News

The recent heavy rains and winter weather have created an abundance of potholes along interstates and state routes. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has already enacted its statewide effort using all available resources, including contractors, to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.

“Each year, we anticipate severe weather will impact our roads, and we’ve proactively planned for pothole repairs while also addressing winter conditions,” says Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “Our teams have been focused on putting contracts in place ahead of time, enabling us to immediately mobilize and begin repairs. This approach ensures we can respond quickly and effectively, prioritizing the safety and service of Tennesseans.”

Multiple crews will be patching potholes over the coming days and weeks. Cold mix asphalt is currently being used for temporary repairs. Permanent repairs will be made in spring and early summer when asphalt plants are producing ample amounts of hot mix and it’s more readily available.

In some cases, motorists should be prepared for short-term traffic delays during these pothole repair operations. While every effort will be made to perform repairs during off-peak travel times (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. weekdays), some lane closures may extend into the late afternoon, evening, and weekends. We ask drivers to be patient and to watch out for TDOT crews on interstates and state highways. Work with Us – move over, slow down.

Please note – inclement weather, emergency repairs or incidents may disrupt daily schedules. TDOT does not count potholes, keep a tally of how many potholes have been repaired or the cost of repairs per pothole. These repairs are part of normal highway maintenance operations. Drivers can report potholes by calling the TDOTFIX Hotline at 833-TDOTFIX or by submitting an online maintenance request form.

From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest road conditions and live-streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 for travel information or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/myTDOT for statewide travel.

COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 10 AM CST THURSDAY

COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT TO 10 AM CST FRIDAY…

For the first Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills as low as 4 below expected. For the second Cold Weather Advisory, very cold wind chills as low as 1 below expected.

For the first Cold Weather Advisory, from midnight tonight to 10 AM CST Thursday.

For the second Cold Weather Advisory, from midnight Thursday Night to 10 AM CST Friday.

Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. Very cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure.

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.

Keep pets indoors as much as possible.

Cannon County Schools will be CLOSED with Virtual Learning Day 2 for students on February 20, due to hazardous driving conditions and extreme cold temperatures.

The basketball game scheduled for Thursday in Grundy County has been postponed. Cannon boys will now play on Friday night at Grundy vs Community starting at 6:00 pm. Cannon girls will play against Cascade on Saturday at 6:00 pm at Grundy County. The boys championship and/or consolation game will be on Monday night at Grundy County. 

Tennessee State Parks have an economic impact of $1.9 billion dollars in the state and support employment of 13,587 people, according to an analysis by a leading economic consulting firm.

Based on figures from fiscal year 2024, the report by Impact DataSource says the parks created $550 million in annual household income for Tennessee families. Because of the strong performance, state parks generated $111.8 million in state taxes and $22.1 million in local tax revenue. Overall, Tennessee State Parks account for $1.1 billion of Tennessee’s gross domestic product.

“Tennessee continues to invest in a conservation strategy for our state’s future, and Tennessee State Parks are a cornerstone of our efforts,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Tennessee’s natural beauty and rich resources drive tourism and our economy, particularly in rural areas, and we welcome Tennesseans and visitors alike to enjoy all that the Volunteer State’s great outdoors have to offer.”

“We are proud of the impact our state parks have on the Tennessee economy,” said David Salyers, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. “We are grateful to Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly for having such vision and commitment to conservation, and the figures show how that works for all Tennesseans.”

The governor’s conservation strategy, launched in 2023, includes the addition of more new parks than any administration. The plan balances the state’s economic growth, especially in rural areas, while protecting the state’s natural resources. Admission to each of the Tennessee State Parks is free.

The conservation strategy makes new investments in Tennessee State Parks lodges and maintains a focus on making Tennessee’s state parks the most accessible in the nation, identifying and eliminating barriers that may exist for parks visitors.

The analysis presents the impact of state park visitors’ spending in the local region and state, along with expenditures in operations, maintenance, capital, and grants.

Impact DataSource, is an Austin, Texas, economic consulting, research, and analysis firm founded in 1993. The firm has conducted over 2,500 economic impact analyses of firms, projects, and activities in most industry groups in Tennessee and in more than 35 other states.

Peter Allen Snyder, 43, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was sentenced last Thursday to 20 years in federal prison after having pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Snyder also is required to register as a sex offender.

