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9/16/15 — Ralph Orien Gentry
Funeral services for Mr. Ralph Orien Gentry, age 82, of Manchester, will be
conducted at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at Manchester Funeral
Home Chapel with Bro. Benny Benjamin officiating. Burial will follow in
Fredonia Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 5:00 PM until
8:00 PM on Tuesday evening at the funeral home. Mr. Gentry passed away
Sunday morning at NHC in Murfreesboro, TN.
Ralph was born in Coffee County, TN the son of the late Arnold Luke and
Minnie Elrod Gentry. He served his country in the United States Army during
the Korean War and was an electrical engineer and supervisor at AEDC. Ralph
was one of the few members of “IEEE”, Institute of Electrical Electronics &
Engineers, which is a national organization; a member of the Nashville &
Kentucky Steel Guitar Association; a facilitator of Steven Covey’s Seven
Habits of Highly Effective People; a member of Dale Carnegie Leadership
Institute; as well as a member of American Management Association.
In addition to his parents, Ralph was also preceded in death by one brother,
Roy Arnold Gentry. He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Mary Lou
Reece Gentry of Manchester; one son, Robb (Carla) Gentry of Franklin, TN;
two daughters, Kathy (Randy) McCormick of Hillsboro and Jeanne (David)
Spencer of Tullahoma; eight grandchildren, Amie (Donald) Keele, Todd
(Chancy) McCormick, and Katie McCormick, all of Hillsboro, Kim (Barry) Smith
of Tullahoma, Patti (Michael) Skipper of Hillsboro, Tina (Kyle) Newlin of
Manchester, and Camie and Olivia Gentry, both of Franklin; and thirteen
great grandchildren, Daldon and Dixon Keele, Dasaney, Xaviar, Tavin and Case
McCormick, Kolby McCormick, Ryan Smith, Connor Smith, Blake and Ashleigh
Smith, Haleigh Skipper, and Cara Newlin.
MANCHESTER FUNERAL HOME IS HONORED TO SERVE THE GENTRY FAMILY
9/18/15 — Opal G. Ziegler
Opal G. Ziegler, arrived in the presence of her Lord on the morning of Sunday, September 13th, 2015 while at Lynchburg Nursing Center at the age of 99. Mrs. Ziegler was born in Drumright, Oklahoma to the late Raleigh and Blanche Lemmons Walrath.
During her life, she was a school teacher in Wichita, Kansas, primarily teaching in the elementary school system and also in the high school music program. She and her husband served eight years on the SBC mission field planting churches in Oregon. Opal impacted and blessed many lives through music, teaching and her testimony. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Tullahoma.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Ziegler is preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, Charles Ziegler; and one sister, Ruby Walrath.
She is survived by two children, Edwin M. Gleason and his wife Janice of Estill Springs, Tennessee and Zelfa Howery of Livermore, California; seven grandchildren, Stephen Gleason, Jeffrey Gleason, Dr. Scott Gleason, Lora Rinke, LaDawn Munger, Michelle Markel and Mitchell Pirtle; and 15 great-grandchildren, Emily, Elise, Grant, Benjamin, Daniel, Micah, Eli, Caroline, Amelia, Susannah, Forest, Sierra, Samantha, Zoe and Till.
Visitation will be held on Friday, September 18th, 2015 at First Baptist Church in Tullahoma from 12:00-2:00pm with the funeral service to immediately follow at 2:00pm with Dr. J. Herbert Hester and Dr. Scott Gleason officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma.
For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to First Baptist Church in Tullahoma with an emphasis on Missions, 108 East Grundy Street, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388.
9/16/15 — Eugene McCullough
Eugene McCullough, age 78, passed away September 13, 2015 at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital to go home with Jesus. He was Pastor of the Highway 53 Nondenominational Church in Woodbury for thirty years. He retired from Middle Tennessee Medical Center after twenty five years of service and worked at Hickerson Elementary School and retired after five years. After retirement he lived in Manchester and recently moved to McMinnville.
Eugene was preceded in death by his parents, Johnny and Della May McCullough; brothers, Granville McCullough, John Robert McCullough and Tommy Chumbley; sisters, Mary Helen Finley, Willie May West, Ruth Victory and Littie J. McCullough; and daughter, Judy Kay McCullough. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Dorothy Barlow McCullough; sons, Jerry McCullough and Gerald McCullough; daughter, Joyce Dixon; sister, Dorothy Thomason; granddaughters, Jennifer Smith, Juliet McCullough and Chasity Lentz; grandsons, Donald Lester, Jimmy Lester and Russell Lester; fifteen great grandchildren; great-great grandson, Liam Lee Wayne Garcia; and special friend, Kay Newkirk.
Chapel service will be 11:00 AM, Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at Jennings and Ayers with John Paul Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.
Visitation with the family will be 4:00-8:00 PM, Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 South Church St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130. 615-893-2422.
Franklin County Woman Facing Medicaid Fraud Charges
Barbara Matthews
Special Agents in the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit have obtained indictments for a caregiver accused of mishandling prescription medication for an adult in her care.
After receiving information from the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, TBI Special Agents began investigating Barbara Ann Matthews on June 26th. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information that in March 2015, Matthews, the Director of Residential Operations for New Life of Winchester, failed to administer prescription hydrocodone for a resident in her care, having lost the medication due to her failure to adhere to medication management policy. Additionally, the investigation revealed Matthews dispensed an unverified prescription narcotic to the patient to replace the medication she misplaced.
