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.

The State Soil Conservation Committee will meet December 9 at 12 p.m. CST at the Marriott Cool Springs Hotel located at 700 Cool Springs Blvd. in Franklin, Tenn.

The Tennessee Forestry Commission will meet June 4 at 9 a.m. CDT at the TWRA main conference room located at 5107 Edmondson Pike in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture will hold a public rulemaking hearing to gather input on the use of dicamba pesticide products in commercial production of cotton and soybeans.

The Tennessee Dairy Promotion Committee will meet March 21 at 5 p.m. CDT and March 22 at 9 a.m. CDT in the Rutherford Meeting Room of the Residence Inn by Mariott, located at 1409 Conference Center Blvd. in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Tennessee State Fair and Exposition Commission will meet March 15, 2019 at 9 a.m. CDT in the Agriculture Building at the Fairgrounds located at 500 Wedgewood Avenue in Nashville.

The Tennessee Corn Promotion Board will meet Feb. 14, 2019 at 7 a.m. CST at the Tennessee Soybean Association Building located at 100 Executive Dr. in Jackson, Tenn.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Corporal William “Carter” Ross of Hendersonville. Ross was declared deceased by the Marine Corps on December 11 after five days of search and rescue operations to find five Marines involved in an accident involving two aircraft. The KC-130 Hercules was assigned to the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the F/A-18 Hornet was assigned to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242. Ross was 21-years old at the time of the accident off the coast of Japan on December 6. He was in the flight crew on the KC-130 at the time of the accident, which is currently under investigation.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder announce she will retire from public service on January 19, 2019. After 35 years in the Army National Guard and eight years as the first woman to serve as Commissioner for the Department of Veterans Services. Grinder is leaving to spend more time with family and pursue educational options, but plans to remain connected to the military and veteran communities.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Private First Class Lewis Price of Rogersville, who was reported missing as of November 6, 1944 during World War II. The Hawkins County native was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division during weeks of combat in the Hurtgen Forest in Germany. Price was 23-years old when he went missing.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today joined Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder and Major General Terry “Max” Haston from the Tennessee Military Department to recognize five veteran state employees and more than 470,000 Tennessee veterans of all ages and eras. The Governor’s Veterans Day event was held on the second floor of the State Capitol in downtown Nashville.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Air Force Second Lieutenant Martin O’Callaghan, Jr. of Memphis, who was killed during a mission as a P-38 Lightning aircraft pilot in World War II in Maribor, Yugoslavia now known as Slovenia. He was serving with the 96th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group when his plane was struck by anti-aircraft fire which caused him to crash in occupied territory on February 15, 1945. He was 22 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class William Franklin (Frank) Cavin of Hancock County, who was killed in the Battle of Tarawa on November 20, 1943. He was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division on Betio Island and was among 1,000 Marines and Sailors killed during the World War II battle with the Japanese. He was 18 years old.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class William Campbell of Elizabethton. Campbell was serving on the USS Oklahoma at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 when it was attacked by multiple torpedoes which caused the battleship to sink and resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen to include Campbell. He was 20 years old.