The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry is accepting applications for the 2020 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) program until Sept. 11. Departments may now apply for VFA Wildland Fire Suppression Kits to supplement their department's wildland firefighting capacity.

The Federal National Mortgage Association has discontinued its free market auction system for commitments to purchase conventional home mortgages. Therefore, the Commissioner of Financial Institutions hereby announces that the maximum effective rate of interest per annum for home loans as set by the General Assembly in 1987, Public Chapter 291, for the month of September, 2020 is 5.22 percent per annum. The rate as set by the said law is an amount equal to four percentage points above the index of market yields of long-term government bonds adjusted to a thirty (30) year maturity by the U. S. Department of the Treasury. For the most recent weekly average statistical data available preceding the date of this announcement, the calculated rate is 1.22 percent.

NASHVILLE--Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions Commissioner Greg Gonzales announced today that the maximum effective formula rate of interest in Tennessee is 7.25 percent per annum. The rate is based on a ceiling of 4 percent over the weekly average prime loan rate of 3.25 percent as published by the Federal Reserve on August 3, 2020.

Nashville – August 7, 2020 will mark a somber anniversary for the Tennessee Department of Correction. It was on this day, one year ago, that our beloved Correctional Administrator Debra Johnson was killed in the line of duty.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene on Monday, August 10, 2020, for a special session to address COVID-19 liability protections, telehealth services and laws governing the Capitol grounds.

A Blount County woman is charged with TennCare fraud and theft of services for allegedly misrepresenting her household status in order to obtain TennCare benefits for herself and her family.

Tennessee’s Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP) is seeking applications for local projects serving victims of child abuse and sexual assault as well as restorative programs for youth.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is opening the grant application process Saturday, August 1 to support non-profit organizations serving Tennessee’s health and economic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is making $150 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds available in this grant cycle through the Tennessee Community CARES Program.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today signed Executive Order No. 55, allowing the resumption of contact sports and extending local authority to require masks, among other provisions.

Farmers markets throughout Tennessee have worked diligently to connect producers of fresh, local foods to consumers safely. From visiting a new market to lighting up the night in Nashville, there are many ways to celebrate farmers markets during National Farmers Market Week Aug. 2-8, 2020.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry will administer federal grant funds to help communities make their homes safer and more defensible from wildland fire.