CFEC Still Working to Restore Power for Thousands After Sunday Storm

March 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Two days after a severe thunderstorm disrupted service for thousands of Caney Fork Electric Cooperative members in three counties, crews are still working to restore power to households affected by the outage.

“While we had a productive day Monday restoring power to our members following the severe storms on Sunday, March 29th, we found that there was no possibility of being able to get the lights back on for all of our members before we finished working Monday night between 8-9:00 p.m. In my 35 years at CFEC, this weather event has resulted in more broken poles at one time (between 75-80) than any other storm we have ever encountered,” said CFEC General Manager Bill Rogers.

“The hardest hit areas were in Northwest and Northern Warren County; Southern DeKalb County and Southern White County. At this time, we still have approximately 3,000-4,000 of our members still without power,” said Rogers.

“We are grateful for the assistance of four local power companies, four right of way contractors and two line contractors; without their help, we would not have made nearly the progress Monday that we were able to accomplish”.

“After a night’s rest, we will be back on the job at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31st to continue our efforts to repair the extensive damage to our system. We beg for and appreciate the patience of our members as we work to restore your power; please know that nothing is more important to us than our responsibility to you and we will do everything we possibly can to get your lights back on as quickly and safely as we can,” added Rogers.

March 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Monday issued a two-week statewide order closing non-essential businesses and telling Tennesseans to stay home in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Lee made the announcement during his daily briefing, saying the order is not a shelter-in-place mandate, but instead strongly urges Tennesseans to stay at home when at all possible.

The order mandates businesses or organizations that do not perform essential services to close its public access and are encouraged to use delivery, takeout, online or telephone operations.

Essential activities are defined as things like going to the grocery store, getting medications, providing or facilitating food orders, outdoor activities within the health guidelines and caring for or visiting a family member or friend within the health guidelines.

Under both state and federal guidelines, election officials are also considered essential employees. As a result, the DeKalb County Election Office will be open to issue and receive petitions through the qualifying deadline on Thursday, April 2.

Other Essential Services Include:
*Health Care and Public Health Operations

*Human Services Operations

*Essential Infrastructure Operations

*Essential Government Functions

*Food and Medicine Stores

*Food and Beverage Production and Agriculture

*Organizations that Provide Charitable and Social Services

*Religious and Ceremonial Functions

*Media

*Gas Stations and Businesses Needed for Transportation

*Financial Institutions and Insurance Entities

*Hardware and Supply Stores

*Critical Trades

*Mail, Post, Shipping, Logistics, Delivery, and Pick-up Services

*Educational Institutions

*Laundry Services

*Restaurants for Off-Premises Consumption

*Supplies to Work from Home

*Supplies for Essential Businesses and Operations

*Transportation

*Home-based Care and Services

*Residential Facilities and Shelters

*Professional Services

*Manufacturing, Distribution and Supply Chain for Critical Products and Industries

*Hotels and Motels

*Funeral Services

“This is not a mandated ‘shelter in place’ order, because it remains deeply important to me to protect personal liberties,” Lee said at a Monday afternoon news briefing.

The order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday and lasts through April 14, during which time only essential businesses are to continue operating and residents are to stay home “as much as possible,” per Executive Order 22, which was filed Monday with the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.

Executive Order 21 was also filed Monday, which specifically orders the temporary closure of salons, spas, concert venues, theaters and other indoor recreational facilities.

Lee previously held off on shutting down Tennessee for more than a week, insisting statewide orders are difficult to enforce and that he preferred to advise social distancing instead of mandating it. The governor cited Tennesseans’ willingness to do the right thing.

But desperate pleas from mayors and medical professionals have increased pressure on the governor to take more aggressive action.

As of Monday, state health officials had tallied 1,834 cases and 13 deaths in Tennessee as a result of the coronavirus, with some of the largest clusters in Nashville, Memphis and Williamson County. At least 148 people are hospitalized.

March 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in DeKalb County has increased to four as of Monday March 30 but 48 have tested negative for the virus.

“I have been notified by the TN Department of Health that there is one more confirmed COVID-19 case in DeKalb County bringing the total of confirmed cases to four as of this date,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling.

“As we ramp up our testing, we expect to identify more cases. But there is still a lot we can do to slow down the spread and protect our most vulnerable but the worst thing we can do is panic. Now is the time to look after our own health to limit the spread. Keep your hands clean and continue to practice social distancing. If you are feeling bad, stay at home. Our elderly need to be staying at home as much as possible and we as neighbors and friends need to keep a check on them,” he said.

“We will continue to work closely with the TN Department of Health and all agencies of government at all levels to minimize the impact on the residents of DeKalb County. That has been and continues to be our primary concern. We will get through this together as everyone takes a personal responsibility to do everything they can to protect our county and abide by Governor Lee’s “safer at home” order in effect through April 14, 2020,” said Stribling.

Individuals with specific questions can call the TDH Information line at 877-857-2945 or 931-646-7586.

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