TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER3, 2013 Haslamto makejobsannouncementin Shelbyville(AssociatedPress)

Gov. Bill Haslam is headed to Shelbyville today to make a jobs announcement at auto parts supplier Calsonic Kansei North America. Haslam is scheduled to be joined by the company's president and CEO, Shingo Yamamoto, and Motohiko Kato, the Japanese consul general of Japan in Nashville. According to the company's website, Calsonic currently employs 700 people in Shelbyville and another 890 in Lewisburg. The Nissan subsidiary has another 560 people working in Smyrna and in Canton, Miss., where the Japanese automaker assembles vehicles. Calsonic's products include automotive climate control, electronics, cooling and exhaust systems. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/03/haslam-to-make-jobs-announcement-in-shelbyville/ (SUB)

Haslamto makejobsannouncementin Shelbyville(WKRNTV Nashville)

Governor Bill Haslam will be in Shelbyville Monday to make a jobs announcement at Calsonic Kansei North America, an auto parts supplier. The governor will be joined by the company's president and CEO, Shingo Yamamoto, and Motohiko Kato, the Japanese consul general of Japan in Nashville. Calsonic currently employs 700 people in Shelbyville and 890 in Lewisburg. The Nissan subsidiary has 560 employees in Smyrna and Canton, Mississippi where the Japanese automaker assembles their vehicles. Calson's products include automatic climate contro, electronics, cooling and exhaust systems, according to their Web site. http://www.wkrn.com/story/23321652/haslam-to-make-jobs-announcement-in-shelbyville

Governorto makejobsannouncementat CKNA(ShelbyvilleTimesGazette)

Gov. Bill Haslam's office has announced that he, Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty, and Nashville-based Japanese Consul-General Motohiko Kato will be in Shelbyville Tuesday morning for a jobs announcement at the CalsonicKansei North America plant. No further specifics were available. CKNA is an automotive parts supplier, with two locations in Shelbyville and one in Lewisburg. In Shelbyville, the firm makes exhaust systems, heating and air conditioning systems. Earlier this month, the city granted the company approval for an expansion of its parking lot which would add 50 more parking spaces at the Calsonic Way location north of Shelbyville. http://www.t-g.com/story/1998930.html

TN askinghomeownersto raiseearly alert on destructivetree pests(Tenn/Brown)

A conservation group and state officials are launching a tree pest awareness campaign in a bid to head off a coming swarm that threatens to destroy wide swaths of Tennessees forests in the years ahead. The campaign is focusing on six invasive pests, some from as far away as Europe and Asia that have already caused damage to Tennessee trees, as well as others that are slowly making their way from neighboring states. Our trees have no resistance to these pests, said Katherine Medlock, East Tennessee program director for The Nature Conservancy, which is sponsoring the campaign. The threat is much greater that we may actually lose large tracts of forested land or lose entire species from the state. The campaign is designed to educate homeowners, businesses and the public on how to identify the symptoms of an infestation. These pests, if you find them early ... then your job becomes much easier, Medlock said. You can actually prevent the wholesale infestation of forests across the state. In 2010, a green beetle native to Asia called the emerald ash borer was found infesting trees around Knoxville. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130903/NEWS11/309030039/TN-asking-homeowners-raise-earlyalert-destructive-tree-pests (SUBSCRIPTION)

Driver'slicenserenewalsagainavailablein RheaCounty(TFP/McMillian)
Members of the Rhea County clerk's staff recently were trained to renew Tennessee driver's licenses after 15 years without offering that service. "The Tennessee Department of Safety furnished all the equipment at no cost to the county," said County Clerk Linda Shaver, including hands-on training she and two employees received from a

district manager. Shaver, Irene Wilkey and Shirley Travis acquired their certification in Chattanooga on July 24. Hamilton County resident Raymond Sines said "it's convenient for me" that Rhea County personnel now can renew licenses, since he commuted to work and oftentimes didn't make it to the Bonny Oaks office in Chattanooga before it closed. Sines' wife, Gina Tia, said the service is "real handy," and that she wouldn't have to drive to Hamilton County to renew her license. Rhea County resident Jerry Sneed said that he'd driven more than 30 minutes to Rockwood or Athens to renew in the past. "[This service is] a whole lot better, and I don't have to leave town," Sneed said. Shaver said her staff couldn't offer commercial drivers' licenses, handgun permits or picture identifications without licenses. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/sep/03/drivers-license-renewals-again-available-in-rhea/?local

