Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is still celebrating the state’s Free Fishing Day this weekend.
On Saturday, June 12, residents and nonresidents of all ages may fish free in Tennessee without a license.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency hopes to introduce kids to the joy of fishing. Many events surrounding the day that were canceled last year due to the pandemic and back on this year. Click here for a list of events.
Children ages 15 and younger may fish without a license beginning on Free Fishing Day through June 18. TWRA stocks several thousand pounds of fish for the events.
TDOE announces Perkins Reserve Grant awards, Coffee County receives a grant
The Tennessee Department of Education announced on Wednesday, over $2 million in Perkins Reserve Grant awards to 38 school districts for the 2021-22 school year to support career and technical education (CTE) across the state. Coffee County Schools was on the list of winners.
The Perkins Reserve Grant (PRG) is a competitive grant opportunity made possible through the federal Perkins V legislation passed in 2018. In 2020, the PRG grant opportunity was redesigned under the four-yearStrengthening Career and Technical Education in Tennessee state plan to foster local innovation and support implementation of CTE programs and career pathways, especially in more rural areas, aligned with regionally identified high skill, high wage, and/or in-demand occupations or industries.
At the K-12 level for the 2021-22 school year, 38 Tennessee school districts, 13 of which are in economically at-risk or distressed counties, will receive a total of $2.3 million in Perkins Reserve Grant (PRG) awards.
“Tennessee is continuing to focus on career and technical education to boost student readiness and postsecondary success, and the Perkins Reserve Grant awards help support this work especially in our rural districts,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “These grant awards will ensure districts, schools and partners can continue coming together to help expand CTE opportunities for all students.”
This year’s Perkins Reserve Grant recipients submitted applications for programs, initiatives, and strategies that help to ensure their students succeed in exploring, choosing, and following a career pathway to success, whether by providing equitable access, aligned career pathways, high-quality learning experiences, or a combination thereof.
“Thanks to the Perkins Reserve Grants, Rutherford County Schools’ students will benefit from additional opportunities and support around career and technical education through industry certifications and CTE equipment, which is so essential to helping prepare them for future postsecondary and career success,” said Tyra Pilgrim, CTE Director, Rutherford County Schools. “We appreciate the commitment of the Tennessee Department of Education to this critical work and keeping our state focused on education, skill, and workforce development.”
Applications were reviewed by a team of TDOE staff from the Division of College, Career and Technical Education and partners from the Tennessee Board of Regents. All applications needed to address at least one of the priority areas of the state plan – ensuring equitable access, aligning career pathways, and/or ensuring high-quality learning experiences, and the Regional Career Pathways application must also include a regionally focused secondary and postsecondary or workforce partnership.
More information on the Perkins Reserve Grant may be found here.
For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.
Coffee County ranked #24 for top 25 counties to raise a family in
Coffee County has been added to the top 25 counties to raise a family in Tennessee according to Stacker. Coffee County was ranked #24 in Tennessee. Items like average rent, top public schools, top private schools, and more went into deciding the list.
Population: 55,209
– Median home value: $141,900 (68% own)
– Median rent: $737 (32% rent)
– Median household income: $50,351
– Top public schools: New Union Elementary School (A-), Tullahoma High School (B+), Robert E. Lee Elementary School (B+)
– Top private schools: St. Paul the Apostle School (unavailable), Temple Baptist Christian School (unavailable), Tullahoma Christian Academy (unavailable)
– Top places to live: Manchester (B+), Tullahoma (B), New Union (B)
For the full list of all the ranked counties, visit https://stacker.com/stories/9654/best-counties-raise-family-tennessee.
Food Lion open interviews
Each Food Lion location will host open interviews on Wednesday, June 16, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 4 – 7 p.m. Applicants can simply walk into their nearest Food Lion during one of these times and meet with a member of the store leadership team to discuss available opportunities at that store.
The positions available vary by store; however, they may include a mix of full-time, part-time and seasonal positions in roles and departments across the store. The positions offer competitive wages and flexible scheduling opportunities.
