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Tennessee children in poverty down by 7%, report says
The number of Tennessee children living in poverty has fallen by 7%, according to a new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
That makes the state one of 29 nationwide making progress in reducing child poverty. Richard Kennedy, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, says an improved economy is a contributing factor.
“It would be difficult to not acknowledge just the tremendous growth that has happened,” says Kennedy, “especially in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area, with investments and corporate-headquarter relocations.”
Still, Kennedy points out there currently are 200,000 Tennessee children living in concentrated poverty – that’s almost one in eight children in the state.
According to the report, African-American and American Indian children are seven times more likely to live in impoverished neighborhoods. Kennedy says that’s where state leaders should be focusing their efforts.
“We know that our minority children are more likely to live in higher-poverty, low-opportunity neighborhoods,” says Kennedy. “And we need to continue to look at every strategy possible to improve outcomes for those children and families.”
The Casey Foundation’s Associate State Director of Advocacy Scot Spencer says despite the relatively good economy, the rising cost of housing, food and other basic necessities leaves many families struggling.
“There may be housing instability,” says Spencer, “where kids may have to move from house to house because the parents or the adults in their lives are forced to make choices between whether they’re going to pay rent or pay for heat, or whether they have dinner on the table at night, or they get their medicine that they need.”
According to the report, more than 8.5 million children in the U.S. live in areas of concentrated poverty.
Multiple blood donation opportunities in next month
The American Red Cross urges people of all races and ethnicities to give blood or platelets to help increase the diversity of the blood supply.
The vast majority of blood types fall into one of the major blood groups. However, for patients with rare blood types or those who receive regular blood transfusions, blood must be matched closely – beyond the primary A, B, O and AB blood types – to reduce the risk of developing complications from transfusion therapy. The best match may be someone of the same racial or ethnic group.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities
First Baptist Church, 1006 Hillsboro Road Manchester, TN 37355
10/17/2019: 2 – 6 p.m.
Manchester Recreation Complex, 557 N. Woodland St. Manchester, TN 37349
9/30/2019: 2 – 6 p.m.
McMinnville Community, 201 Locust St. Mc Minnville, TN 37110
10/9/2019: 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.
TE Connectivity, 509 Airpark Drive Tullahoma, TN 37388
10/3/2019: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Shelbyville, 1405 Madison Shelbyville, TN 37160
10/4/2019: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Winchester Church of Christ, 1230 South College St. Winchester, TN 37398
10/25/2019: 1 – 7 p.m.
How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-
800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device
to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass ® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at
RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
Birthdays – 9/25/19
Clyde Jones – 83
Jalynn Puckett – 7
Debbie Medford – 64 – PIZZA WINNER!!
Debra Medford
Leann McCullough
Manchester to pursue $1M grant for sidewalks; public meeting Friday
The codes department with the city of Manchester is applying for a $1,000,000 multimodal access grant that, if approved, would mean expanded sidewalks for Manchester.
The city is looking to possibly use the grant funding to install new sidewalks; crosswalks and curb ramps on both sides of U.S. Hwy 41 from where the sidewalk ends near the post office to Burger St.; install a missing segment of sidewalk just south of Old Stone Fort Park entrance; install bike lanes along both sides of the highway for the entire length of Hwy 41 in the city limits and repair existing sidewalks, crosswalks and curb ramps along Hwy 41 to be ADA compliant.
There will be a public workshop for you to express your opinion on this project at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 at Manchester City Hall. That is located at 200 W. Fort St. If you have questions, contact Jamie Sain at 931-723-1464.
Tennesseans warned of ID spoofing
We have a new scam alert from the Tennessee Department of Commerce to warn you about.
ID Spoofing is a trick perpetrated by criminals using Caller ID cloaking technology to mask their real phone numbers. After disguising their real numbers, scammers can cause a consumer’s own phone number (or the phone number of a loved one) to appear on your phone’s Caller ID. When an unsuspecting consumer answers the phone, the scammers will then attempt to defraud consumers with a host of schemes (card services scams, medical alert device scams, among others) all designed to cheat consumers.
If you are suspicious of a phone call, even with a familiar number, hang up immediately.
Sportsmen & Businessmen’s Charitable Organization Receives $5,000 Grant from QuantiTech Employees
QuantiTech’s charitable arm, QuantiTech In Action, is to assist non-profit organizations with their endeavors in the communities in which QuantiTech has a presence. QuantiTech in Action is funded by employees of QuantiTech and administered by the employees of QuantiTech through a volunteer Board of Directors. SBCO is the proud recipient of a $5,000 grant from the employees of QuantiTech located in Tullahoma, Tennessee.
“We are honored to be this year’s non-profit recipient and are grateful to the generous hearts of QuantiTech’s employees,” said Carter Sain, SBCO President.
