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Police Officer Injured In An Altercation With a Domestic Violence and Resisting Arrest Suspect
James Richard Gault, 56, of Manchester was arrested Sunday on charges of domestic violence and resisting arrest. When officers attempted to arrest Gault he became combative with them, injuring a Manchester officer. The officer was transported to the hospital.
According to warrants obtained by Deputy Cody Lendley, officers responded to a disturbance at the Motel 6 in Manchester.
According to the warrant, a female in the room told the officers that she and Gault had a verbal altercation that had turned physical. She alleged that Gault broke the phone in the room during the altercation.
Gault was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a $7,500 bond.
Manchester Man Enters No Contest Plea To Tax Evasion
The Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to last week’s no contest plea of John Constantine to seven counts of sales tax evasion. Constantine, 47, is the managing member of a Manchester business.
Coffee County Circuit Court Judge Walter Kurtz accepted Constantine’s plea and sentenced him to four years of supervised probation. Constantine was also ordered to pay restitution of $42,743.10.
In January 2015, a Coffee County Grand Jury indicted Constantine on six Class E felony counts of tax evasion, one count of theft over $10,000 and one count of filing a false franchise and excise tax return. The indictments charged that between December 2012 and June 2013, Constantine collected sales tax from customers at his business and failed to remit all collected sales tax as required by law.
“This investigation will serve as a reminder that retailers are not entitled to use or keep sales tax monies,” Revenue Commissioner Richard Roberts said. “When sales tax revenues are collected by a retailer, they are at all times property of the state or local government, and they must be remitted to the state.”
The Department pursued this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Craig Northcott and his staff. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee’s revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).
The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue.
Motorcycle Crash Injures Two
LifeFlight lands at the scene of Saturday’s crash… Photo provided by Mike Ray
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 52 year-old Timothy A. Kanehl of Manchester, TN was the operator of the 2001 Harley Davidson when the wreck occurred. 45 year-old Suzanne Lamon from Lavergne, TN was a passenger.
Both Kanehl and Lamon were airlifted from the scene and taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment of unknown injuries.
No other information was released by the THP.
Man Hurt In Hit and Run In His Own Driveway
A man was airlifted Thursday morning when he was run over in his driveway by hit-and-run driver.
36 year old Christopher Higgins was taken by helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga for injuries he suffered when the car ran over his legs and chest area.
According to Sheriff’s Department, the incident happened around 9 a.m. on Short Road located in the Smartt Station community. Higgins told the Sheriff’s Dept. that a black Nissan pulled into his driveway and was blowing his horn. He went outside and once he reached the car, the man inside threw open the door and started cursing at him. Higgins added the driver threw the vehicle in reverse. He was knocked down by the door of the car and was run over. The driver fled the scene, leaving Higgins lying in his driveway. He was airlifted to Erlanger in Chattanooga for treatment to his legs and chest area.
The driver is described as having long, dark hair and several tattoos. He was driving a black Nissan Maxima or Altima. Anyone having information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department.
Scam Alert From TUB
It has come to the attention of the Tullahoma Utilities Board (TUB) that several utility customers in Tullahoma have received scam calls lately. The caller is spoofing TUB’s phone number, is claiming to work for TUB, and is telling customers’ utilities will be cut off if a payment is not received immediately. The caller is asking customers to either wire money, send a money order, or even use a credit card to send payment for a delinquent utility account. Usually, these calls are happening after hours, when the TUB office is closed for the day.
Please know that TUB has never and will never call a customer and ask for immediate payment.
If an account is past due, TUB will either send multiple notices, come to the account holder’s home or business or make a phone call during regular business hours to notify the individual responsible for the account that it past due.
Anyone receiving a similar call or who has been the victim of this scam, is encouraged to alert the police. For any questions, call the TUB office at 455-4515.
CHS Golf Season Tees Off on Tuesday
The CHS golf teams open the regular season on Tuesday with a pair of matches in Fayetteville. The Raiders and Lady Raiders will look to build off their performance from last Thursday as they open the season against district rival Lincoln County. The Lady Raiders finished in 2nd place at the Lakewood Invitational preseason tournament on Thursday led by Savannah Quick. Quick, who shot a 2 over par 74 on Thursday, is joined by senior captain Teagan Perry and Sophie Vinson as the favorites to try and qualify the Lady Raiders for the state tournament for the 5th straight year.
On the boys side, senior captain Hayden Proffitt and junior John Parrigger lead a young Raider team. Freshmen Austin Farris and Samuel Prater are also expected to contribute this season as the Red Raiders look to return a golfer to the state tournament for the 4th straight season.
Tuesday’s match will take place at the Fayetteville Country Club and is scheduled to tee off at 9:00 AM. The Raiders will host their first home match of the year on Monday, August 3rd beginning at 1:00 PM. The Raiders and Lady Raiders will play host to the always strong Cookeville teams at Willowbrook. Mike Ray is the head coach for Coffee County as he begins his 8th season at the helm of the golf program.
CHS Lady Raider Soccer Team to Host Play Day Saturday
The Coffee County High School Lady Raider soccer team will host the annual preseason play day on Saturday at the Raider Soccer Field and Carden-Jarrell Field, both behind the Raider Academy. Both the Lady Raider varsity and junior varsity teams will be in action beginning at 9 AM. The varsity will play 3 games at Carden-Jarrell Field as they take on Warren County at 9 AM, Franklin County at 10:20 AM and Wilson Central at 2:20 PM. The Lady Raiders will also take on Smith County at 1:00 PM on the soccer field. The JV Lady Raiders will have 3 games on the soccer field beginning at 10:20 AM. The JV team will take on the Warren County JV at 10:20, the Shelbyville JV at 11:40 AM and the Franklin County JV at 1:40 PM.
CHS Lady Raider Play Day Schedule – August 1st
Tori Raby-Gentry Steps Down as Motlow Softball Coach
former Motlow softball coach adn athletic director, Tori Raby-Gentry
“We appreciate Tori and the time and effort she has given to the college,” said Tunstill. “As a former player and an alumnus, Tori will always be a part of the Motlow family and we wish her well.”
Raby-Gentry was named head softball coach in June 2011 and compiled an 84-107-2 record during her four years leading the program. Her best season was 2015 when the Lady Bucks went 27-19-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the TCCAA/Region VII tournament. She played for Motlow in 1996-97 and was named the team’s most valuable player following her sophomore season.
“After four years of coaching at Motlow and 15 years of college coaching I have decided that it is time for a new direction,” said Raby-Gentry. “I am thankful for the opportunities I was given here at Motlow and I will miss the support and relationships built with our administration, faculty, staff, and of course the student athletes.”
The next Motlow softball coach will be the school’s sixth since the program began in 1995. Jackie Reavis and Mike Holt were co-head coaches during that first season, followed by Angela Tulley who stayed two years and compiled a 58-25 record.
Gary Barfield took the reins in 1998 and established the Lady Bucks as one of the premier junior/community college softball programs in the southeast, culminating in the school’s only state championship and national tournament appearance in 2009. Barfield left following the 2011 season and is now the head coach at Tullahoma High School.
Baseball Head Coach Dan McShea has been named interim athletic director. Motlow will immediately begin the process of searching for a new head softball coach. The new coach will inherit a quality roster with eight returning sophomores and a talented freshman class.
Manchester Baseball Team Claims TYBA State Title
Devin Taylor of the 11 and 12 year old Wild Bunch from Manchester won the TYBA home run derby this past weekend at the TYBA state tournament. (Photo provided by TYBA)
The 9 and 10 year old Raiders of Manchester won the Tennessee Youth Baseball Association State Recreation Championship on Sunday. The Raiders finished off the day on Sunday with 3 wins, including a victory over the DeKalb County All Stars in the championship game. The win capped the 3rd state title for a Manchester team in this year’s TYBA state tournaments. The 11& 12 year old Wild Bunch of Manchester also had a good week-end, highlighted by a home run derby winner. Devin Taylor of the Wild Bunch crushed a grand slam home run this weekend to claim the home run derby crown.
Prep Schedule for The Week
Monday marks the beginning of full contact fall football practice for prep teams in Tennessee. Teams from Westwood Middle, Coffee County Middle, as well as Coffee County Central High School will look to add this physical element to their practice schedules as they prepare for preseason scrimmages and jamborees. The Rockets of Westwood Middle will be the first local team to get in a fall scrimmage on Thursday night with their annual Blue & White Game scheduled for a 7 PM kickoff at Dyer-Bouldin Field. The Rockets follow that up with a Friday Jamboree game at Cascade at 6:30 PM against Mt. Pleasant. The Raiders of Coffee County Middle School will hold their first scrimmage of the preseason on Friday night as they travel to Smyrna to take on Rock Springs. The Coffee County CHS Red Raiders will travel to Grundy County on Friday, August 7th.
The CHS golf team opens their regular season on Tuesday as they travel to Fayetteville to take on Lincoln County. Both boys and girls teams will tee off at 9 AM.
The CHS volleyball team will hold their annual Alumni Game on Friday, July 31st beginning at 6:00 PM at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym. The Lady Raiders will return to action on Saturday, August 1st as the travel to Chattanooga for a scrimmage play day. The volleyball team will also hold signups on Friday beginning at 5:00 PM for girls in grades 4th thru 6th for their youth volleyball league. The final day for signups is Saturday, August 8th.
The Coffee County CHS girls soccer team will host a scrimmage playday on Saturday, August 1st at the Raider soccer field behind the Raider Academy. Games will begin early on Saturday morning and continue all day. Thunder Radio will update the schedule for the playday later in the week.
The Coffee County Middle School softball team will hold tryouts on July 27th and 28th at the CCMS Field. 6th and 7th graders will tryout on both dates from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Any 8th graders wishing to try out will only need to attend the July 28th session, also from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Students wishing to tryout should bring their own softball gear and a copy of their current physical. Parents will need to be prepared to drop off their kids, and then pick them up again at 6:00 PM as this will be a closed tryout session.
The Coffee County Central High School softball team will hold MAKE UP tryouts on July 28th & 29th at Terry Floyd Field. Time for both sessions is 7 PM to – 9 PM. Student athletes will to bring with them their own softball equipment plus the completed & signed physical/consent forms are REQUIRED.
For more information, contact Steve Wilder at: 731-445-4896.
The CHS Cross Country team will hold their first practice of the year on Monday, beginning at 5:00 PM at the former Old Stone Fort Golf Course. Students wishing to run cross country should show up with their physical form. If you need more information about the cross country team, contact Robert Harper via email at: harperr@k12coffee.net