News

The Local Board, made up of representatives from the American Red Cross, local government, The Salvation Army, United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties, and others, will determine how the funds awarded to Cannon County are distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The Local Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program.
Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) have an accounting system, 3) practice nondiscrimination, 4) must not charge a fee for service 5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, may not require religious/counseling services, and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

The EFSP was authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77 signed into law on July 24, 1987, since renamed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and subsequently reauthorized under P.L. 100-628, signed into law on November 7, 1988). Since 1983, in its 35-year history, the EFSP will have distributed over $5.03 billion to over 14,000 human service agencies in more than 2,500 communities across the country through this collaborative effort between the private and public sectors.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funding should contact Dan Caldwell at the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties at 615-893-7303 or Dan.Caldwell@yourlocaluw.org for an application. The deadline to submit an application is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 22nd.

Today, the Tennessee Department of Education released details on a new $100 million statewide initiative, “Reading 360,” to ensure Tennessee districts, teachers, and families are equipped with tools and resources to help students read on grade level by third grade.  

To help support literacy development in Tennessee, the state will leverage approximately $60 million of one-time federal COVID-19 relief funding and $40 million in federal grant funding to immediately launch Reading 360 and invest in optional reading resources and supports at no cost to the state or districts.  

Reading 360 will provide optional grants and resources to help more Tennessee students develop strong phonics-based reading skills by supporting districts, teachers, and families. 

“When our students succeed our entire state prospers, and we know that reading on grade level is foundational to the success of every student, both in and out of the classroom,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “Reading 360 will give critical supports to districts and educators so we can address this challenge urgently and put Tennessee’s students on the right track to grow and thrive.” 

“In the last decade, Tennessee has done remarkable work to increase expectations for student learning and to improve outcomes for our kids. Now, we are uniquely positioned to tackle literacy with urgency and can do so from all sides,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Our state has a golden opportunity to lead the nation in literacy, and most importantly, accelerate progress for our students.”  

Reading is the foundation to all learning and reading proficiently by third grade is a critical milestone for every student. Before the pandemic, only one third of third graders in Tennessee had met expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), the best standardized proxy for reading achievement. Our state has not yet comprehensively and effectively addressed this challenge, and after a year disrupted by COVID-19, school building closures and virtual learning, the stakes are higher than ever for our students.  

Through optional grants to districts, students and families will have access to tutoring and online supports to help develop foundational skills in literacy. Tennessee educators will have access to free training and professional development, phonics kits and materials to use in their classrooms, and stipends for training. Districts will have access to a suite of tools and resources to support their teachers and schools in implementing strong reading instruction for all students.  

Tennessee has led the nation in academic gains for students over the past decade, and most recently in the K-12 crisis response to COVID-19. Tennessee is now poised not just to protect students, teachers, and schools in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic, but to accelerate student learning further and faster than ever before. 

To access additional resources on Reading 360, click here.  

Cannon County Schools has announced that Monday, January 4^th, 2021 will be a regular or “On-Campus” Instruction Day for ALL Cannon County Schools’ students.   ALL Students will report to their respective schools for “live” instruction from their teachers.

Director of Cannon County Schools, Mr. William F. Curtis, stated, “Monday, January 4th, 2021 will mark a return to On-Campus Instruction.  Even though Cannon County active cases are averaging around 140, reported cases or contacts in Cannon County Schools are low.  As of today, Wednesday, December 30^th, 2020, Cannon County Schools have REPORTED – Less than 5 student and staff active cases and contacts.

We are hopeful that these cases/contacts of COVID-19 will remain low in our schools during the coming weeks in January as we begin the new Semester.  Students will return and Cannon County Schools will be ‘Back in Session’ on Monday, January 4^th, 2021.”

Curtis continued, “This is a very fluid situation and the Cannon County Board of Education’s desire is to return to On-Campus learning, but balances this desire with the safety and health of our students.  So a return to Distance Learning could occur in January depending on the number of cases and contacts in our schools.  We monitor the numbers each day reported to our School Nurse and then consult with Local, Regional, and State Officials with the Tennessee Department of Health.  The Cannon County Board of Education will be examining its COVID-19 ‘Continuous Learning Plan’ at the Tuesday, January 11th, 2021 Workshop and voting on any revision to the COVID-19 ‘Continuous Learning Plan’ at the Cannon County Board of Education’s Thursday, January 14^th, 2021 Meeting.”

“During this past Christmas Break, I have been reminded regarding each one of our dedicated employees for the essential role that they play to make learning happen in our Cannon County Schools. Each employee and specifically our Teachers, have ALL adapted to this new learning environment, and getting our students back to On-Campus Learning is very important that students are receiving the very best instruction and interaction with their teachers in the ‘On-Campus’ setting.  We still have some students that have been approved for continued ‘Distance Learning’ due to health issues in their family environment, and each school is working with these students on an individual basis.” 

