NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today officially opened the Tennessee Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy, an alternative residential program operated by the Tennessee National Guard that offers youth between ages 16-18 who have dropped out of school a chance to earn a high school equivalency diploma outside of a traditional school setting. The academy is housed at the site of the former Woodland Hills Youth Development Center in Nashville where Haslam was joined Friday by Deputy Gov. Jim Henry and Major General Max Haston for a ribbon cutting ceremony. The first class of approximately 100 cadets is set to begin July 9.

ELIZABETHTON – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today highlighted the 20 percent reduction to the grocery tax included in the newly implemented IMPROVE Act by visiting local grocery stores in Elizabethton and Mount Juliet. Effective July 1, the IMPROVE Act, “Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy,” creates the largest tax cut in state history while delivering a safe, reliable and debt-free transportation network.