Actual mortar.. Photo provided

A family that just recently moved to Tullahoma found more than they expected while unpacking.
According to Police Chief Paul Blackwell, a family who recently moved here from Hickman County and was unpacking, found a mortar shell. They told police that their son placed the mortar on the moving truck when the family was packing to move here.
“After finding the shell the man placed the shell near a wood pile and then notified us,” Chief Blackwell stated. The chief explained that Lt. Ray Higginbotham then notified the Army explosive personnel at Fort Campbell, Ky. The explosive experts made the over two hour trip to Tullahoma and took possession of the device. They then properly disposed of it.
Anytime such a device is found police should be notified and they will contact the proper people who will properly remove the item.

The City of Tullahoma will observe Arbor Day on National Arbor Day, Friday, April 25 at 10:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend a Tree Board ceremony to honor the Noon Rotary Underpass Planting Project completed in 1997. The ceremony will be held adjacent to the Family Chiropractic Complex at 111 Marbury Crossing. Visitors are asked to park behind Kmart.
State Forestry officials with the State Urban Forestry Department will present the City with its 17th Tree City USA Award. Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States. To qualify for Tree City USA, a town or city must meet four standards established by The National Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. The State will also present Tullahoma Utilities Board with the Tree Line Award. The five standards for Tree Line are quality tree care, annual worker training, tree planting, tree based energy conservation and Arbor Day Celebration
The Tullahoma Tree Board encourages residents to consider a Memorial Tree donation. Donations can be made for $150. The tree will be planted on public property by city staff. Each donation will be recognized by a “leaf” on a memorial tree plaque at City Hall and cross-referenced in a “key.” Every effort will be made to honor the wishes of the family and donor concerning tree species and location.
Tullahoma Tree Board members include Chairman Ralph Graham, Mark Schempp, Liz Kennedy, Barbara Snyder, Milner Carden, Wendell Hanson and Steve Worsham.

First Lady Michelle Obama has announced a new online effort to link soldiers leaving the military with jobs that match their skill sets.
She said Wednesday that the new Veterans Employment Center provides one-stop shopping for troops as they transition to civilian life.
The move comes as the U.S. winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the administration seeks to lower unemployment among veterans.
Mrs. Obama, joined by Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, made the announcement at Fort Campbell along the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. Go to www.ebenefits.va.gov

It’s that time of year, Relay For Life in Coffee County will be Friday night at the Coffee County fairgrounds.
Relay For Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivors and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. There will be a live auction, food, games, and more.
This year’s Relay For Life will begin at 5 p.m. with a survivor reception and registration. The opening ceremony will be followed by survivor and caregiver laps will be at 6p.m. Please come support and cheer on the Survivors and take a moment during the Luminaria Ceremony to remember all those we have lost to this terrible disease.
In the event of rain, the Relay will be held indoors at Westwood Middle School.

On Saturday, April 26th, the Better Business Bureau will host a national identity theft and fraud protection event in local communities across North America. Bring your boxes or bags of paper documents that contain personal identifiers, and we’ll shred it for you FREE – on the spot. The BBB will also be distributing great tips and resources to help you protect your identity – online and off.
The Shred Day will be held at 9am – Noon or till truck is full. The Better Business Bureau event will be held Ascend Federal Credit Union, 1929 McArthur St, Manchester, TN.

Billy Hix, associate professor of education and full-time faculty member, and Shannon Freeman, an adjunct professor of psychology, were awarded the 2013-2014 Motlow College Foundation’s Faculty Excellence Awards during a recent ceremony in the Clayton-Glass Library on Motlow’s Moore County campus.
Nominees were selected by a committee comprised of Motlow College faculty and staff. A resident of Shelbyville, Hix has taught for over three decades. In addition to teaching at Motlow, Hix directs the STEM program, which teaches students about science, technology, engineering and math. Through this program, Hix travels to area schools to educate students about astronomy and other STEM related subjects. Hix also serves as a teacher liaison for the Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports global space industry through educational programs, and is an advisor to NASA.
Originally from Shreveport, La., Freeman has been a resident of middle Tennessee since 2006. Upon completing her graduate degrees in both counseling psychology and education, Shannon has served as an elementary classroom teacher, school guidance counselor and a professor of psychology at Motlow.