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10/29/12 — ANTHONY “TONY” WILSON ASHBY

ANTHONY “TONY” WILSON ASHBY, age 71, of Estill Springs, Tenn. Departed this life on Sunday, October 21, 2012, at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. following a brief illness.

Mr. Ashby was a 1959 graduate of Franklin County High School. He was retired from M-Tec, in Manchester, Tenn. where he was employed as a shipping supervisor. Mr. Ashby was of the Church of Christ faith. His hobbies included, woodworking, fishing, and watching sports. His favorite place to travel was the families beach house at St. Joe Beach, Fla.

Mr. Ashby was preceded in death by his parents; Radie Hayes Ashby and Woodrow Wilson Ashby.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mildred Uselton Ashby, they were married on October 1, 1960. Daughters; Barbara (Kenny) Rogers, Dyersburg, Tenn., Sandra (Troy) Davis, Estill Springs, Tina Henson (Terry Hoots), Estill Springs, Tenn., Grandchildren; Jonathan (Holly) Rogers, of McDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., Cynthia (Eric) Essary, Homewood, Ala., Jeremy (Heather) Rogers, Dyersburg, Tenn., Ryan (Whitney) Davis, of Cowan, Tenn., Brent Davis (Brook Hill) of Estill Springs, Justin and Bracken Henson, of Estill Springs, Tenn., Great-grandchildren; Emma and Evan Rogers, of McDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla., Hayden Rogers of Dyersburg, Tenn., Mother-in-law, Irene Uselton of Hillsboro, Tenn., brothers; Danny (Wanda) Ashby, Bob (Rita) Ashby, Charlie Ashby, Roy (Beverly) Ashby and sisters; Patsy Powell and Melinda Garner.

A Memorial Service is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. Monday, October 29, 2012 in the Chapel of Grant Funeral Services with Bro. Dwight Duckworth officiating.

Visitation will be from 4:00 until service time at 6:00  P.M. Monday evening.

Grant Funeral Services in charge of arrangements.

10/25/12 — Harold C. Sartain

Mr. Harold C. Sartain age 77 of the Valley Home community near Pelham, Tennessee went to be with the Lord Sunday, October 21, 2012.

He was born in Burroughs Cove near Pelham on May 9, 1935, a son of the late Joe Sartain and Ruby Bonner Sartain. Mr. Sartain was a retired journeyman carpenter, a member of Tri-State Carpenters Local #74 and he attended Ministry Baptist Church in Pelham.

Survivors include his loving wife of 56 years, Barbara, two children, Mark (Sheena) Sartain and Tracy (Michael) Bunch; brother, Marshall (Judy) Sartain; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and beloved friends.

Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Thursday,Oct. 25, 2012, in the chapel of Cumberland Funeral Home. Pastor Barry Rhoads will officiate at the service.

Interment will be in the Sartain Cemetery in Burroughs Cove behind the Bethel Church.

The family will receive friends Wednesday 5-9 P.M. At the funeral home.

Funeral arrangements are by Cumberland Funeral Home, 207 Mabee Avenue, Monteagle, Tennessee.

 

Shooting Leaves 3 Dead

Three people were found dead at a home in Lincoln County on Monday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed.
Two of the dead are adults, and one in a child. Witnesses said the woman was also pregnant.
Witnesses said the fatal shooting was at a home near a convenience store on Huntsville Highway near the state line. Those witnesses said the fatal shooting may have involved a pregnant woman.
A friend of the victim told WAFF-TV in Huntsville the victim’s 3-year-old child kept calling her cell phone Monday morning and the neighbor got worried. When she went to check on the child, the neighbor found the toddler in the garage and called police.
Investigators have not said who was shot or if anyone is in custody.

