To help ensure a safe Labor Day weekend, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) announces they will increase enforcement beginning Friday, Sept. 1, at 6 p.m. and ending Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 5:59 a.m. and encourages everyone to make safe choices on Tennessee’s roadways.
“As summer nears an end, people hit the road for one last adventure. Therefore, we expect to see more vehicles on the road this holiday weekend,” said Colonel Matt Perry. “This is why I have challenged our captains to utilize a variety of specialized enforcement strategies to make Tennessee roads as safe as we can, including watching for distracted driving, commercial vehicle safety, move-over, and seat belt violations. This includes an especially strong emphasis on detecting and removing impaired drivers from the roads.”
During the 2022 Labor Day holiday, 13 people were killed in fatal crashes on Tennessee roadways. That’s a decrease from the 19 vehicular fatalities in 2021. Last year, alcohol was involved in 5 of the fatalities, and 3 of the 7 vehicle occupants killed were not wearing safety restraints. Two motorcyclists and 4 pedestrians were also killed.
So far this year, 263 people, who were not wearing their seat belts, were killed on Tennessee roadways. Because seat belt usage has been proven to save lives, the THP vigorously enforces Tennessee’s seat belt law. The THP has already issued 19,268 citations to individuals not wearing seat belts this year.
“During the holiday weekend as we celebrate our hard work, we must remember to be safe in doing so. I am personally asking that you help us keep Tennessee roads safe for everyone. Choose to make the safety of yourself, your family, and everyone around you your top priority,” added Colonel Perry said.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) announces the application dates for this year’s Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) cost share program are Oct. 1-7, 2023.
TAEP has supported agricultural production projects in every county in Tennessee through a cost share program for more than 18 years and has invested over $246 million in 80,860 producer projects. In their latest study, the University of Tennessee Agri-industry Modeling and Analysis Group estimated that each TAEP dollar generates $6.55 in local economies.
“Producers in Tennessee may defray the costs of strategic investments in their operations,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “The success of TAEP can be attributed to agricultural families who are committed to sustaining and expanding their businesses. TDA’s support from legislators, industry partners, and Governor Lee have kept the program going strong.”
Tennessee farmers who are applying for cost share assistance for the first time and have been farming fewer than ten years may be eligible for the Beginning Farmer option under Application A to improve their operation.
Producers may qualify for up to 50 percent cost share in a variety of programs. Application A covers opportunities for hay, livestock, poultry growers, and row crop producers. Programs include dairy solutions, herd health, genetics, row crop solutions, hay equipment, livestock equipment, livestock solutions, working structures and fence-line systems, poultry grower, and swine producer. The hay equipment program is available this year, alternating with hay storage as an eligible program every other year.
Application B is for farmers with investments in agritourism, fruits and vegetables, honeybees, horticulture, organics, and value-added products.
Approval notifications will be mailed mid-December. Program purchases can be made starting Oct. 1, 2023 and must be completed by the program’s final reimbursement request deadline. Participants should make purchases and submit reimbursement requests in a timely manner to avoid processing delays.
Producers are encouraged to work with their local extension agent or a TDA representative to complete the application. For more information and program applications, visit www.tn.gov/taep or call 1-800-342-8206.
On this International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31, Tennessee pauses to remember the neighbors we have lost to overdose deaths, lift up the families touched by tragedy, and celebrate the brave men and women who have survived overdose and are living examples of recovery.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a worldwide moment of reflection to share remembrances, reduce stigma, and celebrate victories on the road to recovery. In Tennessee, overdose and associated deaths continue to claim too many lives. In 2021, the most recent year of full data, 3,814 Tennesseans died from drug overdose.
In recent years, the emergence of new synthetic substances in the illicit drug supply have worsened the existing crisis caused by prescription opioids. Department of Health data show an exponential rise in overdose deaths due to fentanyl going from 501 in 2017 to 2,734 in 2021. The prevalence of these deadly substances and the fact that they are getting mixed into other drugs or pressed into counterfeit pill form means that it’s never been more dangerous to take substances that aren’t prescribed to you and dispensed by a pharmacist.
