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Predators Fall to Dallas on New Years Eve
Pete Weber’s Postgame Report
Despite scoring six of his nine goals this season in December, Dallas Stars rookie forward Mattias Janmark said he doesn’t wish the month would somehow continue beyond Thursday.
Janmark broke a tie late in the second period and Tyler Seguin scored twice in the third period as the Stars beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 on Thursday night.
Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves also scored for the Stars, who moved one point ahead of the East-leading Washington Capitals in the overall standings. Dallas and Washington, which lost on Thursday night, share the league-lead with 28 wins.
Only the Stars, who lost on Tuesday night at Columbus, and the Capitals haven’t lost consecutive games this season.
Janmark said his play in December wasn’t much different from the first two months of the season despite the statistical difference.
”I just couldn’t get the puck in the net,” he said. ”So, it’s nice to get the goals in. If you don’t get it, you start doubting yourself.”
Dallas coach Lindy Ruff agreed with his rookie’s self-assessment.
”Sometimes, you’re in the right place and the goaltender’s making a great save on you,” Ruff said. ”His game for me has been very consistent.”
Janmark’s goal came at 17:28 of the second period. The play began with Jason Spezza beating Nashville’s Mike Ribeiro to the puck near the Predators’ blue line. Spezza skated in on the net and passed across to Janmark, who took the puck off his skate and shot over Pekka Rinne into the net’s roof.
Craig Smith scored his ninth goal of the season for the Predators in the second period, giving Nashville a lead that lasted about a minute and a half. Smith and Predators coach Peter Laviolette bemoaned Nashville’s puck management in neutral ice, particularly when the score was close.
”It’s the one thing that we harped,” Laviolette said. ”The neutral zone was going to be a big thing, and we turned the puck over too much.”
On Benn’s goal, he skated in slowly to the right of Rinne with defenseman Ryan Ellis situated between Benn and the net. Ellis dropped to the ice to prevent Benn from passing to Seguin in front of the crease. Benn instead wristed a shot over Ellis and past Rinne’s stick side at 12:53 of the second period.
Seguin’s goals came at 8:03 and 15:56 of the final period. The first was awarded following a video replay.
”I told Pekka right away, `I’m pretty sure that’s in,’ ” Seguin said. ”He said, `No chance.’ But once I saw the replay – actually, I heard the crowd – I knew it was in.”
Smith had given the Predators a 1-0 lead at 11:22 of the period with a backhander that beat Antti Niemi to his stick side.
Rinne, the NHL leader in goaltender minutes, hasn’t won on the road since Nov. 5. He’s 0-6-2 in away games since then.
The Predators are back in action on Saturday night when they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes. Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of the game immediately following Coffee County’s basketball game at Grundy County.
12/31/15
Birthdays:
Braylon Robinson, 6 — Pizza Winner!
Eric West, 37
Katie Wildman
Kaitlyn Kelly
Anniversaries:
Daisy & Otis Eddy, 1
Charles & Anna Godfrey, 23
2015 Year in Review – Coffee County Central High School Sports
2015 may be best remembered as the year of change on Red Raider Drive. Dismissals of the boys’ basketball coach and head baseball coach soiled the headlines in a tumultuous February. The retirement of long time softball coach Terry Floyd brought sadness to the community in the early summer. The “promotion of the Red Raider football team to the new “Super 32” Class 6A filled the hearts of many with a foreboding fear. And the resignation of the athletic director, along with the restructuring of the athletic administration structure had the potential to quell the momentum gained by the department in the previous 2 years. Resilient as they are, the athletes and staff survived the storms and entered this school year ready to tackle the challenges, as they fed off the successes of the past while continuing a growth started in 2014. As 2015 winds down, let us celebrate the accomplishments of ALL the sports and athletes at CHS that represented their school and community with honor.
The 2015 CHS Golf teams show off their trophies following the district tournament – Photo provided
The Lady Raider golf team won their 3rd straight region title before finishing with a 4th place finish at the state tournament in September. The Red Raiders finished 2nd in the region as John Parigger qualified for the state tournament as well. Parriger, a junior, is the 3rd different Red Raider to compete at the state tournament in the last 3 years, while the Lady Raiders have been represented for the last 4 years.
Sarah Pearson shows off her 7th place medal
The CHS Track team advanced 3 athletes to the state meet for the 23rd straight season in May as Sarah Pearson, Kani Johnson and Taylor DeBerry competed at the Blue Cross State Championships. Pearson was the lone medalist in the group as she finished in 7th place in the pentathlon.
Daniel Larsen (red cap) fires off the blocks at state championship… Photo provided
Daniel Larson of the CHS swim team completed his high school career by advancing to the state meet in February. Larson registered Top 40 finishes in the 100M backstroke and the 100M butterfly at the state meet as he graduated with a majority of the CHS Swim Team records. This season has begun a youth movement as more than a dozen region qualifying times have been secured by underclassmen.
