Category: News

A Tennessee lawmaker has introduced a bill to observe daylight saving time year-round in the Volunteer State.
The bill is being filed by Rep. Rick Tillis and if passed, would make daylight saving time the standard time of the entire state.
Tillis has said in the past that the extra hour would improve health and the overall quality of life for people living in the state. He also feels it would encourage people to stay active and spend time supporting local businesses.
However, even if it does get approved at the state level, the law can’t go into effect unless it’s signed off by the federal government.
According to the bill, the law would take effect on the first Sunday of November after the United States Congress amends or repeals a federal law that requires states to observe standard time.
In other words, states can exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time but not standard time.

Former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold may be released a year early, not as a “political pardon” but for “good behavior.” He might be in a Tennessee halfway house by this coming May.
Reports indicate that Arnold has been a model prisoner.
Arnold is serving a 4-year sentence at Maxwell Federal Prison Camp outside Montgomery, Alabama.
Officials are beginning the paperwork now, and if approved, the ousted Rutherford County Sheriff could serve his first 6-months of freedom in a halfway house in Tennessee. That could be as soon as 3-months from now. The remaining half-year would be under house arrest.

In the wake of record-breaking flooding across Tennessee, the Department of Commerce and Insurance and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners are sharing tips to help homeowners stay afloat, financially.
According to the National Weather Service in Nashville, the city’s average rainfall total for February was exceeded within the first week of the month. Kevin Walters of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance said it’s important to prepare now for the possibility of more storms.
“We want to tell people to be prepared in the event of future flooding events,” Walters said. “So remember, where it can rain, it can flood. And an inch of water in a home could cause more than $25,000 in damages.”
Walters said it’s important to know the evacuation routes in your community in the event of flooding. And if you’re staying in your home during a flood event, move valuable items and documents to higher ground.
Flooding is the most common and expensive type of natural disaster in the U.S., according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Yet data from a 2016 FEMA report on active flood-insurance policies revealed many Tennesseans are not covered. And Walters said renters and homeowners need to be aware that the insurance coverage they have likely has limitations.
“The most important thing to understand about flood insurance is what it isn’t,” he said. “Flood damages are not typically covered through most homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policies. And flood insurance can be purchased through an agent or insurer participating in a National Flood Insurance Program, which FEMA manages.”
More information on flood insurance and flood preparedness is available from FEMA at floodsmart.gov.

City of Manchester leaders have been told by the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) that Coffee County commissioners are the ones with authority to appoint members of the Public Building Authority (PBA), the board that oversees the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center.
As we reported earlier, the County Technical Assistance Service CTAS issued an opinion late last year that also said only the county commission is authorized to appoint members to the PBA.
According to CTAS, the Manchester City appointments of Jewell Noblitt and Richard Dix to the PBA without the approval of the county commission are not valid.
MTAS Legal Consultant Elisha Hodge states that Manchester City is not entitled to representation on the PBA board of directors.
Coffee County and Manchester City split the losses on the center, but county officials say they do not equally share the benefits, as Manchester receives the bulk of them through sales and hotel taxes.
The only control the two entities have over the operations of the conference center is through the decisions made by PBA members representing their interests.
The county commission voted recently to delay selecting any new board of directors until citizens wanting to serve go through an application process.

Pregnant women whose babies are born addicted to drugs could face charges if a bill filed by two Tennessee lawmakers is passed.
Under the bill, women who used narcotics during their pregnancy could face prosecution if their baby is harmed or born with an addiction.
A similar law went into effect in 2014 but at the time, lawmakers included a sunset clause that allowed it to expire after two years. Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver R-Lancaster and Sen. Janice Bowling R-Tullahoma sponsored a bill that would bring it back.
According to the bill, women would not be prosecuted if they’re enrolled in an addiction recovery program before the baby is born or if they complete the program.
The law would take effect on July 1, 2019.

Two Tennessee lawmakers want to amend the state’s “slow poke” law.
The law helps restrict slow drivers from driving in the far-left lane on three-lane highways.
Rep. John Mark Windle of Livingston, and Sen. Paul Bailey of Sparta, want to amend the law by expanding it to include two or more lanes.
A number of states have already passed similar legislation that can ticket anyone who is impeding the flow of traffic. The fine for breaking the law in Tennessee is $50.
If passed, it would take effect on July 1.

Tennessee Senate leaders say legislation is in the works that could pave a path to covering more people than the current Medicaid system, known as TennCare, using federal block grants.
But they’re adamant it won’t include Medicaid expansion under former President Barack Obama’s health law, an option they have rejected.
The lawmakers said the yet-to-be-fleshed-out plan would need Medicaid flexibility from the federal government. Senate Speaker Randy McNally said people below 138 percent of the poverty level would be targeted, with vouchers for private insurance or health savings accounts as possibilities.
McNally said Tennessee needs clarity on whether it can receive block grants, either for the entire TennCare system or just expansion patients.
Bill sponsor Sen. Paul Bailey of Sparta said block grants would allow for an innovative plan.

Forty paintings from one of the premiere watercolor exhibits in the world will be in Tullahoma, Tennessee from March 3rd – March 23rd. The Tullahoma Art Center has once again been selected as one of only six national venues for the American Watercolor Society’s 151st Annual Traveling Exhibition. This exhibition will provide the Tullahoma Region with an opportunity to view the best in watercolor painting in the world.
Chosen from a field of 150 water media masterpieces selected into the International Exhibition (from more than 1100 entries), the traveling show features the work of 40 artists. This year’s show is sure to inspire artists and art lovers alike.
The public is invited to attend the exhibit opening reception March 3rd from 2PM – 5PM at the Tullahoma Art Center. The cost is $10 for members and $20 for non-members. The Art Center is located at 401 S. Jackson Street in Tullahoma Tennessee. The exhibit runs through March 23rd with regular gallery hours Friday 1PM – 5PM and Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM.