By Nadia Ramligan, TN Public News Service

Child hunger is on the rise across Tennessee, and advocates say in communities far from interstate highways, families are struggling to access resources.

In some rural counties, there has been an increase in the number of children who are going without meals of 10% or greater.

Chapple Osborne-Arnold, Tennessee deputy director for Save the Children, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with partners for its Farmers to Families Food Box Program who can get food into the hands of residents.

She pointed out in remote areas, there is little infrastructure and few resources for organizing food distribution.

“And that is where we step in,” Osborne-Arnold explained. “So, we partner with the produce companies to set a schedule up and we tell them which days we want truckloads delivered, and we coordinate the volunteers and the staff on the ground.”

Osborne-Arnold noted distributing food to a central location by truck is easier to adapt to rural communities, which tend to lack food banks or food-distribution warehouses. Even if a food bank is local, residents might be unable to get to it because of transportation barriers.

She pointed out her organization is working in east Tennessee counties to continue distributing meals through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, and said last fall around 29,000 boxes were delivered.

Tamara Sandberg, U.S. advisor for food security and nutrition at Save the Children, said the spike in child hunger seen in rural regions will likely have long-term consequences.

“And we’re very concerned,” Sandberg remarked. “This is a generation that is missing out on the nourishment that they need to grow and thrive. Kids cannot be hungry for knowledge when they’re hungry for food.”

Osborne-Arnold added demand continues to outpace supply.

“We had families that would line up and wait in 2- and 3-hour-long lines to get one box of food,” Osborne-Arnold recalled. “And I remember seeing a pregnant mom with two small children and she had no vehicle. She was explaining to our staff on the ground that, you know, this would probably be the only time she could come because she doesn’t have a way here every week.”

According to Feeding America, Tennessee’s statewide child hunger rate is nearly 20%.

The American Red Cross typically has a tough time keeping the blood supply strong during the winter months when inclement weather and seasonal illnesses can impact donors. This year the pandemic adds in another challenge in keeping the blood supply strong. The Red Cross is urging healthy individuals to make an appointment to give blood or platelets this month.

As a thank-you for helping ensure a stable blood supply, those who come to give this February will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Amazon. (Restrictions apply. Additional information and details are available here. 

Make your appointment to give blood, platelets or plasma with the Red Cross by visiting RedCrossBlood.org , calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Important COVID-19 information for donors

The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether an individual developed COVID-19 symptoms. Red Cross antibody tests will be helpful to identify individuals who have COVID-19 antibodies and may now help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors that have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus. Plasma from whole blood donations that test positive for COVID-19 antibodies may be used to help COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 antibody test results will be available within one to two weeks in the Red Cross Blood Donor App or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. A positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity. The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, referred to as a diagnostic test. To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, it is important that individuals who do not feel well or believe they may be ill with COVID-19 postpone donation.

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities Feb. 1-15

Bedford County, TN

Bell Buckle

2/18/2021: 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., James E. Elkins Fire Hall, 113 Main Street

Shelbyville

2/9/2021: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., First Baptist Shelbyville, 304 East Depot Street

2/26/2021: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Tennessee College of Applied Technology Shelbyville, 1405 Madison

Coffee County, TN

Manchester

2/4/2021: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Manchester City Schools, 912 Oakdale Street

2/4/2021: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Manchester City Schools, 912 Oakdale Street

2/18/2021: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1006 Hillsboro Rd.

Tullahoma

2/9/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., First Baptist Church, 200 NE Atlantic St

Franklin County, TN

Belvidere

2/2/2021: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Belvidere Mennonite Church, 9805 David Crockett Parkway, West

Winchester

2/26/2021: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., Winchester Church of Christ, 1230 South College Street

Grundy County, TN

Tracy City

2/11/2021: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., Myers Hill Congregational Methodist Church, 717 Myers Hill Road

Warren County, TN

McMinnville

2/4/2021: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Tennessee College of Applied Technology, 241 Vo Tech Dr.

