Josh Peterson

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Monday that his executive “stay at home” order has been extended through April 30.

His original executive order would have expired Tuesday. The extension calls for all non-essential businesses to be closed to the public, requires restaurant to offer curbside or carry-out services only and calls for Tennesseans to limit movement to essential functions, although that list of essential functions is large.

Earlier this month, Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott clarified for residents that you do not need a special letter to travel within the county, and he added that police will not stop you to ask for one.

Tennessee Department of Health is now reporting 5,610 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee, this as of 2 p.m. Monday. These confirmed cases are out of 76,195 tests performed. There have been 109 deaths, 579 hospitalizations and 1,671 people classified as recovered. In Coffee County there have been 11 confirmed cases and 331 negative tests performed.

There are now 5,308 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tennessee as of 2 p.m. Sunday, this according to the Tennessee Department of Health. There have been 101 COVID-19 related deaths and 567 hospitalizations. There have been a total of 70,599 tests performed and 1,504 people recovered.

In Coffee County, there are 11 confirmed cases of the virus. Three of those people have been classified as recovered. In total, there have been 306 negative tests for the virus in Coffee County.

Manchester City Schools will have Chromebooks available for check out for students grade 3-5 who need a device for instructional use at home. Check out will be Monday, April 13, 2020 at College Street Elementary and Westwood Elementary from 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. or by appointment with the school principal. There will be a limit of one device per family while supplies last. A parent/guardian must be present, provide a working phone number, and sign for the device at the time of check out.

College Street students will check out devices at the front entrance of the school. Parents/ Guardians will be provided with a Chromebook and charger. A spreadsheet will be provided to record the Chromebook gold tag number, teacher’s name, phone number, and parent/guardian signature.

Westwood Elementary students will check out devices at the ESP entrance on the backside of the building. Turn right from Oakdale into the circular drive. We will have signs at the road indicating the turn in location. A spreadsheet will be provided to record the Chromebook gold tag number, teacher’s name, phone number, and parent/ guardian signature.

Devices will be returned May 15th, 2020 at the school it was checked out from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Westwood Middle School is a 1/1 school and every student in grades 6 – 8 have Chromebooks for use at home.

Phony websites claiming to sell face masks or fake COVID-19 test kits and emails peddling cures are just a few of the dozens of scams being fielded by law enforcement as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

While scams offering free government money have been around for decades, Randy Hutchinson, president of the Better Business Bureau of the MidSouth, said the coronavirus has led to an explosion of fraudulent activity in the last few weeks — ever since Congress passed the bill that includes sending emergency payments to most Americans.

“If somebody contacts you in any way — phone call, email, text message, social media — and says, ‘We’re ready to send you your stimulus payment,’ or perhaps a free government grant, and asks you to pay money up front, it is a scam,” he said.

The government will deposit money directly into the bank account you included on your tax return last year or will mail you a check, Hutchinson said, adding that if anyone claiming to be from a government agency asks for your Social Security number, bank account or credit card number, they are a scammer.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration also are clamping down on individuals selling unregistered disinfectants and sanitizing products that they claim can kill the new coronavirus, Hutchinson said.

“This action follows on the Federal Trade Commission and Food and Drug Administration sending warning letters to seven other companies that were selling products they claim could treat and cure coronavirus,” he said.

Some of the products included teas and essential oils. So far, the FTC has said, it has received nearly 8,000 COVID-19-related complaints. Information on emerging scams is online at bbb.org/coronavirus, where you also can file a complaint.

-Story by Nadia Ramlagan, Tennessee Public News Service

Sharon Kay Edwards, Motlow McMinnville campus branch librarian, was selected as the 2020 Community College Staff Member of the Year in the second annual Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Awards during the Tennessee Board of Regents quarterly meeting Tuesday.

“I am deeply appreciative of the SOAR Award,” said Edwards. “You know, we don’t do what we do every day to get awards or accolades, but it is nice to be recognized. I am also grateful to be a part of the team, not just at the library, but also from the top down at Motlow. Everyone at the College really goes above and beyond to ensure student success.”