Home Sales Up In Coffee County

Some very good news to report; home sales throughout Coffee County are up. The average sales price of a home in the Coffee County real estate market for January 1 to September 30, 2012 is $122,908. The average days on the market are 119. The average size home sold in Coffee County, TN year to date 2012 was 1867 square feet. 381 residential properties have sold during this time period. There are currently 447 Coffee County homes for sale. There has been a 21% increase in the number of sales in Manchester this year versus the same time period in 2011.
Average sales price of a home in the Manchester market for January 1 to September 30, 2012 is $126,356. The average days on the market are 118. The average size home sold in Manchester, TN in 2012 is 1865 square feet. 187 residential properties have sold during this time period. There are currently 225 Manchester homes for sale. There has been a 33% increase in the number of sales in Manchester, TN this year versus the same time period in 2011.
Average sales price of a home in the Tullahoma real estate market for January 1 to September 30, 2012 is $121,928. The average days on the market are 126. The average size home sold in Tullahoma in 2012 is 1870 square feet. 213 residential properties have sold during this time period. There are currently 222 Tullahoma home for sale. There has been a 29% increase in the number of sales in Tullahoma this year versus the same time period in 2011.
According to experts, the numbers are showing a slight turn-around in the local economy.

Unemployment Down In Tennessee

Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Karla Davis has announced Tennessee’s unemployment rate for September decreased to 8.3 percent, down from the August revised rate of 8.5 percent. The national unemployment rate for September 2012 was 7.8 percent, 0.3 percentage point lower than the August rate. Economic Summary: Tennessee’s September unemployment rate is the lowest rate since June. Over the past year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate declined from 9.1% to 8.3% (-0.8 percentage point), while the national rate declined from 9.0% to 7.8% (-1.2 percentage points). Total nonfarm employment increased 3,300 jobs from August to September, with increases in government and education/health services. There were declines in trade/transportation/utilities and accommodation/food services. Over the year, nonfarm jobs increased 20,400, with increases in manufacturing and education/health services. There were declines in trade/transportation/utilities and financial activities.

10/23/12 — Miriam Bell Holden

Miriam Bell Holden, born September 21, 1912, passed this life October 20, 2012 at the age of 99 yrs.

She was the daughter of the late Charles and Rosaline Sowell Bell and a member of the Wilson Avenue church of Christ. She was a native of Shiloh, TN and a graduate of the Nashville General Hospital School of Nursing . She nursed at Vanderbilt, Rutherford County Hospital, at VA Hospital in Murfreesboro and retired from being a registered nurse for S.C. Garrison, MD. at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic. She was Christiana’s unofficial nurse, she and Bubba Woodfin acted as EMT’s before there were official EMT’s. Bubba drove the hearse and she rode with him as the nurse.

She is survived by a son, Jim (Bubba) wife Peggy Holden, Woodbury, a daughter, Pat Stephenson, Tullahoma, 2 granddaughters, Sandra Leonard and LeeAnn (Will) Childers; 3 great-grandchildren Jessica (Shane) Hollandsworth, Mason Leonard, Will Childers and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Besides her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence O. (Ting) Holden, 2 brothers, Clifford and Charles Bell, 2 sisters Kathlene Campbell, and Enid Collins.

Her visitation will be from 5 P.M. till 8 P.M., Monday, October 22, 2012 at the Tullahoma Funeral Home .

Her remains will be carried to the Christiana church of Christ where she was a member for 60 years. She will lie in-state from 10:00 A.M. to continue her visitation until time of the service at 11:00 A.M. October 23. Brothers John Payne and Terry Davenport will be conducting the service.

Burial will follow in the Miller Cemetery in Christiana.

The family suggests making donations to Asera Care Hospice of Tullahoma or Freed Hardeman University Scholarship fund.

Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve this good family.

Gas Prices Going Down

Retail gas prices moved lower last week and are expected to do the same again this week. Southeast gas prices are about 15 cents more than they were this time last year and it’s likely prices will reach year-ago levels if this decline continues as expected. The debt crisis in Europe continues to plague demand numbers overseas and caused the value of the euro to drop which often leads to lower oil prices. In addition, U.S. oil stockpiles jumped to a two-month high and output is at its highest level in 17 years, according to the Energy Department. At the same time, demand for gasoline has dropped 6.2 percent since August. A barrel of oil settled Friday at $90.05 on the New York Mercantile Exchange–$1.81 less than the week prior. The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.68, 11 cents less than last week. Tennessee’s average of $3.44 dropped 11 cents from last week. In Manchester the low price is $3.35 and in Tullahoma the low is $3.32 per gallon.

