$250,000 Awarded to Mentoring Program for Children of Prisoners

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- The Department of Corrections is set to present the Tennessee Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies with a $250,000 check in support of a mentoring program for children whose parents are in prison.

The department is scheduled to present the check on Wednesday at a ceremony at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee in Nashville.

The money will go towards the Big Brothers Big Sisters Tennessee Amachi Initiative, which is set up to help the children of prisoners.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Tennessee to Lease Cars for State Workers from Florida Company

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Tennessee has signed a three-year, $65 million contract with Mears Motor Leasing in Orlando, Fla. to lease 500 Ford Fusion sedans for state workers, according to the Tennessean.

The deal is a cost-cutting effort expected to save the state close to 33 cents each mile in leasing, maintenance, and gasoline costs. Currently the state reimburses state workers 47 cents per mile when using their personal cars for business.

According to the Tennessean, workers can only use the leased cars on state business. The pilot program will be used by the Department of Children’s Services, Department of Human Services, Department of Financial Institutions, and Department of Commerce and Insurance.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Kruger Expansion to Create 100 Jobs

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Kruger Products has announced that it plans on expanding its Memphis facilities, which officials say will lead to the creation of 100 jobs.

Officials say the company will invest $316 million in its existing Memphis mill, and as a result increase its production capacity by about 18 percent. In addition to the creation of jobs, the expansion will also protect 2,400 existing jobs at the company's facilities in the U.S. and Canada., according to a release by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

"Established Tennessee companies such as Kruger provide a solid foundation on which our state's economy will continue to grow," Governor Bill Haslam said in a statement. "I congratulate Kruger on their success and thank them for the additional 100 jobs created in Memphis."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

TVA Approves Plan to Upgrade Bellefonte Nuclear Plant

(BELLEFONTE, Ala.) -- The Tennessee Valley Authority has the go-ahead for the $4.9 billion completion of the Bellefonte Nuclear Reactor.

The plant, located in the ghost town of Bellefonte, Ala., will undergo a safety upgrade prompted by the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan.

The facility will generate enough power for some 750,000 residences in the TVA region.

The project will start by 2020.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

State Agencies Told to Trim Budgets by 30 Percent

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- On Thursday, Tennessee Finance Commissioner Mark Emkes, sent a letter to state departments and agencies which use federal funds to prepare budgets with 15 percent cuts in spending.

Emkes and some state officials met with rating agencies Moody's and Fitch in New York last week to discuss how Tennessee can avoid losing its credit rating. Emkes requested two budgets, one accommodating 15 percent cuts and the other with 30 percent cuts to be submitted by August 24th.

Tennessee, which receives at least 40 percent of its budget from federal funds, was affected by a cut in federal funding after the debt deal reached by Congress in June.

"While it is not possible for the state to know now what specific program reductions will be implemented by the federal government, we must plan," said Emkes.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio