Josh Peterson

We reported to you yesterday that Walmart announced a nationwide rule for its stores to require face coverings inside their stores – this includes the Manchester store. This goes into effect on Monday, July 20.

Following that announcement, other large retailers across the nation have followed suit, including Kroger, which has locations nearby in Tullahoma, McMinnville and Winchester. Kroger will require face coverings to shop beginning on Wednesday, July 22.

These rules despite no requirements by the Tennessee state government or the Coffee County government requiring masks.

The Thunder Radio political debate will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 16. It can be heard live on Thunder Radio and watched on Facebook live by clicking here. 

Unlike past forums hosted by Thunder Radio where attendance in person was possible, due to COVID-19 concerns and limitations for crowds, this year Thunder Radio has decided it would be best to host the forum on the radio.
You can hear the debate at 107.9 FM and 1320 AM, as well as stream on www.thunder1320.com and on your smartphone with the Manchester Go smartphone app. Those with Facebook can watch via Facebook live.

Candidates for Manchester Mayor will be on the air taking questions from 6 -6:35 p.m. on July 16. Meanwhile, candidates for Manchester aldermen will follow. The phone lines will be open during the debate for the public to ask questions by calling 931-728-1320 or 931-728-3526.

National Aerospace Solutions, LLC (NAS) leadership was informed by the Air Engineering Metal Trades Council (AEMTC) tonight that a new 1-year extension to the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was ratified by its members for work at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC). The AEMTC represents approximately 660 members through 11 local unions, who are vital to the mission at AEDC.

Negotiations led to an extension of the CBA that ensures mission continuity, provides stability to the workforce, and recognizes the AEMTC’s important contributions to AEDC, NAS, and the United States Air Force.

“The negotiating teams worked closely together to reach this agreement during an uncertain time,” said Dr. Rich Tighe, NAS General Manager. “I want to thank the AEMTC leadership for their professionalism during this process. This agreement will ensure the important work for our Nation at AEDC will continue in the same outstanding manner as it has for decades.”

If you shop at Walmart, you will soon be required to wear a mask.

Beginning on Monday, July 20, the national retailer has announced that all shoppers and associates will be required to wear face coverings to enter the store. This includes the Walmart store in Manchester, even though there is no mask mandate in Tennessee or Coffee County.

By Nadia Ramlagan, Tennessee Public News Service

Millions of jobs across the U.S. have vanished in the months since the coronavirus pandemic began, and many Tennesseans may have to gain new skills, or refresh the ones they have, to stay afloat.

New research from Lumina Foundation finds more workers in the state are completing industry certifications.

Carol Puryear, president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Murfreesboro, says certifications are typically centered around associations and career clusters.

“You’ve got CompTIA, who works with the computer industry,” she points out. “You’ve got MSSC that works with the manufacturing folks. You’ve got NCCER. You’ve got all types of industries.”

Puryear adds that certifications typically take less time and money to earn than degrees, and can improve job prospects.

According to the Lumina Foundation report, about 45% of Tennesseans now hold some form of post-high school credential, compared to the national average of about 51%.

Puryear, who is also vice chancellor for economic and community development at the Tennessee Board of Regents, points out that many tech schools embed industry certifications into their programs.

“For instance, I have an automotive program, I have probably right at 50 students, and all of those students are going to also be working on their Auto Service Excellence, which is ASE certification — which are critical for them to get a job in the automotive industry when they graduate,” she points out.

Puryear stresses there are resources available for anyone who might not have the funds to pursue an industry certification.

“I have a saying that says, ‘The pink slip is not the end, it could be the beginning,'” she states. “And I encourage people to visit the American Job Centers across Tennessee, because those people have dollars that can help send people back to school.”

Black and Latino workers are among those most likely to have lost reliable income because of COVID-19. The Lumina Foundation report shows these groups also are less likely to have post-secondary education or qualifications.

In Tennessee, around 28% of Black residents and 20% of Latino residents have some form of higher education, compared to nearly 40% of white residents.

There are now 53 active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County, according to numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of Health Wednesday.

Since testing began in March, there have been 162 confirmed cases. Of these, 109 have recovered – leaving 53 active cases.

Meanwhile, there are 27,829 active cases across the state. This number comes from 68,441 confirmed cases since testing began, with 39,857 recoveries. There have also been 755 confirmed deaths and 3,434 hospitalizations.
Nearly 26,000 new tests were added, with now 1,097,053 total tests performed. This means of everyone testing, about 6.24 percent are testing positive.

Wednesday, July 15 is the deadline to file and pay your 2019 federal income taxes.

Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service postponed the tax filing deadline from the normal date of April 15 to July 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deadline will not be extended further, meaning the deadline to pay without penalties and interest is July 15.
If you need an extension to prepare returns, you will need to file a Form 4868 by July 15 to receive a three-month automatic extension to file in October. However, filing an extension does not exempt you from payment, which will accrue interest and steep penalties after July 15

Active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County remain steady at 49, according to numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of Health. This is one less than the previous day. 

Since testing began in March, there have been a total of 155 total cases in Coffee County. Of these, 106 are listed as recovered – leaving 49 active cases.

Statewide, there are approximately 27,019 current active cases. There have been a total of 64,737 confirmed cases with 36,996 recoveries. To date, there have been 722 total confirmed deaths and 3,378 hospitalizations.
Across the state, there have been 1,071,320 total tests performed for COVID-19 virus. This means about 6.18% of all those testing are testing positive.

The Thunder Radio political debate will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 16.

Unlike past forums hosted by Thunder Radio where attendance in person was possible, due to COVID-19 concerns and limitations for crowds, this year Thunder Radio has decided it would be best to host the forum on the radio.
You can hear the debate at 107.9 FM and 1320 AM, as well as stream on www.thunder1320.com and on your smartphone with the Manchester Go smartphone app. Those with Facebook can watch via Facebook live.

Candidates for Manchester Mayor will be on the air taking questions from 6 -6:35 p.m. on July 16. Meanwhile, candidates for Manchester aldermen will follow. The phone lines will be open during the debate for the public to ask questions by calling 931-728-1320 or 931-728-3526.

The Manchester City School District is working with families to prepare for the start of the 2020 – 2021 school year. Schools will open on August 3, 2020 and students will be allowed to attend on a traditional schedule or choose an online option. The Back to School Overview, Reopening Plan / Family Information, and a survey to allow families to notify the school of their intent is available under the “Community” tab on the district website,  or click here. 

The school system has a set of “guiding principles” to make decisions amid the pandemic. They are below:

DISTRICT GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
• Protect the health and safety of students, staff, and the community
• Ensure the social, emotional, and mental health of our students and employees
• Utilize lessons learned during the spring of 2020 to guide planning
• Thoughtfully prepare for future decisions from local health departments, state, and federal officials regarding the nature of schooling for the coming year due to the unknown impact of COVID-19 (traditional classroom, social distancing, blended learning, digital learning, etc.)
• Communicate with all stakeholders
• Provide support to build capacity for digital learning
• Seek guidance from a broad range of experts and professionals as we make decisions

The Manchester City Schools are planning for students to return and more information will be available as we move closer to the start date.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and ask for patience and understanding as we work through the coming weeks as a community.