The deadline for qualifying as a candidate in this year’s elections was yesterday at Noon. Voters will have a choice for several positions, other seats will remain with the incumbents.

The county commission will see the most change this year.  Commission Chairman Greg Mitchell and Commissioner Corey Davenport are leaving to run for the County Executive seat. Current County Executive Brent Bush will not run for re-election. Commissioners Russell Reed, Jeannine Floyd, Ronnie Mahaffey and Jim Bush are leaving the board.  In all six of the 10 seats will be open.

Three of the five seats on the Board of Education are open this year. Districts 2, 4 and 5 are on the ballot this year.

The position of Sheriff, Trustee, Circuit Court Clerk and Road Commission Zone 1 are contested.

Jennings H Jones – District Attorney General (R)

Mark Rogers – Circuit Court Judge Division 1

Mike Jones – Circuit Court Judge Division 1

Jimmy Turner – Circuit Court Judge Division 2 (R)

Barry Tidwell – Circuit Court Judge Division 3 (R)

Jo Atwood – Circuit Court Judge Division 4 (R)

Darrell Scarlett – Circuit Court Judge Division 5 (R)

Howard Wilson – Chancellor District 16 (R)

Gerald Melton – Public Defender (R)

Matt Cowan – General Sessions Judge (R)

Tony Cain – General Session Judge (R)

Corey Davenport – County Executive (R)

Greg Mitchell – County Executive

Andy Parker – Commission District #1

Nathan Sanders – Commission District #1

Nathan Luna – Commission District #1 (R)

Chris Alexander – Commission District #1

Bobby Moore – Commission District #2

James Adkins – Commission District #2

Karen Ashford – Commission District #2

Chris Singleton – Commission District #2

Walter Mears – Commission District #3

Curtis George – Commission District #3

Brent Brandon – Commission District #4

Randy Gannon – Commission District #4

Tony Burnett – Commission District #5

Krystal Alexander – Commission District #5

Andrew Olsen – Commission District #5

Darrell Young – Sheriff

Brad Hall – Sheriff

John House – Sheriff

Lana Jones – County Clerk

Sandy Hollandsworth – Register of Deeds

Norma Knox – Trustee

Millie Mingle – Trustee

Shammah Todd – Trustee

Rebecca Tramel – School Board District 2

Jennifer Duggin – School Board District 2

Carly Gannon – School Board District 4

Jessica Curtis – School Board District 4

Aletha Thomas – School Board District 5

Sebrina Young – School Board District 5

Katina George – Circuit Court Clerk

Paula Brandon – Circuit Court Clerk

Barry Burt – Road Commission Zone 1

Terry Horn – Road Commission Zone 1

Doyle Duke – Road Commission Zone 2

Jimmy Williams – Road Commission Zone 3

(R) – indicates the candidate will be running as a Republican.

The Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) and the Cumberland Area Investment Corporation (CAIC) are looking for a new crop of farmers to assist with the agencies’ Farm Loan funding opportunities.
Offering low-interest, fixed-rate loans, the Farm Loan program can provide a minimum of $7,500 to a maximum of $25,000 for up to seven years to Upper Cumberland farmers. This program is open for all Upper Cumberland farms and farmers. Applicants will need to provide the farm address, proof of ownership or lease, as well as complete an application, and provide financial information.

“We are thankful to be able to offer this loan program designed to support Upper Cumberland farmers grow their operations and continue to provide the valuable resources they supply the region’s citizens.” said Megan Choate, Director of Lending and Economic Development.

The goal of the farm loan program is to support farming operations of all sizes in the Upper Cumberland region and expand their farming operation. The loan program can be used in conjunction with other farming support programs such as the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) and the Agricultural Enterprise Fund (AEF) offered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Loan funds can be used for a variety of needs; primarily equipment. Examples include but are not limited to hay rakes, hay and storage barns, bush hogs, hay wagons, trailers, cattle handling equipment, a diary expansion, beehives, and honey processing equipment, coolers, irrigation, greenhouse construction and materials, grain bins, augers, aeration, drying and stirring equipment, specially equipped no-till drills, and specialty equipment square balers.

