Hamilton County Schools in partnership with the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation has announced the launch of a Book Bus that will bring books and literacy resources to neighborhoods in Hamilton County.
Hamilton County Schools is one of 12 local partners in Tennessee that was awarded Book Bus grant funding from GELF in 2023. The bus had a soft launch before the bus was fully wrapped to deliver books and literacy activities to students at Summer Reach 2024 sites.
“We are excited to utilize the new Hamilton County Schools Book Bus to deliver decodable readers, high quality books to build background knowledge, and provide foundational literacy skills activities to our youngest students in the county,” says Breckan Duckworth, executive director with Hamilton County Schools.
Through GELF’s Book Bus program, partnering school districts retrofit a decommissioned school bus to house literacy resources. These Book Buses then travel to neighborhoods and community events during the summer, creating an engaging learning space for families.
Many serve communities faced with challenges to book access, such as library deserts or low-income neighborhoods, and partner with organizations offering additional services, such as food programs or health care providers. Educators distribute resources and lead reading workshops to combat learning loss and increase adult-child engagement with literacy.
New Heritage Walk phase launching soon
GreenTech Homes will launch in September Phase II of its Heritage Walk master-planned development, introducing up to 120 new homes and townhomes to the East Brainerd neighborhood.
Located just off the intersection of East Brainerd Road and Jenkins Road, Heritage Walk aims to revive traditional neighborhood living with a network of more than 10 miles of lamp-lit sidewalks, extensive shared green space, a resort-style swimming pool and wooded walking paths along creeks.
This community embraces front porch living and offers unique features intentionally designed to foster a vibrant and connected lifestyle. Heritage Walk’s design promotes scenic walkability, with easy access to nearby parks, pizza parlors, ice cream shops, dog parks, playgrounds and public spaces.
Heritage Walk is an example of a resurgence using “Traditional Neighborhood Design” (TND), which reflects a recognition of its value in blending past suburban planning principles with modern living standards. TND communities like Heritage Walk emphasize walkable neighborhoods, mixed-use spaces and a strong sense of community, standing in stark contrast to sprawling, car-dependent suburban developments.
The new phase at Heritage Walk offers exciting opportunities and incentives for buyers, with homes starting in the upper $400,000s. The first wave of lots will be available in August, providing early buyers with premier plat selections and incentives.
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Tennessee Guard celebrates 250 years
Soldiers, Airmen, and friends of the Tennessee Military Department gathered at Nashville’s Joint Force Headquarters last week to celebrate and honor the Tennessee National Guard’s 250th birthday.
Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General and Command Sgt. Maj. Dale Crockett, Tennessee’s Senior Enlisted Leader, hosted the ceremony where hundreds of service members reflected on the organization’s heritage, accomplishments, and service over the last two and a half centuries.
Ross presided over a ceremonial cake cutting, service members listened to guest speakers, and everyone honored the sacrifice and accomplishments of all those that came before them.
“Celebrating 250 years of service to our state and nation is a remarkable achievement,” says Crockett. “I am proud of what our Soldiers and Airmen have done over the years, and it is reflected in the traditions and accomplishments they’ve performed since the first militiamen volunteered to serve back in 1774.”
The Tennessee National Guard’s origins trace back to before Tennessee became a state. In 1774, the Virginia frontier was under attack by Shawnee Indians, so Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, ordered four regiments of militia and volunteers to organize and repel the attacks.
Capt. Evan Shelby, a militia leader from the self-governing Watauga settlement that was in Tennessee’s present-day Sullivan and Carter counties, formed the settlement’s first volunteer militia company, named the Fincastle Company, to assist the Virginia governor.
Shelby and 49 other militiamen assembled Aug. 17, marching from their homes to join the amassing Virginia regiments. This marked the first time “Tennesseans” deployed for war as a militia.
“That moment represents the birth of the Tennessee militia, which transformed into the present-day Tennessee National Guard,” says Ross. “It also started a tradition of volunteerism that is celebrated as our state’s nickname and is a core belief of everyone here today.”
State continues win streak on unemployment
For a third consecutive month, the statewide unemployment rate remained at an all-time low of 3%, according to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state first marked the record low for seasonally adjusted unemployment in May, and it has held steady ever since.
Over the past year, Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate dropped 0.2 of a percentage point, from 3.2% to 3%.
Employers across the state added 2,000 new nonfarm jobs to their payrolls between June and July. The construction sector accounted for most of the new jobs. The health care and social assistance sector was responsible for the next highest amount of job growth, followed by the wholesale trade sector.
Comparing year-to-year job growth, Tennessee has 22,600 additional nonfarm jobs. The largest increase in employment was in the education and health services sector, followed by the mining, logging and construction sector and then the trade, transportation and utilities sector.
The nationwide rate increased during July. Seasonally adjusted unemployment grew by 0.2 of a percentage point to 4.3% across the United States.
In a year-to-year comparison, the national unemployment rate jumped 0.8 of a percentage point, from 3.5% to 4.3%.
Survey: Employee, job seeker confidence rises
Vaco, a leading global talent solutions firm, today released the third quarterly Vaco Talent Pulse Report of 2024, featuring results that signal a rise in employee and job seeker confidence across all three key areas measured, including job security, financial status and career advancement.
This marks the fifth installment of the Vaco Talent Pulse Report, and the first quarter that year-over-year comparative data is available.
The Q3 data points reflect a stark departure from Vaco’s Q2 Talent Pulse Report results, which indicated reduced confidence levels among job seekers and employees.
Most notably, the Q3 report showed respondents are feeling confident in their ability to acquire and retain a job:
New year-over-year data by Vaco offers a snapshot of worker sentiment amid economic uncertainty.
• 45% are extremely confident in their current job search, as compared to only 35% of respondents in Q2 – a jump of 10 points in one quarter – and 39% in the third quarter of 2023, yielding a 6-point year-over-year increase.
• Only 26% of respondents reported feeling a lack of confidence in their job search, which is a seven-point drop from Q2 (33%) and a 2-point dip from a year ago (28%).
“Despite the economic uncertainty that has punctuated much of 2024, our Vaco Q3 Talent Pulse Report reveals a workforce that has remained determined and resilient in the face of market challenges,” says Kevin Witt, Vaco president.
“Compared to a year ago, confidence levels among job seekers and employees have shown improvement or stability across three areas of focus, including job security, financial status and career advancement. It is notable given elevated unemployment rates in both the U.S. and in Canada.”
Zillow: Sellers lost advantage in July
Competition for homes and price appreciation tapered off faster than normal in July as high housing costs continued to stymie shoppers, according to the Zillow market report. But recent drops in mortgage rates should spur more competition as we head into fall.
“If this relief from mortgage rates continues, we should see more buyers restarting their hunt for a home,” said Zillow chief economist Skylar Olsen.
“But although rate lock among homeowners is easing, they probably won’t be as motivated to jump back into the market and sell. With housing inventory still scarce, this improved affordability picture could reignite competition and sales as we head into the fall, or at least delay the usual post-summer cool-down.”
Sellers gave up a marked advantage over buyers in July on the national scale, as the Zillow market heat index moved into neutral territory for the first time since December. This marks the first July the national market has been neutral since 2019; in each of the past two years, the market moved into neutral ground in October.
Homes are lingering on the market – even successful listings took almost a week longer to sell in July than last year. While that’s still five days faster than the average pace of sales in the years before the pandemic, it’s still a sign that buyers were much less eager to commit.