Last week, the Franklin County Grand Jury returned indictments for Matthews, charging the 48-year-old Huntland woman with one count of Neglect of an Impaired Adult, one count of Felony Delivery of a Schedule III Narcotic, and one count of Casual Exchange. On Wednesday, authorities from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office arrested Matthews and booked her into the county jail, from which she was released after posting $5,000 bond. Matthews’ status with the company is unknown at this time.
MTSU Receives Grant Money
Middle Tennessee State University has been awarded a $225,000 grant to support its efforts to help students stay on track to earn their college degrees.
The university was among 24 higher education institutions across the country to receive grants of up to $225,000 through a national grant competition called Integrated Planning and Advising for Student Success, or iPASS.
It’s intended to help two- and four-year institutions launch comprehensive student advising technologies by 2018.
In 2013, MTSU launched an initiative to improve student retention and graduation rates. The university hired 47 additional advisers, redesigned several high-enrolled general education courses, greatly expanded tutoring offerings and created key performance metrics shared regularly with campus leaders.
Early results show gains in returning MTSU freshmen, sophomore and transfer students between fall 2014 and spring 2015 ranging from 2 to 4.5 percent.
Marijuana Grow Operation Bust In Cannon County
Photo by the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department and provided by WKRN
Cannon County Sheriff’s Office reported Rolando and Ivan Morales are accused of growing marijuana in Bedford, Giles and Cannon counties.
The operation was found on a property located on Tassey Road in Readyville.
Deputies seized the plants and three vehicles from the property.
Rolando and Ivan are accused of stealing more than $14,000 of electricity from Middle Tennessee Electric to run the operation.
100 for 100 Smoke Alarm Program
The Tullahoma Fire Department will be participating in a statewide smoke alarm effort on Saturday, October 10th. On that day, they will be one of 10 different departments throughout the state that have been challenged to provide 100 smoke alarms in recognition of the 100th year anniversary of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. These installations will occur in residences throughout the community as part of the “Get Alarmed Tennessee!” program, a free smoke alarm installation program that has been in place since 2012. The program has saved over 100 lives and the Tullahoma Fire Department wants to help save even more.
If you are in need of a smoke alarm and would like to receive one, please send an e-mail to rsteiner@tullahomatn.gov or call 931-455-0936 (Fire Station #1). Include your name, address and phone number. Someone will contact you and help install the alarm.
Star Party Is Saturday At Motlow
Billy Hix
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, bug spray and jackets if desired. If there is inclement weather or total cloud cover and rain, the program will be rescheduled for a later date.
Billy Hix, director of the Motlow College Foundation STEM Outreach program, will host the event while leading an educational discussion about the universe, and the public will have an opportunity to view celestial objects with a telescope. Sept. 19 is also International ‘Observe the Moon Night’ and part of the event will focus on the moon.
Hix is a nationally recognized educator who has been featured on various forms of media for his science outreach work. In addition to directing the Motlow STEM Outreach program, he is a dedicated astronomer who has served as a teacher liaison for the Space Foundation of Colorado, a consultant for NASA, and is a member of the Von Braun Astronomical Society of Huntsville.
For more information about the event or STEM, please contact Billy Hix at bbhix@mscc.edu or 931-393-1609.
Coffee County Uses Big 2nd Half to Drop Walker Valley on Friday
450 yards of total offense and a pair of interceptions lifted the Coffee County Red Raider football team to a 41 to 29 win over Walker Valley on Friday night in Cleveland. A weather delay of almost 90 minutes in the first quarter put the completion of the game in doubt. Lightning in the area forced the teams off the field with the Mustangs leading 3 to 0 with 3:30 left in the first quarter. Coffee County, who was driving at the time of the delay, came back out of the break and scored a TD on the first play after the delay. Alontae Taylor raced 16 yards to give Coffee County a 6 to 3 lead. The teams traded touchdowns in the 2nd quarter and a late Walker Valley field goal gave the Mustangs a 13 to 12 lead at the half.
Taking the 2nd half kickoff, Mill Harner raced 45 yards to cap a short Raider drive with 10:56 left in the 3rd quarter and a Tyrese McGee 2 point conversion gave the Raiders a 20 to 13 lead. From that point, Coffee County would not trail again. The Mustangs tied it on their next possession before Coffee County scored 3 straight touchdowns to build a 41 to 20 lead early in the 4th quarter. After a Walker Valley touchdown, the Raiders defense got their 2nd interception of the night by Gavin Husted in the final 2 minutes to seal the win.
Harner rushed 30 times for 190 yards and 2 second half touchdowns. Taylor finished the night with 22 carries for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns himself. McGee rushed 4 times for 22 yards and a TD plus the 2 point conversion. Jacob Lowe earned the Thunder Radio/Farm Bureau Player of the Game honor.
Coffee County returns home on Friday night as they host Riverdale in the “Pink Out” game. Farm Bureau Insurance is sponsoring the event of the night by purchasing pink jerseys for the football team to wear during the game. All other participants of the night such as the cheerleaders, dance team members, and band members will also be sporting pink for the night. Fans are encouraged to participate by purchasing the t-shirt designed for the event. Anyone wishing to purchase a shirt can contact any Coffee County CHS FBLA member or contact the high school at 931.723.5164 or 931.723.5159. All proceeds from the shirts will be donated to the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition to assist breast cancer patients in Coffee County.
9/11/15
Birthdays:
Michael Wix, 54 — Pizza Winner!
Linda Vaughn, 72
Fireman Jimmy Ingram
Heather Buckley, 32
Doyle McConnell
Trenton Lowry
Kelly Smith
Food Lion Cake Winner:
Savannah Harrell
Flowers by Michael Anniversary Winner:
Neil & Jennifer Simmons