DCSbringsin TBI to improvecaseworkertrainingin investigations(TN/Wadhwani)

Department of Childrens Services investigators are often the first and sometimes the only responders to reports of child abuse or neglect. But child protective services workers in Tennessee undergo the fewest hours of on-the-job training of any professional first-responder in the state. In fact, cosmetologists, manicurists and massage therapists are required to take more job-specific training than DCS protective caseworkers. DCS caseworkers must have a college degree and a year of experience in social work, but often have little knowledge or experience in their primary role investigating allegations of abuse, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses and recommending whether police and prosecutors become involved with a case. In many cases, DCS makes the determination whether a crime has been committed, said TBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Margie Quinn, who oversees TBI investigations into sex trafficking. But in some cases, you may not have a worker trained well enough to make that determination. I think DCS caseworkers are geared toward services and protecting children, but theyre not police officers, and theyre expected to do both. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130902/NEWS0201/309020037/DCS-brings-TBI-improve-caseworkerstraining-child-abuse-investigations (SUBSCRIPTION)

Meningitisdeathtoll in Tennesseemaybe understated(Tennessean/Roche)

Records in a newly filed federal lawsuit indicate the official death toll among Tennessee patients from the nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak may be understated. According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Boston last week, Gokulbhai Patel of Goodlettsville died Jan. 13 from fungal meningitis caused by two spinal steroid injections he received at the Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgical Center in Nashville. However, the official death count maintained by state and federal officials shows no deaths among Tennessee patients in that month from the outbreak blamed on the New England Compounding Center, the source of the tainted steroids. The official Tennessee death toll, which climbed to 14 in mid-December, did not increase to 15 until a Kentucky woman, who had undergone injections in Nashville and contracted fungal meningitis, died April 16. The official count remains at 15, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State health officials confirmed Thursday that no fungal meningitis deaths among Tennessee patients were reported in the month Patel died. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130903/NEWS07/309030042/Meningitis-death-tollTennessee-may-understated (SUBSCRIPTION)

Holidayweekendturnstragicwith 3 drownings(Tenn/Wilson,Gang,Haggard)
In a tragic holiday weekend, two young men from Middle Tennessee drowned within hours of each other in separate incidents on Labor Day afternoon. The deaths came on the same day that state officials identified the body of another man who died Sunday in a water-related accident on Percy Priest Lake. The body of 18-year-old Matthew Grissom was found by divers hours after it was reported he fell into the water near the Walter Hill Dam in northern Rutherford County. By then, authorities already had found the remains of Nashville resident Abdala Amsabil, 22, in 11 feet of water at Burgess Falls State Park, eight miles south of Cookeville Both locations have been the sites of previous drownings, and officials have issued safety warnings about them. In 2011, visitors were cautioned about the dangers at Burgess Falls after two Franklin men died while trying to rescue a drowning friend. And in 2004, after a 6-year-old boy drowned near Walter Hill Dam, a rescue worker said the area is like a human washing machine where swimmers struggle with the current created by the dam. Its unclear how Sundays and Mondays drownings factor into the number of water-related deaths that have occurred this year. The state Department of Health does not keep a running total for 2013, spokeswoman Shelley Walker said Monday night, and 2012 figures were not available. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130903/NEWS01/309030040/Holidayweekend-turns-tragic-Middle-TN-3-drownings (SUBSCRIPTION)

TWRAseesquiet weekendfromboaters,reportsno injuries(WTVFTV Nashville)

