Tennessee’s early voting period for the Aug. 4 primaries and general election is scheduled for July 15-30, daily except Sundays.

On the August ballot, Tennessee voters will see primary races for governor, U.S. House, state Senate, state House and the state Executive Committee members for each political party, as well as retention or general elections for judicial offices and other state and local positions.

Early voting allows Tennesseans to avoid Election Day crowds and shorten their wait time. Early voting also offers the flexibility of evening and Saturday hours and multiple polling locations in many counties.

Tennesseans can find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view sample ballots and more with the GoVoteTN app or online at GoVoteTN.gov. The GoVoteTN app is free in the App Store or Google Play.

Voters are encouraged to review their sample ballot on the GoVoteTN app or GoVoteTN.gov before they vote. Reviewing your ballot and deciding how you will vote will also reduce your time at the polls.

“There are several judicial retention questions on the ballot this year. I want voters to be aware that the August ballot is longer than normally and will take additional time to complete,” says Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. “When you vote early, you can help reduce wait times for yourself and other voters.”

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day need to bring valid photo identification to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government is acceptable even if it’s expired. Student IDs are not acceptable. Out of state driver’s licenses are not acceptable. More information about what types of IDs are permitted is available on GoVoteTN.gov.

Ashley, Rescue Mission partner for furniture

Home furnishings company Ashley has wrapped up the second stop on its “Home on Tour” Series by partnering with Nashville Rescue Mission to donate more than $23,000 in furniture and accessories in support of its mission.

“Nashville Rescue Mission is very grateful for the furniture donation from Ashley,” says Lisa Spelta, director of major gifts for Nashville Rescue Mission. “Having new furnishings and décor items helps us provide ‘Radical Hospitality’ to the most vulnerable in our community.”

Ashley hosted guests at Marathon Music Works June 28 as part of the “Home on Tour” event. The space was furnished with product vignettes and brand experiences, featuring trending products to inspire guests to revamp and re-energize their favorite spaces at home.

All the furniture featured throughout the event will be used at Nashville Rescue Mission to help furnish living spaces and common areas throughout the facility for those seeking assistance from the organization.

”Ashley is honored to be able to play a part in helping the Nashville community,” says Elizabeth Dufresne, manager of experiential marketing at Ashley. “We have been able to see firsthand how Nashville Rescue Mission positively impacts the lives of those they serve and are confident that this donation will help them continue to meet their goals of helping the local community.”

Chartwell Residential begins Kedron Square

Chartwell Residential announced the development of the 124-acre Kedron Square master-planned community in Spring Hill, starting with The Chartwell at Kedron Square, a 292-unit multifamily project.

Construction for The Chartwell at Kedron Square is already underway with construction company Franklin Construction Group.

A range of high-quality housing options will support a diverse Kedron Square population base. The community will also feature several live-work properties, single-family residences, and Chartwell Commons at Kedron Square that includes 27 single-family cottages.

“Kedron Square is a unique project that improves existing land, preserves the history of the town and integrates modern mix-use facilities and amenities. It is a highly-anticipated development that we’re excited to be involved with,” says Ben Schaedle, partner at Chartwell Residential. “The Chartwell at Kedron Square is the first of many phases within the master development. We are pleased to apply our property development expertise to Kedron Square and execute on Spring Hill’s vision to connect residents to their community.”

In addition to creating amenities for Spring Hill residents, the actual development of the Kedron Square community creates hundreds of new jobs during the construction phase. Once completed, the residential properties will also create jobs for the management company and homeowners’ association.

Chartwell Residential has also begun development of The Chartwell at Beechcroft, a separate property in Spring Hill, a 124-home development and the first fully single-family development for Chartwell Residential. Franklin Construction Group is also managing construction of this project.

Matthews opens new Nashville HQ

Matthews Real Estate Investment Services, a commercial real estate investment services and technology firm, announced the relocation and expansion of its corporate headquarters from El Segundo, California, to Nashville.

The move strengthens the firm’s presence throughout the Southeast region of the United States and advances the company’s ongoing growth initiatives. Matthews also named Phoenix as the brokerage’s National Operations Center, establishing the office as the operations and technology hub.

