News

Cannon County Schools will be closed on Monday, March 29th, 2021 due to the possibility of water contamination.  Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Curtis stated, “Woodbury and Cannon County citizens were informed Sunday that, ‘The Town of Woodbury Water System has experienced flooding at the Woodbury Water Treatment Plant resulting in the possibility of contamination to the plant’s treated water.  None of the water has left the plant.  As a precautionary measure, we are asking customers to boil water before using for consumption.  We expect this notice to be in effect for 48 hours beginning at 12:45 a.m. March 28^th, 2021 and expire at 12:45 a.m. March 30^th, 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we work to resolve this problem.’ School Officials have been in touch with Woodbury Water Department Personnel regarding this issue. Five of our seven schools are on the Woodbury Water System, and the safety of our students is our top priority. On a related note due to the flooding situation in Cannon County, several County and State roads have received damage, washed out, and are debris littered. Cannon County Bus Drivers have been instructed to examine their routes for any possible hazards. If repairs are made at the Water Treatment Plant and roads have been cleared, Schools may resume normal operation on-time on Tuesday, March 30th, 2021.”

In a related matter due to the possibility of water contamination, the PreK/Kindergarten Screening scheduled for Monday, March 29th, 2021 at the Cannon County Schools Central Offices has been rescheduled to Tuesday, March 30th, 2021.  Scheduled Appointment Times will REMAIN the Same.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  If any Parent/Guardian has a question or desires more information about the PreK/Kindergarten Registration process, please contact PreK Supervisor Kathy Mullins at Phone: 629-201-4801 Extension 10126 or Email: kathy.mullins@ccstn.net.

Governor Bill Lee called on the faith community to support Tennessee foster kids in finding permanent homes through a new public-private initiative, TN Fosters Hope.

Led by the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, TN Fosters Hope creates a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Children’s Servicesand two leading private partners, Tennessee Kids Belong and Show Hope.

“When we join forces with the faith community and trusted partners like Tennessee Kids Belong and Show Hope, we can help Tennessee foster kids find permanent, loving homes,” said Gov. Lee. “I am calling on the faith community to join us as we work to build one of the most adoption-friendly states in the country.”

TN Fosters Hope includes the following areas of focus:

• Establishing a network of churches statewide to support the foster and adoptive needs of their communities
• Recruiting and certifying families who can care for foster children with increased needs 
• Building pathways for full DCS custody children to find permanent adoption

To further support foster children, Gov Lee. has also proposed a TennCare coverage extension for adopted youth that will allow them to retain their TennCare eligibility until age 18 regardless of federal or state adoption assistance eligibility. This includes retaining existing physical, mental and behavioral health services.

“On behalf of the nearly 8,800 children in our care, I thank Gov. Lee and all of our Tennessee Fosters Hope partners for their commitment to improving the lives of children and families in our state. The Department of Children’s Services cannot do this work alone. We must have foster parents, providers, houses of worship, community organizations, lawmakers, and citizens step up to provide homes, support and wrap around services that will lead to permanency. Working together through TN Fosters Hope, we will be able to fulfill Gov. Lee’s vision of making Tennessee a national leader in foster care and adoption services,” said Jennifer Nichols, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

Get involved at: https://tnfostershope.tn.gov/

The recently passed federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will provide extended unemployment benefits to thousands of Tennesseans. The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) is currently awaiting guidance from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) to learn if the unemployment programs contained within ARPA will require any modifications to the current federal programs.

ARPA will extend the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) programs through the week ending Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.

“States currently have a high-level overview of the unemployment portions of the new stimulus bill. We need to hear from the U.S. Department of Labor to see if there are going to be any program modifications to the current federal unemployment programs,” said Chris Cannon, TDLWD Assistant Administrator of Communications. “If there are, we will need time to make those changes within our computer system and we will work as quickly as possible to make that happen. Our goal is to make the transition as seamless as it can be.”

While waiting on official USDOL guidance, TDLWD and its vendor will proactively work to prepare the unemployment computer system for any possible changes in an effort to minimize implementation time.

The Tennessee Department of Health has updated Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan as the state continues to prioritize Tennesseans most at risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Tennesseans in Phase 1c of the state’s plan are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccination.

Protecting Adults and Children with High-Risk Health Conditions

Phase 1c of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan includes Tennesseans age 16 and older with high-risk health conditions including pregnancy, and parents and caregivers of medically fragile children and those with complex congenital heart disease. Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan has been updated to include the following groups among the Phase 1c populations:

• Permanent household members age 16 and older living with pregnant women

• People age 16 years and older with diagnosed diabetes

• People age 16 years and older with Down Syndrome

• People age 16 years and older with progressive neuromuscular diseases such as ALS, multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency’s rent relief application process is now live online.

You can apply online here  or call 844-500-1112. THDA is ready to help renters and landlords who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistance is available for past-due rent and utilities.

The COVID-19 Rent Relief program was developed in an effort to support renters who are or have been struggling to pay rent, utilities, or other home energy costs due to loss of wages/income as a result of the pandemic. Funding will be available to households for payment of delinquent (past due) expenses. In addition, eligible future rent may also be covered for eligible households.

The Tennessee Department of Education announced the 48 districts selected to participate in the optional, Pre-K–12 Literacy Implementation Networks, part of the state’s Reading 360 initiative to help boost strong reading skills amongst Tennessee students.  

As part of Reading 360, eight regional implementation networks will consist of 48 districts with the overarching goal of supporting the implementation of high-quality English Language Arts (ELA) instructional materials for Pre-K–12 students through competitive grants over the next five years.  

