News

March 19 is National Ag Day –  a day to celebrate the less than two percent of the population who provide food, fiber and fuel to all of us. Agriculture is no doubt our most important industry and National Ag Day is a chance for us to recognize and show our appreciation for all farmers do.

American agriculture is the foundation of our country. It’s the backbone of a healthy and prosperous nation, made possible by the hard work of America’s farms and farm families. These individuals have been essential since the very beginning, and just like everyone, the past few years have presented many challenges, but thankfully, farmers have continued steadfastly toward ensuring we have food on our tables and clothes on our backs. That’s why, this year especially, National Ag Day is celebrated as a chance to honor those who deserve to be praised every day for what they do.

WBRY understands the importance of the agriculture industry. Weekdays at 5:50 am and pm airs Tennessee Home and Farm Radio with the latest news on agriculture in the Volunteer State. Tuesday mornings our After 8 program focuses on the work and services of the UT Extension office including agri-business and our local 4-H chapters.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting a Sobriety Checkpoint on March 29, 2024, on State Route 64 in Cannon County.

Impaired driving is a serious crime that kills more than 16,000 people and injures 305,000 others every year in the United States. Troopers will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. Troopers will target those who operate a vehicle while impaired and take corrective actions for other violations observed while ensuring the protection of all motorists.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol recognizes that sobriety checkpoints are highly visible and effective tools in the battle against impaired driving.

Cannon County Schools would like to congratulate the March Good Citizen of the Month Award Winner, Karlee-Jo Wheeler, a 5th-grade student from Cannon South Elementary. Karlee-Jo was nominated by her 5th-grade teachers, Tonya Melton, Jordan Anderson, and Tracy Hale. The teachers state that Karlee-Jo ensures her classmates never feel left out. She is respectful and responsible and displays all the best qualities of a Cannon South Warrior.

Teachers and administrators can nominate students for the Good Citizen Award each month. A drawing is then held each month to select the winner. Each month, the winning student can lead the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of each board meeting.

L-R: Angela Cossey, Principal Cannon South Elementary; Karlee-Jo Wheeler, Good Citizen of the Month Award Winner; and Bonnie Patterson, Director of Schools

Scammers, identity thieves, and fraudsters cheated Tennesseans out of a reported $133.6 million of their hard-earned money in 2023, landing Tennessee as the state with the 16th highest rate of fraud in the United States.  

Those shocking figures are courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission’s newly released Consumer Sentinel Network 2023 report which identifies more than 73,000 instances of fraud and other reports last year in the Volunteer State. Separately, Tennesseans reported more than 12,700 instances of identity theft in Tennessee.  

To combat this ongoing problem, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (“TDCI”) Securities Division reminds consumers to be vigilant in protecting themselves from financial fraud and identity theft by learning the red flags of financial scams and how to protect themselves.  

“Tennessee is rightfully known as the ‘Volunteer State’ for our willingness to help our friends, neighbors, and even complete strangers,” said TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence. “Unfortunately, unscrupulous scam artists and criminals often use our neighborliness and trusting nature against us so they can steal money and personal information. Any consumer who is approached about an investment deal that sounds too good to be true should contact our Securities team with their questions first.”  

“Tennesseans can take steps today in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from investment fraud,” TDCI Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Bowling. “If you suspect that you or a loved one might be a victim of securities or insurance fraud, or if you would like to file a complaint or speak with an investigator, please contact TDCI’s Financial Services Investigations Unit at (615) 741-5900 or visit our website.” 

To help consumers avoid financial fraud, including identity theft, TDCI is sharing these helpful consumer tips: 

