Josh Peterson

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Munn nominated for Tennessean softball player of the year: Here is how to watch awards ceremony

Keri Munn celebrates a strikeout at the 2021 TSSAA Spring Fling State Tournament. – Thunder Radio photo by Holly Peterson

As Thunder Radio Sports reported to you last week, Coffee County Central Lady Raider softball pitcher Keri Munn has been named to the Tennessean All-Midstate Team and is one of six nominees for Tennessean Softball Player of the Year.

The winner will be announced on June 30 at the sixth annual Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans and The Tennessean.

This year’s awards will be held virtually. Awards begin at 7 p.m. and can be found online at this link: sportsawards.usatoday.com/middletenn

Munn graduated in May and has signed with MTSU. Munn was 27-4 in the circle for Coffee County through the 2021 season, striking out 268 batters.

Coffee County’s softball team compiled a 34-7-1 record during the 2021 season, finishing as state runner up in a deep run at the TSSAA Spring Fling in May. It was the best single-season finish in program history.

Naomi Messick

Funeral services for Mrs. Naomi Messick, age 70, will be conducted at 2:00PM on Sunday, June 27, 2021, at Coffee County Funeral Chapel.  Burial will follow in Gnat Hill Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 11:00AM until the time of services at the funeral home.  Mrs. Messick passed from this world on June 25, 2021, at her home with her loving family beside her. 

Naomi was born on August 17, 1950, to the late Munlin and Hazel Howard.  Naomi worked at M-Tek for 10 years.  She was of the Baptist Faith.  She enjoyed spending time with her family, going camping, canning from the garden, and crocheting.  She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. 

In addition to her parents, Naomi is also preceded in death by a sister, Betty Garrison; brother-in-law, Beck Adams; father-in-law, Leon Messick. 

Naomi is survived by her loving husband of 42 years, Melvin Messick; three daughters, Michelle Reed, Teresa (Harold) Rigsby, and Angie (Bobby) Dodd, all of Manchester; one son, Vale Yates of Pikeville; 11 grandchildren, Travis (Courtney) Reed, Cody Rigsby, Chase (Audra) Rigsby, Carmack Rigsby, Carah (Dalton) Morgan, Lacy Crouch, Shelby Crouch, Myla Dodd, Chandler Yates, Chance Inge, Logan Inge; two great-grandchildren, Garrison Reed and Harrison Reed; two on the way, Wyatt Rigsby and Banklin Morgan; three sisters, Ann Adams, Carolyn (Buster) Martin, Mary Lee Bouldin; one brother, McCall (Patty) Howard; mother-in-law, Mary Lee Messick; sister-in-law, Breda Sissom; brother-in-law, David Messick; a host of nieces and nephews. 

Coffee County Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the Messick family.  

Norma Jean Hansert

Mrs. Norma Jean Hansert, age 76, of Manchester, TN,
passed from this life on Friday, June 25, 2021, in Manchester, TN.

Mrs. Hansert was born in Mobile, AL, to her late parents Leroy Wood and
Ruth Elizabeth Jones Wood. She was a nurse for part of her life and she
loved singing in the New Hope Baptist Church quartet for many years. Mrs.
Hansert loved listening to and singing gospel music. In addition to her
parents, she was preceded in death by brother, Rev. Roy J. Wood; sister,
Betty Jo Jacobs; grandson, Crethan Hansert.

Mrs. Hansert is survived by her husband of 58 years, Norman Hansert; sons,
Scotty Edward (April) Hansert and Benjamin Kurt (Lea Ann) Hansert; brother,
William A. (Tina) Wood; sisters, Velma Lee Brown and Rachel Louise Pickett;
grandchildren, Brent Scott Hansert and Jonathan Hansert; great grandchild,
Lennon Kate Hansert.

Family will receive friends on Monday, June 28, 2021, from 5:00pm until
8:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. Funeral services will be
conducted on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at 10:00am in the chapel of Central
Funeral Home with Bro. Leon Williams officiating. Burial will follow in
Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma, TN.

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

BRAVES: Soroka re-tears achilles, done for 2021

 Mike Soroka will miss the remainder of this season after once again tearing his Achilles tendon.

The right-hander tore his surgically repaired right Achilles tendon while simply walking into the home clubhouse at Truist Park on Thursday, the team announced. An MRI exam showed a complete re-tear of the tendon. The pitcher was continuing to rehab from the surgical procedure performed after he originally tore his right Achilles on Aug. 3.

“I hate it for him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s such a dedicated young man and wants nothing more than to be able to get out there and compete. He’ll do whatever he has to do.”

Soroka will undergo surgery next week. A timetable for his return will be determined after the procedure. But based on other re-tears, he likely won’t be ready to pitch again before July 2022.

You can hear Atlanta Braves baseball on Thunder Radio all season long – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM.

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival announces Thunder Radio as official local station for upcoming 20th anniversary event

LIMITED AMOUNT OF DISCOUNTED LOCAL TICKETS WILL NOW BE AVAILABLE TO SOLD OUT FESTIVAL ON SALE TUESDAY, JUNE 29 FOR COFFEE COUNTY RESIDENTS EXCLUSIVELY VIA THUNDER RADIO

-PROCEEDS FROM LOCAL TICKET SALES TO GO DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY THOUGH THE BONNAROO WORKS FUND

EXCLUSIVE RADIO BONNAROO CONTENT TO AIR THROUGHOUT FESTIVAL WEEK ON THUNDER RADIO

BONNAROO 2021 SET FOR SEPTEMBER 2-5 ON THE FARM IN MANCHESTER, TN

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has announced Manchester, TN’s Thunder Radio as the Official Local Station of Radio Bonnaroo for the internationally acclaimed camping festival’s upcoming 20th anniversary edition. Bonnaroo 2021 takes place September 2–5, 2021 on the Bonnaroo Farm, located just 60 miles southeast of Nashville in Manchester, TN.

Bonnaroo 2021 will once again present an extraordinarily diverse bill featuring a remarkable selection of top artists performing around the clock across more than 10 unique stages over the four-day festival. Locally owned and operated by Josh and Holly Peterson, Thunder Radio (WMSR) broadcasts in the Manchester, TN region at 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM and streams its content at thunder1320.com and on the Manchester Go smartphone app (available HERE).

The new partnership will see exclusive Radio Bonnaroo content broadcast via Thunder Radio during the week of the festival. Though tickets for Bonnaroo 2021 are now officially sold out, as part of the Radio Bonnaroo team, Thunder Radio has been allocated a very limited number of tickets to sell to Coffee County residents at a special discounted rate. All proceeds from the sales of these discounted tickets will go directly back into the community via the Bonnaroo Works Fund. Tickets must be purchased in person at the Thunder Radio studios, located at 1030 Oakdale St. Manchester, TN, 37355. There is a limit of 4 tickets per valid driver’s license. ID must be presented at time of purchase and purchaser must live within Coffee County. Camping and/or parking passes will also be available for purchase at Thunder Radio. Local tickets will go on sale Tuesday, June 29 at  8:30 am (CT) and will remain on sale through August 24 or while supplies last. Box office hours at Thunder Radio will be Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am through 5 pm (CT). All purchases must be made with a credit card; no cash purchases.

“We are part of this Manchester community and are always looking for ways to do business with local businesses and local vendors,” says Jeff Cuellar, Bonnaroo Festival Director. “It’s simply a win-win for local businesses and the festival. Radio Bonnaroo is an integral part of our festival every year. This allows us to instantly communicate with everyone on the festival grounds in case of emergency and also allows to provide another avenue of entertainment and music to our guests. I think this is a great way to connect our festival and the Manchester community as one.”

“I can’t express how thrilled we are to be working with the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and to lend the great services of our local station and our local listenership to them,” said Josh Peterson, vice president of Thunder Radio. “This partnership also allows us to help the festival with its local ticketing program. This ticket program serves multiple purposes – getting discounted tickets to local residents and helping to fund the Bonnaroo Works Fund, which is the charitable arm of Bonnaroo that has been so good to our community organizations over the past years.”

ABOUT BONNAROO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL

Hailed by the New York Times as the summer event that “revolutionized the modern rock festival,” Bonnaroo has drawn high-profile media attention and critical acclaim for two groundbreaking decades. The 2021 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will showcase a wide range of legendary artists and rising new stars, including Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Run The Jewels, Lizzo, Tame Impala, My Morning Jacket, Tyler, The Creator, Lana Del Rey, Lil Baby, Janelle Monáe, Glass Animals, Deftones, G-Eazy, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Phoebe Bridgers, deadmau5, Leon Bridges, Young the Giant, and many more. For complete festival details, updates, and additional information, please see www.bonnaroo.com.

In 2009, the Bonnaroo Works Fund was created as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to support and collaborate with nonprofit partners benefiting the arts, education, sustainability, and social impact. Since the inception of the festival, Bonnaroo and the BWF have awarded more than $7M in funding to more than 100 local, regional and national nonprofit organizations. For complete information, please visit bonnarooworksfund.org.

