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CHS Cross Country Meet Cancelled; Raiders Return Home on Tuesday

The Coffee County CHS Cross Country teams were set to visit Normandy on Tuesday for a meet at the notoriously difficult Arrowhead Ranch course.  Storms in the early afternoon, and the threat of slippery conditions and possible bad weather forced the cancellation of the meet.

The Raider runners hit the trail again on Tuesday when they host a meet at the Old Stone Fort Golf Course.  The race will feature races for middle and high school squads.  The first race will get underway at 4 PM.

Sims Solid vs. Nats, but Bullpen Falters in Loss

The Nationals took advantage of a struggling Braves’ bullpen as they erupted for six runs in the eighth inning of a 7-3 victory on Wednesday at SunTrust Park. The Nationals are now within 3 1/2 games of the Dodgers for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Nationals patiently watched the Braves’ bullpen implode as they worked four straight walks in the eighth inning. Adam Lind and Michael A. Taylor capped the frame with back-to-back RBI singles to secure starter Gio Gonzalez’s 15th win of the season. Gonzalez allowed two runs over seven innings of work, striking out eight batters.
The Braves’ bullpen came into Wednesday’s game with the third-worst ERA in the National League. Relievers Jose Ramirez and Arodys Vizcaino took the brunt of the eighth-inning damage by walking in three consecutive runs, including two four-pitch, bases-loaded walks. At one point, Braves relievers threw three of 22 pitches as strikes.
The bullpen collapse dampened another solid start from rookie pitcher Lucas Sims. After giving up a leadoff home run to Nationals shortstop Trea Turner, Sims settled in and sat down 14 of his last 18 batters faced.
The Braves’ rookie was aided by a pair of home runs from Freddie Freeman and Kurt Suzuki. Freeman countered Turner’s solo shot with a 439-foot blast off Gonzalez in the first inning. Later, Suzuki gave the Braves the lead with his career-high 16th home run.
Jace Peterson brought the Braves closer by hitting his second home run of the season in the eighth, but it proved to be too little, too late as the Nationals’ bullpen sealed the series victory with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Nationals got on the board early when Turner blasted his 10th home run on the first pitch of the game. It was his fourth leadoff home run of the season. According to Statcast™, the home run went 368 feet and had an exit velocity of 94.1 mph.
Sims ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth inning as he loaded the bases following a walk to Gonzalez. Holding a 2-1 lead, he battled Turner and eventually got him to ground out to Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson. Swanson would flip to second baseman Ozzie Albies as the Braves ended the threat to preserve and early lead.

9/20/17 — Birthdays

Birthdays:
Johnnie Baker — Pizza Winner!

Drugs Found in Empty Car–Owner Arrested

While on patrol on Sept. 17, a Tullahoma Police Officer spotted a silver GMC Envoy parked at Tullahoma Lanes after hours. There was no one in the vehicle. While looking inside the vehicle, Officer Clayton Harper said that he saw in plain view a container with a “substantial amount” of marijuana, a grinder and a small digital scale.
According to the officer’s report, once inside the vehicle he found in the back seat a small bag with white powder cocaine, individual plastic bags and a glass pipe. According to the report, the marijuana weighed 35 grams.
The owner of the vehicle was contacted and she arrived at the bowling center. Shante Jones told the officer that she knew the substances were in her vehicle but that she was holding it for a friend.
Jones was arrested and charged with manufacture/delivery/sell of a controlled substance, possession of schedule II and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was booked in the Coffee County Jail on a bond of $14,000. She is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on Sept. 28.

Grants Awarded to Local Law Enforcement

The law enforcement agencies of the county have been awarded grants to assist them in highway safety initiatives. The awards were announced by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security along with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. The federal grants totaling $18 million went to 400 agencies across the state.
Tullahoma was awarded $5,000 for high visibility enforcement. According to Lt. Phil Henderson they will use the money to purchase supplies for DUI checkpoints.
Manchester Police was awarded $15,000 to be used for impaired driving enforcement.
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department was awarded $29,000 for enhancement of computers and vehicle video systems to help traffic and DUI enforcement.
The Coffee County District Attorney’s Office was awarded the largest amount by receiving $180,000. That money is used to pay for a prosecutor and a DUI coordinator.
“This program is an asset for the county and helps in reducing DUI’s and the prosecution of those charged with DUI,” Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott said.
“Highway safety enforcement and education initiatives are critical components to preventing highway fatalities,” Safety Commissioner David Purkey said. “We cannot lower statewide fatality numbers without strong partnerships within our local communities. That is why these funds are so important.”
The commissioner said that applicant agencies who meet the required data driven criteria and highway safety standards are awarded grant funds to support the Tennessee Highway Safety Office.

