COVID-19 Snapshot: What you need to know this week

{Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 situation is constantly evolving with lots of variables to consider when making decisions about how best to keep both you and your loved one safe. Each Wednesday, The Lynchburg Times will publish a weekly snapshot. It’s our attempt do collect all the important metrics is a single place for our citizens.}

Moore County gained 20 new COVID cases in the past 24 hours and now has 98 active cases and 649 inactive or recovered cases.

20 new cases in the past 24 hours. On Thursday at 2 p.m., the Tennessee Department of Health stated that Moore County reported 20 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours for a total of 753 since the global pandemic began in 2020. For comparison, our four surrounding counties reported the following increases over the past 24 hours: Bedford County 88, Coffee County 91, Franklin County 55, and Lincoln County 81.

52 new cases over the past seven days. According to the state numbers, Moore County gained 52 new, active cases over the past seven days. For comparison, our four surrounding counties reported the following increases over the past seven days: Bedford 407, Coffee 365, Franklin 257, and Lincoln County 254.

Eighth highest rate of infection. According to the COVID Act Now website, Moore County currently reports the 8th highest rate of infection among Tennessee’s 95 counties. Nearby Giles County ranks number one. Our surrounding counties ranks as follows: #11 Bedford County, #12 Lincoln County, #39 Franklin County, and #55 Coffee County. These ranking are based on daily new cases per 100,000 population.

Moore County is currently in vaccine phase 1a2. This means that vaccine will be available to all 1a1 phase persons (all high exposure health care workers, residents and staff of long term care facilities, first responders, and adults who cannot live independently) as well as 1a2 phase persons (outpatient healthcare workers with direct exposure including mortuary services). Any citizen aged 75 or older is also eligible to be vaccinated. All 1a1 person are considered priority – meaning that they go to the the front of the line regardless of which risk-based or age-based phase Moore County is in. To determine your vaccine phase, click here.

No COVID vaccine shipment for the week of January 4-9. According to state officials, Moore County will not receive a COVID-19 vaccine shipment this week for the public. Instead, those available vaccines for all counties are being redirected to area drug store, who are responsible for administering doses to long-term care facility like Lynchburg Nursing Center.

Less than two percent of Moore County currently vaccinated. According to the state, 1.6 percent of residents in Moore County are currently vaccinated. That’s a little over 100 people. By comparison, less than three percent of Tennesseans are currently vaccinated. According to the state, more that 157,000 total vaccinations have been administered across Tennessee’s 6.8 million residents. That’s around 2.3 percent.

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg, Tennessee. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}

AT&T says no recovery timeframe for Internet back online due to building damage and investigation

AT&T officials says Internet services in the state, including Moore County’s Monster Broadband, can not be restored until commercial power can be turned back on in the damaged data center. (File Photo)

STATE NEWS — Based on information given both through a company press release and the 1 p.m. press conference, there is currently “no recovery timeframe in hand” for an all clear on AT&T-fed Internet in Tennessee as well as parts of Kentucky and northern Alabama. This includes Moore County’s Monster Broadband.

According to AT&T mechanical engineers, they confirmed that there is roughly three feet of water in the basement of the data center from overnight efforts to fight a fire in the building. That water has the potential to do damage to mechanical equipment in the area. Also, that standing water is preventing commercial power from being restored, which is preventing restoration of Internet services.

Both AT&T and TEMA have generators on site, which has restored some 3G cellular services, but commercial power will need to be restored to get Internet back online. That power remains shut off near the area of the explosion so that FBI and ATF can safely continue their investigation.

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Don Cochran said his office had received over 500 tips and leads since Friday and investigators were following up on all of them.

Cochran stated that the area near the AT&T data center was like a giant jigsaw puzzle filled with clues.

He also stated that over 250 FBI agents were on the ground in Nashville and profilers at Quantico were working to help narrow the manhunt.

“We ask that you be patient,” said Metro Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake.

No one at the 1 p.m. press conference named any suspect or persons of interest in the bombing. CBS News released the name of Anthony Quinn Warner, age 63, of Nashville as a person of interest in the bombing earlier today. Click here for that link. •

Raiders tied with Greenfield for #5 in latest AP poll

The Moore County Raiders moved up two spots to tie with Greenfield as the number five Division 1, Class 1A team in the state, according to this week’s AP Tennessee Football Prep Poll. {File Image}

SPORTS | According to the Associated Press’s (AP) Tennessee Football Prep Polls, released on Monday, Moore County earned their way back into the top five Division 1, Class 1A teams in the state after a 21-0 victory over Eagleville last Friday. To view the complete, AP poll click here.

