☕ Front Porch Morning: Medicare Season Starts, Your 3.6% Raise Is Official, and City Hall Meets Tonight

Or: Open Enrollment Begins Today — Write Down 3.6%, Compare Slowly, and Put 5 p.m. on the Calendar

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Thursday, October 15, 2026

Good morning, neighbor. Pour the coffee and take a deep breath. Medicare open enrollment starts today and runs through Monday, Dec. 7. Yesterday Social Security made it official: your 2027 raise is 3.6%. Early voting is already open. Free burn permits start today. And Dunlap City Hall meets at 5 p.m. Central. None of this needs rushing. Let’s take it one cup at a time.

⏱️ Your 30-second morning recap

• Yesterday: Social Security announced a 3.6% cost-of-living raise for 2027. It starts with your January 2027 payment. The average retirement benefit goes up about $75 a month.
• Yesterday: Early voting opened and runs through Thursday, Oct. 29. Local reports put Sequatchie’s early-voting site at VFW Post 5772, 6808 SR 28, Dunlap, weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Central. Still call (423) 949-2431 before you drive.
• Today: Medicare open enrollment begins (through Dec. 7). Changes take effect Jan. 1. Free, no-sales help: TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044.
• Today: Free burn permits are required for outdoor debris fires (through May 15). Get one at BurnSafeTN.org or 1-877-350-2876.
• Weather: National Weather Service Dunlap: sunny, high near 89°F. Tonight clear, low around 63°F. A sharp cool-down arrives by Saturday night near 38°F.

📝 Jot This Down: today’s 3 things to remember

1. Medicare season starts today, Oct. 15, through Dec. 7. You do not have to change anything. Find your Annual Notice of Change letter. Free help: TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044. Never give your Medicare number to a caller you did not call first.
2. Your raise is official: 3.6%. It is automatic and free. It shows up in your January 2027 payment. Hang up on anyone who wants a fee to “boost” it.
3. Hot today near 89°F; frost talk for Saturday night near 38°F. Do yard work early. Before Saturday night, unhook and drain the garden hoses.

Tomorrow’s heads-up: Friday, Oct. 16 — Homecoming parade in the morning (listed as 9:30 a.m.; an earlier listing said 9 a.m., so arrive early or call the school to confirm). Football vs. Community at 7 p.m. Weather turns gusty, high near 80°F, northwest gusts up to 25 mph. Do not burn on a windy day. Cooler evening ahead of the weekend frost.

📰 In Case You Missed It Yesterday (Wednesday, Oct. 14)

💵 Official: Social Security Confirms a 3.6% Raise for 2027

On Wednesday the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for 2027. Nearly 72 million Social Security beneficiaries see the raise beginning with their January 2027 payment. About 7.3 million people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) get the increase starting December 31, 2026. SSA says the average retirement benefit rises about $75 a month.

Your October, November and December Social Security payments stay the same. Your own new amount will be in a personal notice Social Security usually sends in December, by mail or in your online my Social Security account. People who sign up for digital notices can see their COLA online up to three weeks earlier if they enroll by November 18, 2026.

What it means for you: Write 3.6% on the calendar. You do not sign up or pay. There is no form and no fee. Hang up on anyone who asks for gift cards, a fee, your Social Security number or your bank details to “unlock” or “boost” the raise. Questions: 1-800-772-1213.

👉 Read more (SSA: 3.6% benefit increase for 2027)

🛡️ How to Protect Yourself: Raise Day Brings More Scam Calls

Raise announcements and Medicare season bring more phone calls. The same rules still hold. Medicare cards are free. The IRS never asks for gift cards. Social Security will not call to demand immediate payment or threaten you with arrest. If a caller scares you, rushes you, or wants gift cards, hang up.

To report a scam in Tennessee, call Consumer Affairs at 1-800-342-8385. The FTC’s line is 1-877-382-4357 (1-877-FTC-HELP). Social Security scam tips: ssa.gov/scam.

What it means for you: Your raise is already yours. Nobody needs your number or a fee to “get” it for you. When in doubt, hang up and call a number you looked up yourself.