Do-It-Yourself Workshops Hosted by DREMC

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make your home more energy efficient by caulking, weather stripping or applying foam insulation?
DREMC, in conjunction with TVA, will be offering Do-It-Yourself workshops offering hands-on training to members who want to lower their energy use. Led by DREMC Energy Advisor Pat Garrett, these workshops will offer participants an opportunity to not only learn about, but to actually practice using various energy-saving tools.
The goal of these workshops is to arm members with the knowledge and necessary tools to make small changes that can help make their homes more energy efficient. Free energy kits will be distributed to the participants (limited to one per household).
All workshops begin at 6 p.m. and will last approximately one 1½ hours with light refreshments being served. The workshops are FREE, but space is limited. Participants must register by calling (931) 680-5883 or emailing hblanton@dremc.com.
Scheduled workshops include:
October 17 – DREMC Manchester Office, 209 E Fort Street, Manchester TN 37355
October 18 – DREMC Decherd Office, 1738 Decherd Blvd, Decherd, TN 37324
October 19 – DREMC Columbia Office, 798 New Lewisburg Hwy, Columbia, TN 38401
October 24 – Church Street Church of Christ Annex, 305 West Church St, Lewisburg TN 37091
October 25 – DREMC Shelbyville Office, 1411 Madison Street, Shelbyville, TN 37160
October 26 – Lynchburg Masonic Lodge, 101 Main Street, Lynchburg, TN 37352
Remember to make your reservation today as space is limited!

The Buzz on Bugs: They’re Not Always a Pest

Bees and other insects, while at times perceived as a nuisance, perform a vital role in our society. (Darko Mares/flickr)

Insects don’t get the respect they deserve, but author David MacNeal is highlighting their importance and diversity in his new book, “Bugged: The Insects Who Rule the World and the People Obsessed with Them.” MacNeal says bugs aren’t living in our world – we’re living in theirs. There are 1.4 billion bugs for every human on Earth. Recently, views of one insect in particular, bees, have changed and more people recognize their importance. But MacNeal says other bugs are vital to our economy as well. “These two entomologists calculated, ‘OK, besides pollination, what other services do insects provide?’” he relates. “And they put that number around $57 billion (a year). “However, the incalculable figure was decomposition – recycling nutrients. I mean, who knows how much that would cost.” MacNeal says the work of beetles and other insects in processing dead matter and rejuvenating soil is perhaps the most crucial and overlooked role bugs play. It’s especially crucial for people who work on the land. MacNeal describes bugs as bio-indicators for the planet. In other words, when we look at the health of insects, we can understand how the environment is doing. “The more we look at them – which we are now, more so than ever – the better chances of future generations actually casting aside their aversion and appreciating insects as this kind of gateway to nature – really, this mediator between man and nature,” he states. MacNeal says bugs could play an even more vital role in the future, possibly becoming widespread as snacks because they’re a good source of protein. Medicine, too, could benefit. MacNeal says there is research into the use of scorpion venom in the treatment of brain tumors.

Westwood Football Closes Out Season with Win

Will Partin of Westwood football

The Westwood football team closed out their season on Tuesday when they traveled to Woodbury to take on Cannon County.  The Rockets ended the season on a high note as they walloped the Lions 40 to 0.

Will Partin got the scoring started in the first quarter on a quarterback sneak.  Konor Heaton got Westwood’s 2nd touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half.  Trenton Thompson added the 2 point conversions after both scores to give Westwood a 16 to 0 halftime lead.

Westwood opened the 2nd half by recovering an onside kick.  Thompson scored 70 seconds later and Blake Hale added the conversion to put the Rockets up 24 to 0.  Thompson added his second touchdown on the night with 4 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter when he returned a fumble 75 yards for a score.  Xavier Garcia added the last touchdown and 2 point conversion in the 4th quarter.  The win gives Westwood 2 wins on the season as they close out the year with a 2 and 2 record in their final 4 games.

Coffee Middle Football Captures Win over Warren County

Ethan Baker of CCMS football

The Coffee County Middle School football team hosted Warren County on Tuesday night in their final home game of the year.  Playing their best football of the year, the Red Raiders roared back from a halftime deficit to beat the Pioneers 22 to 12.

Trailing 12 to 8 at the half, Coffee County rallied for a pair of touchdowns in the second half.  The Red Raiders got a touchdown to go up 16 to 12 with 1:30 left in the 3rd quarter before icing the game in the final 2 minutes with their 3rd touchdown of the night.  The Raiders got touchdowns from Kelby Walker, Ethan Baker and Connor Shemwell.

The Raiders close out the season next week when they travel to Sparta to take on White County.  That game will kick off at 6:30 PM on Tuesday.

CHS Soccer Gets District Shutout on Tuesday

Emilee Roberson of CHS Soccer

Lady Raider soccer team of CHS traveled to Winchester on Tuesday night for a district match with Franklin County.  Playing their 3rd match in 4 nights, the Lady Raiders showed no signs of fatique as they blanked the Rebelettes 3 to 0.

Jessica Barrera got the Lady Raiders on the board first in the 39th minute with a goal off an assist from Allie Amado.  That remained the score into the halftime break and halfway through the 2nd half.  Reyna Flores got a goal in the 63rd minute to give Coffee County some breathing room.  Maddy Jones had the assist for the Lady Raiders.  Emilee Roberson tacked on a goal in the 76th minute on a pass from Flores.

The Lady Raiders are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Winchester to take on Franklin County in another district match up.  Kickoff is set for 7 PM.