Investigators are continuing to wait on evidence from the state crime lab in the murder of 24-year-old Megan Sharpton. The burned body of the young Tullahoma nursing student was found July 2 on the side of Awalt Road in Franklin County. Her Ford Mustang was found later that day sitting the middle of Three Forks Bridge Road in Bedford County. Since then, investigators have interviewed a number of individuals and collected a several pieces of evidence involved with the case and have sent that evidence to the TBI Crime Lab in Nashville for analysis. Franklin County District attorney Mike Taylor has stated several times that he has received test results on some of the evidence but not all of the evidence and he is waiting for that testing to be completed. Meanwhile, the man whom Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller described as the “target” of the investigation, Donnie Jones, remains in the Coffee County Jail on charges of a felon being possession of a weapon. This after a search was conducted at his residence on Bel Aire Drive in Tullahoma by authorities.

District Attorney Mickey Layne of Coffee County and fellow Tennessee district attorneys have kicked off a statewide campaign to fight the rising rates of prescription medication and synthetic drug abuse among Tennessee’s youth. The campaign is called Deceptive Danger, because Tennessee’s youth is deceived into thinking that any substance prescribed by a doctor or purchased in a convenience store is safe. The campaign also follows an increase in prescription medication and synthetic drug abuse in Tennessee. The rise in prescription drug abuse prompted law enforcement to focus their attention on fraudulent prescriptions, the operations of pain management clinics or “pill mills,” and those dealing prescription medications illegally.

Democrat Eric Stewart’s campaign says their new poll shows the 4th Congressional District hopeful in a statistical “dead heat” with Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. Pollster Andrew Myers said the survey of 400 likely voters shows DesJarlais, a Jasper physician, leading State Sen. Stewart of Winchester by 49-45 percent. The pollster says that it’s now a “dead heat” because it falls within the poll’s 4.9 percent margin of error. The polling was conducted Sunday and Monday in the wake of revelations that DesJarlais in 2000 encouraged a former patient with whom he had had a sexual relationship to get an abortion.
In transcripts the pro-life congressman states that he wants the unnamed woman to get an ultrasound.

The Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma plans to celebrate Beechcraft’s birthday as well as the 80th anniversary of the Staggerwing, 65th anniversary of the Bonanza, and 75th anniversary of the Beech 18 aircraft. This weekend Beech Party 2012 will commemorate these historical planes as well as other vintage aircraft from the “Golden Age of Flight.”

Yesterday (Oct. 17, 2012) a number of Coffee County residents took part in early voting. Poll workers at the C D Stamps in Tullahoma said around noon yesterday that the turnout was a little more than it was the last presidential election. Early voting continues through November 1 at the Stamps center and the election commission office at the administrative plaza in Manchester.

Health officials say four more people have died in the national meningitis outbreak, bringing the number of deaths to 19. Of the four additional deaths, two are in Tennessee.
The deaths are among the 247 people in 15 states sickened in the outbreak, which has been tied to steroid shots for back pain. Most have a rare fungal form of meningitis. Two have joint infections.
A specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts made the steroid, and federal officials are investigating the business.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the count on Wednesday. There were two more deaths reported in Tennessee and one each in Florida and Virginia.
The CDC also said test results so far show infections with three kinds of fungus. Most were a form of black mold.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol cautions motorists to watch out for deer on or near the roadways this fall season. An increase in deer-related crashes is likely during the months of October through December due to deer mating.
“Deer pose a danger to motorists throughout the year, but especially in the fall,” THP Colonel Tracy Trott said. “November is typically the worst month for deer-related crashes. It is important to exercise caution, slow down and stay alert in areas where deer are populated.”
In Tennessee, between 2007 and 2011, 9.2 percent of deer-related crashes occurred on interstate highways. In 2011, there were 5,644 deer-related crashes, including 285 that involved injuries and two that were fatal. That was up by 4.2 percent from 5,418 the previous year. However, since 2007, deer-related crashes in Tennessee have increased 5.9 percent.
In the event of a deer crash, move the vehicle as far off the road as possible, and dial *THP (*847) from an available cell phone for assistance. The call will be connected to the nearest THP Communications Center and a State Trooper will be dispatched to the location.
Tennessee law allows deer killed in a collision to be taken and used as food, as long as you contact the nearest TWRA regional office to report the accident within 48 hours. For TWRA regional offices, visit the TWRA website at www.tnwildlife.org

Celebrate Halloween with a party to thrill kids and adults! According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween has become nearly a seven billion dollar industry and is the second largest retail holiday in the U.S. Since October 31st will be here before we know it, we need to get ready to celebrate.
Nancy Siler, host of PBS’s bake decorate celebrate says, Scare up some fun with various Halloween goodies. Tombstone and monster-shaped sandwich cookies paired with ghostly graveyard cookies set an eerie scene. Add fang-tastic monster-faced popcorn balls, and a parade of monster pretzels – a breeze to make using a Halloween candy kit. Pour melted candy into monster molds, insert pretzel rods and refrigerate until set. They are perfect hand-held treats for kids and look great on display!
She added, I love a skeleton cake as a centerpiece. Bake it in a skeleton in casket 3d pan, then simply decorate with icing and watch the skeleton come back from the grave.
For more Halloween project ideas, visit wilton.com.