Category: News

Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 253rd Military Police Company assisted local authorities across storm stricken areas of Lincoln County, Tenn., after a powerful tornado devastated the region on the evening of April 28. Local responders requested support from the Guard through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency with Soldiers on site by 4 a.m. on April 29.
“We are assisting in search and recovery efforts by conducting door to door checks of residents in the damaged area. Our role is to provide local responders with additional manpower to aid victims of this tragedy,” said the Tennessee Guard’s Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the mission, Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Graves. “We will be here for as long as we’re needed.”
“One of the missions of the Tennessee Military Department is our domestic obligation of saving lives and mitigating the losses to the citizens of our state during events such as the Lincoln County tornado,” said Maj. Gen Max Haston, Tennessee Adjutant General.
Coffee County’s Emergency Management Director Allen Lendley is also helping with cleanup efforts in Lincoln County.

The City of Tullahoma is asking for community donations to help those people who lost their homes and belongings in Monday’s tornado.
“Our thoughts and prayers go to the victims following this horrific tornado,” said Sandy Lindeman. “We are asking people to donate cash or needed items.”
Alderman Lindeman has asked Fire Chief Richard Shasteen to coordinate this effort. Chief Shasteen spoke to Coffee County EMA Director, Allen Lendley, who is assisting with the relief effort in Lincoln County. Lendley explained that they especially need cleaning supplies, paper products and batteries.
“Chief Shasteen will have a truck at Fire Hall #1 where you can bring your donated items. We’ll plan on taking the supplies to Fayetteville the first of the week, so please stop by before then,” said Mayor Lane Curlee. “I appreciate Sandy for her excellent idea to help our neighbors in Lincoln County who are suffering from the Monday night tornado. If we all do a little we can fill up that truck!”
Cash donations can be made to the following organizations:
www.redcross.org – donations made on the web site are distributed by zip code and goes to the Chapter that serves the zip code. The Heart of Tennessee Chapter covers the following counties: Coffee, Franklin, Moore, Bedford, Lincoln, Marshal, Rutherford, Cannon and Lawrence.
Call 1-800-Red-Cross or text the word REDCROSS to 90999.
Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the Red Cross – Mail Donations to American Red Cross 501 Memorial Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129.
Bank of Lincoln County – 931-433-1708.
Additional donations of only the following items being requested by Lincoln County EMA:
• Cleaning supplies
• Toiletries-toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, etc
• Paper products
• Batteries – all sizes
• Rakes and shovels
• Tarps
• Work gloves
• Flashlights
Clothing donations are not being accepted.
The donations will be accepted at Fire Hall 1, 613 South Jackson in Tullahoma. The supplies will be loaded on to a 14 foot trailer recently donated to the Fire Department by UT Aerospace. Once this trailer is full, the Tullahoma Fire Department will deliver it to the Lincoln County fairgrounds as directed by EMA.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.
Yesterday at Rotary Park in Manchester a special event was held. Tom Marcrum led a group of wonderful singers to start the event and then God Bless America was sung by everyone in attendance toward the end of the program. Minister Chris Boyce from the Forest Mill Church of Christ conducted the opening and closing prayers. Speakers included Coffee County Mayor David Pennington, Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman, Brent McCay with the Rotary Club, Pastor Ron Fuller of Sovereign Church and Howard Thompson with the VFW.

U.S. News analyzed more than 31,200 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and has published data on more than 19,400, including student demographics and results on state exams, Advanced Placement and other tests. U.S. News teamed up with American Institutes for Research, a D.C.-based organization, to evaluate schools in three phases. The first two steps looked at overall student performance on state-mandated assessments, as well as how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. We then used participation in and performance on AP and IB exams to evaluate how well schools prepared students for college-level course work.
Coffee County High School is ranked 16th in the state of Tennessee.
Principal Joey Vaughn of Coffee County told WMSR that he is very proud of the accomplishments of the students and teachers at the school. He said the ranking was a real honor and they will continue to work hard for future success.
Hume-​Fogg Academic High School is Nashville was ranked #1 in the state.

Manchester Fire & Rescue A-Shift Responded to a 2 vehicle accident on 16th Model Rd Wednesday morning around 7:45am. Three persons (including a toddler) were in the vehicles when they were involved in what appeared to be a head on crash.
Fire Chief George E. DeShields said firefighters used extrication equipment to remove two of the individuals that were trapped. Those two people were transported with injuries to the Tullahoma Airport and transferred to an awaiting medi-vac helicopter and flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

Tullahoma Fire Department moved a Fire Engine to Crumpton Creek to standby while Manchester Fire & Rescue worked the crash.
Others working the scene were members of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Coffee County EMS and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Names and other information will be released on Thursday.