“The overdose problem in Tennessee, the lives we’re losing, the families that are torn apart –that’s not someone else’s problem. That’s all of our problem,” said TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW. “We want to reduce the stigma of addiction and celebrate the courage that it takes to say, ‘I need help.’ Substance use disorder happens to people in all walks of life for any number of reasons, but the hope of a new life in recovery is real. We see it every day.”
“We stand in unity with our State partners and all who have a stake in advocating for compassion, education, and harm reduction in combatting the tragic toll of substance misuse,” said State Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, M.D., F.A.C.P. “Let us recommit ourselves to the joint effort that is needed to save lives, reduce stigma, and create a healthier community, state, and world for all.”
“Drug overdoses continue to impact far too many families in our state,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “Today and every day, I’m grateful for our partners who continue to do everything we can to try to tackle this crisis from all sides. We can’t do it alone, though. If you need help, get it. And if you know someone struggling with addiction, do everything you can to convince them to take their first steps toward healing. Doing so might just save a life.”
As many lives as have been lost to overdose, tens of thousands of Tennesseans have been saved thanks to the hard work of the Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists. Since October 2017, the ROPS have distributed more than one million doses of naloxone and trained hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans on how to reverse an opioid overdose and save a life.
For Tennesseans who are ready to enter treatment, services are available even if you have no means to pay. Call or text the Tennessee REDLINE at 800-889-9789 for a free and confidential referral to substance use disorder treatment services.
To mark the day, Tennessee’s Substance Abuse Prevention Coalitions, treatment agencies, advocacy groups, and local leaders have planned remembrance and awareness events across the state. Find an event near you at TNtogether.com/ioad
A ceremony is scheduled for 6pm Thursday on the Cannon County Courthouse lawn. The public is encouraged to attend.
Cannon County Sheriff Darrell Young has announced the return of an escapee from the jail. On Monday (August 28th) Investigators Reed, Crouch and Deputies Myers and Boling went to a residence off Parker Hill Rd.
Investigator Reed made contact with Justin Taggart and informed him that the officers were in possession of information that escapee Justin Michael Anderson was currently inside the residence. Taggart was informed that the officers would obtain a search warrant, if needed. According to reports, verbal consent was given and upon entry Deputy Boling and Investigator Crouch placed Justin Michael Anderson into custody who was found in the living room.
Justin Taggart was subsequently arrested and will face charges for harboring the fugitive.
Anderson escaped the Cannon County Jail on June 30th with inmate Corey Foster. Foster was arrested earlier in DeKalb County. Both are convicted felons.
Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) leadership updated cooperative members about the status of the organization and answered questions during its livestreamed Annual Meeting Saturday, Aug. 26.
MTE Board of Directors gather for annual meeting.
Board Chairman Mike Woods, CEO Chris Jones and various MTE team members reflected on what 2022 looked like, how the organization has prioritized responding to members’ evolving needs and what lies ahead for the cooperative.
“We’re always working on what we need to do today to answer the changing environment for tomorrow,” Woods said. “Your board of directors is very much concerned about our membership, concerned about you, and they’re always thinking about what’s best for our members.”
After 10 years of service as chair, Woods announced his decision to step down as chairman following the Annual Meeting.
“Middle Tennessee Electric is tremendously grateful to Chairman Woods for his dedication to the cooperative and its members,” said Jones. “His leadership has made a positive impact on our cooperative, and we wish him all the best during his next chapter. We are thankful he will continue his service to the co-op as a board member.”
During the Annual Meeting, MTE reflected on a year that presented challenges for both the organization and the communities it serves, including:
Rallying around the Readyville community following the tornado that hit April 1, fully restoring power to the area within 18 hours and coordinating employee clean-up efforts with more than 100 MTE volunteers.
Dealing with the requirement from TVA last December to perform rolling blackouts. Jones interviewed TVA CEO, Jeff Lyash, to discuss the controlled outages and hear about steps the organization has taken to prevent that situation from arising in the future.
Opening new facilities at the Central Office in Murfreesboro that will benefit employees and members.
Rolling out customizable options for members, myEnergyPlan, which allows members to customize a plan that best fits their lifestyle regarding energy usage and billing preferences. New enhancements to the myMTE mobile app also enable members to learn more about their energy usage and take steps to reduce energy consumption.