Curtis concluded, “The Christmas Break is nearly concluded.  What a well-deserved time of rest and relaxation that each of our employees have earned this year, and we hope this was a time of rejuvenation from constant ‘COVID-19 Fatigue’ during these final few days of our Christmas Break! We sincerely ask each Parent/Guardian to be attentive to slowing the spread of COVID-19, and we will continue Social Distancing and encouraging our students and staff to wear masks. ALL of OUR Cannon County Schools Employees are committed to work for OUR common VISION – ‘Engaged in Excellence EVERY Day and in EVERY Way!’ to fulfill OUR MISSION – ‘To create a Unified Environment That Will Provide Opportunities for ALL Students to Reach Their Full Potential.’ A very Happy 2021 New Year from Cannon County Schools!  We look forward to seeing our students back on our Campuses on Monday, January 4^th, 2021!”

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will conduct an aggressive traffic safety enforcement campaign during the 2020 New Year’s Eve holiday period beginning Wednesday, December 30, at 6:00 p.m. and concluding Sunday, January 3, at 11:59 p.m.  State troopers will perform saturation patrols, as well as seat belt, sobriety and driver license checkpoints during the holiday.  All of Tennessee’s 95 counties will have troopers working to ensure a safe holiday as we end 2020.

“Your safety is our priority,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Matt Perry. “I have instructed my Captains across the state to assign troopers during peak times for crashes and driving under the influence incidents. We will not tolerate impaired drivers over New Year’s Eve or anytime.  State troopers will aggressively enforce the drinking and driving law.”

During last year’s New Year’s holiday period, five people were killed in five traffic crashes on Tennessee roads.  Of the five vehicular fatalities, two were single vehicle crashes, and three were multiple vehicle crashes. Two occupants killed were not wearing seat belts.  Alcohol was involved in three of the traffic deaths. State troopers have arrested 4,537 individuals for DUI from January 1^st through December 24^th, 2020.  In 2019, the number of arrests made during that time was 5,627.

Statewide sobriety and driver license checkpoints for the upcoming holiday are available on our website at https://www.tn.gov/safety/tnhp/checkpoints.html. We care about you!  Please buckle up and do not drink and drive.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today announced a call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene for a special legislative session on January 19, 2021 to address urgent issues facing Tennessee students and schools in the 2021-22 school year.

Preliminary data projects an estimated 50% decrease in proficiency rates in 3rd grade reading and a projected 65% decrease in proficiency in math. This loss only exacerbates issues that existed prior to the pandemic, where only one third of Tennessee third graders were reading on grade level.

“We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense disruption for Tennessee’s students, educators, and districts, and the challenges they face must be addressed urgently,” said Gov. Lee. “Even before the virus hit, and despite years of improvement, too many of our state’s students were still unable to read on grade level. I’m calling on the legislature to join us in addressing these serious issues so we can equip our hardworking educators and districts with the resources and supports they need to set our students on the path to success.”

“As we have heard from districts since March, students need their teachers and schools like never before,” said Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “No child’s future should suffer academically because of COVID-19. Not only as commissioner, but as a mother of two school-aged children, I am grateful for the bold solutions that our governor and legislature will provide for our students and schools across the state and the department stands ready to work together to accomplish this mission-critical work.”

“In addition to presenting a public health crisis and disrupting our economy, the coronavirus also created enormous obstacles for our parents, teachers and students. Tennessee has made tremendous improvements in education over the last decade. The virus has begun to put all of that at risk,” said Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge). “It is of paramount importance that we take steps to reverse the learning loss that has taken place and prevent any further erosion of our progress. I appreciate Governor Lee calling this special session to draw our focus on the pressing needs of education in this state. The Senate will work with the House and the Administration to address these issues in an expeditious and efficient manner to the benefit of our students and our teachers.”

“I support Gov. Lee’s call for a special session on education,” said House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville). “The pandemic has caused considerable disruption for our students, teachers and schools.  Our goal is to make sure students are learning in the classroom, teachers have the resources they need, and our students have additional assistance in their educational journeys to improve their chances of success.”

“Over the past few years Tennessee has seen exciting growth in student achievement and we must take all necessary steps to make sure our students continue to learn through this ongoing pandemic,” said Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin). “I salute the governor for calling us into special session to address this important problem and thank him for his continued commitment to education.”

“As a parent of two children in the public school system and a Representative of so many thousands of other families, I know it is critical for us to have the best education system in the nation,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland). “I appreciate the Governor calling us into Special Session to ensure our children and teachers have the support they need in these difficult times.”

