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Funds Flow for Native Tennessee Trout Restoration
The Tennessee Aquarium has released 280 juvenile brook trout into Little Stony Creek, which flows through the Cherokee National Forest. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Protecting the native brook trout population is an upstream battle for Tennessee conservation groups.
But things are looking up at year’s end. The Tennessee Aquarium has just received its largest single donation since it began seeking financial support for its brook trout restoration project.
The goal is to preserve this indigenous fish that has been reduced to 15 percent of its historic range.
Thom Benson, director of external affairs for the Tennessee Aquarium, explains why the Southern Appalachian brook trout is the focus.
“Because of deforestation, poor land management practices in the past, and the introduction of brown and rainbow trout into their streams, their numbers have really declined over the last 50 years or so,” he states.
Benson says the donation of more than $11,000 from the nonprofit group Trout Unlimited will go a long way in helping to preserve the native brook trout.
The restoration project encompasses every stage of its life cycle, including hatching and re-releasing fish into ancestral streams.
The brook trout’s range extends north into New England and Canada, and into the Midwest, but experts say the Southern Appalachia population is genetically distinct.
Benson says understanding the conservation needs of these fish requires cooperation among the U.S. Forest Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Trout Unlimited and a team of Aquarium biologists.
“State and federal budgets are declining, and nonprofit organizations like the Tennessee Aquarium don’t have a lot of resources,” he states.
“Collaborative efforts like this are great, because you can pool financial resources, you can pool expertise and you can also pool physical resources, such as the systems that we use to raise the trout.”
Benson adds fund raising has been slow since the project began in 2014, but this new momentum and the shared expertise of multiple groups will benefit the fish, long term.
“It’s sort of that multiplier effect of conservation, in that ‘two plus two equals five’ now, because you have all of this expertise and resources all pooled together – where individually, none of these organizations would be able to that work without the others,” he states.
The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute says it is slowly making headway toward returning the brook trout to regional mountain streams, from which it had all but disappeared.
12/6/18–Jimmy Keith Cooper
Mr. Jimmy Keith Cooper, 68, passed away early
Tuesday December 4, 2018 at the Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in
Murfreesboro after and extended illness. He was born in Manchester,
Tennessee on June 13, 1950 to James Rogers Cooper Jr. and Faye Armstrong
Cooper who preceded him in death along with his grandparents, James R. and
Eva Ritter Cooper Sr., William Clark and Maude Mae Jones Armstrong.
He is survived by his daughters, Leslie D. Brown and Melissa Cooper of
Manchester; sister, Karen Cooper Lowery of Manchester; granddaughter,
Lauren A. Gosnell of Murfreesboro.
Graveside funeral services will be 10:00 AM Thursday at Rose Hill Memorial
Gardens with Minister James Wade officiating. Arrangements by: Central
Funeral Home, Manchester, Tennessee. www.centralfuneralhome.com
Central Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Coffee County Basketball Fights to a Sweep of Warren County; Both Teams Still Perfect on the Year
Abby Morgan of CHS basketball
Coffee County welcomed Highway 55 rival Warren County to the packed Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym on Tuesday. In a pair of tough, physical games, the Raiders and Lady Raiders battled their way to a sweep of their closest non-district rival. The Lady Raiders had their hands full with the Lady Pioneers before grabbing a 65 to 44 win. The Red Raiders rallied from a 4th quarter deficit to
gut out a 61 to 55 win in overtime.
After a sluggish start, the Lady Raiders outscored the Lady Pioneers 20 to 7 in an 8 minute stretch of the first half to open up some breathing room. After Warren County cut the lead to 12 entering the 4th quarter, the Lady Raiders pulled away late to get the 21 point win. Nine different Lady Raiders scored on the night as Abby Morgan led Coffee County in scoring with 20 points to be named the Crazy Daisies player of the game. Bella Vinson added 12 points and Jacey Vaughn chipped in 9. The Lady Raiders ran their record to 9 and 0 with the win.
Harley Hinshaw of Coffee County CHS basketball
Sluggish starts in both halves put the Red Raiders in holes but after getting outscored 17 to 2 in the 3rd quarter, it appeared Coffee County would suffer its first loss of the year. The Red Raiders erased a 7 point 4th quarter deficit to force overtime and then dominated in the overtime period. Coffee County hit 31 free throws in the physical contest but maintained their composure down the stretch to improve to 5 and 0 on the year. Darius Rozier led the Raiders in scoring with 17 points, including 9 free throws, as he earned the Crazy Daisies player of the game award. Harley Hinshaw netted 13 points and Andrew Mahaffey chipped in 11.
