Most City of Bristol Tennessee offices closed New Year’s Day

Bristol, Tennessee - Most City of Bristol, Tennessee offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year’s. All City offices will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2, at 8 a.m.

· There will be no change in emergency services provided by the City’s police and fire departments during the holiday. Residents should call 9-1-1 in emergencies or (423) 989-5600 to reach a police dispatcher in non-emergency situations.

· There will be no change in refuse collection services.

· Both the City Transit Buses and Para-transit will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 1, with normal schedules resuming on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Those who have requests for services while offices are closed are encouraged to complete an online service request by visiting the City’s website at www.bristoltn.org and clicking on the Request Tracker icon at the top of the page. All requests for City services will be addressed the next business day.

For more information about the City’s holiday schedule, please contact the Department of Community Relations at (423) 764-4171.

Nashville ReLeafing Day

11/23/2019
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.

Nashville, Tennessee - Volunteers across the area will come to plant trees at Metro Nashville Schools and in private yards. In partnership with Nashville Electric Service, the Tree Foundation has planted hundreds of trees that coexist with power lines since ReLeafing Day began in 2002.

Locations throughout Northeast Davidson County in Maplewood and Madison areas.

Register to Volunteer.

Kick off with Councilmember Nancy VanReece and Mayor John Cooper at Maplewood High School.

Location

Maplewood High School
401 Walton Lane
Nashville, TN 37216

Get Driving Directions

ROTI ISLAND TURTLE HATCHED AT THE CHATTANOOGA ZOO

Chattanooga, Tennessee - The Chattanooga Zoo is proud to announce the hatching of a Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle. The turtle started hatching on November 3rd and was successfully out of the egg on the 6th. This the first successful Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle hatching to take place at the Chattanooga Zoo. The Roti Island Snake necked Turtle is critically endangered and this hatching is a great step towards the Zoo’s efforts to conserve this species in the wild. Experienced mother, Nessie, and hatchling are doing great.

In June 2019, the Chattanooga Zoo began housing this species with the acquisition of a single femal from the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP is a population management program that focuses on the breeding of threatened species within AZA-accredited institutions in efforts to reintroduce these species in the wild.

While at the Columbus Zoo, Nessie was placed with a male for breeding and she laid a clutch of eggs at the Chattanooga Zoo in August. At this time, one of her eggs has hatched and is thriving but with three
healthy eggs awaiting we are confident they will produce more successful hatchlings soon.

“As a new participant in this SSP, we are proud that Nessie has produced these eggs,” mentions Kate Gore, Keeper III of Herpetology. "Since these turtles are critically endangered, we are pleased to
contribute to raising the population through this hatching.”

Roti Island Snake-necked Turtles are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List with only two known populations surviving in the wild. They are threatened mostly due to being heavily targeted in the
pet trade and limited habitat. They are indigenous to the small island of Rote in Indonesia and are known for their strikingly long necks.

At this time, the Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle will not be placed in the public viewing habitat. The Zoo’s media partners are welcome to visit, meet, and get footage of our hatchling at their convenience.

We do ask that you contact us to make a reservation. Please email us at hhammon@chattzoo.org.

Theatre Bristol Announces December Auditions for "She Loves Me"

Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia – Theatre Bristol announces December auditions for the musical She Loves Me coming February 7-16 to the Theatre Bristol ARTspace. The community is invited to audition for this award-winning romantic comedy musical inspired by the same story that brought "You've Got Mail" to the screen. In She Loves Me love letters and sardonic wit are exchanged to beautiful music in a 1930s perfumery. Written by Joe Masteroff, with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, She Loves Me is based on a play by Miklos Laszio.

Show details, audition times, character roles, and rehearsal dates are available at www.TheatreBristol.org/audition.

No preparation is required to audition and roles

Night Hike

10/30/2019
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Nashville, Tennessee - Let the moonlight be our guide as we hike the trails of Beaman Park at night.

Leader: Jon Dodson

Age level: All ages

Call to register: 615-862-8580

Location
Beaman Park Nature Center
5911 Old Hickory Boulevard
Ashland City, TN 37015

Tour the Recycling Center

10-23-2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Nashville, Tennessee - Join us at the Recycling Education Station to see the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in action and learn first-hand how materials are separated, how they are recycled, and see the consumer products that are made from our recycled materials.

Please note:

• Registration is required per individual.
• Programs last 1 hour.
• Programs are open to all age groups.
• Programs include closed-circuit television viewing of the recycling sorting systems and hands on activities with consumer products made from recycled materials.
• Attendees will receive a FREE small recycling can at the end of the program.

Location

Waste Management - Materials Recovery Facility
208 River Hills Drive
Nashville, TN 37210

The Dirt on Composting

10-27-2019
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Join us at Turnip Green Creative Reuse for a composting workshop. The Dirt on Composting teaches the basics of composting, including backyard composting, vermiculture composting, and other composting options in Davidson County. This program covers what compost is and how it works to reduce food waste and help the environment. The workshops also teach participants the requirements for a healthy compost pile, including bin choices, the perfect compost recipe, and other tips. This program is suitable for schools, community groups, and any other organizations interested in composting. The program can include a reuse art project as well.

