Josh Peterson

An additional 43,792 Tennesseans filed new unemployment claims for the week ending April 25, bringing the total of new claims filed since the week ending March 21 to 437,261 in Tennessee alone.

Nationally, over 3.8 million Americans filed for jobless benefits last week. This brings the national total to over 30 million claims for unemployment insurance since mid march. This represents roughly 18.6 percent of the American workforce.

The school year may have ended early, but the H&R Block Student of the Week continues here at Thunder Radio.

Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin at the Manchester H&R Block as we say congratulations to this week’s student of the week – Ethan Sloan.

Ethan is a seventh grade student at Coffee County Middle School in Mrs. Powell’s homeroom. He is the son of Satrina Sloan and Brian Sloan. In his free time he enjoys playing soccer and other sports, as well as video games.

When he grows up, Ethan would like to be a NASA Engineer or a professional soccer player.

Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a set of Nashville Predators hockey tickets, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. Job well done, Ethan!

Pictured are, from left, CMS principal Kim Aaron, Ethan Sloan and Rosalyn Partin with Manchester H&R Block.

Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott issued a public statement Wednesday, calling into question the constitutionality of Governor Bill Lee’s executive orders and adding that he will not be prosecuting persons “for simply engaging in legal activities such as operating their lawful business.”

Northcott did go on to say that he encourages citizens to follow reasonable health guidelines, and recommends that the most vulnerable stay isolated to the greatest extent possible.

“I sincerely believe that Governor Lee has made every decision based upon what he believes is best for the citizens that he serves,” Northcott said. “He has been required to make many very difficult decisions using incomplete, inaccurate and often contradictory information. I continue to pray for his wisdom in leading this wonderful state in this and all situations.”

Northcott also issued a caution to business owners who don’t follow the executive order.

“There may be other severe sanctions if the executive orders are not followed including the loss of a business license,” Northcott warned. “I am only speaking for the fact that there will be no criminal sanction in Coffee County for a violation of an executive order issued in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. These other civil sanctions are outside my control.”

In his statement, Northcott went on to call Lee’s orders “increasingly vague and arbitrary,” – pointing out discrepancies in allowing certain businesses to open and others to remain shuttered.

“How does it make sense that a restaurant with a capacity of 400 can serve 200 people but a barber who rarely has more than five people in his shop at a time can’t ply his trade to support his family? How does it make sense that a tattoo artist in Knox County can operate legally but one in Coffee County can’t,” Northcott questioned. “How does it make sense that people can go to a gym to workout but a high school football team can’t workout together in its own facilities? How does it make sense that a group of people can gather together to eat at a restaurant but the same group can’t gather in a home or public park to do so? How does it make sense that urban areas where there is the biggest concentration of COVID-19 can have less restrictions that rural areas where there has been minimal impact?”

Northcott cited his oath to uphold the Constitution of Tennessee and the United States as reasoning for denying any enforcement locally.

“A criminal statute that is vague, arbitrary and isn’t uniformly applicable is unconstitutional. I believe that is the current status of the executive orders that, by statute, are enforceable by criminal sanctions. As part of checks and balances of our government, I have prosecutorial discretion to choose not to prosecute any crime and this discretion has been consistently upheld by many Tennessee and US Supreme Court decision including one as recently as two months ago.

“I believe that I cannot prosecute any person for simply engaging in legal activities such as operating their lawful business. I also believe that the citizens of Coffee County wouldn’t stand for such action on my part nor could I reasonably expect a jury to convict someone for that crime.

“Accordingly, I made it clear within law enforcement circles as the outset that I will not and have not taken action to prosecute anyone for the violation of executive order.”

Northcott also expressed concerns that there is a public safety threat from those who may act out of frustration brought on by financial or emotional pressures by these restrictions.

NORTHCOTT’S FULL STATEMENT IS BELOW:

Dear Friends and Fellow Citizens of Coffee County-

I am writing to inform you of my position on the criminal enforcement of Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive Orders relative to the closure of certain businesses and the restraint on individual freedoms. I have from the beginning held grave concerns about the constitutionality of the statutory construct under which Gov. Lee exercised this authority and, even assuming the statute is constitutional in general, the constitutionality of its specific use in this situation. To date, I have remained quiet publicly about these concerns out of respect for Gov. Lee and the office that he holds. However, I believe it is now important for me to be transparent on my stance given the most recent announcements and Executive Orders as well as the growing reaction to these restrictions in our community.