Coffee County returns to district action on Friday when they travel to Columbia to take on the Lions. Tip-off for the girls’ game is set for 6 PM and Thunder Radio will bring you live coverage from Columbia Central High School. We begin our live coverage with the Char-El Apartments and Home Rental pregame show at 5:50.
Download the broadcast at: http://www.thunder1320.com/downloads/
Bucks Dominate the Boards in Win Over Volunteer State
Motlow’s Darius Harding (5), a freshman guard from Elizabethtown, Ky., puts up a shot while teammate Marcus Lacey gets in position for the rebound during Saturday’s 84-58 win over Volunteer State at Copperweld Arena. Harding leads the team in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. [Photo by Jeff Reed Photography])
The Bucks (3-0, 6-5) have now won three consecutive games. Motlow went on the road last week and downed Lawson State 90-76 in Birmingham and Wallace State 70-65 in Hanceville. The Bucks will take their unbeaten TCCAA conference record on the road this weekend, playing at Cleveland State Friday and Chattanooga State Saturday.
Saturday’s win over the Pioneers was never in doubt as the Bucks surged to a 36-18 lead at the half. Neither team shot the ball especially well, with Motlow connecting on 40.7 percent of its shots from the field and Volunteer State 34.4 percent. The Bucks did hit 13-38 three pointers and made 7-10 from the free-throw line.
Josh Endicott led the Bucks with 15 rebounds while adding seven points and a pair of blocked shots. Marcus Lacey had 10 points and 10 boards, Kin Webster secured 10 rebounds with two points and two assists.
Darius Harding scored 11 points, with Jarius Key scoring 10 and adding six rebounds. Leo Castillo scored eight points with nine rebounds, four assists and two steals, Josh Greer had nine points, five rebounds and three assists, and Jayvon Humphrey scored nine points with five rebounds and four assists.
In last Wednesday’s win over Wallace State the Bucks had to overcome a 40-34 deficit at halftime. Motlow was led by Harding’s 28 points, including connecting on 6-10 three pointers, and Castillo’s double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bucks also had to come from behind in the final 20 minutes to beat Lawson State last Monday, trailing at the intermission 37-30 before outscoring Lawson 60-39 in the final 20 minutes. Harding led the way with 22 points and Endicott and Lacey had double-doubles, with Endicott scoring 18 points with 11 rebounds and Lacey 10 points and 10 boards.
Lady Bucks Stay Unbeaten in TCCAA with Win over Volunteer State
Janna Lewis (32) battles a pair of Volunteer State players for a rebound during Saturday’s 84-51 win by Motlow at Copperweld Arena. Lewis, a sophomore from Louisville, averages 19.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. [Photo by Jeff Reed Photography])
Motlow (2-0, 6-2) remains tied with defending champion Walters State at the top of the TCCAA standings. The Lady Bucks’ win over Volunteer came on the heels of last Wednesday’s 76-70 win over non-conference opponent Wallace State in Hanceville, Ala. Motlow will play a pair of road conference games this weekend, visiting Cleveland State Friday and Chattanooga State Saturday.
The Lady Bucks dominated the visitors from Gallatin from the outset Saturday, leading 26-14 after one quarter and 39-27 at the half. Motlow’s defense was on target, holding the Lady Pioneers to 36.4 percent shooting, although they did make 6-7 three pointers. Motlow connected on 50.8 percent of its shots from the floor, including 10-22 three pointers, and outrebounded the visitors 47-35.
Janna Lewis led the balanced scoring attack with 17 points and added nine rebounds and three assists. Katie Thomas hit 5-9 three pointers and scored 16 points along with six rebounds, Tanisia Murphy had 15 points with four rebounds and three steals, and Star Bell-Freeman scored 14 with seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
Dominique Fields added seven points and six rebounds, Kayla Jackson had five points, Azhane Bacot scored four with nine rebounds, Taylor Holcomb had four points, three rebounds and three assists, and Thandiwie Sims added two points and two rebounds.
The Lady Bucks fought from behind on the road to get their win over Wallace State. Motlow trailed 25-20 after one quarter, 45-34 at the half, and 55-51 after three quarters. Free-throw shooting was a key for the Lady Bucks as they connected on 25-30 attempts.
Lewis was critical to the comeback, scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds and four assists. Murphy scored 17 with five rebounds and four steals, Thomas had nine points, Fields scored eight with four assists, Bell-Freeman had 11 rebounds to go with six points, Holcomb scored five points with four steals, and Bacot had three points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Lewis, a sophomore who was the TCCAA Freshman of the Year last season, has had a strong start to the year, averaging a double-double with 19.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Motlow has four other players averaging double-figure scoring, including Murphy at 15.3 points per game, Fields and Bell-Freeman at 10.9 and Thomas at 10.6.
