TVA directors approved a 17% fuel cost adjustment and an additional power base rate increase of 3%. For the average household using 1,320 kilowatt hours, that translates to an additional $15 a month. The rates will show up on customers’ October billing cycle. This increase is the largest increase since 1974.

In a statement to the press, TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore cited the weather, specifically a lack of rain and a three year drought in Tennessee and the rest of TVA’s seven state region as partly responsible for the increase. Kilgore said the drought has forced TVA to rely more heavily on coal and natural gas, since hydrogeneration has been impacted by the lack of rain.

“We recognize that the increased costs TVA is experiencing are also driving up costs for the families and businesses we serve…we have no alternative for paying for fuel.” –TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore

The rate hike will not generate profit for either CDE Lightband or CEMC, since the increase will be funneled back to TVA to cover increased costs.

“Right to hunt” constitutional amendment passes 105th General Assembly

House Joint Resolution 108 passed on the House floor this week with overwhelming aproval. The constitutional amendment would add provisions to the state constitution establishing the right to hunt, fish, and harvest game subject to “reasonable rules and regulations.” An excerpt from the resolution reads:

Hunting and fishing are honored traditions in the state; citizens have enjoyed the bounty of Tennessee’s natural resources from the time prior to statehood, including hunting and fishing for subsistence and recreation; therefore, hunting and fishing is a vital part of the state’s heritage and economy and should be preserved and protected.

Having already passed the Senate this year, the amendment must now win the approval of the 106^th General Assembly next year by a two-thirds vote. The measure could be on the ballot for referendum as early as 2010.

“Pass the bottle” clears committee

The “Pass the Bottle” legislation, which would ban open containers in vehicles, and one of several DUI bills rolled out as a comprehensive effort to combat drunk driving, passed subcommittee this week and will next be heard in the State and Local Government Committee. The bill has met resistance for the last several weeks, however, members who previously seemed to oppose the bill wrangled over amendments, one of which lessened the charge for having an open container in a vehicle to a misdemeanor and a $50 fine.

If the bill is signed into law, federal funds to the tune of over $13 million could be returned to the road building account, and used in much-needed areas of maintenance such as road paving. Currently, the state receives the federal funds, but is restricted in how the money is spent. Due to these restrictions, much of it is now used for public safety campaigns.

Legislators participate in “Ag Day on the Hill”

Legislators participated in “Ag Day on the Hill,” an event sponsored by the House Agriculture Committee to raise awareness regarding the many things Tennessee farmers contribute to our economy and identity. Representatives from the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and produce, dairy and beef producers were all on hand to meet with legislators and discuss their initiatives and products. Below are some highlights:

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative: Despite a difficult year in which farmers were plagued with drought conditions, the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative reported a successful year due to the hard work and determination of their farmers. All of the state’s feed manufacturing facilities were designated Safe Feed/Safe Food Certified Facilities by the American Feed Industry Association, a rigorous process ensuring safe food.

U.S.D.A.: Although the number of farms in the U.S. decreased slightly, cash receipts from farm marketings increased by 11 percent. The top commodity in the state of Tennessee proved to be cattle.

Produce and Dairy: The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has rolled out a new website, http://www.picktnproducts.org/, that features great gifts, seasonal recipes, games, and where to find fresh produce, and hardy plants.

Dairy farmers reported that Americans are consuming more dairy than ever before. Per capita consumption of total milk has climbed to 605 pounds today from 552 in 1983. Tennessee is part of the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, which also recently rolled out a new website, http://www.southeastdairy.org/.

For more information, please visit www.tennessee.gov/agriculture.

In brief…

• Schools: The House voted unanimously this week to pass legislation that requires school principals to grant students excused absences for up to 10 days for the purpose of visiting a parent who is stationed outside of the country. Currently, if a student’s parent, custodian, or other person with legal custody or control is a member of the United States armed forces or National Guard, a public school principal must give the student an excused absence for one day when the member is deployed and another day when the service member returns from deployment. Having already passed the Senate, the bill will now be sent to the Governor for his approval.
• Public Records: House Bill 2750 passed the Local Government Subcommittee this week, and will now be heard in full committee. The measure will allow elected bodies to set up websites where they can “instant message” one another, making the “conversations” available for the public and the media’s viewing. The bill was filed in response to the problems associated with the state’s Sunshine Law.
• Energy: The House voted this week to support House Joint Resolution 838, a measure that encourages the governor to establish a goal of reducing fuel consumption by at least 15 percent in the state’s vehicle fleet by June 30, 2010. The resolution was embraced by House members on both sides of the aisle. The sponsor said he believed that 2010 was a realistic goal to reduce the fuel consumption.
• Education: A bold education initiative called “Education Pays” was passed out of the House Education Committee, winning bi-partisan approval. The bill’s sponsor said he was extremely pleased that the Education Committee is thinking outside the box. The Education Pays Act creates a pilot program to give cash rewards to encourage academic achievement among at-risk students.

