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2/17/19 — Birthdays
No birthdays to report.
2/16/19 — Birthdays
Birthdays:
Michael Johnson, 50 — Pizza Winner!
Coffee County Anglers Have Strong Performances at Saturday Tournament
Seven boats from the Coffee County Youth Bass Club competed on Saturday at Percy Priest Lake in a combination State Trail and Region Tournament. 136 Angler teams from across the state were in attendance in the high school division. The high school Raider anglers managed a Top 6 finish and 2 finishers in the Top 25 for the event.
The junior angler team of Kalyn Mantooth and Lance Marcrom captured the win in the junior division. Mantooth and Marcrom landed 3 keepers on the day that tipped the scales at 6.04 pounds.
The brother tandem of Branson and Dawson Wells were the top finisher as they caught 4 fish weighing in at 10.09 pounds to grab 6th place in the high school age division. The team of Colby Thurmond and Jacob Garms finished in 24th place with a 3 fish stringer weighing in at 5.54 pounds. Briley Sain and Caden Freeze came in 45th place with a single fish weighing in at 3.37 pounds. Isaiah Owens and Garrett Davis finished in 52nd place with a 2.71 pound bass and the teams of Chris Tudor/Sawyer Banks and Adam Petty/Jayden Yates tied for 68th place.
In the state trail standings, Thurmond and Garms are the top Coffee County team as they sit in 32nd place. In the South Central Region standings, the Wells brother are the top team in the region after 5 events. Thurmond and Garms sit in 5th place. Defending Region championship team of Owens/Davis are in striking distance in 10th place while Delainee Driver and Grayson Mangrum are in 22nd place.
The Raider anglers will hit the water again on Saturday, March 2nd when they fish a region tournament at Tims Ford. Blast off will be at first light from the Winchester Bass Club.
CHS Baseball Team Wins Saturday Scrimmage
The Coffee County CHS baseball team hit the diamond on Saturday for their first scrimmage action of the spring. The Red Raiders hosted Grundy County in a 10 inning preseason tilt at Powers Field. The Red Raiders “looked better than I expected considering how little time we have had on the field” said Raider coach David Martin. Coffee County claimed an 11 to 9 win in the scrimmage.
The highlight of the day was the performance of the Raider pitching staff that limited Grundy County to 4 hits with 18 strikeouts, but gave up 8 walks in the process. The Coffee County defense did allow 8 unearned runs. The Raider bats pounded out 11 hits on the contest led by Griffin Meeker who had 3 singles and drove in 3 runs. Noah Bradshaw had a single and a double and drove in 2 runs while Skylar Bratcher had a pair of singles and 1 RBI.
On the bump, Hayden Skipper struck out 5 in 2 innings of work allowing a single hit. Meeker pitched 2 innings surrendering a walk and no hits with 4 K’s. Zack Milan, Owen Neel, Braden Brown, John McKelvey and Gage Edwards all saw time on the hill for Coffee County.
The Raiders scrimmage game at Forrest on Monday was cancelled due to wet field conditions. Coffee County is set to travel to McMinnville on Saturday for a scrimmage game with Warren County. Action will get underway at noon.
Salukis Run Win Streak to Seven with Sweep on Final Day of Puerto Vallarta Challenge
Brianna Jones of Southern Illinois softball [Photo by siusalukis.com]
The Southern Illinois University softball team swept a pair of NCAA Regional qualifiers from a year ago, Sacramento State and North Dakota State, Saturday night to go 4-0 at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge. SIU, which improved to 7-2 on the season, has now won seven-straight games.
The Salukis (7-2) had three players recognized on the All-Tournament team, including Tournament MVP Brianna Jones. Jones went 4-0 in the circle with a microscopic .74 ERA. The three-time All-MVC First Team selection allowed just 13 hits in 19 innings of work. She also struck out 18 while walking just four.
Ashley Wood and Jenny Jansen also earned All-Tournament honors. Wood hit a team-best .615 (8-of-13) with two extra bases hits and 3 RBI while in Puerto Vallarta, while Jansen hit .412 (7-of-17) with three extra base hits, including her first home run of the season, to go along with a team-high 7 RBI.
