The Manchester Recreation Complex will host their second Sensory Sensitive Friday this Friday night from 5:15 to 7:15. This will take place in their outdoor pool. Admission is free for those with special needs, courtesy of a friend of the Rec Center.
The Rec Center will turn off the noise-making water features, and the lifeguards will not use whistles to communicate with the guests.
If you can’t make it this Friday, they will hold another Sensory Sensitive Friday on August the 27th from 5:15 to 7:15.
Coffee County CAC holds child abuse prevention training
Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center held a child abuse prevention training session for the Hispanic community on July 12 at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza. This was the first child abuse prevention training in Coffee County for the Hispanic community.
The two-hour training session was in Spanish, including video, presentation, discussion and printed materials. Attending the training and materials were free, thanks to a grant awarded to the Coffee County CAC.
“I’d like to thank all participants for joining the center in our mission to end child abuse,” said Joyce Prusak, executive director of Coffee County CAC. “I am proud of the Hispanic community for being so responsible and taking this necessary step to ensure every child in Coffee County has a safe and happy childhood. It will take the entire community to end child abuse, which has been a growing problem in Coffee County. I’d like to thank Stacy Morales Garcia for translating and continuously supporting the Coffee County CAC. Without Stacy’s help, we wouldn’t be able to provide this essential training about child abuse prevention to members of the Hispanic community.”
Prusak encouraged community leaders and businesses to take the training and to offer it to their employees.
“The training is free, and by completing it, you’re taking responsibility and action to prevent child abuse,” Prusak said. “Children can’t protect themselves – children rely on adults to protect them. As adults, we need to be equipped with knowledge so we can help the most vulnerable members of our society. Child abuse is a real issue, but we can end it. We need to learn to recognize signs of child abuse, to know how to react if we spot red flags, and to know what to do if we suspect child abuse.”
The Coffee County CAC trained facilitators use Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children training. The training empowers adults with knowledge, teaching them to recognize red flags and to prevent child abuse. After completing the training session, every participant receives a Certificate of Completion for the two-hour training. The program aims to eliminate child abuse through training adults to recognize and prevent child abuse. Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children programs are “the only evidence-informed, adult-focused child sexual abuse prevention trainings proven to increase knowledge and change behavior,” according to www.d2l.org.
For more information about the training or to schedule a training session, visit coffeecountycac.org, call Elena Cawley at 931-723-8888 or email elena@coffeecountycac.org.
Judge Greg Perry says he has seen damaging effects of child abuse in Coffee County
Coffee County General Sessions Court Judge Greg Perry has seen the damaging effects of child abuse in Coffee County, and he urges the community to learn the facts about child abuse. Before being elected to serve as judge, Perry focused on family law, mediation, juvenile law and criminal law.
“The effects of child abuse are very prevalent in our county, as well as in other counties,” Perry said. “The effects of child abuse occur in every type of family, race, religion, creed. (Child abuse) doesn’t pick and choose. Many people think it doesn’t happen to them but it does. We have a very busy docket of child abuse, and (the numbers) are steadily increasing with each docket.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of child cases, as well, according to Perry.
“It’s extremely important to raise awareness because without awareness children can go without receiving the help they need,” Perry said. “It’s vitally important that they receive help, especially at young age, because this is something that can affect (them) for the rest of their lives. It also exposes them to multiple court proceedings and can victimize them more than once.”
Perry urged community members to learn about child abuse and to focus on prevention.
It’s important to be an advocate and a voice for children “to make sure their interest is protected and hopefully to allow them to be able to have a life they’re living as a child instead of a victim.”
One of the toughest challenges when it comes to child abuse is lack of awareness.
“The biggest factor of child abuse awareness is knowing that it happens in our community and other communities, as well,” Perry said.
Often, people don’t notice child abuse signs and avoid the topic.
“With us being a smaller community, we don’t realize what’s going on in our community,” Perry said. “We need to be aware of the signs. We need to be able to try to assist those children in the community and to be able to give them the opportunity to succeed and thrive in the future.”
Child abuse becomes a vicious cycle.
“It becomes a very cyclical process,” Perry said. “I’ve done this for long enough and I am now seeing parents that I once represented as children (victims) of child abuse, and the cycle is repeated. Our goal is to try to break that cycle, get them the help and the services they need to hopefully be contributing members of society in the future.”
Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center fights child abuse in Coffee County. To learn the facts about child abuse and how you can prevent it, visit www.coffeecountycac.org. Coffee County CAC offers free child abuse prevention training for adults and children. See the video here: http://www.coffeecountycac.org/post/judge-perry-the-effects-of-child-abuse-are-very-prevalent-in-our-county
United Way of Hwy 55 to host Grant Writing Workshop
This is a reminder about the Grant Writing Workshop on July 27th, hosted by the United Way of Hwy 55. Bonnie Gamble will be presenting her extensive knowledge and background in Grant Writing. For their partner nonprofits the event is free, and for other community members it is only $15. Lunch will be provided. To register you can use the QR codes or go to https://highway55unitedway.org/non-profit-assistance-clinic/ and scroll down to the bottom.
Presenter-Bonnie Gamble:
Education
B.A. degree in History from Purdue University
M.A. degree in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University
Graduate of Indiana Executive Development Program
Employment
1994-1996 Recreation Programmer, Manchester Parks and Recreation Department
1996-2005 Director of Parks and Recreation, Manchester Parks and Recreation Department
2005-2009 Assistant Director of Recreation Educational Services, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
2009 to 2021 Director of Parks and Recreation, Manchester Parks and Recreation Department
Experience
2012 to present Chair of the Coffee County Health Council
Facilitator of the Move Manchester Healthy Tennessee team
President of Tennessee Recreation Parks Association 2011-2012
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children)
Board Member of Still Waters Ministry for support of Single Parent families.
