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Text message COVID contact tracing to begin in Coffee County
The South Central Regional Health Office is launching a text message
COVID-19 case investigation system beginning on Thursday, September 23, 2021 in
conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Health.
South Central residents who test positive for COVID-19 through a reportable testing
mechanism (PCR or antigen testing) may receive a text-message from the South Central
Regional Health Office asking them to complete their case investigation online.
Individuals who have been tested in Bedford, Coffee, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis,
Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Perry, and Wayne counties should expect to see this
change.
While traditional phone interviews for contact tracing will continue, the text message
outreach will accelerate the case investigation process and help provide critical isolation
and mitigation resources in an expedited manner.
The survey will also uncover who may have been exposed, so that contact tracers can follow up with those individuals to advise them of the exposure, what symptoms they need
to watch for, when to get tested, and how to avoid infecting others.
“If you receive a text, we urge you to respond and complete your case investigation information,” said South Central Regional Director Ami Mitchell. “Please do your part to contain the spread of
COVID-19 and help our community.”
It’s not too late to get vaccinated. Visit vaccine.gov to see your local Health Department’s
most up to date COVID-19 vaccine availability
Unemployment decreases in nearly all Tennessee counties
Unemployment rates in nearly all of Tennessee’s counties decreased in August. This marks the second consecutive month the jobless situation has improved in 93 or more of the state’s 95 counties.
August unemployment rates were lower in 93 counties across the state. The rate in Williamson County remained unchanged from July at 2.6%. Unemployment increased in Maury County from 4.2% to 4.5% in a month-to-month comparison.
In Coffee County, the August unemployment rate fell to 4 percent – down from 4.4 percent in July. The 4 percent rate is significantly better than one year ago, when unemployment in Coffee County was 6.3 percent.
Seventy-nine counties recorded unemployment rates of less than 5% for the month. The remaining 16 counties had August rates of 5% or greater, but less than 10%.
Williamson County continued to have Tennessee’s lowest unemployment rate in August. Moore County recorded the second-lowest rate at 2.7%, which was down 0.2 of a percentage point from its July rate.
Shelby County had the month’s highest unemployment rate at 6.7%. While it was the highest in the state, the county’s new rate represented a 0.8 of a percentage point decrease from July. Unemployment in Perry County was the second highest at 6.6%, but that accounted for a 4 percentage point drop from its July rate of 10.6%.
Unemployment statewide improved for the third consecutive month in August. The rate ticked down from 4.7% to 4.6%.
Nationally, the jobless rate also improved in August. It decreased by 0.2 of a percentage point from 5.4% to 5.2%.
A complete analysis of the August 2021 county unemployment data can be found here (https://www.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=166478db53c066a7d114ea462&id=c42ca5613c&e=29851e7b63) .
This week, there are more than 470,000 open positions across Tennessee. The state is working to help unemployed Tennesseans become TN Work Ready, so they can successfully rejoin the workforce. Job seekers can find a multitude of online and in-person resources by visiting www.TNWorkReady.com.
Christoper Dugger
Christoper Dugger, age 59 of Shelbyville passed this life Wednesday,
September 22, 2021. He was born May 17, 1962 int Shelbyville, TN to the
late Ralph Dugger and Shirley Segroves Dugger. Besides his father, Chris
is also preceded in death by his daughter, Frances Dugger; brother, Fred
Dugger; and step-father, Thomas Yarbrough. Chris liked fishing with his son
and going to yard sales.
The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday,
September 25th at Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home. Funeral service will be
held in the chapel at 1 p.m. with interment following at Bomar Cemetery.
Chris is survived by his son, Toby Dugger (Virgina); mother, Shirley
Yarbrough; brothers, Barry Dugger (Mary) and Ralph Michael Dugger; sisters,
Patricia Crowson and Melanie Gibbs; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
VFW cancels monthly breakfast due to COVID concerns
The Coffee County VFW post announced that it will be cancelling its monthly fundraiser breakfast for this month.
The decision was made due to concerns from the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are trying to be safe both with our customers and with those of us who volunteer,” the group said.
The group hopes to resume having breakfast next month.
Friday is FAIR DAY at the Coffee County Fair
The 164th annual Coffee County Fair continues Friday with fun and entertainment all day – starting at 10 a.m.
Friday is “Fair Day” – free admission from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and that will also be $20 hand stamp time for rides on the midway. The midway will close from 5-6 p.m. and reopen at 6 with tickets only.
For entertainment, The Ultimate Oldies Show will hit the stage at 7 p.m. and the Tennessee State Pullers Tractor Pull begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Coffee County Fair is located at 99 Lakeview Dr. and runs through Saturday. Click here for the complete fair book.
Kyle Douglas named new head baseball coach at CHS
Coffee County Central High School is hiring Kyle Douglas to be the new head baseball coach of the Red Raiders.
Douglas, who has a year of assistant experience with the Raiders from last year, replaces David Martin who resigned earlier this month after six seasons to spend more time with his family.