The farm loan does have restrictions and cannot be used for administrative or overhead costs, paying off existing debt, purchase of property, travel, salaries, wages, purchase of livestock, general motorized equipment (including mowers, tractors, and trucks), inputs (including fertilizer, gasoline, operation supplies, pesticides, or seed stock), fencing, clearing of land, general maintenance or renovations, water source creation such as ponds or wells, or normal costs associated with farming.

To discuss the Development District’s Farm Loan program and other possible resources, call
Jesse Villard at (931) 476-4132 or via email jvillard@ucdd.org.

The Fourteenth Annual Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards honored volunteers from 66 counties (including Cannon County) on February 13th at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin, TN. The awards celebrate the efforts of 115 volunteers statewide, who have strived to improve their communities through service.

One youth and one adult volunteer were selected from participating counties to receive this prestigious award. Nominees were judged based on the community’s need of the volunteer service performed, initiative taken to perform the service, creativity used to solve a community problem and impact of the volunteer service on the community. The individual awards are sponsored by Tracy Van de Vate and Betty White.

Wade McMackins – Cannon County Adult Honoree – Wade McMackins is a former Art Instructor at Middle Tennessee State University. Since June 2021, he has volunteered his time teaching art classes every Tuesday and Thursday at the Cannon County Senior Center. Wade also volunteers as a Cannon County Board of Education School Board Member; is a broadcast sports announcer for the Cannon County High School football team; and developed and coached the Cannon County Middle School and High School Trap Teams. He is a board member of the Cannon County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Following the death of his son to a drug overdose, Wade passionately educates the community about addiction and strives for a drug free society.

Alyssa Calamia – Cannon County Youth Honoree – Alyssa Calamia has served with her county 4-H program, Future Farmers of America chapter, and Beta Club for over 4 years. Alyssa is highly involved with the 4-H Health Rocks! mentoring program for at-risk youth at Auburn Elementary School, leading them through activities that focus on good decision making, planning for their futures, and healthy ways to cope with stress. She also helped facilitate a cheer camp for West Side Elementary students, put together care packages for nursing homes, made gift bags for teacher appreciation, and helped set up the stage for pageants at the Good Ole Days festival.

The Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards also includes business and non-profit categories. One business and one non-profit were selected from each of Tennessee’s three Grand Regions for their outstanding community involvement and service. The business honorees include, Be Caffeinated, East Tennessee Business Honoree; Abney CPA, Middle Tennessee Business Honoree; and Dannuhcakes Sweet Shop, West Tennessee Business Honoree. The business awards are sponsored by Advance Financial 24/7. The non-profit honorees include, Appalachia Service Project, East Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree; Habitat for Humanity Williamson and Maury Counties, Middle Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree; and The Junior League of Memphis, West Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree. The non-profit awards are sponsored by Friends of Volunteer Tennessee.

“Each year, 1.6 million Tennessee volunteers give more than 137 million hours of service, contributing the equivalent of $3.3 billion to Tennessee’s economy. By giving of their time and talents to fulfill needs that would otherwise go unmet, they embody the spirit of giving,” said Volunteer Tennessee Executive Director, Jim Snell.

Volunteer Tennessee coordinates the Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards at the state level. Volunteer Tennessee is the 25 member, bipartisan citizen board appointed by the Governor to oversee AmeriCorps and service-learning programs and to advance volunteerism and citizen service to solve community problems in the Volunteer State.

The recent wave of extreme cold weather has led to a wave of increased energy bills for many Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) members.

Heating and cooling costs can account for as much as half of a single-family home’s energy use. When temperatures drop, running the heater for long periods can result in a significantly higher bill, even if you don’t adjust the setting on your thermostat. While the temperature may remain the same inside your home, lower temperatures outside mean your home’s heating system must work harder to maintain the temperature indoors. 
 
