Josh Peterson

Gas prices in Tennessee continue to climb.

Prices are up again this week, according to AAA, marking the fifth consecutive week of increases. The average price per gallon regular unleaded gasoline in Tennessee as of Monday, Feb. 7 is $3.14. That is up four cents from last week and 10 cents from two weeks prior. That price is 15 cents higher than last month and 93 cents more expensive than one year ago.

Meanwhile, the average price of gasoline in Coffee County is currently at $3.10, which is 4 cents below the state average and a penny more expensive than last week.

The national average is $3.44

National Gas Prices

Blustery winter weather and geopolitical tensions are helping to drive the price of oil higher, which is in the low-$90s per barrel, nearly $30 more than in August. The recent cold weather in the U.S increased the demand for heating oil. Meanwhile, the concern that Russia will react to potential western sanctions by withholding crude oil from the already tight global market puts heavy upward pressure on prices. The national average for a gallon of gas has surged to $3.44, eight cents more than a week ago. Gas was last this expensive in 2014.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks grew by 2.1 million bbl to 250 million bbl last week. However, gasoline demand dropped from 8.51 million b/d to 8.23 million b/d. Usually, an increase in total stocks and a decrease in demand puts downward pressure on pump prices, but the rising cost of oil continues to push prices higher instead. If crude prices continue to climb, pump prices will likely follow suit.

Today’s national average for a gallon of gas is $3.44, which is 14 cents more than a month ago and 98 cents more than a year ago.

TN Bill would increase liability protections for police during pursuits

Tennessee Republicans lawmakers filed legislation last week to increase liability protections for officers in pursuit of a fleeing suspect.

According to House Bill 2605, law enforcement personnel and their agency would not be liable for injuries to a third party caused by a suspect who flees from authorities “unless the law enforcement personnel were grossly negligent” and that gross negligence “was a proximate cause” of the injuries.

“This legislation only protects law enforcement officers who follow the proper policies and procedures while pursuing a fleeing suspect,” said State Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis. “It is important that officers and their departments still be held accountable for any third-party injuries caused by grossly negligent conduct.”

The bill was introduced and passed the Tennessee senate (SB2451) on first consideration on Feb. 3. It is now before the house. It would need to pass both chambers and receive the governor’s signature before becoming law.

TAX TIPS – If you pay child care, don’t miss the child care credit

By Rosalyn Partin, Manchester H&R Block

There is a significant and exciting change to the Child and Dependent Care credit for 2021 tax returns.

The Child and Dependent Care credit allows families to claim expenses related to the care of a child or someone who is physically or mentally unable to care for themselves.

Families who pay for care while the parents work or attend school may claim a refundable credit of up to 50% of qualifying expenses, meaning they could claim a maximum credit of:

$4,000 for one qualifying child (based on $8,000 of expenses)
$8,000 for two or more qualifying children (based on $16,000 of expenses)

In previous years the credit only helped by reducing the income tax on the return. However, as a refundable credit, this tax benefit not only lowers the tax you owe, it also can mean getting money back. Additionally, the amount of the credit has been increased for 2021.

In order to claim the Child and Dependent Care credit you must have the tax identification number or social security number, name, and address of the person or facility you pay. You (and your spouse) must have earned income or have been a student during the tax year.

Call now to schedule your appointment with one of our tax professionals at H&R Block. Open Monday through Friday 9am-7pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. As always, we also accept walk-in clients at your convenience.

If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment, please call H&R Block in Manchester TN at 931-728-9462. H&R Block Has Your Back!

Rice Estle Adams, Jr

Funeral services for Mr. Rice Estle Adams, Jr., age 66 of Manchester, will be conducted on Thursday, February 10, 2022, at 10 AM in the Manchester Funeral Home chapel. Burial will follow in Ragsdale Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be held on Wednesday, February 9, from 5-8 PM at the funeral home. Mr. Adams passed away at his home on Sunday, February 6, 2022.

Rice was born on February 23, 1955, to the late Rice Estle Sr. and Willa Dean Vann Adams, in Manchester. He was a construction worker for McMahan Construction. Rice enjoyed fishing, woodworking, farming, and gardening.

Rice is survived by his son, John Adams and his wife, Cyndal; daughter, Mary Beth Duckett and her husband, Andrew; grandchildren, Hayden and Adleigh Jenkins, and Fintan Rice Adams; special friends and caretakers, Abby & Marty Kellums and Wendy Overeem; and a host of friends.

Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Adams family.

Wanda Faye Simmons

Funeral services for Mrs. Wanda Faye Simmons, age 77 of Manchester, will be conducted at 12:00PM on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at Manchester Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10:00AM until the time of services at the funeral home. Mrs. Simmons passed suddenly from this life on Friday, February 4, 2022, at her residence in Manchester, TN.

