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Archives
07-13-2005
Town square packed for monthly cruise-in
photos by Dewain E. Peek/OCN staff The cruise-in was so well attended that the collector cars on display overflowed the west side of the courthouse and were parked along the north and south sides. The monthly cruise-in is always a venue for bringing back memories, and sights such as the Road Runner leaving a trail of dust on this 1970 Plymouth bearing its name.
County receives Three-Star Certification Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matthew Kisber announced recently that Overton County has achieved Three-Star Community status by receiving certification under the redesigned Three-Star program. "I am proud to congratulate Overton County on achieving Three-Star Community status," Kisber said. "Governor Bredesen and I recognize that without strong community development, there can be no sustainable economic development. The Three-Star program is assisting communities in the strategic planning process to help them understand their challenges and how to turn those challenges into opportunities. By participating in the program and addressing education, workforce development, infrastructure, and other economic concerns, Overton County is proactively preparing for community economic success." Overton County and the city of Livingston are now eligible to receive incentives at Level 2 under the guidelines of the new Tennessee Three-Star Program. The Three-Star Program assists communities in preserving existing employment, creating new employment opportunities, improving family income, and creating a strong leadership base for economic development. The program has steadily grown as communities work with the state to improve their appeal as locations for new business and industry. The state's Three-Star Program has set high standards and incentives like no other state-run program in the nation. Governor Bredesen's five-year asset based economic development strategic plan is the cornerstone of the redesigned program. It is being hailed as a best practices model among community development initiatives assisting both urban and rural communities in developing strategic economic and community development plans that meet the needs and challenges of an ever-changing economic environment. Assistant Commissioner of Community Development Joe Barker said, "I want to commend this community on taking the necessary steps to provide economic growth through asset based strategic planning. Their efforts have earned the distinction of being recognized as one of the Ôbest of the best' communities in Tennessee." In order to receive the certification, communities are required to meet a number of criteria in organizational, community, business, education, and workforce development categories. Incentives for receiving the certification include identification on all FastTrack infrastructure and job training applications; eligibility for matching grants, if criteria set by ECD are met; and the advantage of earning points in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) process. To learn more about the Three-Star Program visit online at www.tnecd.gov.
County receives funds for waste tire disposal Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Jim Fyke recently announced that 89 waste tire grants will provide $4.4 million dollars to Tennessee counties in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Overton County will receive $15,609 of those funds. Governor Bredesen said, "I am pleased to see the funds provided by the Solid Waste Management Act for this program supporting local communities in the important task of diverting waste tires from landfills to be processed for beneficial reuse. "I also recognize and appreciate the efforts of the local partners across the state who understand the very real environmental benefit that results from this program." The General Assembly authorized waste tire grants in the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991. Overton County is represented in the General Assembly by Senator Charlotte Burks and Representative John Mark Windle. Senator Burks said, "This grant will make a difference in our area. Keeping the environment clean and dealing with waste in a responsible manner are important priorities. "I want to thank Governor Bredesen's administration and our local leaders for making these grants a reality." Waste tire grants assist counties with the processing and transportation of tires to beneficial end use facilities. Counties are reimbursed $70 per ton of tires and are required to provide one waste tire collection site. Counties may charge an additional fee if the grant is not adequate to cover costs. The grants are supported from the Waste Tire Fund, which receives revenue from a state surcharge on the purchase of new tires. The Waste Tire Fund is administered by the Department of Environment and Conservation, and 90 cents from every dollar collected is used for solid waste grants and services. Tennessee will recycle more than 60,000 tons of tires during fiscal year 2005, diverting waste tires from landfills and sending them to beneficial end use. Beneficial end use methods include utilizing crumb rubber in civil engineering projects, asphalt paving, and molded rubber products, but the majority of Tennessee's waste tires are used as Tire Derived Fuel (TDF). TDF conserves fossil fuels and provides a waste-to-energy disposal method. The units of energy produced by TDF are comparable to fuels such as coal. According to a 1997 Environmental Protection Agency study, TDF used in a well designed and maintained combustion device emits fewer pollutants than conventional fossil fuels. In Tennessee, Bowater Company, Cemex Cement, Gerdau Ameristeel, and TVA Allen Steam Plant are among those generating energy and processing waste tires by utilizing TDF. Commissioner Fyke said, "Tennessee's tire recycling program provides an environmentally sound disposal method, but the most important step in waste management remains waste reduction." For more information on scrap tires and Tennessee
recycling, visit www.state.tn.us/environment/.
Overton County News
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