NEWS BRIEFS

‘The Contributor’ partners with Big Machine Distillery

Big Machine Distillery and The Contributor are partnering to give paper vendors hand sanitizer to distribute alongside the newspaper.

“It will be a long while until vendors’ incomes move back up as streets will still be emptier and people have less cash,” says Cathy Jennings, director of The Contributor. “We are grateful that Big Machine is partnering with us and believe the city will benefit from having sanitizer easily available! We hope this effort gives our vendors another tool in which to earn income.”

Big Machine Distillery has committed to jumpstarting the effort by giving 1,000 individual-sized bottles of hand sanitizer to The Contributor.

“We continue to feel blessed during these challenging times to be able to support Nashvillians in need,” says Big Machine Distillery EVP, Mark Borchetta. “The Contributor has proven to be a light for so many in our community, and we are happy to be partnering with them to further their efforts.”

Big Machine Distillery started making hand sanitizer in March in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The sanitizer is 80 percent alcohol and made in accordance with FDA and WHO guidelines.

The bottles of Big Machine Hand Sanitiz

er will be co-branded with The Contributor and provided to the newspaper vendors free of charge.

“Our vendors are concerned with keeping safe and making sure their customers are safe also,” says Jennings. “They are committed to doing everything they can to prevent the spread of the virus.”

Judge says all Tennesseans can vote by absentee ballot

A Tennessee judge ruled to allow Tennesseans to apply to vote by absentee ballot because of COVID-19.

Tennessee election officials had earlier said fears of the virus would not be a valid reason to vote by mail.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle cited that the state of Tennessee cannot compel voters to wear masks when they visit their polling locations in the upcoming August primary and November election.

“The Court concludes that the State‘s restrictive interpretation and application of Tennessee‘s voting by mail law … during the unique circumstances of the pandemic, constitutes an unreasonable burden on the fundamental right to vote guaranteed by the Tennessee Constitution,” Hobbs Lyle wrote.

The order says the state must allow any voter to cast a ballot by mail if the pearson finds it “impossible or unreasonable” to vote in person.

Tennesseans can now buy food online with SNAP benefits

Tennesseans who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed their families can now purchase groceries online at Amazon and at Walmart.

The United States Department of Agriculture has approved Tennessee for a pilot program that allows SNAP benefits to be used to buy food online with Amazon and Walmart. More than 900 thousand individuals in Tennessee receive SNAP benefits.

SNAP recipients will be able to use their benefits to buy food on Amazon beginning June 1, 2020. Walmart will begin allowing SNAP benefits online on June 2. The USDA has additionally announced plans to expand online purchasing to more retailers in the future.

Families can access this new resource by entering their Electronic Benefit Card information on Amazon’s SNAP dedicated website or by following the guidelines Walmart has established for SNAP online purchasing.

“This change provides families who depend on SNAP for daily nutrition the ability to buy food without ever stepping foot in a supermarket.” said TDHS Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes. “Online purchasing supports our mission to build a thriving Tennessee by helping flatten the curve during COVID-19 and making life easier for families once the emergency has passed.”

Tennessee is now one of 36 states where online purchasing is allowed in addition to the District of Columbia. SNAP benefits cannot be used for delivery fees and SNAP recipients who receive cash benefits on their EBT cards will not be able to apply those non-SNAP benefits to online purchases.

Secretary Hargett launches statewide recruitment effort for poll officials

Secretary of State Tre Hargett announces a new statewide campaign to recruit poll officials for the August 6 State and Federal Primary and County General Election. Tennesseans can apply now to join the campaign, Be a Patriot. Become a Poll Official.

“Poll officials are the backbone of successful elections across Tennessee,” said Secretary Hargett. “By raising your hand to become a poll official, you will have a front-row seat to democracy during early voting and on Election Day.”

Poll officials perform various tasks to help polling sites run smoothly, including greeting voters, answering questions, processing voters, explaining how to cast a ballot and counting votes. Any voter is eligible to apply, regardless of political affiliation.

For more information and to sign up to become a poll official, visit GoVoteTN.com.