• To combat potential investment fraud from occurring, senior financial investors need to talk with their adviser and provide their financial firms with a trusted contact. A trusted contact may be a family member, attorney, accountant, or another third party who you believe would respect your privacy and know how to handle that responsibility. One or more trusted contacts may be established. Naming someone as a trusted contact does not give that person the authority to act on your behalf, execute transactions, or reengage in activity in your account. If you do decide to name a trusted contact, you will want to reach out your trusted contact in advance to let them know. A trusted contact may be asked to confirm your current contact information, health status, or the identity of any legal guardian, executor, trustee, or holder of a power of attorney. U.S. broker-dealers are required to provide a written disclosure that explains these details. 
• Be mindful of what documents you put in your trash. Identity thieves are willing to dig through garbage to find valuable information. To reduce the risk of identity theft, consider purchasing a good paper shredder (retails around $50-60), and if the document has anything beyond your name and address on it, shred it. Can’t afford a shredder? Check with your local financial institution or Better Business Bureau for free paper shredding events and services that might be available in your community. 
• Monitor bank and credit card statements and your credit report. 
• Use direct deposit for benefit checks to prevent checks from being stolen.
• Never give your credit card, banking information, Social Security number, Medicare number, or other personal information over the phone, unless you initiated the call. 
• If someone calls you and threatens you with arrest or harm unless you pay them via wire transfer or a gift card, hang up immediately. You’re dealing with a scammer. Report the call to your local law enforcement agency. 

For more information on investment scams and financial education or to contact the Securities Division, visit tn.gov/securities, email securities.1@tn.gov, or call 800-863-9117. 

This is an advance notice that DTC Communications will conduct network maintenance between 11:59 PM Tuesday night, March 12th and 7 AM, Wednesday morning, March 13th.

This is the second in a series of steps to upgrade the equipment necessary to enhance our overall system performance and better serve our expanding customer base.

Internet, Voice, and TV services will be temporarily unavailable to most subscribers during portions of the maintenance window. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

For any immediate assistance during the maintenance period, please contact us by calling 629.226.0001. For questions outside the maintenance window, you can contact us at 615.529.2955.    

Cannon County Schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 14, 2024, to allow students and staff to attend the Murfreesboro TSSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament game.  Cannon County’s Lions will face Ripley’s Tigers at 2:15pm in MTSU’s Murphy Center.

Bonnie Patterson, Director of Schools, states, “This is the first time since 1985 that our Cannon County High School Lions Basketball team has played in the state tournament. We want to show our support to the team and encourage everyone to cheer our Lions on to victory.”

Lunch will be served to all students, and dismissal will begin at 11:30 a.m. ESP will be available for ESP students at Cannon Elementary and Cannon North. ESP students at Cannon South, please call Lisa Black at 629-201-4805 to schedule after-school care if needed.

Cannon County Softball game with Central has been moved to a 6:30pm start. Fans are encouraged to attend the boys opener in the state tournament and return to Woodbury to cheer on the softball team.  No JV game is scheduled.

With Daylight Saving Time approaching (Sunday, March 10 at 2 AM), the darker mornings and lost hour of sleep will lead to more drowsy drivers. New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals the shocking lethality of drowsy driving. The study, based on in-depth crash investigations and national fatal crash data, estimates that drowsy driving is a factor in roughly ten times as many traffic fatalities as traditional crash data indicates.

“This study should be a wakeup call for drivers to not underestimate the dangers of drowsy driving,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Whether you’re driving to work or taking the family on a road trip, stay alert or get off the road.”

According to the new Foundation study, drowsy drivers were involved in:

• 18% of all traffic fatalities between 2017 and 2021, accounting for nearly 30,000 deaths.
• 6,725 estimated deaths in 2021 alone.

These figures are far higher than official government statistics, highlighting the underreported nature of drowsy driving crashes. According to NHTSA, there is agreement across the traffic safety, sleep science, and public health communities that the impact of drowsy driving is underestimated.

Drowsiness impairs drivers in different ways:

• Reduced alertness: Makes it harder to react quickly to hazards. Just one hour less than the expert-recommended minimum of 7 hours of sleep increases a driver’s risk of crashing.
• Impaired judgment: Increases the risk of making poor decisions on the road. Sleep deprivation increases a driver’s risk of making many ordinary mistakes, leading to crashes. Those deprived of sleep by 4+ hours have an impairment similar to those over the legal BAC limit.
• Hazardous Microsleeps: Can cause momentary lapses in consciousness, leading to loss of control of the vehicle and failure to respond to dangers on the road.
• Self-Perception of Drowsiness: Previous Foundation research found that drivers often underestimate their drowsiness, putting themselves and others at risk.

