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Dennis Weaver, longtime voice of Coffee County athletics, has passed away
January 4, 1962 – July 24, 2020
Dennis Weaver, longtime broadcaster, coach and lifelong Manchester resident, passed away Friday afternoon, July 24.
He was 58 years old.
Below is a column from Thunder Radio ownership about his passing:
Coffee County sports has lost its voice.
Dennis Weaver epitomized sports in Coffee County. His microphone went silent Friday, July 24, 2020. He unexpectedly passed away after complications from a routine surgery. We loved him. We will miss him forever.
Dennis Weaver spent decades bringing football games and volleyball matches from pastures and dimly-lit gymnasiums to vivid color on a radio – an unteachable art and talent blessed to only a select few. Weave was one of them, although he would say he was no better than anyone else at it.
He loved broadcasting games on Thunder Radio. He carried an overwhelming sense of pride about his sports coverage. This was not pride born from selfishness. This was good pride, it was Raider pride and Rocket pride. It was community and a giving pride – a sense of accomplishment that he was able to broadcast sports for every student athlete in Coffee County to the masses. It was his gift to the world, a gift that will forever be appreciated and certainly reciprocated by the many lives he touched.
Dennis Weaver took sports coverage that was at first built around high school football, basketball, baseball and softball and didn’t only raise the bar, he rebuilt the entire standard to one unmatched by any other market in the state. He took the “minor” sports and made each one as important as the next. He took sports like Westwood volleyball, Coffee Middle soccer, Lady Raider volleyball and so many others into living rooms, car radios and old work shop garage radios across Coffee County. Every game was important to him – because he knew each game was important to every kid, every parent, every coach, every grandparent and fan.
He shied away from any recognition anyone attempted to bestow upon him for the tireless dedication he provided for Coffee County sports. It was never about Dennis Weaver. Instead, it was about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s, the Sally’s and the Sue’s. He did what he did for those student athletes, for those coaches and for those programs – never for himself.
Many will never know the depths of his generosity. He even aided the “competition,” often giving scores, information and contacts to other sports writers. It was the mentor and the coach inside of him, and it was his desire to see exceptional sports coverage for Coffee County, regardless of the outlet or the person. He was selfless.
He single-handedly launched the Coffee Coaches Show six years ago, offering the opportunity for hundreds of student-athletes to be on the air every Saturday. Weave would cover a basketball game on Friday night, write the story and post it online, be awake for the Coffee Coaches Show Saturday morning (which he undoubtedly organized down to the second earlier in the week), and then drive to Fayetteville for an afternoon of more basketball games on the radio. It was never work to him. It certainly wasn’t for the money. It wasn’t even his full-time job – it was just what he loved to do. He was living his life doing exactly what he wanted to do. Many will never be able to say that.
He loved it until the very end. Thursday afternoon, he sent me a text:
“Got sick at work. Going to Harton. Can you call Bernard Childress for interview?”
He had scheduled an interview with TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress to record and air this Saturday on the Coffee Coaches Show. Down to the end, he was working on bringing the best sports coverage to Coffee County.
Sadly, I can’t text him back. But If I could, I would tell him: “I’m sorry that the interview certainly isn’t up to your level. But don’t worry, Weave. The interview is done, it’s recorded, and it will air on the coaches show this week.”
Because that is absolutely what he would have wanted.
We will miss his daily sports updates on the air. His excitement before a big game and his adrenaline after his Red Raiders (his Alma mater) beat Tullahoma at anything.
Coffee County will forever miss his voice. But if I know him like I think I do, he’s already set up his new broadcast location. He has his laptop in place and a Facebook post going out with a photo of “his office for the night.”
And he has the best view for the call.
Manchester Youth Baseball League semi-finals rained out, rescheduled for Friday
The Manchester Youth Baseball Association postseason tournament was set to move into semi-final play Thursday, but rained forced postponement of those games to Friday, July 24. The league’s postseason tournament’s championship games are scheduled for Monday, July 27th.
