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.

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today the award of a transportation alternative grant for $1,865,149 to the city of Knoxville for the Northwest Greenway Connector - Phase 2. This project includes construction of a greenway beginning at a new trailhead at Middlebrook Pike (SR-169) and Third Creek Road and ending at the SR-62 Western Avenue Pedestrian Bridge. The project also includes landscaping, a retaining wall, ADA upgrades and fencing.

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today honored 23 state employees who are helping Tennessee lead by providing outstanding state services every day. The employees, who were nominated by their departments’ leadership for the Governor’s Excellence in Service Awards, were invited to attend a luncheon at the Tennessee Residence for providing efficient and effective service to the state and their fellow Tennesseans. “The employees honored today are on the forefront of improving how Tennessee state government delivers services,” Haslam said. “By exceeding leadership and customer expectations, creating innovative solutions or improving processes and services, these state employees are helping provide taxpayers with the highest quality service at the lowest possible cost.”

CHAPEL HILL – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced today the award of a $1,784,102 Transportation Alternative Grant to the city of Chapel Hill for downtown bicycle and pedestrian improvements (Phase I). This project includes construction of a multi-use path along both sides of SR-11/US-31A from City Hall to West Depot Street (Phase 1). The project also includes ADA upgrades, pedestrian signals, landscaping, pedestrian lighting, pedestrian amenities, signage and pavement markings.

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today recognized 22 state employees for providing outstanding service to the state and their fellow Tennesseans at a luncheon at the Tennessee Residence. The Governor’s Excellence in Service Awards was launched in 2016 to honor outstanding state employees who are helping Tennessee lead by providing efficient and effective state services every day.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer today announced the state has awarded $297 million in contracts from bids accepted in December for crucial road and bridge construction projects – the first major awarding of IMPROVE Act projects and the largest such bidding process in TDOT’s history. With increased transportation funds provided through the IMPROVE Act and TDOT’s federal budget, 72 new projects will be under construction across the state in the coming weeks. Within the first year of the IMPROVE Act’s implementation, 288 – 30 percent – of the 962 projects designated in the legislation are underway.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will hold budget hearings for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 on Monday, November 6 through Thursday, November 9. The hearings will be held in the Executive Conference Room on the ground floor of the State Capitol. Haslam, Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin, Chief Operating Officer Greg Adams and David Thurman, state budget director, will preside over the hearings.

FRANKLIN – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced today the award of a $1,000,000 transportation alternative grant to the city of Franklin for Phase II of the State Route 96 Multiuse Trail Project. The SR 96 Multiuse Trail currently begins near Carlisle Lane and extends to Vera Valley Road. Phase I of the project is under development, and will extend the trail to Jim Warren Park on Boyd Mill Avenue. The Phase II project will begin there and run all the way to 5th Avenue North. Once completed, the trail will provide connections between residential areas, schools, shopping, and city centers.

MURFREESBORO – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced today the award of a $1,027,178 transportation alternative grant to the city of Murfreesboro for the Mercury Boulevard Sidewalk Project. The project will provide a complete sidewalk linkage from SE Broad Street to Middle Tennessee Boulevard along Mercury Boulevard. All 7,200 feet of sidewalks will be ADA compliant, and will include pedestrian crosswalks at the signalized intersections along Mercury Boulevard.

PULASKI – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced today the award of a $617,073 transportation alternative grant to the city of Pulaski for the North 1st Street Improvements. The project will consist of sidewalk improvements and landscaping along 1st Street from Jefferson Street to Perkins/Chestnut Street. This will be the eighth phase of sidewalk improvements, and will tie into existing sidewalks around the downtown square. The project will provide a connected sidewalk route between residential areas, schools, parks, and the downtown business district.

FAYETTEVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer announced today the award of a $1,099,037 transportation alternative grant to the city of Fayetteville for the Stone Bridge Park to Camp Blount Connector Project. The project will provide a pedestrian connection between Stone Bridge Park and historical Camp Blount via the Elk River. It will include widening an existing trail from five to ten feet and addressing current ADA deficiencies. The trail would continue over a proposed 10-foot-wide steel truss pedestrian bridge that would provide a safe crossing over the Elk River, and connect with the historical overlook Camp Blount.

CHATTANOOGA – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today in Chattanooga held the first ceremonial signing for the IMPROVE Act, “Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy,” which enacts the largest tax cut in state history while delivering a safe, reliable and debt-free transportation network. “The IMPROVE Act puts money back in the pockets of all Tennesseans and has already helped us attract manufacturing jobs to Tennessee – all while putting us on the path to deliver nearly 1,000 road and bridge projects across the state,” Haslam said. “The Tennessee we can be provides not only access to opportunity but the tools to be successful. Good roads that take you to good jobs. IMPROVE is a conservative and responsible approach to build and sustain the state’s economic growth and competitiveness for the next generation of Tennesseans.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today praised passage of the IMPROVE Act, a key piece of his NextTennessee legislative plan, giving the largest tax cut in Tennessee history and making the state more competitive in recruiting manufacturing jobs while delivering a safe, reliable and debt-free transportation network for the next generation of Tennesseans. “The IMPROVE Act is a conservative plan that directly addresses how we fund our roads and bridges for the first time in 30 years. I thank the General Assembly for passing IMPROVE, and especially Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and Reps. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) and Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville) for their work carrying the legislation,” Haslam said.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today filed his NextTennessee legislative agenda for the 2017 session of the 110th General Assembly. “With the NextTennessee agenda, we’re focused on policy proposals to build and sustain economic growth and the state’s competitiveness for the next generation of Tennesseans,” Haslam said. “Because of the fiscal responsibility we have shown, the Tennessee we can be is a state with a safe and reliable transportation network that supports long-term growth, one of the best K-12 systems in the country and free access to a post-secondary degree or certificate for all Tennesseans. And we can still be the state with the lowest taxes and the lowest debt.”