As Gov. Lee continues to modify these orders, they are becoming increasingly vague and arbitrary. How does it make sense that a restaurant with a capacity of 400 can serve 200 people but a barber who rarely has more than 5 people in his shop at a time can’t ply his trade to support his family? How does it make sense that a tattoo artist in Knox County can operate legally but one in Coffee County can’t? How does it make sense that people can go to a gym to workout but a high school football team can’t workout together in its own facilities? How does it make sense that a group of people can gather together to eat at a restaurant but the same group can’t gather in a home or public park to do so? How does it make sense that urban areas where there is the biggest concentration of COVID-19 can have less restrictions than rural areas where there has been minimal impact?

I swore an oath to uphold the Constitutions of Tennessee and the United States. A criminal statute that is vague, arbitrary and isn’t uniformly applicable is unconstitutional. I believe that is the current status of the Executive Orders that, by statute, are enforceable by criminal sanctions. As part of the checks and balances of our government, I have prosecutorial discretion to choose not to prosecute any crime and this discretion has been consistently upheld by many Tennessee and US Supreme Court decisions including one as recently as two (2) months ago. In order to fulfill that oath, I believe that I cannot prosecute any person for simply engaging in legal activities such as operating their lawful business. I also believe that the citizens of Coffee County wouldn’t stand for such action on my part nor could I reasonably expect a jury to convict someone for that crime. Accordingly, I made it clear within law enforcement circles at the outset that I will not and have not taken action to prosecute anyone for the violation of an Executive Order.

Equally concerning, I believe that there is a growing public safety threat from those who are acting or will act out of frustration brought on by the financial, emotional and other pressures caused by these restrictions. I feel compelled to make a public statement indicating that I won’t prosecute anyone for engaging in otherwise lawful activity simply because it violates Gov. Lee’s Executive Orders. I can’t allow the implicit threat of the use of the authority of my office to enforce what I believe to be unconstitutional actions.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I encourage you to follow all reasonable health guidelines. I strongly recommend that the most vulnerable stay isolated to the greatest extent possible. I sincerely believe that Gov. Lee has made every decision based upon what he believes is best for the citizens that he serves. He has been required to make many very difficult decisions using incomplete, inaccurate and often contradictory information. I continue to pray for his wisdom in leading this wonderful State in this and all situations.

 Also, there may be other severe sanctions if the Executive Orders are not followed including the loss of a business license. I am only speaking for the fact that there will be no criminal sanction in Coffee County, Tennessee for a violation of an Executive Order issued in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. These other civil sanctions are outside of my control.

Thank you for allowing me to serve this community. As I have said often through this time: Trust the Lord. Use common sense. Treat others better than yourself. Live your life accordingly.

-Craig Northcott

State officials have announced that close contact businesses such as beauty salons and barbershops will be allowed to open as soon as next week – May 6.

Tennessee State Representative Johnny Garrett, who represents the 45th District, announced on Facebook Wednesday that he spoke with Governor Bill Lee, and added that beauty salons, barbershops and other close contact businesses will be opened up next week with guidance coming soon.

“Your engagement and messages made this possible,” Garrett posted. “Keep me informed of your issues so I can advocate on your behalf.”

This comes less than 24 hours after Lee issued Executive Order 30, calling for these types of close-contact business to remain closed in an executive order that doesn’t expire until May 29.

The Manchester Recreation Complex will open the exercise facilities under restrictions and guidelines provided by Tennessee Governor Lee’s “Tennessee Pledge” starting Monday, May 4, . It will be up to the public to abide by the guidelines and restrictions so that the facility can operate on a limited phase 1 basis.

Areas Open
Only the wellness room, gym ( for fitness classes and exercise equipment only), and indoor track are open. No pools, locker rooms, showers, youth wellness, casual care nursery, and racquetball courts will be open. The restricted use of the areas will only be available to those ages 13 and over.

Admission and Use According to Governor Lee’s Tennessee Pledge
• Everyone seeking admission must have his or her temperature taken before entry. Anyone with a temperature above 100.4 will not come in to the facility. Staff will ask questions regarding possible exposure to Covid-19.
• All staff and patrons are recommended to use face coverings.
• All people seeking entry will be counted and if we reach maximum must wait until people leave to enter. Recreation Department Staff will count and keep track.
• Everyone entering will sanitize hands with hand sanitizer before working out.
• Exercise areas will be monitored by staff at all times.
• We will abide by Social Distancing and 6ft apart restrictions.
• No drinking fountains will be open. People must bring own bottles of water or purchase one.
• Both Staff and visitors must clean equipment after use. Staff will be wiping down all hard surfaces a minimum of every 2 hours.
• The Recreation Complex will not supply any mats or towels. Visitors wishing to use a mat must bring their own and leave the building with it.
• Everyone when checking in for count at the front desk must stand behind the Plexiglas shield.
• People age 65 and older and those at risk and vulnerable to COVID-19 are recommended to refrain from use of facility or take extra precautions during Phase 1 reopening.