Game 1
The Salukis scored three runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to defeat the Sacramento State Hornets, 6-1.
Neither side scored in the opening four innings, but Southern finally got to Sacramento State’s starting pitcher Savanna Corr in the fifth as she approached the 100-pitch mark.
Megan Brown led off the fifth with a home run to left, her first of the season. Sidney Sikes drew a four-pitch walk before Maddy Vermejan doubled to right. After Susie Baranski walked, Jenny Jansen socked a pitch to center field for a single that brought in Sikes. Massa followed with a deep fly ball to score Vermejan.
After the Hornets used a pair of hits to manufacture a run off Jones in the sixth, Southern put up another crooked number in the seventh as Jenny Jansen and Katelyn Massa hit back-to-back home runs to tack on three more runs and put the game out of reach.
Brianna Jones improved to 5-1 on the season with the complete game win. Jones didn’t allow an earned run to lower her season ERA to 1.11. She scattered five hits while striking out a season-high 10.
Jansen and Vermejan each notched a pair of hits in the win. Jansen went 2-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBI, while Vermejan went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Game 2
Southern clawed its way back from a five-run deficit to tie the game in the sixth and tacked on two more runs with two outs in the top of the seventh to defeat the North Dakota State Bison, 10-8.
The Salukis scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the second as Wood tripled to right to score pinch-runner Meredith Wernig from first. Megan Brown then reached on an error that scored Wood to stake SIU to a 2-0 lead.
North Dakota State cut SIU’s lead in half with a solo home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the second. The Bison added four more runs in the frame to go ahead 5-2.
Wood came through again in the top of the third. After Jansen roped a one-out double to right field, Wood brought her home with a single up the middle to bring Southern to within two, 5-3.
North Dakota State, however, answered with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third to build an 8-3 advantage.
SIU didn’t flinch though and got four runs back in the top of the fourth. Brown led off the inning with a walk and Shelby Hodo followed with a base knock up the middle. Pinch-hitter Jordan Spicer singled up the middle to load the bases for Vermejan, who walked on five pitches to drive in a run. Jansen hustled down the line on the next at-bat to force an overthrow by NDSU’s pitcher that scored two and made it a one-run game.
SIU’s starting pitcher Claire Miller settled in and retired six of the next seven batters she faced to keep it a one-run game heading into the sixth inning. Vermejan led off the sixth by getting hit in the elbow. Baranski then laid down a bunt on the next pitch and Vermejan, noticing that the third baseman had been drawn in on the bunt, went from first to third and came around to score after NDSU’s catcher muffled a throw when she was attempting to cover third.
Jones entered for Miller and faced the minimum in the sixth thanks to an unassisted double play by Kyleigh Decker. In the seventh, Brown led off with a single, and a sacrifice bunt moved the lead runner to second. Sidney Sikes collected her first collegiate hit to move the runners to the corners with one out. Vermejan again earned a four pitch walk to load the bases. After NDSU recorded the second out of the inning, Jansen delivered a 2-RBI single up the middle to give SIU a 10-8 lead.
North Dakota State used two hits to get one run back in the seventh but Jones induced consecutive groundouts to slam the door and seal the win.
Jones earned the win in two innings of relief to improve to 6-1 on the season. Jansen was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in the win while Wood went 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and two RBI.
Up Next
The Salukis are at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. beginning on Friday, Feb. 22. The Salukis open against Ohio at 11 a.m. and take on Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. Southern will play a total of five games during the three-day event.
Flash Flood Watch
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING…
The Flash Flood Watch continues for a portion of Middle Tennessee, including the following areas, Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Moore, Rutherford, Warren and several others.
* From Tuesday evening through Thursday morning.
* 2 to 4 inches of rainfall are expected across the watch area.
* Street flooding will be a hazard for travelers. Low-lying and
poor drainage areas will be at risk for flash flooding, as
well as small streams.
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
You should monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
More rain is predicted Friday-Sunday. As much as 7 inches of rain is expected between now and Sunday night.
