The IRS issued new guidance on the tax credits available to small businesses that offer health coverage for their employees, which Congressman Bart Gordon hailed as good news for roughly 200 DeKalb County small businesses that may be eligible.
“These tax credits will make it easier for small businesses to provide health care coverage and retain good employees at a time when budgets are tight,” Gordon said. “The new guidelines will help small businesses get the maximum benefit from these credits.”
Tax credits are available for the 2010 tax year to small businesses with 25 or fewer employees and an average wage of $50,000 or less that provide health insurance for their employees. Companies with 10 or fewer employees and an average wage of $25,000 or less are eligible for the maximum credit—35 percent of what the employer is paying for employee insurance coverage. The maximum credit rises to 50 percent in 2014.
The guidelines issued this week clarify that small businesses can receive the credit for add-on dental and vision coverage, as well as traditional health coverage. The tax credit will not be reduced if the business also receives a health care subsidy from the state, such as CoverTN. Businesses with a mix of full-time and part-time employees will also have options to maximize their eligibility for credits.
Gordon noted that, while new health insurance reforms do not require small businesses of less than 50 employees to offer health care coverage, the widely-available credits will provide a broader economic boost.
“Small businesses employ more than 95 percent of Tennessee’s private workforce, so these credits are good news for our local economy,” Gordon said. “DeKalb County depends on its small businesses, and I encourage all business owners to stay informed about these and other available tax credits.”
The small business health insurance tax credits went into effect this year as part of the health insurance reform bill. In addition to creating tax credits, the bill aims to bring costs down for small businesses by allowing individuals to buy policies across state lines and providing access to large purchasing pools. For more information about what the bill means for small businesses, visit www.house.gov/bart.

Park Rangers with the US Army Corps of Engineers and members of the boating public at Center Hill Lake will participate in “Inflatable Life Jacket World Record Day!” The event will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 20 at the Buffalo Valley Recreation Area. Throughout North America, participants will simultaneously inflate their life jackets to set an unprecedented world record.
The public is invited to bring life jackets to help set the world record for inflating life jackets. Everyone wearing any type of life jacket will be included. This is a great kickoff to Safe Boating Week May 22-28 2010.
New innovations and developments in life jackets have produced a smaller, sleeker, and much more comfortable version of a life jacket.
“Inflatable life jackets are cool and comfortable,” said Acting Resource Manager Gregg Nivens. “We’re drawing attention to the importance of wearing a life jacket and to practice safety, courtesy and common sense on the lake.”
This World Record Day will help to usher in National Safe Boating Week, this year May 22 – 28, 2010. The day is being held in cooperation with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the National Safe Boating Council. More information is available at www.readysetinflate.com.
The goal of National Safe Boating Week is to educate and inform the boating public about boating safety, specifically life jackets. During National Safe Boating Week and throughout the boating season:
·Expect the unexpected. Wear your life jacket.
·Stay alert and aware. Avoid drinking and operating a boat.
.Keep a proper lookout – watch out for the “other guy.”
·Use courtesy and common sense.
·Learn to swim. Swim with a buddy.
·Swim in designated areas close to shore. Distances on the water are farther than they look.
·If your boat capsizes, stay with the boat. It will usually partially float, making rescue easier.
·Take a safe boating course

