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.

TDOT Awards Rockslide Repair Contract

Work to begin soon on State Route 25 in Smith County

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has awarded an emergency contract for rockslide repair following a rockslide that occurred last week on SR 25 (Dixon Springs Highway) in Carthage.

The rockslide repair contract was awarded to Lojac Enterprises, Inc., which submitted a low bid of $116,987.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Commissioner Mark Breece will assist the West Tennessee State Veterans Home Steering Committee and Strategic Planning Sub-Committee as they continue to move forward with efforts to propose a new State Veterans Home in Shelby County.  Both committees are comprised of Shelby County community members.  No federal or state funding has been committed to the proposed project which is still in the planning and local fundraising phase.  There are approximately 60,165 Veterans in Shelby County.  The committee plans to expand their efforts to include Fayette and Tipton Counties which will also be served by the proposed Veterans Home.  Fayette County has approximately 2,885 Veterans and there are an estimated 5,918 Veterans in Tipton County.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – State Route 16 (Rowe Gap Road/Keith Springs Mtn.) in Franklin County has reopened to traffic.  The roadway had been closed near log mile 17.7 as a result of a rockslide that occurred on March 25, 2013.

Now that the roadway is open to traffic, work will resume on the $2.4 million TDOT rockfall mitigation project that was underway on a nearby stretch of SR 16 when the March rockslide occurred.  Highways, Inc. is the contractor for the project, which is slated for completion by August 31, 2013.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) has partnered with the United Neighborhood Health Services (UNH) in Madison, Tenn., to

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is co-sponsoring National Prevention Week 2013, which takes place from May 12 to 18, in

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) will create nine “recovery courts” to combat mental health and substance abuse issues i

NASHVILLE – Since 1949, May has been recognized around the United States as Mental Health Month.

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol will hold an event Friday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m. to kick off Motorcycle Awareness Month in Tennessee.

Tennessee has experienced a sharp increase in motorcycle crashes and fatalities over the last several years. In 2012, more than 3,000 motorcycle crashes occurred in Tennessee, resulting in 139 fatalities. So far in 2013, 386 motorcycle crashes have occurred, resulting in 23 fatalities. 

NASHVILLE – On Feb. 5-6, 2008, a series of tornadoes crossed the state from Memphis through the Jackson area and then to the Nashville area and beyond.