👉 Read more (Social Security: scam alerts)

🗳️ Early Voting Is Under Way

Early voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 3 state and federal general election opened Wednesday and runs through Thursday, Oct. 29. You don’t need a reason to vote early in Tennessee.

A Dunlap.Today report says VFW Post 5772, 6808 SR 28, Dunlap, is hosting early voting this week, with hours listed as Monday–Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central. Hours and sites can change, so call ahead to confirm before you leave the house.

• Sequatchie County Election Commission: 68 Spring St., Dunlap. Phone (423) 949-2431.
• Bring: A current or expired photo ID from the State of Tennessee or the federal government (driver’s license, state ID or passport).
• Voting by mail: If you’re 60 or older, you can ask for an absentee ballot. Your written request must arrive by Saturday, Oct. 24.

What it means for you: Pick a cool morning, put your photo ID with your car keys, and make one short phone call first. Sample ballots: GoVoteTN.gov.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Early voting at the VFW)

📅 Today in the Valley (Thursday, Oct. 15)

☀️ Today’s Weather: Sunny and Hot Near 89, Then a Real Cool-Down

The National Weather Service Dunlap forecast (updated about 1:26 a.m. Central) calls for sunny skies, a high near 89°F, and calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Tonight is clear, low around 63°F.

Then the change comes. Friday: increasing clouds, high near 80°F, northwest winds with gusts as high as 25 mph. Friday night drops to about 45°F. Saturday stays near 61°F. Saturday night falls to about 38°F. That is a drop of about 50 degrees from Thursday afternoon to Saturday night. Frost is possible in hollows, creek bottoms and on higher ground. Forecasts that far out can shift a little, so check again Friday.

Time note: Dunlap and Sequatchie County follow Central Time (the weather service lists Dunlap in CDT). Chattanooga and Hamilton County, and Rhea County, run on Eastern Time — one hour ahead. If a flyer says “Chattanooga at 10 a.m.,” that is 9 a.m. on your Dunlap kitchen clock.

What it means for you: Do outdoor chores before about 11 a.m., drink water, and rest in the shade or the air conditioning this afternoon. Before Saturday night, unhook and drain your garden hoses, bring in tender potted plants, and make sure the furnace or heat pump comes on. Put a jacket by the door for Friday.

👉 Read more (National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast)

🏥 Medicare Open Enrollment Starts Today

Medicare’s yearly Open Enrollment runs today, Thursday, Oct. 15, through Monday, Dec. 7. During this window you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage), change your Part D drug plan, or move between Advantage and Original Medicare. The plan must get your request by Dec. 7. Changes take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

You do not have to change anything. If your doctors, prescriptions and costs still fit, you can keep your plan. If something shifted, this is the quiet window to look.

A calm kitchen-table checklist:

• Find your Annual Notice of Change letter — the one your plan mailed this fall. Set it beside your pill bottles.
• Doctors and hospitals: Are yours still in the plan next year?
• Prescriptions: Are your medicines still covered, and at which pharmacies?
• Total cost: Look past the monthly premium — check deductibles, copays and the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.
• Compare slowly at Medicare.gov (type the address yourself) or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Free, unbiased help: TN SHIP at 1-877-801-0044. Counselors do not sell insurance. Never give your Medicare number to someone who called you first. Real Medicare cards are free.

What it means for you: Treat plan shopping like reading the seed catalog at the kitchen table — slowly, on your own schedule. One phone call to SHIP beats guessing.

👉 Read more (Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment)

🔥 Burn Permits Required Starting Today

Beginning today, Oct. 15, through May 15, Tennesseans need a free Tennessee Division of Forestry burn permit before burning leaves or natural debris or doing a prescribed burn. Permits are free and can be obtained the same day you plan to burn, online at BurnSafeTN.org (or the MyTN app) between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. local time, or by calling 1-877-350-2876 (weekdays, same hours, Central). Forestry may pause permits when winds are high or conditions are dry.

