State Representative Jeremy Faison Files Pro-Hemp, Pro-Jobs Legislation
State Representative Jeremy Faison (R–Cosby) announced this week he has filed legislation to legalize the growth of hemp in Tennessee. Currently, because of federal guidelines, the cultivation of hemp in our state is illegal, despite numerous studies that have shown hemp production would be a multi-million dollar per year industry and would create thousands of […]
TDOT Launches Yellow DOT Program – Stickers to Help First Responders Make Most of “Golden Hour”
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) today launched the Yellow DOT Program, which is designed to assist first responders in identifying vital medical information for senior drivers. The program features yellow stickers that are placed in the bottom left side of the rear window of vehicles and yellow envelopes containing a photo, medical history and […]
Tennessee Joins National ‘Geek the Library’ Campaign to Support Library Funding
Residents of Tennessee may soon add a new verb to their vocabulary – ‘geek.’ Public libraries across the state – more than 170 so far – are participating in Geek the Library, a national campaign to raise awareness about the importance of properly funding libraries. The campaign highlights what people are passionate about and how […]
Powell Valley Electric Exceeds Previous Output Peak
In response to the recent winter storm, Powell Valley Electric has reported that their energy output has reached an all-time high of 202 megawatts: a figure that shatters the previous record of 180. According to Randell Meyers, General Manager of Powell Valley Electric, there are still a number of scattered outages, but that the situation […]
AEC shatters all-time system peak; asks members to voluntarily shed electric load
As of 7:45 am on Tuesday, January 7, Appalachian Electric Cooperative set an all-time system peak of 328 megawatts. This unprecedented demand for electricity shattered the utility’s previous peak of 286 megawatts, which was set in 2009. In response to the extreme temperatures across our region, the Tennessee Valley Authority has issued a Power Supply […]
Arctic Blast Hits Jefferson County – Temperatures Plummet
East Tennessee received an arctic blast, as the cold weather that has been plaguing much of the eastern and mid western potion of the Nation made its way into the area. Snowfall and icy roads are both weather events that most locals are accustomed to seeing, however this particular system is expected to bring in […]
Sunshine Review Grades for Department of Education and County
Transparency is an issue for Jefferson County, according to the 2013 County Sunshine Review, which issued the County a grade of D in government transparency. The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations cited the Sunshine Review in a recently released report on transparency in government. Ease of access to information for the public is the […]
Lost But Not Forgotten – Public Records Commission
A recent State Attorney General’s Opinion has brought the issue of County Public Records Commissions and their responsibilities to the forefront. By Tennessee Code, counties are mandated to have a Public Records Commission to deal with the distribution, storage and destruction of public records. The creation of the County Public Records Commission was an effort […]
NASA’s Hubble Sees Cloudy Super-Worlds With Chance for More Clouds
Scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have characterized the atmospheres of two of the most common type of planets in the Milky Way galaxy and found both may be blanketed with clouds. The planets are GJ 436b, located 36 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo, and GJ 1214b, 40 light-years away in the constellation […]
Labor Figures Show Promise for High School & College Students
Good news may be on the horizon for high school and college students looking at potential future employment. According to figures released last month by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, baby boomers will be bailing out of the job market during the next eight years and that will leave openings in a variety of […]
State Officials Announce 2013 Tennessee Traffic Fatality Figures
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security today announced preliminary figures indicating the state has recorded 988 traffic fatalities in 2013. That’s a 2.7 percent decrease in vehicular deaths on Tennessee roadways last year compared to 2012, when there were 1,015 traffic fatalities. The 2013 traffic fatality numbers include vehicular deaths reported by all […]
“Emma” and “William” Hold on to Top Spots as Tennessee’s Most Popular Baby Names for 2013
Tennessee’s modern tradition for the top names for new babies continued in 2013, with Emma and William taking the number one spots for a third consecutive year as the most popular names given by new Tennessee parents. William has been the number one name chosen for new baby boys born in Tennessee for seven straight […]
Representative Faison Offers Help For Citizens Having Difficulty Contacting State Unemployment Office
State Representative Jeremy Faison is offering assistance to those that are having difficulty reaching the State of Tennessee Unemployment Office. Faison, who represents District 11, which encompasses a portion of Jefferson County and Greene County, as well as Cocke County, is concerned that communication with the Unemployment Office has been an issue for several weeks […]
Resolutions On The Rise
New Year’s is considered by many to be a time to reevaluate priorities and make adjustments accordingly, resulting in New Year’s Resolutions. According to recent research, around 44% of Americans will make a resolution for the New Year. While that number may not be astounding, there has been a recent shift in the focus of […]
Rachel Ragland Joins Blount Partnership as Director of Economic & Workforce Development
Blount Partnership president/CEO Bryan Daniels announced today that Rachel Ragland has been hired as the Director of Economic & Workforce Development. She replaces Bill Eanes who left to join the business development team at VISION Engineering and begins on Jan. 2. “We are happy to have Rachel join our team,” said Daniels. “Her experience in […]
Documentary Highlights State Capitol’s History
The Tennessee State Library and Archives has long been a place where important historical records are stored. Now, however, the State Library and Archives is expanding its role by actually creating resources of historical value. One of the best examples of this is a video documentary that the State Library and Archives’ staff produced on […]