The Raiders (5-1) were tied with Greenfield (5-0) for the number five spot. Perennial powerhouse South Pittsburg (5-0) continues to reign in the number one spot followed by: 2. Copper Basin (6-0), 3. Fayettville City (5-1), and 4. Coalfield (4.-1).

Lake County (2-2), who previously ranked number two in Class 1A, dropped to number seven after their second loss of the season on September 25 to Westview. Huntingdon (4-2), Cornersville (5-1), and Monterey (4-0) round out the top ten.

Eagleville game statistics

Against Eagleville, QB Kyler Parker connected on 11 of 17 passes for 142 yards.

Parker also led in rushing yards with 110. Dawson White contributed 28. Tyler Smith added another 26 and Kaden White hustled for 25 yards. Brayden Cashion managed 12 yards on four carries. In total, the Raiders rushed for 201 yards on 39 carries for a 5.2 yards per carry average.

Kaden White led the Raider receiving corp with six catches for 60 yards through the air. Cashion followed with 50 and Dawson White added 32 more. In total, the Raiders managed 142 yards through the air on 11 receptions for a 12.9 per catch average.

Parker, Dawson White, and Tyler Smith all contributed a touchdown each and Raider kicker Chase Bradford was three of three on extra points.

The Raider offense managed 343 yards against Eagleville.

Defensively, Kaden White and Donavin Pearson did the heavy lifting with 10 tackles each. Tyler Smith followed with nine tackles, caused a fumble, and got a quarterback sack. Hayden Carter added another eight tackles. Both Zac Carawan and Joseph Trice got a huge second quarter sack on Eagleville QB Collins that forced a punt on fourth and five.

The Raiders gets a bye week this Friday during Moore County Schools fall break. They will return to Raider Stadium on Friday, October 9 to take on Jo Byrn for homecoming.

The game will kick off in Lynchburg at 7 p.m. If you can’t attend, it will be broadcast live on Raider Country 105.1 and 95.5 FM with Joe Abraham and the Moore County Sports Network team, on the NFHS Network, or The Lynchburg Times will post live score updates on our Facebook page. •

Tourism up and COVID counts down several weeks after Jack tours resume

According to numbers provided by both Jack Daniel’s and the Tennessee Department of Health, tourism number are up in Moore County since the Visitor’s Center resumed public tours while active COVID cases are trending down. {Photo Courtesy of Jack Daniel’s Distillery}

LOCAL NEWS — Maybe it’s too soon to tell, but the re-opening of Jack Daniel’s Distillery to public tours doesn’t appear to be causing a local spike in COVID-19 numbers.

In early August, the distillery quietly resumed public tours at the Visitor’s Center and re-opened both the Hardware and General Store on the square and Miss Mary Bobo’s Restaurant, though all three modified things a bit. Masks are required. Hand sanitizer is at the ready, and in order to encourage social distancing, the number of folks allowed in all three at one times has been greatly reduced.

So we wondered, what effect (if any) is this having on both local COVID numbers and the many local business that cater to tourism in Lynchburg.

Weekly COVID numbers trend down in Lynchburg

Despite the fact that Jack Daniel’s draws tourist from not only around the state but around the world, the weekly numbers reported by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) seem to be trending down. Just prior to the reopening, Moore County gained 17 new COVID cases for the week ending August 7. Since then, that number has been trending down. For the week ending August 14, there were 13 new cases, 11 new cases the following week, and just eight new case the final week in August.

As of Wednesday’s 2 p.m. COVID numbers provided by the TDH, there were just 36 active cases in Moore County — a decrease from the previous week.

Small businesses get bump but still struggle

We spoke to three historic district small businesses recently and all three reported seeing a small increase in foot traffic but numbers that were no where near 2019.

“Last year on this day, I was $500,000 in sales above my sales today,” one small business owner said. “The COVID situation has really impacted our businesses.”

Another local business manager said she’d noticed a slight difference but no major increase in foot traffic since tours resumed. In part, she attributed this to the fact that the Visitor’s Center stopped utilizing buses on tours as a COVID 19 precaution. This means the distillery is not currently dropping off tourists on the Lynchburg Square as the last part of its public tour.

“We’ve seen a slight increase,” she said. “But it hasn’t been huge.”

Another business owner estimated that her business was up by about 25 percent since tours resumed.

“We would love for things to be back to ‘normal’, but we are optimistic that things will get better,” she said.

Situation that’s constantly evolving and monitored

Distillery officials say the active case counts and trends are something they are monitoring weekly.

“In terms of the COVID numbers, we evaluate these on a weekly basis as well as being informed anytime there is a new case,” Jack Daniel’s senior leadership told us. “Our HR team is responsible for tracking and contact tracing. This team includes our onsite nurse who serves as point for this work. We have a Homeplace review every Friday and this is one of the factors considered. Ultimately, senior leadership will make the decision if we adjust any operations in response.”

