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State of Tennessee

November 27, 2020 in State of TennesseeAround the TownNews

Update from Cumberland County Health Dept

As of Monday November 23, 2020, Xtend will be contacting all positive test results completed at the Cumberland County Health Department. It is imperative that all persons tested read through the information packet that is given before testing. Many questions will be answered through the information provided in the packet.

Cumb Co Health Dept uses the PCR testing method. More information on this testing method can be found at CDC.GOV.

Individuals are required to quarantine after testing until results are received.

The Health Dept will be holding extended testing hours again on Monday, November 30, 2020 from 7am – 5pm!

November 16, 2020 in State of TennesseeNews

Gov. Lee Announces Reconnect to Workforce Partnership!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Reconnect to Workforce, a partnership between the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Tennessee Reconnect program and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development that will assist up to 500,000 Tennesseans claiming unemployment benefits to earn a college degree while fulfilling work search requirements.

“As federal unemployment benefits end, we want to ensure Tennesseans have the tools needed to skill up and gain long-term employment,” said Gov. Lee. “There are over 250,000 available jobs in Tennessee and this partnership will remove barriers so Tennesseans across our state can obtain the skills needed to acquire a high-quality job.”

“The biggest challenge in reconnecting Tennesseans to education is often financial hardship,” said Tennessee Higher Education Commission Executive Director Mike Krause. “By removing this hurdle, we’re giving unemployed Tennesseans the opportunity to reskill and find a new path forward in our changing workforce.”

Tennessee Reconnect offers two years of tuition-free community or technical college by establishing last-dollar scholarships for eligible adults who have not yet obtained a degree.

Individuals from high-need populations make up a significant portion of grant recipients, including 58% having dependents and almost 70% making below $50,000. Last year, over 2,000 students were awarded a certificate or degree.

Federal unemployment benefits funded by the CARES Act will expire as claimants reach the maximum 39 weeks of payments in the coming weeks. The last day to claim federal unemployment benefits is December 26, 2020.

More information about Tennessee Reconnect is available here.

November 5, 2020 in State of TennesseeAround the TownNews

tnAchieves in Need of More Mentors!

What is tnAchieves?
tnAchieves is the partnering organization to the TN Promise Scholarship in 90 of the 95 counties in Tennessee. Its mission is to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance.


Visit the following link to learn more and apply to become a mentor: https://tnachieves.org/mentors/learn


Cumberland County needs 12 more mentors to meet this year’s goal!

October 26, 2020 in State of TennesseeAround the TownNews

Last Week to VOTE Early!

Today starts the last week of early voting, which takes place at the Election Commission across the street from the old courthouse! You can early VOTE today through Thursday from 8a – 5p!  If you have any questions, please give the commission a call at 931-484-4919. 

October 22, 2020 in State of TennesseeAround the TownNews

FREE Webinar Series to Support Tennessee Businesses and Non-Profits

Message from Boyd:

“While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused great adversity, it’s also led to great innovation.
 
From new partnerships and products to new ways of doing business—industries, organizations and teams are evolving in ways we couldn’t have imagined.
 
At the University of Tennessee, we want to help share these success stories in hopes of supporting and inspiring more collaboration and momentum amidst the pandemic.
 
To do that, we’ve partnered with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Alliance for Better Nonprofits and launched a new webinar series including: 

  • 11 unique webinars (60- to 90-minutes each)
  • Free and available to the public
  • Covering topics ranging from leading remote workers to hosting virtual events
  • Featuring 28 speakers, including renowned economist Dr. Matthew Murray, director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
  • Representing Tennessee businesses and organizations, such as AAA, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Zoo Knoxville 

I invite you and your constituents to join us. Please also consider sharing information about the webinar series broadly and on your social media platforms.”