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Unemployment rate in Coffee County near pre-pandemic level
Most of Tennessee’s 95 counties started 2021 with lower unemployment numbers, according to data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Seventy-eight counties began the new year with a decrease in unemployment. The jobless rate remained the same in seven counties and increased in ten counties.
In Coffee County, the unemployment rate for January is at 4.7 percent according to data released by Tennessee Department of Labor. This is down 0.5 percent from December’s rate of 5.2 percent and is inching closer to pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate in January of 2020, prior to the pandemic effect, was 4.0 percent.
Rates in 24 counties came in under 5% for the month. The remaining counties, 71 out of the 95, have rates higher than 5%, but less than 10%.
Williamson County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate. The new rate of 3.2% is down 0.6 of a percentage point from the December 2020 statistic. Moore County followed Williamson with a rate of 3.8%, down 0.3 of a percentage point from December. Cheatham County had the third-lowest rate at 3.9%, a decrease from 4.4%.
Cocke County had Tennessee’s highest unemployment in January. It increased by 2 percentage points in January to 8.5%. Lake County’s rate was the second-highest at 8.4 percent, which represents a 0.8 of a percentage point drop from December’s rate of 9.2%. Hardeman County had the third-highest rate, but at 7.8%, the county saw unemployment drop by 0.1 of a percentage point.
Statewide, unemployment was down in January. Tennessee started 2021 with a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.1%, down 0.5 of a percentage point from December.
The national unemployment rate for January is 6.3%, down 0.4 of a percentage point.
The Department has compiled a comprehensive analysis of the January 2021 county unemployment data the public can access here .
Tennesseans searching for employment can find over 230,000 job openings for every skill level, in every area of the state, on Jobs4TN.gov. They can also utilize the service matcher, which can help remove barriers to employment by matching the job seeker with services from several state agencies. The service matcher is located within the virtual American Job Center at TNVirtualAJC.com.
TBI report: domestic violence down slightly in Tennessee
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released a new study Thursday, detailing the volume and nature of crime identified as having a domestic violence nexus.
Among the findings of ‘Domestic Violence 2020’:
* A total of 69,385 offenses were flagged as domestic-related in 2020. Of those, 45,854 were reported as Simple Assault.
* The overall number of domestic-related offenses decreased by 2.6% from 2019 to 2020.
* Data on victim-to-offender relationship revealed that ‘Boyfriend/Girlfriend’ was the most frequently reported relationship type for domestic-related offenses.
“The issue of domestic violence is by no means a novel problem in American society,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “The persistence of domestic violence and the large number of related incidents reported to law enforcement necessitate continued awareness about this issue.”
Full reports are now available for further review and download on the TBI’s website by clicking here.
H&R BLOCK STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Logan Johnson.
Logan is in 5th grade at North Coffee Elementary School. His favorite subject is Math. In his free time he enjoys playing basketball and video games.
Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a gift card, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. Job well done, Logan.
(Pictured from left: North Coffee Principal Adam Clark, Logan Johnson and Rosalyn Partin).
Cindy Roberts
On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, Cindy Roberts, loving
mother, aunt, sister and friend, passed away at age 53. Cindy was born May 2, 1967 in Tullahoma Tennessee to the late John Buford Bennett Jr. and Marilyn Faye (Tankersley) Burks.
Cindy began a career in healthcare at the age of 16 and became a registered nurse in 1997. She dedicated her life to serving others in healthcare. Cindy diligently worked her way through the ranks of the healthcare ladder from a Candy Striper to at the time of her passing the Vice President of Clinical Operations Mid-South Division for Signature Healthcare.
Cindy was a loving and caring mother to her son, Chris. Cindy had a passion for photography, reading, and enjoyed spending time with her family. She loved taking trips to the beach, cruises, and most of all spending time with her two dogs, Bentley and Daisy. She was a passionate person who was incredibly humble and encouraging to those around her.
She is Proceeded in death by her father John and her brother Scott Bennett.
