NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM & WNWS.COM is compiling a Community Notebook for public announcements concerning COVID-19.
This list will be updated.
If anyone would like to add to this list, feel free to email [email protected]
Semper Fi Golf Tournament postponted until September
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Captain Jack Holland Marine Corps League Detachment has made the decision to move the date of this years 5th Annual Semper Fi Golf Tournament to September 28.
The tournament, which will be held at Jackson National Golf Course, was originally scheduled for May 18.
For more information, call Bryce West at (731) 424-7860.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES COVID-19 HOTLINE
The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department has launched a Jackson-Madison County COVID-19 Public Information Line effective at 10:30 a.m. Central time today.
The hotline number is 731-240-1771 and will be available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday. Residents calling after hours and on weekends can leave a message that will be returned.
Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) also has a Tennessee Coronavirus Public Information Line available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central time daily. That hotline number is 877-857-2945. Call volume has been high. Callers are urged to be patient if they receive a busy signal and try their call at a later time.
People with concerns about their health should contact their health care providers.
The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department has additional information about COVID-19 at https://madisoncountytn.gov/144/Health-Department. Find more information from TDH at https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov. CDC has updated information and guidance available online at www.cdc.gov/COVID19.
The Foundation closes to visitors
Out of an abundance of caution, and in keeping with the updated visitor policy at West Tennessee Healthcare, beginning Friday, March 20, the Foundation office will be closed to visitors.
The staff will still be in the office each day from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., to answer any inquiries by phone or email.
Donations and grant requests may still be placed in the drop box at the office, which is accessible from the building’s exterior.
Donations may also be mailed to 74 Directors Row, Jackson, TN 38305 or made online at www.wthfoundation.org.
We appreciate your understanding as we work to navigate this crisis while keeping our staff safe and serving our donors. If there is any way we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at (731) 984-2140.
West TN Go Red For Women event postponed, rescheduled
As a science-based organization which cares deeply about the health of our communities, the American Heart Association has been closely following the guidance from the CDC and state and local health officials on the coronavirus (COVID-19). The safety of our guests has been and will continue to be our top priority.
We have decided that the best course is to remove the uncertainty for our guests and postpone our West TN Go Red For Women event. We have rescheduled the event for July 9, 2020, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
We would like to thank our incredible team of volunteers who have given so much time and energy to ensure our West TN Go Red guests have an amazing experience. And we would also like to thank our sponsors and donors, who have generously given through the Go Red Campaign to impact the health in West TN.
We are sorry we won’t be seeing you on March 26th, and we appreciate your support and grace as we adapt our plans. We will be in touch soon!
Friends of the Heart
Postponing the Black Tie & Blue Jeans event to benefit Friends of Heart.
Was set for March 28. New date to be announced – Rosy Griffin, Executive Director Friends of Heart, Mid-South Heart Center
Jackson Symphony
Date Change for The Jackson Symphony
What: On behalf of our staff and the Board of Directors for The Jackson Symphony, we wanted to share an update regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our current season.
The safety of our patrons, musicians, and staff continues to be our top priority. We are implementing a plan that follows the CDC’s recommendation that limits groups of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.
We have rescheduled our April Pops concert, originally scheduled for Saturday,
April 4th, to Thursday, June 25th at 7:30 p.m., at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
We are postponing other symphony events originally planned for that weekend,
including our Legacy Circle Social, our Music Mixture Chamber Concert, and our
Sweet Night of Melody event with Erica Gabriel, with plans to reschedule for
future dates.
We will notify you of these dates as they become available. A decision will be made regarding our Season Finale (scheduled for May 9th) and our Chamber Concert (scheduled for May 10th) on or before April 15th.
We have been hard at work on preparations for our 60th anniversary season and
are excited to share our line-up with you this spring. The date for our season
announcement will be released soon.
