Plants found in Hillsboro

With the aid of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter, Coffee County deputies seized 85 marijuana plants outside a home yesterday (Sept. 10, 2012) on Harpo Road in Hillsboro. Sheriff Steve Graves stated that deputies along with the other officers went to the residence and seized the plants along with weapons and other items. Officers also found marijuana growing inside the home. The investigation is continuing.

State officials are contemplating how to attract more people to Tennessee’s community colleges, like Motlow in Tullahoma. And they say one way might be to start offering on-campus housing. Right now none of the state’s 13 community colleges offers housing – which might appeal to some students with lengthy commutes. Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan compared to other states, relatively few Tennesseans use community colleges. He says dorms might fit into a broader effort to turn that around, by making community colleges feel more “collegial.”

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has decided to remove Arnold Engineering Development Complex from consideration for the agency’s National Priorities List. Effective March 15, the EPA removed Arnold AFB from consideration for the list, which is a compilation of hazardous waste sites that are eligible for cleanup financed by the federal Superfund program. The complex was first proposed in 1994, when the EPA scored AEDC through its Hazard Ranking System, said Denny Timmons, AEDC’s Installation Restoration Program Manager of the civil engineering branch’s asset management section. For the past 18 years the Arnold AFB environmental staff has aggressively and proactively pursued investigation and cleanup of former disposal sites.

Tennessee prisoners serve some of the shortest terms in the nation, according to a new study. A report by the Pew Center on the States found that on average a Tennessee prison sentence lasts just under 2 years. That’s about a year shorter than the national average. Prosecutor Torry Johnson told The Tennessean that the state is ahead of others by enacting for alternative punishments and probation guidelines that help reduce and better control prison populations. State Department of Corrections officials point out that while offenders are serving less time for property and drug crimes, prison time has increased by 41% for violent crimes.

Horse soring

Federal prosecutors say sentencing limitations in the federal Horse Protection Act are behind their probation recommendation for a man caught by a hidden camera beating a Tennessee walking horse. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the prosecutors filed a 16-page explanation for their recommendation of probation for trainer Jackie McConnell. The sentencing memorandum says prosecutors share the sentiments of those wanting to see significant jail time for such violators. But it says the law passed by Congress doesn’t have the teeth needed to put McConnell in jail. Prosecutors are seeking a maximum probation period for McConnell, which would be five years. McConnell was to be sentenced Monday, but his sentencing has been moved to Sept. 18. McConnell’s attorney declined to comment on the prosecution’s sentencing memorandum.

A Tennessee business will get to pay less into the state’s unemployment trust fund, at least for a little while. It’s the first time there’s been a decrease in three years. Payments are going down about one percent, but the decrease could be short lived. The amount of money in the trust fund can fluctuate wildly. Just two years ago, the amount was so low the state needed loans and federal stimulus money to pay out benefits. Now Tennessee has over $568 million in the unemployment trust fund.

Officials say that anyone who had direct, close contact with a Middle Tennessee State University student who died early Monday should contact Student Health Services or another health care provider for an evaluation.

Jacob Nunley, 18, a freshman from Dyersburg, Tenn., died early Monday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Nunley was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and lived in the fraternity’s house on Greek Row on the MTSU campus.

The state health department is investigating the cause of death.

However, Vanderbilt officials said they were treating this as a possible case of meningitis and instructed anyone who may have had direct, close contact with Nunley from Sept. 2 to Sept. 10 to contact a health professional for evaluation. Direct, close contact means coming in touch with nose or throat discharges, which includes kissing, coughing, sneezing and sharing drinking glasses, eating utensils or cigarettes.

For more information, contact MTSU Student Health Services at 615-898-2988 or the Rutherford County Health Department at 615-898-7880.

Large crowd on hand for Patriot Day ceremonies... By Barry West

Rep. Judd Matheny speaks to those in attendance... By Barry West

Manchester’s annual Patriot Day ceremony was held Sunday and again was hosted by the American Legion Gold Star Post 78 of Manchester.
On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism hit America. After the tragic events and the loss of many lives, the American Legion encouraged all posts to sponsor an event to recognize and honor their local first responders. Many posts around the country have stopped their event, but this is the 11th year that this ceremony has been held in Manchester. The ceremony not only remembers those events on Sept. 11, 2001, but it also recognizes city and county law enforcement, fire department and other emergency personnel.
A special memorial was also held for the first responders who died during the year.

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