DYERSBURG, Tenn. — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee stopped in Dyersburg Monday after staying under the radar as the special session began last week.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was very visible as he and Mrs. Lee toured the Dyersburg Community College’s nursing and EMT programs.

“They’re innovative, creative and making changes to their programs so the students, when they leave here, are equipped,” Lee said.

State-of-the-art mannequins costing $75,000 to $100,000 allow instructors to change heart rate, blood rate, and respiratory rate.

“They will speak to you, we can vocalize with the patients, and we have a SIM mom mannequin that can actually deliver a baby,” said Dawn Chalk, associate professor of nursing.

Governor Lee praised students and Dyersburg Community’s commitment to meeting demands of today’s workforce.

“Vocational education, incredibly important. Programs like this that actually skill people up so they can get a job,” he said.

Afterward, he did not shy away from commenting on criticism that he’s been missing in action from a special legislative session he called to address public safety.

“I have met with a hundred lawmakers or more, with groups all summer long and asked them to bring forth their ideas so we can make Tennessee a safer state,” Lee said.

As murder and homicide numbers continue to climb in Memphis, Lee remains hopeful the special session will bare fruit and legislators will work through their differences.

“This is something we’ll be talking now, next year, and the year after because living in a safe neighborhood matters to every Tennessean and we should never stop working on improving what we build on from this session on forward,” Lee said.