Josh Peterson

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

The Manchester Police Department is seeking the public’s help locating a runaway 13-year old juvenile.

According to police, Lillie Arianna Seymour, age 13, reportedly left her home with her 19-year old brother at approximately 3:30 a.m. early Sunday morning, May 24.

Seymour has dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a white tank top with black dots and a pair of shorts. She reportedly left with her brother, Ronald Joseph Seymour, Jr., who is 19 and has light brown hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information regarding their whereabouts, contact the Manchester Police Department immediately at 931-728-2099 or 931-728-9555.

(Below photos show missing female and 19-year old brother)

The Manchester Recreation Complex will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day. The center will reopen on Tuesday,

When the center opens on Tuesday, the outdoor pool will be open for the summer. According to the department, there will be increased sanitizing and cleaning. The pool will open through the week from noon to 2 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. During the hour breaks, everyone must leave the pool area and exit the facility. Saturday and Sunday pool hours are noon to 2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m.

There are other caveats to use of the pool for now. The rec center will only allow members to use the facility – there will be no daily passes sold.

If you enter the complex to use the pool, your temperature will be checked. There will be no use of locker rooms or showers. However, bathrooms will be available. There will also be no pool chairs available, but patrons are allowed to bring their own chairs.

Also, the indoor pool will not be open for open swim while the outdoor pools are open. That pool is for lap swimming only and must be reserved. For more information, call the rec center at 931-728-0273.

On Friday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued executive order No. 38, which allows for groups of up to 50 people to participate in social and recreational activities while encouraging strong social distancing measures.

Here are provisions: 

• The order permits more Tennesseans and businesses to return to work in all industries where that can be safely accomplished by following health guidelines and maintaining social distancing from persons outside of your household, while continuing to urge employers to allow or require remote work/telework if possible.

• Requirements with respect to social and recreational gatherings, such as festivals, fairs, parades, large parties or picnics, noncontact sporting events and activities, summer camps, and other types of social or recreational gatherings, are clarified to focus on the importance of social distancing from persons outside your household and avoiding social/recreational groups of 50 or more persons, consistent with recent conversations and input from counties across the state, including the six locally run county health departments with independent orders or plans in place.

o This limitation does not cover places of worship, for which there are guidelines for safe operation of worship services and gatherings if in-person services are conducted, but the order strongly encourages places of worship to continue virtual or online services where possible.

o This limitation does not apply to weddings, funerals, and related events, but encourages postponement of large-gathering components of such events.

o Non-contact sporting events and activities and summer camps should be conducted in accordance with operational guidance from the Governor’s Economic Recovery Group (e.g., Tennessee Pledge), which is forthcoming soon.

o Contact sporting events and activities, where there is a requirement or substantial likelihood of routine close contact and adequate social distancing is not feasible, are prohibited, but this does not apply to collegiate or professional sports conducted under the rules or guidelines of their respective governing bodies. This also does not prohibit training or otherwise practicing the elements of such sports that do not involve close contact with persons.

• Nursing homes and similar retirement and long-term-care facilities must remain closed to visitors, unless in the discretion of the facility the visit involves critical assistance for the resident or is to a resident receiving end-of-life care, provided that such a visit may be accomplished without unreasonable risk. These facilities must also ensure that residents with disabilities are afforded necessary visitation by service providers and other persons.

• Administrators of nursing homes and similar retirement and long-term-care facilities are strongly encouraged to provide COVID-19 testing to all residents and staff or take substantial steps toward completing such testing by May 31, 2020. Financial and operational support for such testing is available from the Tennessee Department of Health and Tennessee National Guard.

• Senior centers or equivalent facilities remain closed to members or the public.

• Attractions and larger venues may reopen, but should follow the Economic Recovery Group Guidelines (e.g., Tennessee Pledge), including with respect to social distancing and capacity limits

• Bars may reopen, but may only serve customers seated at appropriately spaced tables and must follow the Economic Recovery Group Guidelines (e.g., Tennessee Pledge) for restaurants.

• Tennesseans are urged to continue limiting activity and staying home as much as possible to preserve and build on the health progress we’ve made.

• All employers and businesses that choose to open are expected to comply with the Governor’s Economic Recovery Group Guidelines for operating safely, as well as general health guidelines from the CDC and other government entities.
• Persons and businesses are urged to take special care to protect and provide for the well-being of vulnerable populations, including by offering delivery or special shopping hours if possible.

• Persons with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms are required to stay at home, and employers may not require or allow employees with COVID-19 to work.

• Persons are urged to wear a cloth face covering in places where in close proximity to others, especially where social distancing is difficult.

