General Skrmetti Joins Coalition in Lawsuit Against US AG Garland, ATF on Pistol Brace Rule
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a 24-state coalition in filing a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and its director that seeks to enjoin a recently issued final rule governing “Stabilizing Braces,” commonly known as pistol braces. The rule, called Factoring Criteria for Firearms with […]
New Assistant District Attorney Sworn in for the Fourth Judicial District
Nikolas Kear was recently sworn in at the Cocke County Courthouse as Assistant District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District by Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Carter Moore. The fourth district is comprised of Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, and Sevier Counties. Nik is a graduate of Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina and the University of […]
TDOE, TERA Releases 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey Results
Today, the Tennessee Department of Education and Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) released key findings and responses from the 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey from more than 39,000 educators, totaling over half of the state’s educator population. Responses from the 2022 survey are vital to informing the state’s work on improving educator experiences in Tennessee. As […]
Jefferson County Clerk Frank C. Herndon – County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT) Outstanding County Clerk of the year for 2022
The County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT) is pleased to announce that Jefferson County Clerk Frank C. Herndon has been selected as the Outstanding County Clerk of the year for 2022 at COAT’s annual convention. Mr. Herndon was selected from a pool of 95 county clerks in the state. COAT Executive Director, Rodney Archer said, […]
Jefferson County Honors Stanley Wilder and Tommy Love With Resolution
Two distinguished residents of Jefferson County were recognized posthumously during the quarterly meeting of the Jefferson County Commission. Jefferson County Mayor Mark Potts read Honorary Resolutions for Stanley Wilder and Tommy Love aloud to the public and sitting commissioners. Both Mr. Wilder and Mr. Love were represented by family members who accepted a copy of […]
County Positions To Pay Off Debt To Thwart Property Tax Increase
Jefferson County is positioning itself to pay off debt that would likely necessitate a significant property tax increase inside the next ten years if left unchecked. During the first quarterly meeting of 2023, the Jefferson County Commission approved a motion from the budget committee to use excess funds in the Debt Service account to pay […]
Gov. Lee Delivers Second Inaugural Speech – ‘Tennessee: Leading the Nation’
Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee addressed Tennesseans during his second inauguration at 11 a.m. CT on Legislative Plaza. His remarks as prepared for delivery are below: Thank you to every person here – for being here today to celebrate our great state and her rich history. Lt. Governor McNally, Speaker Sexton, members of the General […]
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Files Amicus Brief in Opposition to VA’s New Abortion Rule
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced today he joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the Western District of Texas in the case of Carter v. McDonough. In September 2022, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reversed long-standing agency practice and adopted an interim final rule that purports to authorize […]
Tennessee Ends 2022 with Continued Low Unemployment
Tennessee ended 2022 with continued low unemployment across the state. The seasonally adjusted rate for December came in at 3.5%, which was unchanged from November. For the entirety of 2022, the statewide unemployment rate reached a low of 3.2% and never went above 3.5%. In a year-to-year comparison, the statewide unemployment rate is down 0.1 […]
Tennessee National Guard rescues hikers on Appalachian Trail
A medical flight crew from the Tennessee National Guard conducted an emergency air evacuation mission after two hikers became stranded on the Appalachian Trail, Dec. 31, 2022. Shortly after 5:15 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, the Tennessee Military Department and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were notified of two hikers needing assistance in the Sampson Mountain […]
Good hydration linked to healthy aging
Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in eBioMedicine. Using health data gathered from 11,255 adults over a 30-year period, researchers analyzed links between serum […]
Five Rivers Pet Emergency Hospital Re-Locates To New Market, Jefferson County
Jefferson County welcomes Five Rivers Pet Emergency Hospital to the area. The long standing business recently re-located to New Market from Hamblen County, TN. Dr. Mackenzie Treece and staff had a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of their new facility. Attending the event were Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk, Kevin Poe, County Commission Chairman […]
Light Unexpected Snowfall Takes Heavy Toll On Lakeway Area
Following days of frigid temperatures, the East Tennessee Valley had unexpected snowfall Monday evening. Though the accumulations were generally light in the Lakeway area, a small amount of snow caused big problems on local roads. Because the precipitation was not expected, roads were not pretreated. Crews were out Monday evening salting and clearing the main […]
Study Examines Increased Reliance on Temporary Staff in Long-Term Care Facilities
A new study by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability examines the use of temporary nursing staff by nursing home and assisted care facilities. The use of temporary staffing agencies has sharply increased over the last few years due to worsening staffing shortages resulting from the effects of the pandemic. In 2019, […]
TennCare to Restart Renewals
Today, Congress passed legislation which will end the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement related to the COVID-19 pandemic on April 1, 2023. At that time TennCare will be required to reverify the eligibility status of everyone receiving TennCare or CoverKids benefits. One of TennCare’s top priorities during this process is to make sure all eligible members […]
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 […]