Who: The Jackson Symphony
When: Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Carl Perkins Civic Center, 400 S. Highland Avenue
Jackson-Madison County Library launches new online streaming service
hoopla offers movies, ebooks and more
In an effort to offer additional resources to the community that can be enjoyed from home, the Jackson-Madison County Library is launching a new digital media service called hoopla.
hoopla will allow anyone with a library card or library ecard number to borrow movies, audiobooks, ebooks and comics to enjoy on their computer, tablet, or phone – and even TV! With no waiting, titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. Hoopla has hundreds of thousands of titles to choose from, with more being added daily. Users will have a borrowing limit of 12 items per month.
“We had been planning to offer this service this spring but decided it was the right time to launch this service now while the library is closed to patrons,” said Dinah Harris, library director. “hoopla is designed specifically with public libraries in mind and all titles are simultaneous use, so there is no waiting.”
Anyone with a Jackson-Madison County library card can download the app or visit www.hoopladigital.com to set up an account to start enjoying the free content. For those who do not have a valid library card, the library can issue ecards over the phone or people can complete the ecard application on the library’s website. Anyone who has a library card but cannot remember the number can call the library. Library staff will be answering phones Mon. – Fri. from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The library is currently closed to the public through March 31. The hoopla website answers common questions for users to help set up the service on a multitude of platforms.
The library has set up a special page on its website with links to other free online resources such as Tennessee READS (Regional Ebook and Audiobook Download System) that offers over 100,000 ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video for all ages. The library’s free public access WiFi will also be accessible from the Main Library’s parking lot 24/7. Titles from READS and hoopla can be downloaded and enjoyed off-site to anyone with a mobile device.
The Jackson-Madison County Library is located at 433 E. Lafayette St. in downtown Jackson. For more information, contact the Library at 731-425-8600, visit the Library’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/JMCLibrary or its website at www.jmclibrary.org.
Madison County jail policy concerning COVID-19
From the Madison County Sheriff’s Office –
Sheriff John Mehr stated “The Madison County Jail is taking precautions to protect the inmates and the staff due to COVID-19.
All programs involving inmates have been suspended until further notice.
All outside persons are not being allowed into the jail except court personnel (attorneys, clerks and bondsman).
Visitation will still be conducted through video in our lobby and online.
All processing of Criminal Summons and Misdemeanor Citations have been suspended until further notice.
All incoming inmates are being screened for symptoms upon entry. Anyone showing symptoms will be isolated until further testing can be done.
Also, all inmates have a physical within fourteen days of entry.
The Madison County Jail is working in conjunction with the Health Department to stay up to date on the latest information and recommendations from the CDC.”
CapitolTALK will be Streamed Live, Friday
Changes have been made for CapitolTALK with the restrictions on gatherings concerning the coronavirus. There will be no audience at the event, but it will be streamed live on EPlus TV 6’s website and YouTube channel.
EMAIL OR TEXT QUESTIONS for legislators beforehand to Ryan Porter [email protected] – or text (731) 695-6274.
Jackson-Madison County Library closing March 18 through March 31
The Jackson-Madison County Library will close both its locations beginning Wed., March 18 and remain closed to the public through Tues., March 31 to limit potential community spread of COVID-19.
During the closure, library patrons should keep items currently checked out until JMCL reopens. All due dates have been extended until April 4 and JMCL is waiving all late fees accrued between March 1 and April 4. Library staff will continue to work while buildings are closed.
“Public libraries have always been about serving the needs of the entire community, but as a community gathering place, we have made this difficult decision in an effort to protect our patrons,” said Dinah Harris, library director. “We will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with the Jackson-Madison County Health Department and will make every effort to resume services as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Patrons are encouraged to use JMCL’s online resources and services. The library has set up a special page on its website at http://jmclibrary.org/coronavirus.php for information regarding the library, ways you can still use library resources from your home, as well as links to local, state, and federal agencies. The library will also update its social media channels with links to online resources.
For more information, contact the Library at 731-425-8600, visit the Library’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/JMCLibrary or its website at www.jmclibrary.org.
