In a follow-up to a story we reported last week about fake $20 bills popping up around Coffee County, now we have learned counterfeit $100 bills are also showing up.
County Sheriff’s Department Investigators Jason Dendy and Kelly Smith say the counterfeit bills have been passed at businesses. Some of the $100 bills have pink Chinese writing on them.
The investigators are urging area businesses to be very cautious when accepting cash by checking all bills to make sure they are not counterfeit.
An investigation is continuing.

Five Grundy County students appeared in court on Monday after being charged with attempted aggravated rape. The charges against the students stem from an early-morning incident on Oct. 11, when the five students — who range in age from 14 to 17 — allegedly sexually assaulted another football player.
Sheriff Clint Shrum said that the students will remain on their house arrest until their next court date, which will be November 15th.
Judge Trey Anderson recused himself on Monday, he has apparently represented some of the parents in a private case.
In the press conference, the Assistant District Attorney says it is too early to tell if the students will be charged as adults.
Sheriff Shrum added that his office is also investigating possible past inappropriate sexual activity at Grundy County High School, saying, “we’re definitely looking into that.”

On Sunday (October 15th, 2017) According to a warrant issued to Tennessee Highway Patrolman Dylan Culver, it states that a man was driving at a high rate of speed going east bound on I-24 in Manchester. The Trooper states that he attempted to stop Jermaine Quintrail Crockett age 25 of Chattanooga, but the man refused to stop and began to allegedly pass vehicles in a reckless manner including at least 2 vehicles on the shoulder of the road placing numerous lives at risk. According to the warrant Trooper Culver states that Crockett continued to evade arrest and was finally stopped by other units in Hamilton County by crashing his vehicle.
A check of the subject’s driver’s license by troopers showed that they were revoked for failure to satisfy citations. Troopers searched the vehicle and allegedly located digital scales, marijuana blunt and a container of urine with a temperature gauge in a container inside the vehicle during their search.
Crockett was booked at the Coffee County Jail on charges of; reckless endangerment, evading arrest, driving on a revoked suspended license, simple possession/casual exchange, unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities and falsification of drug test result. He also has an active warrant out of Hamilton County.
His bond was set at $22,000 and he’ll appear in Coffee Court on December 12, 2017.

The State Administrative Office of the Courts is taking steps to improve security at courthouses all across Tennessee.
Officials have approved new minimum security standards for courtrooms, which include more training, armed guards in court and extra protection on the bench.
Preference will be given to counties with courtrooms that do not currently meet the present minimum courtroom security standards as well as counties that have experienced a courtroom security breach during the 12-month period of July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017. In June of this year, at the Coffee County Justice Center an inmate fought a court officer for his weapon and shot another officer before running from the courthouse. He eventually ran to nearby house and turned the gun on himself.
Officials say rural counties need the most work. It will all be a part of a one-time $2 million grant approved by Gov. Haslam. Officials are asking for another $2 million to complete the project.
The Administrative Office of the Courts has extended its deadline for court security applications to Nov. 17th.

A Search Advisory Committee has been appointed to lead the search for a new president of Motlow State Community College. The committee will convene for the first time Oct. 24 at the college, immediately after a public forum to gather campus and community input.
The 18-member committee includes five members of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the college’s governing board, and representatives of the Motlow faculty, staff, students and alumni and of the region the college serves. It will be chaired by Board of Regents Member Tom Griscom.
The public forum will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Oct. 24 in the Marcum Technology Building, Room MT-112, at Motlow’s main campus in Moore County. The committee meeting will follow at 10 a.m. in Room MT-105. Both are open to the public.
The public forum will also be accessible via an interactive webcast on Motlow’s branch campuses in Fayetteville (Room 071), McMinnville (Room 102) and Smyrna (MaryLou Apple Science Technology Health Building Room 110).
The search committee will work with the executive search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates to identify a broad range of highly qualified candidates from around the country.
The committee’s charge is to identify three to five finalists, who will be invited to the college for forums and interviews with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public. Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will review input gathered from those visits, consult with the Advisory Committee and recommend a single candidate to the full Board of Regents, which appoints presidents of all its colleges. Application and nomination materials should be filed by Nov. 13, 2017. The goal is to have a new president named by April and in office by July 1.
Dr. Anthony G. Kinkel resigned as president of Motlow in June.