“One of our office’s highest priorities is the aggressive prosecution of crimes against children,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “We will seek to hold these criminals accountable in order to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”

According to court records, on November 21, 2019, Snyder created at least nine sexually explicit images of the Minor Victim on his cell phone which depicted her naked from the waist down. Snyder’s hand was visible in one of the images.  Snyder later distributed these photographs through the internet. The creation and distribution of these sexually explicit images came to light in December 2021, when Yahoo submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The CyberTip contained twenty-five images of child sexual abuse material, including nine of the Minor Victim, which had been sent by e-mail from a Russian-based e-mail service, with the subject header reading “Trade.”

The images of the Minor Victim contained gps data confirming the images were produced at or near the vicinity of Snyder’s residence in Cannon County.  These images also included data about the cell phone used to create the sexually explicit images of the Minor Victim.  When Snyder was questioned about the cell phone following his arrest, he said he had disposed of it at a recycling kiosk.

After serving his sentence, Snyder will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Woodbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case.

The Office of the Tennessee Attorney General urges consumers to be aware before the Super Bowl that wagering with an unlicensed sportsbook can lead to scammers stealing both a consumer’s money and identity.

“Illegal gambling sites can look slick and legitimate, but looks can be deceiving,” said Attorney General Skrmetti. “Illegal sportsbooks don’t care if you win; they care about getting your money and your personal information.  Once they get it, there is nothing the State can do to help you.”

Illegal sportsbooks often look legitimate with professional websites and apps with star athletes promoting them but are often located offshore. Wagering on illegal sportsbooks, especially those located offshore, can lead to outright fraud and identity theft. Tennessee regulators are unable to intervene in disputes between illegal sportsbooks and players, and many consumers have been taken advantage of through these scams.

“Illegal offshore sportsbooks are not going to go away easily. It will take government entities working together to make the biggest impact, and we want to thank the Attorney General and his office for their efforts as we all work to eradicate illegal sportsbooks and bookies from Tennessee,” SWC Chairman Billy Orgelsaid. “Illegal sportsbooks often look legitimate to the consumer, so if you choose to wager, make sure you wager with a sportsbook licensed to do business in Tennessee.” 

It is recommended that consumers closely inspect their sportsbook of choice before placing any wager on a sporting event. Tennessee bettors should be aware that simply being able to visit a website or download an app inside Tennessee’s borders does not mean that the sportsbook is a legitimate business licensed to do business in Tennessee. The licensure process is critically important in Tennessee, as the State is the largest “online-only” sports betting market in the U.S., with over $4.5 billion a year wagered in Tennessee on sporting events through licensed online sportsbooks.

Tennessee’s sportsbook licensure process provides critical consumer protections. Licensed sportsbooks are required to hold reserves to pay out winning wagers, are required to protect consumers’ personal information, and are prohibited from allowing individuals under 21 years of age to wager. Unlicensed sportsbooks do not provide these protections and are unlikely to make things right with a consumer if or when something goes wrong.

Consumers can be on the watch for illegal sportsbooks by looking for any of these factors, all of which are illegal in Tennessee:

(1) the sportsbook extends credit to users to place wagers;

(2) the sportsbook allows wagers to be placed with cryptocurrency; and

(3) the sportsbook offers casino games, such as slots or online poker, or chance-based wagers (i.e., the coin toss or the color of the Gatorade).

To be safe, Tennessee bettors can check the Sports Wagering Council’s website for sportsbooks with active licenses in Tennessee.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers of hay and pasture crops that February 15, 2025 is the final sales closing date to purchase a Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy.

Eligible producers must apply for coverage using form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage,” and pay the applicable service fee by the application closing date. For all coverage levels, the NAP service fee is the lesser of $325 per crop or $825 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,950 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties. Producers can elect increased coverage for additional premiums. 

Beginning farmers, limited resource farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers and qualifying veteran farmers are eligible for a waiver of the service fee and a 50 percent premium reduction when they file form CCC-860. A “beginning farmer” is defined as a person who has not operated a farm for more than 10 years, and materially and substantially participates in the operation. For 2025, in DeKalb and Cannon counties, a “limited resource farmer” is defined as having gross farm sales less than or equal to $227,100 per year in each of the tax years 2022 and 2023 and less than $33,658 in total household adjusted gross income each tax year 2022 and 2023. A “socially disadvantaged farmer” is defined as a farmer who is a member of groups such as: American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Asians, Asian Americans, Blacks, African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and Women. A “veteran farmer” is defined as a farmer who has served in the Armed Forces and has operated a farm for less than 10 years, or first obtained status as a veteran during the most recent 10-year period.

