Unemployment rates for 94 of Tennessee’s 95 counties dropped in April 2019 according to data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
The unemployment rate in Maury County remained unchanged for the month.
Ninety-four counties have rates lower than 5 percent and only one county’s rate is higher than 5 percent.
Coffee County’s unemployment rate for April dropped to a record low, going down from the March rate of 3.1 percent to 2.6 percent. Currently, there are only 670 workers unemployed in Coffee County. Bedford County dropped from 3.6 to 3.0 percent. In Cannon County their rate fell from 3.0 percent to 2.4. In neighboring Franklin County their March unemployment rate was 3.2 percent, the April rate went down to 2.6 percent. Grundy County dropped a full percentage from 4.3 to 3.3. Moore County fell from 2.7 to 2.2 percent and Warren County’s unemployment rate went down from 3.9 percent in March to 3.2 percent in April.
Unemployment in Williamson County dipped below 2 percent in April. The county’s current rate of 1.9 percent marks a 0.5 of a percentage point drop from the previous month. Clay County had the state’s highest rate in April at 5.6 percent.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill diverting tax dollars to private education.
The new law will allow participating families to receive debit cards worth up to $7,300 in state education money each year.
The freshman governor navigated a bumpy legislative path to score his most prominent policy win yet with the voucher-like proposal. President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sent supportive tweets while it was debated in the Legislature.
Eventually, the bill narrowly emerged from fights over cost estimates and provisions that could exclude families in the U.S. illegally.
Nationally, five states have passed laws allowing some sort of education savings accounts: Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Nevada. The Nevada Supreme Court later ruled the state could not use school dollars to fund the accounts.

The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network has launched an app for both Apple and Android users that allows people to learn about warning signs and local resources and more.
The app lets people request a suicide prevention training, take a depression screening and provides many more resources for users. To download the app, search for TSPN in the Apple or Google Play stores.
Three Tennesseans take their own lives each day, according to TSPN, making it the ninth leading cause of death in the state.
If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to one of the many crisis resources including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) or the State Crisis line (1-855-CRISIS-1).

 

Graduation was held Friday night (May 24, 2019) for Coffee County High School seniors. A crowd estimated to be over 7,000 saw 430 graduates accept their diplomas from Principal Paul Parsley and Interim Director of Coffee County Schools Joe Pedigo.
The seniors took their next step toward a future full of expectations as they heard from Valedictorian George Gannon, Salutatorian, Isabel Watkins, Senior Class President Harley Hinshaw and school officials.
The first full day of classes for 2019-2020 is August 5, 2019.

Today (Monday) people will be out enjoying what is called the official start of summer, we should remember today is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. The holiday is currently observed every year on the last Monday of May.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, especially to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.
Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day – Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, whereas Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

Manchester Rotary Club was awarded $5,000 in grant funds, with a $5,000 match, by the Rotary District Grant Foundation Program. The grant funding will be used to support two summer youth initiatives, Manchester Parks & Recreation’s Day Camp to provide opportunities for children in need and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department School Safety Cadets Summer Camp.
“We are thrilled to support the efforts of the inaugural School Safety Cadets Camp. This interactive opportunity provides many of our young leaders, who may not have been able to participate otherwise during the summer, the ability to experience and learn about law enforcement, social and leadership skills, citizenship and safety awareness,” said Taylor Rayfield, Manchester Rotary Club President-Elect.
The Rotary Foundation District Grant program funds small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in communities. These projects are centered around humanitarian efforts, youth programs, and vocational training.
“Our young leaders having the opportunity to experience and build relationships with our outstanding law enforcement in a positive manner is a great thing,” Rayfield added.
This year’s inaugural School Safety Cadet Summer Camp will begin on June 3rd with 53 Cadets comprised from each county elementary school are expected to participate.