A preliminary autopsy revealed that Thomas Colucci died of multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy was conducted yesterday (Nov. 14) by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Nashville. Colucci’s body was found Tuesday morning in his residence on Maple Springs Road in the Pocahontas community. His body was found after a passerby saw his fiancé Connie King with blood on her, running in the yard screaming for help. The passerby then called 911.
Sheriff Steve Graves says that King suffered injuries in the attack.
Sheriff’s investigators spent Wednesday at the Maple Springs Road residence sifting through evidence that they found. They plan to send that evidence to the TBI Crime Lab in Nashville for analysis. The sheriff stated that investigators will wait on the lab to do testing on the evidence but “in the meantime they will continue to investigate why Colucci was killed and King was attacked. King was transported to a Manchester hospital for treatment of her injuries.
The sheriff did not reveal what evidence had been collected. He stated that investigators are still attempting to determine a motive for the murder and attack.

During the Coffee County Commission meeting on Tuesday night, a new commissioner was appointed to the 20th district. Gary Kidd, who recently won the election for that district, was appointed because the votes have not been certified. The seat was open after Chris Bird resigned and left the district without representation for several months. If Kidd had not been sworn in Tuesday, he would have not taken over the seat until January.
The meeting may have set a record for the length of time after going for a marathon 4.5 hours.
The hot topic of the night was the proposed rock quarry in Hillsboro. Commissioner Barry West said he didn’t see anything the commission would do tonight that would be ground breaking. West said he wanted the commission to set the criteria so that Wright Paving or any other company would have a chance to start the process of asking for the right to build in the county. Commissioner Bobby Bryan said he was looking out for the Hillsboro citizens that were opposed to the idea. Most of the bantering between commissioners was about whether to allow an M-2 zoned business to operate in that area and what reclamation cost should be. (Reclamation- The process of reconverting disturbed land to its former or other productive uses.) Commissioner Virgil Alford asked Codes Director Glen Darden to see the zoning map of the county. Darden got a map from his office. Commissioners questioned if that was an updated map and Darden said yes and it was done in 2006. A representative for St. John Engineering said a newer map was done in 2009 and showed the current rock quarry in Hillsboro as an M-2. In a vote of 13-6 the commission voted to approve $3,000 per acre reclamation cost not to exceed $95,000 per project. Some said the cost may be too low. Commissioner West says he will submit a new resolution to change the cost to $4,000 per acre not to exceed $200,000 per project at the next meeting. The next issue to be voted on was postponed. This was the issue of re-zoning the land M-2. This was done so county attorney Robert Huskey can check on all legalities of changing the zoning including whether a public hearing needs to be held. The next meeting of the county commission is Jan. 8, 2013.

Tennessee sales tax collections for October fell below budgeted estimates, but overall revenue collections for the month reflected growth above a year ago. The Finance and Administration Commissioner reported that state revenue collections for October were $836.7 million, which is 5.72% above October 2011.
On an accrual basis, October is the third month in the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
October collections were $26.7 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $21.5 million and the four other funds were over collected by $5.2 million.
Sales tax collections were $9.9 million less than the estimate for October. The October growth rate was 0.93 %. The year-to-date growth rate is 1.63%.
Franchise and excise combined collections for October were $65.1 million, which is $31.6 million above the budgeted estimate of $33.5 million.
Gasoline and motor fuel collections increased by 6.44%, which is $3.8 million above the budgeted estimate of $72.4 million.
Tobacco tax collections for the month were under collected by $1.7 million.
Privilege tax collections were $1.1 million below the budgeted estimate of $21.1 million.
Inheritance and Estate taxes were over collected by $1.8 million for the month.
All other taxes were over collected by a net of $2.2 million.
Year-to date collections for three months were $68.6 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $72.9 million and the four other funds were under collected by $4.3 million.

The Tennessee Board of Regents and the Council on Occupational Education has granted Tennessee Technology Center at McMinnville permission to open a culinary arts and hospitality tech school to be located at the Manchester ~ Coffee County Conference Center.  The program is set to begin on January 2nd 2013.  Applications for the program are currently being taken through the TTC McMinnville Campus.
General Manager and Senior Executive Chef at the conference center, Mike Osborne, will head up the program for Coffee County.  Osborne said he was approached by Dr. Warren Laux, Director of TTC McMinnville about starting a technology based culinary program in Manchester earlier in the year.  Chef Osborne and his staff have been doing a culinary education co-op program for select Coffee County Central High School students for the past 6 years.  Chef Osborne said, “The idea to start a work based tech school for the culinary and hospitality industry in our area is excellent and very much needed.”
“Most graduates from formal culinary programs have two big problems, they owe up to $50,000 for their education and no one wants to hire them because they have no work experience.” “Our program gives students exposure to the rigorous work that they will face in the industry and prepares them with physical skill sets that will match their academic achievements.”
If the program sounds like a challenge, Osborne says “It is, but it’s worth it!” The Culinary / Hospitality program is now open for registration through the Tennessee Technology Center McMinnville Campus.  It is a 12 month program starting January 2013 and will only be taking in 20 students.  The total cost of the program is approximately $4400.  Students that qualify for financial aid with FASFA will find that the entire cost of the program is often covered.  Interested students please contact Mike Garrison, Coordinator of Student Services at 931-473-5587, ext. 235, for more information.  Additional information is available on-line @ www.ttcmcminnville.edu