Tennessee's Unemployment Rate Inches Downward

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Tennessee's unemployment rate is headed downward, a result of fewer people in the state looking for jobs, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

The department says that in October the unemployment rate stood at 9 .6 percent, down from 9.8 percent in September.

"The drop in the unemployment rate from September to October is attributable to an increase in employment and fewer people looking for jobs," Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis said in a statement.

The national unemployment rate for October stood at nine percent, representing a slight decline from the previous month's figure of 9.1 percent.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

TVA Says Nuclear Plants Are Safe

(STARKVILLE, Miss.) -- On Thursday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors met to discuss ways to make nuclear facilities safer following tornadoes in the region in April and the tsunami in Japan.

The board also voted to continue the federal pay freeze for CEO Tom Kilgore, whose salary and benefits is $2.708 million. The TVA provides utilities to several states including Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.

"We are focused on making sure our nuclear plants operate safely and withstand natural disasters similar to those that crippled the Fukushima reactors in Japan," said Kilgore. "TVA employees strive every day to provide safe, cleaner, affordable, and reliable energy. These are the cornerstones of our vision."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Second Camera Company Suing over Tenn. Red Light Cam Statute

(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) -- Another traffic camera vendor has filed a lawsuit this week over a Tennessee statute that affects revenue collected from the red-light cameras.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that two traffic camera vendors are now suing local governments due to the issuance of citations for improper right turns on red: in Tennessee, the practice has been halted under a new state law banning citations for an improper right turn on red if the only evidence is video from the traffic cameras.

Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. filed suit Monday against the town of Farragut on claims that traffic safety is being affected as hundreds of traffic violations go unchecked.

The first related suit came just six days prior, when American Traffic Solutions Inc. sued the city of Knoxville on Nov. 8 on similar claims.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Changes In Store for New Teacher Evaluation System?

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Some changes may be on the horizon in the way Tennessee teachers are evaluated.

This was the message the Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman delivered to the state legislature’s Joint Operations Committee on Wednesday, according to The Tennessean. On the heels of the recently implemented evaluation system linked to student test scores, Huffman said some tweaking may need to be done to the evaluation process.

Since the new system went into place, there have been some complaints about the time being spent on evaluations and whether teachers are receiving fair ratings from principals, reports The Tennessean.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

State Health Dept. Commissioner Warns of Massive Cuts

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Tennessee Health Department Commissioner John Dreyzehner says he is concerned about both state and federal funding for next year's budget.

“The thing I’m probably most worried about beyond this room? What’s going on in Washington, D.C.,” Dreyzehner said at a public hearing on the 2012-13 budget, according to the Chattanooga Free Times Press.

Dreyzehner told state officials not only does the Health Department face nearly $40 million in cuts for next year, but economic unrest in Washington could put in jeopardy a portion of the $242 million in federal funding the state relies on. The commissioner said federal cuts -- which represent 40 percent of the department's budget -- would be "devastating" to the agency, according to the Free Press.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio