Latest news with #Southerland
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lions Volunteer Blind Industries closes Johnson City location
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)— Of the 35 former employees at Lions Volunteer Blind Industries in Johnson City, 17 are blind or visually impaired, according to its CEO Trevor Southerland. News Channel 11 reached out to Southerland after a former employee told News Channel 11 the company had closed. Southerland told News Channel 11 that due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), he was not able to do an interview, but sent in a statement from the company. Susan Fields is legally blind and had worked at the company for years when she was told on April 11 that the Johnson City location was closing. 'I have what they call retinitis pigmentosa,' she said. 'It's the opposite of Macular degeneration. I have my tunnel vision straight ahead. I don't have peripheral. I don't even see my hands moving.' When first diagnosed, Fields said she felt hopeless, until Lions Volunteer Blind Industries gave her back her self-esteem and a job. The non-profit company headquartered in Morristown has had a mission 'to provide blind people the dignity of independence through employment' since 1951. Southerland said the closing was due to a change in the products the company makes: 'LVBI is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1951. Since its inception, the mission has been 'To provide blind people the dignity of independence through employment'. We have been one of the largest providers for employment to those with visually disabilities in Tennessee. For decades the Federal Government has been our primary customer. Throughout our history LVBI has had to remain flexible, expanding or contracting as budgets change in the federal landscape. The Board of Directors decided to remove military textiles from its product line. LVBI is focusing on two product lines in its Morristown location; industrial wipe paper towels and mattresses. By continuing operations in Morristown with these two product lines, we feel future growth can be achieved with consumer products versus relying on the military sector. The decision to downsize the organization didn't come lightly but continuing blind employment is our ultimate goal. This did result in the closing of LVBI's Johnson City location. LVBI offered each blind or visually impaired the opportunity to transfer to its Morristown location or help find employment at another non-profit that specializes in employment for those with visual disabilities. LVBI's business model is to support its mission, our mission is to provide blind employment.' Trevor Southerland, Lions Volunteer Blind Industries Southerland said the 35 employees at the Johnson City location were offered the option to transfer to Morristown. But Fields, who isn't allowed to drive, says that won't work for her. She said paying for a ride to Morristown would be more than $100 a day, and the only other choice would be to move, which is also not a feasible option since she lives with her adult son. Fields is hoping another local company will give her and the other visually-impaired employees who lost their jobs a chance. 'Blind people are, you know, the visually impaired, they can still work, maybe not quite as a sighted person can do, but we can still work if you give us a chance to do it,' Fields said through tears. She said she's working with the Department of Human Services to try and find another job that someone with her disability can do. Of the 35 workers who worked at the Johnson City plant, Southerland said that at this point, only one has agreed to the transfer to the Morristown facility. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arnold's Michael Southerland is lifting the standard
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) – Arnold High School sophomore Michael Southerland has been embraced by the Marlin weightlifting team, where a sense of belonging and mentorship has helped fuel his growth in the sport. Southerland, who began weightlifting before arriving at Arnold, was immediately welcomed into the program. Senior Ian Whaler took the newcomer under their wing from the start. 'Michael first came in, and immediately, me and Connor brought him to our rack to bench with us, clean and jerk, everything,' Whaler said. 'He's just a fun person to be around. We take him to breakfast. He's part of the team.' Since joining the Marlins, Southerland has been supported by his teammates, both on and off the platform. Nicknames and words of encouragement have been offered to him regularly, reinforcing a positive team atmosphere. 'They always call me some awesome nicknames and say, 'Let's go, Mike!'' Southerland said. Over the past season, Southerland's dedication paid off when he earned a spot at the All-County meet. Along the way, he also discovered a personal favorite lift, the clean and jerk. Though his journey is still in its early stages, Southerland has expressed excitement about what lies ahead. With two more years of high school eligibility remaining, continued progress is anticipated as he builds on the foundation that has already been set. Southerland's story stands as a testament to the impact of team culture and mentorship in high school athletics, where strength is found not just in lifting, but in the people lifting other up alongside the platform. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee governor revives farm conservation bill with $25 million fund
A measure proposed by Gov. Bill Lee would allow farmers to get state money in exchange for giving the state easements on portions of their land. (Photo: John Partipilo/ Tennessee Lookout) Tennessee Sen. Steve Southerland was stripped of his post as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee after opposing a 2024 bill by Gov. Bill Lee designed to slow down the development of farmland and forests. Southerland, a Morristown Republican, was worried that farmers who accepted state money for an easement to help them preserve their property wouldn't be able to borrow against their mortgage at a later time because the state would hold a lien on the property. The bill never made it out of the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in 2024, even though Southerland said he found a way to assuage concerns with a plan allowing the state to be 'subordinate' to lenders. Now removed as chair and no longer serving on the agriculture committee, Southerland, with more than 30 years in the mortgage industry, is out of the loop. But asked whether he has concerns about this year's version of the legislation, Southerland said, 'Not as long as they put that subordinate agreement in there. If a farmer doesn't want to borrow on his property, that's fine with me.' No major revisions have been made in the legislation, though, as Senate leadership overlooked Southerland's objections, instead receiving assurances from the lending industry that farmers would be able to borrow against mortgages. The Lee Administration is predicting passage of Senate Bill 207 and putting $25 million into a grant fund handled by the state Department of Agriculture to pay farmers across the state for easements that will protect their land from development. The funds are supposed to be recurring but will be subject to the legislature's approval. The governor, who owns a Williamson County cattle farm, spoke about the initiative during his State of the State address Monday, saying Tennessee is losing 10 acres of farmland every hour. 'Which is a staggering number when agriculture is our number one industry,' Lee said. His bill would create a grant program for farmers who volunteer to preserve their land. The agriculture commissioner would administer the fund. Another provision designed for preservation groups says a 'qualified easement holder' with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status could acquire a conservation easement through a purchase, donation or some other type of transfer and would not be allowed to sell, transfer, release or otherwise divest of the conservation easement. Sen. Shane Reeves, the new chairman of the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, said Wednesday he believes concerns with the bill have been resolved. 'An enormous amount of work's been done on that,' Reeves said, involving the executive branch, Farm Bureau and other groups. 'It's no longer an issue.' State easements on farmland were to be temporary under last year's bill. But Reeves said they would be permanent under the new iteration, and farmers would be able to borrow against their mortgage even if the state holds a lien. 'For it to help farmers preserve their land, losing (10) acres an hour, that seems like a fairly affordable price to pay,' Reeves said of the $25 million injection into a state fund. The committee is set to consider the measure next week, he said. Sen. Page Walley, a member of the agriculture committee, also said he is 'comfortable' with the bill after dealing with it in 2024 and hearing from involved groups. Banks and lending institutions assured legislative leaders that liens held by the state wouldn't be 'an issue,' according to Walley. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