What it means for you: Today is still calm and hot, but Friday looks gusty. If you need to burn, pick a calm day, get the permit first, stay with the fire, and put it completely out before you leave. Check local city or county rules too — they can be stricter than the state.

👉 Read more (TN Wildland Fire: burn permits)

🏛️ Dunlap City Hall Meets Tonight at 5 p.m.

The Board of Mayor and City Commissioners meets in regular session tonight, Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5:00 p.m. Central, in the Commission Room of the George L. Wagner Municipal Building, 15595 Rankin Ave., Dunlap. The meeting opens with prayer and the Pledge. Public comment on the approved agenda comes near the start.

Items on the posted city agenda include:

• Ordinance No. 321 — to amend the zoning map at 1466 and 1494 Main Street.
• Water, Wastewater and Street Department: discussion and approval of a sludge mitigation proposal (sludge is the solid material left after treating wastewater).
• Gas Department: an adjustment on one customer account.
• Police, fire, gas, water and financial reports.

The agenda does not say which way the rezoning would go or what the sludge plan would cost. City Hall: (423) 949-2115.

What it means for you: You do not have to speak to matter. A neighbor in a folding chair tells the board that folks are paying attention. If those Main Street addresses touch your street, tonight is the night to listen.

👉 Read more (City of Dunlap: government / agenda)

📚 Around Town: Library Closed, Senior Center Open

The Sequatchie County Public Library, 227 Cherry St., Dunlap, is closed on Thursdays. It reopens tomorrow. Phone: (423) 949-2357.

The Sequatchie County Senior Citizens Center, 103 Heard St., offers meals, transportation and activities. Listed hours are often Monday–Thursday; call (423) 949-2228 to ask about today’s lunch and schedule (call ahead to confirm).

SETAAAD (Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability) helps with benefits, caregiver support, meals and more across Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Marion and neighboring counties: 1-866-836-6678. For rides, SETHRA Transit: (423) 478-1396.

What it means for you: If you need a meal, a ride or a friendly face today, one phone call to the Senior Center is a good first step.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Medicare, flu shots and senior help)

🗓️ Put These on the Fridge: The Rest of This Week

• Thursday, Oct. 15 (today): Medicare open enrollment opens (through Dec. 7). Free burn permits required. Dunlap City Hall 5 p.m. Central, 15595 Rankin Ave. Library closed. Sunny near 89°F.
• Friday, Oct. 16: Homecoming parade in the morning (listed as 9:30 a.m.; an earlier listing said 9 a.m. — call ahead to confirm). Football vs. Community, 7 p.m. Gusty, near 80°F. Don’t burn on a windy day.
• Saturday, Oct. 17: Days of Yesteryear tractor show, gates 8 a.m., Coops Creek Commons, 287 Pine St. (free). Dunlap Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., Harris Park. High near 61°F. Saturday night near 38°F.
• Saturday–Sunday, Oct. 17–18: Free Remote Area Medical dental, vision and medical clinic at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga (Eastern Time). First come, first served. Questions: 865-579-1530. Check the RAM page before you travel.
• Tuesday, Oct. 20: Free flu shots at Sequatchie County Health Department, 16939 Rankin Ave., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central. “Let’s Talk Medicare” at the library, 10 a.m. (educational overview; for no-sales counseling use TN SHIP).
• Thursday, Oct. 29: Last day of early voting. Saturday, Oct. 24: Absentee ballot request deadline.

✅ Your Calm Morning Checklist

• ✅ Write 3.6% on the calendar. Raise is automatic and free, starting in January 2027.
• ✅ Find your Medicare Annual Notice of Change letter. Open enrollment runs today through Dec. 7.
• ✅ Call TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044 if you want free, no-sales help. Hang up on cold callers who want your Medicare number.
• ✅ Call (423) 949-2431 to confirm early-voting place and hours. Put your photo ID with your keys.
• ✅ Do yard work early. Drink water. Rest out of the sun this afternoon (near 89°F).
• ✅ Before Saturday night, unhook and drain the garden hoses and find the jackets.
• ✅ If you burn leaves, get a free same-day permit first — and skip windy Friday.
• ✅ City Hall tonight at 5 p.m. if Main Street zoning or the sludge plan matters to you.
• ✅ Circle fridge dates: Oct. 16, 17–18, 20, 24, 29, Dec. 7.

