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Deadline to apply for emergency assistance extended to June 30
The deadline to apply for two months of emergency cash assistance for families who’ve lost employment due to COVID-19 is now June 30.
The Emergency Cash Assistance provides two monthly cash payments to families that were employed as of March 11, 2020 and have lost a job or lost at least 50% of their earned income due to the COVID-19 emergency. Applications for emergency cash assistance will be accepted through June 30, 2020. This money is funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and provides:
• $500 for a household of 1 to 2 persons.
• $750 for a household of 3 to 4 persons.
• $1000 for a household with 5 or more persons.
To be eligible, families must have been employed as of March 11, 2020 but have since then lost employment or at least 50% of their earned income due to the COVID-19 emergency, include a child under the age of 18 or a pregnant woman, have a valid Social Security Number, must not have resources exceeding $2000, and the gross and/or unearned monthly income may not exceed 85% of the State’s Median Income that’s currently:
• Gross Monthly Income of $2,696 for a household of one.
• Gross Monthly Income of $3,526 for a household of two.
• Gross Monthly Income of $4,356 for a household of three.
• Gross Monthly Income of $5,185 for a household of four.
• Gross Monthly Income of $6,015 for a household of five.
Apply Online
To check the status of your application, call (833) 496-0661.
More Information:
Applicants are required to upload their verification to the application prior to submitting to TDHS. Once the application and verifications have been submitted, no further action will be needed. Applicants DO NOT need to call the DHS office for an interview. Applicants will receive a notification of denial or approval via email. If approved, applicants can expect an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card to be sent within 10-15 days of approval via mail.
The Emergency Cash Assistance provides two monthly cash payments to families that were employed as of March 11, 2020 and have lost a job or lost at least 50% of their earned income due to the COVID-19 emergency. Applications for emergency cash assistance will be accepted through June 30, 2020. This money is funded by the Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program and provides:
• $500 for a household of 1 to 2 persons.
• $750 for a household of 3 to 4 persons.
• $1000 for a household with 5 or more persons.
This assistance is available in addition to any unemployment benefits individuals in the family may be receiving.
CHS hopes yearbooks will be ready soon
Coffee County Central High School officials want parents, guardians and students to know that yearbooks for this past school year are still not ready, but to be on the lookout for more information soon.
Due to COVID-19, the publisher of the book was shut down for multiple weeks. The book is set to print around May 28, but will then need to be delivered to the school at a later date. Thunder Radio will offer an update when more information is available.
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Tennessee unemployment tops 14%
Newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development revealed the state’s highest-ever unemployment rate amid the COVID-19 health emergency.
The preliminary seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for April 2020 is 14.7%, which is an unprecedented spike of 11.4 percentage points when compared to March’s revised rate of 3.3%.
This is Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate in a generation. Before the pandemic, the state’s all-time highest seasonally adjusted rate was 12.9%, which occurred in back to back months in December 1982 and January 1983.
Total nonfarm employment in Tennessee decreased by 376,900 jobs between March and April. The largest decreases occurred in leisure/hospitality, manufacturing and professional/business services sectors.
Over the last 12 months, nonfarm employment decreased by 341,000 jobs. Like the month-to-month data, the largest decreases for the year occurred in the leisure/ hospitality, manufacturing and professional/business services sectors.
Since March 15, Tennessee has seen an unprecedented surge in unemployment claims filed. During the week ending May 16, the state paid more than 319,000 claimants nearly $359 million in unemployment benefits.
Nationally, seasonally adjusted unemployment experienced a similar spike as in Tennessee. The April 2020 rate for the United States is 14.7%. That figure represents a 10.3 percentage point increase from the previous month’s rate.
The statewide unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted to eliminate the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from an economic time series.
You can find a complete analysis of Tennessee’s April 2020 unemployment data here.
Tennesseans searching from new employment can find more than 150,000 current job openings on the state’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov. The site also has information about job retraining opportunities, interview and resume techniques, as well as local job data.
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Tullahoma police make arrests in rash of burglaries
Tullahoma Police Department announced that it has charged three individuals in connection with “several recent burglaries to local business, as well as two recent armed robberies that occurred at the Speedway in Tullahoma.”
According to TPD, charged are William Allen Mueller, 23; Jeffeory Alexander Liebig, 20; and Zachary Skyler Jones, 21. All three suspects reside in Tullahoma. They were arrested Friday, May 22 and booked into the Coffee County Jail. Mueller’s bail was set at $50,000, Liebig’s bail at $48,000 and Jones’ bail at $4,000. All three are set to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on June 25.
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Active cases remain at 24 in Coffee County
As of 2 p.m. Monday, there are 20,607 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee. This includes 338 confirmed deaths and 1,594 hospitalizations.
There are 13,073 cases classified as recovered, leaving 7,534 active cases. This is 226 more active cases than the prior day. There have been 396,219 total tests performed. This means about 5.2 of those tested are positive.
In Coffee County, there are 66 confirmed cases with 42 recoveries – leaving 24 active cases, a number that has held steady over the past several days.
Two arrested in Grundy County during overdose investigation
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Department sent out a press release Friday notifying that a search warrant was performed that included seizure of drugs, cash, guns and two arrests – these arrests were made as a result of an investigation into multiple overdoses in the area. However, the Grundy County Sheriff would not confirm or deny if this arrest has a direct connection.