These effects will be especially noticeable in the February electric bills. With the average temperature for January at 37 degrees, your HVAC unit was working hard to keep you warm. In addition, snow led to school closures, meaning kids were at home using more electricity during the day. 
 
When looking at your bill, make sure to note the increase in your kWh use. This will help you understand why the amount of your bill has increased.
 
“We understand that unforeseen circumstances or surprisingly high energy use can present a financial challenge for our members,” stated Robert White, MTE vice president of community relations and member services. “Having 26 days in a single month where we dropped below freezing will absolutely impact the bills, and we encourage members to reach out if they are having trouble paying their bill. While MTE’s rates are 25% below the national average, when the temperature falls below 32 degrees, our normally efficient heat pumps become inefficient.”
 
MTE has many bill payment options that can help our members, such as variable and fixed budget billing, to ease the large swings that occur with extreme temperatures. “MTE is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative; we’re here to help our members,” White continued. “MTE has payment options for almost every situation and wants to work with our members. And for those members not on traditional payment programs, such as prepay, the cooperative can provide options and arrangements for them too.”
 
White encourages members to contact MTE at 877-777-9020 or through the online portal at mte.com to learn more about options for assistance.
 
MTE also has energy assistance funds available to members who financially qualify through local community help agencies. A list of those agencies can be found at https://www.mte.com/CommunityHelpAgencies. Please check this site often for updates as more funds become available from state and federal programs.
 
White stressed that the best way to keep energy bills down during a period of extreme cold is to be aware of your home’s energy habits. MTE provides a number of tools to do this – members can view their daily energy usage through the myMTEMC app. This will help to identify times where using less electricity can make the most significant impact. To sign up for myMTEMC, go to mte.com and click on the ‘My Account’ icon or download the myMTEMC app from the app store on your mobile device. Members can also sign up for power usage alerts, which will alert members by email when their daily usage is above their designated threshold. 
 
To help save in the future, MTE has a team of energy efficiency experts ready to help members manage their electric use. Go to mte.com for more information about our energy services.

Helpful citizens have assisted authorities with rounding up a career bank robber from Cannon County. 

Clifton Knight is accused of hitting three Middle Tennessee banks over a five-week period. 

Surveillance images show the suspect on January 4th at a Green Hills bank. Federal Investigators say he demanded 100s and 50s and used a clear bag for the cash, making off with more than $3,500. A witness noticed his getaway car and took a picture of the license plate, ultimately leading investigators back to Knight, but not before they say he hit two more banks. 

Investigators say surveillance images captured on February 4th at a bank in Hermitage show Knight wearing the same denim vest, grey-colored hooded sweatshirt, glasses and a black gaiter. 

Four days later, February 8th at a bank on Donelson Pike. They say a man matching Knight’s description requested the same denominations, making off with around $5,000. In this case, a witness followed the getaway car, taking photos of the license plate and leading investigators to 59-year-old Knight of Woodbury, Tenn. 

In 2012, Knight was convicted and sentenced to 37 months after pleading guilty to robbing a bank in Hermitage. He is now being held in Kentucky as he faces federal charges in Middle Tennessee.

His last visit in the Cannon County jail was in 2005.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and the Cannon County Child Advocacy Center wants you to, “Talk About It!” with your teens. Prevention starts with understanding the signs, symptoms, and causes of teen dating violence and what you can do to help.

What is dating abuse and dating violence? According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s project love is respect, “dating abuse is a pattern of coercive, intimidating, or manipulative behaviors used to exert power and control over a partner.” Here is a list of common signals:

·       Physical violence – a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by hitting, kicking, or using another type of physical force.

·       Sexual violence – forcing or attempting to force a partner to take part in a sex act and or sexual touching when the partner does not or cannot consent. It also includes non-physical sexual behaviors like posting or sharing sexual pictures of a partner without their consent or sexting someone without their consent.

·       Psychological aggression – the use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm a partner mentally or emotionally and/or exert control over a partner.