Millions of children across the country and tens of thousands across the state of Tennessee are attending school in the shadows of potentially-dangerous chemical facilities, according to the findings in a new report. The analysis comes from the Center for Effective Government, whose director of open government policy, Sean Moulton, says the advocacy group found that about one in eight pupils in Tennessee is in that position. “In Tennessee, we found 113 schools were within a mile of an RMP (Risk Management Plan) facility,” he said. “And those 113 schools had a total attendance of 56,000 students, which is about 12 percent of the Tennessee school kids that attend public schools.” Moulton says ensuring that pupils near these facilities are safe requires stronger disclosure rules and greater oversight, as well as better emergency response plans. “Students do fire drills every day, but I don’t think many of these schools have ever really talked about what their plan would be if one of these facilities had a major accident while school was in session,” he said. It was one year ago this month that an explosion at a fertilizer plant in the Texas town of West left 15 dead, hundreds injured and several schools damaged or destroyed. An interactive map showing which Tennessee schools are located near chemical facilities can be found on the Center for Effective Government’s website.

Gov. Bill Haslam has signed into law legislation that would punish pregnant women who abuse narcotics.
Haslam said after signing the bill he knows about the concerns opponents have with the measure and will use updates with the courts and health professionals to monitor its impact.
Health organizations and women’s rights advocates called on Haslam to veto the bill. The measure would allow women to be charged with assault if they abuse narcotics while pregnant and give birth to a child who is dependent on drugs or harmed as a result.
Haslam said in a statement that a provision in the bill allows it to be reassessed in two years and said it makes the offense a misdemeanor rather than a felony.

The Tullahoma Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the date and line up for the Rock Creek Music and Art Festival at Frazier McEwen Park, 12:00 noon – 10 PM Saturday, May 10.
The music lineup has a mix of great sounds:
Cumberland Blue – 8:30-10:00-Upbeat Blues
The Midget Wrestlers – 6:30-8:00-Chicago Blues
Marian Galbraith – 5:00-6:30-Folk and R&B
Other local performing artists – noon – 5:00
“We are inviting everyone to come celebrate Spring in Tullahoma with a fun filled family night of music and art,” said Director of Parks and Recreation Director, Kurt Glick. “We are excited about hosting these bands for the residents, and look forward to the event.”
“This will be a great night to bring the family to the park to enjoy the Rotary to Rocket Playground, walk the green way, view the art and settle in for a fun set of concerts,” said Mayor Lane Curlee. “It’s events like this that make our city an attractive place to live.”
Local artists will have their work on display beginning at noon.
Concessions available on-site and guest are welcome to bring cooler, chairs, blankets and bug spray to this family event.
“This is the second year for Parks to hold free concerts in the park, and this year Parks and Recreation has partnered with the Tullahoma Art Council to add an Art Show,” said Community Coordinator, Winston Brooks. “I think this will help attract more people to get out and enjoy one of Tullahoma’s great jewels, Frazier McEwen Park at Rock Creek.”
Learn more about the event at http://www.tullahomatn.gov or www.facebook.com/tullahomatn

A Manchester man was arrested after being found to be in possession of methamphetamines and marijuana.
Travis David Flowers, of Woodbury Highway, Manchester was charged with possession of schedule II (meth) and simple possession of marijuana. He is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court June 5.
Tullahoma Officer Holly Sparkman stated in a report that she answered a call of a “suspicious”vehicle parked at the pumps at Mapco on Cedar Lane Sunday night around 11:15 p.m.
When she arrived she allegedly found Flowers hanging around the pumps and that he appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
The officer stated that she spoke with him and that he told her that he was under the influence of methamphetamines. He then became agitated, combative, disorderly and cursing the officer as she talked with him. He also told her that he was in possession of meth, which was in his pocket, which the officer retrieved.
After receiving permission to search his vehicle, Officer Sparkman allegedly found approximately one gram of marijuana.

Two people were killed in Lincoln County Monday night after two suspected tornadoes swept through the county.
A spokeswoman at Lincoln Medical Center said two had died and the hospital had treated several other people with minor injuries.
About half of the customers of Fayetteville Public Utilities were without power.
Most of the damage occurred in the southern Lincoln County area near Lincoln and Elora.
South Lincoln Elementary suffered severe damage in the second suspected tornado that struck the county.
The front of the school was torn off, about three-quarters of the building’s roof was ripped off and a school bus was tossed into the building, which was empty at the time of the storms.