Uncategorized

Gas prices across the state are now starting to show signs of stabilization. Today’s gas price average is only a penny cheaper than last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.73 which is nearly 38 cents less expensive than one month ago and 25 cents less than one year ago.  

“Falling gas prices early last week gave way to some slight fluctuation in prices over the weekend, ” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “This could be a sign that Tennessee gas prices are beginning to stabilize. Over last week our metro areas saw a wide range of fluctuation, and it’s likely that fluctuation will continue through the end of the year.” 

On Christmas Day, the Tennessee gas price average was $2.73 per gallon, 26 cents cheaper than what travelers paid in 2021. 

Quick Facts

• 54% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.75
• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.39 for regular unleaded 
• The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.10 for regular unleaded
• Tennessee is the 7th least expensive market in the nation 

Tennessee Regional Prices 

• Most expensive metro markets – Memphis ($2.86), Morristown ($2.85), Jackson ($2.83)
• Least expensive metro markets – Clarksville ($2.60), Cleveland ($2.60), Chattanooga ($2.64)

Lee Frank Mears, 80, of Murfreesboro died Tuesday, December 20, 2022.  He was born in Cannon Co., the son of the late Clarence Mears and Beulah Haley Mears. 

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, June McCullough Mears of Murfreesboro and his sister, Rachel (Jerry) Dunlap of Christiana.  Also surviving are 2 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. 

In addition to his parents, Lee was preceded in death by his daughter, Lisa Hood and his brothers, Carl and Harold Mears.

He was a retired logger and previously worked at Cummings Signs.  He enjoyed fishing and being outdoors.

Private memorial services will be held.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences for his family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net 

Rita Faye Howell, 56, of Bradyville passed away suddenly Monday, October 24, 2022 at Stones River Hospital E/R. She was born in Cannon Co.

Survivors include her husband of 37 years, Michael Howell, Sr. of Bradyville; children, Amber (Tyler) Bouldin of McMinnville, Michael Howell, Jr. of Woodbury and Phillip (Chelsea) Howell of Murfreesboro, Kaden Howell and Summer Howell both of Bradyville; grandchildren, Lydia-Mae Howell, Carter Howell, Cooper Bouldin, Ava Vassar, Sawyer Bouldin and Jason Howell and brother, Larry (Kay) Gannon of Woodbury.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Fannie Miller Gannon and Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, John and Eleanor Howell. 

A member of the church of Christ, she was a homemaker, but she was so much more than that.  She made sure her children and grandchildren were well taken care of.  Everything in her life revolved around her family.  She enjoyed helping her grandchildren with schoolwork and making sure they had everything they needed to succeed.  She also enjoyed “porch sittin” watching the hummingbirds and listening to her windchimes. 

Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Wednesday, October 26, 2022 in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Ralph Richardson officiating.  Interment will follow in the Iconium Cemetery. 

Visitation with her family will be from 4 pm to 8 pm Tuesday, October 25, 2022. 

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311.  To leave condolences and memories for her family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net

 The Tennessee gas price average fell below $4.00 per gallon on Friday for the first time since May 5. Gas prices across the state fell, on average, nearly 18 cents over last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $3.93 which is nearly 60 cents less expensive than one month ago and $1.06 more than one year ago.  

“Tennessee is now in its sixth straight week for declining gas prices and drivers can likely expect prices at the pump to continue to drop yet again this week,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We’ve seen another week of losses in the oil market and are continuing to see additional downward pressure on gas prices due to underwhelming gasoline demand figures – likely due to Americans changing their driving habits to offset rising gas prices.”

Quick Facts

• 74% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $4.00 
• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $3.56 for regular unleaded 
• The highest 10% of pump prices are $4.33 for regular unleaded
• Tennessee is the 6th least expensive market in the nation

National Gas Prices

Lackluster demand for gas and lower oil prices led to pump prices falling again, down 17 cents since last week to $4.35. The steady decline is due to low domestic demand for gasoline and oil prices that remain in the mid-$90s per barrel. The price of gas has now fallen every day since hitting a record $5.01 on June 14.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose from 8.06 million b/d to 8.52 million b/d last week. However, that rate is 800,000 b/d lower than last year and is in line with demand during the middle of July 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions curbed demand. Additionally, total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 3.5 million bbl to 228.4 million bbl, signaling that low demand led to growth in inventory last week. If gas demand remains low as stocks increase, alongside a continuing reduction in crude prices, drivers will likely continue to see pump prices decline.

Today’s national average of $4.35 is 63 cents less than a month ago and $1.20 more than a year ago.

