The majority of Tennessee counties recorded unemployment rates below 5% in May 2021, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Forty counties experienced a drop in unemployment during May, while rates remained the same in 18 counties. Thirty-seven counties did see some increase in unemployment for the month.
Statewide unemployment held steady in May and remained unchanged from April’s seasonally adjusted rate of 5%.
You can find a complete analysis of all the state’s county unemployment data for May 2021 here (https://www.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=166478db53c066a7d114ea462&id=875b17261f&e=29851e7b63) .
Tennessee employers need workers and the state is ready to help those workers get ready to reenter the workforce. www.TNWorkReady.com has the online resources available to job seekers all in one place. They can visit the page and take the steps needed to be work-ready in Tennessee.
In April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a record number of job openings. Jobs4TN.gov continues to have more than 250,000 available jobs posted, along with other job search resources that can help someone making the transition back into the workforce.
The state of Tennessee will release the June 2021 statewide unemployment data on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Average gas price expected to remain above $3 for July 4th
Rising gas prices have become the theme for the 2021 summer travel season. According to GasBuddy, many drivers will see prices remain above the $3 per gallon mark in time for the upcoming holiday weekend. Even with some relief from a recent small drop in prices, the national average price of gas on July 4 is still expected to be $3.11 per gallon, some 43 percent, or 93 cents more than last year’s Covid-induced price of $2.18.
According to GasBuddy’s annual summer travel survey in May, 46 percent of Americans’ plans this summer were affected by high gas prices, which had been rising steadily until recently. Prior to the upcoming holiday weekend, Americans saw gas prices spike in early March, and again in mid-May due to increasing demand and the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.
“With the economic recovery from Covid continuing, gasoline demand has been very strong. Amidst lower oil production as oil companies struggle to raise output, gas prices have been higher this summer than in the past few years,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “However, once market forces begin to balance, I expect prices to moderate this fall and over time, oil production will again rise, helping bring gas prices down to earth as soon as this fall, but the road may remain bumpy until the pandemic is behind us.”
According to GasBuddy’s annual summer travel survey, 74 percent of those planning to take a road trip will be taking at least two, further emphasizing the increased demand for gasoline.
With Covid recovery continuing this summer, oil prices are likely to remain elevated, keeping gas prices above $3 per gallon for most of the summer. Labor Day is poised to feature $3+ prices as well, and should any hurricane disrupt supply chains, prices may rise even further.
Arnold Air Force Base to host open house for 70th anniversary
Leaders at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Arnold Air Force Base, will host an open house in celebration of the complex’s 70th anniversary June 26, noon – 3:15 p.m.
The drive-through event, which is open to the public, will highlight the mission, capabilities and accomplishments of AEDC personnel. The open house will include displays, virtual facility tours, and informational booths along the route.
Press representatives are invited to cover the event and must contact Raquel March with the AEDC Public Affairs office at raquel.march.1@us.af.mil by 4 p.m. June 24 for access to stops throughout the drive-through tour. Representatives will meet the escort from the Public Affairs office at the main gate Visitor Center at 1 p.m., June 26.
For more information, email raquel.march.1@us.af.mil.
Tullahoma police department search for suspect
The Tullahoma Police Department needs your help in identifying a woman involved in an incident around the beginning of June. If you have any information, please contact Detective Karl Pyrdom at 931-455-0530 ext. 112 or at kpyrdom@tullahomatn.gov.
Approved tuition increase for Tennessee’s community colleges and technology colleges
Tennessee’s Board of Regents said it has approved a tuition increase for the state’s community colleges and technology colleges.
The board oversees Tennessee’s community colleges and colleges of applied technology. The approved tuition, fees and preliminary budgets for the 2021-2022 academic year was approved at their meeting on Friday.
The tuition increase is the first in two years and amounts to $24 per trimester at the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and $42 per semester at community colleges for students taking full course loads, the board said in a news release.
Mandatory fees — or fees paid by all students, in addition to tuition — will not increase at the technology colleges, the board said.
