Category: News

The public will be treated to a night of music performed by the Motlow College vocal ensemble and brass ensemble, as well as a community jazz ensemble, at the annual spring concert on May 1, according to Dr. David Bethea, music instructor at Motlow.
Food and drinks will be available at a pre-concert reception at 6 p.m., followed by the concert at 7 p.m. All activities will be held inside Eoff Hall on the Moore County campus and there is no admission charge.
The ensembles, which are comprised of Motlow students as well as community musicians, will treat audiences to a diverse musical collection. The concert will be the first to feature the Motlow brass ensemble, which will perform pieces from a variety of music.
The vocal ensemble will perform songs by artists such as Journey, Adele, Michael Buble and Phillip Phillips. The concert will also feature a special performance of the song “Let it Go” from the Disney film Frozen. The jazz ensemble will perform music from jazz, rock and Latin jazz.
Performers in the concert are Abigail Headrick, Matthew Jayne, Arie Upson, Paige Gilbert, John House, Rosa Romo, Ashley Stewart, Kelsi Stewart, Eryn Tripp, Jeanna Anderson, Weston Foster, D’Angelo Brown, Elizabeth Daniels, Luke Miller, Stephanie Tucker, Anthony Dzubiak, Kyle Edinger, Zackary Fair, Matthew Rudder, Bradley Scarlett, Noela Suarez, Missy Smedley, Brooke Smedley, Tim Owens and Cheyenne Adams.
Reservations may be made by calling 931-393-1627.

As we reported to you on Monday afternoon a Coffee County man died in a two-vehicle accident around 3pm. The vehicles involved were a Jeep Cherokee and a Coffee County school bus.
The driver of the Jeep, who lost his life in the crash was local Manchester business owner Freddie Reynolds who owned and operated Freddie’s Oyster Bar.

22 students were on board the bus along with the driver. No children were injured but the driver was slightly injured. She was taken to a local hospital for observation. All 22 students taken to North Coffee Elementary were picked up by their parents.

Dr LaDonna McFall told WMSR News that this a very difficult time. Speaking on the behalf of the Coffee County school system she conveyed sympathy to family that lost a loved one. She was also grateful no students were hurt.
Information on how the accident occurred has not been released by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

As we told you yesterday the “Slow the Flow” drug roundup is continuing. During a several month operation, 120 cases involving the 81 people have occurred. According to Manchester Police Chief Investigator Billy Butler, officers took $100,000 worth of drugs off the streets of Coffee County. People taken into custody are from various places including Manchester, Tullahoma, Fayetteville, Decherd and Estill Springs.
Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother announced Monday that Jonathan Anthony has been hired as the departments first ever drug investigator. He was previously a patrolman.