During the special session, the legislature will be tasked to take up five key education issues: Learning Loss, Funding, Accountability, Literacy, and Teacher Pay. Details on each proposal will be released by the Department of Education in the near future, in addition to the department’s plans to implement a new literacy program, “Reading 360.” The program will leverage one-time federal relief funding to support a phonics-based approach to literacy and will ensure Tennessee districts, teachers, and families are equipped with tools and resources to help students read on grade level by third grade.

Tennessee state government continues to work to recover from interruptions to state services due to technology outages as a result of Christmas Day events in Nashville. As a result, many services are not yet available across the state.

Services impacted include (but may not be limited to):

• Tennessee child abuse hotline (telephone lines only; web referrals remain operational) 
• TennCare Connect
• Drivers’ license services 
• Adult protective services
• Animal Diagnostic Laboratory services at Ellington Agricultural Center
• Telephone services for applying for certain programs for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

To access information and updates on these and other state services, Tennesseans can go to the state’s main page (https://www.tn.gov) and search for a service or go to the MyTN app, the state’s application that includes information about many services.

State buildings in Davidson County will be closed on Monday, December 28. Telephone and internet services may also be affected in these buildings. Affected state employees have been advised of work plans to maintain government operations as effectively as possible.
 

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) will conduct an aggressive traffic safety enforcement campaign during the Christmas holiday. Some plan to travel, while others will experience the holidays virtually. THP’s mission is to keep drivers safe when traveling.

This campaign is aimed at deterring impaired driving and reducing fatal crashes on Tennessee roadways. THP will focus our attention on distracted, reckless, speeding and unrestrained motorists. State troopers will perform saturation patrols, as well as seat belt, sobriety and driver license checkpoints.  All of Tennessee’s 95 counties will have troopers working to ensure a safe holiday. Please help us make this a joyful Christmas.

“The goal of the THP is to keep everyone who is traveling on Tennessee roadways safe,” said Colonel Matt Perry. “We do not want our troopers to knock on your door to deliver the tragic news that no one wants to receive. Therefore, state troopers will aggressively enforce the drinking and driving law. I wish for you and yours a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year”

During last year’s Christmas holiday period, six people were killed in six traffic crashes on Tennessee roads.  Of the six vehicular fatalities, alcohol was involved in one of the traffic deaths. Two were passenger vehicle occupants, three were pedestrians and one was a motorcyclist. 

“This enforcement campaign is not at all about issuing citations,’” said Colonel Matt Perry. “It is about ensuring your safety, your family’s safety and the safety of everyone that is sharing the roadways. We care about you and the safety of all,” said Colonel Matt Perry.

Acting on Executive Order #70 that was issued Sunday night by Governor Lee, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) announced that effective immediately—attendance at high school ball games will be dramatically limited.

Executive Director Bernard Childress noted, “Pep bands, cheerleaders, and dance teams may not attend athletic contests while these restrictions remain in place. In accordance with the new Executive Order. The only attendees permitted at practices or games, in addition to the student-athletes on the team, are parents and immediate household members, first responders, coaching and team personnel, athletic officials, media and scouting personnel.”

Childress stressed that social distancing between persons from different households is required.

While the Executive Order does not mandate the use of masks, the Governor has encouraged masks, and the TSSAA COVID-19 Sports Regulations provision regarding the use of masks remains.

The Governor’s office conferred with TSSAA about these restrictions. TSSAA concurs with Governor’s office that these restrictions represent the best means for us to continue providing interscholastic athletic participation opportunities to our student-athletes while also doing our part to curb the spread of the virus.

Childress concluded, “We remain hopeful that we will soon begin to see a decline in the instances of infection and that our schools will soon be able to return to more normal operation of their athletic competition.”

These are minimum restrictions. Depending on particular school, facility, or community circumstances, school officials may require additional limitations on attendance.

COVID -19 stopped the York Institute boys game on December 8^th.  That game is scheduled for this afternoon at 2:00pm at Robert A. Harris Gymnasium at Cannon County High School.  The limited number of tickets will be sold at the door.

Teddy Taylor and Nolan Bell will have the action on your home for the Lions, pregame coverage begins at 1:45pm.

Governor Lee gave the following address Sunday night.

Good evening Tennesseans. It’s Christmas week, ordinarily a time when families across the state are gathering to celebrate. Unfortunately, these are not ordinary times. We are in a global pandemic that’s been crippling our country for months and now Tennessee is ground zero for a surge in sickness. I am speaking with you tonight because I want to be clear with where we are and what we need to do together to get through this.

We now have around 10,000 Tennesseans getting sick every day. To put that in perspective, that’s three times where we were around Halloween. Thousands of our neighbors are in the hospital tonight. More than 100 people are dying each day. We are in a war. With the arrivals of the first vaccine, we have launched an offensive that will end this war. But it is the next few weeks that is going to be the most critical for our state.

