*Healthy and Safe School Environment
*Comprehensive Health Education for grades K-12
*Physical Education and Activity
*Nutrition Services
*School Health Services
*School Counseling, Psychological and Social Services
*Student, Family and Community Involvement in Schools
*Health Promotion for School Staff

The teams chose one or more of the 8 modules that best addressed the needs of the students at their schools. Once the needs were assessed, the teams developed a School Health Improvement Action Plan. By taking steps to implement each action, the teams created a budget, decide on target dates to accomplish goals and assigned responsible people tasks for completing the Plan. The components chosen by the schools were School Counseling, Physical Education and Physical Activity, Staff Wellness and Student, Family and Community Involvement. Materials were provided to support the specific needs requested for each school.
Coordinated School Health is an effective system designed to connect health with academics. Students’ health and their capacity to learn are enhanced through the support of families, communities and schools who work together. Educators in Marion County know students must be healthy to be educated and must be educated to be healthy.

Congratulations to the schools for strengthening academics by improving student’s health!

Whitwell High School Recipients

Whitwell Elementary Recipients

Monteagle Elementary Recipients

Jasper Middle Recipients

South Pittsburg Elementary Recipients

Bartow County Fire Chief Craig Millsap told The Associated Press that there are reports of some injuries, and crews were trying to get into the damaged areas to further assess the situation.

Chris Moseley, an administrative assistant with the Bartow County Emergency Management Agency, says there are no immediate reports of injuries in Adairsville.

An emergency manager reports that a tree fell on a house in Rome, though there were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Earlier, high winds brought down power lines south of Summerville, the emergency manager in Chattooga County reported.

Information from: WTVC-TV

18-wheeler caught in severe storms sits on its side in Mt. Juliet, TN. (Photo Courtesy Mt. Juliet Police)

ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Powerful winds, rain and hail are battering parts of the South, killing at least one person.

The large storm system damaged homes, overturned cars on an interstate and knocked out electricity to thousands.

At least one tornado was confirmed and several more suspected, and conditions remained ripe for more. Since Tuesday, the system had caused damage across a swath from Missouri to Georgia.

Police say high winds toppled a tree onto a shed in Nashville, Tenn., where a man had taken shelter, killing him. In Adairsville, Ga., northwest of Atlanta, officials reported a possible tornado. At least 10 cars were overturned on Interstate 75. The Bartow County fire chief says emergency crews are trying to get to people reported trapped in homes and buildings.

Information from: WRCB-TV

The service is called aLEGALz.

Those who cannot afford a lawyer may call 1-888-aLEGALz (1-800-253-4259) at any time. Calls will be returned by a licensed Tennessee lawyer who can provide referrals to legal service providers, pro bono assistance programs, free legal clinics and social service providers.

According to a news release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, low-income Tennesseans can use the hotline to get help with a range of issues. They include divorce, child custody, domestic violence, bankruptcy and employment issues.

Information from: WRCB-TV

A few widely scattered showers will develop out ahead of the main precipitation shield; however, the heaviest weather is not due in until around 6am or perhaps slightly later. The low level winds are fairly ROBUST with H85 winds of 60-70kts forecast. Since the strong winds will not have far to go to reach the surface, it will not take much convection for them to reach the surface and possibly cause issues.

The 0-1km helicity forecasts are a bit worrisome with 350-400m2/s2 right over us as the line of storms move closer toward the area. One limiting factor is the time of day and lack of instability. SBCAPE values of 250j/kg are not out of the question; however, with such a volatile wind profile I would tend to think weaker updrafts (updrafts that will be fed on upper level ascent) would easily get rolled and eventually destroyed.

This event is very classic in terms of cool season severe with low instability and high shear. The best chance for tornadoes in general appears to be west of here where instability values are higher; however, given strong shear and strong forcing I can’t rule out a spin up here or there. EHI (0-1km) values of around 1 or slightly higher are forecast for this time period. This value is relatively low considering higher end events; however, given the time of year it is still rather impressive. Again, for that reason I simply can’t rule out a possible spin up.

With that said, I do not expect a widespread tornado outbreak by any means. I am very concerned about the possibility of strong damaging winds that will accompany the line of storms as it moves eastward. Even heavier shower activity may be enough to pull some of the wind energy down to the surface. Due to the lack of instability and fairly low topped convection, lightning may be limited with these cells as well.