·       Stalking – a pattern of repeated, unwanted attention and contact by a partner that causes fear or concern for one’s own safety or the safety of someone close to the victim.

The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school students in Tennessee conducted by the Center for Disease Control reported that about 1 in 11 female and 1 in 14 male high school students have experienced physical dating violence in the last year, and about 1 in 8 female and 1 in 26 male high school students have experienced sexual dating violence in the last year. The survey also found that 25% of women and 15% of men who encounter dating violence in their lives will have their first experience before they turn 18.

If left unaddressed, teen dating violence can lead teens to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression, begin using substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, experience thoughts of suicide, and create problems in future relationships. Call the Child Advocacy Center at 615-563-9915 for local and national resources to make starting and continuing the conversation easier for both parents and teens.

Every year, love is respect educates communities on the signs, symptoms, and effects that dating violence can have on teenagers. “Talk About It!” is love is respect’s call to action for young people and those who support them to engage in meaningful conversations about healthy relationships and navigate what may be unhealthy or abusive. Their website, loveisrespect.org, offers 24/7 information, support, and advocacy to people ages 13 to 26 who might have questions or concerns about their relationships. There are also resources for parents and guides on how to let teens know they are not alone and that they can seek help when they feel like they are in an unhealthy relationship.

The Child Advocacy Center works as a multi-disciplinary team with the Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office to respond to child abuse cases, investigate the crime, aggressively prosecute offenders, help children heal from the trauma, and help families rebuild their shattered lives.  

The Cannon County Child Advocacy Center offers Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention program to members of our community. To learn how you can help to protect children, contact Amanda Hammond or Carrie Norvell at 615-563-9915 or ahammond@cannoncac.org or cnorvell@cacrutherford.org. 

For more information on teen dating violence, visit https://www.loveisrespect.org/talk-about-it/ or https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/teendatingviolence/fastfact.

The Tennessee Department of Education announced the 68 districts that have received statewide recognition as Best for All Districts for significantly investing federal COVID-19 stimulus funding to drive student achievement and improving academic outcomes. Cannon County is one of those districts.

Best for All Districts will receive financial, operational, celebratory, and resource benefits in appreciation for districts’ planned investments to spend their share of the $3.58 billion in federal COVID-19 relief and stimulus funding directly on services, resources and supports that will help students achieve academically. Governor Bill Lee announced a Day of Recognition in honor of Best for All Districts on Friday. Additionally, each Best for All district was awarded grant funds from the department’s ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) funds, with the full grant funding for Best for All Districts totaling more than $15 million.  

Access the full list of Best for All Districts here and the list of individual grant allocations here. 



“Tennessee’s ‘Best For All’ districts have gone above and beyond to invest strategically in student achievement, address learning loss, and drive positive outcomes,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “As we continue to prioritize students, I commend each of these high-performing districts for their hard work and thank our teachers and administrators for their commitment to providing high-quality education across Tennessee.”   

“Tennessee’s Best for All districts are truly deserving of this recognition for their strong commitment to strategically investing in their students at a time when there were literally billions of other opportunities to spend,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Our kids deserve the best possible education we can provide them, and I am proud to honor our Best for All districts for their leadership in putting a clear focus on academic achievement to help them succeed.”  

Beginning in 2020, the U.S. Congress responded to the global COVID-19 health pandemic by passing several pieces of legislation, and as a result Tennessee is benefitting from over $4.5 billion for K-12 education to be spent between spring 2020 and fall 2024. Through three rounds of funding referred to as ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 funds, over $3.58 billion will flow directly to local school districts to decide how to spend. Cannon County Schools will receive $175,000.00 to be used flexibly by the district in accordance with allowable expenses for all other district ESSER funds, with the exclusion of infrastructure expenses.

The department understands the importance of rewarding investments in mission-critical initiatives that are most likely to benefit students. Best for All Districts are those entities that have strategically planned for and invested in ways that are likely to accelerate student achievement. To qualify for the Best for All recognition program, a district must have planned to spend an amount equal to or more than 50% of its ESSER 3.0 award amount on strategies to raise student academic achievement, as well as opted to participate in the state’s high-dosage, low-ratio tutoring program, TN ALL Corps. 