We have seen firsthand that Thanksgiving gatherings and extended time indoors have been the principal driver in spreading COVID-19 like wildfire. It only took a matter of days to see gatherings around Thanksgiving translate into a record level of sickness. Tennessee cannot sustain a similar surge after Christmas or New Year’s. Tonight, I am asking you to make some hard decisions.

I am asking you to not engage in indoor gatherings for the holidays that include anyone outside your household. Family time and celebrations are important. I understand deeply how much Tennessee families need each other. But we must do all that we can to blunt this surge and keep more Tennesseans from getting sick.

But beyond family gatherings and what I am asking you to do in your own home, we need to address public gatherings through these important weeks, as well.

I am signing an order that will limit indoor public gatherings to 10 people.

I believe high school sports are important for our kids and they should continue. In coordination with the TSSAA, we are limiting attendance at indoor sporting events.

We know that it is gatherings that have caused this surge. That is why we are making these decisions around gatherings that will help us blunt the rise in cases.

Additionally, I am asking business owners to let employees work from home for the next 30 days. If work from home is not available, masks should be worn at work. Plain and simple.

I want to talk about the importance of wearing masks around people who do not live in your home. Right now, 70% of Tennesseans are under a mask requirement. I commend the local officials who have implemented mask requirements. Because of that, 80% of Tennesseans report they wear their masks most or all of the time and I thank them for doing this. We need them to continue and the remaining 20% to wear a mask and protect their health.

Many think a statewide mandate would improve mask wearing, many think it would have the opposite effect. This has been a heavily politicized issue. Please do not get caught up in that and don’t misunderstand my belief in local government on this issue. Masks work and I want every Tennessean to wear one.

Tennesseans have two weapons that they must use in the next 30 days: only gather with your household and wear a mask.

The State of Tennessee will continue to mobilize every effective resource in this war. COVID testing is available to everyone free of charge. Vaccines are being delivered to every corner of the state. We are getting hundreds of thousands of vaccines out to our nursing home residents and health care workers so they can be vaccinated.

As our hospitals face this surge of sick Tennesseans, we have authorized the National Guard medics to work in hospitals and provide lifesaving care. We have established COVID specific nursing homes so that we protect the most vulnerable and help hospitals free up critical bedspace. We will continue to utilize every effective resource but government cannot do this alone.

We are in a cold, cruel phase of this pandemic. It will get worse before it gets better. I know you are tired. But we have got to double down. I am reminded of Winston Churchill’s words during the darkest days of World War II: “It would be foolish to disguise the gravity of the hour. It would be still more foolish to lose heart and courage.”

I believe in the courage of Tennesseans to face this darkest hour. I believe that victory will be ours and we have the power to determine how long this extends. If we each do our part, we will win and move to a new season of health and prosperity for our state.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to each Tennessean for their attention and care tonight. God bless the State of Tennessee.

Tennessee Department of Health COVID-19 testing sites across the state will begin offering self-testing kits to adults three days a week December 21, to allow staff members to transition to vaccination of frontline health care providers and first responders. Local county health departments will continue to offer COVID-19 testing five days a week at no charge for anyone who wishes to be tested.

“We’re making this transition so our Department of Health staff can assist with administration of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “State-run health departments currently collect an average of only 16 percent of all COVID-19 tests statewide, and our change will not affect the wide availability of testing through private providers in Tennessee. While the arrival of vaccines is welcome, it is imperative that we not let up on basic best practices and continue to protect each other by wearing masks, practicing social distancing and staying home when sick.”  

The new COVID-19 self-tests will be offered to adults on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays beginning Dec. 21. On these days, public health staff members at each TDH COVID-19 testing site will provide self-testing kits to adults who wish to be tested. Individuals will remain in their vehicles while completing paperwork and collecting their samples. Health departments will submit the samples for testing.

Adults tested with the new self-tests will register and receive their results online. The self-tests are not approved for use in children under age 18. Children and adults unable to register online can still receive the standard nasal swab COVID-19 tests on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Test results may be available within 72 hours of arrival at the lab, depending on the volume of tests the testing lab receives. Information will be provided to participants at testing locations on what they can expect after being tested. This information is also available online at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/TestedGuidance.pdf. 

COVID-19 testing is widely available in Tennessee from local health departments and other health care providers. A map of COVID-19 testing sites across the state is available at www.tn.gov/content/tn/health/cedep/ncov/remote-assessment-sites.html. Hours of operation and contact information are provided for each site.

TDH county health departments will be closed and will not offer COVID-19 testing Dec. 24 – 25 and Dec. 31, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021 in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.