After the arrests the Coffee County Jail that was built to hold 198 inmates swelled to over 300 as of Tuesday.
Those arrested so far including charges: Danny Edwards, 52, of Mallery Boynton Road Manchester, charged with two counts of sell of schedule III; Frances Wise, 67, of South Franklin Street Tullahoma charged with sell of schedule III; John Crawford, 433, of Campbell Avenue, Tullahoma charged with two counts of sell of schedule IV; Dana Trussell, 18, of Oakdale Street, Manchester charged with two counts of sell of schedule II: Tiffany Murray,38, of East England Street, Cowan charged with two counts of sell of schedule II; Tracy Edward, 30, Spring Street Manchester, sell of schedule IV in a school zone; Justin Craig,25, Old Tullahoma Highway, Manchester, charged with two counts of schedule III and drug paraphernalia; Robert Martin, of Price Lane, Fayetteville, the sell of schedule II and sell of schedule III; Domique Lawrence, 29, South Franklin Street, Tullahoma sell of schedule II; Robert Miller Jr., two counts of sell of schedule III; Terry L. Honea, 29, of Shelly Road, Manchester, charged with three counts of sell of schedule III; Jammie Watson, 34, of Price Lane, Fayetteville, charged with two counts of schedule III; Wendy Sloan, 48, of Roarks Cove Road, Decherd charged with sell of schedule III; Darra Tinnel, 27, of Decherd-Estill Road, Decherd charged with sell of schedule II, III and IV; Deborah K. Copestick, 61. Hillsboro Boulevard, Manchester sell of schedule II; Donny Cole, 35, Westside Drive, Tullahoma, possession of schedule VI in a school zone; James Wells, 24, Green Leaf Inn, Manchester, charged with two counts of sell of schedule III; Brain Phillips, 37, Colwell Street Manchester, charged with three counts of sell of schedule II; Donald Brewer, 24, Mill Street Manchester charged with sell of schedule VI; Lisa Keele, 48, of Coldwell Lane, Manchester charged with sell of schedule II; Michael C. Brown, 53, Oak Drive, Manchester charged with sell of schedule II in a school zone; Timothy Solomon, 24, South Spring Street Manchester charged with sell of schedule IV; Robert Rader, 41, Scottish Inn, Manchester charged with sell of schedule III and IV; Paul Parson sell of schedule II; Casey Hardy two counts of sell of schedule IV; Jackie Jackson, 28, County Farm Road, Manchester sell of schedule VI in a school zone; Raynell Dillard, 36, of Campbell Avenue, Tullahoma charged with three counts of the sell of schedule VI; Ashley Chrisman, 23, of Elk River Road, Estill Springs charged with the sell of schedule III; Janice White charged with sell of schedule II; Michael Muro two counts of sell of schedule III; Karen Rader, 50, of South Maple Street, Tullahoma, charged with the three counts of sell of schedule II, two counts of sell of schedule III and three counts of sell of schedule IV; Candice Stewart, 22, Oakdale Street Manchester charged with two counts of sell of schedule III; James Edwards, 57, A Street Hillsboro charged with two counts of sell of schedule II, two counts of schedule III and two counts of TennCare fraud; and David Melton charged with the sell of schedule VI in a school zone.
Some of those arrested were working at M-Tek at the time of their arrest. In a press release from M-Tek, Inc. they say they are happy to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to curb the sale and use of illegal drugs in our community. M-Tek hopes their participation in the larger operation plays a part in making Manchester and Coffee County a better place to live and work.

Federal and state officers seized records from Dr. Council Rudolph in Decherd Tuesday morning. According to Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller, agents entered the Quick Care Clinic on Bible Crossing Road around 8 a.m. Tuesday morning and began the process of confiscating medical records from the office. The sheriff noted that Tuesday’s action was the result of a yearlong investigation into complaints received about the clinic.
No arrest were made as agents will continue to sift through the files.

When the lights flicker and power goes out during high winds, lightning or an ice storm, the unsung heroes of Duck River Electric Membership Cooperative (DREMC) grab their climbing harnesses, rubber gloves and helmets to answer the call. They are linemen, trained to work in one of the most dangerous professions on earth: high voltage repair and construction.
Across the U.S. at more than 900 electric co-ops, Friday, April 18, will be a red letter day for linemen and the employees who support them. This is when National Lineman Appreciation Day will be celebrated.
They put their lives on the line daily to keep the electrons flowing on more than 6,000 miles of distribution system spread across southern Middle Tennessee. They number only 51 in all, but their responsibility is to ensure that more than 72,000 members have reliable service around the clock.
DREMC district offices will feed their linemen with a special breakfast that also recognizes all co-op employees.
President/CEO Michael Watson said, “Duck River EMC provides quality of life, not just electricity. But none of this would be possible without the dedication of our linemen. Their skills and hard work make all the difference”.

Motlow College theatre department students will present the play “Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge” from April 24-27.
The production will be held in Powers Auditorium inside Eoff Hall on the Motlow Moore County campus. Evening performances will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and a matinee performance is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for all students. To make reservations call the Motlow box office at 931-393-1627. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Motlow business office in the Ingram Administration building on campus and will also be available at the door.
The central theme revolves around a love triangle set during the great depression. The action takes place in a remote mountain community cabin owned by a moonshiner.
Activities will begin each evening at 6:30 p.m. when the McFarland General Store will open and sell fried pies, fudge and Moon Pies. A musical jam session will be held each evening, where the audience can meet the cast and bring their instruments to play with the cast. For more information about the Motlow theatre department call 931-393-1730.

