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GOOD STUFF – Sense of Neighborly Fellowship

GOOD STUFF – Sense of Neighborly Fellowship

GOOD STUFF is a column sponsored by RESCUE 180, dedicated to spotlighting the good side of the news. Saturday marked the conclusion of Christmas Parade Season across Jefferson County. Starting the first Saturday in December to the last Saturday before Christmas Day, the streets of Jefferson County are lined with parade goers and participants. While […]

VITAL POLICY – Gentry vs. Speaker of the House, A Citizen’s Quest to Exercise Constitutional Rights and Improve Tennessee Government

VITAL POLICY – Gentry vs. Speaker of the House, A Citizen’s Quest to Exercise Constitutional Rights and Improve Tennessee Government

John Gentry is asking the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives to schedule a time for him to orally “address” the house of representatives for a period of fifteen minutes at a time mutually agreed upon when a quorum is present. His aim is to persuade state legislators to make corrections to a system […]

#HEROES – Karen Phillips Lee is one of those people

#HEROES – Karen Phillips Lee is one of those people

#Heroes is a column sponsored by Dr. Warren K. Stinson, DDS, Jefferson City, TN, spotlighting local heroes throughout the community from all walks of service. It has been said that given the right circumstances many people have the capacity to perform heroic deeds. While that certainly may be true, it is only a handful of […]

THE LEARNING CURVE – 84 Cafeteria Staff Bring A Little Extra Along With Nearly 70,000 Meals

THE LEARNING CURVE – 84 Cafeteria Staff Bring A Little Extra Along With Nearly 70,000 Meals

THE LEARNING CURVE is a column sponsored by Doug Ibbetson, Jefferson County School Commissioner, spotlighting those in the educational community who make a significant contribution to the success of Jefferson County School System. It takes many components and many people performing various necessary tasks to make a good learning environment for children. While most of […]

Wreaths Across America, December 17, 2022

Wreaths Across America, December 17, 2022

Giving the gift of remembrance! Each December, Wreaths Across America (WAA) coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and at more than 3,400 other locations in all 50 U.S. states. Wreaths are also laid at sea and in foreign lands. According to its website www.wreathsacrossamerica.org, the non-profit organization has three paramount goals: to REMEMBER our […]

VITAL POLICY – OPINION – Citizen Standing to Participate in Government, A Primer on the Tennessee Constitution

VITAL POLICY – OPINION – Citizen Standing to Participate in Government, A Primer on the Tennessee Constitution

Nothing says your opinion doesn’t count like shutting down citizen comment at public meetings. If citizens wish to speak their mind at county commission, school board, or any subcommittee meeting of local government, they should be able to comment on any public policy issue. When the framers of the Tennessee Constitution included Section 23 under […]

VITAL POLICY – Empowered Jefferson Organized to Advance Conservative Public Policy in Jefferson County, Tennessee

VITAL POLICY – Empowered Jefferson Organized to Advance Conservative Public Policy in Jefferson County, Tennessee

Citizens often assume nothing can be done about taxes, zoning, or left-leaning ideology in our public schools. Empowered Jefferson tackles issues of public policy head-on and aims to advise others on how to be more active in shaping it. “Knowing what’s wrong with our systems in government and how to address and instruct government officials […]

VITAL POLICY – Jefferson Alliance Formed as Economic Development Agent for Jefferson County

VITAL POLICY – Jefferson Alliance Formed as Economic Development Agent for Jefferson County

Jefferson Alliance will serve as the new economic development agent for all of Jefferson County, an organization whose activities are subject to the open meetings and open records laws of Tennessee. The group was organized as a public benefit non-profit corporation enabling it to employ economic development professionals to recruit industry to the county. According […]