Practical rule: You don’t have to remember it all. Just keep this page handy, and check back tomorrow morning.

— Dunlap.Today

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the official Social Security raise for 2027?

Social Security announced 3.6% on Oct. 14, 2026. It starts with your January 2027 payment. SSI increases begin December 31, 2026. The average retirement benefit rises about $75 a month. It is automatic and free.

Do I have to change my Medicare plan today?

No. Open enrollment is optional and runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Use it if your doctors, drugs or costs changed. Free help: TN SHIP at 1-877-801-0044. Changes take effect Jan. 1.

Where do I vote early in Sequatchie County?

Local reports list VFW Post 5772 at 6808 SR 28, Dunlap, weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Central and Saturday 9 a.m.–noon. Call the Election Commission at (423) 949-2431 before you drive to confirm today’s place and hours. Early voting runs through Thursday, Oct. 29.

What ID do I need to vote?

A current or expired photo ID issued by the State of Tennessee or the federal government, like a driver’s license, state ID or passport. A college ID or an out-of-state ID does not count.

Do I need a burn permit today?

Yes, if you plan to burn leaves or natural debris outdoors. Free same-day permits run Oct. 15 through May 15 at BurnSafeTN.org or 1-877-350-2876 (weekdays 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central). Skip burning on windy days.

What time is City Hall, and what is on the agenda?

Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. Central, 15595 Rankin Ave. Posted items include Ordinance No. 321 (zoning at 1466 and 1494 Main Street), a sludge mitigation proposal, a gas account adjustment, and department reports. City Hall: (423) 949-2115.

Will it really get that cold this weekend?

The National Weather Service forecasts about 38°F Saturday night in Dunlap, and frost is possible in low spots and on higher ground. Unhook garden hoses and check your heat before then.

Is Dunlap on Central or Eastern time?

Dunlap and Sequatchie County follow Central Time (the weather service lists Dunlap in CDT). Chattanooga/Hamilton County and Rhea County are on Eastern Time — one hour ahead of your Dunlap clock.

🔗 Helpful Numbers & Resources

• Social Security: 1-800-772-1213. SSA.gov COLA page · Report a scam: ssa.gov/scam
• Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Medicare open enrollment
• TN SHIP free Medicare counseling: 1-877-801-0044
• Sequatchie County Election Commission: (423) 949-2431 · 68 Spring St., Dunlap · GoVoteTN.gov
• Bledsoe County Election Office: (423) 447-2776
• Sequatchie Senior Center, 103 Heard St., Dunlap: (423) 949-2228
• SETAAAD: 1-866-836-6678 · SETHRA rides: (423) 478-1396
• Sequatchie County Public Library: (423) 949-2357 · 227 Cherry St., Dunlap (closed Thursdays)
• Dunlap City Hall: (423) 949-2115 · dunlaptn.gov/government
• Free burn permits: BurnSafeTN.org or 1-877-350-2876 (weekdays 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central)
• Sequachee Valley Electric outages (24/7): 1-888-421-7832
• Sequatchie County 911 non-emergency: (423) 949-9912. For an emergency, call 911.
• TN Division of Consumer Affairs (report a scam): 1-800-342-8385
• FTC fraud reports: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) · ftc.gov/complaint
• Tennessee Adult Protective Services: 1-888-277-8366
• National Weather Service Dunlap forecast: weather.gov point forecast

🌅 One Good Morning at a Time

A busy Thursday doesn’t have to feel busy. Write down 3.6%, set your Medicare letter by the coffee cup, and decide whether City Hall at 5 is for you. Stay cool this afternoon, and get the hoses ready before Saturday’s cold night. We’ll walk the rest of Medicare season with you, one morning at a time. Read Dunlap.Today every morning for plain-English Valley news, and find local businesses on Dunlap.Directory.

— Dunlap.Today