The College System of Tennessee (TBR) selected six individual SOAR Award winners that represent Motlow and Nashville State community colleges, and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) at Elizabethton, Knoxville and Paris.

Edwards said she loves finding information for students, faculty and others, helping them learn to find it themselves, instructing users with technical or digital issues, and creating innovating programs in which library patrons participate. She has also discovered the added benefits of helping students change their lives in a few semesters and the opportunity to watch them graduate.

The Tennessee Board of Regents, which governs the 13 public community colleges and 27 colleges of applied technology comprising the College System of Tennessee, established the SOAR Awards program last year to recognize and honor the outstanding students, faculty and staff members at its colleges, as well as the major accomplishments of the colleges.

Each college in the system nominated a student, faculty member and staff member for the individual SOAR awards. The college nominees participated in regional judging in East, Middle and West Tennessee. A total of 18 regional finalists – six students, six faculty and six staff members – advanced to the state level. A panel of judges conducted interviews of the 18 finalists to select the Outstanding Students, Faculty and Staff Members of the Year.

“Our system’s mission – and the mission of each of our colleges – is the success of all our students and the development of Tennessee’s workforce. Our graduates power Tennessee’s economy. It’s appropriate that we recognize the outstanding students – and the outstanding faculty and staff members on our campuses who work with students every day to help them succeed,” said TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings.

Each of the individual award winners receives a SOAR trophy, and the two colleges will be presented the distinctive College Cup to keep on their campuses. All 18 finalists for the individual awards received SOAR Finalist plaques in recognition of their achievements.

Sharon accepts her award and comments on being a valuable member of the Motlow team in an exclusive video featured on YouTube that you can watch below.

The Board plans to honor the SOAR Award recipients in person later in the year. Tuesday’s Board meeting was held by conference call due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second SOAR Conference, including a Finalists Dinner and Awards Dinner and the College System’s Day on the Hill, was originally scheduled for March 24-25 in Downtown Nashville but was cancelled due to the pandemic

All of Middle Tennessee, including Coffee County, is under an enhanced risk for severe weather Sunday and Sunday night, according to National Weather Service office in Nashville. As of 11:30 a.m. Sunday, NWS upgraded some of Southern Middle Tennessee to a moderate risk (4 of 5) of severe weather – this includes Frankln, Lincoln and Moore counties, as well as the southwestern portion of Coffee County. 

A large area in Alabama and Mississippi is under a moderate risk for severe weather.

According to NWS, the primary threats are damaging straight-line winds, flash flooding and isolated tornadoes.

“Severe storms are possible during the late afternoon Sunday, but the peak time for severe activity won’t occur until the cold front comes through during the evening and overnight. All of Middle Tennessee is under an enhanced risk of severe weather,” said NWS.

The approximate timing for the main round of severe storms is 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday night into early Monday morning.

Everyone should remain weather aware and have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings, including NOAA weather radio, listening to Thunder Radio and being signed up for NWS severe weather alerts through text message. You can listen to Thunder Radio at 107.9 FM 1320 AM or stream by clicking here.

Manchester City Schools will have Chromebooks available for check out for students grade 3-5 who need a device for instructional use at home. Check out will be Monday, April 13, 2020 at College Street Elementary and Westwood Elementary from 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. or by appointment with the school principal. There will be a limit of one device per family while supplies last. A parent/guardian must be present, provide a working phone number, and sign for the device at the time of check out.

College Street students will check out devices at the front entrance of the school. Parents/ Guardians will be provided with a Chromebook and charger. A spreadsheet will be provided to record the Chromebook gold tag number, teacher’s name, phone number, and parent/guardian signature.

Westwood Elementary students will check out devices at the ESP entrance on the backside of the building. Turn right from Oakdale into the circular drive. We will have signs at the road indicating the turn in location. A spreadsheet will be provided to record the Chromebook gold tag number, teacher’s name, phone number, and parent/ guardian signature.

Devices will be returned May 15th, 2020 at the school it was checked out from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Westwood Middle School is a 1/1 school and every student in grades 6 – 8 have Chromebooks for use at home.