Josh Peterson

Recently, a wallet was reported missing with several credit cards inside. Those credit cards were allegedly used at several locations in Tullahoma on January 2. There is a photo of a person of interest on our website – a white male with a bald head and a goatee. Anyone with information regarding this person’s identity is encouraged to contact Tullahoma Police Department detective Johnny Gore at 931-455-0530 ext. 133 or email jgore@tullahomatn.gov.

Multiple volunteer fire departments in Coffee County responded to a fully engulfed structure fire Thursday, January 9 in Lakewood Park off of Maple Drive.

Firefighters arrived to find a home, wooded lot and a vehicle burning. The structure was a total loss as firefighters worked for over two hours to extinguish the blaze. Volunteers with New Union, Hickerson, North Coffee, Summitville and Hillsboro Fire Departments were on scene. No injuries were reported.

Residents throughout the Volunteer State are surveyed four times per year in order to measure consumer confidence. The research is conducted by Dr. Tim Graeff a professor at MTSU. The research conducted is part of the Tennessee Business Barometer, which looks as if 2019 ended on a positive note.

Results from the most recent Tennessee Consumer Outlook Survey indicate consumers’ outlook on the economy continues to improve. The Tennessee Consumer Outlook Index rose to 254 from 214 in September. This marks the highest level for the index since its inception in 2015. All three components of the index rose. This suggests Tennessee consumers have increasingly more positive views of the current economy, are more optimistic about the future economy, and increasingly view now as a good time to make large purchases

Increasingly optimistic views of the U.S. economy, the Tennessee economy, and personal financial situation contributed to this improved overall outlook. Any potential fears related to possible negative effects of tariffs and a trade war with China, or of a future recession, or negative effects of continued impeachment proceedings do not appear to have a significant effect on consumers’ outlook.

Consumers in middle Tennessee hold the most positive views of the economy, followed by those in east Tennessee. Even though consumers in west Tennessee hold the least positive views of the economy, these consumers still have a relatively positive purchasing outlook. This bodes well for consumer spending across the entire state.

You can view the entire report by clicking here.

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

Zander is a fifth-grade student at East Coffee Elementary School. He is in Miss Wendy Manning’s class, and is the son of Joel and Laura Warrick.

Zander enjoys playing basketball and also likes to play video games. When he grows up he would like to be a doctor.

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, Zander. Keep up the great work!

Tennessee House and Senate leaders introduced a resolution Wednesday that would add Tennessee’s Right to Work law to the state constitution.

Senate Joint Resolution 648 is sponsored by Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge), Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Ken Yager (R-Kingston), Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Bell (R-Riceville), Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Chairman Bo Watson (R-Hixson), and Commerce and Labor Committee Chairman Paul Bailey (R-Sparta). Its companion House Resolution is sponsored by Insurance Committee Chairman Robin Smith (R-Hixson), Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Chairman Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet), Government Operations Committee Chairman Martin Daniel, (R-Knoxville), Health Committee Chairman Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro), Judiciary Committee Chairman Michael Curcio (R-Dickson), and Commerce Committee Chairman Timothy Hill (R-Blountville).

Tennessee’s “Right to Work” statute has been state law since 1947, providing workers rights to not be hired or fired based on their membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization.

Across the nation, 27 other states have right to work laws and nine of those have passed constitutional amendments, including neighboring states Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, which most recently passed an amendment in 2016. Virginia is considering repealing its Right to Work statute.

“Tennessee’s Right to Work laws have been critical to producing the economic growth our state has experienced over the last decade,” said Lt. Gov. McNally. “I appreciate everything Senator Kelsey has done to support the right to work in Tennessee.”

“Tennessee has been and will remain a Right to Work state,” saidSpeaker Cameron Sexton. “Solidifying this essential concept through this amendment will engrain this key principle of Tennessee business into our constitution. This will strengthen our economic standing, support our current and future workforces, and also ensure this state remains open for business.”

There is also strong public support for the resolution. An October 2019 Beacon Center survey reported that 68 percent of Tennesseans favor the Right to Work policy, while 13 percent are opposed, and 19 percent remain undecided.

Two suspects in the homicide of Johnny Tesar are now in the Coffee County Jail. Tyler Carter, 20, and Sasha Payton, 33, were arrested in Oklahoma on Tuesday, Dec. 31 after they were found to be driving Tesar’s vehicle. Tesar’s body was discovered in Lakewood Park Monday, Dec. 30. Carter and Payton were returned to the Coffee County Jail late Wednesday afternoon.

Both were held in Oklahoma on charges of theft of a motor vehicle, the same charges they are being held in Coffee County for. Authorities expect more charges are coming against the pair. According to Facebook, Carter and Payton are engaged.

Johnny Tesar was 68 years old.

Manchester residents on Ragsdale Rd. just past the Bush Branch Rd. intersection experienced a brief water outage Tuesday after a water main separated, according to Bryan Pennington with Manchester Water & Sewer Department.

According to Pennington, residents in that area were without water for between thirty minutes and an hour before crews restored water pressure.

“This time of the year when it’s cold and then warms up and it’s dry and then gets dry will cause the ground to move just a little bit and can make a line break a little easier,” explained Pennington.

According to the Tullahoma Police Department, two subjects were allegedly involved in an “incident at a local business” on January 3.

TPD identifies these subjects as “persons of interest.”

The subjects allegedly drove away in a gold Dodge Charger. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact detective Johnny Gore at 931-455-0530 ext. 133 or email jgore@tullahomatn.gov.

The 2020 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival lineup has been released. This will be the 18th year of the festival in Manchester. 

Headliners for this year’s festival include Tool, Lizzo and Tame Impala. Other prominent names on the lineup include Miley Cyrus, Bassnectar, Flume, Oysterhead, Lana del Rey, Vampire Weekend, Nelly. 

The 2020 Bonnaroo festival will take place June 11-14 in Manchester at Great Stage Park.

Murfreesboro police have issued a BOLO for 16-year old Emily Owensby, who is classified as a missing teenager. 

Owensby was last seen around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 in the area of Ohio Court near Bradyville Pike and South Rutherford Blvd. 

According to police, her window was open and she was not there. Authorities say Owensby has left home before but returned soon. 

Anyone with information should contact police at 615-893-1311 or contact Crime Stoppers at 615-893-7867. You can see a photo of Owensby on our website.