She is survived by mother, Marilyn Faye Burks of Tullahoma, TN; son Chris (Kayley) Perry of Manchester, TN; sister, Kristy Bennett of Tullahoma, TN; brother, Brian Bennett of Tullahoma, TN; nieces, Kylee Benitez of Tullahoma, TN, Ashleigh Nicole Hill of Tullahoma, TN, Halie Bennett of Manchester, TN, Jessica Bennett of Manchester, TN, Ally Bennett of Winter Springs, FL; nephews, John Bennett of Winter Springs, FL, and Austin Bennett of Chattanooga, TN.
Family will receive friends on Friday, March 19, 2021, from 4:00pm until 8:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at 2:00pm in the chapel of Central Funeral Home with Rev. Bill Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Maplewood Cemetery in Tullahoma, TN. Family will also receive visitors from 10am until the time of the service on Saturday.
The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made in honor of Cindy Roberts to Signature Inspire Foundation’s Compassion Fund, which is a non-profit public charity. Donate online at www.signatureinspire.org or Mail checks to 12201 Bluegrass Parkway, Louisville, KY 40299. You can also
donate to ASPCA.
Bella cemented in the record books as she leaves Coffee County
It’s hard to find a freshman in high school who knows what she wants.
Mature beyond her years, Bella Vinson walked into Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gymnasium at Central High School four years ago and knew then exactly what she wanted: to win.
At that point it was a certainty to most that the tall, gangly freshman had a promising high school career in front of her. But unbeknownst to everyone, even Bella herself, was that for four years Coffee County fans would get to witness the development of who would become the best player to ever set foot on the floor at Central High School.
Bella leaves Coffee County Central with career numbers that will not be matched anytime soon: 862 rebounds, 314 assists, 222 steals and 142 blocks. Her 2,113 career points are the most all time at CHS – for a boy or a girl.
“Those (career) numbers, that was just never the intention at all,” explained Bella, who shyly pushes back when discussing her stats. “I wanted to be a winner.”
She certainly accomplished winning, too. As a starter, Bella’s teams amassed 106 wins to just 16 losses (86.9 winning percentage) over four years. That is the most wins for any four-year starter in Central High School history – boys or girls. However, the state tournament remained elusive for Coffee County during Bella’s tenure, a painful thought for the senior. The 2020-2021 Lady Raider season featured 28 wins – only 2 more were needed to reach the state tournament.
“Coming into this as a freshman, you look at the program and I knew where I wanted to go, where I wanted it to be,” explained Bella, “and I knew that I’m a winner. That’s what I was focused on. I was going to do whatever I could to get wins for us.
“Now I think back and numbers like that were never my main focus. That’s just what happened as a result of winning games.”
All-star selection
Bella will get an opportunity to play at the high school level one more time. She has been selected to play in the Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee (BCAT) Girls All Star Game with the elite players of Tennessee on Saturday, March 27 at Blackman High School.
There will be four teams – Memphis, West, Middle and East.
“I’m excited to get out there with them and play with the best players in Tennessee,” said Bella.
Vinson was also named to the TN Report All-State team – a selection that is based on team success, individual success and character. Bella was the only player from District 8-AAA to receive the honor and the only to be invited to the BCAT All-Star Game, which are separate honors.
Blackman, who went on to win the AAA state championship and was one of Coffee County’s two losses, had three players selected to the honorary all-state team.
“There is just so much really good talent in Tennessee. I don’t think people realize, it’s ridiculous just how much talent is out there in this state. It is an honor just to be listed with these girls.”
What’s next
Scholarship in hand, Bella will ship up to Lipscomb University after graduating from Coffee County this May to begin her collegiate workouts.
But until then, you can still find her in the gym at CHS working on her game and working with other Lady Raider players. Still trying to help Coffee County win, albeit now without her red and white no. 23 jersey,
“I still play with the girls every afternoon. I really hope that someone beats those [records] someday,” Bella said. “I want this program to win. And if someone works hard and beats (those numbers) then that means Coffee County is doing big things.
“That’s what I want.”
UT Football Alumni workshop coming to Manchester for kids in 3rd-9th grade
Manchester Youth Football League is hosting a UT Alumni Football workshop for interested players in the third through 9th grades.