Matthews’ Nashville office recently relocated to Broadwest, midtown’s newest luxury development building, to accommodate the growing number of employees and brokers.

The new arrangement places company management in both offices, with CEO Kyle Matthews and CFO Raddie Zlatkov working out of the Nashville headquarters, while COO Duerk Brewer and CTO Sean Clancy sit in Phoenix.

“Both of these offices offer critical support functions to our agents and clients across the country,” Brewer says. “The Phoenix and Nashville markets are experiencing tremendous growth, giving us access to a robust workforce and allowing faster development in key business regions.”

The new headquarters is located at 1600 West End Avenue, Suite 3100, in Nashville.

VK Integrated Systems makes Clarksville move

VK Integrated Systems has announced it will invest $840,000 to relocate its manufacturing operations from Fullerton, California, to Clarksville.

VKIS will create 34 new jobs as the company completes construction on a new facility at 40 International Boulevard in the Corporate Business Park.

“VK Integrated Systems is excited to further our expansion into Middle Tennessee and grow deeper roots in Clarksville and Montgomery County communities,” says VKIS president Vasilios Kapogianis. “As a values-based company, we look forward to contributing to the growth of industry and strengthening the local economy with American-made goods.”

Accompanying the announcement, VKIS officials also broke ground on the new Montgomery County site.

Through this project, VKIS’ manufacturing sector will join the company’s headquarters and research and development operations, which were relocated to Tennessee in 2019. All three facets of the company will be housed at the International Boulevard location once construction is complete.

VK Integrated Systems specializes in research and development as well as the manufacturing of hardware, software and supporting architecture for handheld weapons systems. The company has been manufacturing, assembling, programming, firing and delivering data from rifles with integrated systems since its founding in 2014.

Sales tax holidays coming at month’s end

The state’s annual sales tax holiday as the school year approaches has been scheduled for the weekend of July 29-31, along with the addition of a monthlong sales tax holiday for food and food ingredients for August.

The Tennessee General Assembly approved two additional one-time holidays this year, in addition to the traditional sales tax holiday that takes place each year at the end of July. During these holiday periods, Tennesseans do not have to pay state or local sales tax on certain items, saving up to 10% on some purchases.

“During this time of record inflation and high prices, we’re proud to be able to put money back in the pockets of Tennesseans,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of these savings opportunities.”

The upcoming sales tax holidays include:

• Clothing, school supplies and computers (July 29-31): Includes clothing and school supplies priced at less than $100 and computers priced less than $1500. Online purchases are included.

• Food and food ingredients (Aug. 1-31): Food and food ingredients may be purchased tax free. Food and food ingredients purchased from a micro market or vending machine remain subject to sales tax. Food ingredients do not include alcoholic beverages, tobacco, candy, dietary supplements and prepared food.

The state also extended a sales tax holiday on gun safes and safety equipment to June 30, 2023.

Disease affecting cattle detected in Tennessee

The state veterinarian is announcing detection of Theileria orientalis in a herd of cattle in Middle Tennessee.

Theileria is a tickborne parasite that infects red and white blood cells and causes severe anemia in cattle. There is no vaccine to prevent the illness or effective treatment. Once an animal is infected, it is a carrier for life.

The affected herd in Maury County showed signs of illness and lethargy, and despite veterinary attention and antibiotic treatments, ultimately some animals died.

Theileria is not a threat to human health. Humans cannot become sick from contact with affected cattle, and consuming meat from affected cattle is safe provided the meat has been cooked to an appropriate temperature.

“The Asian long-horned tick is a common vector for this illness,” State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty said. “Although we have not yet confirmed the presence of ALT in Maury County, we know it’s already taken hold in several other Tennessee counties and will continue to spread. Cattle producers should take steps to protect their herds.”

Producers can minimize risk by keeping cattle out of wooded areas and keeping pastures mowed short, particularly pastures that border woods. Producers should also regularly inspect cattle for ticks, use varying types of acaricides (ear tags, pours, back rubbers, etc.), use a clean needle for every injection, and notify a veterinarian if cattle show signs of lethargy or illness.