Author's posts
2/15/16
Birthdays:
Charles Mings — Pizza Winner!
2/14/16
Birthdays:
Kimberly Hill — Pizza Winner!
Katie Tuck, 21
Clower Wiler, 84
Velma Davis
Sue Wilson
Peggy Taylor
Curt Lane, 25
Andrew French, 33
2/13/16
No birthdays to report
Fugitive from Justice Caught in Coffee County
Caesar Reynolds intake photo provided by the CCSD.
A criminal check of the subject found him to be wanted out of the state of Indiana.
Caesar Reynolds age 47 of Indianapolis, IN was charged with being a fugitive from justice, simple possession and driving on revoked/suspended. His bond was set at $503,000 and has a court date of March 22.
Man Arrested after issues with Landlord
James William Newsom intake photo provided by the CCSD.
On Saturday (February 13, 2016) Coffee County deputies responded four times to 290 Shelley Rd near Manchester on calls from a subject against his landlord. As a deputy was trying to access the situation, the man allegedly threatened the landlord. The man, James William Newsom age 33 of Shelly Rd Manchester failed to comply with officer’s request. According to the arrest warrant, when the deputy entered the home and told Newsom he was under arrest and got one handcuff on him he would not comply and started fighting the deputy. Other deputies had arrived on the scene and assisted and to get the man to his feet and against the door and were successful in cuffing the other hand. While in transport to the Coffee County jail, Newsom allegedly threatened to burn all the trailers on Shelley Road. The warrant goes onto to say Newsom threatened that when he gets out of jail, he would do bodily harm to the landlord.
Newsom was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and assault. His bond was set at $12,500 and a court date of March 14.
More Funding Proposed for Rape-Kit Testing Reform
President Barack Obama is proposing additional funding for rape kit reform across the country. Tennessee still has thousands of untested kits. (U.S. Army/Flickr)
If it survives the contentious federal budgeting process, the money could help process the more than 9,000 untested rape kits at Tennessee law enforcement agencies, some as many as 30 years old.
Ilse Knecht is a senior adviser for policy and advocacy with the Joyful Hearts Foundation, a group sponsoring an End the Backlog initiative. She says the money would go a long way toward increased justice and community safety.
“Every day, we see stories of rape kits connecting to a known offender and it’s really a testament to how this program can work and is working across the country and this money is so important to communities, like Memphis,” she states.
Other federal funding has already been granted to some cities, including Memphis, where recent testing resulted in the arrest of a man in a second rape case.
Memphis still has an estimated backlog of 7,000 untested rape kits. Last year, Gov. Bill Haslam signed legislation creating protocol for how the kits are collected, with some going to police and others to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for forensic analysis.
Knecht says some of the funding would support programs to help victims who discover their attacker has been caught as a result of rape kit testing.
“Every rape kit represents a sexual assault survivor, and each one of those survivors deserves to be supported through the process of re-engaging with the system, so that we’re not doing more harm when we ask them to come back into the justice system, so many years later,” she stresses.
Knecht says the End the Backlog initiative is using public records requests to pinpoint the number of untested rape kits at the Tennessee Crime Lab.
It’s also working to identify the same information in Nashville, where research so far indicates 4,500 kits, some dating back to 1995, were sent to the state lab for processing in August 2014.
Motlow State’s Kevin Fitch provides expertise to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Kevin Fitch, associate professor of biology at Motlow State Community College, recently provided consultation services to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for the habitat characterization of the Federally Protected plant, Short’s Bladderpod (Physaria globosa).
Professor Fitch provided plant-ecology expertise to the USFWS in support of a cooperative project with Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. These efforts support the goals for the U.S. Endangered Species Act and its objectives: to designate the critical-habitat for Short’s Bladderpod which is required for its recovery.
Short’s Bladderpod is a plant in the mustard family and is found in middle Tennessee in specific habitat. It grows up to 20 inches tall. Clusters of small yellow flowers top single and sometimes multiple stems from April to early June. It typically grows on steep, rocky, wooded slopes and along tops, bases, and ledges of bluffs, often near rivers or streams and on south-to-west-facing slopes.
More information can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/plants/shortsbladderpod/index.html.