Warning Signs of Drowsy Driving
According to the CDC

• Frequent yawning or blinking
• Trouble remembering the past few miles driven.
• Missing your exit.
• Drifting from your lane.
• Hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road.

Who’s at greater risk of drowsy driving and related crashes and deaths?
According to the CDC

• Teen and young adult drivers
• Drivers on the road between midnight and 6 a.m. or in the later afternoon.
• Drivers who don’t get enough sleep.
• Commercial truck drivers.
• Drivers who work the night shift or long shifts.
• Drivers with untreated sleep disorders – like sleep apnea, where breathing repeatedly stops and starts.
• Drivers who use medicines that make them drowsy.

What can drivers do to avoid drowsy driving?

• Get enough sleep before driving. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night.
• Don’t underestimate the power of a quick nap. A 20- to 30-minute nap can significantly improve your alertness.
• Travel at times of the day when you are normally awake. Avoid driving when you are tired or sleepy.
• Listen to your body. If you start to feel tired, pull over and take a break. Don’t try to push through it.
• Take breaks every two hours or 100 miles. Get out of the car, stretch your legs, and get fresh air. Plan and identify safe, comfortable places to take breaks. Don’t wait until you’re already feeling drowsy.
• Travel with an alert passenger and take turns driving. Sharing the driving can help you stay awake and alert.
• Avoid heavy meals before driving. Eating a large meal can make you feel tired and sluggish.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs. Both can impair your driving ability. Besides harming driving directly, they can also amplify drowsiness.

AAA supports the development of vehicle technology that can detect drowsiness and prevent drivers from operating a vehicle when impaired. This technology could help to save lives by preventing drowsy driving crashes.

The Tennessee gas price average moved above $3.00 per gallon last week for the first time since November 2023. Over last week, gas prices rose six cents, on average. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $3.01 which is 16 cents more expensive than one month ago but four cents less than one year ago.  

“Tennessee drivers are now seeing gas prices above $3.00 per gallon for the first time since November, and it’s very likely the trend of fluctuating prices will continue,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We saw an increase in gasoline futures last week, which likely indicates that summer-blend gasoline is now moving into the market. OPEC and its allies also announced on Sunday that they would extend voluntary oil production cuts until the end of June. Both of these are contributing to upward pressure on pump prices.” 

Quick Facts

• 66% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $3.00 
• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.80 for regular unleaded 
• The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.31 for regular unleaded
• Tennessee is the 10th least expensive market in the nation

The Cannon County Election Commission released the following results using social media Tuesday night.

Unofficial Results… 1,840 voters participated in the March 5th Election.

Top 3 Republicans: Ron DeSantis (10), Nikki Haley (140), Donald Trump (1462)

On the Democratic side: Joseph Biden (110)

Sales Tax Referendum: For (924) and Against (788)

State Rep. Michael Hale, R-Smithville, proposed legislation that would help combat food insecurity at universities and community colleges across the state.

A report by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) showed that campus administrators estimate roughly 30% of students experience food insecurity.

“Our college students, who are working hard to ensure a better life for themselves and their families, often make the difficult choice between rent and food,” Hale said.

House Bill 1914 would create a hunger-free campus grant program that would provide funds to help higher education institutions provide food to its students.

In order to be eligible for the grant program, schools must have an established food pantry or partner with a community food pantry that is accessible to students. They must also form a “Hunger Task Force” that includes at least two students to examine the need and best practices for food insecurity on campus. 

The institutions must use the funds to develop a student meal credit donation program, allocate funding for a meal voucher program or provide financial assistance to its food pantry or partner pantry. Along with raising awareness of community and campus resources for students facing food insecurity.

“Our goal is to make food insecurity a thing of the past. While this is not the end-all solution, it is a step in the right direction. It is an honor to carry this legislation, and I look forward to guiding it to passage to fight for our students,” Hale said.

Schools will have to submit an annual report to the Education Administration committee outlining its efforts to address food insecurity, demographics and best practices implemented.

The bill passed the Higher Education subcommittee and now moves on to the Education Administration committee.