The week ahead…

• House Bill 3519 exempts home-based kitchens where non-potentially hazardous foods are made and the sale of such foods at farmers’ markets from department regulation. (Agriculture)
• House Bill 3715 requires meat or milk from cloned animals and all food for human consumption that has been genetically altered or modified to be labeled as such and that notice be appropriately given to the public. (Agriculture)
• House Bill 3865 requires all birthing hospitals to provide educational materials for parents of premature newborns. (Health and Human Resources)
• House Bill 3059 creates a Class B misdemeanor offense of consuming alcoholic beverage while driving motor vehicle on public highway and Class C misdemeanor offense of possessing open container of alcoholic beverage within passenger area of motor vehicle on public highway. (State & Local Government)
• House Bill 4023 prohibits the diminution in value of gift cards and gift certificates. (Consumer & Employee Affairs)
• House Bill 3991 creates new Class E and D felony offenses of assault on law enforcement officer; and Class B felony offense of aggravated assault on law enforcement officer. (Judiciary)
• House Bill 4042 authorizes human resource agencies to apply for grants and implement statewide an intervention program called “Moral Kombat.” (Education)
• House Bill 0009 creates K-12 lottery capital outlay special account; establishes grant program for capital outlay projects for K-12 educational facilities administered by comptroller of the treasury. (Education)
• House Bill 4185 adds a new classification of limited resource waters to the Water Quality Control Act of 1977. (Conservation & Environment)

A Flood Advisory is in effect as the combination of  downpours and runoff is filling some small streams to the banks and triggering some ponding of water in low-lying areas or streets with poor drainage. Use caution, and never drive through roadways that are completely submerged.

This storm system, which is barreling through Middle Tennessee at 40 mph,  is not a drought buster, not when the shortfall before this surge of precipitation was in the double digit numbers. It’s little help to farmers and ranchers who struggled to grow and harvest crops or feed livestock in the absence of adequate grazing and hay.  But any rain is good rain these days, and this rain is the soaking kind that is turning lawns green again, refreshing trees and shrubs, and refilling streams.

With temperatures hovering in the upper 50s and low 60s, area residents broke out not just the rain gear but the sweaters too; though it will be a bit warmer — around 70 — later this week, the overnight lows will stay in the low 50s. Though Autumn began officially September 21, until this week residents still felt caught in clutches of summer.

Showers are expected to continue Wednesday and possibly into Thursday, but the heaviest rain will continue to fall today.

Unrelenting, record-breaking heat has baked Middle Tennessee and most of the South and Midwest since July, with daytime highs in the mid to upper 90s and often 100+. Heat indexes can add another 5-8 degrees to that even as humidity makes the air feel thicker than a hearty soup in winter. And it’s not over yet.

Forecasts indicate that starting Wednesday, the area is in for another three days of 100+ temps, dangerously high heat that to date has cost the lives of at least 49 people across South and Midwestern states. Overnight cool downs to the low 70s do little to abate the warmth, and usually by 10 a.m., the burn is back.

Indicators of the severity of this heat and prolonged include the closing of the Clarksville Farmer’s Market last week due to the lack of marketable produce. Organizers and vendors said the heat combined with the drought had killed the bulk of their crops. Dairy farmers and those with herds of beef cattle are hard pressed to find affordable feed for their livestock.

The drought is evidenced by low water tables and river levels, which has triggered an overabundance of some forms of algae, giving an “unpleasant stench and taste “to local tap water.

The heat island effect is created in many urban areas that are paved over, filled with heat absorbing concrete and steel, and without the naturally cooling effect of significant greenspace.

