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Amacher files lawsuit to allow for partisan municipal elections
In a lawsuit obtained by Thunder Radio, Tullahoma alderman Jenna Amacher has filed litigation against the State of Tennessee in an effort to make municipal elections partisan.
Amacher’s lawsuit claims she is being denied freedom of speech under the First Amendment and equal protection by the 14th Amendment.
Currently, TCA does not allow for partisan municipal elections in Tennessee.
A change in the law could open up municipal elections (such as city mayor and city alderman) to having primaries. Currently, most county political races consist of primaries and are partisan.
Amacher argues in her lawsuit, filed in federal court, that “the prohibition directly hampers the ability of the party to spread its message and hamstrings voters seeking to inform themselves about the candidates and the campagn issues.”
Amacher’s lawsuit does not seek compensation except for legal fees.
Coffee County man arrested, charged with arson
An investigation by special agents and fire investigators with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Coffee County Fire Investigations team, and Coffee County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the indictment of a 65-year-old Beechgrove man on an arson charge.
On February 13th, TBI fire investigators joined Coffee County officials in responding to a fire scene on Lakeshore Drive in Beechgrove. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that identified James Davis as the individual responsible for starting the fire.
In June, the Coffee County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging James Davis (04/14/1956) with one count of Arson. Davis was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Coffee County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
Ronnie Lee Gault
A celebration of life for Mr. Ronnie Lee Gault, age 73, of Manchester will be conducted at 12:00PM on Saturday, August 21, 2021, at Coffee County Funeral Chapel with Bro. Ty Proffitt officiating. The family will receive friends from 4:00PM until 8:00PM on Friday, August 20, 2021, at the funeral home. Mr. Gault passed from this life surrounded by his family and friends that loved him dearly on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, at his residence in Manchester.
Ronnie was born in Cleburne, Texas on July 18, 1948, the son of the late Raymond and Sarah Gault. He worked as a deputy for the Bedford County Sheriff’s Department for many years. Ronnie loved helping people. He was always there for anyone that needed him. Ronnie also enjoyed fishing, his walking horses, going to the beach, and spending time with his family. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather.
Ronnie is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Sarah Gault. He is survived by his beloved wife of 28 years, Sonia Gault; sons, Justin Gault (Abagayle), Lee Gault (Teri), and Ryan Gault; numerous grandchildren.
Coffee County Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the Gault family.
Birthdays- August 18
Sally Porter
James Bonet
John Henry Fuller
Haley Sparkman- 15- Pizza Winner!
Lynne Moore- 13
Thursday will be busy day in area prep sports
Thursday will be a busy day in area prep sports – the busiest yet of the fall sports season. And Thunder Radio will be at multiple games providing audio coverage and sports photography.
Featured on the Capstar Bank Hometown Sports Series on Thunder Radio (107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM and Manchester Go app) will be the Coffee County Central Lady Raider volleyball team hosting Rockvale at 6:30 p.m.
Other radio coverage includes:
5 pm – Westwood Lady Rocket Soccer hosts St. Andrews. This will be broadcast on the Ben Lomand Connect Stream #2 with Elizabeth Brown on the call.
6 p.m. – Coffee Middle Lady Raider volleyball hosts North. This will be broadcast on the Capstar Bank Stream with Luke Beachboard on the call.
6:30 p.m. – Westwod Middle School Rocket football is at Community Middle. This will be broadcast on the Ben Lomand Connect Stream #1 with Court Steere on the call.
All online stream games can be found by clicking here.
The full schedule for Thursday can be found below:
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 6:30 PM | WMS | Football | Community Middle | Away |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 1:00 PM | CHS | Golf | Lincoln Co, Shelbyville, Tullahoma | Tims Ford |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 5:30 PM | CHS | Soccer | Central Magnet | Away |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 5:30 PM | CMS | Soccer | Huntland | Away |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 5:00 PM | WMS | Soccer | St. Andrews | Home |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 6:30 PM | CHS | Volleyball | Rockvale | Home |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 6 p.m. | CMS | Volleyball | North Franklin | Home |
| Thursday | 8/19/21 | 5:30 PM | WMS | Volleyball | Cascade | Home |
Tennessee Department of Health offering third dose of Covid-19 vaccine
The Tennessee Department of Health is acting upon recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding an additional dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for moderately and severely immunocompromised individuals.
On August 13, the CDC accepted ACIP recommendations for an additional dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. This includes approval for a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (approved for individuals age 12 years and above) and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (approved for individuals age 18 years and above). The recommendation from the CDC does not include approval for an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Tennesseans should talk with their health care provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
Based on the recommendations from the FDA and CDC, moderately and severely immunocompromised individuals, are defined as:
• Receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
For more information on the CDC’s recommendation for an additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is available online.
A notification has been sent to all Tennessee providers with information on these recommendations. Providers are encouraged to begin offering the additional dose option to eligible patients. Visit www.Vaccines.gov to find a vaccine site offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Patients do not need to prove their diagnosis to be eligible for an additional vaccine dose.
Local health departments across the state will be administering the additional dose option with no appointment necessary.
Individuals seeking more information on the COVID-19 vaccines can visit covid19.tn.gov
or www.vaccines.gov to schedule an appointment with a local vaccine provider.
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
TN Kids Need Help After COVID Learning Disruptions
By Lily Bohlke, Public News Service
American kids are returning to school an average of four to five months behind in their learning, according to a new study.