The Sportsmen & Businessmen Charitable Organization (SBCO) has been serving the Coffee County community for 36 years through various philanthropic efforts. Those efforts include financial assistance to those in need with health, medical, dental, vision, food, education, transportation, shelter, and other expenses. For more information regarding SBCO or how to support, contact Taylor at (931) 728-5048 or sbco1986@gmail.com.
Pictured left to right: Gerald Burnett; Taylor Rayfield, SBCO; Jeff Maupin; Carter Sain, SBCO; Clay Dye; Susan Davis; Bill Nickels, SBCO; and Britni Ettel.
Birthdays – Sept 21, 22 and 23
Sept. 21
Jeff Bailey
Jack Brewer JR – 19
Bobby Swan – 80
Carole Mohr
Darletta Baltimore
Kennedy Goodman – 6 – PIZZA WINNER
Cathy Underwood
Sara Newman
Sept 22
Jacqueline Prince – 24
Nikki Robinson – 28
Tina Baltimore
Connie Jaco
Sept 23
Logan Hale – 15
Burn permits now required due to dry conditions
Beginning Monday, September 23, 2019, a burn permit will be required to start an open air fire within five hundred feet of any forest, grassland or woodland.
This starts the burn permit season a few weeks early this year due to dry conditions across the state. In most years, burn permits are not required outside of city limits until October 15. However, dry conditions have led to moving that date up this year.
To inquire about a burn permit, you can do so online by clicking here, or by calling (877) 731-2221 if you live in Coffee County. Residents in Manchester and Tullahoma will need to contact their respective fire departments.
To report illegal burning, you can call toll-free 1-888-891-TDEC
Unemployment holds steady at 3.5 percent in Tennessee
Statewide unemployment for Tennessee held steady in August. The latest statistics released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) show the new seasonally adjusted rate of 3.5 percent mirrors the state’s revised rate from July 2019.
Tennessee also recorded an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent during this same time in 2018.
“For more than two years Tennessee’s unemployment has been at, or very close to, historic low levels,” said TDLWD Commissioner Jeff McCord. “We have seen little fluctuation since June of 2017, and that’s one sign the business community has continued confidence in the state’s economy.”
Tennessee reached an all-time low for unemployment earlier this year. For three consecutive months starting in February, the state had a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.2 percent.
Employers across Tennessee added 900 new nonfarm jobs to their payrolls between July and August. The most significant increases occurred in the health care/social assistance sector, followed by administrative/support/waste services, and local government.
Over the last year, nonfarm employment increased by 45,900 jobs across the state. The sectors that experienced the largest gains were leisure/hospitality, professional/business services, and manufacturing.
Across the nation, unemployment dropped in August. The new national unemployment rate of 3.7 percent is 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the previous month’s rate.
Tennesseans can look for work and receive job search assistance through the state’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov or in person at more than 80 local American Job Centers across the state.
The state of Tennessee will release August 2019 unemployment data for all 95 counties Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Honor Flight takes WWII, Korean, Vietnam Veterans to Washington D.C.
Lt. Gen. Leslie C. Smith, the Inspector General of the Army speaks with 100-year old World War II Navy Veteran David Lowhorn from Tullahoma at Reagan National Airport on Sept. 17th. (Photo Provided)
The Honor Flight of Middle Tennessee made its fall 2019 flight to Washington D.C. on Tuesday Sept. 17th
World War II, Korean War and Vietnam veterans were on this trip.
David Lowhorn, a 100 year young, World War II Navy veteran from Tullahoma was also on this flight, along with a female Navy Korean War veteran Betty Jo Cyr. Veterans on this flight had served in the Army, Army Air Corps, Navy, Marine Corps and the Air Force.
Veterans arrived at the Nashville airport around 5 a.m. and left on a Southwest Airlines flight at 7:15 a.m. The veterans and their guardians returned to Nashville on a Southwest flight around 8:55 p.m. on Sept. 17th.
While in Washington the veterans visited the World War II Memorial. While at the World War II Memorial the five World war II veterans on this flight participated and were honored during a ceremony commemorating Operation Market Garden that occurred 75 years before.
The veterans also visited the Korean and Vietnam Memorials. They saw the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial, the Air Force Memorial and the Pentagon.
They also watched the changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
After a full day of visiting War Memorials the Post Commander at Ft. Myer and her staff hosted them for dinner.
At Fort Myer members of the Army’s Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps in Revolutionary War uniforms greeted the veterans and performed for them.
The Honor Flight of Middle Tennessee is part of a national network of Honor Flights that takes World War II, Korean War and other veterans to Washington D.C. at no cost to the veterans to see their war memorials.
The Honor flight of Middle Tennessee, established in 2008 has flown almost 700 veterans to date. The organization is a 501c3 Tennessee non-profit corporation.
For more information contact Claude Morse at (931) 247-5151 (iPhone) or at tnhonorflight@gmail.com
Honor Flight of Middle Tennessee Military veterans observe the changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Sept. 17th. (Photo by Claude Morse)