Lee Names New Health Commissioner

 Gov. Bill Lee has named a Kentucky State Senator to be Tennessee's next Commissioner of Health.

More from NewsBreak:

A Kentucky doctor and state Senator will become Tennessee's next Commissioner of Health, Gov. Bill Lee has announced.

Dr. Ralph Alvarado will take on the role effective January 16th, as Lee begins his second term in office.

Lee noted Alvarado's combination of experience in medicine and public service as strong qualifications for the role.

“Dr. Alvarado’s significant clinical and hospital management experience make him well-positioned to lead the Department of Health, and I appreciate his service to Tennesseans," Lee said.

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Bill Lee Turning Tennessee Schools Over to Michigan Billionaire

 From Tennessee Education Report:

NewsChannel5’s Phil Williams has been following the money to find out who is behind efforts to privatize Tennessee’s public schools. It’s no surprise that Lee’s longtime friend Betsy DeVos is among the key backers of privatization.

MORE on how Betsy DeVos is a big player in running TN education reform.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

A Warning on School Funding Reform

 From Tennessee Education Report:

Nashville education blogger TC Weber has a couple of pieces out that break down Gov. Lee’s proposed school funding reform.

The bottom line: Be afraid, be very afraid.

I mean, if you like using public money to fund private schools OR if you’re a fan of the state taking over districts, this funding scheme is for you.

MORE on how Lee's new funding formula will lead to school vouchers and school district takeovers.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Pastors Respond to Lee's Curriculum Plan

 In response to news reports that a curriculum supported by Gov. Bill Lee for use in charter schools in Tennessee involves a re-telling of the Civil Rights Era that downplays the racial injustice of the time, a group of Tennessee pastors affiliated with the Southern Christian Coalition spoke out about the move.

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For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

School Privatization is Big Money Game

 From Tennessee Education Report: 

$8 million.

That’s how much groups seeking to privatize Tennessee’s public schools are spending lobbying the General Assembly, according to an analysis by NewsChannel5.

In a story on lobbying expenditures, NewsChannel5 noted that among the “big spenders” were school privatization groups:

Privatization groups pushing charter schools and school vouchers: just under $8 million over the past five years.

With Gov. Bill Lee at the helm, it seems that big money is paying off. Just last month, Lee announced plans to hand over millions in Tennessee tax dollars to a private, Christian college in Michigan to run a network of 50-100 charter schools in the state.

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For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Gov. Lee's Plan to Give Public Money to Private Schools

 From Tennessee Education Report:

Gov. Bill Lee made clear in his State of the State that he is a proponent of an alternative history known as “American exceptionalism.”

This theory is grounded in a sort of American evangelicalism – and certainly has strong ties to far-right Christian movements. To advance his “exceptionalism agenda” Lee has announced a partnership with conservative Hillsdale College – a private, Christian school in Michigan. Yes, Tennessee is such a great example of exceptionalism that we have to turn to a private college from Michigan to “properly” teach history.

Lee claims that he has been inspired by Reagan’s words. This inspiration is ostensibly the impetus for the focus on an American exceptionalism curriculum from Hillsdale College.

Of course, Reagan is no stranger to efforts to dismantle public education and turn schools over to those on the extreme right of the political spectrum.

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For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

School Voucher Case BACK in Front of TN Supreme Court

 From Tennessee Education Report:

Chalkbeat reports that a case against Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher scheme will receive another hearing before the Tennessee Supreme Court as that body attempts to assess the constitutionality of the program.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will rehear arguments in the case of educational savings accounts, also known as vouchers. The court’s announcement on Tuesday comes in the wake of the death of Justice Cornelia Clark who was on the bench in June to hear the arguments, but died of cancer in September before the court was able to issue a ruling.

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For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

TN Correctional Officers to Get 37% Raise

 From NewsBreak:

Last week, Gov. Bill announced a 37% salary increase for new correctional officers hired by the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC). The move makes the starting salary for a Tennessee correctional officer $44,500.

The stated rationale for the significant pay boost is a growing shortage of applicants for corrections officer jobs.

