Category Archives: Uncategorized

I can relate to the post, “Nowhere” is Really “Somewhere” Daily Yonder Keep It Rural. Dealing with apathy, change aversion and/or negativity, I wonder… but, then I guess we all think a dream might come true.

Visitors don’t care where the county lines are and they don’t get into the local community rivalries: Regional Flavor Strategies for Rural Area Tourism Development

There will still be people who call looking for free grant money to start their business. Who knew a guy with punctuation on his suit could be taken seriously and help create the urban myth. This article, Financing your start … Continue reading →

Broadband gaps hurt state business growth – Bangor Daily News Whether in Maine or in Hickman County, gaps on broadband access impacts economic development. It’s a little like the weather, hard to change, but easy to complain about it.

Today, I bought a copy of Governor (and former health care CEO) Phil Bredesen’s book, Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care System, and began reading it. So far, it is an interesting description of … Continue reading →

Every football fan in Tennessee this weekend has heard or seen and complained about too many men on the field, an inopportune pass interference, and/or the botched kickoff return. In Tennessee football, a misstep isn’t any secret. The competition of … Continue reading →

“Entrepreneurship: What do young people need to hear?” For young and old entrepreneurs, a story of a woman from a small town with a passion for her business and the will to learn how to write and implement a business … Continue reading →

“It’s not that they are stupid. It’s that they are actively against knowledge.” David Sedaris

General Mills to invest $100M in Murfreesboro, add 80 jobs – Nashville Business Journal …been waiting on this announcement awhile. Love the fruit in their yogurt.

“British pigeons faster than rural Internet speed” — The Rural BlogIn some places, that is still true. Better broadband availability and more technology utilization continues to be pursued by a few of us out in the rural areas.

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The blog entry, “It’s Not the Economy, Stupid“, on The Rurban Fringe offers some insight on the question, “How can you cultivate, attract and keep highly skilled individuals within your community?”

“Shop Local” has an economic impact as well as a more difficult to quantify impact on a community’s quality of place. “Eat Local” and the localvore movement has all that as well as addressing a clear health concern. I think … Continue reading →

The July Labor Force Estimates for Tennessee counties were released today. Hickman County had the lowest unemployment rate of the eight counties in our local workforce area (LWIA 10) at 11.2%. Marshall County at 15.7% was the highest. For all … Continue reading →

This has been a busy two weeks. From RFIs to labor force and wage and benefit report requests to designing and printing marketing materials to grant applications to Governor’s Three-Star Award for Economic & Community Development Preparedness re-certification review to … Continue reading →

Economic uptick for Tennessee? Sales tax collections grow – Nashville Business Journal Local sales and use tax collections across Tennessee were up 4.4% from July 2009 to July 2010. Local sales and use tax collections for Hickman County were up … Continue reading →

Nothing like a call from an old friend. I had one of those yesterday afternoon. Don and I worked together doing project work a while back and we did a little reminiscing about ‘the good old days.’ Having administrative assistance … Continue reading →

Recently enacted legislation, the HIRE Act (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act), can provide tax incentives to employers who hire people who are unemployed. The first, referred to as the payroll tax exemption, provides employers with an exemption from the … Continue reading →

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and … Continue reading →

I clicked on a great link on the Hickman County Higher Education website today. Whether a high school student off for the summer or an adult thinking about changing their career path, the CollegeForTN website provides a portal to higher … Continue reading →

I spend a lot of time in the car and satellite radio is a little luxury that maintains a level of cultural continuity. Today while listening to Public Radio Exchange, I was entertained (and revealed to be a nerd) by … Continue reading →

If you are looking for a great place to view fireworks on July 4th, the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce is presenting fireworks and ice cream next Sunday, July 4th in celebration of our country’s independence. Our founding fathers brought … Continue reading →

Economic development might seem an odd profession. Today was about as good as it gets… over an hour in a hot industrial building and stopping for a gallon of milk and an ice cream treat at the new Dollar General … Continue reading →

“Fed survey: recovery spreads across country” documents additional signs of a slow but welcome economic recovery across all Federal Reserve regions.

How to Ask For Tax Dollars to Market Your Rural Tourism Destination has good information on measuring rural tourism benefits and justifying investing in growing the value of your community’s tourism destinations.

Business disasters can come from fire, hackers, flood, tornado — any disruption to your operations. Planning for disaster to mitigate its impact is as important as strategic planning, marketing plans, etc. PrepareMyBusiness.org looks like a great place to start your … Continue reading →

Part 3 of the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce’s Customer Service Series will be held on Thursday, May 27th — 8 am at the Hickman County Career Center, 130 Progress Center Plaza in Centerville. The previous 2 sessions have received … Continue reading →

Plenty of flood damage remains, but things are returning to normal in Hickman County. Centerville Marketplace on the Centerville Public Square will be celebrating their Grand Opening on Friday, May 21 from 11:00 to 2:00. Centerville Marketplace is filled with … Continue reading →

Flood Recovery and Clean-up Tips from UT Extension…and the national network of land grant universities, e-extension, including the Louisiana State University Ag Center. FEMA said residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for … Continue reading →

Flood Disaster Information from Congressman Marsha Blackburn’s office. http://blackburn.house.gov/DisasterRecovery2010/