Cannon County Schools ESSER/Learning Loss Supervisor Mrs. Stephanie Alexander stated, “It is a great honor to be recognized by the TN Department of Education for Cannon County Schools’ strategic investments of federal relief funding to directly improve student outcomes. We are excited about the opportunity to accelerate student achievement.”

Cannon County Director of Schools William Freddy Curtis stated, “This is a tremendous honor and privilege for our school district to be recognized as a ‘Best For All District’ and receive additional funding that can go toward additional measures to address learning loss and student acceleration of learning.  The timing is great as we move forward with Restructuring and Modernization in our Cannon County Schools.  This funding will further support the District’s VISION – ‘To Actively Engage in Excellence EVERY Day in EVERY Way!’ through our MISSION – ‘To Create a Unified Environment That Will Provide Opportunities for ALL Students to Succeed and Reach Their Full Potential.’  These funds and designation are specifically ‘rewarding investments in mission-critical initiatives that are most likely to benefit students.’”

Principals for the 2022-23 School Year were named at the February Meeting of the Cannon County Board of Education by Cannon County Director of Schools Mr. William Freddy Curtis. During the Director’s Comment portion of the Cannon County Board of Education Meeting held at Woodbury Grammar School on Thursday, February 10^th , the announcement was made for the Principals of each school.

Mr. Curtis announced that the following individuals were selected to be the instructional leaders for the school system:

Cannon County Elementary School (formerly Woodbury Grammar School) – Grades: PreK – 5^th Grade located at 530 West Adams Street – Ms. Emily Hancock;

Cannon North Elementary School (formerly West Side Elementary School) – Grades: PreK – 5^th Grade located at 3714 Murfreesboro Rd. – Mrs. Karen King;

Cannon South Elementary School (formerly Woodland School) – Grades PreK – 5^th Grades: located at 8383 Jim Cummings Hwy. – Mrs. Angela Cossey;

Cannon County Middle School (NEW SCHOOL, temporarily located at former Woodbury Grammar School) – Grades: 6^th – 8^th – Dr. Thurman Tucker;

Cannon County High School located at 1 Lion Drive, – Grades: 9^th – 12^th – Mr. Courtney Nichols.

Director Curtis stated, “These individuals will lead their respective schools into a new era of education in Cannon County.  As we go forward, I have the utmost confidence that the individuals placed in these important and essential roles will exhibit academic excellence that will impact generations of Cannon County Students in the years to come.

These instructional leaders are tasked to be ‘Actively Engaged in Excellence Every Day and in EVERY Way!’ and our collective expectation is that each Principal will ‘Create a Unified Environment That Will Provide Opportunities for ALL Students to Succeed and Reach Their Full Potential.’  We had some outstanding candidates for the new Cannon County Middle School Principal, and we welcome Dr. Thurman Tucker as the newest Principal in Cannon County Schools. All of the Cannon County Schools Family, starting with these Principals, will be working hard in the upcoming weeks and months regarding the Restructuring and Modernization process for our students.

Principals will begin the process by hiring an Assistant Principal for the 2022-23 School Year at each of these schools in the next few weeks.  We congratulate those chosen to lead their Faculties, Support Staff, and most of all their Students in the up-coming 2022-23 School Year.”  

Cannon County Schools take pleasure in honoring the District-Level Teachers of the Year for the 2021-22 School Year.  Each teacher was selected to represent the Cannon County School District in three categories:  PreK – 4^th Grade; 5^th Grade – 8^th Grade; 9^th Grade – 12^th Grade.  One Teacher in each category was selected by a committee to represent Cannon County as the District Teacher of the Year in the Upper Cumberland CORE Region. A special announcement and ceremony took place in each educator’s school this past week.

