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2/20/16 — Clark Franklin Cooper
Memorial services for Mr. Clark Franklin Cooper, age79 of Manchester will
be conducted at 1:00 Saturday, February 20 at the Manchester Funeral Home
Chapel. Mr. Cooper passed this life Saturday, February 6 at his home in
Manchester
Mr. Cooper was born in Manchester, Tennessee the son of the late Jesse
Hillrie Cooper and Leatha Taylor Cooper. He was a sewing machine
mechanic for Basham Industries and was a veteran of the US Army. Mr.
Cooper is survived by:
Daughter- Deborah (James) Melton of Shelbyville
Son- Kenneth Cooper of Manchester
Nine grandchildren, five great grandchildren
MANCHESTER FUNERAL HOME IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS
2/16/16 — Rosie Alene Cornelison
Funeral services for Mrs. Rosie Alene Cornelison, age 77 of Manchester
will be conducted at 2pm, Tuesday, February 16 at the Manchester Funeral
Home Chapel with Rev. Wade West officiating. Burial will follow in the
Ragsdale Cemetery. Visitation with the Cornelison family will begin at
9am, Tuesday until service time at Manchester Funeral Home. Mrs.
Cornelison passed this life Friday, February 12, 2016 at her home
surrounded by her loving family.
Rosie was born in Coffee County, Tennessee the daughter of the late
Charlie Washington Cornelison and Lillie Mae Lowery Cornelison. She was
a former employee of both PCA and Eden Industries in Manchester and was a
homemaker. Rosie was of the Pentecostal faith. Her survivors are:
Three sons- Tim Buckner and his wife Joanna of Manchester
Terry Buckner and his wife Roxanne of Manchester
Steve Walden and his fiancé Natalie Clark of Nashville
Five sisters- Hazel Scott, Shirley Jones, Barbara Walden, Carolyn Kenney and
Frances Winton, all of Manchester
Brother- Charles W. Cornelison of Manchester
Grandchildren- Jason (Crystal) Buckner, Jacob (Jillene) Buckner, Charles
(Devon)
Buckner, Jonas Buckner, Elizabeth (John)
Buckner, Cortney
(Dylan) Walden, Jessica (Brian) Moore
Great Grandchildren- Zephyr Buckner, Jovie Buckner, Jerimiah Ivey,
Shyliah Ivey,
Drew Bradley, Aiden Bradley, Spencer
Nelson, Emiree Clark,
And Lakelyn Clark
A special friend, Faye Gallager
MANCHESTER FUNERAL HOME IS HONORED TO SERVE THE FAMILY of Mrs. Rosie
Cornelison
2/16/16 — Justine Ramona Weaver
Ms. Justine Ramona Weaver, 57 of Tullahoma, passed away on Feb. 12, 2016 at her residence.
Justine loved country music, John Denver, Richard Simmons, whom she had met, and represented Tennessee Special Olympics in the first International Special Olympics in Buffalo, NY. She also enjoyed swimming, bowling, choir chimes and making latch hook rugs.
Ms. Weaver was born on June 3, 1958 and was the daughter of the late Edward and Margaret Louise Holder Weaver.
She is survived by her sister Paula (Harrell) Phillips of Huntsville, AL and niece Elizabeth (Gene) Bowman and great nephew Zachery Bowman also of Huntsville, AL.
Visitation with family will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016 at Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home followed by a funeral service at 1 p.m. in the funeral homes chapel. Interment will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. Officiating will be the Revs. Susan Rock and Coy Hallmark.
DAVES-CULBERTSON FUNERAL HOME IS IN CHARGE OF ARRAGEMENTS
Coffee Countians Help Hill Family
![Aaron Hill family [Photo from Facebook]](http://www.thunder1320.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Hill-Family.jpg)
Aaron Hill family [Photo from Facebook]
Around 700 people bought BBQ meals before food ran out with around 1,000 residents attending the auction.
$76,000 was raised for the Hill family, a record amount for any fundraiser sponsored or co-sponsored by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department.
Donations can still be mailed to:
Coffee County Sheriff’s Department
76 County Jail Lane
Manchester, TN 37355
Please make checks payable to Lynetta Hill
You can also make donations to a Go Fund Me account set up online for the Hill family. https://www.gofundme.com/kuh3cm3c
Tullahoma Woman Arrested for TennCare Fraud
Vicki L. Hargrove
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced the arrest of Vicki L. Hargrove, 33, of Tullahoma, she is charged with TennCare fraud for fraudulently obtaining Hydrocodone and Oxycodone by doctor shopping, using TennCare as payment.
“Prescription drug abuse hurts individuals, families and communities, and we’re intent on finding and prosecuting these cases when TennCare is involved,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said.
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge. District Attorney General Craig Northcott will be prosecuting the case.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, more than 2,525 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or go to www.tn.gov/tnoig/ and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”
Investigation into Conference Center Spending
The Coffee County Public Building Authority (PBA) could have avoided a state investigation into fraudulent spending, as well as several negative audit findings, if members had reviewed any number of “alarming” bank statements, according to Delanna Rhoton, CPA, with the accounting firm Bean, Rhoton and Kelley.
Rhoton met with PBA members Friday to discuss audit results of the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center, which has operated at a deficit since its construction in 2003.