“Over the next five years, the regional Pre-K–12 Literacy Implementation Networks will foster opportunity for districts to learn from each other and to form unique partnerships to support high-quality literacy instruction to build strong readers, which ultimately promotes success for our students and our state,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. 

Each regional implementation network will consist of one mentor district, 4-6 participating districts, and a regionally selected vendor partner, with the option of selecting an elementary, middle or high school focus. Districts were selected to make up the eight regional Pre- K–12 implementation networks.

Cannon County will be in the Trousdale County Schools district.  Other participants include; Clay County Schools, Jackson County Schools, Smith County Schools and Van Buren County Schools. 

Mentor districts have multiple years of high-quality instructional materials implementation experience and will help build capacity of participant districts who have adopted and purchased new ELA materials in the past year. Additionally, mentor districts will support participant districts’ system-level implementation strategy.  

The district partnerships will help ensure teachers have the resources and support necessary to offer high-quality learning experiences for all children. Additionally, the networks will provide free coaching support for the training and use of Tennessee Instructional Practice Guides.  

This competitive grant opportunity was open to all Tennessee districts to apply. The selected mentor and participating districts will agree to the grant requirements, which includes data sharing and a five-year commitment per the $20 million federal Comprehensive State Literacy Development (CSLD) grant awarded to the department to support the launch of the regional implementation networks.  

Reading 360 is a comprehensive statewide literacy initiative to provide optional grants and resources to help more Tennessee students develop strong phonics-based reading skills by supporting districts, teachers, and families. 

To launch Reading 360 and invest in optional reading resources and supports at no cost to the state or districts, the state is leveraging approximately $60 million of one-time federal COVID-19 relief funding and $40 million in federal grant funding. 

To access additional resources on Reading 360, click here.   

Every month, U.S. Representative John Rose’s (TN-6) district staff hold a series of local office hours for constituents to connect directly with caseworkers and receive assistance with federal agencies. Due to previous COVID-19 restrictions, local office hours were temporarily suspended, but will resume in March and be held in Cannon and other area counties.

During the local office hours, district staff will be available to answer questions and assist constituents with federal casework, such as social security and veterans benefits, steps for obtaining a passport, and more. Local office hours occur monthly, if you have questions, please contact one of Representative Rose’s offices so a staff member may help you.

“It is important to me, and the staff members, that we are always available and working to help the great people of the Sixth District,” said Representative Rose. “Keeping an open dialogue with my neighbors allows me to hear their concerns about significant issues facing our communities and best represent those perspectives in Washington.”

Details for local office hours can be found below and on Representative Rose’s website.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

TIME: 1:00-2:00 pm
WHAT: Cannon County Local Office Hours
LOCATION: Cannon County Senior Center, 609 Lehman Street, Woodbury, TN 37190
WHO: Congressman Rose will be represented by Field Representative Lou Nave during this visit.

Gov. Bill Lee has proclaimed March 5 as Arbor Day in Tennessee to recognize the importance of planting and maintaining trees in our state. This year’s state celebration will be held in Winchester, which is celebrating its first year as Tree City USA.

“I admire all Tree City USA communities, but this year’s distinction holds a special place in my heart since Winchester is my hometown,” State Forester David Arnold said. “Our state Arbor Celebration is a reminder of the value of trees in small communities and in large cities. Our partnerships with local governments, tree care advocates, and the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council help us strengthen urban environments through planting and management of trees.”

In Tennessee, Arbor Day is officially celebrated on the first Friday in March. In 1875, Tennessee became one of the first states to adopt this special day. The state legislature set “Bird, Flower and Arbor Day” in 1925. This law calls for educators, civic societies, and government officials to create a better understanding of nature and the importance of protecting wildlife, planting and cultivating flowers, and setting and protecting trees.

Tree City is a nationwide movement that provides the framework for communities to manage and expand their public trees. So far, 46 Tennessee communities have met the Tree City standards.

Citizens are encouraged to support Arbor Day by visiting local retail nurseries and garden centers for Tennessee-grown trees. The Division of Forestry’s East Tennessee Nursery also grows tree seedlings to meet forest conservation needs. Selecting locally grown trees adds value to your home with a quality product that is already acclimated to Tennessee’s growing conditions. A list of nurseries and garden centers with locally grown trees is available at www.picktnproducts.org.

Trees require proper maintenance for vigorous and healthy growth. For information about how to properly maintain landscape trees, visit your local Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry office or visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests/urban.html.

The Division of Forestry protects Tennessee’s forests by fighting wildfires, coordinating hazard emergency response, providing prescribed fire guidance and contract services, as well as wildland fire training. Additionally, the Division promotes the responsible use of forest resources by assisting landowners, providing quality seedlings, monitoring insects and diseases, improving urban forests, managing state forests, protecting water quality, and collecting forest inventory data. The Division also works to promote primary and secondary forest industries to stimulate the state’s economy. Visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests for more information.

Construction and renovation for county facilities moving forward at the March meeting of the Cannon County Commission.

The renovations on the Cannon / Adams office building are nearing compliance with the State Fire Marshall’s office.

County Finance Director Diane Hickman informed Commissioners of the work and requested their approval for asbestos removal and monitoring as part of the final work remaining.

As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA work with county properties, Hickman relayed to commission members that construction of ADA compliant restrooms for the ballpark at the county fairgrounds had progressed thru the bidding process. The bid for $17,128.00 was awarded to Davenport Construction of Woodbury.

Several issues before Commissioners involving the ambulance service were moved to a recessed meeting scheduled for Monday, March 8^th at 5:30pm.