Tullahoma South Jackson Civic Association to receive grant
Representative Rush Bricken, representing the 47th District, has released a list of grant award recipients from the Tennessee Arts Commission for Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022) in his district. This is the first of a series of grants that will be made throughout FY2022. The Tullahoma South Jackson Civic Association will receive a $17,300.
“I am very pleased to announce these annual grants that support Tennessee’s communities and schools through the arts” said Representative Bricken. “These investments help cultivate the arts across Tennessee, including Coffee County, which benefit all of us through quality of life, economic development, tourism, and providing a more balanced education for our children.”
“I would like to thank Greg Gressel, Executive Director, and all the staff for their dedicated efforts. South Jackson Civic Association does a great job in serving our community and the facility is a local treasure.”
“Tennessee is fortunate to have elected leaders who understand the positive impact arts and culture have on Tennesseans and their communities,” said Anne B. Pope, Executive Director for the Tennessee Arts Commission. “Arts and culture are vital tools for attracting and retaining businesses and help build stronger communities by enhancing the distinctive character of Tennessee places.”
According to Pope, the Commission expects to award approximately 1,000 grants during FY2022, totaling up to $9 million dollars, including one-time federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. These funds have a direct impact on communities across Tennessee, in both urban and rural areas. Grant categories include Arts Access, Arts Education, Arts Project Support, Creative Placemaking, Partnership Support, Major Cultural Institutions, and Rural Arts Partnership.
The Commission’s allocations process involves a review by citizen advisory panels with expertise in appropriate arts disciplines and a review by the full 15-member Commission. Other grant opportunities are offered throughout the year with rolling deadlines for qualifying organizations including grants for Arts Build Communities and Student Ticket Subsidy. Additional information on grant programs offered by the Commission is available at tnartscommission.org.
Tennessee’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.17 billion in annual economic activity through quality of life, economic vitality, tourism and a more balanced education for our children. The Tennessee Arts Commission is the state arts agency whose mission is to cultivate the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities.
Traffic deaths in Tennessee are rising
Traffic deaths are continuing to rise in Tennessee. There have been 584 accident related deaths statewide this year, according to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. This number is 21% more than this time last year.
WGNS reports that officials are calling this increase a “pandemic of deadly crashes.” Officials also urge that this should be taken just as seriously as the pandemic.
Tennessee State Parks to offer volunteer opportunities this weekend
Tennessee State Parks will offer volunteer work events at 55 parks across the state for Tennessee Promise scholars to fulfill their community service hours. Most of the events are on Saturday, June 26.
“Our state parks present an excellent opportunity for Tennessee Promise students to meet their service requirements,” Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Conservation, said. “It’s a great step for the students, and it’s a big help for the parks. We are grateful for what the students put into this workday.”
Radnor Lake State Park will hold its Tennessee Promise event on Friday, June 25, and Rocky Fork State Park on Sunday, June 27. Long Hunter State Park held its event earlier this month.
Activities for the workday at various parks include cleanup, removing invasive plants, landscaping, trail work, spreading mulch, and painting. Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing for the work and bring items such as water, snacks and sunscreen. Students should check with each park on the activities planned and details on what they will need. COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted for this year’s event.
Details about service hours can be found online at this link<https://tnstateparksvolunteer.galaxydigital.com/need/index/?s=1&need_init_id=3690>. All participants must register on the website.
Tennessee Promise provides students the chance to attend tuition-free any of the state’s community colleges, colleges of applied technology or other eligible institutions offering an associate degree program. One of the requirements to maintain eligibility is to complete eight hours of community service. The parks also accept help from any volunteers who wish to participate.
For more information on the Tennessee Promise program please visit this link<https://www.tn.gov/tnpromise>.
Tennessee Ranks in the Bottom Half for Child Well-Being Nationally
Tennessee was performing well on high school graduation rates immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic but was falling short on percentage of children living in poverty and other measures, putting the Volunteer State in the bottom half nationally across four key domains of child well-being. That’s according to the 2021 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how families have fared between the Great Recession and the COVID-19 crisis.
This year’s Data Book shows nearly a decade of progress could be erased by the COVID-19 pandemic unless policymakers act boldly to sustain the beginnings of a recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
Despite its low rankings nationally, over the last decade Tennessee has seen an improvement in child well-being. As the pandemic ebbs, It is critical that Tennessee strengthens support for children to ensure positive trends continue.
