Republicans Focus On Jobs, Education, Opioids; Adjourn In Timely Manner
In the final few days of this year’s legislative session, the House of Representatives passed Tennessee’s annual budget with a near unanimous vote. The bill’s passage and official adjournment was the culmination of months of tireless work crafting a fiscally responsible and balanced budget. The $37.5 billion budget builds on previous legislative priorities by making […]
10 Little Healthy Things You Should Do for Yourself Every Day
Let’s be real. Being healthy all the time sounds kinda time-consuming. Your life is busy enough. On the other hand, we all deserve to feel good, right? 1. Find one small way to add more steps to your day. We sit too much, says Martha Gulati, MD, editor-in-chief of the American College of Cardiology’s CardioSmart. […]
Budget Committee Deliberates Non-Profit Funding
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce will receive the lion’s share of funding from the proceeds of the hotel/motel tax, thanks to action taken by the Jefferson County Budget Committee last week. In a split vote, the Committee approved a funding request from the Chamber of Commerce for $345,000 which was a significant increase from […]
How to Remove a Tick and Prevent Future Bites
As tick populations grow and spread across the country, their prevalence is increasing the public’s risk for some troubling diseases. Of these diseases, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus and alpha-gal syndrome—a mysterious red meat allergy—are among the most serious. “Although most ticks do not […]
Bee Prepared: How to Treat a Bee Sting
It can happen fast. One minute the kids are all playing peacefully outside on a warm, spring day. The next minute a piercing scream reveals that one them has been stung by a bee. To help alleviate the panic, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology say it’s a good idea to know what to […]
Unemployment Situation Improves in Nearly all Tennessee Counties
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) today released the March 2018 unemployment rates for each county in Tennessee. The newest statistics highlighted improved rates during March for the majority of the state’s counties. Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties experienced lower unemployment rates when compared to February 2018. The rates in nine counties […]
Haslam Encourages Tennesseans To Partcipate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today joined Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson to encourage Tennesseans to make an impact on the state’s opioid crisis by cleaning out their expired or unwanted medications on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The biannual event urges citizens to find […]
Honey Miller Receives Volunteer Award
Jefferson County resident Honey Miller was awarded the East Tennessee Volunteer Recognition Award at Sunday’s banquet held at the Cherokee County Club in Knoxville. The East Tennessee Volunteer Recognition Awards Ceremony Is sponsored by Home Federal Bank and held every year to recognize individuals who volunteer helping making their communities better. The Awards ceremony is […]
It’s Time for Spring Cleaning!
The sun is out, the birds are singing, and warmer weather is (possibly) here to stay. That can only mean one thing: it’s time to spring clean! While there are a select few of the population (the rest of us will gladly let you do the work for us) that like to clean, spring cleaning […]
County Commission Meets For April Voting Session – Sheriff McCoig Revokes Prisoner Agreement With School System
Members of the Jefferson County Commission met last week for their regular voting meeting but it was not the handful of items on the agenda that brought the most discussion. A recent incident at White Pine School was the point of conversation at the Monday voting meeting of the legislative body. A citizen addressed the […]
March 2018 Revenues Less than Expected, While Year-To-Date State Revenues Remain More than Budgeted
Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin today announced that Tennessee tax revenue fell short of budgeted estimates in March. Overall March revenues totaled $1.1 billion, which is $84.1 million more than the state collected in March of 2017, but $2 million less than the budgeted estimate for the month. “Sales tax revenues for […]
Happy Earth Day 2018!
It seems that the planet and the effects of global warming are at the forefront of the minds of scientists and citizens across the world. We are looking for better and more dependable ways to continue the lives we lead while not harming our home. Today is Sunday April 22, otherwise known as Earth Day! […]
Germs with Unusual Antibiotic Resistance Widespread in U.S.
Health departments working with CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Lab Network found more than 220 instances of germs with “unusual” antibiotic resistance genes in the United States last year, according to a CDC Vital Signs report released today. Germs with unusual resistance include those that cannot be killed by all or most antibiotics, are uncommon in a geographic […]
Study Predicts 2018 Flu Vaccine Will Have 20 Percent Efficacy
A Rice University study predicts that this fall’s flu vaccine — a new H3N2 formulation for the first time since 2015 — will likely have the same reduced efficacy against the dominant circulating strain of influenza A as the vaccine given in 2016 and 2017 due to viral mutations related to vaccine production in eggs. […]
State Unemployment Rate Remains Near Historic Lows, Holds Steady From February
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced the March 2018 statewide unemployment rate for Tennessee remained near historic lows and matched the revised rate from the previous month. The preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for March was 3.4 percent, which mirrored the revised rate for February and […]
Spring Frost, Freezes Are Factors in Fruit Production
Spring frosts or freezes are major limiting factors in consistent production for commercial and home fruit growers throughout Jefferson County. In many years, temperatures during the period leading up to and just past bloom drop to the point where bud damage may occur. Several Factors play a role in the amount of damage actually received. […]