The Teacher of the Year program recognizes and honors outstanding teachers in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Education applaud teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee students, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement. Goals of the program are:

• Promote effective teaching practices by recognizing and rewarding outstanding teachers.
• Engage regional teachers of the year in education policy making through the Teacher Advisory Council.
• Encourage participation by every school in the state so that all Tennessee teachers may be recognized and rewarded.
• Build a network of local and state corporate sponsors.
• Provide a network for teachers to share effective practices.
• Encourage a sense of professionalism in teaching.
• Encourage greater participation in building a strong community-school partnership.

The Tennessee Teacher of the Year program is designed to promote recognition, respect and appreciation for teachers, to stimulate interest in teaching as a career, and to encourage public involvement in education.  Teachers of the Year are selected competitively through five cycles: school, district, region, grand division and state in three grade bands: Pre-K–4, 5–8, and 9–12. Please note that these levels refer to the grade(s) taught by the teacher and not to the grade structure or designation of the individual school.  The following teachers were selected to represent Cannon County Schools as District Teachers of the Year 2021-2022:

PreK-4th Grade – Dawn Witty of Woodland School

Mrs. Witty is in her 15^th year of educating students and is currently serving her 9^th year as a Third Grade Teacher at Woodland School in Bradyville, TN.  She has previously served as a Substitute Teacher, Kindergarten Educational Assistant, and Reading-Math Interventionist Educational Assistant in Cannon County Schools at Woodland School beginning in the 2006-2007 School Year.  She has served in multiple capacities at her school including being Coordinated School Health School Coordinator, School Emergency Response Team, Woodland Walking Club Co-Sponsor, as well as, having a degree in Chemical Engineering. Mrs. Witty stated, “One of the challenges teachers face is ensuring that they have high expectations for all of the students they teach. From the very beginning of the school year, I always try to set expectations high with regards to behavior and quality and quantity of work.   I feel this should apply to myself, as a teacher as well; every lesson I teach should reinforce those high expectations so that students gradually get to know who I am as a teacher. I want to be known as the teacher who will never give up on any student nor one who will accept poor quality work or bad behavior. I want my students to have high aspirations for what they can achieve so therefore I try to model a work ethic that reflects what I want to see from them. I am also a true believer, paraphrasing Rita Pierson, ‘all students need a champion.’  I want my students to know I am one of their biggest supporters. I want them to know I believe in them and their abilities and expect great things from them.”  

5th Grade – 8th Grade – Brian Parker of Woodland School

Mr. Parker is in his 20th year of teaching and currently serves as a 7^th and 8^th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Woodland Elementary School.  He is the Woodland Beta Club Sponsor and the Governor’s Civics Seal Grant Coordinator for Woodland School and the entire Cannon County School District.  He had previously served as a Special Education Teacher at Woodland Elementary School from 2001-2002 School Year through 2017-2018 School Year.

Parker stated, “This year, thanks in part to the Civics Grants, I have planned field trips to places that would reinforce what we have been learning in class.  In our first trip, we took our students to the Tennessee State Capitol.  Earlier this year, students in eighth grade studied the United States Constitution and the government it created.  During our trip, the students were introduced to the government of Tennessee and the branches of government.  When we returned to school after the trip, we began learning about the government of Tennessee.  The students were able to relate their experiences to the trip and what they learned from the guides during our tour. I hope to provide students with an experience that helps understand the importance of government in their lives.  In my classroom, I try to connect the information to student needs based on their methods of learning.  I try to incorporate activities and classroom assignments that engage multiple learning styles for all students.  Over the past four years, I have tried many ways of presenting the information to allow all students to be able to learn the material.  With my background in special education, I feel that I can approach material presentation in a way that benefits all students.”

9th Grade – 12th Grade – Rebekah Tinsley

Mrs. Rebekah Tinsley of Cannon County High School –Mrs. Tinsleyis in her 8^th year of teaching and currently serves as a Biology Teacher at Cannon County High School for the past 2 years. She previously taught in Warren County, Tennessee and in Victoria, Texas.  Mrs. Tinsley currently serves as ESSER Tutor and Graduation Coach, as well as, serving as CCHS Science Department Chairman, Campus Liaison for the TVA EnergyRight Team, and CCHS Eden Reforestation Partner.

