Josh Peterson

 Tuesday is primary election day here in Tennessee. This is the presidential preference primary and the Coffee County primary. Polls will be open in Coffee County until 7 p.m. Anyone waiting in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to complete their vote.

In addition to the federal presidential preference primary, Coffee County voters will have assessor of property, general sessions judge, Coffee County Commissioner (District 8 only), and road commissioner seat 4, which serves districts 11 and 12 to vote for.

If early voting is an indicator, Coffee County voters are turning out in heavier amounts than they did for the presidential preference primary in 2016. During early voting, which ran Feb. 12 through the 25^th, there were 3,517 total votes cast. That was up from 3,074 early votes cast in 2016. Of the 3,517 early votes cast this year, 2,561 were Republican and 956 were Democratic.

March is the month when United States Census information will begin arriving in mailboxes across the country, including right here in Coffee County.

Beginning March 12, households across Coffee County will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail that includes detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census either online, by phone or by mail. Responding is not a lengthy process.

The Census is conducted every 10 years, in accordance with the United States Constitution.

“This is a very important Census for Coffee County,” said Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell. “It is of utmost important that everyone is accounted for. This data and these results will have a direct impact in our community for the next 10 years.”

If you do not receive census mail on March 12, there is no need to panic. It should arrive in your mailbox sometime between March 12-20.

This mail will be an invitation to respond to the Census. It will also include a Census ID that you can use to respond online. The 2020 Census is the very first that is allowing self-response online.

It is important to note that the invitation sent to each mailbox will be addressed to “resident,” and not to anyone personally.

“You will receive a postcard invitation … a very basic general letter,” explained Tia Zanghi, partnership specialist with the Census for the Coffee County area. “It has a unique code. You type that into the website and that’s how you can complete online. But you do not have to have that unique code. You can actually do it with just your address.”

Census results impact many things, including congressional boundaries, business and industry relocation, grant allocations and federal funding for important projects, such as transportation and education.

“School districts are directly impacted by census data, so it is vital that everyone who resides in Manchester and Coffee County participate,” explained Dr. Joey Vaughn, director of Manchester City Schools. “Funding is based on total population, not just the number of children in the area. Our schools are working with families to make sure accurate information is distributed and encouraging everyone to participate.”

“You will receive a postcard invitation … a very basic general letter,” explained Zanghi. “It has a unique code. You type that into the website and that’s how you can complete online. But you do not have to have that unique code. You can actually do it with just your address.”

Privacy and security concerns at ease

For those concerned with privacy, the U.S. Census is completely confidential and bound by Title 13.

Title 13 protects private information from being published and under the U.S. Code, Census workers take a lifetime oath of confidentiality as well.

By law, census responses cannot be used by any of the following agencies: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Those who violate Title 13 can face a federal prison sentence of up to five years, a fine of $250,000, or both.

 “Your information is completely confidential,” reassured Zanghi. “It is protected by law. For 72 years your info is completely locked up. Whenever we submit this information to the president it will be in statistical form only”

Tennessee lawmakers plan this week to bring forward legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Tennessee. If the law were to pass, as written, marijuana products such as marijuana oils, tinctures,  pills and lotions would be available for sale as soon as the end of 2020. This law would not allow marijuana joints, vapes or edibles.

Also, if passed in its current form, you would only be able to purchase marijuana products if issued a medical cannabis card by the clinical cannabis commission, which will be a new government commission. Being issued a card would be relegated to certain medical conditions, such as cancer, PTSD, or HIV, and a recommendation from a doctor. There are about a dozen medical conditions that would be eligible. 

State senator Steve Dickerson, of Nashville, and state representative Bryan Terry, of Murfreesboro are both Republicans who happen to be doctors. They are introducing the legislation.

This bill would only allow for the licensing of 75 dispensaries – which are to be evenly distributed between the three divisions of Tennessee. Only six cultivation businesses would be allowed.

It is worth noting that Governor Bill Lee has said he is not in favor of medical marijuana or decriminalizing marijuana.

Manchester closed out February with nearly 11 total inches of rain, this according to TVA Rain Gauge Data. Manchester received 10.93 inches of rain to be exact from Feb. 1 through Feb. 29. While that certainly made for a wet and sloppy month, and multiple school closures due to flooded roads, February of 2019 actually brought more rain, totaling 11.6 inches in the Manchester area, according to TVA, which was the wettest February on record.

