Tennessee gas prices are down by nearly two cents on the week as over 687,000 Tennesseans prepare to hit the road for Memorial Day. Gas Price average is now $2.88 which is 18 cents more than one month ago and $1.18 more than one year ago. Coffee County is 22 cents below national average and 10 cents below the state average.
“Tennesseans planning to take a road trip this weekend for Memorial Day will see the most expensive prices at the pump since 2014,” said Megan Cooper, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We’ve seen gas prices stabilize following the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, however, with the expected increase in travel demand we’re likely to see gas price fluctuations leading up to the holiday weekend.”
Quick Facts
· 92% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $3.00
· The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.65 for regular unleaded
· The highest 10% of pump prices are $3.14 for regular unleaded
National Gas Prices
Motorists hitting the road this week to celebrate the unofficial kick-off to summer will be greeted with the most expensive Memorial Day weekend gas prices since 2014. The national average has stabilized following the Colonial Pipeline cyber-attack, but pump prices are likely to fluctuate leading up to the holiday weekend. Over the past weekend, the national gas price average declined a penny to $3.03, the first decrease in two weeks. While barely cheaper on the week, the average is 17 cents more than last month and $1.12 more expensive than last year.
While the Colonial Pipeline is back in operation and deliveries are in progress, some stations in the southeast continue to experience supply strain. This is likely to extend into the holiday weekend, but motorists will be able to fill-up.
“Holiday road trippers may come across some gas stations with low fuel supply in popular travel destinations, like beaches, mountains or national parks. However, markets are not expected to be fuel-less, like we saw in the wake of the pipeline shutdown,” continued Cooper.
AAA offers these road trip tips for Memorial Day travelers:
· Make a good BET before hitting the road: get your battery, engine and tires checked.
· Consider refueling when your gas tank level hits ¼ of a tank.
· Fill up before arriving at your vacation destination. Gas prices are likely to be cheaper outside of popular travel destinations.
· Use your AAA app to find the closest gas station on your route. You can always call ahead to confirm their pumps are flowing.
· Do not leave home without an emergency roadside kit. Include a mobile phone and car charger, first-aid kit, blankets, drinking water, a flashlight with extra batteries, a basic toolkit, warning flares and jumper cables. Don’t forget extra snacks or meals, as well as cleaning supplies, including disinfecting wipes.
National Oil Market Dynamics
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, WTI increased by $1.64 to settle at $63.58. While a stronger dollar contributed to higher prices for the day, on the week crude prices declined as the market remains concerned that increasing coronavirus infections around the world could reduce crude consumption this year. Additionally, new market concerns about inflation and the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly report revealing that total domestic crude inventories increased by 1.3 million bbl to 486 million bbl helped to reduce crude prices last week. If EIA’s next weekly report shows another increase in crude stocks, prices could decrease further this week.
“Certificate of Existence” Filing Scam against Tennessee businesses
Secretary of State Tre Hargett is issuing a warning statement to business owners across Tennessee, advising them of a scam that has recently resurfaced targeting businesses with a fake mailer from a company that goes by two names: “Tennessee Certificate Service” and “TN Certificate of Existence Filing Company.”
“Our Division of Business Services and myself personally have been hearing multiple complaints from business owners across Tennessee about these misleading mailers,” said Secretary Hargett. “We have seen scams like this before, with similar deceptive language that implies that businesses must have a certificate of existence to complete its formation or to fully operate in the state. This is not the case. Unfortunately, businesses who order a certificate of existence through these scammers may be paying for something that is totally unnecessary – at the very least they will be spending $50 to $150 more than what our office charges for this document when ordered from us directly.”
The misleading mailer is titled “2021 Certificate of Existence Request” and has been sent to businesses across the state—pretending to require all Tennessee businesses to pay a fee of either $83.00 or $175.50 for this third-party company to step in and complete the Certificate of Existence paperwork on businesses’ behalf. However, a Certificate of Existence can be obtained directly from the Secretary of State’s office for just $20, either by phone, mail or onlineat https://tnbear.tn.gov/Ecommerce/CertOfExistenceInstr.aspx.
The mailer makes it appear that the 2021 Certificate of Existence Request is part of the business entity’s registration process: “A Certificate of Existence certifies that your Tennessee business is in existence, is authorized to transact business in the state and complies with all state requirements.”
The mailer and organization are not affiliated with or authorized by the Secretary of State’s Office in any way. Businesses may wish to obtain a Certificate of Existence in certain circumstances, such as a loan closing or other business transaction. However, they are not required to do so as a matter of course during the business formation process.
Secretary Hargett encourages business owners to call the Division of Business Services at 615-741-2286 if they receive such a questionable mailer or have questions about obtaining a Certificate of Existence.
Caution urged on Duck River
Summer is a time for outdoor fun, and this summer in particular, as life begins to return to normal, people are looking to put the past year behind them and enjoy themselves. Safety is an important consideration in any outdoor activity, and as kayakers return to the Duck River, one of the most beautiful and biodiverse rivers in North America, it’s important to know what to do, and what not to do.
