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11/6/18 — Virgil Malone “John” Owen
Funeral services for Mr. Virgil Malone “John” Owen, age 88 of Manchester, will be conducted on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. at Coffee County Funeral Chapel. Burial will follow in Concord Cemetery with full military honors. The family will receive friends on Monday, November 5, 2018 from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at Coffee County Funeral Chapel. Mr. Owen passed away on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at Manchester Healthcare Center.
John was born in Bradyville, TN to the late Virgil Malone Owen, Sr. and Mamie Parker Owen. He was a United States Air Force Veteran serving in the Korean War. Mr. Owen was a member of New Union Church of Christ and was very active at the Coffee County Senior Citizen Center. In former years, he was a precision die cutter for Skyline Manufacturing Tool & Die. He enjoyed woodworking, camping for summer vacations, and bluegrass music. John’s children remember always seeing his head under a car hood fixing something when they were growing up. John was a loving husband of 54 years, father, Pa and friend to the community.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen Scott Owen; brothers, Tony Owen and Charles Owen; sister, Eva Owen Holt. Survived by his sons, Jerry Owen (Pam) of Bon Aqua, TN, Jimmy Owen (Cindy) of Winter Haven, FL; daughters, Judy Drummond (Johnny) of Acworth, GA, Joy Minor (Richard) of DeLand, FL; loving niece, Misty Scott Duggin; brother, Eddie Owen; sister, Janice Owen Lund; 13 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren; special nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; loving friend, Jean Bush.
Coffee County Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the Owen family.
11/9/18 — Melvin Edford Davis
MELVIN EDFORD DAVIS, age 57, of Wartrace, Tenn., departed this life on Sunday, November 4, 2018, at Tennova Harton Health Care in Tullahoma, Tenn., following an extended illness. Mr. Davis was born in Nashville, Tenn., to the late Murate Edford Davis and Betty Long Davis on Sept. 1, 1961. He was a 1979, graduate of Tullahoma High School. Mr. Davis was employed for many years as a welder. He was employed at Stanley Tools in Shelbyville for approximately 14 years as a tool grinder. He was then employed by Directv and Charter Cable as an installer, before becoming disabled. His hobbies were playing poker and billards. Mr. Davis’ favorite sport was deer hunting. He was a loving and devoted brother and father.
He is survived by his sons; Jeremy Davis and wife, Stephanie of Estill Springs, Tenn., Joshua Davis of Alamogordo, New Mexico, sister, Terri Alford and husband, Davy of Wartrace, Tenn., a very special friend, Antonia Goodbuffalo and several cousins.
The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 P.M. Friday evening, November 9, 2018, in the Chapel of Grant Funeral Services.
GRANT FUNERAL SERVICES IN CHARGE OF THE ARRANGEMENTS
Lady Raider Basketball Grabs 3 Scrimmage Wins on Saturday
2018 Coffee County CHS Basketball Hall of Champions games
The Lady Raider basketball team of Coffee County CHS traveled to Rhea County on Saturday for a tripleheader of scrimmage games. In their first action of the preseason, the Lady Raiders got 3 wins on the day. When asked for his opinion on the day, Coach Joe Pat Cope said “we gotta rebound better but it was a great start.”
The Lady Raiders opened up the day with a 57 to 24 win over Midway. Abby Morgan led Coffee County in scoring as she had 17 points. Jacey Vaughn finished with 9 points, Kiya Ferrell chipped in 8 points and Emma Fulks added 7 points.
In the 2nd game, Coffee County routed Van Buren County 54 to 24. Bella Vinson led the Lady Raiders in scoring with 14 points. Keelie Hillis had 7 points while Abby Morgan, Jenna Garretson, Emma Fulks and Morgan Jones all finished with 5 points.