Douglas takes over a Raider baseball team that is coming off its best season in over a decade in terms of wins. as CHS racked up 21 wins in the 2021 season for the first time since 2010 and finished one win shy of advancing to the region semi-finals. The Raiders are the early favorites to claim a district title in 2022, with a large pool of talent returning that includes a deep pitching staff. If that happens it would be the first district title for CHS since 2011, a program that continues to search for success of the late 90s and the first decade of the 2000s. Under the direction of head coaches Doug Greene and Chase Jones, the baseball program won 8 district championships in 15 years between 1997 and 2011, including three district titles in a row between 2009 and 2011 that included a region championship and a state tournament berth.
Douglas served as the head coach of La Vergne in 2020 – only for a couple of games before the season was squashed because of COVID-19. He then resigned to take an assistant position with the Red Raiders for the 2021 season.
“We are pleased to announce Kyle Douglas as the new head baseball coach for Coffee County Central High School,” said CHS co-athletic director Brad Costello in a prepared statement. “Kyle Douglas is a CCCHS alumnus who played baseball all 4 years in high school. Kyle has a passion for baseball, he has a passion for Coffee County, and he has a strong desire to lead the Red Raider baseball team.
“Kyle played 4 years of collegiate ball at Freed Hardeman University, was a graduate assistant at FHU, head coach at LaVergne High School, and was the assistant coach last year at CCCHS. We are excited to have Coach Douglas on board and look forward to the continued success of our baseball program.”
Larry Lee Smith
Smith, Larry Lee , of Estill Springs, passed this life on Monday, September 20 th , 2021 at Southern Tennessee Regional Health System in Winchester at the age of 77. Mr. Smith was born in Tullahoma to the late M.C. and Ethel Farris Smith and worked during his life in maintenance with Deutsch. In addition to his parents, Mr. Smith was preceded in death by two brothers, Shelby and Donald Smith; and one sister, Stilla Smith. He is survived by one son, Norman (Tina) Smith; one daughter, Annette Dunlap; one sister, Joyce Ann (Johnny) Young; grandchildren, David (Hannah) Dunlap, Kayla (Layton) Wells and Cameron Smith; and two great-grandchildren, Emory and Harrison. Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 25 th , 2021 at Kilgore Funeral Home from 12:00-2:00pm with the funeral to immediately follow at 2:00pm with Pastor Evan Owens officiating. Burial will follow at Pennington Cemetery in Tullahoma.
Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
John Kenneth “Kenny” Hall
Mr. John Kenneth “Kenny” Hall, age 72, passed away
Friday, September 17, 2021. Mr. Hall was born in Erwin, North Carolina on
July 30, 1949 to the late Francis Wilneok and Maggie Louise Black Hall.
He was a car inspector for CSX Railroad and loved his job. He also enjoyed
sports and was a car and NASCAR enthusiast. He enjoyed gardening, spending
time with his loving family, grandchildren and great grandchildren and
always had a special place in his heart for his cats.
Mr. Hall is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Patricia Hall; son,
David Kenneth Hall; daughter, Katie (Scott) Anderson; brother, Mark (Beth)
Hall; sisters, Vicki (Pat) Robb and Debbie Risner; grandchildren, Dustin
Norris, Victoria Norris and Elizabeth Young; one great grandchild, Sophia
Tankersley.
Visitation with the family will be held on Sunday, September 26, 2021, from
12:00 noon until 1:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. A
Celebration of Life service will be held immediately following visitation
at 1:00pm in the chapel of Central Funeral Home.
Central Funeral Home is honored to serve the Hall family.
www.centralfuneralhome.com; 931-723-7774
Logan Heath Tindale
Logan Heath Tindale passed this life on Sunday, September 19, 2021, at the
age of 22. No services are scheduled at this time.
Logan loved listening to music, drawing, riding four wheelers and spending
time with his family. He is survived by father, Robert Stanley Tindale
(Tiffany); daughter, Raelynn Hovis; brother, Robert Flint Tindale; sister,
Madison Garner; grandmother, Mary Tindale; grandfather, Bill Tindale and
uncles, William Tindale Jr (Renae) and Paul Weaver (Cindy). He was preceded
in death by grandfather, Bill Weaver.
Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Sarah Lorene Bewley
Bewley, Sarah Lorene , of Tullahoma, passed this life on Tuesday, September 21 st , 2021 at her home at the age of 94. Mrs. Bewley was born in Oneida, Tennessee to the late Carl and Myrtle Green Moser. She was a long-time member of the Vine Street Church of God where her husband served as the former pastor. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Bewley was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. R.B. Bewley; five sisters, Helen Barnard, Gladys Green, Margaret Frank, Marie Brazil, and Faye Hall; and two brothers, Alvin and Leon Moser. She is survived by three sons, Ken (Judy) Bewley of Eliabethton, TN, Dr. Darrell (Phyllis) Bewley of Chattanooga, and Richard (Tina) Bewley of Tullahoma; one daughter, Mary Frances Grogan of Tullahoma; one brother, Freddie (Ina) Moser; nine grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held on Friday, September 24 th , 2021 at Kilgore Funeral Home from 1:00-3:00pm with the funeral to immediately follow at 3:00pm with Rev. Jody Bewley and Rev. Ronnie Holloway officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens.
Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.