02/20/16-Dorothy Doreen (Janke) Halcomb
Dorothy Doreen (Janke) Halcomb, 82, began her new eternal life with Jesus
Christ on February 15, 2016. Some of the titles she earned through life
include daughter, sister, wife, mother, mentor, grandmother, and great
grandmother. “Grams” was well-known for her love of the Lord, serving
others, and her quick wit. She enjoyed the outdoors, as evident by her
bouts of poison ivy. In addition, she had an adventuresome spirit, strong
faith, wisdom, compassion, strength, killer granola, and was enjoyed by
those who knew her. Dorothy grew up on the prairies of Saskatchewan with
her seven siblings. She met her husband while he was an Air Force Radar
Technician stationed in North Dakota, and they had a life-long
adventurous love for almost 44 years. She devoted her life to supporting
her military husband and raising their children. After his death in 2002,
she resided in Tullahoma and attended First Baptist Church. Some of her
hobbies included spending time with her grandchildren, working Jigsaw
puzzles, fishing, traveling, genealogy research, and Morning Glories
Bible study. Her family tree flourished, which is evident by her
survivors: sons Jay Halcomb (Lisa), Ethan Halcomb (Marilyn), daughter
Crystal Whitehead (Michael), grandchildren Nathan Halcomb (Jessica),
Lindsay Farmer (Patrick), Neil Whitehead (Megan), Hannah Whitehead, Joel
Whitehead, Seth Whitehead, Luke Whitehead, Elise Halcomb, great
grandchild Adaline Farmer, and soon-to-be born Jonah Halcomb, sister
Ethel Janke Barnstable (Orville) of Medicine Hat, Alberta, sisters-in-law
Mary Ellison of Powell, Tennessee, Bertha Janke of Sherwood Park,
Alberta, and Karen Janke of Lundar, Manitoba. She is preceded in death by
her wonderful husband, Joe Halcomb, parents Walter and Torrie (May)
Janke, and siblings: Gerald, Vernon, Elroy, and Kenneth Janke, Opal
Nedelisky, and Joyce Jacobson. A celebration of Dorothy’s life will be
held on Saturday, February 20th, 2016, 2:00 p.m., at the First Baptist
Church Ministry Building. Interment will be at Arlington National
Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to
Hospice Compassus of Tullahoma.
Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
04/02/16-Noah Community Center Clean up dates
APRIL 2ND AND POSTPONE DATE DUE TO INCLIMATE WEATHER IS
> APRIL 16TH
> WE INVITE ANYONE WANTING TO HELP CLEAN UP AROUND
> THE NOAH COMMUNITY CENTER, NOAH CHURCH OF CHRIST MEMBERS, BELL
> SPRINGS METHODIST CHURCH MEMBERS, CUB SCOUT TROUP THAT HOLDS MEETS AT NOAH
> COMMUNITY- NORTH COFFEE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT MEMBERS –WHO ARE ALWAYS
GOOD TO COME
> HELP US—ALL RESIDENTS OF NOAH AND CALLING ALL NOAH COMMUNITY TRUSTEE S
> INVITED TO WORK—-PLEASE COME HELP US ON CLEAN UP DAY—WE START
> AT 8AM TILL LUNCH, DRINKS PROVIDED–BRING ENERGY, GLOVES,
> TOOLS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED TO CLEAN OUT FLOWER BEDS, RAKES, SHOVELS,
> OUR EFFORTS ARE AS GOOD AS OUR WORKERS–
CHS Spring Sports Opened Practice Sessions on Monday
The CHS Lady Raider softball team poses for a picture prior to the Midnight Madness practice on Monday morning
“…57…58…59…It’s midnight!” screamed assistant softball coach Jackie Wilder as another spring sports season kicked off at Coffee County Central High School early Monday morning at Terry Floyd Field. February 15th was designated as the date that spring sports teams could start practicing and the Lady Raider softball team continued a 20 year tradition of beginning at the stroke of midnight with “Midnight Madness.” The CHS soccer team also got in on the act as they hit the field at the stroke of midnight getting in a spirited 1 hour workout before Monday’s rains set in.
Coach Steve Wilder begins his first season at the helm of Lady Raider softball program as he becomes the 4th coach in program history and only the 3rd coach in the last 25 years. Battling wind and a little bit of rain, Wilder was able to get in a good round of infield/outfield in front of a small crowd of bundled up onlookers as temperatures hovered around 45 degrees. The Lady Raiders are looking on improving on last year’s sectional tournament appearance.
Across town, the Red Raider soccer team opened at midnight for the 2nd straight year and Coach Robert Harper was pleased with the turnout and enthusiasm. “We were able to get in some work that we could not get in (Monday) afternoon due to the weather” said Harper. The Red Raiders advanced to the region tournament last year falling in overtime to Oakland.
The other CHS teams were also forced indoors on Monday afternoon. The Raider tennis teams held a short indoor “informational meeting” as they hope to get out on the courts by Wednesday. The Lady Raiders are looking to recapture last year’s district title and return to the region tournament.
The Raider track teams will attempt to get started on Tuesday after the rain forced them to cancel Monday’s workout as well. Coach Stan Jarrell hopes to return a CHS track athlete to the state meet for the 26th consecutive year.
The CHS Soccer team goes through drills during their Midnight Madness practice on Monday morning
The Red Raider baseball team was able to do some hitting in their facility and worked on defensive drills in the gym as Powers Field was too wet on Monday afternoon. The baseball team is coached by first year head coach David Martin.
Remember, you can keep up with all spring sports all season long by visiting our website daily at WMSRradio.com. Additionally, Red Raider baseball and Lady Raider softball will return to the airwaves in March as Lucky Knott will bring you exclusive coverage of Coffee County games both home and away. We will be releasing out broadcast schedule in the next few weeks.