All JSCC classes move online for remainder of term
As of last Friday, the spring break for Jackson State Community College was extended through the week of March 16–20. After direction from TBR Chancellor Flora Tydings over the weekend, the administration of the college has now determined that all in-person classes taught at all locations will go to an online or distance format for the remainder of the spring semester beginning Monday, March 23.
All JSCC campuses and teaching sites are open this week to prepare for the transition to online classes. Beginning immediately, all non-essential programs, services, and activities have been suspended for the remainder of the semester. Non-essential programs and activities include the use of college facilities by any outside entities for meetings and events. All activities and events of student clubs and organizations have also been suspended.
Jackson churches cancel Sunday services
Forest Heights United Methodist Church, 863 W. Forest Ave., has cancelled services March 22.
First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church St., has cancelled services March 22.
Grace United Methodist Church, 142 McClellan Rd., has cancelled services March 22.
Jackson Mayor’s office announces further steps City is taking to combat COVID-19
All City of Jackson government public events and meeting have been suspended until April 12.
All professional travel and training for City employees – with the exception of mandatory Public Safety Training – has been suspended until April 12.
All City employees have been asked to conduct meetings virtually.
The Health & Sanitation Department has been asked to thoroughly disinfect all City public building.
Jackson-Madison County Library suspends programs and meetings through April 16
The Jackson-Madison County Library Board of Trustees and Library Director Dinah Harris issued the following statement in response to the COVID-19 outbreak:
As a library system, we are following the COVID-19 outbreak closely and taking steps to protect both our library patrons and library staff in coordination with and guidance from the Jackson-Madison County Health Department.
That is why the Jackson-Madison County Library will suspend all programming beginning Monday, March 16 through Thursday, April 16.
The programs we hold regularly like story times, movies, children and teen activities, and adult programs will not take place. We will also cancel reservations made by local groups to use our public meeting spaces for community gatherings.
At this time, we will remain open for you to visit, browse and check out materials, and use public computers and free WiFi. We will continue to clean and disinfect frequently at both our locations.
As more information about COVID-19 becomes available, it might become necessary to close both library locations in the interest of public health and safety. If this happens, we will post this information on our social media channels and on our website. We have a special page set up on our website at http://jmclibrary.org/coronavirus.php for information regarding the library, ways you can still use library resources from your home, as well as links to local, state, and federal agencies. If you aren’t familiar with the wealth of electronic resources such as ebooks, eaudiobooks, streaming video and emagazines available through Tennessee READS, now would be a wonderful time to take advantage of this free resource. If you do not have a library card, our website will tell you how to get a free ecard.
We apologize for any inconvenience today’s decision might cause, but we appreciate your understanding and always appreciate your support.
For more information, contact the Library at (731) 425-8600, visit the Library’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/JMCLibrary or its website.
TSSAA update regarding spring sports and COVID-19
As the situation continues to evolve daily with COVID-19, we have received a number of inquiries from schools/school systems who are considering suspending classes and/or extracurricular activities for an extended period of time. We are also aware that conversations are taking place at the state and federal level which may impact travel, extracurricular activities and the educational system as a whole.
We would like to remind you that there is no TSSAA requirement for schools to play regular season games in spring sports. We realize that a number of districts and regions use regular season results for seeding purposes at postseason tournaments. We encourage administrators to begin conversations with other schools in your district/region to discuss how these cancellations will be treated for the purposes of postseason seeding. Should your district/region choose to play a postseason tournament, all schools in your district/region that wish to participate in the tournament must be included in the bracket regardless of how many games each school has played during the regular season.
Scheduling and participating in regular season contests during the spring is totally left up to the discretion of the administration and/or LEA of the schools involved. We realize that the situation is changing rapidly and events around the country are influencing what discretion can or cannot be given to administrators or LEA. We will continue to monitor the situation and we encourage each member school to consult with their local health department and medical professionals to help with these decisions. Please continue to review the key planning considerations for event planning should you decide to allow regular season play.
Jackson Chamber Events Statement
The Jackson Chamber team will continue to monitor the ongoing impact of COVID-19. At this time, we are evaluating each of our events planned for the next 60 days and will make decisions affecting those events on a case-by-case basis.