In announcing the move, Lee said:

“As we face staffing shortages across the country, rewarding officers with competitive pay will ensure we recruit and retain the most highly qualified individuals in our workforce,” said Gov. Lee. “These Tennesseans play a crucial role in ensuring public safety and we remain committed to valuing their important work.”

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For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Tennessee Reports Massive Revenue Surplus

 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is seeking to reallocate the school funding pie in a state that historically earns low marks for its investment in schools. Now, the Sycamore Institute reports Tennessee has a significant surplus – both banked dollars and recurring money – that could be used to help address a range of priorities.

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For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Gov. Lee Bringing School Funding Dog & Pony Show to Hendersonville

 Gov. Bill Lee will be hosting a Town Hall on the state's funding formula for schools in Hendersonville on October 27th. The event will be held at Merrol Hyde Magnet School at 5:30 PM. 

The Town Hall is part of Lee's effort to pitch his plan to re-work the formula for funding schools while not actually increasing education funding. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is an unapologetic champion of school privatization. While the Tennessee Supreme Court has delayed implementation of the voucher scheme Lee succeeded in passing in 2019, Lee has put on a full court press of other measures in order to bring privatization to the Volunteer State.

The latest effort comes by way of Lee attempting to “reform” the state’s school funding formula, known as the BEP. The move includes 18 subcommittees designed to make recommendations for revising the formula — even though Lee has indicated he has no plans to actually increase funding for schools.

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Lee's Administration has come under fire for failing to make a serious attempt at increased school funding in the midst of a giant surplus:

Tennessee ranks 46th in the nation for what we invest per student. It is irresponsible and harmful to Tennessee children to continue the pattern of insufficient state investment in our schools, especially at a time when Tennessee has the largest revenue surpluses in state history. We can and must do better for our students.

 For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Bill Lee is Ready for Football

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is ready for football. Lee signed an executive order this week allowing the start of contact sports, including football, to coincide with the start of school.

The return of high school sports also coincides with a significant jump in the number of cases of COVID-19 in children -- all BEFORE schools are back in session.

Sumner County is slated to begin school on a hybrid schedule on August 3rd.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

That Curve Ain't Flat

Even as physicians indicate Tennessee is not yet ready to re-open, a visual analysis of data about COVID-19 cases suggests Sumner County's curve is not getting very flat.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

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The Order

The latest Executive Order from Gov. Bill Lee on COVID19 -- Sumner is among the 89 counties "re-opening"

Executive Order 30

Executive Order 30 supersedes and repeals Executive Order Nos. 17, 21, 22, 23, 27, and 29, effective Wednesday, April 29, but does not affect Executive Order No. 25 concerning dental and medical procedures, which is currently effective until April 30.

• The order allows Tennesseans and businesses to return to work in all industries where that can be safely accomplished by following health guidelines, while urging employers to allow or require remote work/telework if possible.
• Tennesseans are urged to continue limiting activity and staying home as much as possible to preserve and build on the health progress we’ve made.
• All employers and businesses that choose to open are expected to comply with the Governor’s Economic Recovery Group (ERG) Guidelines for operating safely, as well as general health guidelines from the CDC and other government entities.
• Social and recreational gatherings of 10 people or more are prohibited, including but not limited to festivals, fairs, parades, youth and adult sporting events, and overnight summer youth camps.
• This does not cover places of worship, for which there will be guidelines for safe operation of worship services and gatherings if in-person services are conducted, but the order strongly encourages places of worship to continue virtual or online services where possible.
• This does not prohibit weddings and funerals, but encourages postponement of large-gathering components of such events.
• Entertainment and recreational gathering venues must remain closed to the public for now, including, but not limited to, bars, night clubs, live performance venues, bowling alleys, arcades, concert and sporting event venues, theaters, auditoriums, performing arts centers, racetracks, indoor children’s play areas, adult entertainment venues, amusement parks, senior centers, and skating rinks.
• Limited service restaurants can serve food to customers seated at tables but must follow the ERG Guidelines for restaurants in doing so.
• Close-contact personal service businesses must remain closed to the public for now, including, but not limited to, barber shops, salons, spas, body-art/tattoo services, tanning salons, and massage facilities.
• Nursing homes and similar retirement and long-term-care facilities must remain closed to visitors, except for critical assistance and in end-of-life situations.
• Persons and businesses are urged to take special care to protect and provide for the well-being of vulnerable populations, including by offering delivery or special shopping hours if possible.
• Persons with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms are required to stay at home, and employers may not require or allow employees with COVID-19 to work.
• Persons are urged to wear a cloth face covering in places where in close proximity to others, especially where social distancing is difficult.
• Take-out and delivery alcohol sales by restaurants will continue to be allowed to encourage customers to utilize take-out or delivery options.
• Local orders regarding medical or dental procedures are prohibited because preserving PPE is a question that is statewide in scale and shouldn’t be addressed differently in each county.
• For the 89 counties without a locally run county health department (all but Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan), this order supersedes any contrary orders or measures, meaning that the counties cannot issue independent orders regarding the opening, closure, or operation of businesses, organizations, or venues covered by this order, though counties may continue issuing or enforcing orders or measures on other matters related to COVID-19, such as opening or closure of their governmental buildings, governing their employees, or dealing with the operation of their local government.
• The county health departments in the 6 counties with locally run county health departments (Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan) shall have authority to issue orders or measures that permit or restrict to a different degree than this order the opening, closure, or operation of businesses, organizations, or venues, except for places of worship. Otherwise, this order governs on the topics it covers.

