Chattanooga Builder's Blueprint program aims to create contractor pipeline A new program in Chattanooga hopes to aid groups that have traditionally faced barriers to careers in general contracting with the ultimate goal of expanding the local base of contractors and spurring... Supreme Court largely sides with public officials in social media case The U.S. Supreme Court has issued rulings clarifying how and when public officials can block users and delete posts from their social media accounts, largely siding with government officials. The... TML Visioning Committee holds first meeting Members of TML’s first-ever Visioning Committee met earlier this month to identify ways to best position TML for the future. The TML Board of Directors created the 17-member committee to identify... City leaders talk urban growth, property tax cap, other issues at TML Legislative Conference Municipal officials from across Tennessee gathered to discuss issues including a proposed property tax cap bill, potential changes to increase property reappraisals, managing community growth... News Across Tennessee Franklin Police Department receives CALEA accreditation The Franklin Police Department has once again received international reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Franklin Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Butler, Lt. Matt Smalley, and Sgt. Brandon Sandrell received the accreditation at CALEA’s Spring... Smyrna cuts ribbon on Sharps Springs mountain bike trail Officials with the town of Smyrna cut the ribbon on the new Sharp Springs Mountain Bike Trail. Located at the Sharp Springs Natural Area, the trail is 2.25 miles long and is designed for both family and novice bikers. Officials present for the ribbon cutting included Mayor Mary Esther Reed, Vice... Ceramics manufacturer expands Mt. Pleasant location Landmark Ceramics UST, Inc., officials announced the company is investing $71.9 million to expand its tile production in Mt. Pleasant, creating an additional 78 new jobs at its North Main Street location. The expansion increases Landmark Ceramics’ footprint by more than 400,000 square feet and... Natural snacks manufacturer to open first East Coast facility in Lebanon Bridgetown Natural Foods officials announced the company will invest $78.3 million to expand its Oregon-based operations by locating a manufacturing and distribution facility in Lebanon, creating 219 jobs. The new facility will be Bridgetown’s second location outside of its West Coast headquarters... Vulcan Thermal to construct new facility in Surgoinsville Vulcan Thermal officials announced the company will invest $5 million to construct a new manufacturing facility at 390 Phipps Bend Road in Surgoinsville. The expansion will create approximately 30 new jobs and position Vulcan Thermal in close proximity to a growing industry. Vulcan Thermal, a... Jonesborough in the running for USA Today Historic Small Towns The town of Jonesborough is competing against 20 other small towns across America to be named among USA Today’s 10 Best Historic Small Towns. Nicknamed the “Storytelling Capital of the World” and home of the National Storytelling Festival, Tennessee’s oldest town was recommended for its museums and... People Seth Lyles Seth Lyles Seth Lyles has been selected as the new police chief of Dickson following the retirement of longtime Chief Jeff Lewis last month. Lyles most recently served as assistant police chief for Dickson since 2017 and is a 27-year veteran of law enforcement. Lyles has been with the Dickson Police Department... Avery Johnson Avery Johnson Avery Johnson, longtime vice mayor of Cleveland, has announced he will retire in May. Johnson has spent 22 years as Cleveland’s vice mayor and has served on the Cleveland City Council since 1993. Johnson also retired after 44 years of service to Maytag Cooking Products in Cleveland. He is a past... Jimmy Massengill Jimmy Massengill Jimmy Massengill, former mayor of Graysville, died March 20, 2024 at the age of 53. Massengill spent more than 20 years on the Graysville City Council, serving both as mayor and vice mayor. He also spent 33 years as a firefighter with the Dayton Fire Department. Haley Smith Haley Smith Haley Smith has been named as the first communications and marketing manager for the city of Cookeville. She will report directly to City Manager James Mills and will enhance connectivity and engagement between the city and residents. Smith has five years of professional experience, most recently... Chuck Downham Chuck Downham Chuck Downham has been selected as the new assistant town manager and project manager for the town of Nolensville. Downham has more than 37 years of municipal management, planning, and project management experience, and joins the town of Nolensville from serving as a municipal management consultant... Chris Cummins Chris Cummins Chris Cummins has been selected as the interim chief of Columbia Fire and Rescue. Cummins has more than 30 years of experience with Columbia Fire and Rescue, joining as a firefighter in 1990. He has since served as a fire engineer, driver, captain, assistant chief of suppression and retired as... State Briefs TDEC Small Business Environmental Assistance Program named best in nation A Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) program that helps small businesses understand and comply with environmental regulations has been named the best in the nation by the National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program.The national organization’s Excellence Award... Comptroller’s Office begins studying Retail Accountability Program The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office is looking for feedback as it begins to study the effectiveness and efficiency of Tennessee’s Retail Accountability Program (RAP).The RAP was created by the General Assembly in 2012 to improve sales tax compliance among retailers of beer and tobacco products. The... TN Opioid Abatement Council announces more than $80M in community grants Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council is releasing its first ever community grants totaling $80,936,057. Programs funded through the grants will support work in response to opioid addiction throughout... Tennessee population on track to add 10th U.S. House seat With Tennessee’s population swelling to 7.1 million in 2023, the state is on track to have another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives eight years from now. The seat would be the tenth for Tennessee. The largest increase has occurred in Middle Tennessee, particularly in the counties... Tennessee unemployment drops to 3.3% for February 2024 After a slight increase at the start of 2024, Tennessee’s unemployment rate dropped to near record-low levels in February. Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) data showed the new seasonally adjusted statewide rate for the month at 3.3%, a decrease of 0.2 of a percentage point from... State February revenues $59.9M under budgeted estimates Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson announced that February revenues were less than budgeted estimates. Overall February state revenues were $1.325 billion, which is 0.43% less than February 2023 and $59.9 million less than the budgeted estimate. “State tax... TML Updates DRA announces $17M in new SEDAP funding East Tennessee Clean Fuels, TDEC announce diesel replacement funds Grant Writing Training to be held in Nashville April 9-10 USDA announces grant programs benefiting rural communities Applications open for Summer Food Service program Restore Return Relief Advocacy