For crop year 2025, pasture (mixed forage for grazing) producers with NAP coverage should report their crop acreage by February 28, 2025 (15 calendar days before the onset of grazing) to have a timely filed crop acreage report. The deadline to report mixed forage for hay is also 15 days before the onset of harvest. To streamline the process, we would also encourage producers who have NAP coverage on hay to file their crop acreage by February 28, 2025.

When a crop or planting is affected by a natural disaster, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 calendar days of the: 1) natural disaster occurrence; 2) final planting date if your planting was prevented by a natural disaster; 3) date damage to the crop or loss of production becomes apparent. 

For additional program details, contact the DeKalb/Cannon County Farm Service Agency, located at 647 Bright Hill Rd., or phone the office at 597-8225, extension 2.

Today, Governor Bill Lee marked the close of the special legislative session and the successful passage of his full agenda, including the Education Freedom Act, a comprehensive disaster relief package, and robust public safety measures to prepare Tennessee to assist in implementation of the Trump Administration’s illegal immigration policies.

“This week, in partnership with the General Assembly, Tennessee passed meaningful legislation to address three pressing issues that President Trump and Tennesseans overwhelmingly support – the Education Freedom Act, additional disaster relief for East Tennesseans, and measures to halt illegal immigration,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “I thank Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton, Leader Jack Johnson, Leader William Lamberth, and members of the General Assembly for acting swiftly to pass conservative policies that will guarantee opportunity, security, and freedom for the people of our state.”

Education Freedom Act

·       SB6001/HB6004: Establishes Education Freedom Scholarships, Tennessee’s first-ever universal school choice program, and further invests in public schools by delivering teacher bonuses to recognize their unwavering commitment to student success, increasing K-12 facilities funding, and ensuring state funding to school districts will never decrease due to disenrollment.

·       SB6005/HB6005: Appropriates $145.9 million for Education Freedom Scholarships (the General Assembly previously appropriated $144.2 million in the 2024 legislative session), $198.4 million for teacher bonuses, $77.2 million for K-12 infrastructure directed from existing sports wagering revenue, and $2.7 million for administrative costs.

Gov. Lee and the General Assembly will maintain their commitment to public schools by further investing hundreds of millions of state dollars in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula and raising starting teacher pay during the regular legislative session.

Hurricane Helene + Disaster Relief

·       SB6003/HB6003: Creates two disaster relief funds to support ongoing recovery efforts and allow for proactive preparation for future emergencies:

o   Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund: $110 millionto establish a new fund that will help local governments manage loan interest for recovery costs by covering interest costs at 5% per year for three years on loans for recovery expenses.

o   Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund: $100 millionto create a new program inspired by the HEAL Program that will provide flexible financial resources for future emergencies, including agricultural recovery, unemployment assistance, and business recovery efforts.

·       SB6004/HB6002: Allows the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to provide relief by allowing the ability to waive requirements as-needed for claimants seeking unemployment benefits and clarifies Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s (TEMA) statutory authority to assist with disaster recovery on public property at the request of local jurisdictions.

·       SB6005/HB6005: Appropriates $110 million to the Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund, $100 million to the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund, $240 million to TEMA to reduce political subdivisions’ cost share obligations of the non-federal portion of disaster recovery costs, and $20 million for the reconstruction of Hampton High School in Carter County, which was significantly damaged in Hurricane Helene.

Public Safety + Illegal Immigration

·       SB6002/HB6001: Creates a robust framework to strengthen immigration enforcement across Tennessee by creating a new division within the Department of Safety, supporting local law enforcement participation in federal programs, and revisiting state-issued identification policies:

o   Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division (CIEO): Creates a new division within the Department of Safety to ensure efficient resource allocation and effective enforcement of immigration laws. Appointed by the Governor, the Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer (CIEO) will coordinate directly with the Trump Administration on federal immigration policies and implementation.

o   Raises standards for obtaining state-issued IDs: Restricts eligibility for state-issued IDs to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals with federal authorization for a specified period, introduces visually distinctive markers on temporary licenses issued to non-citizens, and mandates proof of citizenship for renewal or reinstatement of driver licenses.

o   Local accountability: Creates a Class E felony offense for local officials who adopt or maintain sanctuary city policies in violation of state law and empowers the Tennessee Attorney General to initiate removal proceedings for officials convicted of violating anti-sanctuary city provisions.

o   Incentivizes local government participation in enforcement of federal immigration policies: Incentivizes local governments to enter into agreements with federal authorities under the 287(g) program to assist with immigration law enforcement, detention, and removal efforts and establishes penalties for officials who fail to comply with enforcement mandates.

o   Creates Immigration Enforcement Grant Program: Establishes $5 million grant fund for local governments to assist with training law enforcement officers, operational expenses and purchasing necessary equipment, and other eligible activities to support federal and state immigration policies.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation unveiled two new resources on Wednesday to meet the needs of the state’s growing senior population. The first, TBI Find, is a mobile application, available now for both Apple and Android devices, to connect the public with up-to-the minute information about Silver Alerts issued in Tennessee. The app, more than two years in development, also provides key information to connect seniors and those who care for them with resources designed to support and educate.

