The Cannon County Sheriff’s Department has arrested a Woodbury man for allegedly setting fire to a church near the Cannon/Coffee County line.
Ezra Marino is charged with arson to a place of worship.
The Ivy Bluff United Methodist church burned to the ground early Monday morning. Pastor Danny Freeman told WMSR News that a passerby saw the fire and called authorities. Freeman said the near 80 members lost the 64-year-old building but not the church.
Marino is in jail with a 150 thousand dollar bond.

A Manchester man has been arrested on charges of deceptive business practices for a paving scam. Shannon Dean Reek, 40, of Winnie Boyton Road was arrested Tuesday on the charges and released from jail after posting a $500 bond. According to warrants obtained by Manchester Police Officer Derek Jones, Reek approached an 85-year-old resident of Doak Road in Manchester and offered to seal the driveway for a cost of $150 to $200. But when the job was completed, Reek told the victim that it would be $1,100. The man told him that he would give him a check for $500 and $100 in cash. Reek was later arrested based on a description of his truck that was provided by a neighbor of the victim. Reek is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Oct 16.

A 71-year-old driver was apparently experiencing chest pains when he ran into a utility pole on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 11, 2012) around 4:15pm. The wreck occurred in Manchester at the intersection of Woodland and Hwy. 41. Coffee County EMS took him to an area hospital for treatment. Manchester Police Department worked the scene.

The Tennessee Republican Party appears to be standing by a freshman congressman seeking re-election despite the revelation of a recorded conversation of the pro-life proponent urging his mistress to get an abortion.
Executive Director Adam Nickas said in a statement this week that the transcript first reported by the Huffington Post is the same type of “smear campaign” tactics used against Rep. Scott DesJarlais when he ran in the 2010 election, “which voters overwhelmingly rejected.”
DesJarlais on his website espouses a platform that opposes abortion.
Nickas did not immediately respond to follow up questions Thursday from The Associated Press on whether the GOP plans to distance itself from DesJarlais and voter perception that indicates the congressman acted opposite his platform.
The phone recording appears to have been made before DesJarlais’ divorce from his wife, Susan, was finalized in 2001.

A former Bedford County employee has appealed her recently dismissed federal civil lawsuit to the United States Court of Appeals.
In a report in the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, two weeks ago, District Court Judge Harry S. Mattice dismissed Cynthia L. Ray’s suit against the county and trustee Tonya Davis filed in late 2010, claiming she had been fired for openly supporting Davis’ opponent during that year’s election.
She claims Davis and the county violated her 1st and 14th Amendment rights, state rights, fired her in retaliation for exercising her constitutional rights, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.
Mattice dismissed the federal part of the suit “with prejudice,” meaning that it could not be refiled in federal court, also dismissing “without prejudice” the state claims in the case. But now Davis has appealed the matter to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Shelbyville police said a woman for whom they had been searching after reports of a possible abduction Thursday has been located. Police said Susita Darjee was found with family in Nashville and said she was not taken against her will. Earlier, investigators believed Darjee had gone missing just before midnight from the parking lot of Tyson Foods. Prior to leaving the parking lot she told her friend that someone was driving through the parking lot calling her name. Police said the information she provided to her friend was false. No charges are being filed, police said.

Motlow College, in order to provide more adult learners throughout the state with high school credentials, is partnering with the GED Testing Service to offer the GED test on computer. Registration and scheduling will be available to candidates on Oct. 15, and testing will begin on Nov. 13. Registering, scheduling and testing on computers will provide a new experience and new benefits for GED test-takers. These new features will improve the GED testing program, which is a gateway for adults to find jobs or better paying jobs, enter the workforce or college training programs, and better support themselves and their families. The GED test on computer includes the same test content currently offered on paper. Its accompanying systems will provide an array of new benefits for both the testing center and GED test-takers. Some of the initial benefits include one-stop online registration and scheduling available 24/7, flexible testing appointments for test-takers, instant test scores on four of five content areas, an introduction of basic keyboarding and computer skills, and enhanced test security. “Motlow College is proud to lead the way on GED testing on computer,” said Regina Burden, assistant vice president for student affairs at the College. Test-takers interested in taking the test on computer at Motlow College should go to GEDtestingservice.com. Offering GED testing on computer also has an important role to increasing accessibility and flexibility for test-takers, since a double-digit increase in the number of GED test-takers is expected by 2013. A new GED assessment is scheduled to be released in Jan. 2014, and a significant number of adults who haven’t taken or passed all five content areas will want to test before their scores expire at the end of 2013. The GED test is the only high school equivalency program recognized by all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Since 1942, more than 18 million adults have earned GED test credentials.

The Manchester Fire & Rescue would like to invite you to participate in its 3rd annual Chili Cook-Off scheduled from 12 to 4 p.m. this Saturday, October 13, 2012 on the downtown square in Manchester. Buy a $5 spoon and try all the chili and vote in the People’s Choice Award. Winners in 3 categories will win $500 each and a nice trophy. This year’s proceeds will go to the Children’s Advocacy Center, a non-profit organization that provides a child-focused facility in a safe, neutral location.