State Rep. Jeremy Faison’s Capitol Report
Members of the General Assembly this week got their first look at Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to modernize how the state provides money for Tennessee’s K-12 public schools. Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn officially unveiled the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) on Thursday, Feb. 24 to replace the state’s current Basic Education Program (BEP) created […]
Quilts of Valor Presented at First United Methodist Church
Patriotism was the order of the day on February 19 as four male veterans and one female veteran were wrapped in Quilts of Valor made by the Jefferson City Quilters at First United Methodist Church, Jefferson City. Kathleen Van Orsdel, herself a Vietnam War Era veteran and an avid patriot and quilter, is the Group […]
Gov. Lee, Commissioner Schwinn Unveil Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn released the details of the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act (SB2396/HB2143) that would transition Tennessee’s K-12 public schools to a student-based funding approach. Starting in the 2023-24 school year, the TISA would invest an estimated $9 billion in education funding for the […]
VITAL POLICY- State Representative Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station) Introduces Legislation Aimed at Reforming Tennessee’s Forfeiture Laws
Tennessee’s civil forfeiture laws enable the government to seize and to forfeit permanently private property on the “suspicion” that it has been used in the commission of a crime, under the lowest standard of evidence and outside the criminal court system, a practice that has constitutional experts alarmed. Most private property and cash forfeited under […]
2022 TN Saves Piggy Bank Pageant
Children Pre-K to 12th grade, are invited to participate in the 2022 TN Saves Piggy Bank Pageant, March 1-12. To enter, students use their imagination and creativity to hand craft a Piggy Bank. The Sevier County Piggy Bank entries will be judged, and winners selected at each grade level. The County Winners will then be […]
Are the Waters Off the Carolinas a White Shark Mating Site?
OCEARCH is returning to the waters off the Carolinas to embark on their 43rd ocean research expedition. Alongside 42 collaborators from 30 research institutions, the organization will collect data to support 24 science projects that will help finally solve, for the first time, the life history puzzle of the white shark in the Western North […]
Amazon Prime launches Carson-Newman University feature
Carson-Newman University is featured on Amazon Prime. Inclusion on the platform comes with the launch of Season 3 of The College Tour. Carson-Newman University is one of a limited number of universities in the southeast featured in the TV series. The program is the creation of Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning producers. Hosted and produced by Amazing […]
Luna’s Farmhouse Opens In Historic Downtown Dandridge
The Historic Town Square in Dandridge has a new business to celebrate. Luna’s Farmhouse had their grand opening and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, located at the corner of Meeting Street and Gay Street in the Historic Thomas Tavern building. Luna’s will offer beautiful handcrafted furniture, décor and gift selections. The ribbon cutting […]
To Elect or Not To Elect? Commission Votes To Support Choice For Counties
The Jefferson County Commission recently passed Resolution 2022-11 on a 13-6 margin. Motioned by Commissioner Colemen and 2nd by Commissioner Blevins, Resolution 2022-11 requests that the State of Tennessee Legislature provide the option for counties to return to elected School Superintendents of Education, rather than appointed Director of Schools. This resolution is in support of […]
Hometown Dental Opens In Jefferson City, TN
Hometown Dental in Jefferson City cut the opening ribbon on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Hosted by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, the event marked the expansion of Hometown Dental from their flagship office in Greenville to their new location at 154 W. Broadway Blvd, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Welcoming the friendly staff and trio […]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives $31 M to repair Foothills Parkway West
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is using $31 million in funding from the Great American Outdoor Act (GAOA) to repave the Foothills Parkway West, from Chilhowee Lake to Walland. The 17-mile roadway provides recreational experiences for more than 700,000 visitors annually. The rehabilitation project will include a series of full-lane closures starting on March 14. […]
Oral Antiviral Therapeutics More Readily Available In Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Health continues to receive increased bi-weekly allocations of oral antivirals to treat mild to moderate COVID-19. There are currently two oral antiviral medications available for COVID-19 treatment. Paxlovid® by Pfizer and molnupiravir by Merck are available to treat mild to moderate disease in individuals at high risk of progression to severe […]
New Online Dashboard Tracks Redistricting Changes in Tennessee
Tennesseans can now see how the 2021-2022 redistricting process has impacted them through a simple address search. The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has created a new online dashboard entitled Tennessee District Lookup that makes it easy to see which legislative districts are now assigned to each address in the Volunteer State. The new dashboard includes updated legislative district […]
Tennessee Needs at Least $61.9 Billion of Public Infrastructure Improvements
Tennessee needs at least $61.9 billion worth of public infrastructure improvements during the five-year period of July 2020 to June 2025—a $3.4 billion (5.7%) increase from the year before—according to a new report by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). Of the $3.4 billion increase in infrastructure needs reported in this year’s inventory, […]
Is Your Dog a Hero to You? Nominations Open for the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog Awards
American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, has announced the official start of the 2022 American Humane Hero Dog Awards® campaign. The twelfth annual, year-long campaign seeks to identify and honor the best of our best friends and will culminate this fall with the star-studded “American Humane Hero Dog Awards” gala on November 11 […]
