Just 12 percent of American workers are offered paid family leave through their employer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – while other developed countries offer as much as a year of leave to care for a child. While that is shifting here among a handful of private- and public-sector employers, Kelly Johnson, spokeswoman for Attachment Parenting International, said there’s a need to change the attitudes of the American workforce. “There’s such a stigma in the United States about taking that time off for any type of parental leave – whether it’s male or female – and especially...

The Tennessee State Board of Education is seeking public comment on newly revised K-12 math and English language arts standards. The standards were developed by expert educator advisory teams throughout the summer. They set grade-specific goals that exemplify what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of a given grade or course. The standards will be available for feedback online through mid-November at https://apps.tn.gov/tcas/. Once data has been collected from the public, officials say it will be given to a recommendation committee that will review the standards and the public feedback throughout October,...

A Tracy City man has been charged with burglarizing a Shelbyville pharmacy in 2012. Robert Ferrell Nunley, 43, of Tracy City was charged Friday with burglary, theft of property over $10,000 and criminal conspiracy in the Jan. 8, 2012 burglary at McGee’s Prescription Center, Det. Lt. Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department said Monday. “We caught a large break in September when a pharmacy was burglarized in Sevierville,” Crews said. “A black Range Rover was seen on video.” “The Range Rover was spotted the next day by a Sevierville officer. He discovered it had a stolen tag and...

Hickerson Elementary School, located on the Old Manchester Highway, has received a $15,000 Let’s Play Community Construction Grant to replace outdated equipment on the school’s playground. The grant, awarded by Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) and national nonprofit KaBOOM! as part of the DPS-led Let’s Play effort, will allow the school to replace two pieces of old equipment with four new pieces. The grant requires that the school spend no less than $24,000 on playground equipment. The school’s PTO has raised the remaining $9,000 needed to purchase equipment. In August, Hickerson Elementary was named a 2015 Tennessee Reward school, ranked...

On Saturday, October 24, the Third Annual Get Fit! Tullahoma Panther/Bobcat 5K Family Fun Run and Walk will be held at Frazier McEwen Park. Saturday’s 5K is a part of the Get Fit! Tullahoma program that was launched in March of 2013. Mayor Lane Curlee is behind the initiative that was created to encourage wellness and to reduce obesity and diabetes in the community. The cost for the event is $25 for adults and $10 for students. Registration is currently ongoing at http://www.tullahomatn.gov/get-fit, http://www.active.com and both East and West middle schools. Registration will also be available on the day...