Bedford County plays host to kayakers from many surrounding counties, and officials say paying attention to river conditions saves lives.
“We welcome visitors, and we’re pleased that people are able to enjoy the treasure that is the Duck River,” said Bedford County Emergency Management Agency Director Scott Johnson. “But kayakers do not need to be on the river in times of increased flow. First and foremost, we don’t want anyone to lose their life in a preventable accident. But even in the best-case scenario, a search-and-rescue operation costs the taxpayers money and takes emergency personnel away from other duties.” Rescue operations in high water also place emergency personnel themselves at risk.
TVA has given permission for Bedford County to close the parking for river access points at Dement Bridge and Three Forks Bridge for safety when the release of water from Normandy Dam is at 400 cubic feet per second or higher. The easiest way for kayakers to determine this is through the TVA Lake Info app, available for both iOS and Android devices. ( <https://www.tva.com/environment/lake-levels/tva-lake-info-app> https://www.tva.com/environment/lake-levels/tva-lake-info-app ) There are other mobile apps available that give the current flow information, not just at the dam, but at various points on the river, and these can be helpful as well.
Bedford County Sheriff’s Office can issue citations for trespassing for vehicles parked at the Dement Bridge and Three Forks Bridge parking lots during times when those parking lots are closed due to increased flow. It’s also against the law to park on the shoulder near those sites, which can impede emergency crews from arriving. Illegally-parked vehicles are subject to being towed.
Changes to the path of the Duck River near the low-head dam at Cortner Mill, near Normandy, have created a dangerous “strainer” which kayakers should not try to traverse. They must get out of the river and portage their kayaks past that obstacle.
Kayakers are also asked to wear life jackets, and to bring flashlights and water or other non-alcoholic beverages in case they find themselves stranded.
Commercial kayak rental businesses will prohibit their customers from taking the river in unsafe conditions, but in recent years kayak sales in southern Middle Tennessee have been brisk, and those who own their own kayaks sometimes use them irresponsibly.
“We want to keep people safe,” said Johnson, “so that they can come back to the river on another day.”
For more information about boating safety in Tennessee, go to TWRA’s website at <https://www.tn.gov/twra/boating/regulations-and-safety-concerns.html> https://www.tn.gov/twra/boating/regulations-and-safety-concerns.html.
H&R Block student of the week, May 21
Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week –Ty Stevens.
Ty is a 5th grader at Hillsboro Elementary School. He is the son of Alicia Anderson. His favorite subject is math. When he grows up, Ty would like to be a football player. During his free time, he enjoys playing baseball and football.
All students of the week are selected for their work ethic and excellent attitudes in and out of the classroom.
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 gift card, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. Job well done, Ty Stevens!
Tennessee unemployment rate, April 2021
Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate for April 2021 decreased by double digits when compared to data from the previous year. In April 2020, the state’s jobless rate reached a record high during the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data released from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Tennessee’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for April is 5%. That’s down 0.1 of a percentage point from March’s revised rate of 5.1%.
Unemployment reached an all-time high in April 2020, at the height of business closures due to the pandemic. The revised rate of 15.8% is 10.8 percentage points higher than where it stands one year later.
Employers across Tennessee added 9,800 jobs between March and April of 2021. The retail trade sector accounted for the largest number of new jobs, while the accommodation/food services and professional/scientific/technical services sectors had the second-and-third-largest gains for the month.
Between April 2020 and April 2021, Tennessee’s economy made a remarkable rebound with the addition of 287,400 jobs. The state’s leisure/hospitality industry put the most people back to work over the last 12 months, followed by the trade/transportation/utilities and manufacturing sectors.
Nationally, seasonally adjusted unemployment increased slightly to 6.1%, up 0.1 of a percentage point from March’s revised rate of 6%. In a year-to-year comparison, the United States rate is down 8.7% from where it was in April 2020.
You can find a complete analysis of Tennessee’s unemployment data for April 2021 here.
Tennessee employers currently have more than 250,000 job openings across the state. Job seekers can start their pathway to employment on the state’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov.
The virtual American Job Center can help job seekers explore programs that may help them remove barriers to reentering the workforce. The online tool is accessible anytime, anywhere at www.TNVirtualAJC.com.
The state of Tennessee will release the county unemployment data for April 2021 on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Motlow to host Admission, Advisement, and Registration Days on all Campuses
Motlow State registration, advisement, and admission specialists will host six days of on-campus assistance between May 26 and June 9. Prospective and current students can RSVP now at Motlow.com/calendar.
Prospective and current students who either have or have not applied for the fall 2021 semester are welcome. Prospective students can apply to Motlow at Motlow.com/apply. Participants can choose an appointment at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., or 4 p.m. Event days are May 26 & 27, June 4, and June 7-9.
EVENT LOCATIONS
Wednesday, May 26 – Sparta
Thursday, May 27 – Smyrna
Friday, June 4 – McMinnville
Monday, June 7 – Fayetteville
Tuesday, June 8 – Smyrna
Wednesday, June 9 – Moore County
Motlow’s knowledgeable experts will guide prospective and current students through the complete process of applying to Motlow, submitting admission requirements, submitting financial aid requirements, and registering for fall 2021 classes. Students who have not submitted all their admission and/or financial aid requirements should bring as many missing items to their appointment as possible.
For more information about admissions, visit Motlow.com/admissions or email admissions@mscc.edu. For more information about financial aid, visit Motlow.com/financial/financial-aid-office or email fas@mscc.edu.
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 mscc.edu.
Multiple COVID-19 pop-up vaccination sites available in Coffee County this week
Those wishing to receive COVID-19 vaccination in Coffee County will have multiple opportunities to do so this week.
Monday
Manchester Health Department 1:30-3:30
Tullahoma Health Department 4:30-6:30
Stone Fort Restaurant 7:00-11:00
Tuesday
Manchester Health Department 3:30-6:30
Tullahoma Health Department 1:30-3:30
Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department 3:00-6:00
Wednesday
Manchester Health Department 9:00-11:00
Tullahoma Health Department 9:00-11:00
Southern Family Markets 3:00-6:00
Thursday
Manchester Health Department 9:00-11:00
Tullahoma Health Department 1:30-3:30
Southern Family Markets 11:00-2:00
Mid Tenn Turf 2:00-4:00
Friday
Manchester Health Department 7:00-9:00
Tullahoma Health Department 7:00-9:00
*Marcrom’s Pharmacy has appointments and walk-ins available every Monday and Friday.
STATE BOUND! Lady Raiders drop Soddy Daisy 2-1 in sectional thriller
Not all heroes wear capes.
Some of them wear no. 6 on the back of their softball jersey.
With two outs, no runners on and the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the seventh inning of Friday night’s state sectional game in Soddy-Daisy, Olivia Evans ripped the ball down the leftfield line. The speedy junior motored all the way around the bases, beat the throw from the relay and her inside the park home run gave Coffee County Central’s Lady Raiders a 2-1 win over Soddy Daisy and punched their ticket to the TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro next week.
Prior to that at bat, Evans was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
“I knew Oliva was better than that, I knew that she had something in her,” said CHS head coach Brandon McWhorter. “As soon as I saw the left fielder dive … I knew if she would turn it on we could get her around the bases.”
The win gives Coffee County 30 for the year and is the most important. The Lady Raiders are now one of 8 teams left in the state of Tennessee. They move to the TSSAA Spring Fling next week in Murfreesboro. Click here for the tournament bracket. CHS opens at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against Collierville.
Friday night in Soddy Daisy, Coffee County took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Keri Munn dropped a well-placed single in right field to send Kiya Ferrell home. That score held until the 5th, when Soddy Daisy’s Jayde Baron lifted a high pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at 1-1.
That set the stage for Evans to put Coffee County in front 2-1 in the top of the 7th with two outs.
Soddy Daisy got its leadoff runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but senior pitcher Keri Munn closed out a strong performance with a strikeout, pop out and another strikeout.
Munn earned the win in the circle – allowing 5 hits and striking out 12. Her and Evans were named Mid Tenn Turf co-Players of the Game by Thunder Radio.
THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO! LISTEN TO THE REPLAY HERE.
The 2021 Lady Raiders are headed to the State Tournament. 
Tennessee to increase probation and parole officer pay
The Tennessee Department of Correction has announced that it will soon implement pay raises for probation and parole officers after the salary increases were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency announced Wednesday that the 7.5% pay bump will become effective July 1. Governor Bill Lee and the General Assembly approved the raises in 2019, but the virus outbreak caused significant delays to the approval and implementation.
“Our probation/parole staff supervise more than 70,000 people in our communities,” said Commissioner Tony Parker in a staff memo. “Each day, they carry out our mission of effective community supervision by ensuring those under our correctional control are compliant with following directives.”
In April, the correction agency began offering $5,000 hiring bonuses for newly hired correctional officers. The agency also began offering a $4,000 retention bonus to correctional officers in order to boost retention in Tennessee’s prisons.
Multiple COVID-19 pop-up vaccination sites available in Coffee County
Those wishing to receive COVID-19 vaccination in Coffee County will have multiple opportunities to do so over the coming weeks.
Friday
Manchester Health Department 7:00-9:00
Tullahoma Health Department 7:00-9:00
Monday
Manchester Health Department 1:30-3:30
Tullahoma Health Department 4:30-6:30
Stone Fort Restaurant 7:00-11:00
Tuesday
Manchester Health Department 3:30-6:30
Tullahoma Health Department 1:30-3:30
Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department 3:00-6:00
*Marcrom’s Pharmacy has appointments and walk-ins available every Monday and Friday.
