WMSR News reported earlier this month that the Roane County school board had selected Coffee County Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall to be their next director.
On Monday afternoon the Coffee County School Board, on a 6-0 vote selected former Deputy Director Joe Pedigo as interim director. Esther Sims was absent from the meeting.
McFall will continue as director until May 9 and Pedigo will take over at that time. Pedigo will begin work on May 1 as deputy director until May 9 and then will become interim director. The length of his term will be on a month to month basis until the board selects the new permanent director.
McFall is in her seventh year as Director of Schools in Coffee County. Pedigo served over 40 years in the system before retiring with some of those as deputy director.

On Friday (April 26, 2019) James Richard McCoy, Jr., will be in court for a bond hearing. McCoy’s attorney Doug Aaron will be asking for a bond to be set. He has been housed with no bond at the Coffee County Jail since his arrest for 1st Degree Murder, Tampering with Evidence, Domestic Violence and Abuse of a Corpse.
On September 9, 2018, 46-year-old Lisa McCoy of Manchester was found deceased by Manchester Police. She had been shot several times at her home on Duck River Road. The woman’s husband, 54-year-old James Richard McCoy, Jr., was charged with the crime.

As many as 300,000 spectators are expected in downtown Nashville when the National Football League (NFL) holds its annual draft from April 25 – 27, 2019, in Music City. The event, which is free and open to the public, will bring worldwide attention to Tennessee. To assist those who might be attending the event, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) is offering safety, insurance, and scam prevention tips.
OUTDOOR EVENT SAFETY. Attending an outdoor event with thousands of people creates unique safety challenges. Remember these tips to stay safe:
• Familiarize yourself with the locations of medical and safety tents.
• Know what items are and are not prohibited before you arrive. Information about the event can be found http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2019/03/20/0ap3000001023537.pdf.
• Use the buddy system. If attending with a friend or a family member, designate a person who you can trust to watch out for you and vice versa.
• Identify a place to meet friends in case you get split up or an emergency occurs.
• Report any suspicious persons to a member of security.
• Never pick up any packages or items that do not belong to you. Report any suspicious packages to a member of security.
• HOTEL SAFETY. Staying in a hotel brings its own set of safety challenges. If you choose to stay in a hotel while enjoying the NFL Draft festivities, remember:
• Read the escape plan posted in your room. These often can be found on your hotel room’s door. If one is not posted in your room, request one from the front desk.
• Choose a hotel or vacation rental that is equipped with both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers.*
• If you hear an alarm, leave immediately, closing all doors behind you.
• DRIVER SAFETY. With hundreds of thousands of people expected on the roads during the three-day event, consumers are urged to take these extra precautions to ensure their safety:
• Put the vehicle in park before sending a text or setting navigation services.
• Never drink and drive. Don’t get behind the wheel while impaired — whether it’s due to exhaustion, medicine, alcohol or recreational drugs.
• When you’re behind the wheel of a vehicle, don’t use your phone. That means no texts, no social media, no videos, no photos or anything – except driving.
• Obey speed limits and keep your eyes on the road.
• Keep an eye out for pedestrians and scooters.