The Lady Raider Tennis Team shows off their District Title trophy after winning the District 8AAA Title
The Lady Raider Tennis claimed a district title in May as they defeated Shelbyville in the finals before falling in the region tournament to Siegel. The doubles team of Alex Crossland and Savannah Hodge also advanced to the region tournament before falling in the semifinals. The Lady Raider tennis team returns 5 of the 6 members of last season’s team for this coming spring.
Coffee County CHS soccer players named to District 8AAA All-District team.
The Red Raider soccer team used a challenging schedule of “friendlies” to prepare themselves for the postseason and the plan worked nearly to perfection. The Raiders won 6 out of 7 games during a late season stretch, including a Coffee Cup win over Tullahoma, to advance to the finals of District 8 tournament. Coffee County finished as runner-up in District 8 and pushed unbeaten Oakland to overtime before being eliminated in the Region semifinals by a score of 2 to 1.
Brittney Jones accepts her Miss Softball trophy
After winning the regular season district title, the Lady Raider softball team finished the year with runner-up finishes in the district and the region tournaments and missed advancing to the state tournament with a 1 run loss to Ooltewah in the sectional. Graduating senior pitcher Brianna Jones finished her career with more than 1,000 strikeouts and was named the AAA Miss Softball for Middle Tennessee by the Tennessee Softball Coaches Association.
CHS Lady Raider Volleyball team celebrates they District 8 Runner up finish
The Lady Raider volleyball team advanced to the region tournament for the 4th straight year as they finished in 2nd place in the district tournament. The Lady Raiders were eliminated in the region semifinals by Siegel. Senior Diana Davis was selected as the Most Valuable Player for District 8AAA.
CHS Soccer coach David Amado instructs junior Karson Young
The Lady Raider soccer team also enjoyed a late season surge as they made it to the district semifinals to earn a 3rd place district finish. The Lady Raiders fell to a talented Lincoln County team who went on to advance to the state tournament.
The Red Raider football team also advanced to the state playoffs losing in the 1st round to Science Hill. The Raiders season was highlighted by the recapture of the cherished Coffee Pot with a 42 to 7 massacre of Tullahoma along with a 46 to 7 drubbing of Warren County on Homecoming. While not getting a win over the highly vaunted “Rutherford County teams,” Coffee County nearly upset Riverdale while playing exceptionally well against state quarterfinalists Smyrna and Blackman.
While both of the CHS basketball teams had early exits from the district tournament last winter, each has had strong starts to this season. Coach Herb Horton has his young Lady Raider squad playing with passion and intensity. First year Red Raider coach Micah Williams takes a 500 record into 2016 as he continues to mold his team into his style. Look for a bright future at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym in the coming years.
CHS Wrestler Josh Tobitt
The CHS Wrestling team failed to qualify a wrestler for the state tournament last winter, but Coach Roger Barlow has his young squad working hard in their new home this season. The Red Raiders have christened their new home at the Coffee County Raider Academy the “Meat Grinder” and look forward to establishing a foundation for future success in wrestling for Coffee County.
CHS baseball Class of 2015
The Red Raider baseball team would just as soon forget the many obstacles that they faced at the beginning of the season. The 9 person senior class and interim head coach Jon Spears battled their way into the district tournament where they clawed their way to a 5th place finish. New head coach David Martin was hired in late May and helped oversee a summer of competition that promises a return to glory on the diamond at Powers Field.
Members of the Red Raider Cross Country team as they “Run for Thomas” #ThomasStrong
And the CHS Cross Country team completed their 2nd season of competition after the return of the program following a 25 year hiatus. The season was highlighted by an emotional meet performance at Sewanee on October 1st. The Raider and Lady Raider teams ran for their cancer stricken teammate Thomas Millaway.
2016 promises to be another great year for Coffee County sports and Thunder Radio will keep you updated with all the great performances daily. We begin our 2016 coverage with Red Raider & Lady Raider basketball on Saturday as Coffee County travels to Grundy County. The girls game will tip off at 4 PM, but we begin our coverage with the Char-El Apartments & Home Rental pregame show at 3:50.
Great News–Stolen Jewelry Recovered from Coffee County Burglary Returned to Owner
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department has recovered items stolen earlier this year in a burglary that took place in the Fredonia area in the county.
Investigator Kelly Smith says that over $15,000 in jewelry has been given back to the owner of the property.
Smith says he got a lead in the case when Patrick Dwayne Billions pawned guns and tools at a store in Manchester. The items were stolen out of Limestone County Alabama. Billions is currently being held in Limestone County on burglary charges.
Smith says that he’ll present Billions case to the Coffee County Grand Jury and charges here are pending.
The investigator says it makes him feel good when he gets to return stolen items back to their rightful owners.
New Ramp to be Built at Exit 111
Work will begin in Coffee County beginning Monday, Jan 4 on a new exit ramp on the eastbound side of Exit 111. Grading, drainage, retaining/barrier walls and paving will be the first work to be done.