Hours of Operation
• Monday- Friday
Open 5:00am-12pm (noon)
Closed 12pm (noon) until 1:00pm
Open 1:00pm-7:00pm
• Saturday
Open 7:30am until 12:00pm noon
Closed 12pm (noon) until 1:00pm
Open 1:00pm-5:00pm
• Sunday
Open 10:00am-5:00pm

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, there are now 10,366 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee, with 5,140 people considered recovered. This leaves approximately 5,226 active cases in the entire state of Tennessee. There have been 195 confirmed deaths and 1,013 hospitalizations.

Coffee County now has 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 14 people considered recovered. This leaves Coffee County with 21 active cases, down one from the prior day’s numbers. There have been 979 negative tests performed in Coffee County for the virus. These numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of Health.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday issued executive order 30, an order which calls for certain close-contact businesses to remain closed through May 29.

According to the order, which supersedes most of Lee’s previous orders, businesses that perform close-contact personal services are to remain closed for the time being. These businesses include barber shops, hair salons, waxing salons, threading salons, nail salons or spas, spas providing body treatments, tattoo facilities, tanning salons or massage-therapy establishments.

This order also calls for entertainment and recreational venues to remain closed – such as bars, night clubs, live performance venues, bowling alleys, arcades, concert venues, sporting event venues, theaters, auditoriums, performing arts centers, racetracks, indoor children’s play areas, adult entertainment venues, amusement parks, senior centers or skating rinks.

This order also calls for social gatherings of 10 or more to remain prohibited – such as festivals, fairs, parades, youth sporting events and overnight summer youth camps.

The order does say that nothing mandates closure of a place of worship or prohibits weddings or funerals. But the order does strongly encourage people to utilize online services and to postpone these if possible.

You can click here to read the full order. 

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, there are now 10,052 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. There are 4,921 people considered recovered, leaving 5,081 active cases in Tennessee. That’s 117 fewer active cases across the state than the previous day.

There have been 894 hospitalizations and 188 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19.

In Coffee County, there are 33 confirmed cases of the virus as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, with 11 people classified as recovered. That leaves 22 active cases in Coffee County – one less than the prior day.

 Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday announced more relaxed regulations on business, saying that beginning on Friday, May 1, exercise facilities in 89 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have the ability to operate at 50% capacity. This includes Coffee County. 

This announcement does come with some recommendations. Lee recommends that exercise facilities keep doors and windows open when possible to improve ventilation, encourage social distancing with signage, require customers wash hands upon entering and leaving the facility, require customers to clean equipment before and after use, consider limiting workout length and encourage employees to wear masks.

Lee also recommends closing showers, locker rooms and lockers and encourage customers to instead bring small gym bags.

Lee recommends closing all swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas and other recreational water or spa facilities, as well as basketball courts, racquetball courts and other similar areas. He also recommends youth or adult team leagues or sports remain closed, and to only allow group fitness classes if classes can be completed in accordance with social distancing recommendations.

See complete guidelines by clicking here. 

The state of Tennessee began providing economic relief to thousands of self-employed individuals by paying Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits made available to them through the federal government’s CARES Act.

After building the system necessary to accommodate this new benefit, The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) began processing unemployment applications under PUA guidelines set by the United States Department of Labor.

Self-employed individuals are not typically eligible for unemployment. PUA provided the funding necessary to pay benefits to Tennesseans who have not been able to work in order to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The Department began processing eligible claims on April 22 and continued processing into the weekend. Tens of thousands of eligible individuals should have funds deposited into their bank accounts or debit cards this week.

In order to process the claims in the most expedient manner possible, all claimants will first receive the minimum weekly PUA benefit of $120 and the additional $600 weekly Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefit. Individuals eligible for more than the minimum will see their payments adjusted up over time. Payments are retroactive to March 15 or when the claimant first applied. The FPUC benefit is retroactive back to the week ending April 4.

TDLWD utilized the minimum payment method in order to distribute benefits immediately, and then take the necessary time needed to calculate each claimant’s weekly benefit amount (WBA). Once the Department finalizes a WBA, the claimant will receive the difference between the minimum and their actual benefit in a later payment.

The Department will contact each claimant to request wage information if it has not already been provided. Claimants will also receive instructions on how to become current on any missed weekly certifications. It is extremely important claimants do not make any changes to their claims while they are processing in order to prevent issues that could cause a delay.

PUA provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to qualifying individuals who are otherwise able to work and available for work within the meaning of applicable state law, except that they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related reasons, as defined in the CARES Act. PUA benefits cannot be paid for weeks of unemployment ending after December 31, 2020.

Self-employed Tennesseans can still apply for PUA by visiting www.Jobs4TN.gov or calling 844-432-0969.