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CHS golfers tee-off season today
Weather permitting, the Coffee County Central High School golf team will tee-off the 2020 season Thursday in the Tullahoma Invitational.
This will be the first sport played for CHS since March, when COVID-19 concerns shut down spring sports across the state.
After today’s match, the Raider golfers will be on the course Tuesday, Aug. 4, when they travel to Cookeville.
CHS coach Brad Costello and golfer Logan Hale will join the Coffee Coaches Show at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 from Al White Ford Lincoln in Manchester.
Nick Markakis returns to Braves
By Mark Bowman, MLB.COM
Nick Markakis has changed his mind. The veteran outfielder has decided to rejoin the Braves for the remainder of the season.
“Sometimes, we all make rash decisions that are not thought out thoroughly,” Markakis said.
Markakis surprised many on July 6, when he announced he had elected not to play this year. But when the 36-year-old veteran revealed his plans to return on Wednesday afternoon, he said he spent the past few weeks feeling like he had made a mistake.
His desire to return grew greater as he watched the entirety of the 2-3 season-opening road trip the Braves completed on Tuesday night.
“Sitting at home, watching these guys compete the last couple days and all the risks they’re taking going out there, in a way, deep down in the pit of my stomach, I felt like I needed to be out there,” Markakis said. “I had the opportunity to be welcomed back and here I am. I’m going to do my best to get back as quick as I can and help these guys out.”
Non-high-risk players who elect not to play this season are placed on the restricted list, but are able to apply for reinstatement. Markakis applied and was granted permission to return, though as the season progresses it could become tougher for players who elected not to play to be granted reinstatement for competitive reasons.
Markakis took these steps after speaking with Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos this past weekend. Along with receiving an invitation to return from Anthopoulos, Markakis said he also felt he needed to show more faith in the health procedures and protocols MLB has in place for this season.
“Everybody in the world is taking risks on a daily basis,” Markakis said. “You can’t hide and run from it every single day. My teammates are out there every single day taking risks. Me sitting there, watching them on TV doesn’t sit well with me.”
Markakis worked out at the team’s alternate training site in Gwinnett County on Wednesday morning. He does not know how much time he will need to prepare before being activated. But he has spent the past few weeks keeping his body conditioned via cardio and weight lifting exercises.
“It sucked watching baseball when you know you can still go out there and compete on a daily basis,” Markakis said. “It eats away at you a little bit.”
You can hear every game on Thunder RAdio – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM.
Coffee County Fair will continue forward in September; adjustments to be announced next week
The Coffee County Fair Association has announced that the 2020 fair will continue forward this year on its original dates: Sept. 19-26.
The board met late into the night Tuesday, July 28, and agreed to continue with the fair despite other fairs in the area cancelling, including Warren County.
“We met until about midnight last night getting this all worked out,” said Stewart Little with the fair board.
In a Facebook post, the fair said: “This year’s fair will look a little different, but we wanted to try to bring back some normalcy to our community.”
Little said that the board will meet again on Monday, Aug. 3, to work out final details of what this year’s event might look like.
“We will figure out what we will keep and what we might have to do away with to keep up with social distancing guidelines,” explained Little.
TPD asking or help identifying suspect
The Tullahoma Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a person of interest who was allegedly involved in an incident back in March.
According to TPD, the individual in question was allegedly observed damaging property and taking several items from a local business. This incident took place on March 17. This suspect is a black male. You can see photos below.
If you have information, contact TPD detective Johnny Gore at 931-455-0530 ext. 131 or email jgore@tullahomatn.gov.
Donations needed for Weaver family
Dennis Weaver, the voice of Coffee County athletics for Thunder Radio, longtime high school softball coach and former teacher, passed away Friday, July 24 after complications from a routine operation.
During this extremely devastating and difficult time, Weave’s family will need help with day-to-day living expenses.
You can donate through a GoFundMe that has been set up by clicking here. You can also send donations made payable to “Christine Weaver” to Thunder Radio at 1030 Oakdale St., Manchester, TN.
Once expenses are paid and settled, any leftover money will be donated back to the soon-to-launch “Dream for Weave” foundation, which will make an effort to provide equipment and supplies to youth sports athletes across Manchester and offer scholarships to graduating seniors from Coffee County High School.
Thunder Radio will announce funeral arrangements as soon as they are available.
