2018

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) has been appointed to lead a key joint Senate / House of Representatives Subcommittee in the Tennessee General Assembly.  Pody has been appointed Chairman of the Joint Government Operations Committee’s Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittee.  The subcommittee hears all rules and regulations promulgated by departments, commissions, boards, agencies or councils of state government regarding commerce, banking, insurance, farming, roads, and motor vehicles, among other matters.  They also conduct reviews of government entities which have jurisdiction on these subjects.
 
The committee has scheduled multiple hearings this summer. 
 
Senator Pody said, “I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and will continue to work hard to make good public policy decisions that not only helps Tennessee’s government and its agencies work in a more cost-efficient manner, but that also focuses on serving the people of this state more effectively.  These committees touch issues of great importance to the State of Tennessee and the people of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and look forward to making a positive impact for the citizens of Senate District 17.”
 
Pody also serves in a leadership role on the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as Vice-Chair. 
 

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) has been appointed to lead a key joint Senate / House of Representatives Subcommittee in the Tennessee General Assembly.  Pody has been appointed Chairman of the Joint Government Operations Committee’s Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittee.  The subcommittee hears all rules and regulations promulgated by departments, commissions, boards, agencies or councils of state government regarding commerce, banking, insurance, farming, roads, and motor vehicles, among other matters.  They also conduct reviews of government entities which have jurisdiction on these subjects. 
The committee has scheduled multiple hearings this summer. 
 
Senator Pody said, “I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and will continue to work hard to make good public policy decisions that not only helps Tennessee’s government and its agencies work in a more cost-efficient manner, but that also focuses on serving the people of this state more effectively.  These committees touch issues of great importance to the State of Tennessee and the people of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and look forward to making a positive impact for the citizens of Senate District 17.”
 
Pody also serves in a leadership role on the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee as Vice-Chair. 
 

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released its 2017 ‘Crime in Tennessee’ report, revealing a slight overall increase in reported instances of crime in the most recent reporting year.
The annual study compiles data reported from each law enforcement agency in the state through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS). The TBI’s sophisticated crime reporting system, in place for more than 15 years, provides an updated and comprehensive picture of the successes and challenges facing communities across Tennessee.
Among the findings in the 2017 report:
§  Reported instances of Murder increased 6.7% from 2016 to 2017.
§  Reported Rape offenses increased 3.2% in the same time period.
§  The number of individuals arrested in connection to reported crimes decreased by 0.1% from 2016 to 2017.
§  Juveniles accounted for 6.4% of all arrests, down from 6.5% in the previous year.
§  ‘Simple Assault’ accounted for 67.0% of all reported domestic violence offenses.
§  Drug/Narcotic Violations increased 4.9% in the previous year.
§  The number of DUI arrests continued to trend downward in the past year.
“We’re extremely thankful for our dedicated law enforcement partners,” said TBI Director Mark Gwyn. “Together, they helped us compile a thorough snapshot of crime in Tennessee. We now hope every department takes this information and works to further address the key crime issues facing their communities and our state.”
DISCLAIMER: The TBI strongly discourages the ranking and comparison of jurisdictions and their crime rates by the data in the 2017 report. Demographic, socio-economic, and other factors out of the control of law enforcement contribute to the nature of the crimes committed. Crime varies from place to place and ranking the agencies solely on numbers would neither be fair to the agencies nor their communities.
There are 532 reporting agencies in the state of Tennessee. And, for the second consecutive year, all agencies in Tennessee are compliant with TIBRS reporting. Tennessee is one of 16 states reporting 100% compliance. Nationally, 34 states are currently NIBRS-certified. To coincide with the release of this report, 2017’s public data is now available for review on the TBI’s online CrimeInsight platform, available at http://crimeinsight.tbi.tn.gov. The full ‘Crime in Tennessee’ report is available for review on the TBI’s website: tn.gov/tbi.
 
 

Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH will join other state and local officials Tuesday, April 24 at the open house at the new Cannon County Health Department and Community Health Center in Woodbury.
The Cannon County Health Department received $750,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through a Health Infrastructure Investment Program grant. Other funds for the new building were provided the state of Tennessee and the land was donated by Cannon County.
The new building has more exams rooms than the previous facility, a dental wing with two dental chairs and a modernized conference and training room for patient education and staff development opportunities. Approximately 5,362 Cannon County residents are considered low-income and qualify for services at the Cannon County Health Department and Community Health Center on the sliding fee scale.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced the March 2018 statewide unemployment rate for Tennessee remained near historic lows and matched the revised rate from the previous month.
 
The preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for March was 3.4 percent, which mirrored the revised rate for February and was nearly one percentage point less than the March 2017 rate of 4.2 percent. Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate has remained below 4.0 percent since last May, hitting an all-time low of 3.3 percent last September.

“The year-to-year comparison of unemployment rates shows how much progress has been made in creating new jobs in Tennessee,” Haslam said. “But government doesn’t create jobs – jobs are created when businesses put capital at risk. That’s why we have worked hard to create an environment in Tennessee where businesses can grow and thrive and we continue to invest in our citizens, creating a skilled workforce that is ready for today’s job demands.”

The national unemployment rate for March was 4.1 percent, a decrease of 0.4 of a percentage point from the same time last year.  It has held steady at 4.1 percent since October 2017.

Tennessee added 4,900 new nonfarm jobs between February and March. Over the past 12 months, employers across the state created an estimated 49,000 new jobs.  The largest increases occurred in the accommodations/food services, wholesale trade, and transportation/warehousing/utilities sectors.

“Each time a new job is created in Tennessee, the quality of life improves for another family,” Burns said.  “That quality of life is one of the reasons Tennessee is such a desirable place to start or expand a business.”

The statewide unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted to eliminate the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools and other recurring seasonal events from an economic time series.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) will participate in “Joint Operation,” a free event to provide veterans and their families with a one-stop shop to access local resources and services. The outreach, which will occur Friday, April 20, 2018 at Life Church in Cookeville, was organized by the office of U.S. Senator Bob Corker and is being co-hosted by Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton and County Executive Randy Porter.
 
Joint Operation is open to all Tennessee veterans and their families and will feature more than 50 agencies and organizations with information on a number of resources, including VA claim assistance, education, vocational rehabilitation, employment resources, mental health, housing, and legal assistance. Representatives from TDCI’s Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Securities divisions will be on hand to provide information and assistance on topics such as consumer insurance services, insurance and investment fraud, and identity theft and scam prevention.
 
JOINT OPERATION

• WHAT:  Joint Operation: A Free Event to Provide Veterans With a One-Stop Shop to Access Resources
• WHEN:  Friday, April 20, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT
• WHERE:  Life Church, 2223 North Washington Avenue, Cookeville, Tennessee
• HOSTED BY:  The Office of U.S. Senator Bob Corker; the Office of Mayor Ricky Shelton, City of Cookeville; and the Office of Randy Porter, County Executive.

 
Veterans with questions about the event should contact Senator Corker’s Nashville office at 615-279-8125.
 
 

Five Hometown Heroes will be honored at the Hometown Heroes Walk for Children, said Child Advocacy Center director Sharon De Boer. 
 
The awards will be presented at Murfreesboro Civic Plaza on Friday, April 20 at 11:45 a.m. before the Hometown Heroes Walk for Children.  The awards will be a surprise for each of the recipients and are considered legacy awards to community members who work to protect children. 
 
“Each of these Hometown Heroes has dedicated their career to making our community a better place for children to live and grow up,” De Boer said.
     
The Child Advocacy Center anticipates 300 walkers will participate in the Hometown Heroes Walk for Children after the awards are presented.  Walkers can pre-register online until Thursday morning at www.cacrutherford.org. People may also register at the event from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. at Murfreesboro Civic Plaza.  The walk is free.  Event t-shirts will be available for purchase for $10.
 
The Hometown Heroes Committee is issuing a new challenge this year.  There will be a new “Golden Sneakers Award” for the business or agency that brings the most walkers to the event.  Last year the Department of Children’s Services had the most walkers.  So far this year, Amazon Fulfillment is in the lead!
 
“The Child Advocacy Center program services are provided free of charge to child victims and their families,” De Boer said. “But these services are not free. It takes the support of people like you for us to be able to provide these critically needed services to child abuse victims.”  Funds collected will be used to help child abuse victims heal. 
 
In the last 18 years, the Child Protective Investigative Team, consisting of the Child Advocacy Center, the Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office have worked together to investigate and prosecute 14,000 child abuse cases and assisted over 20,000 individuals. 
 
Department of Children’s Services protects children, law enforcement arrests perpetrators, the District Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes offenders, while the Child Advocacy Center helps children and families heal from the trauma. 
 
“We have had a chilly spring, but the weather forecast for Friday is for sunny skies and 63 degrees,” De Boer said.  “It will be the perfect temperature for a 2-mile walk.  Lace up your tennis shoes and join your friends and neighbors as we walk to prevent child abuse.”