Faye was born in Hillsboro, TN on February 6, 1944, the daughter of the late Vernon and Juanita Winton. Faye was a member of Forest Mill Church of Christ. She was a devout Christian who loved reading scripture and listening to gospel music. She taught Sunday School classes for many years and her faithfulness to God was apparent. She enjoyed doing puzzles and reading, and she loved being with her family. Faye gracefully took her husband, J.D.’s, sense of humor in stride throughout their 57 years of marriage. They complimented each other nicely in their journey together. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

In addition to her parents, Faye is also preceded in death by her beloved husband, J.D. Simmons; son, Jeff Simmons; brother, James Winton. She is survived by her granddaughters, Leslie Beaty (Will) and Emily Skinner (Eddie); great-grandchildren, Aria Beaty, Emmie Kate Skinner, Sophie Grace Skinner, and Baby Beaty; special cousin, Carolyn Hollingsworth who was more like a sister.

Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Simmons family.

Connie Marie Woosley

Connie Marie Woosley of Moore County passed this life on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at her home surrounded by her family at the age of 72. Connie Marie was born in Nashville to the late William Douglas and Lois Sewell Hartman. She was a graduate of Franklin County High School. She then married Claude Woosley in 1968 and they had two children, a son and a daughter. After her two children were born, she attended Motlow State Community College and Middle Tennessee State University where she earned her teaching degree. Connie Marie taught at Bel-Aire Elementary School in Tullahoma, and later at Harris Middle School in Shelbyville. She enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren, working in her garden, tending to her flowers, coaching girls Junior Pro basketball, and staying at her cabin in the mountains. She was a member of Owl Hollow Church of Christ in Franklin County, and the Tennessee Education Association. Mrs. Woosley is survived by her husband, Claude Benjamin Woosley; one son, Christopher Shane Woosley (Sonia); one daughter, Tiffany Marie Woosley (Chad Reed); one granddaughter, Breanna Woosley; two grandsons, Blake Woosley, and Evan Woosley-Reed; and three brothers, William Douglas Hartman, Jr, Randy Hartman, and Phillip Hartman. Visitation for Mrs. Woosley will be held on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 from 5:00-8:00pm at Kilgore Funeral Home. Funeral services will take place Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 11:00am in the Kilgore Funeral Home chapel with Bro. Byron Lawrence officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Garden with Blake Woosley, Evan Woosley-Reed, Larry Ledford, Gary Ledford, Arturo Zarate, and Tim Hartman serving as pallbearers. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Hospice Compassus and their caregivers; Rita Barbour, Angela Patterson, and Sherri Jacocks, who provided compassionate, excellent care for Connie. Also, a special thank you to Amanda Melton, and Michelle Milliken, two other caregivers who provided compassionate, excellent care. For those who wish, the family asks that donations in Connie’s memory be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Memorials Processing- 501 St. Jude Pl, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. Kilgore Funeral Home in charge of arrangements

Frank Lee Parks

Mr. Frank Lee Parks, age 95, of Hillsboro, TN,
passed from this life on Saturday, February 5, 2022, in Winchester, TN.

Mr. Parks was born in Franklin Co., TN, to his late parents Horace and
Maggie Thomas Parks. He served our country during WWII with the United
States Army. Mr. Parks was a member of Hillsboro Masonic Lodge #382 of F&AM
and was chaplain for many years. He was a security guard with AEDC for 36
years until his retirement. Mr. Parks never met a stranger and loved his
fellow neighbors and his church family at Hillsboro United Methodist Church
where he was a member. He also always had something good to say about
everyone he met. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by
wives, Helen Parks and Joan Parks; brothers, Charles Parks, Grundy Parks,
and Wayne Parks; sister, Jewell Keele; brother-in-law, Dale Dotson.

Mr. Parks is survived by sons, Steve (Dianne) Parks and Randy (Jamie)
Parks; step-son, Duffy (Brenda) Cribbs; daughter, Robbie (Danny) Brewer;
sisters, Helen Campbell and Elsie Dotson; sister-in-law, Topsy Layne;
grandchildren, Kerrie (Keith) Pippenger, Matt (Nicole) Brewer, Krista
(Jason) Smith, Andra Brewer (Jimmy) Ivy; Kelsie (Bradley) Adams, and
Lindsey (Clay) Duke; 7 great grandchildren; special cousin, Sammy Parmley.

Visitation with the family will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022,
from 10:00am until 2:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN.
Funeral services will be conducted immediately following visitation at
2:00pm in the chapel of Central Funeral Home with Rev. Kent Bailey
officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma,
TN.

The family would like to thank the staff at Southern Tennessee Regional
Health System-Winchester and Laurel Oaks Retirement Home for your kindness,
compassion, and service during this difficult time.

