Category: News

Senator Lamar Alexander

Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is proposing a “grand swap” in which the federal government would take over all responsibility for Medicaid and the states would gain all control over education. The senator said an address to a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly on Wednesday said that proposal mirrors one he made to President Ronald Reagan three decades ago while Alexander was the state’s governor. Alexander said Reagan embraced the idea, but it did not gain any traction in Congress. Alexander told reporters after the speech on Tuesday that he sees similar barriers to his proposal amid Democratic control of the Senate and the presidency but said the change would remove the concerns and political challenges facing the states on expanding Medicaid or creating state insurance exchanges.

The 2013 Nissan Leaf is now being produced in Tennessee. Nissan announced in a news release on Wednesday that production of the all-electric car had begun in Smyrna, next door to the company’s lithium-ion automotive battery plant. The new Leaf features faster charging and what will likely be an extended driving range, although that will be determined by Environmental Protection Agency testing. In addition, 2013 will see a new lower priced entry-level Leaf S grade. Meanwhile, the SL grade will see enhancements like leather-appointed seating and 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.

Layout of Lake Winnie

Lake Winnepesaukah announced the name for their new water park, which was unveiled in October. The new water park will be called ‘SoakYa,’ perhaps designed to play off the park’s name of Lake Winnepesaukah. Ground was broken Wednesday on the multi-million dollar waterpark that will be on the west side of the current park. Once completed, the new waterpark with feature a lazy river, wave lagoon, flume body slides, enclosed tube slides and side-by-side racer slides. There will also be a splash park for toddlers, and shaded lounge seating, retail shops and changing areas. The addition is expected to open for the summer of 2013.

Coffee County Schools Superintendent Dr. LaDonna McFall told WMSR News that Coffee County Central High School dismissed early (Wednesday, January 9, 2013) after an unspecified written threat was received at approximately 2PM. McFall added “We chose to be pro-active on the side of safety for the students and dismiss the car-riders immediately and buses collected the bus riders and took them to an off-site evacuation area.
Students were out of the building in around 15 minutes according to Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves. Graves says his department investigated and no other threats were found and the school was deemed cleared.

Dr LaDonna McFall

Robert Paul Brawley

A Manchester man is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a $500,000 bond for kidnapping and robbing a resident on Summer Street. According to warrants, Robert Paul Brawley, 31, of Polk Street, Manchester was arrested Jan. 4 on the charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery that allegedly occurred on Dec. 27, 2012. According to warrants, while Brawley was armed with brass knuckles he held an individual he abducted on Summer Street in Manchester for a time and took some allegedly $198 in cash from him. After holding the victim for a time, Brawley then released the victim. Manchester Police Officer Jonathon Anthony obtained the warrants against Brawley in the case.

Tullahoma’s first female investigator started her new job this week. Rena Pawlowski received her gold investigator badge from Tullahoma Police Chief Paul Blackwell. The 20-year police veteran took the day as any other. She stated that it is just another day on the job for her. She noted that just another dimension of her work with the department. The difference from serving as a patrol officer, a job that she has performed in Tullahoma for ten years, is that now she will get “to see cases from the beginning to them being resolved in court.” She added, “This as opposed to the fact that patrolmen only get to see the initial report taken and then turned over to an investigator”. Tullahoma Police Chief Paul Blackwell stated that Pawlowski brings another dimension to the investigator side of the department.

An official with the state’s Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance said he is “at a loss” to explain why the bureau was unaware that a member of the Tullahoma City Board of Education had not filed financial disclosure forms required by state law for three consecutive years. According to the Tullahoma News, the Tennessee Ethics Commission website, board member John Manis has not filed a statement of disclosure in interests since 2009, when he was a candidate for the seat he currently holds. However, Tullahoma Board of Education member Teresa Lawson had also apparently not filed in two years during her term. Manis said yesterday –an official with the bureau confirmed – that he had not received the form or any notice of delinquency. Elected officials throughout the state are required to submit the disclosure forms annually, regardless of whether or not they are running for re-election. The forms require officials to report a variety of financial information, related to sources of income, investments, lobbying, professional services, retainer fees, bankruptcy and loans. However, respondents are not required to provide specific figures for any of the reporting categories. According to John B. Allyn, counsel for the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance, a person who fails to file a statement of interest within 35 days of receiving an assessment notice from the Tennessee Ethics Commission is subject to civil 1 penalty of $25 per day up to a maximum of $750. Someone who is more than 35 days late in filing a statement of interest is subject to a Class 2 civil penalty of up to $10,000. Each year a disclosure report is not filed would constitute a separate offense. When contacted by The News for comment on why he had not filed the financial disclosures, Manis said he did not recall receiving the paperwork. Shortly after speaking with The News, Manis contacted the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance to investigate the matter himself and called back later claiming that the state never sent out a deficiency letter because he stated that he was not in their database. He stated that he submitted the three forms yesterday. He claimed that the state had an old mailing address so he faxed the forms in.

The Tullahoma Police Department will be conducting a Rape Aggression Defense class on February 6th, 7th, and 9th at City Hall. Class times are 5 to 9 p.m. on the 6th and 7th and 9 a.m. to noon on the 9th. The class is open to all women ages 13 and up, however anyone age 13 to 17 will have to attend with an adult to sign a waiver. Space is limited, so call the Police Department at 455-0530 to register for this FREE class!

Joseph Todd Neill

A Shelbyville youth pastor is facing statutory rape and sexual battery charges. Police said that Joseph Todd Neill had inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old girl last week, according to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette. The teenager apparently was a member of his youth group. Neill was arrested Thursday after the girl’s parents called police. Detective Sgt. Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department said, “She was the only victim to my knowledge.

The national average for regular retail gasoline on January 1, held the record for the highest average in history. The national average on New Year’s Day was $3.29, 1 cent more than the daily average on January 1, 2012, which held the previous record. In Coffee County gas prices were again over the $3.00 mark. In fact, this week there are only a couple of discounters offering $3.06 per gallon prices on regular gas…most are in the $3.15 range here in Manchester with the highest at $3.31. In Tullahoma $3.06 was the lowest and highest $3.20. Although the average for the start of January was the highest on record, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts the annual average this year will be less than 2012′s annual average of $3.60. A barrel of oil closed Friday at $93.09 on the New York Mercantile Exchange—$2.29 more than the week prior. The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.30, 1 cent more than last week. Tennessee’s average of $3.18 increased 6 cents from last week.