Josh Peterson

The Coffee County Fair is officially open for business!

The 162nd annual fair got underway Saturday with beauty pageants, but the entire fair gets underway Monday (Sept. 16), including midway entertainment, exhibits and food. On the midway Monday night is “Fun Night,” tickets for rides starting at 6 p.m.

Other events of note happening Monday – the Nick’s Kids Show will be at 5, 7 and 8:30 p.m. And the Little Miss Coffee County Contest for ages 4-5 will be at 6 p.m. Monday night at 6 will also be the Open Sheep Show. Looking ahead to Tuesday, it will be $20 hand stamp day for rides. More information online eat www.coffeecountyfairtn.org

There is a new scam to be aware of. This warning is coming from the Tennessee Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and the scam is targeting Tennesseans who may be facing unpaid taxes. 

In this scam, the scammer wants their intended victims to pay an “offer of compromise” to them which will realistically not help address any unpaid taxes.

The letter has an official look, with a large notice of delinquency letterhead. The letter goes on to say that the state taxing authority has filed one or more liens against you for either a lack fo filing information or a deficiency in payment. 

Pictured is a sample of a scam letter some Tennesseans are receiving to fraudulently collect “unpaid taxes.”

Pictured is a realistic letter you might receive if you owe unpaid taxes.

A federal judge blocked Tennessee’s new restrictions for registering voters from taking effect on October 1st of this year. 

For now, the ruling sets aside a law that fines groups that pay workers when too many incomplete registration forms are submitted. The law would criminalize intentional infractions of a new set of rules, exposing voting advocates to misdemeanor charges, according to the Associated Press.

Voter registration groups sued over the law, saying it has already curtailed their ability to enroll voters. 

US District Judge Aleta Trauger said the effort is akin to “poisoning the soil in order to have an easier harvest.” 

Under the new law, the state can fine paid groups that submit 100 or more voter registration forms that lack a complete name, address, date of birth, declaration of eligibility and signature. Penalties can reach $10,000 per county where violations occur if more than 500 incomplete forms are submitted. 

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office said that many of the 10,000 registrations submitted in and around Memphis last year by the Tennessee Black Voter Project on the last day for registering were filled out incorrectly. Only paid groups could be penalized under the law

We have an update to a story Thunder Radio brought to you Thursday in the case of a high-speed chase and the arrest of Daniel Rainey. 

Daniel Rainey

According to the official arrest report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, deputy Blake Simmons observed Rainey, 35, at Ben’s Lakewood Market and was advised that Rainey was possibly involved in drug traffic. When Simmons attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Lumley Stand Rd., he states in his report that Rainey accelerated in an erratic manner and began tossing bags out the window consistent with narcotics. The report states that Rainey also sprinkled a substance out the window that was hitting Simmons’ patrol unit. 

Rainey then abruptly hit his brakes, causing Simmons’ patrol unit to hit Rainey and slide his car off the road and strike a fence post. Rainey was then taken into custody without incident. He refused an ambulance. As we reported to you yesterday, Rainey was charged with manufacture, sell and delivery of meth, tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, evading arrest and driving on revoked license — 11th offense. He also had active probation violation warrants in Warren County. His bond was set at $35,000. 

The Coffee County Fair starts Saturday, Sept. 14. The midway events and rides will not begin until Monday, Sept. 16.

Saturday will be the well-known beauty pageants. Miss Teen Coffee County will be at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and the Fairest of the Fair will be at 8 Saturday night.

Sunday will be full of baby shows: 0-6 months at 1 p.m., 6-12 months at 2 p.m., 12-18 months at 3 p.m., 18-24 months at 4 p.m., and the 2-3 years toddler show is at 5 p.m.

Be sure to stay tuned to Thunder Radio news next week as we highlight each day’s events on the news. You can also see a digital copy of the fair book by clicking here.  

Coffee County deputies arrested Daniel Ray Rainey on Tuesday, Sept. 10 after a pursuit that ended at Lumley Stand and Ramsey Green Roads. 

Rainey, who is 35, has been charged with evading arrest, reckless endangerment, driving on revoked or suspended license, manufacture, delivery, sale of methamphetaines and tampering with evidence. He was arrested by deputy Blake Simmons.

According to his intake information, Rainey is being held on $35,000 bond. 

The Coffee County Commission met Tuesday night, Sept. 10

One key item on the agenda was to fill the vacancy on the commission for District 8. The commission voted three times in an attempt to fill that seat, but all three times ended in a 9-9 tie vote between Jeff Keele and Tim Brown. Two commissioners were absent. The seat will remain unfilled until the commission can meet again and select someone.

The next scheduled meeting is in November. The mayor’s office said that a special-called meeting could be set for October, but that is undecided at this time. The seat is vacant after freshman commissioner Emily Howes resigned when she moved out of the district.