Friday MYBA Schedule
6U Division at T-Ball Field
5:00 PM – Manchester Tire & Brake vs. Lovelady Auto Parts
7:30 PM – Star Physical Therapy vs. Cooper Sports
8U Division at Fast Pitch Field
6:00 PM – Freedom Automotive vs. KK’s
12U Division at Aaron Miller Field
5:00 PM – Clower Automotive vs. Shelter Insurance
7:30 PM – Powers Storage vs. First Vision Bank
18U Division at Looney Riddle(Babe Ruth) Field
6:00 PM – Manchester Braves vs. Mets
Titans training camp preview: Defensive Line
By Jim Wyatt, Titans Online
TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW: DEFENSIVE LINE
In camp (10): DL Jeffery Simmons, DL DaQuan Jones, DL Jack Crawford, DT Matt Dickerson, DT Isaiah Mack, DL Larrell Murchison, DT Joey Ivie, DE Amani Bledsoe, DT Teair Tart, NT Kobe Smith.
Offseason developments: The biggest move here was a departure – the Titans traded away five-time Pro Bowler Jurrell Casey to the Broncos in exchange for a seventh-round pick, and some salary cap relief moving forward. Defensive lineman Austin Johnson also departed this offseason, and he signed with the Giants. The Titans made some additions as well. Crawford, formerly with the Falcons, signed a one-year deal with the team. The Titans also drafted Murchison in the fifth-round of the NFL Draft while also adding a pair of undrafted free agents in Tart (Florida International) and Smith (South Carolina). Simmons spent a good portion of the offseason working with trainers to strengthen his knee. And the team has spent some time flirting with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who remains a free agent.
In the spotlight: Jeffery Simmons. The 19th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State, Simmons looked like he was shot out of a cannon in his NFL debut last season, sacking quarterback Philip Rivers in an October 20 contest vs. the Chargers after spending the first six weeks of the season on the team’s Non-Football Injury list. Simmons finished the season with 40 tackles, 14 quarterback pressures and two sacks in nine regular season games, and he was a disruptive force on a lot of Sundays. The Titans expect Simmons to take a big step in his second NFL season. Simmons said earlier this offseason he’s feeling a lot better, and he revealed plans to ditch the knee brace he wore last season. He also expects to ditch more offensive linemen on the way to ball carriers and quarterbacks.
Battle to watch: Dickerson, Mack vs. the undrafted DLs. Simmons, Jones, Crawford and Murchison are going to be on the 55-man roster, but the race will soon be on for spots behind them. Dickerson and Mack have the edge heading into camp because of their experience in the system, and the flashes they’ve shown to this point. But the Titans have a pair of intriguing undrafted free agents in Tart and Smith, who could be roster spot stealers. Bledsoe and Ivie will be looking to make a case for themselves, too, of course. Keep in mind the Titans ended last season with seven defensive linemen on their 53-man roster. One other thing to keep on the radar: The possibility of an outsider or two joining this group at some point as well.
Keep an eye on: Crawford and Murchison. The Titans didn’t sign Crawford to replace Casey. But Crawford is a veteran with some versatility, and he should provide a boost as the team moves forward. Crawford (6-5, 274) is an eight-year veteran who has played with the Raiders, Cowboys and Falcons since entering the NFL in 2012. In 93 career games, Crawford has recorded 132 tackles and 16 sacks. He recorded a career-high 35 tackles and six sacks during the 2018 season with the Falcons, where he played for the past three seasons. Murchison is a young cat with some versatility himself. He earned second-team All-ACC honors as a senior when he was in on 48 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, and seven quarterback sacks.
You can hear the Tennessee Titans on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM, 106.7 FM, 1320 AM.
Braves release opening day roster
By Mark Bowman, MLB Network
ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman is set to make his 10th consecutive Opening Day start and Johan Camargo convinced the Braves his recently ailing right hamstring is now healthy.
Before setting their 30-man Opening Day roster on Thursday afternoon, the Braves placed Cole Hamels on the 45-day injured list. Hamels missed all of Spring Training with left shoulder inflammation and battled left triceps tendinitis most of Summer Camp. He will be eligible to be activated on Sept. 6.
The Braves also outrighted Yonder Alonso, who had been added to the 40-man roster on Saturday. Alonso was no longer a fit once Atlanta signed Matt Adams on Monday to serve as its primary designated hitter.
Here’s a breakdown of the Braves’ 2020 Opening Day roster:
Catcher: Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Flowers
If the scrimmage and intrasquad games were a sign of things to come, d’Arnaud seems ready to pick up where he left off when he hit 16 homers and produced a .782 OPS in 365 plate appearances for the Rays. Flowers may take a slightly lesser role than he had each of the past four seasons with the Braves. But with 60 games in 66 days, expect to see both catchers utilized on a regular basis.