Groups that support children’s well-being have said the pandemic has exacerbated the disparities in education that have existed for years. Chapple Osborne-Arnold, who works in Tennessee for the nonprofit Save the Children, said the hardest-hit students include those living in poverty.
“And then of course, in rural communities, especially here in Tennessee,” she said, “we are seeing those state test scores from the spring significantly drop compared to years past.”
She added that establishing and normalizing daily routines will be critical for students this fall. Most Tennessee kids start school this week.
In the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program results for this spring, less than one-quarter of students in third grade were meeting expectations for grade-level reading, and just 20% met expectations for math.
Shane Garver, Save the Children’s associate vice president for rural education programs, encouraged making sure kids have regular bedtimes and get enough sleep, as well as establishing environments that support homework and learning at home. He said extra support will be important for those who missed out on parts of their education last year.
“Things like after-school programs, additional tutoring programs and learning opportunities in the community are going to be critically important to supporting kids,” he said.
Osborne-Arnold added that Save the Children is partnering with school districts to help catch students up and provide wraparound services – through summer camps, after-school and even in-school programs.
“Tennessee is seeing a surge in COVID numbers,” she said. “So, I think routines now are going to be more important than ever, because no one wants another school shutdown.”
Duck River cancels annual meeting
Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC) is announcing the cancellation of their 2021 Annual Meeting, originally scheduled for Saturday, August 21, at Harris Middle School in Shelbyville, TN.
“The rising number of COVID-19 cases in the area has led us to the difficult decision to cancel the in[1]person meeting this year,” said Scott Spence, DREMC President and CEO. “We look forward to reconvening with the membership in 2022.”
Results of the Zone 5 director election, business reports and other important information will be made available to the membership in the October edition of The Tennessee Magazine and in video format online at www.dremc.com.
10 million pounds of Asian Carp removed from two reservoirs, TWRA says
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Asian Carp Harvest Incentive Program (ACHIP) has reached a milestone in July as 10 million pounds of invasive carp have been removed from Kentucky and Barkley reservoirs. The program began in September 2018 and has provided incentives to wholesale fish dealers and commercial fishers that harvest invasive carp.
“Commercial harvest is a key strategy to defend our waters from the impacts and expansion of invasive carp,” said Cole Harty, TWRA Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator. “The other key strategy to prevent the spread of carp to waters upstream is deterrents.”
TWRA continues to support the implementation and evaluation of the BioAcoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) at Barkley Dam in Kentucky. Preliminary results of the BAFF appear promising, according to officials.
“Though no deterrent is expected to be 100 percent effective, even moderate levels of deterrence can significantly reduce the number of fish moving upstream through locks,” Harty said. “Deterrents, when coupled with commercial harvest near the source of carp immigration, is the best strategy we have to prevent the spread of carp to waters upstream.”
Given what is currently understood about carp populations in the Tennessee River, TWRA, with state and federal partners and invasive carp experts from across the country, are in consensus. Deterrents at locations including Wilson, Kentucky, Pickwick and Guntersville dams are an urgent need that will provide benefits to the entire Tennessee River system, including the most upstream reservoirs.
Michael Paul Holt
Michael Paul Holt, “Coach Holt” age 65 of Lynchburg passed away suddenly Sunday, August 15, 2021. He was born April 14, 1956, in Decatur, Indiana to the late Charles and Mary Lou Holt. Besides his parents he is also preceded in death by his brother, Steve Holt.
The family will receive friends Friday, August 20th from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, August 21st from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Lynchburg Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Lynchburg Funeral Home Saturday, August 21, 2021. Interment will follow in Smith Chapel Cemetery.
Coach Holt started his love of basketball at a very young age with his Father. Coach played high school sports where he ran track and played basketball. He attended Motlow College on a basketball scholarship and earned an Associate’s Degree. Coach Holt then started his Bachelor’s Degree at Ball State University, in Muncie IN where he was active refereeing multiple inter squad teams. He met the love of his life and married Mary (Okuly) Holt on June 19, 1982. He then finished his degree at Black Hills University in Spearfish, SD. He started his coaching career at Faith High School in Faith, South Dakota where he was an assistant girls basketball coach, head boys basketball coach, assistant track coach and taught computer science. Coach Holt moved to Wisconsin to work on his Master’s Degree in Education and was an assistant men’s basketball coach under Bo Ryan at UW-Platteville, WI. The family moved to Tullahoma, TN for a year then Lynchburg, TN where he was the women’s basketball coach at Motlow State Community College. Coach Holt was and assistant women’s softball coach and later became head coach. He was also the women’s head basketball coach. He coached many young people in Little League, Junior Pro, and AAU. Coach Holt then went to Lincoln County High School where he was a teacher, assistant principal, athletic director and head boy’s basketball coach. Coach Holt went to Grundy County High School and taught wellness and physical education and was head coach of the boy’s basketball program. Coach Holt was assistant boy’s basketball coach at Tullahoma High School. Next, Coach was employed by Franklin County High School where he was a teacher and was head coach of both girl’s softball and boy’s basketball programs. Coach Holt was a family man that was extremely proud of his two sons, Josh and Zach. He loved his grandchildren and learning about their sports adventures.
Coach Holt is survived by his wife of 39 years, Mary Kay Holt; sons, Josh (Lara) and Zach (Jennifer McElyea); grandchildren Logan and Kylee Holt; brothers Ron (Cindy) Holt and Larry Holt (Randy); and beloved nephews and nieces Jesse, Casey, Jenny and Jamie.