Chances are most of us feel like we’re burning the candle at both ends this month, but the demands of the holidays are exaggerated for the thousands of caregivers in Tennessee. A new survey from AARP Tennessee of 800 registered voters found 60 percent of respondents are currently providing or have provided unpaid care to an adult loved one. Many are also caring for their own children at the same time. Shelley Courington, associate state director for advocacy for AARP Tennessee, knows the demands first hand as she and her husband care for her aging father-in-law. “It’s a really...

Construction won’t delay travelers during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is once again halting all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes across the state. No temporary lane closures will be allowed for construction on Tennessee roadways Wednesday, December 23 through 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2016. “We expect over two million drivers to travel Tennessee roadways during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. We will do everything possible to keep traffic moving and minimize congestion,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. Our law enforcement partners...

Four Tampa, Florida men were arrested Dec. 17 after the car they were riding in was stopped for a traffic violation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Jose Juquin Perez-Fonseca, 50, Lazaro Leon Bentanocourt, 37, Norge Leon Rodriguez, 33, and Abilo Hernandez, 36, were booked into the Coffee County Jail on charges of 13 counts of criminal simulation, 13 counts of identity theft and one count of manufacturing/delivering/sell/possession of a controlled substance. According to warrants obtained by Trooper Jason Boles, the car the men were in was stopped on Relco Drive in Manchester for a traffic violation that occurred on...

The Tullahoma Police Department (TPD) has adopted an anti-racial profiling policy, as mandated by the State of Tennessee. Senate Bill No. 6, known as the Racial Profiling Prevention Act, will be effective Jan. 1. The Racial Profiling Prevention Act states that each law enforcement agency shall adopt a written policy that prohibits racial profiling by its employees. Each agency shall adopt its written policy on or before Jan. 1. The standard operating procedures document states that racial profiling means the detention or interdiction of an individual in traffic contacts, field contacts, or assert seizure and forfeiture effort solely on...

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for the month of November was 5.6 percent, unchanged from the October rate. That’s according to Tennessee Labor Commissioner Burns Phillips. The U.S. rate for November was 5.0 percent, also unchanged from October. Over the past year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate decreased from 6.6 percent to 5.6 percent, while the national rate declined from 5.8 to 5.0 percent. Total nonfarm employment increased 1,000 jobs from October to November. The largest increases occurred in financial activities, manufacturing, and transportation/warehousing/utilities. Over the year, nonfarm employment increased 48,600 jobs. The largest increases occurred in trade/transportation/utilities, professional/business services, and...

Tennessee law enforcement officials kicked off the “Booze It and Lose It” holiday safety campaign on Friday. The event took place at the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce in Murfreesboro. Kendell Poole, director of the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office, joined members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol along with neighboring law enforcement agencies in Middle Tennessee. Law enforcement agencies across Tennessee are out in full force now through Jan. 3 searching for impaired drivers. The Governor’s Highway Safety Office reminds motorists to plan ahead for a sober ride home before taking part in holiday celebrations this season. For more...

AAA projects the number of year-end holiday travelers will top 100 million for the first time on record. Nearly one in three Americans (100.5 million) will journey 50 miles or more between Wednesday, December 23, 2015 and Sunday, January 3, 2016. This represents a 1.4 percent increase over last year and the seventh consecutive year of travel growth for this holiday period. Projections show that 2,157,962 Tennesseans will travel during the holidays. Driving remains most popular mode of travel for year-end holiday travel: More than 90 percent of travelers (91.3 million people) will drive to their holiday destinations, an...