percent.
 
 

United States Air Force Airman Jacob W. Parrish from Woodbury has graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Parrish a 2017 graduate of Cannon County High School is the son of Jennifer Parrish of Murfreesboro and Keith Parrish of Smyrna.
 

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) has been appointed to lead a key joint Senate / House of Representatives Subcommittee in the Tennessee General Assembly.  Pody has been appointed Chairman of the Joint Government Operations Committee’s Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittee.  The subcommittee hears all rules and regulations promulgated by departments, commissions, boards, agencies or councils of state government regarding commerce, banking, insurance, farming, roads, and motor vehicles, among other matters.  They also conduct reviews of government entities which have jurisdiction on these subjects.
 
The committee has scheduled multiple hearings this summer. 
 
Senator Pody said, “I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and will continue to work hard to make good public policy decisions that not only helps Tennessee’s government and its agencies work in a more cost-efficient manner, but that also focuses on serving the people of this state more effectively.  These committees touch issues of great importance to the State of Tennessee and the people of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and look forward to making a positive impact for the citizens of Senate District 17.”
 
Pody also serves in a leadership role on the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as Vice-Chair. 
 

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) has been appointed to lead a key joint Senate / House of Representatives Subcommittee in the Tennessee General Assembly.  Pody has been appointed Chairman of the Joint Government Operations Committee’s Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittee.  The subcommittee hears all rules and regulations promulgated by departments, commissions, boards, agencies or councils of state government regarding commerce, banking, insurance, farming, roads, and motor vehicles, among other matters.  They also conduct reviews of government entities which have jurisdiction on these subjects. 
The committee has scheduled multiple hearings this summer. 
 
Senator Pody said, “I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and will continue to work hard to make good public policy decisions that not only helps Tennessee’s government and its agencies work in a more cost-efficient manner, but that also focuses on serving the people of this state more effectively.  These committees touch issues of great importance to the State of Tennessee and the people of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and look forward to making a positive impact for the citizens of Senate District 17.”
 
Pody also serves in a leadership role on the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as Vice-Chair.