Players will get a chance to work with Tennessee Volunteer alum such as Josh Smith, Todd Kelly Jr., Malik Foreman and Devaun Swafford.
Players will get a chance to work on agility, ball skills and gain valued mentorship from the former volunteers.
The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 10 at Raider Academy. Cost is $100 and participation is limited to the first 100 players.
All proceeds will go toward new equipment for Manchester Youth Football League.
Signups will soon be available at www.myflraiders.com. The link is expected to be available later this week.
For more information, email Jimmy VanWinkle at vanwinklejd@gmail.com.
Event organizer Jimmy VanWinkle will join the Coffee Coaches Show on Saturday, March 20 to discuss the event. You can listen from 10-11 a.m. on Thunder Radio.
Titans release Jackson, Kelly
The Titans have informed cornerback Adoree Jackson and tackle Dennis Kelly they’re being released.
Jackson, a first-round pick of the Titans in 2017, played in 46 games for the Titans over the past four seasons, with 41 starts. Jackson played in three games for the Titans in 2020.
Kelly, acquired in a trade with the Eagles in 2016, played in 74 games for the Titans over the past five seasons. He started all 16 games at right tackle in 2020.
With Jackson’s release, the Titans have now parted ways with three of four starters in the secondary from a year ago. In addition to Jackson, cornerback Malcolm Butler and safety Kenny Vaccaro were released earlier this month by the team.
Thunder Radio is your exclusive home for the Tennessee Titans in Coffee County.
Birthdays- March 17
Birthdays:
Lily Norman- 13
Ross Parker
Brody Alijah
Courtney Mullins- 17- Pizza Winner!
Tyler Patton
Karen Smith
Anniversaries:
Cody & Savannah Church- 5 years
John Lester Smith
John Lester Smith of Tullahoma passed this life on Tuesday, March 16, 2021
at his residence at the age of 97. Graveside Services are scheduled for
Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 3 PM at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens.
A native of Franklin County, he was the son of the late Luther Cleveland
and Lela Jane Stovall Smith. He was a US Army WW II veteran and a member of
the Raus Church of Christ, where he served as an elder for many years. He
worked with is wife and son in the Smith Auto Repair family business, He
enjoyed fishing, camping, working jigsaw puzzles and farming. He loved
being with his family, especially the grandchildren, great grandchildren
and great great grandchildren. In 1971, he and his wife, Ava Christine
traveled with a camper from Tennessee to Fairbanks, Alaska to see their
first grandchild. Mr. Smith also loved his faithful dog companion, Topper.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ava
Christine Glascoe Smith; brothers, Chester and Robert Smith and sisters,
Bernice and Ruby Preston.
Mr. Smith is survived by son, Ricky Smith and his wife, Barbara of
Tullahoma; daughter, Kay Reynolds and her husband, Glen of Tullahoma;
grandchildren, Glenda Painter and her husband, Dan of Tullahoma, Greg
Reynolds and his wife, Lori of Tullahoma, Adam Reynolds and his wife, Beth
of Murfreesboro and Barry Smith and his wife, Kim of Tullahoma; ten great
grandchildren and two great great grandsons.
In lieu of flowers the family has requested donations be made in his name
to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Pl, Memphis, TN 38105
or Camp JOY, 119 Polecat Hollow, Fayetteville, TN 37334.
Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Tennessee Accommodations for All Children Act advances through House committees
Tennessee House Bill 1233, the “Tennessee Accommodations for All Children Act” will be considered by the House Education Administration Committee this week.
The bill guarantees reasonable accommodations for all children in Tennessee’s public schools while also protecting every child’s right to privacy. It removes the uncertainty about making accommodations for all children from teachers, administrators, parents and students. The goal of House Bill 1233 is to be inclusive and respectful of all children in public schools.
As the bill reads, “Reasonable accommodation” includes, but is not limited to: access to a
single-occupancy restroom or changing facility, or use of an employee restroom or
changing facility. A reasonable accommodation does not include access to a restroom
or changing facility that is designated for use by members of the opposite sex while
persons of the opposite sex are present or could be present;”
Read the complete bill by clicking here.