12/7/18 — ALTON BRADFORD “TONY” THOMAS
ALTON BRADFORD “TONY” THOMAS, age 72, of Decherd, Tenn., departed this life suddenly onMonday, December 3,
2018, at STRHS Winchester. Mr. Thomas was born in Tullahoma, Tenn., on June 16, 1946, to the late Cecil Thomas
and Winifred Burrow Thomas. Mr. Thomas is a veteran of the U.S. Army serving his country during the Vietnam War. He was disabled. Before becoming disabled Mr. Thomas was a Truck Driver for many years. He was an avid Tennessee Titans fan. Mr. Thomas enjoyed fishing. He was the type of person that would give a person the “shirt off of his back” if he felt someone needed something. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Thomas was preceded in death by his daughter, Tammy Jet, sister, Ann Anderson, daughter-in-law, Missy Thomas and step-mother, Pearl Thomas. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Thomas of Decherd, Tenn., daughter, Gail Thomas of Shelbyville, sons; Alton Thomas, Jr., and Tony Thomas both of Shelbyville, James R. Thomas and wife, Contessia of Tullahoma, Daniel Thomas of Decherd, Scott Thomas of Tullahoma, Alton Bradford Thomas, III of Shelbyville and Dewayne Thomas, uncle, Clifford Blankenship of Winchester, 24-grandchildren and 10-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 5:00-8:00 P.M. Thursday, December 6, 2018, in the Chapel of Grant Funeral Services. Services are scheduled for 1:00 P.M. Friday, December 7, in the chapel of Grant Funeral Services. Interment will follow in the Mt. Garner Cemetery in Decherd, Tenn.
GRANT FUNERAL SERVICES IN CHARGE OF THE ARRANGEMENTS
County Continues to Work on Settlement Offer
Last week we reported that Coffee County commissioners voted to make a settlement offer to a former employee who said she was wrongfully terminated from her job in 2010. Melinda Keeling took the county to court over losing her job, and now a financial settlement is in the works.
Last week county commissioners voted to approve a settlement with Keeling for nearly $1 million.
Here is a way the county is looking at to pay Keeling. Members of the Coffee County Budget and Finance Committee opted to fund roughly half the amount owed by using $447,878 from the county’s unassigned fund balance and $114,622 from the State Unclaimed Property Refund.
The unassigned fund balance is the money that’s set aside for emergencies, sometimes called the rainy-day fund.
The remaining cost will be paid by using $300,000 that was set aside for the case last fiscal year to prepare for the costs associated with this case.
The county’s insurance carrier will cover $120,000, which is more than county officials initially expected the coverage to pay.
The funds coming from the State Unclaimed Property Refund, $114,622, previously couldn’t be spent by the county, but a new law allows it.
We will keep you updated as this story as it progresses.
Gas Prices Drop Again
Gas prices in Tennessee now average the lowest of 2018.
Sunday’s state average of $2.24 is 10 cents less than a week ago.
Tennessee gas prices have declined the past seven weeks. The state average has slipped 52 consecutive days, for a total of 45 cents.
On average, gas prices in November were 21 cents less than October. The monthly average of $2.44/g was the lowest monthly average since March ($2.35). The state average declined a total of 31 cents last month.
Despite the decline, the monthly average was 14 cents more than November 2017, and the most expensive November in four years.
In Coffee County as of Tuesday evening the low price for a gallon of gas could be found in Manchester at $1.97 and in Tullahoma the low price was $2.17.
Three People Busted after Drug Investigation
Robert Ray Yates
Shatika Renee Floyd
In November, law enforcement officers began investigating a series of overdoses that took place in Murfreesboro involving fentanyl-laced heroin. During the course of the investigation, Agents and officers developed information that identified the source of the supply of heroin and methamphetamine for a distribution organization in Middle Tennessee. The investigation revealed that the heroin had been laced with fentanyl prior to being transported to Tennessee. On Monday, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at two locations in Murfreesboro as part of this investigation.
Monday night, officers arrested 37 year-old Robert Ray Yates, 35 year-old Shatika Renee Floyd and 39 year-old Antonio Andre Johnson.
Antonio Andre Johnson
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Receives $50 Million Donation
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says a $50 million donation from a research-based pharmaceutical company is the largest one-time gift in its history.
The Memphis, Tennessee-based hospital said Monday that the donation from the AbbVie company will support construction of a treatment-free floor where families can “relax, recover and connect in a centralized location.”
Named the Family Commons, the floor will include a preschool program, a play area including an outdoor patio, living room area and resting nooks, and a private area offering snacks and a general store for patient families.
St. Jude is considered a leading researcher of cancer and other life-threatening diseases that affect children. Families with children being cared for at the hospital never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food.