Josh Peterson

School Patrol – sponsored by bread and milk experts at Spring Street Market in Manchester. Your hometown grocery store. 801 S. Spring St. Manchester, TN.

Bedford County Schools – closing at 1 p.m.

Cannon County Schools – closing 11:30 a.m.

Coffee County Schools – closing 1 p.m. NO ESP

Franklin County Schools – closing at 12:30 p.m.

Manchester City Schools – closing at 1 p.m.

Rutherford County Schools – closing at 1 p.m.

Warren County Schools – closing 11:30 a.m.

Other closings, cancellations and postponements

• Coffee County High School Basketball vs. Columbia – PPD

• Coffee Middle School Chorus Concert – PPD, will now be Tuesday, Dec. 17.

• Coffee County High School wrestling at Warren County – cancelled
• Westwood 6th grade basketball game AT Dibrell – PPD, makeup TBD
• Manchester School Board Meeting – PPD, makeup Dec. 17
• Tuesday (Dec 10) WMS Choir Concert has been cancelled due to inclement weather. The choirs will now join the bands in a joint concert on December 17th at 6:30pm.
• The Manchester Parks and Recreation complex is cancelling classes December 10th, due to weather. There will also be no “Mud Sweat and Gears” today.

The first of two United States Census job fairs that will be held this week will be held Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the American Jobs Center located at 111 E. Lincoln St. in Tullahoma. 

The second job fair will be Thursday, Dec. 12 at the Manchester Public Library from 10 a.m. to. 2 p.m.

By Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service

Peak flu season is here, when most people check in with their doctors about whether to get a flu shot. But for migrants being held in detention centers, that isn’t an option – and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has refused to offer the flu vaccine to detainees. 

Now, a group of physicians from across the country is pushing the federal government to allow the group to open a pilot flu vaccination clinic. Dr. Danielle Deines signed the group’s letter to government officials advocating for migrant access to free flu vaccines. 

She says detention centers are high-risk settings for severe flu cases. 

“So, you’ve taken a very high-risk, vulnerable population and then, you’ve put them into these very unsanitary conditions,” says Deines, “where you then have people who are surrounding them who may or may not have flu vaccines, and may not know the right precautions to take. And it’s just kind of a recipe for disaster.”

She says so far, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services have ignored the request. 

The traveling clinic would be run by a volunteer network of doctors, with a donated stock of vaccines and a multi-language consent process. 

Anyone who is considering getting a flu shot should consult with their medical provider. 

She adds flu infections were responsible for the deaths of at least three children in federal custody during the 2018 flu season, a mortality rate nine times higher than the general pediatric population. Deines says some in the medical community are alarmed. 

“And so, we started seeing child deaths,” says Deines, “The letter that came out over the summer was something that was written by a group of pathologists and other physicians who performed autopsies on several of the kids who had died in some of the detention centers.”

She believes more deaths are likely this flu season if government agencies don’t take action. 

“You know, our group is made up of about 2,000 physicians who all believe that this is a very important issue, and we’re both Democrats and Republicans,” says Deines, “And I think that speaks to the humanitarian issue that this is. It is not a partisan issue, it is not a politics issue.”

Children, older people and pregnant women are among those at the highest risk of contracting the flu. Deines points out that overcrowded conditions and lack of access to soap and hand sanitizer can spur the spread of the virus.

Winchester Police Department is looking for the person who stole a black Chevrolet pickup from that area overnight Saturday. The tag is Y1957E.

If you have any information about this crime, call the Winchester Police Department at 931-967-3840 or Crimestoppers at 931-967-4636.

Tennessee Gas Price average is $2.23 which is two cents higher than last week, three cents higher than last month and 15 cents more than last year. But some great news – according to AAA, demand has decreased since October and stocks are expected to continue to drop, driving price decreases through years end. 

The national gas price average is $2.57 which is one penny less than last week, a nickel less than one month ago, but 15 cents more than this time last year. The majority of states saw minimal movement at the pump in the last week, several saw decreases of up to four cents while fewer than a dozen states saw gas prices increase.

“Since the end of October, gasoline demand has mostly decreased as gasoline stocks have mostly increased, paving the way for cheaper gas prices,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “AAA expects stocks to continue to grow and drive gas prices even cheaper through year-end.”

