Earlier this week we reported that James Timothy Hall of Winchester shot and killed his estranged wife in Bedford County on Saturday morning.
Police say Kristal L. Hall, 46, of 207 Franklin Park in Winchester, died from one shot to the head from a 9 mm handgun. Hall was staying at a friend’s house on State Highway 64 East just past the Fairfield Pike intersection.
James Timothy Hall was in court this week with his defense attorneys. Bryan Hoss and Stevie Phillips of Chattanooga called his alleged actions “a crime of passion.” The Franklin County man was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation.
His bond set at $750,000 by General Sessions Judge Charles Rich. A preliminary hearing is set for May 28.
Hall is accused of first degree murder, burglary and reckless endangerment.

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation is excited to start the DREMC Weatherization Wizards project in Manchester. DREMC employees are weatherizing a member’s home in Manchester on March 21 starting at 8:00 a.m. This project will help a family with a child spend less money for electricity and live more comfortably. A variety of weatherization work is planned to make the residence more energy efficient. The family could not believe DREMC would do this – and their surprise was greater when they learned that an HVAC contractor wants to donate a new heat pump as part of Weatherization Wizards! They have been using electric heaters this winter.

The Grundy County School Board called a special meeting on Monday to seat an interim director. At the meeting, school board members formally accepted Dr David Dickerson’s resignation and voted to name Dr. Willie Childers as interim director. Childers is the current principal at Pelham Elementary School and Jamie Hill will fill that position when he moves to the Central Office. Dickerson will take over as Supervisor of Elementary Instruction for Grundy County Schools.
The resignation of Dickerson came as a surprise to teachers and staff in Grundy County.

Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death for all residents, according to the Tennessee Poison Center, killing more people than car accidents. This week is National Poison Prevention Week, and experts are reminding people of ways to respond to and prevent poisonings. Alysha Behrman, a nurse specialist at the Drug and Poison Information Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, said 90 percent of all poisonings occur in the home, and it’s crucial to act quickly. “If there’s no symptoms initially, call the poison-control center, where we can ask questions, find out what happened, and then give medical advice over the phone,” she said. “The majority of our exposure calls are actually managed at home and do not require emergency medical care.” But if the person is unconscious or having a seizure, Behrman said, seek medical help immediately. In Tennessee, call the Poison Help Line for assistance, at 1-800-222-1222. Most poisonings involve children under age 5, Behrman said, and include exposure to cosmetics, household cleaners and pain medications. She said there are signs that indicate a child was exposed to something dangerous. “Sometimes, you’ll notice that they’re drooling excessively,” she said. “They might have redness around their mouth, they might be crying, they’re acting more tired than normal, if they’re acting more excitable or have more energy than normal. Any of those could be indications.” More than 2 million poisonings are reported annually to the 56 poison-control centers around the nation. Adults account for most poison-related deaths, Behrman said, mainly because of the misuse or overuse of drugs or medications. “Take and give medications safely,” she said. “Always read the label and always follow directions. Only give medications with the lights on and with glasses on, if needed, to make sure that you can see the label and dose appropriately.” Medications, cleaning products and outdoor chemicals should be kept out of the reach of little ones. Behrman said, adding that people should never mix chemical products because it could create a poisonous gas.
More information is online at mc.vanderbilt.edu.

The Manchester Police Department would like to announce that they have three Child Passenger Safety Technicians. They can assist residents with installing a new child safety seat. The Manchester Police Department is a certified fitting station to instruct, inspect and install child safety seats for any citizen. Officers can also provide child safety seats for anyone who can’t obtain one. If you would like assistance with any issues related to child passenger safety seats, please call and speak with one of the three technicians at 931-728-2099.