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TWRA officers had plenty to watch to keep themselves busy over the holiday weekend, and fortunately, all they had to do was watch. Officer Jeff Roberson spent the weekend patrolling on Lake Loudon, and says people stayed relatively calm and safe while out enjoying the water. TWRA had extra officers patrolling due to the increase in the number of boaters they expected to see, but there were no serious injuries or accidents to report from East Tennessee lakes and rivers. Sometimes the best news is when there is no news, Roberson said. "Our main concern on Boomsday is keeping the crowd at a slow speed, at a safe speed, and keeping the main channel open for traffic to go through," Roberson said. "And then creating a perimeter around the fireworks so we don't have any boat fires as a result of the fireworks landing in the boat." Roberson said TWRA officers were keeping a close eye on people without life-jackets, drinking, and driving too closely to other boats and docks at unsafe speeds. http://www.local8now.com/news/headlines/TWRA-sees-quiet-weekend-from-boaters-reports-no-injuries222108051.html

MTSUannouncessix-city 'TrueBlueTour' of Tennessee(DailyNewsJournal)

Stops set for Chattanooga, Johnson City, Jackson, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville Middle Tennessee State Universitys top administrators and deans will meet with prospective students in six Tennessee cities in September and October as part of its annual True Blue Tour. The statewide tour, organized by the universitys Admissions Office, will include student receptions in Chattanooga on Sept. 17; Johnson City on Sept. 23; Knoxville on Sept. 24; Nashville on Oct. 8; Memphis on Oct. 21; and Jackson on Oct. 22. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and other administrators, deans of the eight academic colleges, and counselors from the financial aid and admissions offices will be available to answer questions from prospective students and their parents. Prospective transfer students are also invited to attend. We look forward to these trips each year, McPhee said. They allow us to meet topnotch students across the state and tell them about all our university has to offer. MTSUs admissions counselors will also meet with high school counselors at each tour stop and provide them with campus and program updates, said Deb Sells, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services. http://www.dnj.com/article/20130902/NEWS01/309020039/MTSU-announces-six-city-True-Blue-Tour-Tennessee (SUBSCRIPTION)

Stateexpandsfundfor thosecheatedby attorneys(AssociatedPress)

A fund established more than 30 years ago to protect the victims of unscrupulous lawyers is being revised to offer even more protections. The Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection is supported by annual fees paid by Tennessee attorneys. According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, the fund has always collected a fee from attorneys licensed by the state of Tennessee, but beginning in October the fee will be collected from every attorney practicing in Tennessee, regardless of where they are licensed.Also beginning in October, clients who were cheated by an attorney will have three years to make a claim, rather than the current one year limit. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/03/state-expands-fund-for-those-cheated-by/

Lawmakersseekreviewof allowinglobbyingorganizations(N-S/Humphrey)
Legislators leading a panel that oversees Tennessees retirement system say they want to review laws that are allowing 14 nonprofit organizations 11 of them employing lobbyists to participate in the state pension system for state employees and teachers. Tennessee is one of 20 states that now collectively allow hundreds of lobbyists to get public pensions because they represent associations of local government officials, according to an Associated Press report last week. Some states, including New Jersey and Illinois, are considering legislation that would remove such groups from state pension plans, the AP reports. In response to a News Sentinel inquiry, state Treasurer David Lillards office provided a list of 14 such groups participating as quasi-governmental organizations in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. Overall, TCRS has 210,000 currently employed people as participants and is paying benefits to 115,000 retirees. Most of those covered by TCRS are state employees, higher education employees, teachers in K-12 public schools or employees of city and county governments. City and county governments have the option of being part of TCRS and many have elected to participate. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/02/lawmakers-seek-review-of-allowing-lobbying-in/ (SUB)

KnoxvilleCity Councilset to considercampusstreetownership(N-S/Boehnke)