Mrs. Tinsley stated, “I feel that I can expect the best from students because I spend intentional time building relationships. Education and growth does not always happen in a textbook or PowerPoint. My job as an educator is to foster growth in my students as humans. I often tell them my number one goal is to help them leave my classroom better than they entered. Better does not always mean a perfect Biology EOC score, it could mean they become more organized, a better test taker, more confident, more empathetic, or even have a revelation of passion about science or their possible future career. As a Biology teacher, I have taken more of a global approach with my students. Each year they are challenged to partner with Eden Reforestation in what we call a Dime War. Eden Projects is the most efficient reforestation organization in the world, planting Trees for as little as $0.10 per tree while paying local villagers wages to work the tree farms. Through our partnership, the students learn portions of the Ecology Unit in Biology all while competing to raise the most money for reforestation. And each year, I find my students grow more and more generous.  In a school of nearly 3,000 my students raised a few hundred dollars our first year. We were thrilled, and the CEO, Steve Fitch, reached out to my students to extend his thanks personally. Our second year we raised a bit more, and Steve sent my students a bracelet. As the project has gained interest and a reputation, I most recently held the competition at Cannon County High School with a population of less than 600. In our small school my students raised over $1000 for Eden Projects, planting over 10,000 trees around the world and employing local villagers and widows in the countries of impact.  My students sit at the edge of their seats when I play videos from the villages where their money is going to help. They ask questions about the world beyond Tennessee, the United States, and even North America. Their knowledge of Ecology and its application to the Tennessee Biology Standards, is taken beyond a good PowerPoint or test score. Their knowledge and learning is applied to a global scene. Their knowledge and learning makes an impact beyond their classroom and school.”

Director of Cannon County Schools William Freddy Curtis stated regarding these excellent examples of the quality of educators in Cannon County Schools, “We are tremendously proud of each one of these outstanding educators. Each one of these deserving teachers exemplifies the Cannon County Schools’ VISION – ‘Engaged in Excellence EVERY Day in EVERY Way!’ through our MISSION – ‘To Create a Unified Environment That Will Provide Opportunities for All Students to Reach Their Full Potential!’ These individuals live the VISION and MISSION every moment of every day, and we salute them for their distinguished efforts! All of us in the Cannon County School District stand behind these outstanding individuals and wish them the very best as they represent the finest of Cannon County Educators in the Upper Cumberland Region of the State of Tennessee!”

After more than 60 years, McMinnville’s National Guardsmen are getting a new home.

The Tennessee Military Department is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for a new National Guard Readiness Center along Manchester Highway between McMinnville and Morrison on Feb. 11, at 10 a.m.

The Tennessee Military Department recently bid out and awarded a contract to construct the new Readiness Center to replace McMinnville’s 11,200 square foot armory. The original armory was built in 1957, and is the oldest and smallest armory in the Tennessee National Guard.

“Warren County and the Guardsmen there deserve a modernized National Guard Armory,” said Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessee’s Adjutant General. “The new facility will greatly improve our readiness, our ability to train for our federal mission, and improve our emergency response within the community during a disaster.”

The new 33,000 square foot facility provides modern administrative, training, supply, and storage rooms with energy-efficient equipment and other green features to reduce operating costs. It also provides adequate parking for Soldiers, visitors, and the unit’s tactical equipment. The readiness center will also have a 5,600 square foot vehicle maintenance building.

“Soldiers will be able to train in classrooms, the new drill hall, and the surrounding land,” said Holmes. “The local community will also have access to a Tennessee National Guard facility in Warren County for generations to come.”  

The Tennessee State Building Commission approved this project, funded entirely by the federal government, in July 2018. Design House 1411, LLC, located in Nashville, began the design in early 2019. Sain Construction of Manchester was the winning bidder for construction.