Read the full text of the order here.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Got news? Email us: newshendersonville@gmail.com

Just Shoot the Virus

The Portland Sun reports that Sumner County residents are prepared to take on COVID-19 with guns. While possibly a better suggestion than President Trump's proposal to inject people with Lysol or Clorox, it's not clear whether shooting at Coronavirus actually works to slow the spread. (HINT: IT DOESN'T).

Here's more:

Gun sales have increased since the beginning of March, according to one Sumner County gun shop. 

Owner of Sumner Gun & Supply Ken Winter says that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, gun sales have increased drastically for both first time gun buyers and gun enthusiasts. 

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While Sumner Countians are stocked up on guns (and maybe Lysol), Gov. Bill Lee plans to "re-open" Tennessee next week, including at dine-in restaurants. Sumner County is among the locations "allowed" to re-open, and there's been no word from local leaders that they'll extend "Stay Home" orders beyond what Lee proposes. This despite Sumner County having the third-highest number of cases in the state and the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Got news? Email us: newshendersonville@gmail.com

Lee Set to "Re-Open" Tennessee Even as COVID19 Nears Peak

While Sumner County has the third-highest number of Coronavirus cases in Tennessee and the second-highest number of deaths, Gov. Bill Lee today announced plans to "re-open" Tennessee in 89 of 95 counties, including Sumner, by May 1st.

Here's his announcement:

Today, Governor Bill Lee announced the order for Tennesseans to remain at home will expire April 30, with the vast majority of businesses in 89 counties allowed to re-open on May 1.

“Our Economic Recovery Group is working with industry leaders around the clock so that some businesses can open as soon as Monday, April 27,” said Gov. Lee. “These businesses will open according to specific guidance that we will provide in accordance with state and national experts in both medicine and business.”

The Lee Administration will work with Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan counties and their health departments as they plan their own re-open strategies.

“While I am not extending the safer at home order past the end of April, we are working directly with our major metropolitan areas to ensure they are in a position to reopen as soon and safely as possible,” said Lee. “Social distancing works, and as we open up our economy it will be more important than ever that we keep social distancing as lives and livelihoods depend on it.”

The Economic Recovery Group (ERG), composed of 30 leaders from the public and private sector is crafting guidance to assist businesses in a safe reopening. The industry representatives participating in the ERG collectively represent over 140,000 Tennessee businesses that employ over 2.5M Tennesseans. More information about ERG is available here.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Department of Health indicates Sumner County is effectively a COVID-19 hotspot.

It's unclear whether Sumner County leaders, who challenged the Department of Health over the re-opening of Gallatin Healing and Rehab, will take on Gov. Lee and extend a Stay Home order for Sumner County well into May.

Officially, Sumner County Mayor Anthony Holt's "Safer at Home" Order ends on April 23rd.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews