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The Latest On Possible Property Tax Increase
Last week Coffee County residents were fearing a 36-cent property tax increase. Now the county commission is currently considering a 21-cent property tax increase, primarily to pay for increased budget requests by the county school system and county EMS.
No action was taken at last week’s county commission meeting. The commission hopes to have a final budget adopted by its next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 23.
Accounts and Budgets director Marianna Edinger presented a plan that could be used to pay for the buses using surplus funds available in a debt service fund where bonds have recently been paid off.
This would bring down the schools’ request from $1.4 million to roughly $1 million, thereby reducing the tax increase by 8 cents.
Dr LaDonna McFall director of Coffee County Schools made a point during the meeting to thank Bonnaroo for recently making a $45,000 contribution to the schools to purchase Chromebooks for the students, bringing down her budget request by that amount as well.
When it comes to schools, budget increases for the county school system require twice as much due to the state-mandated revenue sharing requirement with the school systems in Tullahoma and Manchester, even if the other schools are not requesting additional funds so the new $1 million request would bring the total to $2 million. The previous request would have meant a total of $2.8 million.
Drowning In Franklin County
About 7:40 a.m. Thursday morning Franklin County deputies and emergency personnel responded to a call about a body being found in the water.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department is now investigating the drowning of Vernon Odie Wadford, 48, of Winchester.
The man was found floating under the Devils Step boat dock early Thursday morning.
A witness told authorities that while fishing he observed a body floating in the water under the boat ramp.
Victim Life Photo Bill Signed Into Law
Gov. Bill Haslam
Gov. Haslam signed the Victim Life Photo Bill last week, allowing a living photo of a murder victim to be shown to a jury. It’s something that judges often would not allow before because they felt it could be considered prejudicial. Attorneys on both sides say this new law does not mean we are about to see more guilty verdicts to come out of murder trials. But advocates say this is a huge win for victims’ rights. Supporters of the law say that the families of murder victims, seeing one smiling picture of their loved one means a lot during a trial. Typically, a jury only sees the gruesome crime scene and autopsy pictures. Prosecutors will decide case-by-case whether or not to use a picture of a victim during trial. The new law takes effect on July 1st.
Coffee County Baseball Falls 10 to 9 to Warren County on Saturday
Coffee County’s Alan Rob (#25) is welcomed at home plate by his teammates after hitting a 3 run home run on Saturday against Warren County
A home run and a suicide squeeze were the story of Saturday’s summer league baseball game for Coffee County against Warren County. Alan Rob’s 3 run HR in the top of the 4th inning was not enough to overcome a successful squeeze bunt by Warren County in the bottom of the 7th to drop Coffee County by a final score of 10 to 9.
The Raiders jumped out to a 4 to 0 lead in the 3rd inning powered in part by RBI doubles from Bradley King and Deandre Wakefield. The Pioneers responded in the bottom of the inning with 5 unearned runs on 3 Raider errors. Coffee County responded in the 4th inning with a 4 run rally capped by Rob’s 3 run bomb to left center field. Warren County rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning but Coffee County tied it in the 6th on an RBI single from Wakefield knocking in Nathaniel Tate. The Pioneers got the walk-off RBI bunt with 1 out in the 7th to claim the win.
The Raiders were led in hitting by rising freshman Colton Kerber who was 3 for 3 on the day with 3 singles and 2 runs scored. Tate finished 2 for 2 with 2 sacrifices and 2 RBI while Wakefield was 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI. The Raiders will return home on Thursday as they play host to the Crethan Hansert Memorial Tournament. Thunder Radio will post the schedule later in the week.
6/15/15 — Bertha Irene Dawson Rigney
Bertha Irene Dawson Rigney, age 73 of Manchester, Tennessee, passed away on June 12, 2015 at the Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga after an extended illness.
Born in Gaylord, Michigan, she had worked as a Manufacturing Machinist; was a homemaker; and enjoyed playing cards with her family, as well as, flower gardening.
Mrs. Rigney was preceded in death by her daughter, Donna Calvert-Rigney; parents, George Freeman Dawson and Lucy Winters Dawson; six brothers and seven sisters.
She is survived by her loving husband, William Homer Rigney of Manchester, TN; daughter, Laura Rigney Davis of Deerfield, Ohio; two grandchildren, Stephanie (Nick) Seagle of Cuyahoga Falls, OH and Leslie Davis of Deerfield, OH; one sister, Martha (Tom) Bailey of Copley, OH; and a host of other relatives and friends.
VISITATION – Tennessee
Monday, June 15, 2015 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Central Funeral Home in Manchester
VISITATION and FUNERAL SERVICE – Ohio
Thursday, June 18, 2015 at the Cox Funeral Home in Barberton, Ohio
BURIAL
Maple Grove Cemetery in Marshallville, Ohio on Thursday, June 18, 2015
CENTRAL FUNERAL HOME of Manchester, TN in Charge of Local Arrangements.
All Star Softball Showcase Will Honor a Pair of Lady Raiders on Monday
Coffee County pitcher Brianna Jones
Brianna Jones will toe the pitching rubber one more time in her Coffee County softball uniform on Monday. This time, Jones will be attempting to pitch the Middle Tennessee All-Stars to victory over teams from West Tennessee and East Tennessee in the Tennessee Softball Coaches Association (TSCA) All Stars Showcase Games held at Columbia State Community College. The Middle Tennessee All Stars will take on West Tennessee at 1:30 PM and the East Tennessee All Stars at 5:30 PM.
The TSCA also named Jones the AAA Miss Softball for Middle Tennessee and Tori Bell a member of the TSCA All-Midstate team. The pair will be recognized for these awards at 5:00 PM between the 2nd and 3rd games of the All Stars Showcase Tripleheader. Jones, who led the state in earned run average and strikeouts, was also named to the TSCA Midstate All-Star Team.
Coffee County catcher Tori Bell
Jones finished the season with a record of 24 wins and 4 losses with an earned run average of 0.25 which was the best mark in Tennessee and 3rd nationally according to the MaxPreps.com. Her strikeout total of 358 ranked her first in Tennessee and 7th in the nation. On offense, Jones batted .302 for the season as she led the team in RBI with 26, doubles with 9 and home runs with 5.
Bell, a sophomore catcher, led the Lady Raiders in batting average as she hit .348 on the season. Bell was second on the team in doubles with 7 and home runs with 3. Bell also led the team in fielding percentage with an average of .994 including 19 assists. Bell threw out 5 of the 13 runners that attempted stolen bases against her for an impressive success rate of 38.5%
Oklahoma City Takes Third Straight From Nashville
For the first time this season Sounds’ starter Zach Neal was beaten, as Oklahoma City defeated Nashville 6-4 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Saturday night.
Neal had five wins in as many appearances with Nashville posting a 1.60 ERA entering tonight’s action, including a win over Oklahoma City at First Tennessee Park on April 24. After giving up just six runs all season, the Dodgers matched that total, knocking the Sounds’ starter out of the game with just one out in the fifth.
Jason Pridie continued to be a bright spot for Nashville crushing his team-leading seventh homer of the season in the sixth inning. In addition to home runs, the outfielder leads the sounds in most of the major offensive categories including AVG (.307) and RBI (37).
The Sounds cut the deficit in half in the seventh inning courtesy of a pair of Dodgers’ miscues. After Bryan Anderson doubled to extend his hitting streak to a season-best six games, Alden Carrithers hit a routine grounder to second that Hector Olivera fired by Dodgers first baseman Andy Wilkins allowing Anderson to score. Carrithers took second on the play and later moved to third. He then scored when Matt West threw a wild pitch.
A pair of Nashville right-handers put the Sounds in a position to attempt a comeback. Dan Otero threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief for Neal, while R.J. Alvarez looked particularly dominant striking out the side in the eighth. The Sounds scored a run in the ninth via a Niuman Romero RBI single, but that was all they could muster as they fell for the third time in as many nights in Oklahoma City.
The Sounds will send Brad Mills to the mound as they look to avoid the sweep Sunday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. He will be opposed by Deck McGuire. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
6/16/15 — STEVEN NIKOMA COKER
STEVEN NIKOMA COKER, age 30, of Winchester, Tenn., departed this life unexpectedly on Friday, June 12, 2015, at Southern Tennessee Regional Health Systems Winchester.
Mr. Coker was a commercial electrician. He was a car enthusiast and loved to watch movies. Mr. Coker enjoyed to be around children and had a fondness for fishing.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Denise (Minor)Coker.
Mr. Coker is survived by his father, Phillip Coker of Estill Springs, Tenn., step-mother, Donna Archey of Estill Springs, Tenn., fianc’ee, Julie Crow of Winchester, Tenn., son, Nikoma Coker of Winchester, Tenn., brothers; Shane Coker of Nashville, Tenn., Samuel Coker of Estill Springs, Tenn., maternal grandfather, Donald Minor, Sr. of Winchester, Tenn., paternal uncle, Kenneth Coker of Estill Springs, Tenn., paternal aunts; Sherry Ann Ray of Estill Spings, Tenn., Karen Darlene Williams and her husband, Clayton, maternal uncles; Donald Minor, Jr. and his wife, Brenda, Darren Minor and his wife, Sherrie all of Winchester, Tenn., Dale Minor of Decherd, Tenn., several nieces and nephews.
Visitation with the family will be Monday, June 15, 2015, from 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. at Grant Funeral Services.
Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, from the chapel of Grant Funeral Services with Pastor Brian Nave, officiating.
Interment will follow at Cowan Montgomery Cemetery.
Grant Funeral Services in charge of arrangements.
6/18/15 — Joshua Thomas Hardwick
Mr. Joshua Thomas Hardwick, age 20 of Hillsboro, Tennessee passed from this life on June 8, 2015 surrounded by his loving family.
Joshua was preceded in death by his mother Anna Marie Hardwick.
He is survived by one brother, Jerad Hardwick of Hillsboro, Tennessee, grandmother, Darleen Hardwick of Hillsboro, Tennessee, step-grandfather, Richard Etter of Hillsboro, Tennessee, aunt, Amber Hardwick Waring of Manchester, Tennessee, step-aunt, Rachel Sutton of Minnesota, uncle, Arthur Hardwick of Hillsboro, Tennessee, step-uncle, Miles Etter of Manchester, Tennessee.
Joshua was born in Adrian, Michigan. He enjoyed playing guitar and loved music. He won many awards thru the Special Olympics program and enjoyed helping others. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him and loved him.
Private Graveside Services for Joshua Thomas Hardwick will be conducted on Thursday, June 18, 2015 at the Concord Cemetery, Tullahoma, Tennessee with Brother Benny Benjamin officiating. Burial will follow.
COFFEE COUNTY FUNERAL CHAPEL IS HONORED TO SERVE THE FAMILY OF JOSHUA THOMAS HARDWICK.
6/9/15 —- Randall Lamar Howard
Mr. Randall Lamar Howard, age 65, of Lynchburg, Tennessee passed away Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
A memorial service to be held in Macon, Georgia will be announced at a later date.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ralph Prince Howard and Lillian Powell Howard.
Mr. Howard is survived by his son, Shawn Bradshaw of Navarre, Florida; one brother, Kinley W. Howard, Sr. and his wife Dana of Pensacola, Florida; one nephew, Kinley W. Howard, Jr. of Defuniak Springs, Florida; one niece, Lauren Sheree Howard of San Diego, California and one great niece Jamie Lynn Howard of Thompston, Georgia.
Randall was a song writer and recording artist.
Lynchburg Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.