TN Achieves has a goal of 9,000 mentors for the class of 2020 and has officially reached the halfway point, with 4,500 mentors signed up.  If you would like to become a mentor for these students, you can sign up here. ...

Cannon County Schools Officials received information on Wednesday Evening, September 25th, about a possible firearm brought to Woodland School on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019. Law Enforcement Officials investigated and have determined that NO actual gun was brought to Woodland School. However, the investigation is continuing and school policies will be adhered to and followed regarding this incident. The student has been suspended pending the investigation. Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Curtis stated, “Keeping OUR Students safe is Cannon County Schools top priority. We know these situations alarm parents/guardians, but we want to thank them and our students...

We are officially one week away from the first ever Exit 111 Festival, which will take place Friday, Oct. 11 through Sunday Oct. 13. This marks the first major festival event at Great Stage Park other than Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Both city and county school officials have closed school for Friday, Oct. 11 for fear of traffic concerns. Officials expect no more than half of the annual Bonnaroo attendance, which means about 40,000 in attendance for the Exit 111 Festival. Tickets remain on sale through the exit 111...

Manchester firefighters responded to a structure fire at 2 p.m. Tuesday on Skinner Flat Rd. The structure was a six unit apartment complex and five of the units were occupied at the time of the fire – all six units received damage.  According to Manchester Fire Department officials, the cause of the fire remains under investigation. One person was transported to Unity Medical Center for...

State Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), said today   she was informed Senate District 16 has been awarded $726,528 in   Highway Safety Grants to promote public safety on local roads and to   curb drunk driving.  Bowling made the announcement after being   informed by the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. All seven counties in Senate District 16 – Coffee, Franklin, Grundy,   Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren and Warren Counties – are receiving   grants. “I am very pleased that so many law enforcement agencies in our Senate   District, will receive these grants,” said Senator Bowling.  “I’m   especially pleased that these grants can be...

Coffee County Schools is facilitating a Poverty Simulation on Friday, October 11th at Hillsboro Elementary School for both Hillsboro and Deerfield Elementary School Staff as Professional Development. Poverty is often portrayed as a stand alone issue; however, this simulation allows the opportunity for our teachers, staff, and administrators to walk a month in the shoes of what it is like for some of our students and families who are facing poverty and fully see how complex and interconnected issues of poverty really are. During this simulation, teachers, staff, and administrators will participate living through a month of poverty and go through stations to take care of employment, housing, transportation, utilities, and other needs...

In Fayetteville, 529 employees at the Goodman Manufacturing plant learned this week that they will be laid off at the end of November as the plant continues to close up its operations in favor of moving operations to Texas.  On Friday, Goodman filed a notice with the State of Tennessee Labor and Workforce Development stating that it would complete the 529 worker layoff by Nov. 27. This comes on the heels of 703 workers from the plant losing jobs last week.  In total, 1,328 workers have bene affected.  Goodman announced in 2015 that the plant would close by 2017...

Immigrants could help Tennessee fill its health-care workforce gap, according to a new report by the Business Forward Foundation. Foreign-born individuals currently make up less than 5% of the state’s total population.  President of the Business Forward Foundation Jim Doyle said the number of Tennessee seniors will nearly double by 2070. He pointed out that without new immigrants, the ongoing doctor shortage and lack of health-care access experienced by people living in rural parts of the state will worsen. “It’s totally reasonable for people in Tennessee to be asking the question, ‘Are we full?’ or to be worried about...