Category: News

Tennessee has shown marked improvements in 12 measures of overall health in the last five years, according to a newly released report, but with a ranking of 48th in sedentary lifestyle among all states, most Tennesseans need to “get moving” to make more progress. The United Health Foundation’s 23rd annual America’s Health Rankings report lists Tennessee at 39th overall this year. The state moved up two spots from a recalculated 41st in 2011 in the foundation’s evaluation and measures of how states perform in different categories. Tennessee did show significant improvements in the rankings over a five-year period. During the last half-decade Tennessee moved out of the bottom ten in four measures: smoking, obesity, high school graduation rates and infectious diseases. The state also recorded statistically significant improvements in the areas of infant mortality, low infant birth weight, preventable hospitalizations, cardiovascular deaths, cancer deaths, air pollution, occupational fatalities and violent crime. In addition to the low ranking for sedentary lifestyle, Tennessee was rated 35th for obesity and 44th for the closely related prevalence of diabetes. The data also show, despite improvements over the past five years, some 11.2 percent of the state’s adult population has been diagnosed with diabetes, compared with 9.5 percent nationally.

Deputies from the Bedford County Sheriff’s department recently answered a domestic violence call and got a surprise when they discovered a cock fight. Charlie B. Seibers, 61, owner of the farm where the fights were taking place was arrested and released without a bond being set, Bedford County Jail records indicate. Several dead chickens were found but no live poultry. The deputies said more than 100 people were at the location. No crowd members were arrested, due to the presence of only two deputies to handle 100 people. There were bleachers set up inside a barn according to police. The Humane Society of the United States says Tennessee is one of only 10 states in the nation that punishes cockfighting as a misdemeanor instead of a felony. -Thanks to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette-

The flu season has arrived, and it is widespread across Tennessee, but cases in Coffee County appear to be about average. As a precaution to reduce further spread, the Coffee County Health Department, with clinics at 615 Wilson Ave. in Tullahoma and 800 Parks St. in Manchester, is offering free flu shots. The public health director for Coffee County, Debbie D. Broadway, says they have approximately 700 flu vaccine doses are available at the two Coffee County clinics. You may walk in to request a flu vaccine any time during regular clinic hours. The clinics are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Vaccination is recommended for everyone six months of age and older and it takes about two weeks to take effect.

Sales tax collections are in for November 2012 for all of Coffee County and they show an overall improvement above 2011. In Nov 2011 Coffee County overall sales tax collections were $1,488.473.01 and Nov 2012 showed $1,620,807.46 an increase of $132,334.45. The county alone in Nov 2012 collected $276,786.23 an increase of $99,949. Manchester had a decrease: Nov 2011 $582,281.00 and in 2012, $555,966, falling $26,315. Tullahoma had a good month increasing $58,699.92. The information is provided by the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

Retail gas prices are forecast to decrease throughout the end of the year. Both oil and gas prices dropped last week after the value of the dollar increased to a two-week high. $3.01 regular gas is the best found in Manchester Tuesday (12/10/12) and the lowest in Tullahoma is $2.99. The value of the dollar increased against the euro after the Labor Department announced the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in November and Germany cut its economic growth outlook for 2013. A barrel of oil settled Friday at $85.93 on the New York Mercantile Exchange–$2.98 less than the week prior. The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.35, 4 cents less than last week. Tennessee’s average of $3.13 also decreased 4 cents from last week.

Timothy Leverette

A Shelbyville toddler and his father were uninjured after a DUI offender crashed through a printing business late Saturday night. The accident occurred at USA Printing located at Highway 41A North just after 10 p.m. According to police, Timothy Leverette hit a car in the businesses’ parking lot causing both vehicles to crash into the building. The store owner says that his son, Matthew, and 18-month-old grandson, Kayden, live at the far end of the facility. Both were inside at the time of the crash. Leverette is charged with DUI, reckless endangerment and driving on a suspended license. Leverette was booked into the Bedford County jail on an $8,000 bond. The owner said he plans to reopen his business as soon as he can.

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is holding boot camps to help people who sell farm products at farmers markets be more effective. The seminars are aimed at helping vendors better understand how to market their produce and how to address certain business issues. The curriculum is a collaboration of the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The Center for Profitable Agriculture is a joint effort of UT Extension and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. There will be six of the daylong camps in February and March with events in Bolivar, Dresden, Cookeville, Spring Hill, Knoxville and Kingsport. The sessions are free, but require preregistration. Details are online at https://ag.tennessee.edu/cpa/

The Grinch has visited a residence on Silver Street in Tullahoma. Franchesca Williams reported to Tullahoma Police Officer Justin Bryant that someone entered her apartment and stole her children’s Christmas presents that were under the Christmas tree. Williams told the officer Saturday night that she left her apartment around 5:30 p.m. and when she arrived home around 11 p.m., the 20 gifts were missing.

A strike in Fayetteville has shut down a manufacturing plant for the world’s largest heating and air-conditioning company.
After weeks of negotiations, contract talks between Goodman Manufacturing and the International Association of Machinists, Lodge 2385 broke down over the weekend.
Workers started to hit the picket line at midnight Saturday.
The strike affects about 1,100 employees at the plant, bringing production to a halt.
Union spokesman Jerry Benson says this is the first strike at the factory since 1978.
Union members feel like the company is shifting an inconsistent amount of the health care costs onto them.
Benson also acknowledged that wages were a sticking point in the negotiations.
Some of the workers at the Lincoln County plant include residents of Coffee County.

Glenn Schoenmann is coming home after 60 years. The remains of the Grundy County soldier will finally return to his family for proper burial. Schoenmann went missing in action during the Korean War back in 1950. He disappeared during the infamous Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korea.
The government presumed he was dead, but it was never able to find his remains, leaving his family wondering what happened to him; but last month, the government came through saying that it had located Schoenmann’s remains.
Schoenmann’s family will meet with the United States government this week in Illinois to find out more details of his death.