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NASHVILLE, TN- The Tennessee Department of Education has been granted several key waivers from federal agencies to allow significantly more flexibility at state and local levels during school building closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. – At approximately 10:25 CST, while responding to wildfires in East Tennessee, one UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter experienced engine failure, resulting in an emergency landing southwest of Wears Valley, March 31. All four crewmembers are safe, and currently, no injuries reported. The aircraft incurred minor damages upon landing.

As our nation works diligently to halt the spread of COVID-19, there is no question that agriculture is vital for the most important aspects of our daily lives. Under Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order 22, agriculture is deemed an essential service.

NASHVILLE – In the middle of a global pandemic, the men and women incarcerated in Tennessee prisons are remembering families whose lives were interrupted by a different emergency. In prisons across the state, inmates have come together to raise more than $1,000 for tornado relief efforts.

NASHVILLE, TN— The Tennessee Department of Education and Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) announced a statewide partnership with ReadyRosie, an early education online platform, to provide short videos and free resources with simple, engaging activities for Tennessee families and children, ages birth through 3rd grade, to do at home.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s COVID-19 Unified Command announced the following actions taken for a COVID-19 outbreak at the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing. Unified Command is a joint operation between the Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Department of Military and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

NASHVILLE – The state of Tennessee, in partnership with the Tennessee Grocer and Convenience Store Association, Tennessee Retail Association, and Hospitality TN, has formed the Tennessee Talent Exchange powered by Jobs4TN.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry is closing the campsites at Prentice Cooper and Franklin State Forests until further notice. A surge in the number of campers is creating safety and health concerns for the public and forestry staff.

I write to you at a time of great challenge for our state and local communities. Countless individuals have contacted me to express feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we do not possess all the answers about the COVID-19 crisis, I am writing to offer suggestions that I hope will be instructive and empowering in the midst of such uncertainty. Pat Summitt, the acclaimed Lady Volunteers coach, would no doubt give us a legendary pep talk if alive today. That pep talk might start with a quote of hers: "Attitude is a choice. Think positive thoughts daily. Believe in yourself."

NASHVILLE – In an effort to aid Tennessee consumers, business owners and employees affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) requests that licensed insurance companies in Tennessee work with restaurants and employees to ensure that restaurant employees now engaged in delivering food options during the pandemic are fully insured either under their personal automobile policy or via a restaurant’s commercial automobile policy.

Regional Unemployment Claim numbers as of March 21, 2020