“This is a pivotal time for Tennessee and we need to invest in our children in a strong, equitable and sustainable way,” said Richard Kennedy, executive director of Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, Tennessee’s member of the KIDS COUNT network.
The Data Book shows simply returning to a pre-pandemic level of support for children and families would shortchange millions of kids and fail to address persistent racial and ethnic disparities.
Sixteen indicators measuring four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community context — are used by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in each year’s Data Book to assess child well-being. The annual KIDS COUNT data and rankings represent the most recent information available but do not capture the impact of the past year:
- ECONOMIC WELL-BEING: In 2019, one in five children lived in households with an income below the poverty line. Though higher than the national average, this percentage has decreased by 23% over the past decade.
- EDUCATION: In 2019, 60% of young children were not in school. This percentage has remained consistent in Tennessee, fluctuating little throughout the last decade.
- AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE: In 2019, 80,000 Tennessee children did not have health insurance. Many of these children may be eligible for TennCare or CHIP. The year prior there were more than 55,000 uninsured children in Tennessee who were eligible for coverage through one of these programs.
- FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT: In 2019, Tennessee experienced one of the highest teen birthrates in the nation. Tennessee’s teen birth rate is 34% higher than the national average.
Survey data from the last year add to the story of Tennessee children and families in this moment:
- During the pandemic, in 2020, 23% of adults in Tennessee with children in the household had little to no confidence in their ability to pay their next mortgage or rent payment. However, by March 2021, this figure had fallen to 13%, suggesting the beginnings of a recovery. Although confidence is increasing, disparities persist, with 26% Black or African American Tennesseans reporting a lack of confidence in paying the rent or mortgage in March 2021.
- Tennessee has seen great improvement in children’s access to internet and digital devices for schooling. In 2020, more than one in five children did not have access. By 2021 that number has been reduced to 13%.
- Despite improving indicators, nearly one in four adults in Tennessee with children in the household reported feeling down depressed or helpless in 2021, a number that remained unchanged since 2020.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is the most extraordinary crisis to hit families in decades,” said Lisa Hamilton, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Deliberate policy decisions can help them recover, and we’re already seeing the beginnings of that. Policymakers should use this moment to repair the damage the pandemic has caused — and to address long-standing inequities it has exacerbated.”
Investing in children, families and communities is a priority to ensure an equitable and expansive recovery. Several of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s suggestions have already been enacted in the American Rescue Plan, and additional recommendations include:
- Congress should make the expansion of the child tax credit permanent. The child tax credit has long had bipartisan support, so lawmakers should find common cause and ensure the largest one-year drop ever in child poverty is not followed by a surge.
- State and local governments should prioritize the recovery of hard-hit communities of color.
- States should expand income support that helps families care for their children. Permanently extending unemployment insurance eligibility to contract, gig and other workers and expanding state tax credits would benefit parents and children.
- States that have not done so should expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The American Rescue Plan offers incentives to do so.
- States should strengthen public schools and pathways to postsecondary education and training.
Release Information
The 2021 KIDS COUNT® Data Book will be available June 21 at 12:01 a.m. EDT at www.aecf.org. Additional information is available at www.aecf.org/databook. Journalists interested in creating maps, graphs and rankings in stories about the Data Book can use the KIDS COUNT Data Center at datacenter.kidscount.org.
About Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth is an independent state agency created by the Tennessee General Assembly. Its primary mission is to lead systems improvement for all children and families through data-driven advocacy, education and collaboration. Information on the agency is available at www.tn.gov/tccy.
About the Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation’s children by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. KIDS COUNT® is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Manchester Parks and Recreation to host 4th of July celebration
The 4th of July is quickly approaching, which means that it is almost time for the City of Manchester’s fourth of July celebration. This year will include a performance from the band “7 Bridges: The Ultimate Eagles Experience.” The performance will begin at 7 p.m. at the Rotary Park Amphitheater with the fireworks display starting at 9 p.m. Admission is free, and concessions will be available to purchase at the event.