Again, timing looks to be between 6am and 10am given model disagreement. Often times squall lines tend to surge forward a bit faster than forecast so that is why I’m thinking 6am at the earliest and 10am given the slower guidance. The morning rush looks very wet and windy. Be sure to keep both hands on the wheel as you drive and use extra caution if you drive a high profile vehicle.

Summary:

-Severe storms are possible
-Strong possibly damaging winds are the primary threat
-Can’t rule out an isolated tornado; however, no widespread tornado outbreak is expected
-Limited lightning
-Brief heavy rainfall

Residents are urged to be ready to act and know what to do if a watch or warning is issued for the area. Stay safe and stay informed.

Meteorologist: Robert Frye
Updated: 7:00pm CST 1/29/13

“Coffee with the Congressman” is scheduled for Wednesday, January 30th, 2013 at the Dutch Maid Bakery at 29 Courthouse Square in Jasper. The event will begin at 10:00am CST.

The congressman says the event will be a chance for constituents to join him for a conversation about how he intends to serve the District in the upcoming session of Congress.

The event is a casual attire.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Isiah Robinson.

The reason we’re not as immune as many think is due to the Gulf of Mexico being our primary source for warm air and moisture. In the cooler season, a southerly wind from that direction usually brings us warmer and more humid conditions. The same can be said for the summer. Ever wonder why the Sequatchie Valley is so humid during the summer? Well, if the Gulf of Mexico wasn’t there it would be significantly drier and not nearly as rainy. This warm rich air that moves into the region from the gulf is one ingredient that can bring us severe weather.

In all seasons except summer and early autumn, we usually get frontal boundaries from the northwest that cool us down and dry our air. Out ahead of the cold front, winds turn out of the south and spread the warmer more humid air from the gulf northward. The interaction between the warm moist air and cooler dry air causes widespread showers and storms, especially along or slightly ahead of the cold frontal boundary.

With that said, we are NOT immune to tornadoes during the late summer months and early autumn months. Land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes can move into the region and bring flooding rains, gusty winds, and even isolated weak tornadoes. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the weather and be ready to act when watches and warnings are issued for your area.

There are many ways to keep updated on current watches and warnings. You may purchase a weather radio with S.A.M.E. technology at many retail outlets that sell electronics. These radios can be found at the RadioShack in Kimball Crossing as well as Walmart, and were also available at CVS in Jasper in the past.

For those that use smartphones, there are several cheap and even free apps that can be bought to alert you to any threats. One app, offered for FREE is the ReadyTN Mobile Preparedness App from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. You can learn more about the ReadyTN app here.  Also, many cell phone service providers offer free text messages of alerts using the phone GPS. Check with your cell phone service provider to determine whether or not your device is capable, and whether or not they offer these messages.

For those still “wired” with a landline phone, the county’s Reverse 911 system can also be activated to alert residents. This system is already setup for area land line phones, however citizens can add cell phone numbers and their email, if they wish, by visiting www.marioncosheriff.com and click the “Sign Up for FREE Emergency Alerts”  button on the right side of the page and following the prompts to register a new user. The user will receive an email notifying them that their information has been received and they are active on the system. Local emergency management officials urge those with elderly family members in the area with cell phones to help register those family members.

Marion County Sheriff Ronnie “Bo” Burnett advises residents,  ”If there are elderly residents that need help registering their cell phone, they can call the sheriff’s office (423-942-2525) and we’ll make sure we get them into the system.”

Stay with MarionCountyMessenger.com online, on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter for the very latest weather information.

The documents are called IRS Form 1099-Gs. There is a link to them from the home page of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd .

Benefit recipients can access the forms by entering their birth date or the PIN they used to certify or inquire on their unemployment claim.

The department also began mailing the 1099-G forms to more than 245,000 benefit recipients on January 14. They should reach claimants no later than January 31. The U.S. Postal Service will not forward the forms.

Recipients of unemployment benefits are not required to submit a copy of their 1099-G forms with their income tax return.

Information from: WTVC-TV

The governor hasn’t said what the theme will be in his third State of theState address, scheduled for delivery this evening at a joint meeting of the state House and Senate. But he has said it will be “more of the same” in the general sense of striving to reshape state government toward being more friendly toward business and more efficient in operations.

The state budget plans presented in his speeches of 2011 and 2012 both contained a mix of spending cuts in some areas and expansion in others with overall expenditures roughly stable in the $31 billion range. With state revenue rebounding in recent months, the overall figure will likely rise in the 2013 edition of a Haslam budget, though he says projected increases in TennCare costs and other factors will eat most of the new money.

Read more in: Knoxville News Sentinel.