“We believe this to be the first mobile app of its kind in the nation,” said Shelly Smitherman, TBI’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge overseeing the Bureau’s Missing Persons Unit. “TBI Find is a powerful tool, giving you instant alerts and vital resources, and it can also be a game changer for law enforcement in an emergency.”

A central part of the TBI Find app is its CareKit feature, which enables users to compile key information and pictures on loved ones, which can be compiled and emailed to law enforcement in the event of an emergency. Though designed for seniors, TBI recommends parents of children consider using the CareKit feature of the TBI Find app as well, as updated information and pictures can be hinderances in any missing persons emergency.

“Too many times we issue Silver, AMBER, or Endangered Child alerts with out-of-date pictures or incomplete or inaccurate details of the missing person,” Smitherman said. “This app empowers the public to prepare for an emergency – before it happens – which can definitely help us help them when it matters most.”

The second initiative TBI launched on Wednesday is its SafeSeniorTN campaign, available online at www.SafeSeniorTN.com. Combining the expertise of agents in its Medicaid Fraud Control Division and Cybercrime & Digital Evidence Unit, and supported by partner agencies and other stakeholders, SafeSeniorTN provides easy-to-understand guidance on a variety of technology, financial, and personal safety topics to prevent crimes impacting seniors. “We’re tired of seeing seniors being victimized, when common-sense advice could have saved both headache and heartache,” said Andy Corbitt, TBI’s Special Agent in Charge of its Medicaid Fraud Control Division in East Tennessee. “That’s why we’ve worked

Mark your calendars! The 19th annual Middle Tennessee Grain Conference is set for Tuesday, February 4th, from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) in Tullahoma, TN.

For nearly 20 years, this conference has provided valuable insights and practical solutions for crop production challenges. Our Extension team, including local County Extension Agents and top-tier Extension Specialists, works year-round to deliver unbiased, research-based information at this event. Continuing the tradition, the MTNGC will feature one of the region’s largest trade shows, with almost 50 vendors and industry professionals showcasing both new innovations and reliable solutions.

Pre-registration cost is only $10 per person thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and the participation of our tradeshow vendors. These fees help offset the cost of program materials, equipment, signage, take-home resources, and conference hats (one per person). Doors open at 7:30am for networking and access to the trade show. Opening remarks start at 8:30am in the auditorium with updates from our partners at the TN Corn & TN Soybean Promotion Councils along with the announcement of Top Soybean Yield Contest Winners. The remaining sessions will all be held in the Auditorium covering topics on Weed Mgmt. & Dicamba Updates, Weather Forecasting, Grain Marketing & Risk Mgmt., and a talk from the Soybean World Record Holder (218 bu/acre). This year’s conference is made possible by several industry partners; of special note, the Tennessee Corn Promotion Council, Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council, GreenPoint Ag., Woodall Grain, Koch, and Farm Credit. The keynote speaker, Alex Harrell (Soybean Yield World Record Holder) is sponsored by Brandt. At adjournment, participants will turn in completed evaluations at the information booth to receive a conference hat and other take-home resources.

Available Credits/Points: Certified Crop Advisor, Commercial & Private Applicator, and Master Row Crop.

Contact Jared Franklin at jfrank57@utk.edu or 615-563-2554 to register!

Source: Jared Franklin, Cannon County ANR Agent

Cannon County Schools will open one hour late with driver and bus driver discretion on Friday, January 24, 2025.

 The director of Cannon County Schools, Ms. Bonnie Patterson, stated, “Cannon County Schools will be open one hour late with driver and bus driver’s discretion. This will allow our bus drivers to have better visibility of roadways. We will notify parents of students who will not have bus service due to icy conditions on a few roads. ANY student absent due to road conditions or lack of bus service will be excused.” Additionally, school staff will report on time, with all buildings being open by 7 a.m. for parent drop-off. Thank you for being patient with us during the impact of two winter weather events.”