Please Note:

• Registration is required for all individuals.
• Programs last 1 hour.
• Programs are open to all age groups.
• Attendees will receive a FREE Earth Machine Backyard Compost Bin at the end of the program.

Location

Turnip Green Creatice Reuse
407 Houston Street
Nashville, TN 37203

Citizen Science: FeederWatch

11/1/2019
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Age level: Adults, 13 and older

Online registration required

Warner Park needs you to conduct Citizen Science at the park. Join us to learn about winter bird research and how to become a Project Feeder Watch Citizen Scientist! Project Feeder Watch, coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a survey of the abundance and distribution of birds that visit feeders in the winter.

Leader: Melissa Donahue

Register Online

Available Registration slots: 15

Register 1 or more individuals:

  1  2  3    Register

Location

Warner Park Nature Center
7311 Hwy 100
Nashville, TN 37221

GOVERNOR LEE, COMMISSIONER ROLFE ANNOUNCE COMMERCIAL FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS

Grants will assist six communities with downtown building improvements
Program funded through Rural Economic Opportunity Act

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe recently approved $500,000 in Commercial Façade Improvement Grants to assist Tennessee communities with downtown improvements.


Commercial Façade Improvement Grants are used to improve commercial buildings in downtown districts that have active revitalization programs in place through the Tennessee Main Street and Tennessee Downtowns programs. Grants can be used for improvements including new awnings and signs, painting, windows and doors, brick repair and other upgrades. The program is funded through the Rural Economic Opportunity Act passed by the General Assembly.


“Downtown districts are what make a community unique,” Lee said. “With the assistance of the

GOVERNOR LEE, COMMISSIONER ROLFE ANNOUNCE GLOBAL TRACK MANUFACTURING USA, INC. ESTABLISHES PLANT IN MILAN

Global Track Manufacturing will create 250 jobs in Gibson County
Company anticipates production will start in summer 2020
Global Track has established operations in former Tower Automotive facility

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Global Track Manufacturing USA, Inc. officials announced today that the company has established a production facility in Milan.

Global Track will create 250 jobs at the new plant in Gibson County. The company has located its manufacturing operations in the former Tower Automotive plant in Milan.

Global Track manufactures rubber tracks and undercarriage for industrial and agricultural equipment. The company currently operates a manufacturing facility in China. The Milan facility will be Global Track’s second plant, and the company anticipates production will begin there in the summer of 2020.

Since 2015, TNECD has supported 10 economic development projects in Gibson County, resulting in

Emerald Ash Borer Lecture

10/26/2019
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Nashville, Tennessee - Ash alert! Ash trees are in danger across the country as the Emerald Ash Borer moves throughout the east and now into Davidson County. Learn all you need to know about identification and what to do for your trees.

Leader: Kathi Fortenberry

Age Level: All ages

Call to register: 615-862-4187

Location
Bells Bend Outdoor Center
4187 Old Hickory Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37218

Self Aware Creations' Art in the Park

10/26/2019
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Nashville, Tennessee - Self Aware Creations was founded to help those suffering from a variety of different mental health disorders through the arts. For this program, we will combine art therapy based practices and nature, as being in a natural setting often helps individuals relax and open up their creative mind; like Bob Ross would say, “Happy trees” while painting. There will be a licensed professional counselor and registered art therapist who will explain how art therapy helps those who are suffering across the mental health continuum. We will also be exploring different art materials and the thoughts and feelings that they may evoke. You don’t have to be a Picasso to come. If you want to just draw in circles with a bunch of colors, you are welcome! This is YOU time.

Leader: Amanda Perez - Founder & individual who has completed an art therapy program herself

Speaker: Samantha Hymes - Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist from Make Space Counseling Studio

For all ages. Registration is required.

To register, sign up below. If online registration has closed, call us at 615-862-8539 or email us at shelbybottomsnature@nashville.gov

Register Online

Register 1 or more individuals:

  1  2  3  4    Register

Location

Shelby Bottoms Nature Center
1900 Davidson Street
Nashville, TN 37206

Census Bureau seeking workers for temporary jobs

Census Bureau seeking workers for temporary jobs

Bristol, Maine - The U.S. Census Bureau is currently seeking hundreds of employees throughout Bristol and surrounding areas to fill temporary jobs as census workers.

The starting salary in Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia is $13.50 per hour, plus 58 cents for each mile traveled. Similar jobs are available throughout Sullivan and surrounding counties. Applications are being accepted now, and some of those hired will begin work immediately. Additional positions will be added until the census is complete.

To be eligible for these positions, individuals must be at least 18 years of age, have a valid Social Security number, be a U.S. citizen, and have a valid email address. Male applicants born after Dec. 31, 1959, must be registered for the Selective Service or have a qualifying exemption. Most jobs also require a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle.

The Census Bureau is the nation’s leading provider of quality data about people and the economy. As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Bureau counts every resident in the nation every ten years and uses the resulting information to distribute federal funds, determine how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives, and make other important decisions that impact communities nationwide. To apply or receive additional information, please go to www.2020census.gov/jobs or call 1-855-JOB-2020.

GOVERNOR LEE, COMMISSIONER ROLFE ANNOUNCE 66 COMMUNITIES TO RECEIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS

GOVERNOR LEE, COMMISSIONER ROLFE ANNOUNCE 66 COMMUNITIES

TO RECEIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS

Grants and investments to assist communities with local infrastructure, housing and safety

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe recently approved over $26.7 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which assist communities with infrastructure improvements, housing rehabilitations and health and safety initiatives.

“The CDBG funds are designed to help rural communities in Tennessee succeed, which aligns directly with our initiative to promote growth in our rural counties across the state,” Lee said. “I congratulate the 66 communities on receiving these grants and look forward to seeing what successes are in store for them in the future.”

“I applaud the communities that were chosen to receive CDBG funds and for taking the necessary

GOVERNOR LEE, COMMISSIONER ROLFE AWARD THREESTAR GRANTS TO FIFTY-NINE TENNESSEE COUNTIES

• ThreeStar grant program will provide $2.4 million to Tennessee communities
• Funds support local workforce training, health and economic development initiatives
• All 95 Tennessee counties met requirements for ThreeStar certification

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today the 59 counties that will receive ThreeStar grants.

In total, TNECD is awarding $2.4 million in funding to Tennessee communities through this round of the ThreeStar grant program.

The grants will be used for a variety of local community development initiatives, including

Frist Art Museum Presents Vibrant Installations and Paintings by Brazilian Artist Twins OSGEMEOS September 27, 2019–January 12, 2020

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 7, 2019)—The Frist Art Museum presents OSGEMEOS: In between, an exhibition of sculptures and paintings by the Brazilian artist duo internationally celebrated for their vivid and playful public murals and studio work. The identical twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo—OSGEMEOS (the artists’ nom de plume; Portuguese for “the twins”)—create imagery that blends wide-ranging influences, from Brazilian folklore to hip-hop culture. The exhibition will be on display in the Frist’s Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery from September 27, 2019, through January 12, 2020.

OSGEMEOS: In between features eight mixed-media

USDA Launches $1 Million Effort to Prevent Opioid Abuse in Five Arkansas Counties

Winrock International to lead USDA UPSOAR program with UAMS and Ozarka College

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – August 7, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $998,834 to launch a proactive program to prevent opioid and substance abuse in north central and northeast Arkansas, a region that has high rates of opioid abuse and overdose deaths. The two-year Delta Understanding and Preventing Substance and Opioid Abuse in Rurality (Delta UPSOAR) program, led by Winrock International in partnership with Ozarka College and the UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, will deliver preventive training, education and resources to youth and adults in Baxter, Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties.

“USDA has prioritized programs that equip rural

GOVERNOR LEE, COMMISSIONER ROLFE ANNOUNCE ATN HOELZEL LP TO EXPAND OPERATIONS, LOCATE NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IN HAMILTON COUNTY

• Project will create 100 new jobs in Hamilton County over the next five years
• New facility will function as the company’s North American HQ
• Company will invest $6 million in expansion and relocation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and ATN Hoelzel LP officials announced today that the company will expand its operations in Chattanooga.

The automotive supplier will invest $6 million and create 100 new jobs in Hamilton County.

ATN, a subsidiary of German-based ATN Hoelzel GmbH,

Bristol seeking Historic Preservation Award nominations

Bristol, Tennessee - Nominations are being accepted for the City of Bristol, Tennessee’s 2019 Historic Preservation Awards Program, an annual event that recognizes those who have taken outstanding measures to preserve the historical integrity of commercial and residential properties within the City. The nomination deadline is Aug. 30.

The initiative, created in 2018, celebrates the work of those who have preserved properties within the City’s three National Register districts. These include the Bristol Downtown Commercial Historic District, the Fairmount Neighborhood Historic District, and the Holston Avenue Neighborhood Historic District. A city-wide award also is available for properties located anywhere in the city.

Winners will be chosen by the City’s Historic Preservation Awards Committee and recognized during an awards ceremony in October. Only the exterior of the property will be considered based on the overall quality of work, the positive impact on the community and historic resources in Bristol, the historic quality of renovations, repairs and additions, and the project’s ability to serve as an example for other historic preservations projects.

Community members are invited to nominate their own property or another preservation project that meets the eligibility criteria. Nomination forms are available online at www.bristoltn.org/preservation and may be submitted electronically or delivered to the Development Services Department at 104 8th Street. For additional information, please call (423) 989-5518.

FEDEX ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $450 MILLION IN MEMPHIS HUB INVESTMENT

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee joined FedEx Corp. officials to announce the company is making an additional $450 million investment to the $1.1 billion Memphis Hub modernization project previously announced in March 2018.

The investment will now exceed $1.5 billion over the next six years to facilitate construction of a new sort facility, installation of state-of-the-art systems and construction of a new bulk truckload building to support changing e-commerce needs.

“FedEx continues to be both a global leader and a Tennessee icon,” said Lee. “In a fast-paced market, we are proud of this company for continuing to invest with an eye on the future and supporting more than 30,000 Memphis area employees.”

Hub modernization efforts are expected to be completed by 2025 with significant job creation along