Once work begins, the outside shoulder on I-24 East will be closed on Monday through Friday between the hours of 6AM and 6PM. Estimated project completion date is July 2016.
At the completion of the work all eastbound traffic wanting to go to Tullahoma will take the new ramp. This work is being done so traffic will not have to cross over Hwy 55 in order to turn toward Tullahoma.
Animal Abuser Registry Begins Jan.1 in Tennessee
Tennessee is set to become the first state to release a registry that will consist of the names of people convicted of having intentionally abused animals.
Beginning Jan. 1, anyone can access the online registry, see a picture of the offender, and learn the offender’s age and where the offender lives.
The Tennessee House of Representatives and Senate passed legislation in May to allow the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to create the website.
State Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, a co-sponsor of the bill, says he thinks he it will be a strong deterrent against animal abuse.
The registry consists of those convicted of aggravated animal cruelty, or felony animal fighting. First-time offenders will spend two years on the registry, while a second offense makes it five.
Counting on Donations: IRS Proposal Could Change How Charities Collect Info
A proposed change by the IRS could prompt some nonprofits to collect donor information for gifts valued at more than $250. (DodgertonSkillhause/morguefile.com)
Chances are many Tennesseans are making last-minute donations in preparation for the end of the tax year, but an IRS proposal could prompt some nonprofits in future years to collect the personal information of donors who give gifts valued at more than $250. Lewis Levine, president with the Center for Nonprofit Management based in Nashville, says collecting personal information such as Social Security numbers could create a financial and temporal burden for organizations and potentially impact donations. “It would be a voluntary system,” says Lavine. “But nonprofit leaders are concerned about that dampening down philanthropy and about their record keeping.” In addition to the cumbersome job of managing and protecting donor data, it could make it difficult for some nonprofits to secure board members, who are concerned over the liabilities involved. As with any collection of your personal data, you will be made aware of its collection and use. Supporters of the proposal say it is needed because currently not all taxpayers file the proper paperwork for donations. Lavine says while the proposal may be well intentioned, balancing personal rights with other concerns is a fine line. “We live in an era of terrorism and of concern about security,” says Lavine. “I assume that’s why the IRS is pursuing this idea.” An announcement is soon expected about whether the proposal will be put in place as an option for nonprofits.
12/30/15
Birthdays:
Anna Moore — Pizza Winner!
Tina King, 52
Gracie Bryan
Kyle McCoy, 10
Joyce Gilliam
Dana Brown
Charlie Brown III
Colissa Lowe
Multi-County Police Pursuit Ends in Coffee County
Robert Lee McComb intake photos provided by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department
What started as a theft of a television became a high speed pursuit over several interstate miles early Wednesday morning.
Robert Lee McComb, 48, of Hendersonville and Chree Chadwick, 47, of Old Hickory were wanted for shoplifting the TV from Wal-Mart in Kimball in Marion County.
According to a report by Coffee County Sheriff’s Deputy Andy NeeSmith, officers were alerted by Grundy County deputies that they were in pursuit of the couple, who were driving a Ford Taurus on I-24 around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The first attempt to stop the vehicle was done with spike strips at mile marker 127 and that attempt failed. McComb, who was driving at speeds exceeding 100 mph allegedly attempted to ram police vehicles.
The Manchester Police Department became involved at mile marker 111 when they placed another set of spike strips across the interstate. This time the strips punctured a tire.
As McComb continued to drive, Deputies Steven Sharketti and Blake Simmons attempted to box the car in but he attempted to hit their patrol cars.
At the pursuit continued to Exit 105 McComb drove his vehicle off I-24 crossed over the Murfreesboro Highway and then tried get back on the interstate, the car became stuck in the mud in a ditch. Deputy NeeSmith was able to pull in front of McComb’s Taurus to block it in.
Chree Chadwick
A search of the car produced the 43 inch television that had been taken from the Kimball store and a small baggie that had white powder that Chadwick said was heroin.
McComb was charged with his sixth driving on revoked/suspended license, evading arrest, three counts of reckless endangerment, reckless driving and theft of property. His bond was set at $54,000. Chadwick was charged with theft of property, possession of schedule II and unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities. Her bond was set at $8,000. Both are set to appear in court Feb. 8.
Ooltewah Basketball Players in Serious Trouble
Gatlinburg, Tennessee police confirm three juveniles have been charged with aggravated rape and aggravated assault of a basketball teammate. At last report they were being held in the Sevier County Juvenile Facility.
The male juveniles were members of the Ooltewah High School basketball team, and the victim is a freshman player.
He was treated and released from UT Medical Center in Knoxville, after an eight-day stay. He underwent surgery for a ruptured colon and bladder, according to a statement from the Gatlinburg Police.
The three juveniles have been dismissed from the team, but county school officials say they will have no statement on punishment from the school district until after the holidays.