Jack Daniel’s say they would not hesitate to shutdown public tours again if that’s what the data suggested was in the best interest of both the distillery and the community but at the moment the numbers seem to be trending down. When we asked them what impact (if any) resumption of tours had had on local COVID numbers, they responded with a confident, “none.”

“In terms of resumption of tours impacting COVID cases in Moore County, we are confident it is none,” distillery officials told us. “The daily cases have dropped considerably.”

Distillery officials say they believe the summer spike was completely driven by the summer vacation season.

This graphs provided by Jack Daniel’s Distillery shows that there has been no real spike in new COVID-19 cases in Moore County since the Visitor’s Center re-opened to public (if modified) public tours in early August. {Graphics Provided}

“Daily guest count continues to climb as COVID cases have dropped back to near zero as vacation season wrapped up.”

Officials say the next trend they’ll monitor will be the impact of return to school.” •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently owned and operated newspaper that publishes new stories every morning. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}

Raiders blank Cascade in season opener

The Raiders really wanted to give first year Coach Kris White his first W as the MCHS head coach and the boys in Columbia blue did just that with a shut out win in Lynchburg tonight over the Cascade Champions, 15-0.

With no preseason scrimmages, Raider fans knew the first couple of series might be a little bumpy and they were. Moore County fumbled on the third play from scrimmage to hand Cascade the ball.

The Champions didn’t do much with it — going a quick three and out and handing the ball over to the Raiders on downs.

With Raider QB Kyler Parker in control, Kaden White and Tyler Smith put together a first down before Parker completed a long pass to Brayden Cashion to put the Raiders on the board. Chase Bradford’s first PAT of the season connected to give the Raiders an early 7-0 lead with 6:43 remaining in the first.

Cascade managed a little momentum on the next series before Donavin Pearson got a big third and 10 stop. He forced a fumble but Cascade recovered only to punt on the next play.

On the next Raider series, first game missteps reared their head again. QB Parker put together a couple of long passes to Dawson White to get the Raiders third and goal. Moore County then fumbled the ball at the goal line with 20 seconds left in the first half.

One the next series, the Raiders crowded the end zone as Cascade played deep in their own territory and managed a safety to give them a 9-0 lead.

In the second quarter, the Raiders put together a first down effort with run plays by Tyler Smith and Dawson White before Parker hit a wide open Dylan Scruggs for a first down.

On the next play, a tipped pass found its way to Scrugg in the end zone to give the Raiders six more. With 9:59 remaining in the second quarter, the Raiders scored the final points of the night.

At the end of four, the Raiders snagged a home victory and its first W for Coach Kris White. The Raiders played disciplined football and clearly feel comfortable under their new head coach. Though the offensive sputtered in this first outing, the defense showed grit with smart tackles and never giving up on plays.

After the game, Coach White told The Times that he was really happy with the Raiders effort tonight.

“We knew we were gonna make mistakes and some things would be out of our control but the one thing we could control was effort. I felt like they did that,” he said.

The Raiders play at home again next Friday against Community. It will also be Senior Night. Kick off is at 7 p.m. •

Farmers Market will happen in Wiseman Park again on Friday

LYNCHBURG — Due to an increased chance of rain Friday afternoon, the Lynchburg Farmers Market will once again take place at Moorehead Pavilion in Wiseman Park from 2-5 p.m.

The Lynchburg Farmers Market happens again Friday afternoon and we’ve confirmed a local meat producer will be there to sell to the public. {File Photo}

Vendors will offer locally-grown fruits and veggies, herbs, fresh flowers, local honey, and Metro Mayor Bonnie Lewis confirmed Thursday afternoon that a local producer would be on hand selling fresh, USDA-inspected steaks, ground beef and pork sausage.

“Maybe one day they will get to try their new venue on the hill,” Mayor Lewis joked.

The Lynchburg Farmers Market will happen every Friday … either at the corner of Majors Boulevard and Mechanic Street or in Wiseman Park from 2-5 p.m. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}

Lynchburg Alzheimer’s walk planned for Sept. 19

Participants gather near the Moore County Courthouse at last year’s event. {Photo Provided}

LYNCHBURG — If you just look at the numbers, it’s a devastating disease. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of deaths in the U.S. affecting more women than men. Almost two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S. are women. In total, more than five million Americans are living with the disease and another 16 million caregivers are affected.

Each year, across the country communities come together to raise money for research as well as patient and caregiver support.

According to organizers, the Lynchburg Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on the Lynchburg Square on Saturday, September 19 with registration opening at 7:30 a.m. and the walk beginning around 8:45 a.m.

All proceeds benefit the local Alzheimer’s Association office that provides 24/7 care and support for local families while also supporting important Alzheimer’s research.