Investigators found methamphetamine, over 100 fake pills believed to be laced with fentanyl and seized $4,118 in cash, two handguns, an AR-15 and three long guns.
Arrested were Rick Adam Dickinson, age 35, and Rachel Gwen Rollins, age 28, both from Monteagle.
Both have been charged with possession of schedule I drug, possession of schedule II drug, manufacture, sale and delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Both will appear in court in June.
Death reported at Tracy City water plant
According to the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts, an accident occurred Friday, May 22 at the Tracy City water plant that led to a fatality.
Tracy City Mayor Nadene Moore issued a statement: “An accident occurred during the delivery of normal chemicals used for processing water. Unfortunately, the accident resulted in injuries to an employee at the plant and also resulted in the loss of life for the individual delivering the products. The town expresses great sympathy for those affected by this tragedy.”
Details of the accident remain unclear. Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Officials announced that water quality is not affected.
CHS seniors sent off in style with graduation parade
The Coffee County Central High School Parade of Graduates took place Friday without incident and finished with rave reviews from the community.
Class of 2020 graduates rode through downtown Manchester and eventually to CHS, where they received diplomas. Many made the trip hanging out of windows, truck beds and sun roofs to wave and celebrate with the crowd that gathered along the route.
Well over 300 graduates chose to participate in the parade. Thunder Radio was onsite at Raider Academy to conduct interviews of students before the parade began. Thunder Radio also broadcast names being called, as well as valedictorian and salutatorian speeches. You can rewatch the festivities on our Facebook page.
(Below photos by Dennis Weaver, Thunder Radio)
Westwood celebrates 8th graders at awards night
Westwood Middle School held its 8th grade awards night on Thursday, May 21. Thunder Radio was there to broadcast the awards and recognition of spring sports students who had their seasons cut short.
The Top 10 percent of the 8th grade class at Westwood is as follows:
Melisa Garcia Ayala
2. Kylee Finchum
3. Kailee Rossman
4. Mallory Freeman
5. Marli Miller
6. Jeffery Hale
7. Alyssa Freeze
8. Anna Claire Willmore
9. Robert Famularo
10. Scarlet Cain
11. Neil Ghandhi
12. Haley Bowen
13. Anaiah Davenport
14. Claire Jacobs
15. Addison Vanwinkle
The presidential academic awards for 2019-2020 are as follows:
1. Gianna Afflerbaugh
2. Haley Bowen
3. Scarlet Cain
4. Eduardo Cano Aguilar
5. Anaiah Davenport
6. Zowee Dillard
7. Cody Douglas
8. Robert Famularo
9. Kylee Finchum
10. Melisa Garcia Ayala
11. Mallory Freeman
12. Alyssa Freeze
13. Neil Gandhi
14. Kimberly Garcia Razo
15. Edgar Guzman
16. Jeffery Hale
17. Claire Jacobs
18. Gavin Skylar Koon
19. Jose Marceleno
20. Rylea McNamara
21. Marli Miller
22. Lyndsey Paschall
23. Devesh Patel
24. Alexandra Rivas Garcia
25. Kailee Rossman
26. Joely Sain
27. Addison Vanwinkle
28. Anna Claire Willmore
Other award winners are as follows:
American Legion Award- Skylar Koon, Kailee Rossman
Rotary Citizenship Award- Jeffery Hale, Alyssa Freeze
Gary Dyer Award- Eduardo Cano Aguilar, Ansley Beachboard
Presidential Awards- List attached
Attendance Awards- Michael Baker, Jose Barrera, Jonas Baugh, Jimi Flores (Perfect Attendance All 3 Years) Salina Flores, Selena Peneloza Vega, Elias Ramon Gonzalez
Rocket Reader Award- Alexiz Barrera-Ayala
Rocket Music Award- Alyssa Freeze
Rocket Yearbook Award- Alyssa Freeze
Rocket Wellness Awards- Princess Peneloza, Jonas Baugh
Art I Award- Mallory Freeman
Theatre 1 Award- Alyssa Freeze
ELA Awards: Advanced and ELA- Advanced: Melisa Garcia Ayala; ELA: Neil Gandhi, Marli Miller
Science Awards- Nico Sanfilippo, Edgar Guzman
Physical Science Award- Jeffery Hale and Marli Miller
Math Awards- Eduardo Rojas Chavez, Nancy Carbajal
Algebra I Award- Melisa Garcia Ayala
Woodmen of the World Award (U.S. History)- Jeffery Hale, Aidan Hetrick
Computer Applications Award – Tatiana McCord
CHS parade of graduates brings Manchester, graduates together for memorable night
The Coffee County Central High School Parade of Graduates took place Friday without incident and finished with rave reviews from the community.
Class of 2020 graduates rode through downtown Manchester and eventually to CHS, where they received diplomas. Many made the trip hanging out of windows, truck beds and sun roofs to wave and celebrate with the crowd that gathered along the route.
Well over 300 graduates chose to participate in the parade. Thunder Radio was onsite at Raider Academy to conduct interviews of students before the parade began. Thunder Radio also broadcast names being called, as well as valedictorian and salutatorian speeches. You can rewatch the festivities on our Facebook page.
(Below photos by Dennis Weaver, Thunder Radio)
See more photos from Friday’s festivities by clicking here.