• Take-out and delivery alcohol sales by restaurants and limited-service restaurants will continue to be permitted to encourage customers to utilize take-out or delivery options.

• For the 89 counties without a locally run county health department (all but Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan), this order supersedes any contrary orders or measures, meaning that the counties cannot issue independent orders that would limit application of Executive Order No. 38, though counties may continue issuing or enforcing orders or measures on other matters related to COVID-19, such as opening or closure of their governmental buildings, governing their employees, or dealing with the operation of their local government.

• The county health departments in the 6 counties with locally run county health departments (Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby, and Sullivan) shall have authority to issue orders or measures that permit or restrict to a different degree than this order the opening, closure, or operation of businesses, organizations, or venues, or the gathering of persons, except for in the case of places of worship. Otherwise, this order governs on the topics it covers.

As of 2 p.m. Sunday, there have been 20,145 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee. This includes 336 confirmed deaths and 1,583 hospitalizations.

There are 12,837 recoveries, leaving 7,308 active cases in the state. There have been a total of 383,576 tests administered.

Meanwhile, in Coffee County there are 65 confirmed cases according to Tennessee Department of Health. With 41 recoveries, that leaves 24 active cases in Coffee County.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, there are now 18,961 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Tennessee. This includes 313 deaths and 1,539 hospitalizations. There are 12,191 cases classified as recovered, leaving 6,770 active cases in the state. There have been 360,583 total tests performed, meaning out of all of those tested, about 5.26 percent are testing positive.

Meanwhile, in Coffee County there are 63 reported  cases and 41 recoveries. This leaves 22 active cases. There have been 1,886 negative labs performed in Coffee County.

The outdoor pool of the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department will open for the summer on Tuesday, May 26 with Tennessee Pledge guidelines in place for water parks.

According to the department, there will be increased sanitizing and cleaning. The pool will open through the week from noon to 2 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. During the hour breaks, everyone must leave the pool area and exit the facility. Saturday and Sunday pool hours are noon to 2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m.

There are other caveats to use of the pool for now. The rec center will only allow members to use the facility – there will be no daily passes sold.

If you enter the complex to use the pool, your temperature will be checked. There will be no use of locker rooms or showers. However, bathrooms will be available. There will also be no pool chairs available, but patrons are allowed to bring their own chairs.

Also, the indoor pool will not be open for open swim while the outdoor pools are open. That pool is for lap swimming only and must be reserved. For more information, call the rec center at 931-728-0273.

Since March 15, there have been 532,580 new claims filed for unemployment in the state of Tennessee. For the week ending May 16, an additional 28,692 claims were filed. This is down from 29,308 filed the previous week and continues a downward trend in new claims since the peak of April 4, when 116,141 claims were filed.

Nationally, 2.4 million Americans filed new unemployment claims last week. This brings the total over the past 9 weeks to 38.6 million claims for unemployment.

Friday is graduation day for Coffee County Central High School – and it will certainly be a graduation to remember.

The school will send off the Class of 2020 with a parade of graduates that will start at Raider Academy and end at CHS. The community is encouraged to line the route and send the class off in style.

According to Coffee County School officials, the parade of graduates will begin at Raider Academy at 6 p.m. Friday, May 22, turn onto Waite Street, From there, students will turn onto Fort St. enter the downtown square, turn onto N. Irwin St., onto West Main St., and remain until they hit Woodland St., where they will turn toward US Highway 41. From there, students will take Highway 41 to State Route 55, go to Central High School, and travel around the school’s circle where they will receive their diplomas and names will be called. At that point students will have the option of parking in the student parking lot and waiting on all graduates and to turn their tassels and throw their caps. Students who choose not to wait can then exit the parking lot.

Thunder Radio will broadcast the audio of the parade, including valedictorian and salutatorian speeches. Thunder radio coverage begins at 5 p.m. with on-site coverage from Raider Academy, where students will be lining up. Thunder Radio will be conducting interviews, playing games and giving away prizes to students. Once students reach the high school, Thunder Radio will carry the presentation of diplomas and names being called. You can also watch the events at www.thunder1320.com. Video coverage begins at 6 p.m.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, there are now 18,532 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee. This includes 309 deaths and 1,515 hospitalizations.

There are 11,783 recoveries, which leaves only 6,749 active cases in the entire state. This is 660 fewer cases than the prior day and almost 1,400 fewer active cases than two days ago.

Meanwhile, Tennessee Department of Health is reporting 62 total cases of the virus in Coffee County with 39 recoveries. This leaves 23 active cases – the same as the previous day.