Rather than canceling events, it will be our goal to postpone or live stream any event that could pose a risk to attendees due to the gathering of a large group of individuals. Our decisions will be based upon information gathered from local health officials and guidance from federal, state and local directives.
As of today, the following events will be postponed or modified:
• March 20 – Chamber Member Breakfast featuring CapitolTalk will not be held with an audience, but will broadcast live from EPlusTV 6 from 8 – 9 a.m. Community members will have the opportunity to submit, via text and email, questions before and during the live event.
• April 9 – Leadership University Graduation scheduled for April 9th at Union University will be postponed.
Look for updates on JacksonTN.com and the Jackson Chamber’s social media for these upcoming events:
• March 26 – Business After Hours at LD2 Market Shoppes, 215 N. Church St., Jackson, TN 38301, from 5 – 7 p.m.
• April 9 – Spark with Derrick Smith, Content Designtist for Sodium Halogen from 7:45 – 9 a.m. at theCO
• April 24 – CapitolTALK, town hall meeting with our state representatives from 8 – 9 a.m. at Union University
• April 30 – Business After Hours at Courtyard by Marriott, 200 Campbell Oaks Dr. Jackson, TN 38305
• Also, look for updates on the April Jackson Young Professionals meeting.
Jackson Generals address COVID-19 issues leading up to 2020 season
West Tennessee Healthcare – Health System Taking Proactive Measures to Screen Visitors
In our continued efforts to prepare for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and to protect our patients and healthcare workers, we will be implementing new entrance screening procedures for patients and visitors.
At this time, our hospitals and clinics have not had any patients test positive for COVID-19. We are taking these proactive measures in an abundance of caution to do what is best for all those we care for.
To limit the spread of infectious disease, visitors will be asked questions, to understand if they are experiencing any symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath. Visitors may be asked to speak with one of our clinical staff members regarding their symptoms and depending on the situation, may be asked to visit a patient at a later date when their symptoms have ceased. Effective March 13, 2020, we are limiting entrance to facilities.
For example, at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, there will be screenings taking place at the following locations:
· Main Entrance (revolving doors) 5 a.m. – 8 p.m.
· Garage One entrance on the first floor 5 a.m. – 8 p.m.
· Walkway from the Medical Office Building over Forest Avenue 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
· Patient Discharge (Forest Avenue) 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
· Entrance near Ayers Children’s Medical Center (Forest Avenue) 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
· Emergency Room main entrance 24 hours
We understand that this may be inconvenient for some of our visitors, but this process has been implemented to protect the well-being of all of our patients and staff, which is our top priority.
Visitors may also notice changes inside our facilities such as waiting room closures, dining option changes, and limitations on the number of visitors allowed in patient rooms.
It is important that our communities understand that limiting entry points does not mean limiting access to our hospitals and clinics. All of our facilities remain ready to serve potential and current patients. Limiting entry points to our facilities helps us to ensure we are able to monitor guest access to better protect the safety and well-being of our patients, physicians, and healthcare staff during this time of heightened focus on wellness.
We will continue to provide updates as we receive them.
MISSION NASHVILLE
Jackson Councilman leading efforts to collect items for MISSON NASHVILLE
Jackson City Councilman Johnny Dodd, the community of Jackson, and the surrounding counties of West Tennessee will be coming together to support Nashville in their time of need.
Through the efforts of MISSION NASHVILLE, we will be collecting much-needed cleaning & paper products as well as bottled water to help our fellow Tennesseans.
You may drop off supplies at the following locations –
Tennessee Title Loan, 301 S. Highland Ave from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday thru Friday.
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 225 Daugherty St., from 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.
St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 278 Preston St., from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., on Tuesday and
Thursday. The final drop off day is Friday, March 20.
Citizens in Carroll/Henry or surrounding counties may contact Shonna Oglesby by phone at
(731) 694-0074 or by email at [email protected].
The public is invited to help our neighbors in need.
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalk1015/
