Category: News

The president of the Tennessee Education Association says she expects her board to take an official position against proposals that would allow teachers to carry guns. The Tennessean reports the measures are among proposals state lawmakers are considering this legislative session in the wake of last month’s massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Several Tennessee lawmakers have drafted legislation that would encourage school districts to place at least one armed police officer in every school and would allow teachers who have undergone special training to bring their personal handguns into schools. However, TEA president Gera Summerford says teachers should be focused on teaching and not have to worry about trying to stop an intruder.

Manchester City Hall... Photo by Barry West

At 6:30pm on January 10th (Thursday) at Manchester City Hall there will be a Town Hall style meeting to discuss flooding and draining issues across the city. Vice Mayor Ryan French says, “This is quite possibly the most important step in what I hope will lead to Manchester obtaining a block grant from the state to address water mitigation issues. French added, “We need folks to come out, tell stories, show photos, bring letters, and anything else that would help us show the state our need for this grant.” The meeting will take place in the upstairs board room at City Hall in downtown Manchester, everyone across the community is encouraged to attend.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is accepting applications for its Citizen’s Academy. The TBI says the academy is designed to develop a better understanding and awareness of the agency in the community. It offers citizens a close look at the TBI’s work investigating crime scenes and cyber crime, tracking terrorism information, and doing forensics examinations. The academy runs from May 7 through May 28 at TBI headquarters in Nashville. It is limited to only 15 citizens. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and be physically able to meet training and scheduling requirements. Those interested should fill out the application located on the TBI website at www.tbi.tn.gov and submit it by February 28 to Assistant Director Richard Moore at the address listed on the application.

Billy Joe Nelson

Manchester police have lodged additional charges against a man after a woman reported being kidnapped and then sexually assaulted. The victim told detectives she was abducted early New Year’s Day along Hillsboro Boulevard in Manchester. She said a man forced her into a car drove her to Tullahoma and then raped her. The victim said she managed to escape and call for help. She was treated at Harton Regional Medical Center. On Wednesday, police arrested 31-year-old Billy Joe Nelson of Tullahoma and charged him with carjacking. On Friday, police announced he was also charged with robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated sexual battery. Nelson’s bond was set at $1 million.

Location of abduction in Manchester... By Barry West

County Commission... By Barry West

A public hearing has been scheduled for 5 p.m. tomorrow at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza to discuss zoning issues that would allow a second rock quarry to open in Hillsboro. The Coffee County Commission will meet at 6 p.m. with an agenda that includes a resolution to change the zoning of property owned by Wright Paving Contractors LLC to a high-impact industrial zoning so that the company can begin operations. A second resolution on the agenda would increase the price for reclamation bonding of all new mining operations from $2,500 per acre, not to exceed $95,000 per project, to $4,000 per acre, not to exceed $200,000. The hearing and commission meeting will be held at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur St. in Manchester.

Flu season is picking up steam, and it could get even worse as people return to Middle Tennessee from vacation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 29 states are now reporting high levels of symptoms associated with the flu, including Tennessee. The flu is most heavily concentrated in the southeast, and health officials say it could spread even more now that kids are returning to school after winter break. While several Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky local schools took some days off because of illness before the holidays, those that were back in session Friday aren’t seeing issues yet. The health department said many of its clinics still have the flu vaccine available free of charge. If you want to get a vaccine, first call your local health department to find out if it’s still available. If it is not, you can always go to a health department in a different county.

Getting your driver’s license is going to a lot different in Tennessee. By the middle of February, all driver license offices will be handing out paper licenses to those getting one for the first time or renewing. The actual card will then be delivered by mail, no more than seven-days later. According to the state Department of Safety, this is to help prevent fraud. Commissioner Bill Gibbons says there have been several cases of motor vehicle office employees taking the license making equipment and giving it to someone to make fake ID’s. The licenses will now be made in a central office and not at the individual offices throughout the state. Tennessee joins about 12 other states across the country that have implemented similar procedures.

Current Tullahoma Director of Schools Dan Lawson

The Tullahoma school board is to meet in special session Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. to consider whether Dr. Dan Lawson’s employment should extend beyond its June 30, 2013, deadline. According to board chairman Pat Welsh the board will consider a request from member Kim Uselton to consider the contract extension. Uselton has said that she felt compelled to move forward with attempting to extend Lawson’s contract. She explained that she feels that Lawson has been a great fit for the city and for the school system.

The Coffee County grand jury will be meeting tomorrow to consider 117 cases. Of those cases there are 87 that have been forwarded to the panel from Coffee County General Sessions Court and 30 first time cases. Those first time cases are being presented by law enforcement and have not been through the court system, they are usually drug cases.

The March of Dimes of middle Tennessee recently named Jessica Stewart, a Tullahoma registered nurse, “Critical Care Nurse of the Year” for 2012. She works as charge nurse in the Critical Care Unit at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro. The recent awards ceremony was held at the Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin with about 300 in attendance. Stewart said that she was shocked, but pleasantly surprised. Nurses from 30 Middle Tennessee counties were nominated by their patients, doctors, supervisors and colleagues and were then sent a list of questions to submit answers to. A volunteer committee from the March of Dimes, composed of nurses from diverse settings and roles, reviewed the nominees’ responses and other criteria to choose winners in each of 16 categories who demonstrated excellence in various aspects of their profession.