On Monday, the Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition along with the Manchester City Police Department visited the Juniors & Seniors at Coffee County Central High School for a Prom Drug Awareness Rally. Manchester City Police Chief Mark Yother & the Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition’s Christina Merino pointed out the dangers in substance abuse, especially on Prom & Graduation night, and they encouraged students attending Prom to take a stand against these illegal activities. The Anti-Drug Coalition presented every Junior and Senior at CCCHS with an optional pledge at the rally.

All students who sign and return their pledge to abstain from Drug & Alcohol use before the deadline today at 3pm, will be eligible to win one of 30 prizes donated by local area businesses including free hair updos, prom photos, and much more. Along with students, parents were also encouraged to sign their Juniors’ or Seniors’ petition in order for students to receive an opportunity to win extra prizes. CCCHS’s Principal Joey Vaughn stated that “One of the goals at CCCHS is to make sure that every student is safe, happy, respectful, and that they realize accountability is one of life’s most important virtues.” Catch a glimpse of Monday’s Prom Drug Awareness Rally for yourself during the Thunder TV News Video online at www.WMSRradio.com.

Monday was a very busy day for the area law enforcement. The Manchester Police Department conducted a roundup of people that have been indicted by the Coffee Court system on drug charges. The operation is called “Slow the Flow”. The day got started at Coffee County High School with an assembly in the gym. Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother spoke to the junior and seniors about the prom that will be held on Friday night at the school. Yother told WMSR News that this operation is about education and enforcement. The chief highly encouraged the students to be drug and alcohol free. The Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition was also in attendance at the school asking students to sign a pledge to be alcohol and drug free. After meeting with the students, arrests started to occur throughout the county. The

largest amount of people taken into custody at one location were seven made at a local manufacturer in the Coffee County Industrial Park. After a joint effort between M-Tek and Manchester Police the seven arrests were made while the people were working at M-Tek Monday night. The operation has 120 cases and a total of 81 defendants. During the “Slow the Flow” operation officers took $100,000 worth of drugs off the street. Drugs included Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Meth, Meth Labs, Cocaine, Marijuana, Morphine, Xanax plus vehicle and cash seizures. Manchester Police was assisted by the Coffee County Sheriff’s department, Tullahoma Police, Office of Inspector General, parole and probations officers and the District Attorney’s office.
Names of those arrested so far in the roundup; John Crawford, Darra Tinnel, Jimmy Stewart Jr., Lisa Keele, James Edwards, Dominique Lawrence, Bryan Phillips, Karen Rader, Robert Rader, Shelly Meeks, Michael Brown, Wendy Sloan, Timothy Solomon, Donny Cole, Donald Brewer, Robert Miller Jr., Terry Honea, James Wells, Robert Glenn Martin, Michael Anthony Muro, Jammie Watson, Ashley Chrisman, Candace Stewart, Francis Wise, Debra Copestick, Theresa Schodenberg and Danny Edwards.

Negotiations are still ongoing in the case against the former director of the Bedford County Emergency Communications District accused of theft.
Cathey D. Mathis’ case has been passed until May 16, after defense attorney Greg Reed told Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell that preliminary discussions are taking place with Coffee County Assistant District Attorney Felicia Walkup.
Reed said there “was a possibility of some resolution,” but they would like more time for discussions.
Russell asked if he should get a judge from Nashville to hear the case, since he can only accept a plea in the matter, and not as a contested case.
Walkup said if they could have an additional month for discussions, there may be a resolution in the case. Russell advised if the case goes to trial, another judge will have to be selected.
The former director was charged with theft of property over $10,000 by direct indictment following an investigation by the Coffee County District Attorney’s Office. The local office would prosecute if the case goes to court in order to avoid any conflict of interest with local court or law enforcement officials.
In April of 2013, an investigative state audit charged Mathis with $46,807 in undocumented or “questionable purchases.” (Shelbyville Times-Gazette)