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Bass club wants your live Christmas tree
Don’t know what to do with that real Christmas tree you used to decorate your home this year?
The Coffee County Youth Bass Club and the Tennessee Bass Nation ask that you donate those trees (decorations removed) to this year’s Christmas for the Fishes.
These trees will be recycled into an area lake for fish habitat. Trees collected by Coffee County Bass Club will mostly go to Normandy Lake. To donate a tree, contact Phillip Petty for dropoff location (which will be Bashaw Creek Rd.). Email Phillip at pettyphillip@yahoo.com. Trees can also be picked up from your porch.
Grant to provide therapy for children at Coffee County CAC
The Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center has received a $6,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The funds will be used to provide therapy for children who have experienced abuse to help them begin the healing process.
“We will help children heal from trauma, thanks to the support of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee,” said Joyce Prusak, executive director of the Coffee County CAC. “The funds are from the Lillian Ashley Fund, and that makes receiving the award even more special. Lillian was born in Manchester and wanted to give back to her community. Lillian wanted her estate to be used, in part, to support children of Coffee County.”
A licensed therapist, who is trained specifically to work with children and families who have experienced trauma, will work to support children and address results of trauma. With the help of the therapist, children will recognize the abuse is not their fault, and that only the abuser is to blame. Therapy helps children develop effective coping skills, which are beneficial for the healing process and can be used throughout life.
“Our therapist teaches children to manage their emotions and behaviors better,” Prusak said. “They learn to use coping skills to manage negative emotions in an effective and positive way. And one of the most essential aspects of therapy is allowing children to tell their story, which is an integral part of the healing process.”
Additionally, therapy services help the child throughout the process of investigation and prosecution.
“The work of our nonprofit partners has never been more important as we watch needs emerge and evolve in this community,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “The Community Foundation is honored to connect generosity with need through these annual grants and other avenues throughout the year, but we couldn’t have an impact without the array of quality nonprofits offering solutions to our community’s needs and vital services to our neighbors.”
The Community Foundation awards discretionary grants annually from its unrestricted and field-of-interest funds through an open application process to Middle Tennessee nonprofits addressing community needs and benefiting the well-being of citizens through valuable programs and innovative services.
To learn more about child abuse prevention, follow Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center on social media and visit coffeecountycac.org.
TDH releases reconciled COVID-19 data for the year
Last week, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) released year-end, reconciled COVID-19 data, process improvements and previewed 2022 operational priorities.
“Year-end data reconciliation is an important step to ensure the public has an accurate view of how COVID-19 has affected our state this year and also identify areas where the department can improve services,” said Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “Data reporting for COVID-19 is unique, as it is the only infectious disease where real-time progression is tracked from positive test to death, compared to typical monthly or annual reports.”
TDH anticipates changes to national COVID-19 reporting standards in early 2022 based on recommendations from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and has reconciled data to comply with upcoming standards. This data update will be completed the week of January 4. “This enhanced review is a valuable process, and I’ve encouraged my colleagues in other states to do the same,” said Piercey. “Trust in public health data is key to our response and data accuracy is a top priority for TDH.”
2021 Key COVID-19 Data Points*
• Total tests processed this year: 5,394,058 • Total cases reported this year: 762,964 • Total vaccines administered this year: 8,280,246
The TDH Office of State Chief Medical Examiner reconciled outstanding death certificates with COVID-19 as an underlying cause of death, bringing COVID-19 fatalities spanning spring 2020-December 2021 to 20,644.
The lag in death reporting data can be contributed to many factors including the manual process most providers and facilities undertake, the increase in at-home deaths, and the strain on the public health infrastructure during case surges. On average, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that approximately 75 percent of mortality data is complete by eight weeks, given the time it takes to determine the cause of death in some cases.
“COVID-19 death certificate processing is complex, and the department is committed to continuously improving information flow,” said Piercey. “As we continue to analyze Tennessee death data, we have seen a year-over-year increase in COVID deaths occurring at home. This is a trend we will further examine and assess how the department can respond.”
Process Improvements and Data Integrity
TDH is pursuing process improvements for COVID-19 death reporting to ensure data accuracy, including automation and additional verification around cause of death. Providers in Tennessee received the following memo to encourage electronic reporting and emphasize best practices for data submission to the department, to improve the timely reporting of death data.
In the new year, COVID-19 data will be reported on a weekly basis consistent with other infectious diseases.
Return to Pre-Pandemic Priorities in 2022
TDH will continue to support COVID-19 vaccine distribution across all 95 counties and support access to approved treatments. TDH will also resume full-time attention to ongoing, traditional public health priorities, including
• Access to preventative health services and primary care
• Improve routine immunization rates for children and adults
• Address substance misuse and drug overdoses
• Support overall family health and wellness
The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health.
Don Waylon Owens
Don Waylon Owens, age 46 of Tullahoma, passed this life Monday, December
20, 2021. He was born July 21, 1975 in Fayetteville TN and loved fishing,
kayaking, yardwork, cars and motorcycles. Don saved several lives by
donating his organs so others can have a Merry Christmas. He is preceded in
death by his father, Ricky Owens and mother, Pamela Gardner.
The family will have a memorial gathering from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, December
30th at Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home.
Don is survived by his wife, April Owens; sons, John Robert Owens and Jesse
Don Waylon Owens; daughters, Bethany Butner, Stephanie Bryson, Kristen
Williams, Jessica Gann and Sessili Owens; brothers, Dustin McCool, Ryan
Gardner and Jimmy Banks; sisters, Jennifer Whitsett, Kimberley Norton,
Kelly Shelton, Lindy Banks and Amy Horton; ten grandchildren and a host of
nephews and nieces.