Central Funeral Home is serving the family, 931-723-7774,
centralfuneralhome.com

Gov. Lee unveils 2022 legislative vision in State of the State address

Gov. Bill Lee last week addressed a joint session of the General Assembly in the House Chamber in which he outlined his legislative priorities for 2022 and presented his budget proposal for the upcoming year. The governor’s fourth state of the state highlighted strategic investments in education, infrastructure, public safety, rural Tennessee and supporting families. He emphasized Tennessee’s embodiment of “America at its best” and his commitment to building on the state’s past successes.

“Tennessee stands as a beacon to the rest of the country for how we can change lives when we control the size of government, prioritize efficiency, and make smart and responsible investments. I am proud to propose a budget and America at Its Best policies that reinforce freedom, innovation, exceptionalism and optimism,” Lee said.

The governor doubled-down on his commitment to boost education in Tennessee. In addition to overhauling the current Basic Education Program (BEP), he proposed $1.03 billion in new money for K-12 education. Of which, $750 million would be a recurring increase for the new funding formula for fiscal year 2023-24. The governor noted his new formula will demand accountability and reward districts for performance. It will prioritize the needs of students above all else and will pay particular attention to students with disabilities, students in rural Tennessee and from low-income families. The governor’s plan includes $1.9 billion for higher education, including $90 million to keep state universities from raising tuition and $200 million for infrastructure investments.

Other key initiatives for K-12 and higher education include:

New legislation that ensures parents know what materials are available to students in their libraries
Legislation making computer science and coding available to every high school student in Tennessee
$2.5 million to expand the Future Workforce Initiative
$125 million investment in K-12 teacher salaries/4 percent salary pool increase for higher ed employees

$25.5 million in recurring funding for K-12 summer learning camps
$16 million recurring & $16 million nonrecurring to the Charter Schools Facility Fund to increase the number of charter schools
$72 million to complete the Oak Ridge Innovation Institute
$6 million to establish the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee
$50 million to a Carnegie R1 research fund at the University of Memphis

$250 million in infrastructure improvements at Tennessee State University
$170 million to invest in a statewide Enterprise Resource System for the University of Tennessee and the Locally Governed Institutions
$75 million to increase the 4-year HOPE Award to $5,100 per student, per year, and the 2-year HOPE Award to $3,200 per student, per year

Safer Communities: Governor Lee expressed his continued commitment for safer communities in Tennessee. He outlined a plan to advance the state’s standing as a national leader for public safety training and consumer protection. During his speech, he announced he would modernize Tennessee’s police and firefighter training academies, as well as cover the costs of training more police and fire recruits. He also announced he would increase oversight of consumer protection. The governor said he would direct the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to create a safety training plan for every house of worship in Tennessee. His budget adds 100 Tennessee State Troopers, 20 Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agents, and 25 TBI forensic science personnel.

Other safety initiatives include:

$355.6 million for a multi-agency law enforcement training academy
$28.4 million to fully fund the correctional officer salary changes
$66 million for the TN Law Enforcement Hiring, Training, and Recruitment program
$179 million to complete full construction of Tennessee Advanced Communications Network coverage, ensuring full mobile connectivity across all Tennessee for emergency communications and law enforcement

$150 million to create the Violent Crime Intervention Grant Fund

During his speech, Gov. Lee put a strong emphasis on investing in rural communities, infrastructure, economic development and improving health care.

“You can’t be the best state for families unless you’re the best state for all families. I believe we have significant work to do in improving access to health care for Tennessee families,” Lee said. “Because of our prudent fiscal management, we’re making huge investments in rural healthcare in this budget. And that means actual care, not just keeping hospitals open.” He proposed to dedicate more than $18 million in attracting 150 new primary care physician residents to rural Tennessee communities.

Overall, the governor’s proposal invests $545.5 million in Health and Human Services.

Other investments in health include:

$25.5 million in dental benefits for adult TennCare enrollees
$21.8 million for the DIDD’s Tennessee Early Intervention System
$6 million to expand substance abuse disorder services to uninsured Tennesseans
$55 million to increase access to services across each Medicaid Pathways to Independence program

Infrastructure and economic development:

$519 million in new road funding ($77 million for ECD projects included)
$100 million to complete IMPROVE Act projects
$82 million to reimburse public hospitals for uncompensated care, primarily in rural communities
$26 million for Rural Opportunity Grants, helping to get communities ready for corporate investment
$3.5 million to support the Transportation Equity Fund

$103 million for the FastTrack program

Grundy County authorities need help finding stolen camper

Grundy County Sheriff’s Department Authorities are asking for help finding a camper that was stolen on Wednesday, Feb. 2 from the 20th Ave. South area in Gruetli Laager.

See photo below.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact 931-692-3466 ext. 5. Your tips will remain anonymous.

Author's posts

Maesue L. Tarrant

Tennessee gas prices up for fifth straight week