A list of all Food Lion locations can be found at foodlion.com/stores[1]. Candidates unable to attend the hiring event and still interested in applying for a position at their local Food Lion can also visit foodlion.com/careers[2] to view many of the available positions.
City of Manchester to host Independence Day celebration on July 4th
The City of Manchester will once again celebrate Independence Day with a party at Rotary Park on July 4!
There will be a cover band performing from 7-9 p.m. at Rotary Amphitheater next to the Manchester Recreation Center. The band is “7 Bridges: The Ultimate Eagles Experience.”
Fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. and will be shot from the field across from the Manchester Recreation Center at 557 N. Woodland St., providing for multiple viewing points in the city.
The entertainment and fireworks are free to the public. Concessions and vendors may be on site for a charge.
Doak Road closure
Doak Road will be closed from June 8th through June 23rd to all thru traffic because of construction. It will be closed from Belmar Road to Tanglewood Drive.
If you live in that area, you will still be able to receive trash and mail service.
TNDH announces award from CDC
The Tennessee Department of Health announced a receipt of a $38.8 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address COVID-19 health disparities. The two-year, non-research grant is funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
“We know COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color and vulnerable populations in Tennessee,” said Kimberly Lamar, PhD, assistant commissioner, Division of Health Disparities Elimination. “We are appreciative of this award and believe it will be a great investment for Tennesseans as we continue our work to address health inequities. The funding will be used to implement a coordinated and holistic approach that builds on culturally, linguistically, and locally tailored strategies and best practices to reduce COVID-19 risk across the state of Tennessee.”
The National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities is groundbreaking funding which represents the CDC’s largest investment to date focusing specifically on reducing health disparities related to COVID-19 and will provide much needed support to directly address the issues in communities that need it most.
The intended outcomes are to
• Reduce COVID-19-related health disparities.
• Improve and increase testing and contact tracing among populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in rural communities.
• Improve state, local, US territorial and freely associated state health department capacity and services to prevent and control COVID-19 infection (or transmission) among populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in rural communities.
The Division of Health Disparities Elimination consists of the Office of Minority Health, Office of Rural Health Access, Office of Faith-Based and Community Engagement and the Tennessee Health Disparity Task Force. Learn more: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/health/health-program-areas/division-of-health-disparities-elimination-.html
The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.
Tennessee gas price average increases one cent, Coffee County 16 cents below national average
Gas prices across Tennessee increased by a penny, on average, over last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.88 which is 17 cents more than one month ago and nearly $1.10 more than one year ago. Coffee County’s average is $2.89, and the national average is $3.05. This makes Tennessee 17 cents below the national average and Coffee County 16 cents below the national average.
“We expect this week’s demand number to increase as it will reflect Memorial Day holiday weekend travel, but it’s not likely to lead to an increase in gas prices for the majority of motorists,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “However, crude oil is on the rise and could prop up pump prices.”
Quick Facts
· 92% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $3.00
· The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.69 for regular unleaded
· The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.12 for regular unleaded
National Gas Prices
After ten days of stability, the national gas price average increased a penny over the weekend to $3.05. On the week, the majority of states’ (26) gas price averages either increased by one cent or saw no movement. Only two states saw prices increase a nickel or more. Prices are poised to fluctuate in the coming week, especially in light of a recent drop in demand. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported demand decreased from 9.48 million b/d to 9.15 million b/d for the week ending May 28. During the same week, total gasoline stocks increased to nearly 234 million bbl as U.S. refinery utilization jumped to 88.7%—the highest rate since February 2020.
To help gauge pump price fluctuation later this summer, AAA is tracking two additional factors: crude oil prices and global supply. Last week, crude prices increased to their highest price point ($69/bbl) in 2.5 years. Since crude accounts for more than 50% of the price at the pump, when it goes up, so does the price motorists pay. What is promising is that crude may not sustain at this level. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and its allies including Russia, announced last week they still plan to gradually increase crude production in July. If they do increase production, this could lead to a decrease in crude oil prices, which is good news for motorists.