Visit our online guestbook at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson funeral home is in charge of arrangements.
TDOT highway construction remains on pause through Jan. 3
Road construction won’t delay travelers during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is once again halting all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes across the state. No temporary lane closures will be allowed for construction on Tennessee roadways beginning at midnight on Thursday, December 23, 2021, through 6:00 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2022.
“With motorists expected to travel Tennessee roadways during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, keeping traffic moving and getting motorists to their destinations safely is our top priority,” said TDOT Commissioner Joe Galbato. “As always, please wear your seatbelt, reduce your speed, avoid distractions, and never drink and drive.”
Except for a few long-term closures that must remain for safety, all construction-related closures will be suspended during the holiday period. Workers may still be on-site in some construction zones. Drivers should obey all posted speed limits, particularly in construction areas. Slower speeds are necessary in work zones due to the temporary layout of the roadway and will be enforced. Drivers convicted of speeding through work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possible increased insurance premiums.
AAA Travel expects more than 109 million Americans to travel this holiday season, with a majority of them driving. More than 2.6 million Tennesseans are forecast to travel between December 23 and January 2.
Get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras from your desktop or mobile device at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any landline or cellular phone for travel information or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel. As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
Birthdays- December 23
Kaitlyn McCullough- 20- Pizza Winner!
Eugene R. Lomker
Eugene R. Lomker passed this life on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at the age
of 77. Memorial Services will be scheduled at a later date.
Gene, a native of Hastings, Minnesota, was the son of the late Robert and
Alice Chapman Lomker. He was a U S Air Force veteran and enjoyed gardening,
working in his yard and riding his scooter. He enjoyed watching movies on
TV, especially Science Fiction movies. He also loved his cat “Baby” who
recently passed away.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by son, Michael
Lomker; brothers, Harold and Philip Lomker and sisters, Sandra Strunk and
Sharon Holmes.
He is survived by his son, Mark Lomker (Letrisha) of Tullahoma; the mother
of his children, Barbara Lomker of Florida; twin brother, Jerry Lomker
(Dottie) of Ohio; brother, Bruce Lomker of Minnesota and five grandchildren.
Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Birthdays- December 22
Birthdays:
Becky Huddleston
Allen Lendley
Tim Wilson- Pizza Winner!
Anniversaries:
Brock & Andrea Freeze- 21 Years
Raiders storm back, steal win in final seconds Wednesday
Things looked bleak for Coffee County Wednesday morning.
But a furious fourth quarter comeback and a game-deciding bucket with 10 seconds to play gave the CHS Red Raiders a 53-51 win over the York Dragons in the finale of the Sonic Shootout at White County High School.
THIS GAME WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON THUNDER RADIO. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY.
York slowly pulled away in the fourth quarter, eventually leading by 10, and looked to be slowly ending what would have been a miserable, 0-3 tournament for the Raiders. But Coffee County stormed back, cutting the deficit to 3 with 3:13 to play on a Dayne Crosslin 3-pointer.
Down by 2 with 1:05 on the clock, Raider senior Brady Nugent stole away a York inbound pass and finished with a layup to tie the game at 50-50.
The Dragons went back ahead by 1 on a free-throw, but the Raiders won the game when Aidan Abellana made a backdoor cut down the baseline, caught a pass and put the ball in the bucket with 10 seconds to play to put CHS up 52-51.
Both teams were back and forth throughout. The Raiders led 17-16 at halftime. But York heated up behind the arc to begin pulling away in the second half. The Dragons hit 4 second-half three pointers.
Coffee County was led in points by Connor Shemwell with 17, 14 of which came in a strong second half. Nugent scored 8 – 6 in the second half – and all 6 of Abellana’s points came in the second half. Dayne Crosslin scored 7 for the Raiders.
Coffee County improves to 9-6 with the win. The Raiders won’t play again until the new year.
Dayne Crosslin 
Jahlin Osbourne 
John Dobson 
Jackson Shemwell 
Brady Nugent 
Brady Nugent 
Brady Nugent 
Aidan Abellana 
Jahlin Osbourne 
Connor Shemwell 
Cooper Reed 
Brady Nugent
Lady Raiders spank Boaz to complete Ft. Payne sweep
Coffee County had no trouble waking up early Wednesday.
The CHS Lady Raiders hit the floor at 10 a.m. at Ft. Payne High School in Alabama and before opponent Boaz High School could roll out of the bed the Lady Raiders had a 37-7 halftime lead and cruised to a 71-23 win.
It win completes the the 21st Annual Wills Classic for the Lady Raiders with a 3-0 record. Overall it marks the 7th straight win for CHS and improves the Lady Raiders’ record to 10-3.
Against Boaz, it was junior post Chloe Gannon leading the way with 18 points. She had a dominant first quarter, putting 10 points on the board to have enough to outscore the entire first half by Boaz. Senior Kiya Ferrell – who had a solid week in Alabama – put together a 14-point performance, including a pair of 3-pointers. Freshman Channah Gannon added 12 and senior Elli Chumley with 10. Alivia Reel pitched in 9 points, Jalie Ruehling 5 and Olivia Vinson 3.
The Lady Raiders will have 5 days off before flying to Charleston, S.C., to compete in the Ashley River Tournament Dec. 28-30. The Lady Raiders will open the tournament at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28 against the host Phillip Simmons High School.