Right before spring break in late March, students at the three county-area elementary schools received a visit from a very special guest. Ollie Otter, Tennessee’s booster seat and seat belt safety mascot, visited the school to promote the use of booster seats. Ollie’s program also encourages students to wear their seat belts and to raise awareness about roadway construction site safety. Ollie’s slogan for the students is, “Under 4’9”- it’s Booster Time!” The 30-minute broadcast will air on MyDTC3-Channel 3, on Tues., May 18, 7 pm; Thurs., May 20, 1 pm; and Sat., May 22, 1 pm.
Ollie was joined by volunteers from the DCHS journalism staff to help increase booster seat and seat belt usage among Tennessee’s elementary school children. Presenting the program to second, third and fourth grade students at Northside Elementary, Smithville Elementary and DeKalb West schools were high school staff members: Elicia Cantrell, Marissa Garmer, Sabrina Griffin, Nick Hale and Lucas LaPrad (actors), Chelsea Holden, Brittany Malone, Raul Narvaez, Kelly Cubbins, Haley Snyder and Katie Stutts (press, photos and video). Donna Emmons, journalism teacher/adviser, helped coordinate the safety education events in the county elementary schools.
The program is sponsored by several organizations, including the Tennessee Transportation Development Foundation (TTDF) – a non-profit group established by the Tennessee Road Builders Association- and the TRBA Ladies Auxiliary. The statewide safety education program has made presentations in all 95 counties in Tennessee and is now crossing state borders.
“Our goal is to try to educate children through the Ollie Otter program about Tennessee’s child restraint law,” said Carol Coleman, chairperson of the TTDF. “Hopefully, children will encourage their caregivers, or whoever is driving them around, to make better safety decisions. Ollie needs help from everyone to make a difference to save children’s lives on our Tennessee highways. It is up to us all.”
DeKalb elementary school principals, Dr. Gayle Redmon, Northside, Dr. Bill Tanner, Smithville Elementary and Danny Parkerson, DeKalb West, agree. “I learned something new today,” Redmon said. “Almost all our students in second and third grade at Northside will need to ride in a booster seat to really be safe.”
The Ollie Otter program communicates that Tennessee state law requires the use of a booster seat until a child is 4-feet-9 inches tall or nine years old. An orange and white construction barrel, representing Ollie’s home, is on display to teach the children the importance of roadway safety near construction work zones. The children were told to ask their parents to “Please slow down!” when they see construction barrels or road builders on the roads.
With the help of the Tennessee Highway Patrol and local law enforcement, the children were also taught about “Belts to Bones”, and what parts of the body the seat belt should hit when properly buckled up- the collarbone, the sternum, and the hipbone. The fully costumed Ollie Otter character encourages children to wear their seat belts and educates them about Tennessee’s booster seat law. Volunteers from the crowd were also measured to show the students the height differences between those who need to be in a booster seat and those who don’t.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,250 lives. The use of booster seats compared to the use of adult seat belts alone lowers the risk of injury to children in crashes by fifty-nine percent.
The Ollie Otter program is implemented by a network of statewide volunteers who work through the Tennessee Technological University BusinessMedia Center in Cookeville to coordinate the presentations. The unprecedented educational safety campaign was launched in December of 2006, and continues to grow daily.
“The program is growing strong and we are all very excited about its expansion. Moving into the other states, such as Mississippi, creates more opportunities for Ollie to spread his message about booster seat and seat belt safety. Statistics show that booster seat usage is improving, which is what our goal is,” said Julie Brewer, program coordinator with the TTU Business Media Center. “The familiarity of the program has grown so that children and the community recognize Ollie and his message when he goes to a school or community event.”
To prepare volunteers to conduct the in-school presentations and perform as the costumed Ollie Otter, an online training course has been developed by the TTU Business Media Center through the Tennessee Board of Regents Online Continuing Education program. ROCE hosts the user-friendly online course and certifies the completion of the class.
The Ollie Otter program uses educational materials, such as measuring posters, bookmarks, and an interactive Web site, to inform children and their caregivers nationwide about seat belt and booster seat safety.
To sign up as a volunteer, to schedule a visit from Ollie, or to learn more about Tennessee’s booster seat and seat belt safety campaign, visit www.seatbeltvolunteer.org.
(Top Photo: Under 4-foot 9, It’s Booster Time: Students at DeKalb West School line up to be measured to use either a booster seat or a seat belt by Ollie the Otter and DCHS journalism student volunteer Elicia Cantrell)
(Center Photo: Smithville Elementary students help Ollie lead the Ollie Cheer during the “Under 4-foot 9, It’s Booster Time” presentation by volunteers from the DCHS journalism staff)
(Bottom Photo: Northside students learn about car and road safety from Ollie the Otter and DCHS journalism student volunteers Marissa Garmer, Elicia Cantrell and Sabrina Griffin)

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department charged two men last week with driving under the influence.
33 year old Gary Ashford of Goodner Lane, Alexandria was arrested Monday, May 10th for a second offense of driving under the influence and simple possession.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says a deputy found Ashford in his vehicle parked in the roadway on Snow Hill Road Dowelltown. While speaking with him, the officer noticed that Ashford had a smell of an alcoholic beverage on his person. Ashford also had red blood shot eyes and he was very unsteady on his feet. Ashford submitted to field sobriety tasks which he failed. At times, the officer had to assist Ashford in keeping his balance while walking. Ashford admitted to drinking alcohol and taking prescription drugs together. Upon an inventory of Ashford’s vehicle, a marijuana cigarette was found in the console. Bond for Ashford was set at $3,000 and he will appear in court on June 16th.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, May 11th a detective spotted a vehicle on Midway Road Smithville driving erraticly. After stopping the vehicle, the detective found the driver, 44 year old, Tony J. Reeder to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. Reeder had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and he was very unsteady on his feet. Reeder submitted to field sobriety tasks which he failed. Reeder was arrested and charged with a seventh offense of driving under the influence.
According to Sheriff Ray, Reeder had been convicted here in DeKalb County for driving under the influence on the dates of March 21st, 1984, April 11th, 1984, December 14th, 1994, and August 25th, 2006. He was also convicted of driving under the influence on August 28th, 1990 in Haywood County and on October 13th, 1997 in the state of Kentucky.
Bond for Reeder was set at $10,000 and he will appear in court on the charges May 27th.

A fire Friday afternoon destroyed a home on Carter Street in Smithville belonging to Ray and Joan Underwood.
The Underwoods, who had been living at this residence, had temporarily relocated while they were having the home renovated. They had planned to move back in once the renovation was completed.
A family member says that Mr. Underwood had begun mowing the yard on Thursday but had not finished. When he returned on Friday, Mr. Underwood opened the door to the garage and discovered that the riding mower had a fuel leak. Shortly after he entered the garage, a gas water heater inside the garage apparently ignited the fumes, causing an explosion and subsequent fire.
Underwood reportedly received minor burns and was checked out at the scene by DeKalb EMS.
Members of the Main Station, Cookeville Highway Station, and the Short Mountain Highway Station responded along with the department’s tanker truck.
(Photo provided by Callie Matthews)