Josh Peterson

A Franklin County man is in custody after allegedly shooting his wife and his two children Saturday afternoon.

Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Chris Guess told Thunder Radio News that deputies responded to a call of domestic violence at 1620 Vernon Ridge Rd. at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

“While deputies were responding, the situation escalated with shots fired,” explained Guess.

Upon arrival on the scene, deputies entered the residence and found Holly Raquel Maxwell (age 46),  on the floor of the residence.

While processing the scene, authorities made contact with Christopher Maxwell, (age 47) in an adjacent milk barn, where he was taken into custody.

A 13-year old juvenile at the scene was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment of gunshot wounds, and a 14-year old juvenile was transported to Erlanger Barones Hospital in Chattanooga for treatment of gunshot wounds.

After being transported to Southern Tennessee Regional Health Systems for treatment of chest pains, Christopher Maxwell was booked into the Franklin County Jail on charges of first degree murder, homicide, criminal attempt and aggravated child abuse and neglect. He is being held with no bond. His initial court date is set for Thursday, March 5.

In addition to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, other responding agencies included the Lexie Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department and the A&E Emergency Services.

(Photo – mugshot of Christopher Maxwell)

Coffee County Sheriff’s Department authorities are asking for the public’s help to find a Polaris Ranger XP900 side-by-side that was stolen from the Pea Ridge Rd. area early Friday morning. Anyone with information about this stolen Ranger is encouraged to contact CCSD investigator Sgt. Laura Nettles at 931-570-4425. 

A dog has been put down and an 11-year old child was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center Friday after the dog attacked the child.
According to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, the dog was running loose and attacked the child. The dog was put down. The child suffered multiple injuries, including injuries to the face, but those injuries are not life threatening.

The state of Tennessee ended 2019 with steady unemployment that continued to sit near record low levels, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) .

 For the second consecutive month, the state recorded a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.3%. The December 2019 figure is 0.1 of a percentage point away for Tennessee’s all-time low unemployment rate of 3.2%, reached in February 2019.

When comparing rates from year-to-year, unemployment in December 2019 is at the same level it was in 2018.

“It’s good to start 2020 with news that unemployment held steady during the busy holiday season in December,” said TDLWD Commissioner Jeff McCord. “During the new year, we will continue working to help even more Tennesseans participate in meaningful employment.”

Statewide, Tennessee employers continue to create new jobs. During December, nonfarm employment increased by 2,000 positions. The manufacturing, trade/transportation/utilities, and leisure/hospitality sectors reported the highest number of new hires.

Over the last year, nonfarm employment in Tennessee jumped by 49,200 jobs. The sectors with the most significant gains include leisure/hospitality, professional/business services, and trade/transportation/utilities.
Nationally, unemployment also remained steady. The seasonally adjusted rate for December 2019 is 3.5%, the same as November’s rate. Year-to-year, unemployment dropped substantially in the United States, down 0.4 of a percentage point from December 2018.

TDLWD has prepared a complete analysis of the latest unemployment statistics. You can find that information by following this link.

Tennesseans searching for new employment in the new year will find a variety of online resources by logging onto the state’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov. They can also visit one of the over 80 American Job Center locations conveniently located in cities across the state.

The state of Tennessee will release unemployment data for each county Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Manchester Police Department held a retirement ceremony for one of its canine officers Friday at City Hall.

After serving the department for five years, canine Roccon was officially retired by the department. The department obtained the dog in 2015 from the Lewisburg Police Department as a donation. Bradford Health Services sponsored a lunch, complete with dog treats, food and a cake for the occasion. Officer Dale Robertson served as Roccon’s handler.

The police department recently swore in two new canine officers – Nalty, who will work with officer Daryn Gadeken, and Storm, who will work alongside officer Derek Bowles.

(Photo caption: Canine officer Roccon is pictured with handler Dale Robertson (far right) and family during his retirement ceremony Friday, January 24, 2020 at Manchester City Hall.)

Both Coffee County and Manchester City Schools are closed on Monday, January 27 due to widespread illness. The schools took off Friday and Monday in hopes of slowing down the spread of disease throughout the schools as absentee rates jumped over 10% last week. Both school systems said plans were in place to take the buildings through a deep cleaning while students are absent.