“We’ve made lots of investments to improve our technology and to focus on responsiveness, because we have learned from the information we gather through surveys and from our members that’s what our members want,” Jones said. “We want to push to higher levels of member satisfaction, so what you are seeing now is a result of research and gathering information, but at the end of the day, we’re simply working hard to satisfy the membership.”
Following this update, a Q&A session was conducted and questions from members were answered live. Members inquired about energy efficiency, controlled outages, rates, electric vehicles, broadband and more.
During this session, United Communications President and CEO William Bradford announced the organization’s plans to expand its fiber internet service to an additional 77,000 MTE members in Murfreesboro. A series of multi-year infrastructure projects will create 1,400 route miles of new fiber-optic lines to deliver internet services to homes and businesses in the area.
Per the cooperative’s bylaws, the election results for four seats on the Board of Directors were announced during the Annual Meeting. Four members were re-elected: Steve Seger – Williamson County; Will Jordan – Rutherford County; Ross Bradley– Rutherford County; and Hal Bone – Wilson County. The proposed Bylaws Amendment to Articles VIII, IX, XIII and XIV were approved by the membership.
MTE board members serve staggered three-year terms, and the Nominating Committee is responsible for nominating next year’s Board of Directors candidates. The 2024 Nominating Committee election resulted in the appointment of Jessica Davey, Karen Paris and Juanita Patton from District 1 – Williamson County; Thomas “Teb” Batey, Jamey Faulkner, Danny Sapp and Richard Stone from District 2 – Rutherford County; Jeanne Melton from District 3 – Cannon County; and Zachary Butler, Ken Howell and Quintin Smith from District 4 – Wilson County.
In an organizational meeting following the Annual Meeting, the board elected Steve Seger of Williamson County to take over as chair, Jim Mills of Wilson County as vice chair and Vanessa Hickman of Wilson County as secretary-treasurer.
United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties hosted its annual Community Celebration Luncheon last week at the MTSU Student Union Ballroom.
United Way’s mission to improve health, education, and financial stability would not have been possible without the help and support of our local community. The Community Celebration occurs each year and is a time of reflection and recognition of individuals, organizations, and partners who have significantly impacted our community over the past year.
The event included recognition of the 2022-2023 award winners: Board Member of the Year, Dr. Jill Austin; Community Engagement Award, Middle Tennessee Electric; Community Impact Award, Pinnacle Financial Partners; Employee Campaign Manager of the Year, Stacy Wallace; Dr. Linda Gilbert Advocacy Award, Deb Thompson; Rise Award, Kennametal; Volunteer of the Year, Fran Jones; Witherspoon Society Award, Chris and Bonita Jones; Young Leader of the Year, Sierra Lowry.
New board members were introduced for the 2023-2024 fiscal year: Brandon Doyle, Pinnacle Financial Partners; Yolanda Greene, First Horizon Bank; Francela Salas, Redstone Federal Credit Union; Stacy Wilder, Regions Bank; Ty Williams, UPS.
Most notably, our local United Way announced a record year of impact – more than $3.9 million in impact in Rutherford and Cannon Counties for the year 2022-2023. This is made possible through the combined efforts of every donor, volunteer, sponsor, staff member, advocate, and community partner.
Another exciting development from this year is the expansion of our United Way’s service area, announced at the Community Celebration. In the spring of 2023, our local United Way went from serving two counties – Rutherford and Cannon – to four. Our local United Way will now serve Rutherford, Cannon, Bedford, and Lincoln Counties.
CEO and President of the local United Way, Meagan Flippin, shares, “This new endeavor is a great opportunity for community collaboration and expansion of our collective impact. This growth is made possible by the donors, sponsors, and volunteers of our local United Way. We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the past year of tremendous impact and look forward to the year ahead for our growing community.”
Cannon County Schools had two separate incidents on Monday, August 14, 2023.
Monday morning, Cannon South was dismissed due to a fire alarm being activated by an electrical issue in the school’s cafeteria. Repairs have been made, and school will resume Tuesday.