The conference center saw an operating loss of $301,329.01 in the 2014-15 fiscal year, one of the worst losses to date.
A special investigation is being conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury.
The losses came under then general manager of the conference center, Alyce Heifner. She has since resigned. (Tullahoma News)
MTSU Raises $105 Million
Middle Tennessee State University officials say the school surpassed $100 million during a recent fundraising effort.
The Tennessean reports that the more than $105 million raised during the six-year Centennial Campaign was a record-setting total for the school. The amount eclipsed MTSU’s previous fundraising record by more than $70 million.
School officials said Friday the record-setting amount marks a turning point in the public school’s approach to funding its priorities.
Money from the fundraising campaign has gone toward an array of campus initiatives, including scholarships, professor positions and new books for the library. About $7 million went toward the cost of a $147-million science building on campus.
Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation continues to Grow
Tennessee’s Department of Human Services says it has enrolled more than 300 Tennessee children in a program that aims to improve child literacy. The department says The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, together with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, is available to children from birth to 5 years old in Tennessee. Once a child is enrolled, a new book is mailed every month at no cost until the child turns 5. More than 240,000 Tennessee children are receiving books. The program allows parents to read to their children and engage in learning opportunities. Books are age appropriate and include reading comprehension activities and suggestions. The enrollment initiative, which started in January, supports the Governor’s Drive to 55, which aims to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or certificate.
CHS Wrestler Advances to State Tournament
CHS wrestler Josh Tobitt(second from left) recieves his 3rd place medal on Saturday night at the Region 5AAA Individual tournament in Cookeville. (Photo provided by Roger Barlow)
Coffee County senior wrestler Joshua Tobitt qualified for the TSSAA State Individual wrestling tournament with a 3rd place finish in this weekend’s Region 5AAA wrestling tournament held at Cookeville. Tobitt, wrestling at 182 pounds, is the first Coffee County wrestler to qualify for the state tournament since Zach Lusk(138) in 2013. Tobitt was 4 and 1 on the tournament to improve to 36 and 8 on the season and earn 20 team points for the Raiders. Tobitt won a pair of pinfall wins before falling in the semifinals by a 9 to 5 decision to Blackman’s Hunter Winters. Tobitt captured 2 more pins in the consolation bracket to earn the 3rd place finish and his first trip to the state meet.
Owen Teague(138) also advanced to the semifinal round before losing a 5 to 4 decision to Cookeville’s Derrick Christensen. Teague also earned 8 points for the Coffee County team. Teague fell short in advancing to the state when he was pinned in the consolation bracket semifinals. Teague ends the season with a record of 19 and 9. Rein Bozich(132) and Michael Pressley(170) each earned 3 team points as each was 1 and 2 on the weekend.
The state individual tournament gets underway on Thursday at 3 PM at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin. The first 2 rounds will be held on Thursday with the quarterfinals and semifinals scheduled for Friday beginning at 10 AM. The semifinals and championship rounds begin at 10 AM on Saturday. Championship information can be found at: http://tssaa.org/2016-tssaa-state-wrestling-championships/
Raiders Fall in Regular Season Finales in McMinnville on Saturday
Abby Morgan of Lady Raider Basketball
A pair of 2nd half rallies fell short on Saturday afternoon in McMinnville as both Coffee County basketball teams closed out the regular season with losses to Warren County. Coffee County fell 55 to 37 in the girls game, while the Red Raiders dropped a 60 to 45 decision.
The Lady Raiders saw a 5 point 1st quarter lead disappear in the 2nd quarter as they were held without a field goal and went to the locker room trailing 23 to 12 at intermission. Warren County built a 15 point 3rd quarter lead only to see Coffee County amp up the pressure and cut the deficit to 9 points with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game. The Lady Pioneers were able to seal the game at the line as they hit 5 of their last 8 free throws to earn a season sweep over the Lady Raiders. Coffee County was led in scoring by Abby Morgan who finished with 13 points as she was named the Gateway Tire and Service Center player of the game. Holli Smithson added 10 points for Coffee County which finished the regular season with a record of 10 and 14. . The Lady Raiders will travel to Franklin County to take on the Rebelettes on Thursday night in the opening round of the District 8AAA tournament. That game begins at 6 PM. As always, Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all of the action as we begin with the Powers Storage pregame show at 5:50.
Garrett Eldridge of CHS Basketball(Photo by Jay Bailey – Manchester Times)
The Red Raiders saw Warren County build a 13 point halftime lead as Coffee County shot a disappointing 2 of 10 from the free throw line in the first half. Coffee County hit an amazing 12 of 15 free throws in the 2nd half to make a strong 3rd quarter rally that saw them cut the Pioneer lead to 3 points with 2 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. But Warren County was able to push the tempo over the course of the next 6 minutes leading to numerous 4th quarter turnovers in the defeat. Coffee County was led in scoring by Garrett Eldridge who had 16 points as he was named the Gateway Tire and Service Center player of the game. Kohl Young added 8 points for Coffee County as the Red Raiders finished the season with a record of 8 and 16. The Red Raiders will open the District 8AAA Tournament on Tuesday night as they travel to Tullahoma to take on the Wildcats in the district play-in game. That game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 PM and Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all of the action as we begin with the Powers Storage pregame show at 7:20