First base: Freddie Freeman and Matt Adams
Freeman will be starting the season opener exactly one week after learning he received the two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart he needed to join the team. The four-time All-Star missed the first two weeks of Summer Camp, but he seemed to quickly regain his timing. Freeman homered and hit an opposite-field double off Sean Newcomb in an intrasquad game on Tuesday. Adams was signed on Tuesday to serve as the team’s primary designated hitter.
Second base: Ozzie Albies
This could be a big year for Albies, who consistently damaged Braves pitchers during intrasquad games. He stands with Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray as the only switch-hitters to bat .275 with 50-plus homers and a .800 OPS through his age-22 season.
Shortstop: Dansby Swanson and Adeiny Hechavarría
Swanson spent the past couple weeks showing some of the opposite-field power he consistently displayed before his left heel ailment sidelined and hampered him over last season’s final couple months. He’ll be making his fourth straight Opening Day start.
Third base: Austin Riley and Johan Camargo
Manager Brian Snitker has not revealed how he plans to utilize these two third basemen. Camargo may be limited during the first couple games because he missed most of the past week resting a slight right hamstring strain. But he could reclaim the starting role he had in 2018 if Riley does not show the great power he displayed before floundering over the final months of the ’19 season.
Outfielders: Marcell Ozuna, Ender Inciarte, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Adam Duvall
Acuña’s tremendous arm may prove to be even more valuable as he’ll be playing right field on a regular basis this year. But he could still transition to center field when Inciarte sits against left-handed starters. Ozuna’s defense is a concern, but with Adams now available to serve as the designated hitter, Ozuna is expected to be in left field on a regular basis.
Utility: Adeiny Hechavarría and Charlie Culberson
Hechavarría still remains one of the game’s top defensive infielders, and his bat actually showed some life after he joined Atlanta late last year. Culberson was a key asset when the Braves won the 2018 National League East title, and he still remained one of the team’s most respected players when his production dropped last year.
Starting pitchers: Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb, Kyle Wright and Jhoulys Chacín
Soroka will attempt to maintain his status as a Cy Young Award candidate and Foltynewicz will look to regain the consistency he showed during his career-best 2018 season. Fried has the potential to prove himself as a front-line starter this year, and Newcomb will try to show he deserves to be back in the rotation. Wright and Chacín are among those capable of filling the fifth spot until Hamels proves to be healthy enough to join the rotation.
Relievers: Mark Melancon, Shane Greene, Darren O’Day, Chris Martin, Luke Jackson, A.J. Minter, Josh Tomlin, Touki Toussaint, Tyler Matzek and Grant Dayton
The big absence is All-Star Will Smith, who has not been cleared to return since testing positive for COVID-19 at the start of Summer Camp. Melancon will be the closer. Greene, O’Day and Martin will serve as the other primary high-leverage relievers. This a deep bullpen that counts former closers Jackson and Minter as middle-inning options. Tomlin, Toussaint and either Wright or Chacín will all be available to work multiple innings as the team plans to piggyback some starters during the season’s first couple weeks. Minter will be the primary left-handed option. Matzek returns to the Majors for the first time since his promising career with the Rockies was derailed by the “yips” in 2015.
Coffee County unemployment rate drops 3.3 percent
Unemployment rates in a vast majority of Tennessee’s 95 counties continued to drop in June, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
In Coffee County, the unemployment rate for June was 10.5 percent, which is down 3.3 percent from the 13.8 percent in May, but remains significantly higher than the 3.8 percent from June of last year due to COVID-19 pandemic. There were 2,628 people unemployed last month in Coffee County, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce.
Seventy-four counties had lower jobless rates for the month, as Tennessee continues to reopen after many businesses closed in the spring to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
Unemployment did increase slightly in 17 counties during the month and remained the same in four counties.
Williamson County recorded the lowest unemployment rate in June. At 6.7%, the rate dropped 0.4 of a percentage point when compared to May’s rate.
Crockett County’s rate of 6.8% was Tennessee’s second-lowest figure for the month, down 0.3 of a percentage point from May. Pickett County had the third-lowest rate at 7.2%, down a 0.5 of a percentage point.
