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NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder will break ground on the future Montgomery County State Veterans Home site in Clarksville.  They will be joined by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, Speaker Pro Tem Curtis  Johnson (R-Clarksville), Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers, Tennessee State Veterans Homes Director Ed Harries and Tennessee State Veterans Home Board Chairperson Mary Ross on Friday, May 17 at 1:45 p.m. on Arrowood and S. Jordan Drive.

Nashville–The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has developed a number of innovative financing methods in order to stay within the $30 billion debt ceiling imposed on it by Congress in 1979.  These include the use of sale-and-lease back and lease-and-lease back arrangements.  A sale-and-lease back arrangement between TVA and an Electric Generation & Transmission Cooperative could affect the distribution of PILOT funds and negatively affect county and city funds, as was the case in Mississippi following the sale of the Southaven plant.  Under that arrangement, TVA operates the plant and all sales of electricity produced are through TVA.  Revenues are counted as TVA revenues and subject to the PILOT allocation to states.  Although the fact that TVA doesn’t own the Southaven plant doesn’t affect the PILOT allocation across states, it does affect the PILOT distribution to the state of Mississippi.

Plastics Injection Molding Company to Invest $1.3 Million, Create 45 New Jobs

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with RCTENN officials announced today the company’s plans to expand its Gallatin, Tenn. facility. The expansion represents a $1.3 million investment by RCTENN and will create 45 new jobs in Sumner County.

Database has most Tennessee jobs on the Internet

NASHVILLE – Tuesday marks the first anniversary of Jobs4TN Online, Tennessee’s comprehensive jobs database launched by Governor Haslam in May 2012. Since going live a year ago 108,500 job seekers have registered with the system, and more than one million job searches have been tallied.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam released the following statement regarding HB 1191/SB 1248:

“Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Tennessee.  Farmers play a vital role in our state’s economy, heritage and history.  I understand their concerns about large scale attacks on their livelihoods.  I also appreciate that the types of recordings this bill targets may be obtained at times under false pretenses, which I think is wrong,” Haslam said.

Low-Interest Loans Available to Residents in Stewart and Surrounding Counties
 
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has granted his disaster declaration request for Stewart and its surrounding counties after severe storms and flash flooding occurred April 26, 2013.
 
The declaration includes Benton, Henry, Houston and Montgomery Counties, and an SBA disaster declaration makes homeowners and businesses affected by the disaster eligible for low-interest loans.
 

Low-Interest Loans Could Aid Residents in Stewart and Surrounding Counties

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has requested assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help individuals and businesses in Stewart County, and its contiguous counties, recover from the severe storms and flash flooding that occurred on April 26, 2013.

The additional Tennessee counties that would be eligible for SBA loans are Benton, Henry, Houston and Montgomery as damage to homes and businesses occurred in multiple locations.
A joint Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and SBA damage survey shows more than 72 homes and businesses in Stewart County sustained uninsured losses of 40 percent, or more, of their estimated pre-disaster fair market value.

Healthcare Revenue Management Company to Add 48 New Jobs

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with Xtend Healthcare Advanced Revenue Solutions representatives announced today the company will expand its Hendersonville, Tenn. facility. The announcement represents an investment of $550,000 and will create 48 new, full-time jobs in Sumner County.

Legislation brings clarity, fairness to system
 
CLARKSVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today held a ceremonial bill signing at Clarksville Foundry, Inc. for his workers’ compensation reform legislation, HB 194/SB 200, approved by the General Assembly.
 
Workers’ compensation premium rates for employers in Tennessee are higher than the national average and higher than all of Tennessee’s bordering states, and the state is one of only two that adjudicated workers’ compensation claims in the trial courts, often delaying benefits to employees and producing inconsistent results.

NASHVILLE – More than 100,000 users have downloaded the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) SmartWay Mobile App since its launch in December 2012. The App is designed to help drivers navigate Tennessee highways, providing up-to-the-minute customized traffic information. The TDOT SmartWay App is free and available for download in the Apple App Store and Play Store for Android.

“Providing real time traffic information can help motorists avoid delays and in turn, reduce congestion on our roadways,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “The Smartway App is easy to navigate, and can be customized to provide only the information the user wants. We’re pleased so many travelers are taking advantage of this free resource.”