Josh Peterson

A resolution has been reached in the case of proclaimed Nashville activist Justin Jones, a case that ended up with Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott serving as a special prosecutor and subsequently thrust Northcott into the national spotlight.

Jones was charged with assault back in February after authorities say he threw a drink on state representative Glen Casada. Casada’s office claimed that Jones emailed Casada following his arrest, a violation of Jones’ bond conditions. Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk received emails with two separate dates, causing confusion and a discrepancy as to whether or not Jones violated a court order or if someone manipulated dates in order to cause trouble for Jones. Funk recused himself from the case and Northcott was appointed special prosecutor.

According to The Tennessean, Northcott looked into the emails and believed a technical glitch was the reason for the mix up and said that Jones did not violate his bond, nor were there any doctored emails.

In a copy of the court order that appears to resolve the case obtained by Thunder Radio News Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 13) but not yet signed by the court, Northcott is having the case placed on what is called a “retired docket” until April of 2020. If Jones obeys terms of the order, such as avoiding Cordell Hull State Office Building, has no contact with Casada or Representative Moody, follows all rules while in the State Capital Building and is not re-arrested, then the case will be dismissed. If not, Northcott will proceed with prosecution.

“If the defendant abides by the terms of the agreement, the case will be dismissed on April 22, 2020,” Northcott explained in an email to Thunder Radio News. “If not, I can place the matters back on the active docket and move forward with the prosecution. The victims, Reps. Debra Moody and Glen Casada are satisfied with the resolution and hope Mr. Jones has learned from this situation and will move forward in a positive direction.”

Serving as special prosecutor on the case has come at a price to Northcott. Comments he made regarding gay marriage and the muslim religion were picked up by news media covering the case, eventually leading to an investigation by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility (which remains open) and calls for his resignation among members of the Tennessee Bar.

There are nearly 30 Tennessee College of Applied Technology campuses across the state. And Coffee County would like to add another here in Manchester. 

According to a report from the Manchester Times, Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell put forth a proposal to the county’s budget and finance committee that would have the county putting up $2.5 million to bring a campus here.

The deal would mean the county would purchase a 5,000 square foot building from VIAM Manufacturing large enough for approximately 400 students. It is the same building VIAM has allowed TCAT to use for industrial maintenance training for the past two years. The county would also need approval from the Tennessee Board of Regents and TCAT. 

Tennessee’s infant mortality rate is on the decline for the first time in three years, according to new data released by the state Department of Health. The data show there were 38 fewer infant deaths in the state in 2018 compared with the year prior. 

Dr. Morgan McDonald, deputy commissioner for population health at the Tennessee Department of Health, said infant mortality is a critical indicator of overall population health.

“In particular, I think, it’s very noteworthy that we’ve had a decline in our sleep-related deaths,” McDonald said. “When we talk about our ABCs of safe sleep, what we mean by that is for infants to be placed alone, on their backs, and in a crib.”

Although the numbers are improving, McDonald said the mortality rate for black infants continues to be nearly twice as high as that of white babies. Tennessee’s current infant mortality rate still exceeds the national rate of 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

McDonald said many new mothers and families remain unaware of the hazards of placing a baby to sleep on its stomach.

“There’s so many different barriers to those ABCs of safe sleep, which is why we really want to make sure that that message is coming from all different sources, via the media,” she said. “And we look at how babies are positioned in movies, and in television ads, and even in things like diaper ads – that is another image in a caregiver’s mind.”

Each year, around 20% of infant deaths in Tennessee are due to unsafe sleeping conditions.

Many factors contribute to a healthy birth and first year of life. And McDonald said lack of access to early prenatal care, tobacco use, and even the ongoing opioid epidemic have all factored into the state’s infant death numbers.

“Certainly poverty can have a significant impact on things like infant mortality,” she said. “And so we as a state have partnered with multiple different agencies to address those social factors in health.”

The Tennessee Department of Health has created an online dashboard that allows community partners to access infant mortality data for their region.

A longtime Manchester resident has passed away and another man is in jail after a crash near the Rutherford and Coffee County line Wednesday, Nov. 6. 

Severely injured in the crash was Scott Cutshaw, a longtime resident of Coffee County. Cutshaw was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he passed away from his injuries early Saturday morning, Nov. 9. 

Matthew Brandon, age 29, was arrested Saturday after Cutshaw’s death and charged with aggravated vehicular assault, drug possession, DUI third offense, reckless endangerment, and aggravated vehicular homicide. He is being held in the Rutherford  County Jail on $113,000 bond. 

The crash took place at approximately 4:13 p.m. Wednesday according to Charlie Caplinger with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. At the time of this news report, the investigating Trooper and the Rutherford County District Attorney’s office were not prepared to release the official crash report for further details. The crash did involve multiple vehicles on Highway 41 near the Rutherford-Coffee County line. The highway was closed in both directions for a period of time following the crash. 

An investigation by Special Agents with the Technical Services Unit of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, has resulted in the arrest of a McMinnville man on exploitation charges.

In 2018, TBI Agents received information via a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual was in possession of files believed to be child pornography. During the course of the investigation, Agents determined that the account involved belonged to an individual who was subsequently identified as Darrick Webb. The investigation further revealed that Webb was in possession of more than one hundred images consistent with child pornography.

On November 1st, the Warren County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Darrick Brandon Webb (DOB 05/16/1983) with one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and eight counts of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Webb was arrested on November 6th, and booked into the Warren County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

Today is Veterans Day. Join us at Thunder Radio in saying thank you to the thousands of veterans who live in and around our community for the great sacrifices they have made and continue to make for our great country. There is a veterans day program at 11 am Monday at the Central High School gymnasium. All veterans are welcome to attend.