Drivers can find current gas prices along their route using the AAA TripTik Travel planner.

Tennessee Regional Prices 

• Most expensive metro markets – Knoxville ($4.13), Morristown ($4.13), Memphis ($4.01)
• Least expensive metro markets – Clarksville ($3.72), Cleveland ($3.77), Chattanooga ($3.81)

Donny Green, DeKalb-Cannon County FSA County Executive Director, announces that the nomination period for the 2022 Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee Election is underway. The nomination period continues through August 1, 2022.

“I encourage all producers to participate in the county committee election process by nominating candidates by the August 1 deadline,” said Green. “We are counting on as much participation as possible, because county committees are an important link between the farm community and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We have seen a trend in recent years of increased nominations of minority, beginning farmers, and women producers and we hope that will continue.”

Committees apply their judgment and knowledge to make decisions on county commodity price-support loan eligibility, establishment of allotments and yields, conservation programs, disaster programs, employment and other farm program-related issues. Nationwide, there are more than 7,700 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. Committees consist of three to 11 members who are elected by eligible local producers. Member serve three-year terms.

To be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate.

Nominees must reside in Local Administrative Area (LAA) for which they are seeking to be elected. For the 2022 Election, the DeKalb-Cannon FSA County Committee Election will conduct elections in LAA-3. Below is the description of the LAA’s that will be conducting elections this year:

Local Administrative Area # 3, the portions of DeKalb County described as following:

East of Hwy. 56 South beginning at the DeKalb/Warren county line, following Hwy. 56 in a northern direction to the intersection of Highway 56 and Highway 70; south of Highway 70 East to Center Hill Lake; following Center Hill Lake north and northwest to the Caney Fork River thence to the Smith County line; south of the Smith County line and west of the Putnam County line to the White County line; west of the White County line to the Warren County line; north of the Warren County line following the county line back to Highway 56 South at the DeKalb/Warren County line.

Individuals may nominate themselves, or others, as a candidate. In addition, eligible candidates can be nominated by community-based and other organizations in the county where the election is being held before the close of the nomination period, especially groups representing socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.  Nominations and elections are open to all eligible candidates and voters without regard to race, color, religion, nation origin, age, sex, marital status or disability.  The nomination form (FSA-669A) is available at USDA Service Centers and online at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections

Ballots will be mailed to all eligible voters in LAA’s # 3 on November 7, 2022. Completed ballots must be returned, either in person or postmarked, no later December 5, 2022. For more information about FSA county committees, visit the DeKalb/Cannon County USDA Service Center or call 615-597-8225, extension 2.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers of commercial fruits and vegetables they must file application for Noninsured Crop Assistance Disaster (NAP) Program coverage by the March 15, 2022 final sales closing date for the following crops:

green beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, potatoes, okra, squash, peas, pumpkins

peppers, watermelons, cucumbers, cantaloupes and hemp.

NAP provides catastrophic level (CAT) coverage based on the amount of loss that exceeds 50 percent of expected production at 55 percent of the average market price for the crop. The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes additional coverage levels ranging from 50 to 65 percent of production, in 5 percent increments, at 100 percent of the average market price. Additional coverage must be elected by a producer by the application closing date. Producers who elect additional coverage must pay a premium in addition to the service fee. Crops intended for grazing are not eligible for additional coverage.

Eligible producers must apply for coverage using form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage,” and pay the applicable service fee at the FSA office. The application and service fee must be filed 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. Producers can elect increases coverage for additional premiums.

Beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged and qualifying veterans 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 2022, in DeKalb and Cannon counties, a “limited resource farmer” is defined as having gross farm sales less than or equal to $189,200 per year in each of the tax years 2019 and 2020 and less than $29,419 (Cannon Co.) or $26,500 (DeKalb Co.) in total household adjusted gross income each tax year 2019 and 2020. 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 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.

A husband was charged after he allegedly shot and killed his wife Monday night at their home near Readyville. 

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting call at a Bivens Hill Road home where Irwin Keith “Boo” Odom and his wife Toni lived.

Detective Capt. Britt Reed said, “Deputies located Mrs. Odom in the residence deceased from an apparent gunshot injury.”

Detective Ty Downing said Odom was at the home when they arrived. Downing noted, “He agreed to meet with the investigators for an interview.”

After the interview, Downing charged the 50-year-old man with the first-degree murder of his 27-year-old wife. The Odoms were married five years.

Detectives obtained search warrants for the home where they gathered evidence.

Odom is being held on $1 million bond. A hearing is set Wednesday (9/29/2021) in Rutherford General Sessions Court.

Thanks to our media partner, WGNS