GOOD STUFF – Community Supports Isaiah 117 House This Saturday – Two Big Events

GOOD STUFF – Community Supports Isaiah 117 House This Saturday – Two Big Events

GOOD STUFF is a column sponsored by RESCUE 180, dedicated to spotlighting the good side of the news. Saturday is a big day for Isaiah 117 House. For those who have seen posters and fund-raising events for the local Isaiah 117 House and have wondered exactly what the non profit is about, Isaiah 117 House […]

THE LEARNING CURVE – Dotson Key Component Of Successful Public Education

THE LEARNING CURVE – Dotson Key Component Of Successful Public Education

THE LEARNING CURVE is a column sponsored by Doug Ibbetson, Jefferson County School Commissioner, spotlighting those in the educational community who make a significant contribution to the success of Jefferson County School System. All successful companies have many components that make them run and that concept is the same for public education. While the faces […]

#HEROES – Jefferson County Rescue Squad Heroes At Halloween

#HEROES – Jefferson County Rescue Squad Heroes At Halloween

#Heroes is a column sponsored by Dr. Warren K. Stinson, DDS, Jefferson City, TN, spotlighting local heroes throughout the community from all walks of service. Jefferson County Rescue Squad has long been a staple volunteer organization that provides relief to citizens of Jefferson County that find themselves in distress. The Rescue Squad does both water […]

VITAL POLICY – Jefferson County Commission Stands Up for Medical Freedom of Tennessee Guardsmen

VITAL POLICY – Jefferson County Commission Stands Up for Medical Freedom of Tennessee Guardsmen

When Captain Mickey Shelton signed up to serve in the Tennessee Army National Guard, he made a commitment to answer the call of duty to the state of Tennessee in times of crisis and natural disaster, and to defend the nation if deployed overseas. He never expected to fight his own government for medical freedom […]

VITAL POLICY – OPINION – Jefferson County School Board Rejects Bonus Pay for School Bus Drivers Despite Ongoing Employment Crisis

VITAL POLICY – OPINION – Jefferson County School Board Rejects Bonus Pay for School Bus Drivers Despite Ongoing Employment Crisis

The Jefferson County School (JCS) system is hemorrhaging employees like a bleeding hog at a slaughterhouse. In a recent 18-month period, JCS turned over 274 employees, teachers, maintenance workers, classroom aides, support staff, and most critically, school bus drivers. Teachers and teachers’ aides are leaving because of the frustration with their jobs, top-down management practices, […]

VITAL POLICY – Political and Legal Climate Ripe for School Voucher Expansion, Controversial Education Practices Causing Shift Away from Public Schools

VITAL POLICY – Political and Legal Climate Ripe for School Voucher Expansion, Controversial Education Practices Causing Shift Away from Public Schools

The stars are in alignment for the expansion of school vouchers across Tennessee. All obstacles have been removed by the court system and broad public support for school vouchers is being driven by a variety of factors. This article examines some of those factors. Currently, school vouchers are limited to Davidson and Shelby Counties within […]

VITAL POLICY – Bidding Irregularities Uncovered Concerning Jefferson County Schools Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Training Contract

VITAL POLICY – Bidding Irregularities Uncovered Concerning Jefferson County Schools Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Training Contract

Jefferson County Schools (JCS) started a contractual business relationship with and made payments to a Texas based vendor to deliver Social Emotional Learning (SEL) staff training fourteen months before bids were advertised for the purchase of that service. State and Federal Laws require formal bidding on certain purchases made by government entities to ensure that […]

VITAL POLICY – Citizen Activism, Public Policy, Education, and County Debt Discussed at Jefferson County Republican Town Hall Meeting

VITAL POLICY – Citizen Activism, Public Policy, Education, and County Debt Discussed at Jefferson County Republican Town Hall Meeting

Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-District 1) led the pack of speakers and presenters. State Representatives Jeremy Faison (TN-District 11) and Andrew Farmer (TN-District 17) visited with constituents and listened to views expressed by the party membership with the open mic format. Following Harshbarger’s presentation, Josh Cameron, JCRP Treasurer, presented the congresswoman with a donation check from […]