Tennessee Seeing Uptick in Flu Reports
We may be just over midway through the month of February, but the flu season is still in its peak. According to a new report from the CDC, flu activity is down nationally, but we are seeing an uptick in Tennessee.
26 states, including Tennessee, are experiencing high flu activity. Despite a milder season this year, the CDC says flu activity this past week was the highest it has been all season.
If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, it’s not too late. The CDC says this year’s flu vaccine appears to be working. The vaccine has reduced the risk of going to the doctor for flu-related illness by 47 percent this season.
Other than getting the flu shot, health officials say make sure you’re practicing good hygiene.
Flu season usually will last through March.
Seniors: Online Scammers Can Steal Your Heart and Wallet
The Better Business Bureau estimates there may be more than a million victims of fraudulent online romance scams in the U.S. alone. (AARP)
The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South estimates there are 25,000 romance scammers on dating sites worldwide.
Their victims could be any age, but women over 50 make up the largest demographic.
Nancy Crawford, director of marketing and communications for the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, says the perception of loneliness, grieving the loss of a partner and having a nest egg all tend to make seniors scam targets.
“You know, nobody wants to be single and alone on Valentine’s Day and so, they tend to use dating apps more frequently,” she explains. “And these romance scammers often try to take the conversation off of the dating site, so that it’s harder to trace.”
Crawford says the common denominator for victims is that they believe in true love – and they’re led to believe they’ve found it.
She cautions never to send money to someone you haven’t met in person and report these types of requests to the local police or consumer protection agency, and to the dating site.
In an in-depth investigation of romance scams last February, the BBB found that scammers most often contact their victims on dating websites, apps and social media with fake profiles.
Crawford says scammers might spend months cultivating a relationship before asking for travel money or emergency funds.
This month, the BBB released a follow-up report, “Fall in Love – Go to Jail”. It exposes how some romance victims are even finding themselves in legal trouble.
“The victim themselves can get caught up in moving money, and helping the scammer to scam other people once they’ve exhausted their own supply of cash,” Crawford points out.
The BBB estimates there may be more than 1 million victims in the U.S. alone – maybe even someone you know, as people who’ve been scammed this way rarely speak out.
To report romance scams, call the AARP helpline at 877-908-3360 or visit bbb.org/scamtracker.
TDOC Holds Graduation for 21 at Sergeant’s Academy in Tullahoma
Tennessee Correction Academy in Tullahoma
The keynote speaker for the event was John Fisher, Correctional Administrator. Fisher spoke to the class about challenging the status quo and the importance of doing your part within TDOC. “Remember to do your part and lift where you stand. You’ll make the department a better department.” shared Fisher.
During their weeks of training the class learned skills that will assist them in being effective leaders in their respective offices and facilities.
The graduating class also participated in a community service project during their time at the academy. The class decided to collect stuffed animals for law enforcement officials to give to children involved in the critical calls officers respond to. At the graduation two class representatives gave those donations to the Tullahoma Police Department.
Lady Raiders Upset in District Finals by Tullahoma
Coffee County Lady Raider basketball All-District players (Left to Right) Ellie Graham, Abby Morgan, Jacey Vaughn & Bella Vinson[Photo Provided]
Tullahoma’s Julia Duncan was fouled on a 3 point attempt from midcourt as the final horn sounded and drained a free throw to stun the exceptionally large Coffee County fan section in attendance. The closing sequence was set up after a Lady Raider turnover on a layup attempt with 2 seconds left.
Coffee County was led in scoring by Bella Vinson who had 16 points as she was named the Crazy Daisies player of the game. Jacey Vaughn finished with 6 points and Abby Morgan added 5. After the game, Vinson was named the District 8AAA Player of the Year while Morgan, Vaughn and Ellie Graham were named to the regular season All-District team. Coach Joe Pat Cope was named the District 8AAA Coach of the Year. Vaughn and Vinson were named to the all-tournament team.
The Lady Raiders will advance to the Region 4AAA tournament as a #2 seed. Play in the region tournament begins on Friday night at home sites. Coffee County will host the 3rd place team from District 7AAA at home on Friday beginning at 7 PM at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.
Download the broadcast at: www.thunder1320.com/downloads