Currently, nearly 30 teams from Lynchburg and the surrounding communities are registered for the event. To register your team, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website or visit the local event’s Facebook page. •

Live Updates: Moore County Coronavirus Closings

LOCAL NEWS — Sometimes life comes at your fast. Over the past week, we’ve witnessed the coronavirus situation evolve quickly … even in our small town. Things seem to change rapidly. So we’ve gathered a comprehensive list of all the Moore County related closings and postponements in one handy list.

{Editor’s Note: This list is in alphabetical order and will be updated daily. Last update March 17 at 11 a.m.}

Jack Daniel’s Distillery – Brown-Forman will closed the distillery to public tours beginning Monday, March 16 until further notice. Miss Mary Bobo’s and the Lynchburg Hardware and General Store will also close. The Distillery will continue to operate normally. Click here for more details.

Lynchburg Nursing Center – In an effort to protect their vulnerable patient population, the Lynchburg Nursing Center will significantly limit visitors for the time being. The Center is helping families communicate in alternative ways including telephone, texting, and video calls to residents.

Metro Utilities Department – As of Monday, March 16 the lobby of the MUD office in Lynchburg will be closed to walk in traffic. Employees will continue to report to work and the drive through will be open during regular business hours to accept payments.

Moore County Court System – Per an order from the Tennessee Supreme Court, most in-person judicial proceedings in Tennessee will be postponed for the remainder of the month of March. This includes Moore County General Sessions and Moore County Circuit Court hearings. Click here for more details.

Moore County Public Library – The library remains open regular hours but is closed to foot traffic. Patrons may borrow books, videos, and other materials on a drive thru/curb side basis. There are also several ways to access materials online. Click here for more info.

Moore County Schools – All Moore County schools will close on Tuesday, March 17 and remain closed through March 31. Click here for more details.

Motlow College – College officials have decided to extend spring break until March 22. Classes will resume online only on Monday, March 23. Click here for more details.

Oak Barrel Half Marathon – In response to COVID -19 and Distillery’s decision to suspend some operations, the organizer have postponed the annual Oak Barrel Half Marathon until October 24. The event usually takes place in April. Click here for more details.

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Moore County … covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, the Lynchburg Music Fest, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}

Buddy the Beagle gets his own Facebook page

Some folks have a town dog. Lynchburg has it’s own distillery dog and now Buddy the Beagle has his own social media page. {Photo Provided}

LOCAL NEWS — For Jack Daniel’s hardest working canine, life can be exhausting. From sneaking treats from local tour guides to free belly rubs from any of the 300,000 visitors who come through Lynchburg each year … Buddy’s work is rarely done.

Those of you who know and love Buddy the Beagle can now follow him on his very own Facebook page. Click here for a link. The page is run by Jack employee Alison Goodwin Hartung.

On it, you can chronicle his adventures from greeting tourists, taking golf cart rides with tour guides, overseeing the landscaping crew, or taking selfies with locals. He’s also been known to get rides home in the evening from Jack Daniel security. He’s even been known to be featured regularly in this newspaper. Everybody loves Buddy. So go on over and give his page a like. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently owned and operated community newspaper that publishes new stories every morning. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}

Lynchburg’s oldest living vet, Aulden Raby, to grand marshall Christmas parade

Quilts of Valor honored Lynchburg’s oldest known vet, Aulden Raby, in October. {Photo Provided}

This October, Moore County native Aulden Raby, looked all smiles as members of Quilts of Valor wrapped a warm, homemade quilt around his shoulders and honored his service in World War II. On Saturday, he’ll once again be honored as he rides in the annual Lynchburg Christmas Parade as the Grand Marshall.

Born in the Charity community of Moore County to Willis and Lorina Raby, Aulden Raby enlisted in the Army in 1944. U.S troops and their allies were fighting the Nazi’s in Germany and beyond and D-Day saw 155,000 allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy.

“At the time, it was pretty much expected of a young man,” says Mr. Raby of his decision to enlist. “But I felt the need to serve our country.”

He trained in Washington State and then headed overseas to places like France and Germany. By late 1945, the Axis collapsed and America and her allies claimed victory. Soon, Aulden Raby would return home.

Back home, he’d do what most men his age would do … get married and settle down. He and his wife had four children: Ronnie Raby, Connie (Raby) Taylor, Janice (Raby) Brown, and Virginia (Raby) Bracey. Eventually eight grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and five great great grandchildren would come along.

Mr. Raby says it’s an honor to be recognized for his service and sacrifice by his community. He’s looking forward to serving as the Grand Marshall on Saturday and has a full day of activities planned around it.

You can meet Aulden Raby at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at a Meet and Greet held at Diamond Gussett on the Lynchburg Square. The Christmas Parade will begin at 2 p.m. •