A Gruett Road man is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a $50,000 bond following his arrest. 59-year-old Domingo Ponce Garcia was arrested and charged with manufacture/sell/delivery of a controlled substance after he was allegedly to be growing marijuana. Garcia was arrested after Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator Danny Ferrell received information that plants were growing in the eastern section of the county. Ferrell obtained permission from the property owners to conduct a search for the plants. According to the investigator the plants ranged in size from three inches to six feet tall. Garcia is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Session Court May 25.

Several reports have been filed in the last week regarding the theft of outdoor power equipment from citizens of Tullahoma. On April 20, a trailer and Murray riding lawnmower were taken from a residence on Prince Lane. On April 21, a leaf blower and a weed eater were taken from a residence on Atlantic Street. In both cases the items were stolen during the day. The Tullahoma Police Department is asking anyone that might have information on these or any other crimes to contact the department at 931-455-0530. Your name will remain anonymous, and you could receive a cash award up to $1000.

Course will open Monday for hiking, biking and fishing area... By Barry West

The year 2012 marks Tennessee State Parks’ 75th Anniversary, and to help commemorate this important milestone, Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park held a special community event on Monday. The event coincides with Old Stone Fort’s own 46th anniversary of the park’s dedication in 1966. As one of only two archaeological state parks in Tennessee, Old Stone Fort is certainly a fitting backdrop for one of the many statewide celebrations we will be holding throughout the year. It’s also a great opportunity to thank the park’s many patrons and the entire local community for all their hard work and efforts in support of this unique state park.” The park announced the former golf course property will open Monday as a day-use hiking, biking and fishing area. The Old Stone Fort is a 2000-year-old Native American ceremonial site, which consists of nearly 4,000 feet of low, wall-like mounds enclosing nearly 50 acres. The mounds and walls connect with cliffs and rivers to form an enclosure measuring one-and-a-quarter miles around. The hilltop enclosure was used for approximately 500 years as a gathering area for people living in and around the eastern Highland Rim.

As spring speeds into summer, officials with the Tennessee Department of Transportation have sent out a reminder to motorists not to speed through construction and work zones. This is National Work Zone Awareness Week. It’s a week in which officials work to remind residents to slow down and pay close attention to work zones and interstate alert boards. TDOT officials hope to use this time to improve safety in Tennessee’s interstate and highway construction and maintenance work zones. “We are heading into the busiest construction time of the year, and there will be hundreds of active work zones across Tennessee,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “Reducing speeds, staying alert and exercising caution is the best way to ensure workers and motorists stay safe on our roadways.” During the spring and summer months more highway workers will be on the roads, repairing and maintaining Tennessee’s interstate, bridges and rural roadways. According to officials in 2011, 15 people died in work zones crashes, two of those were TDOT workers.

A Middle Tennessee man credits his three Jack Russell terriers with saving him from a mobile home fire. According to the Shelbyville Times Gazette, the fire broke out early Monday at the trailer where Doyce Mitchell lived. Mitchell told the newspaper he would have died had the dogs – which he called his boys – not barked and awakened him. The blaze began at an electrical fuse box that was mounted on an outside wall of the mobile home. Mitchell said he had been smelling burned rubber or plastic for a couple of days before the fire broke out. The walls of the trailer remained, but the inside was gutted by the fire. Mitchell said his property was insured.

A design engineering firm has made an application to have site plans for a Chick-fil-A to be presented to the Tullahoma Planning Commission at its May 7 meeting.  A spokesperson with the restaurant chain says company officials are excited about locating in Tullahoma. The commission will not take any action at that time. According to City Administrator Jody Baltz, who is serving as interim planning director the commission will review the plans to be considered at its May 21 regular meeting. An engineer with GBC Design Inc, based in Akron, Ohio, recently presented the site plans to the Tullahoma Development Committee. Chick-fil-A’s plans call for a 4,686-square-foot facility to be located on .63 acres at the current Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors Ice Cream & Yogurt on North Jackson St. A spokesperson for the company says plans are to close the deal to purchase the property and have the restaurant open next year. Tullahoma Mayor Lane Curlee said the announcement is certainly exciting news for the community. The manager for Baskin Robbins told the Tullahoma News yesterday that they aren’t sure about future plans for the business except they have to be out by September 1st.