National Oil Market Dynamics
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, WTI increased by 81 cents to settle at $69.62. OPEC’s efforts to hold its production agreement in place bolstered prices last week. The move could help reduce pump prices later this summer, but the amount of the price reduction will depend on how well OPEC and its allies adhere to their agreement and if the additional production is not met with higher demand. OPEC and its allies will meet again on July 1 to review their production agreement.
For more information on gas prices in Tennessee this week, visit https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=TN
Motlow State to return to normal for fall 2021 semester
Motlow State Community College is excited to announce a return to normal student and staff activities on all its campuses. The College recently moved to Pandemic Level 1, allowing it to open its campuses completely to students, staff, and visitors.
All student support services are now fully open. Walk-in service is available. Students are welcome to but are no longer required to make appointments for support. Libraries are open and computer labs are becoming available. Testing, counseling, and tutoring are also open on campus. Yet, all of these services will continue to also be available to students online for learners who prefer to seek support virtually.
As the College returns to normalized operations under its Pandemic Level 1 status, fall classes will be chiefly on-campus in traditional classroom settings. Fall 2021 classes begin Aug. 23. The move to chiefly on-campus instruction this Fall does not affect any class for which a student is already enrolled. It simply means that more on-campus courses will be added to the Fall semester. Likewise, the College will provide a robust list of online courses for students who continue to prefer to learn virtually.
Motlow’s summer classes are already underway. Classes began for the full term and 1stshort-session term on June 1. Summer 2nd session classes start July 6. Summer courses will continue to meet as planned, with most meeting virtually, allowing a smooth phase-in of operations.
Motlow has been very intentional in assessing, defining, and implementing health, safety, and wellness protocols. Decisions to move from one Pandemic Response Level to another are holistically based upon comparative data points that are fluid and subject to change. Motlow has made the current decision cautiously based on indicators that suggest the local health environment is stabilizing. The preponderance of indicators asserts that normalizing services, operations, and instructional delivery is in the best interest of the majority of stakeholders.
At Pandemic Level 1, all campuses and grounds are now open and staffed. Students, employees, and visitors are no longer required to complete a daily health assessment before coming on campus. Mask wearing and social distancing are no longer required. However, the College encourages and supports all students in making personal mask-wearing decisions appropriate for their own needs.
Following CDC guidance, TBR and Motlow State recommend that individuals who have not been vaccinated do so as soon as possible. TBR and Motlow State also encourage those who have not been fully vaccinated to continue wearing masks and observing social distancing to protect themselves and others.
While moving to Pandemic Level 1 means that the College returns to near-normal operations, Motlow remains pandemic aware and will continue to stay ready to adapt further if needed. Motlow actively monitors a variety of data sets informing its pandemic response. In addition, the College is committed to ensuring that it acts based on the most up-to-date health guidance. As this guidance and local environmental factors change, College leadership regularly meets to re-evaluate how situational implications should inform its decision-making.
Motlow will continue to monitor local health department data and regional data to make the best decisions for its students and staff. If indicators were to change and the needs of students and staff shift, the college will remain prepared to pivot as appropriate. Motlow’s Pandemic Response continues to be informed by the TN Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the College’s Pandemic Emergency Response Team (PEMT) recommendation.
View CDC guidelines here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html. View Tennessee Department of Health guidelines here: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov.html.
For more information about admissions, financial aid, new student orientation, and class registration, visit Motlow’s website at Motlow.com or call 1-800-654-4877.
Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient, and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. The system offers associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs, and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tbr.edu or visit Motlow at Motlow.com.
One injured after a shooting in Bedford County
Bedford County patrol deputies responded to a call of a shooting on Whitaker road in the Wheel community At 2:59 Monday morning. A female was found with a gunshot wound to the head. She survived her injuries.
There were also three other individuals in the vehicle. An adult male and two small children.
After further investigation, it was determined that Gulberto Olascoaga of Lewisburg, TN fired multiple gunshots into the vehicle. Members of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division obtained warrants on Olascoaga for 4 counts of Attempted First Degree Murder. Olascoaga is currently being held in Bedford County Jail on a $2,000,000 bond.
