The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry and the Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Division of Fire Prevention are reminding homeowners to follow simple safety practices to prevent wildfires.
The online burn permit system is fast and simple. If you are burning a leaf or brush pile that is smaller than 8 feet by 8 feet in size, log on to www.burnsafetn.org for approval.
For a larger burn, apply for a free permit by calling your local Division of Forestry burn permit phone number Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. In Coffee County call (877) 731-2221. Permits may be obtained in advance for weekends and holidays.
Burn permits are only issued when conditions are conducive to safe burning. If you live inside city limits, there may be additional restrictions. Check with your municipality before you burn.
Burning without a permit is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine not to exceed $50. Wildfires caused by arson are a class C felony punishable by 3 to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 fines. Anyone with information about suspected arson activity should call the state Fire Marshal’s Arson Hotline toll-free at 1-800-762-3017.

The beauty of the fall harvest at Grandaddy’s Farm set the backdrop for a romantic moment for one area couple.
Nicholas Smith of Tullahoma selected the farm’s popular pumpkin patch as the location for him to pop the question to his now-fiance, Rebecca Edwards. A trek to the farm was already an annual tradition for the couple for three years, so Nick felt it was the perfect location for him to present his custom-made black diamond engagement ring to Becca.
“Every year we go to Grandaddy’s Farm to pick out a pumpkin,” Smith says. “I knew I could catch her off guard”.
It took a couple months of planning for the moment to be “the most perfect day of our lives,” according to Smith. With help from Grandaddy’s Farm’s owner Andrew Dixon and close friends Amanda and Jamie Martin, a decorated pumpkin with a big bow was placed in the pumpkin patch for the couple to discover.
“I had no clue, none at all. We were on the hayride, and then when we stopped, he started steering me in the opposite direction of everyone else, which confused me. I tried to show him a pumpkin I liked, but he had moved on. He said, ‘Well, what about this one?'” Edwards recalls.
Showing his girlfriend the special pumpkin and dropping to one knee, Smith proposed to a very surprised, and very elated, Edwards.
Smith says he wanted to do the proposal much sooner, but a cancerous brain tumor put his plans on hold. Now facing his fourth session of radiation and chemotherapy and recovering from an April brain surgery, Smith looks forward to his future.
Grandaddy’s Farm is located at 454 Highland Ridge Road in Estill Springs, Tenn. To learn more, you can call 931-327-4080. For more information, you can visit their website at GrandaddysFarm.com

Tuesday in Manchester, Officer Daniel Ray with the Manchester Police Department responded to a call at the Greenleaf Inn about a person offering methamphetamine to a person at the motel.
Investigator Johnathan Anthony and Officer Bryan Eldridge arrived at the scene. Anthony spoke with John Lawrence Johnson, who was in the walkway at the motel. Johnson was asked if he had any weapons and he, according the police report said had a knife. Anthony then asked Johnson if he could frisk him and the report said he agreed. Anthony stated that he felt something in the man’s pocket. After asking Johnson to remove the item it was discovered that a plastic container had what was believed to be methamphetamine in a baggy inside the container.
According the police report Johnson was asked how he got to the motel and said he drove a friend’s Jeep. At the request of the city police the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department K9 dog was called to the scene. The K9 alerted that something was inside the Jeep. Officer Ray removed a black backpack from the Jeep and found items he recognized as being used to manufacture methamphetamines.
Manchester Police checked the registration on the vehicle and it was reported stolen from Sevierville, TN. The owner and Sevierville Police were then contacted.
John Lawrence Johnson, age 30 of Knoxville, TN was placed into custody and charged with the initiation or process of methamphetamine and theft of property. He was booked into the Coffee County Jail.
The Meth task force was called to the scene to remove the alleged methamphetamine items.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and with a growing need for skilled workers in the state and across the country, Tennessee is among those now focusing on making a greater effort to hire individuals with disabilities. Sarah Harvey, program director with TennesseeWorks, says only about 30 percent of Tennesseans with intellectual or developmental disabilities are employed, and closing that gap is vital to the state’s economic future. “One in five people have a disability, so this is a part of our mainstream population,” she says. “It’s not uncommon, and it’s something we definitely need to figure out how to tap into the strengths and utilize those in our community.” TennesseeWorks is one of just eight efforts funded through the federal government’s Projects of National Significance program, with the goal of increasing employment opportunities across the U.S. for those with disabilities. Harvey says one key to the effort is increasing the opportunities for young people to engage in work activities while they’re still in school. “It’s the same for kids with and without disabilities,” says Harvey. “Whether kids hold summer jobs, or kids have after-school jobs, kids who have work experience prior to exiting high school are more likely to be employed after high school.” A number of programs also exist in the state to help with post-secondary education for those individuals with disabilities. Beyond that, Harvey explains, the business community needs to be supported and engaged. “That’s because, lo and behold, they’re the people who can actually provide the jobs we all want these people to have,” she says. “In fact, we just started an employer outreach initiative within TennesseeWorks and our partner agencies, in which we’re trying to get that foot in the door and share with them the many benefits in regards to hiring people with disabilities.” According to the Tennessee Disability Coalition, there are about one million people in the Volunteer State with a disability.