Knoxville City Council will consider today whether to hand over ownership of two miles of city streets to the University of Tennessee. The proposal only includes roads where UT owns both sides of the street, meaning there are no right-of-way complications, said Jim Hagerman, director of the citys Engineering Department. UT eventually wants ownership of nearly all of the 4.1 miles of city streets that run within its boundaries. Its a move that would save the university the trouble of city approval to close roads for construction or other reasons, and it would save 3

the city the cost of maintaining those streets. Transferring ownership will allow the campus the ability to implement its master plan and site standards, enhance overall safety for special events, secure lane closures more quickly, and react to maintenance issues in a more timely manner, Chris Cimino, UTs vice chancellor for finance and administration, said in an email. Not everyone is enthusiastic about the plan, however. Kim Trent, executive director of preservation group Knox Heritage, said the move would turn the university into the Vatican of Knoxville, meaning it would be able to operate autonomously with little oversight from the city. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/03/knoxville-city-council-set-to-consider-campus/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Nashville,followingMemphis'example,plansadditionsto parks(CA/Locker)
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean unveiled plans last week for the creation of new parks and green space on both sides of the Cumberland River downtown, with construction starting this fall. The mayor said the $35 million to $40 million in projects, including an amphitheater, will make the river truly the center of our city and an already thriving downtown even more compelling than it already is. The Nashville plans are the latest in the re-making of downtown riverfronts in Tennessees largest cities projects that, like San Antonios Riverwalk, transformed the urban waterfronts into natural attractions for locals and visitors alike. The projects have opened the rivers and their banks to playgrounds, concerts, picnicking, boating, strolling, relaxing and other recreation. Memphis led the way, nearly 200 years ago, when its founders laid out the new town and set aside ample land on the Mississippi River bluff for a public promenade and parks. The city added Mud Islands museum, amphitheater and scale-model of the Mississippi River in about 1980, followed by Harbor Town. Beale Street Landing is in the works http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/sep/02/nashville-following-memphis-example-plans-large/ (SUB)

Rep. JimCooper'extremelyleery' of U.S. involvementin Syria(WKRNTV Nashville)

The Democrat who represents the Nashville area in Congress says his mind is not made up yet about a possible U.S. strike against Syria but adds he is "extremely leery of any U.S. involvement." Representative Jim Cooper told News 2 Monday that is it "hard for me to see right now from what I know today that our involvement would do any good." Cooper's comments come in the wake of a chemical weapons attack in Syria's civil war on August 21 and President Obama's call over the weekend for congressional approval for military strike. Cooper, like President Obama, blames the country's Assad regime. "I am personally pretty much convinced right now that Assad used poison gas, the evidence seems to be pretty clear on that," he said. Rep. Cooper was among the small group of lawmakers who flew back to the nation's capitol Sunday for a classified briefing on the Syrian civil war. "There were only about 70 House members there and about eight senators, but the overwhelming feeling was pretty negative," Cooper added. "I just hope that folks in Tennessee will be informed and patient as we go through the debate." http://www.wkrn.com/story/23319153/jim-cooper-extremely-leery-of-u-s-involvement-in-syria

Membersof Congressweighin on a possiblestrikeon Syria(WATETV Knoxville)

President Barack Obama continued his efforts Monday to get congressional approval for strikes on Syria. The president met at the White House with Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham. President Obama wants a limited strike but McCain is calling for more than what he described as "pinprick cruise missiles." Over the weekend, the President announced he would seek congressional approval for attacks after the administration said Syria used sarin gas in the deadly attacks against its own people. 6 News has spent the day talking with members of Tennessee's congressional delegation getting their perspective on the President's request. The members of Congress 6 News spoke with represent areas of East Tennessee. They tell 6 News they are glad the President has decided to seek authorization from Congress before taking military action but at this point they say they have many more questions before taking a vote. http://www.wate.com/story/23318995/members-of-congress-representingeast-tn-weigh-in-on-a-possible-attack-on-syria

Kookogeysayshe's 'unannouncedcandidate'for Alexander'sseat (TN/Garrison)

