Over 1 million Tennesseans have cast ballots during early voting. State election officials said the tally of votes cast through Monday for the Nov. 6 general election topped 1 million. That’s about 14,000 more ballots than were cast in the same period in the 2008 presidential election. Secretary of State Tre Hargett said early voting turnout is outpacing comparable elections. In 2008, about 58% of all votes occurred during the early period. Tennessee’s in-person early voting ends tomorrow. In Coffee County over 9,000 people have voted early as of Tuesday.

A Bedford County man running for city council was charged with forging signatures of registered voters on his qualifying petition to get his name on the ballot. A grand jury in Bedford County last week indicted Jimmy Neal Anderton, 44, with false entries on a registration or election document and he has been barred from seeking the position on the council. The Shelbyville Times-Gazette reported that Detective Sgt. Brian Crews said Anderton admitted to forging 14 signatures of registered voters on the city council ballot petition, which requires 25 valid signatures. Crews said Anderton said he basically ran out of time to get valid signatures and knowingly turned it in with the fake signatures. Anderton turned himself into police and posted a $3,000 bond.

Russell Smith

State investigators are probing an officer-involved shooting in Grundy County. The incident happened Monday afternoon in Palmer, while deputies were attempting to serve a warrant on a man for escape, according Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials. According to TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm, Russell Smith was shot twice by two Grundy County sheriff’s deputies after he fled on an all-terrain vehicle and reportedly pointed a weapon at officers in pursuit. The shooting happened around 2 p.m. on Ivey Street in Palmer. Three other unnamed persons also were charged for “assisting the escape,” she said. Grundy County Sheriff’s Office officials said today that they could not provide details about the shooting at this point. Smith is being treated at Erlanger hospital, but his condition is unknown.

Students in the children’s drama class at Motlow College are practicing their roles for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which will open on Thursday, Nov. 1 in Eoff Hall on Motlow’s Moore County campus, according to director Debbie Zimmerman, an associate professor of communications and chairman of Motlow’s Humanities Department.

Performances for the public and area school children are scheduled for 10:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Nov. 1, and 9 and 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 2, 7, 8 and 9.

A reception, open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. on Nov. 1, followed by the 7 p.m. performance. Zimmerman said special guests will include former Motlow students who were in previous Wizard of Oz productions at the college in 1982 and 1995. Students who were in other plays at the college are invited, also.

The play marks the 30th children’s production that Zimmerman has directed at the college, and her last. She said she wants to give other Motlow theatre teachers the opportunity to work with children’s drama productions.

The play includes characters and some scenes from the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie, but follows the storyline of Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was first published in 1900.

Although there is no admission charge to the Motlow performances, reservations are required and can be made by calling 1-931-393-1700.

Gary Wilson Hawkins

A College Street Elementary School teacher Gary Wilson Hawkins, 32, was booked into the Coffee County Jail on charges of child abuse Friday night.
Hawkins turned himself into the jail Friday with his attorney present. He is now free on $25,000 bond.
A witness came forward to authorities and described excessive bruises on Hawkins’ 12-year-old daughter’s back and buttocks area, according to Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves. According the arrest warrant, the child suffered small abrasions on her buttocks, back, rear thigh, arms and hands. “The bruising was still apparent approximately 20 hours after the alleged incident,” the warrant states.
The warrant alleges that Hawkins “spanked” the child for making three “C’s” on her report card.
Sheriff’s investigator Jason Dendy who is investigating the incident presented the evidence to District Attorney General Mickey Layne, who instructed Dendy to obtain a warrant in the case.
Dr. Prater Powell Director of Manchester City Schools said Hawkins teaches CDC (Comprehensive Development Classroom), or special education, for grades four through six at the school.
Powell says that Hawkins is not at school this week. Powell added that Hawkins told Dr Lisa Yates the principal at College St. Elementary he was taking the week off.
Powell said he is working the school system attorney on what options the system has.
Hawkins appeared in Coffee County General Sessions Court Monday but his case was continued until Nov. 26.