March 19 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday allocated $793,000 to support Tennessee residents who are still impacted by Tropical Storm Helene and continue receiving unemployment benefits.
“Many workers had their lives completely upended when Tropical Storm Helene swept across Tennessee” in September, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a news release.
“As communities continue working to rebuild, I’m pleased to approve additional unemployment assistance for hardworking Tennesseans who were impacted by this disaster,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
The Labor Department awarded the funds via a grant to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development to continue providing disaster-relief payments to individuals affected by the tropical storm.
The funding supports Tennessee residents who lost their jobs or had their jobs and self-employment disrupted by the natural disaster that caused widespread flooding and landslides.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Oct. 2 issued a major disaster declaration for Tennessee, which enabled state officials to seek federal assistance.
FEMA in October allocated $938,400 for disaster unemployment assistance in Tennessee.
The 2024 Atlantic storm season produced 18 named storms, including 11 hurricanes. Five of the storms qualified as major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
An average hurricane season produces 14 named tropical storms and seven hurricanes. The 2020 storm season produced 30 named storms, which is the most on record.
Natural disasters last year killed thousands globally and inflicted billions in damages.
Florida is back in The Swamp on Saturday for the first time since Oct. 18, just in time for a rivalry matchup with No. 20 Tennessee.
The Gators walked away from their three-game road trip winless and interim coach Billy Gonzales is still yet to win a game. But while their 3-7 record eliminates them from bowl eligibility, the Gators still have plenty to play for. Tennessee and Florida State are the last two opponents on Florida’s schedule and historically create gritty matchups with bragging rights that go a long way. The Gators haven’t lost at home to Tennessee since 2003 and won’t play the Vols for two years with the SEC’s new scheduling practices.
Here are Florida’s five keys to taking down Tennessee’s high-powered offense and keeping the win streak alive.
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar leads one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Aguilar is first in the SEC with 2,737 yards and 19 touchdowns. Tennessee averages over 44 points per game and will blow the game open if you allow Aguilar to get comfortable.
Florida bringing defensive tackle Caleb Banks back into its lineup could be a game-changer after he’s missed the last seven games. His ability to stop the run and pressure the quarterback could force Aguilar to make quicker decisions and, in turn, make mistakes. Banks hasn’t really been on the field all season, but will instantly draw the Tennessee offensive line’s attention, which could provide openings for the rest of the defensive line.
Florida has only recorded 21 sacks this year, a clip that needs to improve if the Gators are going to slow down the Volunteer offense.
Florida’s secondary is another area that needs to show out Saturday.
Tennessee is 14th in the country in passing yards per completion, near Ole Miss and Texas A&M, who both caused problems downfield for Florida. The wide receiver trio of Chris Brazzell II, Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews is elite. They are all within the top seven in the SEC in receiving yards. Brazzell leads with 808. Matthews, the worst statistically of the three, still has 200 more yards than Vernell Brown III, Florida’s leading receiver this year.
The Gators will have to watch out for the deep ball. Safety Bryce Thornton will be a major difference maker, but that’s if he makes it onto the field. He’s currently questionable, but his ball-hawking ability can create takeaways.
Gonzales said it’s inevitable for a team like Tennessee to create big plays, but the real battle is making sure you get right up and prevent them from continuing.
That’s the exact mindset Florida’s defense needs to have going into Saturday.
At risk of becoming repetitive, the Volunteers’ offense is the most explosive part of their team. It’s how they win games. If the Gator defense can keep Tennessee under 30, they will have a chance to score the major upset.
DJ Lagway showed some slight improvement in Florida’s loss to Ole Miss. His long touchdown toss to receiver J. Michael Sturdivant with the sophomore signal-caller’s feet planted shows what he can do when he is confident and can get his mechanics set. That starts with the offensive line.
Austin Barber has struggled this season at left tackle. Lagway naturally tends to float out of the pocket, so when the offensive line is poor he is quick to escape toward the sideline. This encourages his off-balance throws, which have been notably inaccurate this season. Florida needs to prevent that as much as possible to allow Lagway to put points on the board. Tennessee scores a lot. If the Gators are going to keep up offensively, Lagway needs to have a near-perfect situation when throwing.
Sometimes rivalry games produce results that you wouldn’t expect, only because of the sheer emotion of the matchup. Fights break out and trash talk, exotic celebrations reign. So while the Gators have definitely been worse than Tennessee this season, a hard-mouthed, ugly game that gets the crowd involved can bridge the gap in on-the-field quality.
The Gators upset the Vols last time they came to The Swamp and a late hit on Graham Mertz after a quarterback kneel resulted in a fight after the final whistle. The home team has won four years straight in this rivalry for a reason. Getting Tennessee frustrated and keeping the crowd in the game can be an advantage.
Category: Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, SEC
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A man accused of murder in Tennessee more than a year ago had his bond denied in Douglas County Court on Thursday.
Authorities in Omaha took 30-year-old Nigel Farmer into custody late Wednesday.
On Oct. 29 2024, deputies in Memphis found a 31-year-old woman shot and killed at a home. After deputies conducted an extensive investigation, Farmer was identified as the suspect.
He will remain in Nebraska while awaiting extradition, which he wavied in court Thursday.
Copyright 2025 WOWT. All rights reserved.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) –
FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY – TODAY
Widespread fog has developed across Middle Tennessee to start off our day with visibility dropping to less than half a mile in some areas. Prepare for a longer morning commute and use caution while driving through foggy areas.
We are also tracking some widespread rain that will move through this afternoon through our evening commute. At times the rain will come down heavy and could cause ponding on roadways. We’ll even get to hear a few rumbles of thunder but there is no severe weather threat. Rain wll taper off late this evening and into the overnight hours. Highs today will be in the mid 60s.
FRIDAY FORECAST
More off and on rounds of showers will continue through our Friday. While we will certainly find some decent dry time, keep the umbrella handy and keep an eye to the sky. Yes there will be a few thunderstorms, but there is still no severe weather threat to be worried about. Highs on Friday will top off near 70. More scattered showers and storms will move in Friday night and lingering into early Saturday morning.
WEEKEND FORECAST
As mentioned above, a shower or two could lingering into Saturday morning, but most of us will stay dry as we try and break the clouds in the afternoon. It will be cooler Saturday afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 60s.
We’ll do a better job at getting sunshine back on Sunday with temperatures in the low 60s.
NEXT WEEK
A dry and sunny start to our Monday, but clouds increase quickly in the afternoon with highs staying in the 60s.
Rain move in Monday night and through Tuesday with a few rumbles of thunder as well. A shower or two will linger into Wednesday before a shot of colder air around Thanksgiving
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
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