Former Williamson County Republican Party Chairman Kevin Kookogey is calling himself an unannounced candidate for U.S. Senate, fueling speculation that Sen. Lamar Alexander is soon likely to get another primary challenger from the right. That revelation came as Kookogey, who left his post in 2012 and has been mulling a run against Alexander, informed tea party organizers Sunday that he will no longer be taking part in a series of forums designed to identify a consensus challenger to take on Alexander. Won't attend rallies The first Beat Lamar candidate vetting session took place Saturday in Nashville. Kookogey attended it but wont be going to others. An email from Kookogey, posted by Michael Patrick Leahy, co-founder of the political action committee Beat Lamar, suggests he is already considering himself a candidate who hasnt announced yet. Thank you for inviting and allowing me to participate in the Beat Lamar forum yesterday in Nashville, Kookogey wrote Leahy, adding that he 4

enjoyed the event. As an unannounced candidate, however, I have decided to withdraw from the remainder of the scheduled events, lest my attendance confuse your process. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130903/NEWS02/309030037/Kevin-Kookogey-says-he-s-unannouncedcandidate-Lamar-Alexander-s-seat (SUBSCRIPTION)

Tennessee,Alabamateamup to try to landdronetest site in HardinCounty(AP)

A consortium of companies and universities in Tennessee and Alabama hope to develop a site near Savannah where drones would be tested. If approved, the facility could become one of only a half-dozen sites approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for research involving Unmanned Aerial Systems, more commonly known as drones, the news site Al.com reported. Alabama and Tennessee have submitted a joint application in an effort to be selected as one of the six FAA UAS testing sites. Testing would be done at a site near Savannah, Tenn. Plans call for each of the FAA sites to be used to develop methods and systems to integrate UAS flights into the nations airspace. The emphasis will be on commercial uses for drones, ranging from precision agriculture to environmental monitoring. The joint application involving both states came about after Alabama originally submitted a stand-alone application with plans to locate the testing site at Redstone Arsenal, a U.S. Army Post in the Huntsville area. However, FAA regulations state that the testing facilities cant be part of any existing federally owned property. http://www.jacksonsun.com/viewart/20130903/NEWS01/309030016/Tennessee-Alabama-team-up-try-land-dronetest-site-Hardin-County (SUBSCRIPTION)

Localcolonelto leadGuardtraininginstitute(DailyNewsJournal)
Rutherford County has a golden jewel right in front of us, according to an official, but locals may not even know its there. The Tennessee Army National Guards 117th Regional Training Institute is in Smyrna, and Col. Charles Tilton said the success of the institute is not just something to be excited about; it brings more than 1,200 soldiers a year into the Middle Tennessee area. Tilton, who lives in Murfreesboro, will take charge of the 117th Regional Training Institute in Smyrna following a formal ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Ive moved all over Tennessee, Tilton said. ... To be home and just drive to Smyrna every day is a huge change in quality of life for me. The incoming commander said hes proud of the place he callshome and is looking forward to serving in this area. Most recently, Tilton was the director of military personnel at Tennessee National Guard Joint Force Headquarters. Because of the students coming to the area or staying in Smyrna, Tilton said. Youre looking at 1,200 to 1,300 people getting out there and seeing Murfreesboro. ... I went to the Rutherford leadership program here and learned the inside and out of the government of Rutherford County. We try to understand the communitys needs and try to get some use of it. http://www.dnj.com/article/20130903/NEWS01/309030028/Local-colonel-lead-Guard-training-institute (SUB)

Long-TermJoblessLeft Out of the Recovery(Wall StreetJournal)

For those left behind by the long, slow economic recovery, time is running out. More than four years after the recession officially ended, 11.5 million Americans are unemployed, many of them for years. Millions more have abandoned their job searches, hiding from the economic storm in school or turning to government programs for support. A growing body of economic research suggests that the longer they remain on the sidelines, the less likely they will be to work again; for many, it may already be too late. By most conventional measures, the U.S. economy is healing, albeit slowly. Gross domestic product grew at a 2.5% rate in the second quarter of the year, the government said last week, the best pace since last fall. Payroll figures, due Friday, will likely show that hiring held steady in August. The housing market is rebounding, corporate profits are strong, and households are repairing their balance sheets. But the recovery isn't reaching many of the most vulnerable. For those without a high-school diploma, the unemployment rate in July was 11%. For African-Americans, it was 12.6%. For teenagers, 23.7%. Even more worrisome to economists are signs of a bifurcation in the labor market: For those unemployed less than six months, the odds of finding a job have improved steadily over the past year; the long-term unemployed have made almost no progress at all. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324202304579050602711370332.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

TVAavertsdebt crisis, won't ask Congressto raiseborrowingcap(TFP/Flessner)

Congress will have to again raise the U.S. debt ceiling next month for the United States to pay its debts, but the debt cap for one federal agency appears to no longer be a problem -- at least for the foreseeable future. The Treasury Department estimates the federal government will max out its borrowing authority by mid-October as the U.S. debt hits its $16.4 trillion limit. But the Tennessee Valley Authority, the federal utility which has its own $30 billion debt cap, won't be asking Congress to raise its borrowing authority for at least the next decade. The debt 5

cap Congress put on the TVA a generation ago probably won't be the problem agency officials worried it would be just a few years ago. With the growth of electricity demand slowing, TVA should be able to reduce its net borrowing within a couple of years and shave nearly $5 billion off its debt over the next decade. TVA's debt is projected to peak in 2015 about $3.5 billion below the $30 billion limit and then begin to decline, according to spending plans adopted last month by the TVA board "We have a window now of four or five years where we can finish our big capital projects and then turn that statutory debt line down," TVA President Bill Johnson said. "If we have a fairly accurate projection of the future and we tend to our business well, we should be well under that debt cap for at least the next decade." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/sep/03/tva-says-debt-crisis-averted/?local

After 14-monthexile, DOEreturnsto OakRidgehome(NewsSentinel/Munger)

After 14 months in temporary quarters, the U.S. Department of Energy is returning to its Oak Ridge home. A few dozen DOE employees last week began moving back to the Joe L. Evins Federal Building, getting the all-clear after a yearlong asbestos cleanup project. By the end of September, about 450 federal and contractor workers will be working in the agencys long-standing field office in the Atomic City. For many of the government employees, there was one sentiment: Its about time. It has been a hassle, John Shewairy, DOEs assistant manager for administration, said during a tour of the five-story, 154,000-square-foot building. A lot of folks have been in this building for 30 years. This is their home. They were forced to leave in a rush in June 2012 after flaking asbestos was found in areas connected to the buildings heating and air-conditioning system. For the first few days after the discovery, the agencys Oak Ridge leadership team worked out of makeshift offices to keep things running while more space including leased offices just down the street was acquired for the extended cleanup period. The temporary arrangements werent ideal, Shewairy noted. In some cases, more than one employee had to share a cubicle, he said. But he praised the spirit and attitude of the workforce. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/03/after-14-month-exile-doe-returns-to-oak-ridge/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Healthierschoollunchesdon't go overwell with someTN kids(Tenn/Fingeroot)

One year into a federal plan to make school lunches healthier, Tennessee school food supervisors say they think students are generally happy with the menus. Some students, however, think otherwise. Its nasty, said Jodi Chambers, eating lunch at Stewarts Creek High School in Rutherford County. I eat five bags of chips a day instead of this. Reactions such as hers have spurred some school systems across the nation to drop out of the $11 billion National School Lunch Program, complaining that so many students turned up their noses at meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables that the cafeterias were losing money. No Tennessee district has suggested dropping out of the federal program, said Lyla Beasley, core regional consultant for nutrition at the Tennessee Department of Education. The program reimburses schools for meals and gives them access to lowerpriced food. If a system opts out, it loses that funding. But districts that rejected the program say the reimbursement was not enough to offset losses from students who began avoiding the lunch line and bringing food from home or, in some cases, going hungry. Dickson County School Director Danny Weeks said his district would not be able to function without the National School Lunch Program. However, he has seen a decrease of about 8 percent in regular meal participation and attributes the decrease to the new rules. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130903/NEWS04/309030035/Healthier-school-lunches-don-t-go-over-wellsome-Middle-TN-kids (SUBSCRIPTION)

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OPINION Columnist:Long-termbenefitsfromqualitypre-K (ChattanoogaTimesFree-Press)

In the state of Tennessee, some children come to the pre-K classroom never having had a book read to them, never having seen their name in print, and never having had the opportunity to work cooperatively with others. These children are at a great disadvantage when they enter kindergarten. They begin school behind and never seem to catch up. Throughout their elementary school years, they fall farther and farther behind in reading, writing and social skills. They are more likely to drop out of school after finding the educational process too difficult for them. Children like these, who are at risk for academic failure, should have the opportunity to attend quality early childhood programs that will help prepare them for school and life. Tennessees quality pre-K programs can make a difference for young children now and in the future. Tennessees program has included the elements that research has shown positively impacts quality: Their teachers are trained in early childhood education, there are identified standards for learning and a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Currently, 45 states have recognized the importance of pre-K and are providing these enriched experiences for young children. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/sep/02/isbell-long-term-benefits-quality-pre-k/?opinioncolumns

Editorial:TennesseeVirtualAcademyonlineschoolcompanyfailingstudents(N-S)
Tennessees experiment with online-only learning for grades K-12 is shaping up to be an abject failure. The Tennessee Virtual Academy, a privately-run school based out of the Union County school system, is not providing students with a quality education by any standard. Test scores are abysmal. Enrollment has plummeted. And Gov. Bill Haslams administration has signaled it lacks confidence in for-profit online schools. The Tennessee Virtual Academy is operated by Virginia-based K12 Inc., a for-profit online school company. Students from across the state can enroll in the school, and it is popular among parents who homeschool their children and others seeking an alternative to traditional schools. The students, however, are not keeping up with their peers. For the second year in a row, the school fell far below the states expectations. Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman called its first-year test results unacceptable; this year they are just as bad. According to the Tennessean, standardized test results show Tennessee Virtual Academy students made less progress as a group than students in every one of the 1,300 elementary and middle schools that took the same tests. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/03/editorial-tennessee-virtual-academy-online/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Guestcolumnist:Newlawsdesignedto curbsubstanceabuse(NewsSentinel)
As of June, 350 babies were born this year addicted to drugs, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. Births of drug-dependent infants cost $62,973 compared to $4,237 for well babies. About 65 percent of mothers giving birth to drug-addicted babies were using at least one controlled substance prescribed by a healthcare provider. The health department says the increasing number of drug-dependent newborns reflects a state and national epidemic of controlled substance abuse. In response, the Tennessee General Assembly recently passed several pieces of legislation that significantly increase regulation and oversight of pain management clinics and controlled substance prescribing. The Tennessee Prescription Safety Act was enacted in 2012, and requires most healthcare providers to register in the Controlled Substance Monitoring Database to which pharmacists must upload controlled-substance prescriptions filled for each patient. Unless a specific exception applies, providers must check the patient against the database before prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine for a new course of treatment lasting more than seven days and then at least once annually during the course of treatment. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/02/new-laws-designed-to-curb-substance-abuse/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Guestcolumnist:Fixingimmigrationsystemwill pay dividendseconomy(Tenn)