Monday afternoon, a bus traveling from Cannon North to the Auburn community was involved in an incident at the top of Locks Creek Road. Local authorities and school and district administration arrived on the scene. Students were transported by another bus to the Auburntown Church of Christ to reunify with parents. The Tennessee Highway Patrol was called and is investigating the incident.
After rising for three consecutive weeks, the state gas price average has moved slightly lower. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $3.43 which is 34 cents more expensive than one month ago but seven cents less than one year ago.
“Gas prices moved slightly lower across Tennessee last week, which is a nice break from the recent trends we’ve seen. Gas prices previously rose 37 cents in a three-week period,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for The Auto Club Group. “While this is a welcome change, it’s uncertain how long this downward trend will last. Last week, gasoline futures rebounded to levels similar to what we were seeing earlier this month. For this week, drivers should continue to expect fluctuations in pump pricing and know that there is a possibility that gas prices may begin to move higher given the recent changes we’ve seen in the market.”
Quick Facts
80% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $3.50
The lowest 10% of pump prices are $3.22 for regular unleaded
The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.74 for regular unleaded
Tennessee is now the 4th least expensive market in the nation
National Gas Prices
The national average for a gallon of gas moved three cents higher after hovering around $3.82 for about ten days, a noteworthy length for price stability.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand jumped from 8.84 to 9.30 million b/d last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased from 219.1 to 216.4 million bbl. Higher demand, amid tighter supply, has helped to keep pump prices elevated. If gas demand remains high, alongside increasing oil prices, drivers should brace for increases in pump prices.
Today’s national average of $3.85 is 29 cents more than a month ago but 10 cents less than a year ago.
Tennessee Regional Prices
Most expensive metro markets – Jackson ($3.51), Memphis ($3.48), Nashville ($3.47)
Least expensive metro markets – Knoxville ($3.36), Chattanooga ($3.36), Clarksville ($3.39)
DeKalb Telephone Cooperative, Inc. doing business as DTC Communications will host its annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria.
Directors will be elected in the Milton, Norene, and Woodbury exchanges. Incumbents Jim Vinson – Milton exchange, Terry McPeak – Norene exchange, and Brian Alexander – Woodbury exchange are running unopposed. Voting for directors will take place at the cooperative’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 16. Gates to the DeKalb County Fairgrounds in Alexandria will open at 8:45 a.m., with voting from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. The business meeting will begin at 11a.m. or once the last person in line at that time has voted.
Only DTC members may vote, and each member must present proper photo identification. For a single membership, only that individual may vote. Either member of a joint membership may vote, but not both. In the case of a business membership, a business affidavit is required.
The last day to make changes to your membership or to be eligible to vote in the 2023 election will be Thursday, Sept. 7. For questions regarding membership and voting, call DTC at (615) 529-2955.
Cannon County Schools is continuing to strengthen measures to ensure a safe environment for our school community. Due to Governor Lee’s new safety legislation, new security procedures will be implemented this school year. Principals were trained on the new laws and procedures and will educate their staff and students. Hiring a new Safety Director and restructuring staff duties at the Central Office will also allow for a more focused and targeted approach to all school safety and student support facets.
William (Bill) West II was recently hired as the new part-time Safety Director for Cannon County. Bill is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. He brings over 36 years of law enforcement and SRO experience to our school system. Mr. West is a certified trainer for the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) and a certified trainer for CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environment Design). He is also certified in threat assessments and the Past President of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). Mr. West and his wife, Lynn, have been married for 37 years and have three children, Will (32), Taylor (28), and Devin (23). He is the proud foster grandfather to Bentley (2) and the proud grandfather to Liam West (1).
Stephanie Alexander has transferred to the Coordinated School Health and Supervisor of Attendance/Data role. Mrs. Alexander will continue her work as the ESSER coordinator, which will end at the end of this school year. By streamlining this position, Mrs. Alexander will have more time to focus on students’ physical, social, and emotional needs and track student attendance. Her experience as a teacher, principal, and supervisor and her attention to detail will strengthen student support and help bring about additional TISA funding.
Director of Cannon County Schools, Mrs. Bonnie Patterson, stated, “We are extremely fortunate to have both Bill and Stephanie in these positions. They bring a wealth of experience to our school system and will add additional support for our students and staff.”