First of two TN sales tax holiday weekends begins Friday
The first of two sales-tax holiday weekends will begin Friday in Tennessee.
For 2020 only, the Tennessee General Assembly has approved two separate sales tax holiday weekends. During these weekends, certain goods may be purchased tax free.
The first tax-free holiday weekend focuses on clothing and other back-to-school items. It begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 31 and ends Sunday, August 2 at 11:59 p.m.
During this time, clothing, school supplies, and computers and other qualifying electronic devices may be purchased tax-free.
Certain price restrictions apply. Exempt items sold online are also eligible. Items must be purchased for personal use, not for business or trade.
You can see a full list by clicking here.
Second Tax Free Weekend:
The second tax-free holiday weekend focuses on restaurant sales. It begins at 12:01 a.m. on August 7 and ends Sunday, August 9 at 11:59 p.m.
During this time, the retail sale of food and drink by restaurants and limited service restaurants, as defined in Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-4-102, is exempt from sales tax.
Active COVID-19 cases at 172 in Coffee County
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, there are now 172 active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County. This is out of approximately 57,000 residents.
Since testing began in March, there have been a total of 333 cases in Coffee County with 161 recoveries. There have been no COVID-19 related deaths in Coffee County.
Meanwhile, across the state there are a total of 36,591 active cases. There have been 983 confirmed deaths and 4,482 hospitalizations.
Governor Bill Lee issues exemption for contact sports to resume
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has issued executive order 55, which will allow contact sports to resume provided that they follow TSSAA Guidelines.
Previously, Lee’s executive order called for no contact sports with exceptions for collegiate and professional sports working under their governing bodies. This order will allow schools to return to the field under TSSAA guidance.
Last week, TSSAA passed a hybrid contingency plan that would limit the football season if the governor’s office did not issue an exemption. However, because an exemption has been issued before Aug. 4, that means that high school football will be able to start its season on time. Soccer can also begin on time.
Coffee County Central football is scheduled to open the 2020 football season Aug. 21 at home against Franklin County. When football season begins, Thunder Radio will be on hand for our 63rd consecutive year of bringing you Red Raider football on the air.
Contact may also take place in girls soccer practice. The date of the first contest remains as scheduled on Aug. 17 with state championships to be Oct. 28-31.
Meanwhile, for football, teams were allowed to begin heat acclimation on July 20. Each athlete must complete heat acclimation with two days of helmets only and three days in helmets and shoulder pads before full pads are permitted.
Below are guidelines teams must follow under TSSAA guidance:
Players, coaches and personnel will have to take a temperature check prior to practice every day. Any person with a temperature 100.4 or higher will be required to go home immediately and cannot return without a negative COVID-19 test or verification from a doctor that the temperature wasn’t a cause of COVID-19.
• No coach, player or personnel can compete without a COVID-19 questionnaire completed.
• There will be no scrimmages for all fall sports, jamborees or seven-on-seven contests. Scrimmages must be limited to intrasquad.
• Fans entering a facility must have temperatures taken (with exception given to children 2 and younger). The same guidelines that are in place for players and coaches remain. Temperature checklists must be posted prominently.
• Member schools must require fans to wear face coverings while attending events.
• Concession stands will not be prohibited but will be discouraged, with options that would ensure social distancing recommended.
• Coaches must complete a NHFS COVID-19 course, which will be provided free.
• While no exact figure was set, schools were urged to offer limited seating (from a third to a quarter capacity) during events, posting areas that were not available.
CHS golf set to tee-off season on Thursday
The first fall sport of the 2020 school year is set to tee-off Thursday, July 30 when the Central High School golf team travels to Lakewood Country Club for the Tullahoma Invitational.
This will be the first school sport played for CHS since mid-march, when COVID-19 concerns shut down local spring sports. However, there is a 90% chance of rain in the forecast for Thursday.
After Thursday’s match, the Raider golfers will hit the course again on Tuesday, Aug. 4, when they travel to Cookeville.
CHS golf head coach Brad Costello and golfer Logan Hale will join the Coffee Coaches Show at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 from Al White Ford Lincoln in Manchester.
Westwood soccer tryouts postponed
Westwood Middle School announced Tuesday, July 28, that boys soccer tryouts for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year have been postponed for now.
Thunder Radio reached out to Westwood head soccer coach Kevin Smith, and he said he is unsure when a makeup date will be set. When a date is set, we will be sure to announce on Thunder Radio.