In the final game against East Hamilton, the Lady Raiders entered the 4th quarter trailing by 10 points before rallying for a 54 to 53 win. Abby Morgan led the way with 19 points for Coffee County. Bella Vinson and Jacey Vaughn each had 10 points. Kiya Ferrell added 9 points for the Lady Raiders.
Coffee County opens the season on November 16th when they host 2 days of Hall of Champions games at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.
11/4/18 — Sylvia Kaye Dunagin
SYLVIA KAYE DUNAGIN, age 76, of Estill Springs, Tenn., departed this life on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, at Life Care Center of Tullahoma, Tenn., following an extended Illness. Miss. Dunagin was born on October 31, 1941, to the late Percy Elford Dunagin, Sr., and Sara Holder Dunagin Beans in Charlotte, N.C. Miss. Dunagin was raised in Spartanburg, S.C. She was a member of the Decherd Seventh Day Adventist Church. Miss. Dunagin was an x-ray technician. She was employed at several different hospitals in different states before her retirement, including, Cleveland, Tenn., White Memorial Hospital in California, Illinois and Georgia. She enjoyed drawing, painting, artwork and craftwork. She loved cats.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Marilyn Joyce Dunagin and Jayne M. Dunagin. She is survived by her brother, Percy “Sonny” Dunagin, Jr. and wife, Maria of Nevada. sisters; Carole St. Clair of Spartenburg, S.C. Gayle Dorfman and husband, Jay of Corona, Cal., Patricia “Patsy” Houghton of McDonald, Tenn., sister, Mary Simmons and husband, Wellington of Fla., step-sister, Barbara Camp and husband, Lucas of Hendersonville, N.C. Several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 P.M. Sunday, November 4, 2018, at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Decherd, Tenn. with Pastor Nelson Mercado, officiating.
GRANT FUNERAL SERVICES IN CHARGE OF THE ARRANGEMENTS.
11/3/18 — Lorene B. Elliott
Mrs. Lorene B. Elliott 88 of Winchester passed Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at her residence after an extended illness. She was the daughter of the late Kyle and Mary Beasley. She was united in marriage with Herbert Elliott. This union formed the blended family that leaves the following survivors: Gloria Holloway of Nashville, TN, Diane (George) King and Herbert (Brandy) Elliott of Winchester, TN.
She is survived by a daughter/niece: Barbara Banks
Two Grandchildren, Jasmine (Austin) Baxter of Houston, Texas and Jeremiah Banks of Winchester, TN.
One great grandchild, Legend Baxter
Three sisters, Birdie (Thomas) Farris of Winchester, TN; Lassie Taylor of Belvidere, TN; and Elizabeth Vanzant of Decherd, TN; One Brother, Frank (Shoma) Beasley of Winchester, TN and host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Visitation Saturday, November 3, 2018 at 12:00 Noon at Holy Covenant Original Church of God with Funeral Services to follow at 1:00 pm at Holy Original Church of God with Minister Eric Vanzant officiating and Elder Billy Brooks as Eulogist.
Interment Franklin Memorial Gardens
J.A. Welton & Son Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements
Election Day is Tuesday
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6 and registered voters will be allowed to cast ballots at your assigned precinct, according to your residential address.
You will see on the ballot, 28 people running for the office of Governor. 8 candidates are on the ballot for U.S. Senate and 4 individuals are running for 6th District Congress.
Two local candidates are running for 47th District State Representative, Mike Winton, and Rush Bricken. The district includes all of Coffee County and a small portion of Warren County.
During early voting, 9,817 registered voters in Coffee County cast ballots or 31.6 percent. In 2016 in a presidential election year, 12,687 people voted early and in 2014 our last mid-term election year, 5,317 voters casted ballots early. This year, 1.37 million people have voted early in Tennessee with Tuesday still to go.
Election Day voting hours for all precincts in Coffee County will be 8:00 am – 7:00 pm. Live election coverage on WMSR Radio from around the state, nation and locally begins at 6pm.
There are Growing Problems of Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults
The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is issuing a warning about the growing problem of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.
The department’s Adult Protective Services (APS) division received more than 4,000 complaints of financial exploitation in fiscal year 2017-2018. That’s more than the year prior and an increase of 33% from the state fiscal year 2015-2016.
APS is charged with investigating reports of abuse, neglect (including self-neglect), and/or financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, all across the state.
TDHS is encouraging families and friends to know how to spot financial exploitation.
Common signs include:
· Sudden changes in the person’s financial condition or quality of life.
· Financial activity the person couldn’t have done, such as an ATM withdrawal when the account holder is bedridden.
· Large withdrawals from the person’s bank account.
· No food in the home, the utilities are cut off and the home is not maintained.
· The person is unaware of their finances.
· Unpaid bills.
Two years ago, TDHS led efforts to establish a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) involving more than 20 state and non-profit agencies that offer protective services for vulnerable adults. This CCR has improved communications and investigations involving victims of financial exploitation and abuse.
Call toll-free 1-888-APS-TENN (1-888-277-8366) or report suspected abuse of the elderly and vulnerable adults online at this secure website: https://reportadultabuse.dhs.tn.gov/
There are also steps that can be taken to prevent fraud and financial exploitation. Add your phone number to the Do Not Call list, remove your address from mailing lists, and be aware of common scams by checking listings through consumer report resources.
Warning to Car Crash Victims
Accident file photo from WGNS Radio
Accident clinics target automobile accident victims in order to make money by creating the false impression that the clinics either work for a government agency or are part of an insurance company. The clinics aim to quickly sign up accident victims as patients before they can talk to their own doctor or lawyer. Some clinics use telemarketers to set appointments with accident victims and often call accident victims shortly after an accident. Other clinics may also contact accident victims either by mail or text messages.
Earlier this year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a new law prohibiting some healthcare providers (though not chiropractors) and their associates, from soliciting victims of an accident or disaster for the purpose of marketing their services within 30 days from the accident. The law is enforced by the Tennessee Department of Health. If you feel you are a potential victim of a violation of this law, you can submit a complaint to the Dept. of Health.
If you have concerns regarding communications from an insurance company or have questions about claims practices, contact the TDCI Consumer Insurance Services Division at (615) 741-2218 or visit tn.gov/insurance.
Veterans Day Ceremony is Saturday in Manchester
Your Coffee County Veterans Association will be hosting the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on the historic Manchester Square on Saturday November 10th at 11 AM.
This is an occasion set aside to honor the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women who have devoted themselves to the defense of our nation and the liberty we hold so dearly. Please join the Veterans Association for this special event.
Veterans Day is Sunday November 11 but is being observed in 2018 on Monday November 12.
Coffee County Youth Basketball League Update
The Coffee County Elementary Basketball League was in action on Saturday at the Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gym.
Girls’ Results:
New Union leveled Hillsboro 28 to 2
Westwood rolled over Deerfield 28 to 2
North Coffee dumped East Coffee 30 to 4.
Boys’ Results
Hillsboro got past New Union 18 to 13
Deerfield edged Westwood 28 to 26
North Coffee bested East Coffee 22 to 7
College Street dropped Hickerson 37 to 12
Unofficial Standings
| Place | Girls | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Westwood | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | North Coffee | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | College Street | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | New Union | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | East Coffee | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Hillsboro | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Deerfield | 0 | 4 |
| Place | Boys | Wins | Losses |
| 1 | Deerfield | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | Hillsboro | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | College Street | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | Westwood | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | New Union | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | East Coffee | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | North Coffee | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Hickerson | 0 | 4 |
| Schedule for November 10th | Girls | Boys | ||
| College St | vs | New Union | 9:00 | 10:00 |
| North Coffee | vs | Westwood | 11:00 | 12:00 |
| Hillsboro | vs | East Coffee | 1:00 | 2:00 |
| Deerfield | vs | Hickerson | — | 3:00 |