Shelby County had the state’s highest rate of unemployment in June. Its figure jumped 1.8 percentage points to 13.2%.
Grundy County was just below Shelby County at 13.1%, which represents a 3.8 percentage point drop from May’s rate of 16.9%.
See the complete list of county data here
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First of two sales tax holiday weekends in Tennessee is next week
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.
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.
New teenage playground in Manchester nearing completion
Manchester Parks and Recreation is nearing completion of a new playground behind the old Riverview School, which is located off of Emerson St.
The new playground, which is designed for children 13 and older, is described by Parks Director Bonnie Gamble as “more of an obstacle course/ American Ninja type of area.”
Equipment is installed and Gamble said she hopes that crews will begin surfacing by next week. She said that the playground should be ready to open within the next few weeks.
The cost of the project is $200,902, which is fully funded by a Diabetes Initiative Grant from the Tennessee Department of Health and will not use any local tax dollars. The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the contract with Recreational Concepts LLC for purchase and installation of the equipment in the spring.
Gamble said the project is the first step of developing the area near Riverview as a neighborhood park. The city received $450,000 in grant money that must be spent over three years.
Gamble cited the need for a play area for older youth, who get bored with playground equipment for smaller children, which leads to that equipment not being used properly. (Photo below: Playground equipment is going up behind the old Riverview Alternative School on Emerson St. in Manchester).
Active COVID-19 cases jumps to 98 in Coffee County
Active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County jumped up to near 100 on Thursday, with 98 active cases.
Since testing began in March, Coffee County has seen 233 total cases with 135 recoveries, leaving 98 active cases. There have been zero reported deaths in Coffee County, according to TDH.
Meanwhile, there are approximately 33,565 active cases across the state of Tennessee. There have been 891 confirmed deaths and 4,016 hospitalizations, with 109 new hospitalizations in the past day.
Coffee Co. schools to take temperatures when students board buses; other info available online
Coffee County Schools continue to establish guidelines and procedures as the opening of schools draws closer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transportation guidelines are now available for students who will ride school buses.
Among the guidelines are:
1 – families are asked to check each child’s temperature everyday. Temperatures at or above 100.4 are considered elevated and students should stay home.
2 – buses will be disinfected at least 2x per day after the morning and evening run.
3 – Windows will remain lowered in transit to allow additional air flow
4 – Temperatures will be taken when students enter the bus.
5 – hand sanitizer will be available and encouraged
6 – The use of masks is strongly encouraged (not requried)
7 – Family units will be asked to sit together to maximize spacing between others.
Other information in regards to Coffee County Schools’ response to COVID-19 can be found by clicking here.
Manchester schools roll out plans for staggered Aug. 3 orientation
Manchester City Schools announced plans for a staggered orientation on Aug. 3, with parents and students coming at different times based on last names, and a later time for parents choosing virtual learning.
In order to accommodate the needs of our families and to limit the number of adults entering the buildings, Manchester City Schools will operate on a modified schedule August 3, 2020. Registration will be held on a staggered schedule, with traditional students (attending in person) registering in the morning and virtual students (attending online) registering in the afternoon.
Traditional Registration – College Street and Westwood Elementary are asking families and students to come at staggered times by last name.
student last name beginning with
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. A-G
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. H-P
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Q-Z
MCS Virtual Learning
1:00 p.m. – virtual learning informational meeting (parent must attend)
Traditional Registration – Westwood Middle School is asking students to come at staggered times by grade level.
student grade level
6th grade 8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
7th grade 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
8th grade 10:00 -10:45 a.m.
MCS Virtual Learning
1:00 p.m. – virtual learning informational meeting (parent must attend)
More information will be available through individual school websites or you may call the school with questions.
Families who are choosing to enroll in MCS Virtual Learning will be required to attend the registration meeting on August 3, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at the school their child will attend. In order to register for virtual learning, the parent of the child attending virtually MUST attend the registration meeting and complete the application process.
MCS Virtual Learning will take place during the school day Monday – Friday and students must be present online each day. MCS will provide Chromebooks for students but families will be responsible for internet access.
Parents may attend the informational meeting before making a final decision on the traditional or virtual instructional option.
Social distancing will be observed during the registration meeting