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TN Bill Would Revamp Recycling Process Statewide A bill in the Tennessee Legislature aims to reduce packaging materials that end up in landfills by improving recycling in the Volunteer State. One recent survey ranks Tennessee 47th among states for recycling, with only 7% of common containers and packaging recycled. Senate Bill 573 would require reducing unnecessary packaging, and reclaiming more valuable materials in the recycling process. ...(Read More)

An Albertsons-Kroger Merger Could Impact Rural Tennessee The proposed merger between the grocery chains Albertsons and Kroger has antitrust laws in the spotlight, as the supermarket companies are already the two largest in the country. Albertsons has more than 2,000 stores; Kroger has more than 2,700. In Tennessee, there are 121 Kroger stores with more than 18,000 workers. ...(Read More)

"Changing the Narrative" for National Day of Racial Healing Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s holiday, designated as a National Day of Service, and tomorrow, the same spirit carries over to the seventh annual National Day of Racial Healing. It's a call to action for all people to counteract hate and racism, and originated as part of efforts by the W.K. ...(Read More)

Report: Tennessee's 'State of the Child' is Improving Tennessee's "State of the Child 2022" report is an assessment of how children are faring, and this year's edition focuses on the situation for children post-pandemic. The report from the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth examines kids' health and mental health, education, family economics, and the state's child welfare and youth justice data. Richard Kennedy, executive director of the Commission, said a goal of the report is to keep children's issues on the minds of lawmakers and community partners across the state, as they discuss ways to make life better for kids and families. ...(Read More)

TN Latinos Urged to Get Health Coverage as Deadline Approaches Open enrollment for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act ends Jan. 15. More than 600,000 Tennesseans, including almost one-third of the state's Latino residents, do not have health coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. ...(Read More)

TN Apprenticeship Program Aims to Address Teacher Shortage Tennessee is working to overcome the state's teacher shortage, especially in rural areas, with a residency-based program for would-be educators. The goal is to give teachers-in-training the classroom experience and mentoring they need along with their higher education, as part of the state's "Grow Your Own" job training partnership. Erin Crisp, executive director of the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center, said the U.S. ...(Read More)

Programa de aprendizaje de TN pretende abordar escasez de profesores Tennessee esta trabajando para superar la escasez de profesores en el estado, especialmente en zonas rurales, con un programa de residencia para aspirantes a educadores. El objetivo es brindar a los maestros en formación la experiencia en el aula y la tutoría que necesitan junto con su educación superior, como parte de la asociación estatal de formación laboral "Grow Your Own". Erin Crisp, directora del Grow Your Own Center, afirma que el Departamento de Trabajo y Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral aprobó el aprendizaje registrado para profesores, el primero del país. ...(Read More)

Report: Tennessee Ranks 44th for Health Outcomes A new report highlights what Tennessee could focus on to improve the health of its residents. The America's Health Rankings 2022 report from United Healthcare ranks Tennessee 44th among states for health outcomes. The state's notable challenges include high numbers of smokers and people with multiple chronic health conditions, as well as premature death rates. ...(Read More)

TN Peer Recovery Specialist Program Reaches Milestone Tennessee now has over 1,000 people across the state who are actively using their past experience with mental-health and substance-use challenges to help others who are struggling. They are part of the Tennessee Certified Peer Recovery Specialist program. Lisa Ragan, director of Consumer Affairs and Peer Recovery Services for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said a Peer Specialist has been in recovery at least two years and must complete 40 hours of training to get their certification. ...(Read More)

Survey: TN Young Adults Concerned about Birth-Control Access A new survey shows many young people are worried about losing access to birth control. The survey from the nonprofit Power to Decide found that about seven in 10 young adults think the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. ...(Read More)

'I Belong Project' Raises Awareness for TN Adoption National Adoption Month comes to an end today, but in Tennessee, more than 9,000 children are in foster care and waiting for new families through adoption. A nonprofit organization is working to equip children and change their experience and outcomes. Carmen Brown, communications and marketing manager for Tennessee Kids Belong, said it starts with a family recruitment initiative, called the "I Belong Project." Children are the topics of videos presented to an online community interested in adoption. ...(Read More)

Healthy Lifestyle Changes Can Help Prevent Prediabetes, Diabetes November is National Diabetes Month, and health experts believe Tennesseans can reverse prediabetes, and prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Tobi Amosun, assistant commissioner of family health and wellness for the Tennessee Department of Health, said in prediabetes, when a person's blood sugar levels are higher than normal but haven't spiked high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes, patients often show no symptoms. ...(Read More)

TN Writer: True Love, Green Cards and Immigration By Jordan Arellano for YES! Media. Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Tennessee News Service, reporting for the YES! ...(Read More)

Report: More than 470,000 Tennesseans Can’t Vote Due to Felony Convictions In Tennessee, almost a half-million people won't be able to vote in the midterm elections because of a past felony conviction. According to research by The Sentencing Project, 470,000 Tenneseans are among the 4.6 million Americans with felony convictions who are denied voting rights. Nicole D. ...(Read More)

Tennessee Works to Reduce Pregnancy-Related Deaths October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and the Tennessee Department of Health has received a $5 million federal grant to fund community and clinical programs, which will help more people in the state have healthy, successful pregnancies. Between 2017 and 2020, the state said pregnancy-related problems took the lives of 113 Tennesseans, and nine in 10 of the causes of death are preventable. Dr. ...(Read More)

It’s Medicare Open Enrollment Time for Seniors in Tennessee Medicare's annual open enrollment period has started this month and continues through Dec. 7. It is the time close to 1.4 million Tennesseans eligible for Medicare can compare plans, and make any changes for the coming year. ...(Read More)

TN Open Enrollment for Health Insurance Begins Nov. 1 Thousands of Tennesseeans will be shopping for new health insurance plans for next year when open enrollment begins November 1. The experts say it's important to be aware of exactly what you're getting. Over 600,000 Tennesseans don't have health insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. ...(Read More)

Connecting Underserved TN Communities to Low-Cost, High-Speed Internet Broadband internet is increasingly seen as necessary for Americans to stay connected, but only 53% of residents in Tennessee have broadband internet service. The Communications Workers of America and Microsoft recently launched "Get Connected," an initiative aiming to boost enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides low-cost broadband service. A cross-country tour is underway and will be in Memphis today to host a resource fair. ...(Read More)

TN School Works to Attract More Students of Color to Higher Ed A new report on Black students in the community college system found fewer are signing up to attend two-year schools, an enrollment downturn made even sharper by the pandemic. One Tennessee school is taking steps to change it. Shanna Jackson, president of Nashville State Community College, said the two-year school has seen lower enrollment, particularly among Black male students. ...(Read More)

Suicide Prevention Month in TN: 'You Are Not Alone' September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to spotlight this issue in Tennessee and across the country. Almost 1,300 Tennesseeans took their own lives in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's almost 18 people per 100,000 residents - and of course, every suicide affects friends and family members as well. ...(Read More)