On May 11-12, 1997, NASA illustrated this effect using a specially outfitted Lear Jet to collect thermal data on metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia (pictured at left). Nicknamed “Hot-Lanta,” that city saw daytime air temperatures of only about 80 degrees Fahrenheit on those days, but some of its surface temperatures soared to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. In this image, blue shows cool temperatures and red shows warm temperatures. Pockets of especially hot temperatures appear in white. (Image/notes courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio.)

As for the local forecast, Intellicast.com offers the well-broiled middle Tennessee area a slight ray of hope: predicted highs in the upper 80s by Wednesday, August 29 — a week from now. Meanwhile, several local agencies have offered fans and air conditioners to families and the elderly, and “cooling stations” within supplies of bottled water and misting fans, are among the most popular attractions at many summer events.

For the remainder of this week, though, caution is advised for those who must work or travel in the heat. Wear cool, light-colored clothing, try to avoid being out in the hottest period of the day (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and stay hydrated. Drinks lots of water. Dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can happen quickly. If you suddenly start to feel ill, weak or have any unusual symptoms, seek an air conditioned space to cool down and drink plenty of non-caffeinated liquids. If symptoms persist, get medical attention. Heat stroke can kill.

As the region slowly works its way across the calendar toward fall and cooler temperatures, residents are reminded to keep eye on their neighbors, particularly the elderly and infirm, who may have difficulty coping with the heat. Pets need access to shade and constantly refreshed water. Children should not be left in cars at any time, but especially in this overwhelming heat, which can climb to 140 degrees inside a closed car in a matter of minutes.

Several of these hand-printed signs hung from vendor tables at Clarksville Farmer’s Market Saturday morning, a grim testament to the impact the current heat wave and the long-standing regional drought are having on farmers and the availability of fresh local produce.

A handful of vendors stood under the railroad station canopy on Tenth Street, offering a selection of summer squash and zucchini, red and green peppers, okra, red and sweet potatoes, baked good, preserves and homemade pickles, and plenty of fresh peaches and ripe red tomatoes. At 10:30 a.m., it was already about 90 degrees in the parking lot, in the sun.

Paulette Peterson, market organizer, said it is the first time the market has ever had to close this early. “It’s sad. But everything is drying up and dying. There’s not much left to sell.”

Retired car dealer Eddy Kingins has been working the farmer’s market since his retirement, selling produce he grows himself. (Pictured from left, Sherry Kingins, Cameron Taylor and Eddy Kingins)

“I was in the car business for 38 years,” Kingins said. “I retired, and started doing this.” He loves the work and the “people contact” that the market offers.

“But there’s been no rain. So everything is all dried up. Everything in my garden,” he said. He has attended the Amish farm auctions in the hopes of acquiring additonal produce there, “but the Amish [produce] is all dried up too.” When he can find fresh produce and tried to broker a deal, he finds that prices have skyrocketed.

Even if it rains for a week, it’s too late to save the season, he said. While most of the South is in a period of prolonged drought, that drought has hit “extreme” levels in middle and western Tennessee, destroying crops, killing trees, and creating a secondary danger of brush fires. With daytimes highs staying steadily above 90 degrees, and multiple days with highs in excess of 10o degrees, mid-state Tennessee is “cooked.”

“Green beans that were selling for $14 a bushel are $32 a bushel not [at auction],” Kingins said. “Prices are sky high even at the Amish sale.” It leaves vendors such as the Kingins with nothing left to sell.

Kingins wife, Sherry, said the problem is not confined to the produce market. Farmers raising cattle for beef, along with dairy farmers, are facing staggering increases in the cost of hay and feed. “Milk and beef prices are going to go sky high” Sherry said. “Bales of feed hay that cost $15 or $20 dollars are going for $75 to a $100.” It will have a trickle down effect on the prices we pay for everything come fall and winter, she added.

So Kingins, Sherry and their grandson, Cameron Taylor, who helps out his grandparents “whenever I have the chance,” sit in the already warm shade, taking turns waiting on shoppers seeking out their vegetables, preserves and canned pickles, and saying goodbye to a summer sojourn that is ending too soon.

This morning at the railroad station, tables were set up at carefully numbers spaces. Vendors displayed bins and bushel baskets of what was left from their gardens, and conducted the market-fresh buying and selling for one last time this summer.

They are hoping for a better season next year.