Topic: Tennessee

Communities to receive financing to build or repair schools

November 8, 2009 |

CMCSS receives 20 Million for Renovation of Montgomery Central High School

Communities throughout Tennessee will receive financing to build or repair schools as a result of the Tennessee State School Bond Authority’s (TSSBA) action on Thursday.

The TSSBA finalized plans to sell up to $184 million worth of Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) as part of a program created by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bonds are tax credit bonds that provide a federal tax credit to the investor on a quarterly basis. The bonds may also pay a supplemental coupon to the bondholders on a quarterly basis.

Thursday the TSSBA selected a bond underwriting team, approved a final bond resolution and finalized documents needed to move forward with the bond sale. The TSSBA had preliminarily approved the loans in September and, after some revisions in loan amounts and the addition of the City of Kingsport as a new borrower, the revised list of project loans were approved by the TSSBA.

The TSSBA will invest the proceeds from the bond sale in the State Pooled Investment Fund (SPIF) and will disburse the funds to the communities to pay the expenses related to their school construction projects.

Montgomery Central High School after the renovations

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Meet the new ball coach

By Vicki Davis | November 1, 2009 |

It was easy to forget prior to kick-off a football game was being played on Halloween night. Not only was Lane Kiffin keeping in the headlines with his comments regarding the officiating at the Alabama game, the fan base was distracting itself with a fashion controversy. Were the Vols going to appear in black jerseys? More importantly, should they? After all, black is not a traditional Tennessee color, and UT is nothing if not a school grounded in tradition.

Another UT tradition is losing to Steve Spurrier. Stretching back to his first job as a head coach at Duke, the Vols have a 5-13 record against him. Philip Fulmer had a particularly dismal 3-8 record against the Old Ball Coach.

Old Ball Coach, meet the New Ball Coach. «Read the rest of this article»

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HUD secretary announces disaster assistance for Tennessee storm victims

August 25, 2009 |

Foreclosure protection offered to displaced families in six counties

Washington – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to counties in Tennessee and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding.

On Friday, President Obama issued a disaster declaration for Chester, Clay, Decatur, Jackson, Overton, and Wayne Counties. The President’s declaration allows HUD to offer foreclosure relief and other assistance to certain families living in these counties.

“Families who may have been forced from their homes need to know that help is available to begin the rebuilding process,” said Donovan. “Whether it’s foreclosure relief for FHA-insured families or helping these counties to recover, HUD stands ready to help in any way we can.” «Read the rest of this article»

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Three keys to improving the literacy of Tennessee children

By Sue Freeman Culverhouse | August 10, 2009 |

The absolute essential for success in school and in life is the ability to read. Literacy is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity.

In Tennessee, currently one-fifth (twenty per cent) of adults do not have a high school diploma. I suspect that many of these people also have difficulty reading, whether from a learning disability or from not being able to attend school on a regular basis.

How can we prevent this problem? I think the following three changes could make a huge difference in the lives of our children and their success rate. «Read the rest of this article»

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Rep. John Tanner’s Vote Jeopardizes Health Care Reform

July 19, 2009 |

Vote Against House Ways & Means Reform Bill is a Vote Against Fixing Our Broken System

JACKSON – By voting against America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200) before the House Ways & Means Committee, Rep. John Tanner voted against fixing our broken health care system.

“When I see Congressman Tanner voting against acting now to improve health care, it tells me that he’s profoundly out of touch with ordinary working people in West Tennessee,” said Ella Parham of Jackson. “I was looking forward to retirement after my career as a teacher. Now I have to keep working to help pay for health care. Failing to fix health care is not an option. We can’t afford to wait any longer for real health care reform.” «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Politics | 5 Comments

HUD allocates over $1 billion in to jump-start affordable housing construction in 26 states

July 6, 2009 |

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that HUD is approving plans submitted by state housing finance agencies for $1,035,322,485 to jump start affordable housing programs in states throughout the country that are currently stalled due to the economic recession. Funded through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), HUD’s new Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) will allow 26 state housing finance agencies to resume funding of affordable rental housing projects across the nation while stimulating employment in the hard-hit construction trades.

“The purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to jumpstart the nation’s ailing economy, with a primary focus on creating and saving jobs in the near term,” said Secretary Donovan. “The funding being announced today is an important step in achieving the goal of putting the American people back to work while providing quality, affordable housing options for low-income families at a time when those options are needed more than ever.” «Read the rest of this article»

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Donovan announces $3.7 billion in disaster assistance to 11 states impacted by 2008 natural disasters

June 11, 2009 |

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD is allocating $3.7 billion in disaster aid to 11 States to help them recover from dozens of natural disasters last year. The emergency funding will support the States’ long-term disaster recovery and is in addition to $2.4 billion HUD already allocated through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Donovan announced the additional funding following a tour of flood-damaged areas of Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Governor Chet Culver and Congressman David Loebsack.

Donovan also announced that nearly $312 million is available to States that spend their existing funding on programs that reduce potential damages from future disasters. This Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund is designed to encourage States to design forward-thinking recovery plans that will reduce the risks of loss of life and the extent of future damage. «Read the rest of this article»

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Gone Country: Healthcare crisis out of control in rural Tennessee

By Mark Naccarato | June 9, 2009 |

While most of the healthcare activism in Tennessee seems to be happening in Nashville, Memphis, and the state’s other big and medium-sized cities, it’s important for us not to ignore the rural areas across the state. After all, it’s in Tennessee’s rural areas where the healthcare crisis is the worst.

According to a new report released by the Service Employees International Union called The Value of Reform in Tennessee, the reality of the healthcare crisis is grim in Tennessee’s rural towns. In the current recession, the rural economy is losing jobs at a faster rate than the rest of the nation, and loss of jobs can lead to loss of health coverage. These hard-working folks – unemployed through no fault of their own – are forced to either go without insurance or pay out of pocket to get it. And people who have to buy insurance on their own tend to pay more for premiums, have higher deductibles, and have fewer procedures covered. One out of five rural residents spends more than $1,000 per year out of their own pocket on health services. Overall, rural residents pay 40% out of pocket for medical needs—a significantly bigger hit than other Americans absorb. «Read the rest of this article»

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The Tennnessee House GOP Review

June 8, 2009 |

The House GOP Review is a weekly feature that gives Tennesseans an in-depth look at what our Republican state legislators have been working on this week, and a glimpse into what’s planned for the coming week at our state house. This week’s highlights:

• Sanctuary cities
• Recognizing home school & church diplomas
• Guns in restaurants
• Unemployment trust fund
• Tennessee statehood day

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Tennessee welcomes solar jobs Texas snubs, say Senate Democrats

June 3, 2009 |

Volunteer State and Bredesen have the foresight to grab clean-energy opportunities

NASHVILLE – Texas may be willing to turn down the jobs that come with solar energy, but Tennessee is more than happy to welcome this 21st century industry and the economic benefits that go with it, members of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus said Monday.

“Governor Bredesen has sent a strong message: Tennessee is ready, willing and able to be a center for the solar-energy industry,” Senator Lowe Finney of Jackson said. “With our Volunteer State Solar Initiative, West Tennessee will have the top solar energy-generating facility in the region.

“More than 600 Tennesseans will be hired to build the solar farm facility, and others will be hired to operate it.”

The story is altogether different in Texas, where legislators did an about-face over the weekend, voting down millions in incentives to draw solar investment to the state.   «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Politics | 1 Comment »

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