“During time serving as Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Manchester, I have developed the Little Duck River Greenway system, expanded softball fields, developed a new soccer park, lead a $7.5 million dollar project for an Indoor Recreation Complex and implemented programs and staffing. I have written and administered grant funded projects that have brought close to $4,000,000 of improvements to the Parks and Recreation Department. 90% of cost of the Little Duck River Greenway came from grants and donations. I managed a $11,000,000 grant funds for the State of Tennessee from 2005-2009. Types of successful grant applications are, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, National Recreation and Parks Association, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Department of Economic and Community Development, and Appalachian Regional Counsel.”
Town hall meeting to discuss school district funds from COVID relief bills
The federal government has provided funds for schools to use as part of larger COVID relief bills. These funds are referred to as ESSER which stands for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief.
The school district’s next effort to receive feedback on these funds will be at a town hall meeting scheduled for July 27 from 4:30-6:00 pm. The meeting will be held at Coffee County Central High School in the theater and anyone is welcome to attend.
Tax-free holiday coming up in Tennessee; this year includes food products and safety equipment
Tennessee’s annual tax-free holiday is coming up, and some new items will be going tax-free this year. The Tennessee General Assembly has approved for gun safes and safety equipment to be included in this holiday, as well as food, ingredients, and prepared food, to be included in the tax-free holiday.
Tennessee’s traditional sales tax holiday on clothing, school supplies, and computers will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 30th and will end at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 1st.
The sales tax holiday on food, food ingredients, and prepared food will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 30thand will end at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, August 5th.
The sales tax holiday on gun safes and safety equipment began at 12:01 a.m. on July 1st and will end at 11:59 p.m. on June 30th, 2022.
For more information on the tax-free holiday, visit https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/sales-and-use-tax/sales-tax-holiday.html
Tullahoma Police Department search for driver wanted for questioning
The Tullahoma Police Department needs your help locating someone for questioning. The driver is wanted for questioning in regards to a theft that occurred on July 7th. Please contact Investigator Cody Lendley with any information at 931-455-0530 Ext. 113 or at clendley@tullahomatn.gov.
Tennessean’s expected to save money because of record low interest rates
The State of Tennessee has completed the biggest sale of general obligation bonds in its history by closing on approximately $658.7 million of bonds. The bonds sold with a record-setting low true interest cost of 1.41%.
The debt offering was sold in two series of bonds consisting of $167.75 million of Series A tax-exempt bonds and $490.9 million of Series B taxable bonds.
A majority of the bonds were issued to refinance certain outstanding bonds to take advantage of low interest rates. These refunding bonds will allow the state to achieve $50 million in net present value interest cost savings over the next 14 years.
Approximately $125 million of the bond proceeds will be used to repay commercial paper that was issued to fund capital projects such as the new State Library and Archives building, the new lodge at Fall Creek Falls State Park, higher education classroom buildings, and many more.
Tennessee’s debt level is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, of any state, and investors recognize its strong history of balanced budgeting and fiscal stability. Investor demand for the Tennessee’s GO bonds generated a $43.4 million premium.
“Tennessee is one of just 13 states with a triple-A credit rating from each of the three major credit rating agencies,” said Comptroller Jason Mumpower. “As Tennesseans, we take pride in our state’s fiscal responsibility. The commitment shown by Governor Lee and the General Assembly to strong financial principles saves all of us money whenever we sell bonds.”
Follow the Comptroller’s Office on twitter @TNCOT and on Instagram @tncot.
Federal judge puts a hold on Tennessee bathroom signage law
A federal judge on Friday halted enforcement of a new Tennessee law requiring businesses to post special signs if they allow transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice.
The first-of-its-kind law went into effect on July 1 and would require such businesses to post signs on multiperson bathrooms that read, “This facility maintains a policy of allowing the use of restrooms by either biological sex, regardless of the designation on the restroom.”
Businesses in Nashville and Chattanooga sued over the law, claiming that being forced to post those signs would violate their First Amendment rights by compelling them to communicate language they find offensive. The state of Tennessee argued in court that the signs are merely factual.
In her Friday decision, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger handed a victory to the businesses that sued, granting a preliminary injunction that effectively prevents the state from enforcing the law while the case works through the courts. She noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has found that compelling individuals to “‘mouth support for views they find objectionable’” violates a cardinal constitutional command unless justified by “the strongest of rationales.”
American Red Cross continuing to experience a severe blood shortage
While donors across the country have rolled up a sleeve to give this summer, the need for blood and platelets remains crucial for patients relying on lifesaving transfusions. The American Red Cross continues to experience a severe blood shortage and donors of all blood types – especially type O and those giving platelets – are urged to make an appointment to give.
Right now, the Red Cross needs to collect more than 1,000 additional blood donations each day to meet current demand as hospitals respond to an unusually high number of traumas and emergency room visits, organ transplants and elective surgeries.
To thank donors who help refuel the blood and platelet supply this month, all who come to give July 7-31 will receive a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card via email and will also receive automatic entry for a chance to win gas for a year (a $5,000 value).
Also, all those who come to donate throughout the entire month of July will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for four to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm.
Donors who give now will help stock the shelves for the rest of the summer season. Schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