Crude oil

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, WTI increased by 77 cents to settle at $59.20. Crude prices rose after reports emerged that OPEC and its partners announced an agreement to cut crude production by an additional 500,000 b/d to help maintain prices amid market fears of slowing global demand.

A Coffee County man was killed in a crash Thursday on Interstate 24 near the exit 111 eastbound after his vehicle went underneath a stationary tractor trailer.

THP Authorities identified the name of the deceased Friday as Ralph Reed, age 50, of Manchester.

Multiple agencies responded – including Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Manchester Police, Coffee County EMS, Manchester Fire & Rescue Department and Tennessee Highway Patrol, which will reconstruct the accident. 

According to THP preliminary report, Reed’s vehicle veered off the roadway and struck an improperly parked commercial vehicle on the shoulder of the road. The driver of the tractor trailer was identified as Michael Judkins, age 65, of McMinnville. No citations were issued. THP is continuing to investigate.

In a press release issued Thursday (Dec. 5), Manchester Police Department announced that a positive identification has been made on the human skull that authorities discovered Nov. 20 off of Skinner Flat Rd. In Manchester. 

After DNA testing, it has been determined that the remains are that of Justin Zeigler of Franklin County, who was reported missing three years ago – November of 2016. 

The investigation remains open. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact MPD chief investigator Brandon Tomberlin at 931-728-2099.

The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee will be placing wreaths on veterans graves in several local cemeteries on Saturday Dec. 14th. The public is invited to attend and participate. 

The day will start with a ceremony at the old county courthouse on the square in Manchester at the war memorials at 9 a.m.  Memorial wreaths for each of the armed services plus the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine as well as POW/MIA  will be placed there during a brief ceremony.

At 11 a.m. ceremonies will be held at Oakwood Cemetery in Tullahoma, Hurricane Grove Cemetery just north of I-24 exit 105, Beech Grove Confederate Cemetery in Beech Grove and Shofners Cemetery. This is the same time that a Wreaths Across America ceremony will begin at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

At approximately noon there will be a ceremony at Mt. Zion Halley Church Cemetery in Bedford County. Then at 1 p.m. a ceremony will be held at Freidonia Cemetery in rural Coffee County.  Also Memorial Wreaths will be placed at Citizens Cemetery in Tullahoma and at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens on Highway 55 in Tullahoma. 

Wreaths Across America has placed wreaths on military veterans graves at Arlington National Cemetery for 27 years.  The program has grown to more than 1600 cemeteries nation-wide in 2019.

The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee will be placing wreaths on military veterans graves in Coffee County cemeteries for the third year and Bedford County for the first time.  

The committee was formed in 2017 and that year placed wreaths on some 300 military veterans graves at Oakwood Cemetery and Citizens Cemetery in Tullahoma and Hurricane Grove Cemetery in Coffee County just north of I-24 exit 105.

In 2018 the committee added Fredonia Cemetery in Coffee County with almost 100 military graves.   Another group worked with the committee to place wreaths on Revolutionary War and Civil War graves at the Beach Grove Confederate Cemetery. 

This year the group added Shofners and Mt. Zion Halley Cemeteries in Bedford County.  

One hundred percent of all funds collected locally is used to order and place wreaths on military veterans graves.

A donation of $15 sponsors one wreath- $30 sponsors two wreaths – $75 sponsors five wreaths and $150 sponsors 10 wreaths.

Checks should be made out to Wreaths Across America and dropped off or mailed to Cyndi Clower (931) 728-9898 at Clower Automotive at 1406 McArthur St., Manchester TN 37355.  Wreaths Across America is an IRS 501c3 non-profit and donations are tax deductible.

If you would like to volunteer to help raise funds or help place wreaths call Bobbie Morse at (931) 247-4545 or Cyndi Clower at (931) 728-9898.

Like last year the wreaths committee expects help at each cemetery from high school junior ROTC units from Coffee County Central High Schoo, and Tullahoma High School, Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops, veterans and local civic groups. 

For more information contact Claude Morse at (931) 247-5151 or tnhonorflight@gmail.com

Looking for a job? The 2020 Census will be having two job fairs coming up this week, so mark your calendars to attend and snag one of these good-paying jobs. First, on Tuesday, Dec. 10 there will be a Census Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the American Jobs Center in Tullahoma. Then on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be another fair at the Manchester Public Library on Hillsboro Blvd.