There are a lot of personal stories that illustrate the need for comprehensive immigration reform, and these stories are important. But it is also important to point out that we badly need to fix our American immigration system because of what it is doing to our economy. Consider a couple of figures from the conservative American Action Forum: The U.S. government would save $410 billion over the next 10 years if Congress passed comprehensive 7

immigration reform. Additionally, the gross domestic product level would be about 1.6 percent higher by 2014 with meaningful reform. To those of us in business across Tennessee, those kinds of numbers resonate. Fixing the broken immigration system matters not only to the business community, but to the agriculture, law enforcement and faith communities, too. I joined leaders from those areas Aug. 28 at the First Amendment Center in Nashville to discuss immigration reform. It was clear that we all share several basic priorities: The system must be fixed across the board, the border should be secure and blanket amnesty is not on the table. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130903/OPINION03/309030018 (SUBSCRIPTION)

MichaelCollins:Congressmenbalkat governmentshutdown(NewsSentinel)
Congressmen Phil Roe and Chuck Fleischmann have each voted 40 times to repeal, delay or defund the federal health-care reforms that are scheduled to go into effect next year. I dont know how much more I can say I dont like the bill, says Roe, a Johnson City physician. Adds Fleischmann, I think the law was a failure from the inception, and Im going to continue to work to make sure it goes away. But one thing Roe and Fleischmann arent willing to do to stop the health-reform law: Shut down the federal government. A government shutdown could have a crippling effect on an already anemic economy, Fleischmann says. While he intends to continue to fight Obamacare, he says, I would prefer that not necessarily be through shutting down the government. The idea of crippling health reform by cutting off its funding and shutting down the government, if thats what it takes has bitterly divided the GOP, which remains united in its desire to do away with the reforms but is deeply split over how to go about it. In September, Congress must pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government operating after Oct. 1. Some Republicans, led by U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Marco Rubio, RFla., are pushing lawmakers to vote against keeping the government open unless funding for the health reforms is cut off. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/02/congressmen-balk-at-government-shutdown/ (SUB)

FrankMunger:Workforceprojectionsat Y-12: a mixedbag(NewsSentinel)

Keeping the right skill mix at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant has always been a bit of a dance. The weapons work and related missions carried out at the Oak Ridge plant require not only a strong base of engineers and project managers, but also machinists and other highly trained crafts workers to perform the precise tasks involved in building and dismantling nuclear weapons components and assemblies. The end of the Cold War was an especially challenging time, with sharp reductions in funding and the loss of many workers. As the remaining workforce aged, concerns were expressed about losing the skills base needed to continue the work albeit on a reduced basis. The Department of Energy earlier this summer issued the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan for Fiscal Year 2014, which includes a look at activities at sites across the U.S. including Y-12 that are engaged in the weapons work. The report provides a glimpse of what skills are needed in Y-12s workforce going forward. While the Y-12 . . . essential-skills workforce has shown some decrease, it is projected to grow in support of the Uranium Capabilities Replacement Facility (also known as the Uranium Processing Facility or UPF) and overlapping life extension programs with a peak of FY 2018, the report states. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/sep/02/workforce-projections-at-y-12-a-mixed-bag/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Editorial:Studentsafetyis alsoparents'duty (CommercialAppeal)

Most of the talk about the education reform movement taking place here has focused on teacher training, enhanced curriculums and innovative instruction taking place in charter schools. What has been overlooked in all of this is the increased community outreach by the principals and teachers at many schools, especially those in inner-city neighborhoods. A story in The Commercial Appeal Sunday by education writer Jane Roberts is an example of how that outside-the-school-building outreach is manifesting itself. The story describes how teachers at Corning Achievement Elementary sacrifice 45 minutes of their busy school day to escort 150 to 200 little ones home every day to three Frayser apartment complexes. A lack of sidewalks along the busy traffic route makes the trek home particularly dangerous for the youngsters. After hearing an appeal from residents, the Memphis City Council set aside $800,000 for construction of sidewalks along the students walk home. Corning is part of the new Achievement School District, created by the Tennessee General Assembly to run the states lowest-performing schools. The ASD operates some of the schools and has contracted with charter companies to run others. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/sep/03/editorial-kudos-to-corning-teachers-for-making-a/ (SUB)

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