Harvest season is winding down, and most Tennessee crops have done well this year, despite long spell of hot, dry weather. In fact, many crop yields are exceeding expectations. Tennessee farmers will pick nearly 44 million bushels of soybeans this year, that’s about a 9 % increase from 2011. Cotton production is up as well and tobacco farmers are getting the highest prices for their crop in eight years. It’s a nice finish to a year many in the agriculture industry thought would be a complete bust. Corn and hay harvests suffered, because of a record dry summer. This year’s corn harvest is expected to be Tennessee’s smallest in two decades.

Those traveling Cedar Lane in Tullahoma will have to make a detour for the next three weeks. Construction is underway to widen the street and for the next 3 weeks crews will be installing water lines. That means that traffic will have to detour. The detour will be from Airpark Street to Lakeway Place. Drivers are urged to take another route as the streets are very narrow along the detour route.

Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell was nominated to lead the lower chamber of the General Assembly on Monday. The 70 members of the House Republican caucus ousted Tullahoma Rep. Judd Matheny from the No. 2 slot, speaker pro-tem. Matheny, of Tullahoma, was defeated Monday by Rep. Curtis Johnson of Clarksville in a secret ballot.
Both positions are elected by the entire 99-member House, but with 70 Republican members, the official votes are expected to be little more than a formality.

The City of Manchester presents Old Time Christmas Parade. The city Tourism and Community Development Commission, City of Manchester, Al White Motors and Central Funeral Home are sponsoring the event. The parade is set for this Friday, November 30th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
Many floats and automobiles will be in the annual parade and Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus will be on the city float. Come on out and get in the holiday spirit.

A homeless Tullahoma man was arrested Friday on charges of unlawful touching. According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Rocky Ruehling, Wayne Ferrell inappropriately touched a woman while in a local restaurant. While the woman was giving officers Ruehling and Cody Brandon a description of the man, Brandon recognized the description and was able to provide a picture of Ferrell and the woman identified him. Investigator Harry Conway located Ferrell and arrested him for the unlawful touching as well as two counts of violating the sex offender act. Ferrell is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a $10,000 bond.

Just before 11:00pm Friday night, an alarm was sent to North Coffee Fire department to respond to Crews Hollow Road for a structure fire. The structure was a vacant mobile home and an automobile on fire. Both were a total loss. The fire chief said his department was there in eight minutes and the home was completely involved. The cause is under investigation.