ABOUT THUNDER RADIO

Thunder Radio is locally owned and operated by Josh and Holly Peterson, who purchased the station in September 2019. The Petersons are graduates of Coffee County Central High School and residents of Coffee County.

Thunder Radio focuses on local news, sports and community events. All programing is simulcast on three frequencies – 1320 AM, 107.9 FM and 106.7 FM. All programming is also streamed at thunder1320.com.

The station features multiple live and local shows and is proud to broadcast sports for Coffee County High school, Westwood Middle and Coffee Middle Schools. The station has been operating in Manchester since 1957. Learn more at thunder1320.com.

Birthdays- June 25

Weekly Winners:

Flowers- Dan & Amy Callender

Cake- Payton Presley

Allan Sims

Mr. Allan Sims, age 66, of Rockvale, TN, passed from this life on Friday, June 25, 2021, in Rockvale, TN.

Mr. Sims was born in Mayfield, KY, to his late parents, George A. Sims Jr.,
and Eva Drowns Sims. He worked in HVAC/electrical all his life. In addition
to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Ron Sims.

Mr. Sims is survived by his wife of 27 years, Mary Sims; step sons, Michael
(April) Bryan and Justin (Amy) Bryan; brother, Mike Sims; sisters, Beverly
(David) Brandon and Barbara Sims; grandchildren, Mary Beth, Bo, Katelyn,
and Colby.

Family will receive friends on Monday, June 28, 2021, from 12 noon until
2:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. Funeral services will be
conducted immediately following visitation at 2:00pm with Bro. Ralph Hart
officiating. Burial will follow in Concord Cemetery in Tullahoma, TN.

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

Birthdays- June 24

Wesley Hill- 17

Mary Nell Jones

Kane Dixon- 13- Pizza Winner!

Loretta Bennett

William E O’Connell

William E O’Connell of Estill Springs, passed this life on Wednesday, June
23, 2021 at his residence at the age of 73.  Funeral Services are scheduled
at 4 PM on Sunday, June 27, 2021 at Bethel Baptist Church with burial to
follow at Maplewood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2 – 4 PM.

Mr. O’Connell was the son of the late Edward Eugene and Mary Maxine Stahr
O’Connell. He was a U S Army veteran and a member of the Bethel Baptist
Church.  He enjoyed watching game shows, fishing, playing checkers and
attending church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by daughter, Dawn
Marie Delmarco; son, William Alton Beech III and brother, Darrell Eugene
O’Connell.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn O’Connell of Estill Springs; sons,
William Anthony O’Connell and Joey Lee Cantrell of Manchester; daughters,
Shannon Michelle Carroll (William) of Dickson and Lori Ann Nash (Dustin
Lee) of Estill Springs; sisters, Beverly Frances Powers of Winchester and
Mary Marlene Neal (Gary Wayne) of Tullahoma; eleven grandchildren and three
great grandchildren.

Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Former Volunteer Fire Department Treasurer Indicted for Theft

An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in the indictment of Kenneth Spry. Spry served as the treasurer for the Hickerson Station Volunteer Fire Department in Coffee County.

Investigators determined that Spry stole $3,306.78 from the fire department between November 2016 and July 2018.

Most of the stolen money ($3,201) came from fundraiser collections. Spry failed to deposit some of the cash that was received during a door-to-door fundraising effort in 2017 and 2018. Instead, he kept the cash for his personal benefit.

Spry also used the department’s debit card to purchase a $105.78 fuel pump for a 2004 Ford Ranger. County records indicate that Spry owned a 2004 Ford Ranger at the time of the fuel pump purchase.

Spry admitted to investigators that he withheld cash from fundraiser collections and used the department’s debit card to purchase a fuel pump for his personal vehicle. He resigned as treasurer effective July 5, 2018.

In May 2021, the Coffee County Grand Jury indicted Kenneth David Spry on one count of theft over $2,500.

Investigators have also questioned $2,524.07 of fire department disbursements that included ATM withdrawals and debit card charges at retailers such as Home Depot and local restaurants. Investigators could not determine who was responsible for the disbursements or whether the department received any benefit.

Additionally, investigators found the fire department chief charged $105.81 to the department’s O’Reilly Auto Parts account. The chief told investigators that he made two purchases from the store to repair a personal vehicle that was used for “department errands.”

“Our investigators identified several shortcomings in the way the fire department handled its finances,” said Comptroller Jason Mumpower. “We have recommended the department improve its controls by taking steps such as requiring two signatures on checks, requiring and retaining documentation for disbursements, and carefully reviewing bank statements.”

To view the investigative report, go to: https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/investigations/find.html