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Sounds Take Series Finale In Rain-Shortened Game
The Sounds got off to a hot start in Monday night’s series finale and took three of four from the Dodgers at First Tennessee Park with a 4-2, rain-shortened win.
The contest looked like it would be an offensive showdown all night long until rain began falling upon First Tennessee Park with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The game was called after an hour and seven minute delay with the Sounds claiming the advantage.
Oklahoma City jumped on top of Nashville starter Zach Neal rather quickly to begin the game. The Dodgers first three batters knocked the ball hard, producing a trio of hits. Darwin Barney had the RBI single to put the visiting team on top 1-0.
The Sounds evened it up in the home half of the second though. Jason Pridie hustled out a triple to start the frame after smacking a ball to dead center. Jake Smolinski followed in the next at-bat by driving him home with a double that rattled around the left field corner to put the score at 1-1.
Barney and the Dodgers snatched the advantage right back in the next inning. Oklahoma City’s designated hitter, who was 3-for-3 on the night, hit his second single of the game to lead off the third and scored when the Sounds turned a smooth double play.
Nashville refused to be outdone and batted around in a three-run fourth. Ryan Roberts doubled, Dayan Viciedo was hit by a pitch and Pridie followed with a single to pack the bags. Smolinski knotted the score at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly before Andy Parrino put the Sounds on top with a single. The scoring concluded when Nate Freiman hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield and gave Nashville a 4-2 lead.
It would be all the scoring the game would see once the rain came in the fifth. The two-run cushion was enough to help Neal get another victory.
The right-hander had a few hiccups along the way, but earned his team-leading sixth win. The 26-year old went five innings, striking out six and giving up two runs on seven hits. Neal is the quickest to six wins for the Sounds this season, doing so in just nine games of action.
Nashville continues its eight-game homestand on Tuesday and welcomes the Colorado Springs Sky Sox to First Tennessee Park. The Sounds will hand the ball to Brad Mills (3-7, 3.21) in the series opener and the Sky Sox will counter with Nick Additon. The four-game set will include The Tennessean T-Shirt Tuesday giveaway, Salute to 80’s Night on Wednesday and Fox 17 Independence Day Fireworks presented by the Nashville International Airport on July 3.
Former Coffee County Coach Facing 16 Count Indictment On Sex Charges
Photo of Brad Weir while coaching at Coffee County High School
Weir is now facing one count of statutory rape by an authority figure, one count of aggravated rape, seven counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and others.
Weir is set to appear in a Coffee County court room Sept. 16.
Weir was originally arrested Feb. 3 on charges of rape by an authority figure by Manchester Police.
District Attorney Craig Northcott requested the arrest for Weir after the former coach allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old female student from the Red Raider Academy in Manchester at his residence. He served as a PE teacher at the school.
Weir is free on a bond of $100,000.
Unity Medical Center Begins Operation on Wednesday
Last week we reported that the merger of the two Manchester hospitals is complete and operation of the one combined hospital will start July 1. The combination of the two hospitals is intended to unite Manchester’s medical community so the new name of the hospital on Interstate Drive will be renamed Unity Medical Center.
On Wednesday, almost all medical services will take place at the former Medical Center of Manchester with just a few diagnostic services to remain at the former United Regional Medical Center on McArthur Drive until the hospital receives regulatory approval to move those as well. The hospital will close the emergency room at URMC’s current location at midnight Tuesday June 30. So if you are need of emergency services after that date they will only be done at Unity on Interstate Drive. Under Tennessee law, a hospital cannot move or shut down an emergency room without state approval. URMC received approval to shut down its emergency room by the Tennessee Division of Health Licensure and Regulation last September provided the two hospitals had common ownership. The two hospitals notified the state Friday that they would be under common ownership effective July 1, 2015 and the Licensure Board confirmed the transition plan.
An investor group purchased Coffee Medical Center from Coffee County thirteen years ago and renamed it to United Regional Medical Center. Attorney J. Stanley Rogers and his partners built Medical Center of Manchester over 30 years ago.
Skeletal Remains Found In Winchester
Marc Andrew Castle intake photo from a previous arrest.
Winchester Police Chief Dennis Young confirmed that authorities believe the victim is Marc Castle, a suspect in a shooting that took place in January, just two blocks from where the body was found.
A man was using a rotary mower to cut brush when he ran over the skeletal remains.
The remains are being sent to the University of Tennessee for further identification.
Castle was the suspect in a Jan. 21 shooting after police say he shot more than 20 rounds from an assault rifle on North High Street before fleeing the scene.
Boating Accident Causes Man To Drown In Tims Ford Lake
64-year-old Jerry Woodard of Estill Springs died last week in an accident on Tims Ford Lake when his small fishing boat apparently hit a stump, causing him to lose control and fall into the water.
Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency personnel are investigating the incident after authorities were notified of a boating related accident on Tims Ford Lake near Estill Springs City Park. Woodard was found in a shallow area near Estill Springs City Park submerged in about 8 feet of water.
He was pronounced dead at Southern Tennessee Medical Center in Winchester.
Westwood Middle Student Austin Burch Elected National Junior BETA Club President
Austin (Auggie) Burch
Students from Westwood Middle School attended the National Junior Beta Club Convention at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. The convention brings together Junior Beta Clubs from across the country for four days of competition, learning, leadership development, and fellowship. At the Tennessee Junior Beta Club Convention held back in November of 2014, Westwood Middle School 7th grader Austin (Auggie) Burch was elected State President. This qualified Austin to run for national office and on Monday Auggie was elected National Junior Beta Club President. He will attend a leadership camp next month and as national president he will attend state conventions throughout the country plus he’ll oversee the national convention next year in Louisiana. Burch’s Mom Melissa said she is very proud of her son, but also of the group of outstanding students at Westwood Middle.
Westwood Middle Skit Team… Photos provided
The WMS BETA club faculty sponsors are Elizabeth Eaton and Amanda Sullivan.
7/18/15 —- Johnny Floyd Brown
Johnny Floyd Brown of Hillsboro passed from this earth on June 25 at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga after a tragic accident on his property which occurred June 17.
He is now reunited with his loving wife of 60 years, Lois Fults Brown.
Mr. Brown is survived by his sons, George Dalon and David Odom of Tucker GA; sister-in-law Bobbie Jones and sister, Louise Gilmer (Johnny) of Hillsboro; and one brother, Junior Brown (Barbara) of Shelbyville.
Johnny was preceded in death by his wife Lois; his parents, Lula and Frances Brown, and one brother, Boyd, all of Hillsboro.
Mr. Brown served the Hillsboro community as a Volunteer Firefighter for over 20 years, many of which he was Chief of the Department. He was a farmer, avid gardener, and loved raising cattle. Johnny worked various jobs but spent most of his years at the Coffee County Highway Department and at Brothers Implement of Hillsboro.
A Memorial Service will be held graveside on July 18 at 1:00 at the Hillsboro Memorial Cemetery following visitation (11:30) at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro.
Family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Oakhurst Recovery Program of Decatur, GA (232 East Lake Drive, Decatur, GA 30030) where Dalon serves on the Board of Directors or to the Hillsboro Memorial Cemetery.
Manchester Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
6/18/15 —- Alice Jean Poff
Alice Jean Poff, age 80, of Manchester, TN, passed away at her residence on Thursday, June 18, 2015.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
Alice was born in Manchester, the daughter of the late Arthur Henry and Era Vaughn Poff.
She was formerly a cook at Top Stop Market in Manchester.
In addition to her parents, Alice was also preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd Hayden Chisam; one son, Roger Chisam; and 19 brothers and sisters.
She is survived by two daughters, Palma Joy Chisam of CA and Elizabeth Rose Chisam; two brothers, Muriel and Joe Poff; 4 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; and her special grandson, Jeff Fitzgerald, who was also her caregiver.
Manchester Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
6/27/15 — Todd Steven Tucker
Todd Steven Tucker, of Tullahoma, passed this life on Saturday, June 27th, 2015 at Harton Regional Medical Center at the age of 49.
Mr. Tucker was born in St. Louis, Missouri to the late Donald Tucker and Sharon Carter Tucker who survives.
During his life, he worked as a warehouse manager for the Ritenour School District in Missouri before his retirement.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Tucker is survived by three sisters, Tammy Giles of Murfreesboro, Cindy Gilliam and her husband Robert of Tullahoma, and Tina Tucker of Tullahoma; six nieces and nephews, Heather White, Shane Giles, 
Savannah Poppell, Amanda Gilliam, Justin Gilliam, and Nicki Tucker; and four great-nieces and nephew, Lexi, Ava, Vanessa, and Josh.
Kilgore Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
7/5/14 —– Frances “Punkin” Louise Mitchell Painter
Frances “Punkin” Louise Mitchell Painter, age 89 passed away Saturday, June 27 at the Tullahoma Life Care Center.
Memorial services will be held Sunday, July 5 at 2 PM at the First United Methodist Church in Tullahoma.
Visitation with the family will be from 1 PM until service time.
Mrs. Painter was born August 19, 1925 to Lillard and Frances Adams Mitchell at the home of her paternal grandparents in Tullahoma.
She attended school in Tullahoma and graduated from Tullahoma High School as a proud member of the Class of 1943. It was during these school years that she was a pumpkin in a class play. That led to the nickname,”Punkin” which friends and family continued to call her.
Frances attended the University of Tennessee and graduated in 1948. Her first full time teaching job was in Perryville, Missouri. After two years she returned to Tennessee and taught in the Crossville City Schools. While temporarily leaving the teaching field and working for a family business venture in Knoxville, she decided to serve her country during the Korean Conflict. She enlisted in the Woman’s Medical Specialist Corps of the Army and served at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas as a commissioned officer.
At the completion of her assignment in the army, she returned to Tullahoma and taught third and fourth grade at Normandy, Tennessee. The following year she accepted a job with the Tullahoma school system as a sixth grade teacher at Bel Aire Elementary School. During her teaching career, she had and continues to have a great influence on “my children” as she called them. Many of her former students continued to write, call or visit her, years after leaving her class. Punkin retired from teaching while at West Middle School.
Frances was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Tullahoma. She enjoyed her Sunday school Class and her circle group as well as the senior citizens activities. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
In addition to her parents, Frances was preceded in death by her husband, Auburn M. Painter and her sister, Barbara Porter.
She is survived by sons, J. D. Painter and his wife, Kathryn of McEwen, TN and Marvin Painter and his wife, Teresa of Greenville, SC; six grandchildren; three step-granddaughters and four great grandchildren. She is also survived by many cousins who have been dear to her and share many memories.
The family would like to thank her caregivers, Judy Beaulieu, Loretta Starks and Margie Riggins and also many loyal friends who helped care for her.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations be made to the First United Methodist Church, 208 W. Lauderdale Street, Tullahoma, TN or St Judes Children’s Hospital.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.