2/10/2021: 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., McMinnville Community, 201 Locust Street

2/23/2021: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Warren Co Community Caney Fork Electric, 920 Smithville Hwy

After two weeks of significant increases at the pump, gas prices increased again in Tennessee, however at a much slower rate, rising only a penny over last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.19 which is nearly 17 cents more than one month ago and nearly 10 cents less than one year ago.
Prices in Coffee County are on par with the state average – at $2.19 average. The national average stands at $2.40.

“Tennessee motorist continue to see gas prices increase, but at a much slower rate than the past few weeks,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Part of this is due to more stable crude oil prices throughout January. If demand continues another week of substantial increases, we could see pump prices get more expensive. However, downward pressure on crude oil prices due to a rise in coronavirus infections and travel restrictions could help to keep crude prices low and limit a substantial increase in pump prices.”

Quick Facts

· 74% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.25
· The lowest 10% of pump prices are $2.03 for regular unleaded
· The highest 10% of pump prices are $2.43 for regular unleaded
· Tennessee remains the 10th least expensive market in the nation

Manchester Police Department officials are warning the public of a recent scam attempt that turned aggressive and dangerous. Authorities also have advice for how you can avoid the same fate. 

Recently, a female who police are identifying as a scammer contacted an elderly Manchester resident (Thunder Radio has chosen not to identify the intended victim, but will use the last name of “Jones” for purposes of this story.). When the intended victim’s daughter heard her mother on the phone, she was suspicious of the call and, according to authorities, the daughter took the phone away from Miss Jones and told the scammer they “were a piece of ***T” and hung up the phone.

Apparently feeling disrespected, at this point the scammer actually plotted revenge on her intended victim. After being hung up on, the scammer then called the Coffee County Communications Center and claimed to be Miss Jones. According to the communications tape (which was heard by Thunder Radio), the scammer told dispatchers that she was in fact Miss Jones, provided the proper address and claimed that her husband was trying to get in her house and kill her with a knife.

This call prompted an emergency response from multiple Manchester Police Department officers who were expecting a severe domestic violence situation. Instead, they found a confused Miss Jones in no distress whatsoever. Luckily, no one was injured during the response.

“At first, we were very confused by this,” explained Manchester Police Department Chief Investigator Brandon Tomberlin. “We thought maybe we were at the wrong house.”

The scammer later called back and dispatchers connected her with Tomberlin, who was able to figure out that the caller was in fact not Miss Jones and appeared to be a scammer by her description of surroundings. The scammer then changed her story and claimed to be calling from “Manchester Town” and not Manchester.

With his persistence, Tomberlin eventually got the scammer to admit that the call was a prank as revenge because Miss Jones “misbehaved” with her on the phone.

“She misbehaved with me,” the scammer said, while remaining adamant that her call was about insurance was not a scam. “I was taking revenge.” (listen to a portion of Tomberlin’s call with the scammer below). 

What is to be taken from all of this? Tomberlin urges citizens to NOT irritate a potential scammer on the other end of the phone.

“It’s important for people to know .. do not get in a debate with them,” stated Tomberlin. “If you think you have a scammer on the other end of the phone, simply hang up.”

Tomberlin added that he is grateful that no one was hurt.

“Our officers are going to that scene expecting someone with a knife trying to do someone harm. We are lucky it turned out OK.”

Tomberlin suspects that the scammer is not located in the United States.

The Tennessee Department of Health has updated Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan as the state continues to prioritize Tennesseans most at risk of illness and death from COVID-19.

Protecting Medically Fragile Children and Adults

Tennessee has added people living in households with medically fragile children to Phase 1c of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Vaccination of their parents, caregivers and other household residents will help protect these children, as at this time no COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in children under age 16. Phase 1c also includes people age 16 and older who have medical conditions that put them at high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. This group is further defined in the updated plan, and occurs earlier in Tennessee’s plan than in federal vaccination recommendations.

Correctional Officers and Jailers in Phase 1a1

Tennessee correctional officers and jailers have been added to Phase 1a1 of Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. These Tennesseans work in settings and roles that require frequent direct public exposure through close contact in confined spaces, placing them at high risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

Updated numbers

As of Sunday, January 24, there are 356 active cases of the COVID-19 virus in Coffee County. There have been 82 virus-related deaths of Coffee County residents.

In Coffee County, 3.08 percent of residents have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 0.83 percent have received the second dose.