Josh Peterson

Monday is the final day to register to vote if you plan to participate in the upcoming March 3 primary.

Coffee County voters voting in the Republican primary will be selecting a new General Sessions judge to replace Tim Brock, who passed away late last year.

The primary will also include the presidential primary  for both Republican and Democratic parties.

If you want to register, there is a link on our website – visit this news story. You can also visit the Coffee County Election Commission at 1329 McArthur St. Suite 6.

Early voting for the March 3 primary begins on February 12.

Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin at the H&R Block of Manchester and say congratulations to our student of the week – Kaitlin Toney.

Kaitlin is a fifth-grade student at College Street Elementary School. She is in Mrs. Vanessa Barnard’s homeroom and she is the daughter of Melody Horton.

Kaitlin enjoys playing basketball and when she grows up she plans to become a lawyer.

Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block has been inspired to recognize kids in our community all through hockey season. What does hockey have to do with our local students? Well, H&R Block gives each student of the week a set of Nashville Predators hockey tickets, in addition to a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition.

Congratulations, Kaitlin. Keep up the great work!

(Pictured are, from left: Josh Peterson, owner of Thunder Radio, teacher Vanessa Barnard, student of the week Kaitlin Toney, Rosalyn Partin, owner of Manchester H&R Block, College Street principal Tom Jacobs.)

Manchester Fire and Rescue Department responded to a vehicle fire on State Highway 55 shortly after noon on Thursday.

Crews arrived on the scene to find a fully involved truck on fire on the side of the road.

Before crews could arrive, the driver and passenger of the truck were able to exit and unhook a travel trailer from the truck. Tullahoma Fire Department arrived on scene for assistance but the scene was under control by the Manchester Fire Department. Crews were able to extinguish the fire, but the vehicle was a total loss. Manchester Police, Tullahoma Police and Tennessee Highway Patrol were all on scene to perform traffic control in the area.

The Tullahoma – Manchester micropolitan statistical area has made a significant jump in the latest economic ratkings. This area now ranks 37^th out of 542 micropolitan areas in the US

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a new rule, saying it clarifies which types of waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act and which are not. This affects some Tennessee waterways

Tullahoma has two new police officers. And Motlow has been reaffirmed accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

According to a recent report, the Tullahoma-Manchester Micropolitan Statistical Area has made a significant jump in the latest economic ratings, putting the area into one of the strongest positions in Tennessee and in the entire United States.

The annual report is prepared by POLICOM Corporation, an independent economics research firm based in Palm City, Florida, which specializes in analyzing local and state economies and economic development. The index takes into account the condition of the economy from the viewpoint of its impact upon the standard of living of the people who live and work in the area.

This area jumped 14 positions in the latest ranking to be rated Number 37 out of 542 Micropolitan Areas in the U.S.  The area was rated number 51 last year and has been on a continual ratings increase since 2011 when it was rated 148.  In Tennessee, only Cookeville was rated higher coming in at Number 34 in the country.

Each year since 1997, POLICOM has ranked the U.S. Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas for their long-term tendency to consistently grow in both size and quality.  POLICOM analyzes local economies, determines if they are growing or declining, identifies what is causing this to happen, and offers ideas and solutions to improve the local economy.

United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas (MicSA), as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), are labor market areas in the United States centered on an urban cluster (urban area) with a population of at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 people.

The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003. Like the better-known Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), a micropolitan area is a geographic entity used for statistical purposes based on counties and county equivalents.

Policom also provides the same rankings for metropolitan areas across the nation, with the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin area ranked number one. Seattle ranks #2.

Complete rankings and methodology can be found here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a new rule, saying it clarifies which types of waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act and which are not.

The Navigable Waters Protection Rule, released last week, redefines the term “waters of the United States” to exclude wetlands, streams and other small water bodies from strict pollution controls. The change replaces a 2015 rule with a broader definition.

Kathy Hawes, executive director of the Tennessee Clean Water Network, said the rollback will make it harder for states to control water pollution.

“What this EPA has done is, without any scientific evidence, they’ve announced a rollback that says that pretty much all isolated wetlands and ephemeral streams are not going to be covered under the Clean Water Act,” she said, “which means that the states have no power to enforce water-quality protections.”

She said the new rule will make it easier for developers or construction companies to acquire permits for projects that destroy wetlands. The EPA has maintained that the change ends “decades of uncertainty” over which waterways fall under federal protection.

Hawes said most smaller water bodies are connected to larger ones, adding that if more pollution ends up in streams and tributaries, it’s going to seep into communities’ drinking-water sources.

“You can’t ensure water quality in a major river if you can’t enforce water-quality protections in those streams,” she said. “It’s just going to pour that pollution right into the major water body.”

Hawes said the new rule would give property owners and developers the green light to use fertilizers, industrial chemicals and other pollutants in or near waters that no longer are protected under the Clean Water Act.

Hawes said she believes the public hasn’t had enough time to digest the implications of a series of speedy EPA rollbacks to numerous environmental regulations.

“A lot of times, the response times that they give you – it’s a 60-day comment period and then boom, it’s done,” she said, “and before you can read through all the changes and interpret them and put them into layman’s language, it has happened and it is over.”

The EPA is planning to hold a webcast to help explain the new rule on Feb. 13.

The rule change is online at epa.gov.

The Tullahoma Police Department has added two officers to the force. Zach Weaver and Justin Blackburn have started working with the department this month.

(Pictured from left to right are Tullahoma Police Department Chief Jason Williams, patrolman Zach Weaver, patrolman Justin Blackburn, Lt. Phil Henderson, and Lt. Jason Ferrell.)