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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee traveled to Greene and Cocke counties to survey storm damage on the ground and meet with survivors, first responders and volunteers following severe weather and flooding from Hurricane Helene. This marks the Governor’s third trip to the region; he participated in aerial surveys and surveyed damage on the ground in Carter and Unicoi counties earlier in the week. Gov. Lee also provided updates on the State’s multi-agency response.

Nashville, Tenn. – As communities in Northeast Tennessee continue to experience significant impacts from Hurricane Helene, Governor Bill Lee provided another update on the State of Tennessee’s ongoing multi-agency response.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced approval of his request for an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration, making recovery assistance available to eight counties.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee traveled to East Tennessee to survey storm damage on the ground and meet with local officials and victims following severe weather and flooding from Hurricane Helene. Accompanied by Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Director Patrick Sheehan, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger and state officials, the Governor viewed damage and visited impacted communities.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, at the Dunn family’s request, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s office shared that Governor Winfield Dunn passed away peacefully this afternoon, surrounded by family. He was 97 years old.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that the State of Tennessee will no longer move forward with plans to build a new psychiatric hospital on state-owned land at Moccasin Bend in Chattanooga. The decision is based on initial findings of an ongoing archeological review. This is the first archeological review that has been conducted since the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute was founded in 1961 and the State expects the final report to be delivered in November. The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and Department of General Services (DGS) oversaw the survey on behalf of the State Building Commission.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the appointment of Matt Van Epps as commissioner for the Tennessee Department of General Services (DGS), effective October 1. Van Epps will succeed Christi Branscom, who will step down on September 30 after nearly six years of service to Tennesseans.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced appointees to a series of key state boards and commissions.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced three key judicial appointments.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Orano USA has selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as the preferred site to construct a new, multi-billion-dollar, state-of-the-art centrifuge uranium enrichment facility.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced recipients of the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant program, which prioritizes learning opportunities in rural counties and enhances career and technical education statewide. Tennessee has made notable progress in rural workforce development which has resulted in securing over 41,500 new jobs and nearly $19 billion in capital investment in rural counties since 2019. This third round of GIVE grants will allocate $41 million to foster regional partnerships between Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), community colleges and local industries.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – This week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee held the 2024 Governor’s Rural Opportunity Summit, an annual gathering focused on serving at-risk and distressed counties by engaging local leaders to develop innovative solutions to the unique problems they face. The Governor shared his vision for success and commitment to helping rural Tennessee thrive.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves will play a regular season game in the MLB Speedway Classic at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 2, 2025. This historic announcement marks the first American or National League game played in Tennessee.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, will provide 100 diapers per month for children under two who are enrolled in TennCare or CoverKids healthcare coverage, as part of Governor Lee’s Strong Families Initiative. The new diaper program takes effect on Wednesday, August 7th.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced they will travel to the United Kingdom for a strategic economic development trip to strengthen relationships with European businesses and increase investment from trusted global companies in Tennessee, spurring continued economic growth and job creation for Tennesseans.