Tennessee’s Parole and Probation System Not Monitoring Correctly

A recent audit of Tennessee’s parole and probation system found officers failed to properly supervise sex offenders, sometimes allowing them access to children. The Tennessean reports the state monitors about 800 felons by GPS. Most of them are sex offenders. However, auditors found that parole and probation officers were ignoring many of the alerts they received when sex offenders enter a prohibited area, such as a school zone. Only about 18 percent of the alerts were checked out. Auditors also found that officers missed home visits in nearly 40 percent of the cases they audited. They didn’t make sex offenders get drug tests in almost half of the cases, and they failed to make sure sex offenders were going to treatment in 40 percent of the cases.

Big Payoff For Higher Education

A recent Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) study explored the payoff of higher education in Tennessee and concluded that higher education pays, said Dr. MaryLou Apple, Motlow College president. Apple said a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce predicts that by 2018, 54 percent of jobs in Tennessee will require education beyond high school, and in some states that percentage is as high as 70 percent. “The report also states that by 2018, Tennessee will have 967,000 job vacancies, and that 516,000 of those jobs will require post-secondary credentials,” she said. “We must have a sense of urgency in addressing the need for higher education if the state is to continue attracting business and industry. We must let our young people know the value of a college education and how it can improve their chances for higher paying jobs.” Apple said the highest salaries among students earning associate degrees or certificates are earned in select fields, including nursing, engineering, technology, law enforcement, business computer programming, medical laboratory technology, emergency medical technician, and mechatronics. The unemployment rate for high school graduates with no college was 9.4 percent, and for workers without a high school diploma, 14.1 percent – more than twice the unemployment rate of workers with an associate’s degree. Apple said Motlow College offers a wide variety of financial aid options and courses of study that lead to certificates, associate of applied science degrees, and university-parallel associate of arts/sciences degrees. Prospective students can obtain information on Motlow’s website or by visiting one of the college’s sites in Moore County, Fayetteville, McMinnville or Smyrna.

10/25/12 — Armand Chisholm Holmes

Funeral services for Mr. Armand Chisholm Holmes, age 90, of Manchester will be conducted  Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 2:45 PM at Coffee County Funeral Chapel.  Masonic Services will be held at 2:30 PM just prior to the funeral services.

Burial will follow at Shady Grove Cemetery.

Visitation with the family will be from 1:00 PM until service time.

Mr. Holmes, born August 25, 1922, went to his heavenly home on Sunday, October 21, 2012.  He was the son of the late Sandy Dallas and Barbara Lewis Holmes.  Mr. Holmes served in WW II in the Army with the 743 Railroad Operating Battalion in Europe, from 1944 to 1946.  After leaving the Army, he worked with the L & N Railroad for nine and one-half years.  He then began working for TVA in New Johnsonville, Tennessee.  After 25 years, he retired and moved back to his country home in Shady Grove, Tennessee.  Mr. Holmes was a member of the Ezell 381 Masonic Lodge in Morrison, Tennessee.  He was a 50 year Scottish Right 32 Degree Mason, a member of the Shriners, the UFW, the American Legion and the Forty and Eight.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Holmes is preceded in death by one brother, Stephen Holmes and one sister Parmys (Pat) Briedenbach.

Mr. Holmes is survived by his beloved wife of 71 ½ years, Mrs. Inez Harrell Holmes; children, Sherry Costanza-Steady and her husband, Lance, Aaron Craig Holmes and his wife, Carol, Linda Holmes Radford and her husband, Dennis and Wm. Dallas Holmes II; grandchildren, Armanda Inez Costanza and her partner, Merissa, Robert Costanza and his wife, Kelly, Michael Costanza and his wife, Laina, Sherry Costanza Goad and her husband, Bobby, Sandy Darrell Holmes and his wife, Shea, Armand Craig Holmes, Chad Holmes, Wendy Starr Holmes and Wm Dallas Holmes III; Great Grandchildren, Neena Cree Costanza, Maya Costanza, Auggie Costanza, Bella Costanza, Bryan Goad, Jenna and Jamie Goad, Rose Costanza, Alexander Costanza, Krystal Hemby and Carlie Holmes; great great grandsons Tanner and Calen Holmes and numerous nieces and nephews.

Coffee County Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the family of Mr. Armand Chisholm Holmes.