If you are hoping for a dryer month of March, that may not be in the cards. National Weather Service is predicting 4-6 inches of rain this week in the Manchester area, with other areas of the midstate expected to receive between 6-8 inches of rain.

(Below graphic indicates expected rainfall amounts from Sunday night, March 1, through Wednesdsay, March 4)

Tuesday, March 3 is primary election day in Tennessee. This is the presidential preference primary and the Coffee County primary. Polls will be open in Coffee County from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Anyone waiting in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to complete their vote.

In addition to the federal presidential preference primary, Coffee County voters will have assessor of property, general sessions judge, Coffee County Commissioner (district 8) and road commissioner seat 4, which serves districts 11 and 12 to vote for.

If early voting is an indicator, Coffee County voters are turning out in heavier amounts than they did for the presidential preference primary in 2016. During early voting, which ran Feb. 12 through the 25^th, there were 3,517 total votes cast. That was up from the 3,074 early votes cast In 2016. Of the 3,517 early votes cast this year, 2,561 were Republican and 956 were Democratic.

By Nadia Ramlagan, Tennessee Public News Service

Tennessee is increasing the number of drop-off clinics that allow police officers to take people with mental-health and/or substance-abuse issues to a treatment provider instead of jail.

Sejal West, senior vice president for operations of Volunteer Behavioral Healthcare System, says the jail diversion program is a close collaboration between local criminal-justice systems, law enforcement and treatment providers.

“Just even the process of determining which crimes, which offenses would be appropriate for this, that was done collectively,” says West. “There are low-level misdemeanors, where there’s not a victim. Like trespassing and loitering, public intoxication. Those are a lot of the charges we see.”

West’s organization covers 31 counties in middle and east Tennessee and is slated to receive $500,000 in funding to help build a new clinic.

According to state data, between 2017 and 2019, pre-arrest diversion clinics connected more than seven thousand people to mental-health treatment, saving an estimated $9.8 million.

Kim Parker, director of inpatient and crisis services at Pathways Behavioral Health Services, says the funding will help her organization build a new clinic in a closed-down hospital in rural west Tennessee.

“We will be able to use that rural hospital to provide this service to get the people the treatment that they need,” says Parker, “as well as reduce the overcrowding in the jails.”

This year Gov. Bill Lee budgeted $1.5 million to boost the pre-arrest diversion program in rural, underserved and distressed parts of the state.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday that he backs legislation to allow adult Tennesseans to carry handguns without a permit, training or background checks.

During a news conference, Lee said: “The Second Amendment’s clear and concise and secures the uninfringed right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. Today, I’m announcing that we will be joining 16 other states in this nation by introducing a constitutional carry law in the state of Tennessee.”

If passed, this measure would allow gun owners to carry firearms openly or concealed and take them everywhere that guns are allowed. Guns would continue to be prohibited at parks, schools, churches and other areas.

Currently, obtaining a permit to carry requires training, background checks and a fee. This permitless carry Lee speaks of would cost nothing and would not require training. One caveat would be that this option would not translate to other states unless those states have similar agreements with permitless carry.

This legislation also makes theft of a firearm a felony rather than a misdemeanor, with a six-month incarceration sentence mandated for that crime. This would also mean heavier sentences if a firearm is stolen from a car, providing to a juvenile or possession of a handgun by a felon. Purchasing a handgun would still require passing a federal background check.

Planning to go to the 2020 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival? Better already have your ticket, because the 2020 festival has already sold out – making it the fastest that the festival has ever sold out in its 19 year history.

The festival announced earlier this week that VIP tickets were sold out, and then announced Wednesday that general admission tickets were running low. By Thursday afternoon, the event sold out.

The 2020 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will be held June 11 through June 14 at Great Stage Park in Manchester. This year’s festival, the 19^th, will be headlined by Tool, Lizzo and Tame Impala. With other popular acts such as Miley Cyrus, Bassnectar, Nelly, Lana Del Rey among others set to perform.

Winchester Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying four individuals captured on security footage. The individuals, two males and two females, can be seen in photos below. If you recognize these subjects, contact detective Brian Wilder with Winchester Police at 931-967-3840, or crime stoppers at 931-962-INFO.