Category: News

Flu season has officially arrived in Tennessee, with cases of seasonal influenza now categorized as widespread in our state. But it’s not too late to vaccinate! The Department of Health urges all Tennesseans who have not yet received a flu vaccine to get one now to help protect vulnerable people around them, their families and themselves from the flu virus. This is the earliest start to an ordinary flu season in Tennessee since 2003, with seasonal flu now spreading in communities across our state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that the vaccine is a good match for the flu strains currently circulating in the U.S. CDC officials caution that the most common strain of influenza now circulating tends to cause more severe cases of illness, particularly among the elderly. Seasonal flu activity is now highest in the southeastern and south central U.S., including Tennessee. CDC and the Tennessee Department of Health recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone over the age of six months. Flu vaccine for people of all ages is widely available throughout Tennessee from primary health care providers, walk-in clinics, pharmacies and county health departments. Children covered by TennCare or without insurance that covers flu vaccine can get it for just a small administration fee at county health department clinics through the Vaccines for Children program. Children will not be turned away if parents cannot afford the administration fee. The flu vaccine is especially important for people at high risk for serious illness or death from influenza such as the elderly, pregnant women and young children, as well as healthcare workers and family and friends of anyone at high risk. Expectant mothers should be vaccinated during pregnancy to protect themselves and pass protection on to their unborn babies. People who are sick should stay home to recover if at all possible to prevent spreading illness to coworkers and others. If someone at high risk of serious illness gets sick with the flu, it is important to contact their healthcare provider to see if antiviral medication or other treatment is recommended to prevent complications.

 

On Wednesday afternoon Coffee County Mayor David Pennington, swore in the three local people that were elected to office during the November election. Those sworn in were Gary Kidd County Commissioner from the 20th District, Brian Coate Constable representing Seat 7, the 19th, 20th, & 21st districts and Jamie Weaver Road Commissioner representing Seat 1, the 5th & 6th Districts.

Monday night the Manchester City School Board met and voted to hire Dr. Keith Brewer as its new Director of Schools for the 3 school system. In a 4-1 vote, the board approved a four-year contract appointing Dr. Keith Brewer as the Director of Schools. His contract will begin July 1, 2013.
Brewer previously spent 12 years with the system and before that was superintendent in Grundy County.
Mike Lewis was the lone “no” vote.
Brewer’s approval came after discussions about his salary that was approved at $115,000 plus $5,000 for travel plus benefits per year
In comparison to one local school system Coffee County Schools Director Dr LaDonna McFall makes a base salary of $108,000. McFall oversees 9 schools.

The testimony in the trial of a Manchester man accused of murdering his 81-year-old aunt got underway yesterday afternoon in Coffee County Circuit Court.
Jeffery Smithson is accused of the murder of Virginia White last August in her Ingram Apartments in Manchester. Investigators allege that Smithson struck Ms White in the face then struck her in the back of the head with an object and then tied panty hose around her neck. Prosecution and defense attorneys spent Monday and Tuesday interviewing prospective jurors in the case. Coffee County Circuit Court Judge stated in court that Assistant District Attorney Marla Holloway and defense attorney Margo Kilgore had questioned some 70 jurors and narrowed the list down to 40 by Tuesday at noon. After returning from lunch the attorneys then narrowed the list down to 12 regular jurors and 2 alternates. Testimony started late yesterday afternoon. The first witness was Manchester Police Investigator Butch Stewart. He was the original investigator on the scene and he described what he found in the apartment. Coffee County District Attorney Mickey Layne is also taking part in the prosecution of Smithson. While Kevin Askren is co-defense counsel in the case. Testimony will continue again today in Coffee County Circuit Court.

Tea partiers are pressuring Governor Bill Haslam to rule out running an insurance exchange. Under the federal healthcare overhaul, Tennessee officials can launch an exchange for the state, but if they don’t, Washington will – and Haslam has been slow to commit.
Tea-party groups and other conservative critics are planning a demonstration at the capitol in Nashville today (Dec 5, 2012). They don’t want the state to play ball with the federal healthcare law by building an exchange. It would be an online store and database to help Tennesseans shop for insurance plans.
A spokesman says while Haslam doesn’t like the healthcare law either, he thinks the state could run its own exchange more efficiently than Washington. But the rules are murky, so Haslam has been holding out for clarity, ahead of a December 14th deadline to decide.

Tennessee Valley Authority provided a record $579 million in tax equivalent payments in fiscal year 2012 to states and local governments where it sells electricity or has power properties, and an estimated $207,000 will be going to Tullahoma. TVA pays tax equivalent payments annually in the eight states where it sells electricity or owns generating plants, transmission lines, substations and other assets and directly to 146 local governments where TVA owns power facilities.

Join United Regional Medical Center for our first ever “Here, for You” FREE Kid’s Holiday Safety Event on Saturday December 15th from 9:30-11:30am at the Asbury Community Center.
Enjoy Free…
Pictures with Santa
Exercising with Elves
Emergency Education
Holiday Nutritional Tips
Games & Much More

Thousands of Social Security employees at more than 100 Social Security offices across the country and representatives from a 200-plus member organization coalition are taking to the streets today (December 5, 2012) in what the coalition is calling an effort to “save Social Security and Medicare” from extinction .
A recent study by the National Council of Social Security Field Operations Locals (NCSSFOL) on the potential impact of sequestration determined that if mandated, sequestration would require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to reduce its budget by 5.5 percent. As a result of those cuts, SSA would have to institute an agency-wide hiring freeze with the exception of the hearings operations. This would result in a loss of more than 3,500 SSA and DDS (Disability Determination Service) State employees. More than 300 contact stations would have to be closed, eliminating in-person services in many rural and remote sites. SSA would also have to indefinitely suspend mailing out Social Security statements thus eliminating an important link between young workers and the benefits they will receive when they retire. (For more information on the study and a full list of coalition partners go to www.preserveyoursocialsecurity.org)

The Tullahoma man accused of murdering Kayla Qualls appeared in Coffee County General Sessions Court Monday morning (Dec. 3, 2012).
Michael Curtis informed Judge Jere Ledsinger that he did not have an attorney. “I talked with an attorney but he isn’t here,” Curtis told the judge. The judge appointed Jess Stockwell of the Coffee County Public Defender’s Office to represent Curtis. Curtis accused of killing Qualls Monday Nov. 26 at his residence on General Street in Tullahoma and then placing her body in her SUV and driving it to an area on Spring Creek Road in Franklin County. According to Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller Qualls died of blunt force trauma to the head. Curtis was arrested last Wednesday after investigators from the Franklin and Coffee County Sheriff Departments, the Tullahoma Police Department and agents from the TBI conducted a search of his residence. Investigators say that they seized several pieces of evidence from the residence, which was sent to the TBI Crime Lab in Nashville for analysis. After the public defender was named to represent Curtis, he was returned to his cell in the Coffee County Jail where he is being held under a $1 million bond. A preliminary hearing for Curtis will be held January 22.

The murder trial of a Manchester man continues in Coffee County Circuit Court today (Dec. 4, 2012). Jeffrey Smithson is accused of murdering his 81-year-old aunt Virginia White in her Ingram Place Apartment in Manchester. Her body was discovered in August of last year after neighbors reported not seeing her. She was found with panty hose wrapped around her neck, blood on her face and she had what turned out to be a blow to the back of her head. Smithson has been held in the Coffee County Jail under a $1 million bond since his arrest last year.