Josh Peterson

Manchester’s annual Christmas Parade will take place on schedule this year.

City officials told Thunder Radio news on Monday that the parade will continue with only minor adjustments to festivities.

Residents will be able to cap off their Thanksgiving weekend with this year’s parade – which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28 – the Saturday following Thanksgiving. This year’s theme is “Childhood Dreams of Christmas .”

The parade will go along its normal route – lining up on Highway 55 near Raider Academy, turning north on US Highway 41 and then making its way onto the square by turning onto West Main St.

Parade float entry forms will be available through the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department within the next couple of days. Thunder Radio will announce when those applications are available.

Tennesseans planning to vote early for the Presidential election have until this Thursday, Oct. 29 to cast their ballots. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

“We have seen high turnout numbers during early voting, and I urge Tennesseans to take advantage of these final days of early voting,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

During early voting and on Election Day, Tennesseans are encouraged to wear a face covering and maintain a six-foot distance from poll officials and other voters. Voters should expect to see signs with further safety instructions at their polling locations. All poll officials will be wearing face coverings and will be trained in social distancing measures.
In Coffee County, those wishing to vote early can do so at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza in Manchester or at the CD Stamps building in Tullahoma.

Voters can find early voting and Election Day voting locations, view and mark sample ballots and much more with the GoVoteTN app (https://t.e2ma.net/click/adimumb/yvgckg/6phf5xn) or online at GoVoteTN.com (https://t.e2ma.net/click/adimumb/yvgckg/miif5xn). Download the free GoVoteTN app in the App Store or Google Play.

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, by Tennessee state government or by the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable. More information about what types of ID are acceptable can be found on sos.tn.gov by calling toll free 1-877-850-4959.

To view early voting turnout vote totals by county (https://t.e2ma.net/click/adimumb/yvgckg/2ajf5xn) and a comparison of how this year (https://t.e2ma.net/click/adimumb/yvgckg/i3jf5xn), visit GoVoteTN.com.

For questions about early voting in Tennessee, go to GoVoteTN.com (https://t.e2ma.net/click/adimumb/yvgckg/a9mf5xn) or call the Division of Elections toll-free at 1-877-850-4959.

Tennessee gas prices fell, on average, by two cents over the last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $1.91 which is nearly 2 cents less than one month ago and 40 cents less than one year ago.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Coffee County is three cents below the state average at $1.88.

“The U.S. has a very healthy level of gasoline stocks due to lower demand and that is keeping gas prices low,” said Megan Cooper, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Tennessee’s state gas price average has declined the past 13 consecutive days, for a total discount of four cents.”

Quick Facts

· 90% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.00
· The lowest 10% of pump prices are $1.70 for regular unleaded
· The highest 10% of pump prices are $2.23 for regular unleaded
· Tennessee remains the 9th least expensive market in the nation

Mayor Bill Ketron announced Monday afternoon that the Rutherford County Face Covering Order will be reinstated effective Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

“This is not a decision that I make lightly,” said Ketron. “Our cases in this county hit a record spike over the weekend, with the data indicating a higher transmission rate than that we experienced in late July.”

Local data shows that current cases are 2.8 times the level in early September, with the 7-day average positive rate also doubling since that time.

“These figures are too significant to overlook,” said Ketron. “Hospital officials are beginning to see the number of cases in-house similar to the height of the first wave. We have to act NOW!”

Governor Lee’s Executive Order 63 authorizing County Mayors to require face coverings within their jurisdictions expires on October 30 at 11:59 p.m.; however, Gov. Lee’s office has announced anticipation of the order being extended through the end of the calendar year. Therefore, the Rutherford County Face Covering Order will be in effect until further notice.

“We will continue to monitor our local data daily, assess trends, and consult experts to determine the duration of the order,” said Ketron. “We must do everything we possibly can to keep our schools and our businesses open and our hospitals functioning at normal capacity.”

Ketron reminds citizens that face coverings are not the only protective health measures that should be practiced regularly to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community. “We need to be vigilant about washing our hands frequently, social distancing, cleaning and disinfecting high contact surfaces, and staying at home when sick. It takes all of these measures together to cut our risks of getting or spreading the virus.”

“While I understand that there are conflicting opinions on face coverings, there is overwhelming evidence supporting that masking, in combination with other preventative actions, is the key to slowing the spread.”.

Story by WGNS Radio

The Winchester Police Department is putting out a call to ask for the public’s help.

The department is investigating only what it is calling “an incident” and is asking for help identifying an individual. This person appears to be a white male with short hair and tattoos on his arms and wearing eye glasses (see photos below). Anyone with more information is asked to contact Detective Brin Wilder at 931-967-3840 or Crimestoppers at 931-962-4636.

Friday is the deadline for applications to be turned in for consideration to be appointed to fill Manchester’s vacant alderman seat.

With last week’s appointment of Marilyn Howard to Mayor of Manchester, the city is now needing to fill the alderman seat that was vacated by Howard.

Howard, who was elected alderman in 2018, was appointed Manchester Mayor Monday, Oct. 19 by a unanimous vote of the city board to take over for Lonnie Norman, who passed away Oct. 12. Howard will serve as mayor until the next regular city election, which is August of 2022.

The alderman seat vacated by Howard also expires in August of 2022, meaning whoever is appointed to this seat will serve until that date.

The seat will be filled by a majority vote of remaining members of the board of Mayor and Aldermen.

To be eligible for consideration for the open alderman seat, this person must be a registered voter of the city of Manchester, be a citizen of the State of Tennessee and a resident of the City of Manchester for one year and must be 18 years old. No person shall be eligible who has been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practice or crime.

Anyone meeting these requirements who would like to be considered should fill out an Alderman Appointment form. The deadline for a returned form is Friday, Oct. 30. You can pick up forms at the Manchester city hall at 200 W. Fort St. in Manchester. The form is also below: