Category: News

Just before 11:00pm Friday night, an alarm was sent to North Coffee Fire department to respond to Crews Hollow Road for a structure fire. The structure was a vacant mobile home and an automobile on fire. Both were a total loss. The fire chief said his department was there in eight minutes and the home was completely involved. The cause is under investigation.

Tickets for the 2013 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival starts today. Early tickets are $224 (plus service charges) and $1,399.50 (for a pair) for VIP tickets. Early tickets will only be available through Dec. 31. For the past several years, tickets for the festival have gone on sale at a discount price for a limited time before the acts performing have been announced. The festival will be held June 13-16, 2013. Artists performing at the event are usually announced in late January and regular tickets (at a greater price) will go on sale around that time.

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais said in an interview with the Chattanooga Times Free Press he never intentionally misled voters about his past and stressed that he has no plans to resign over recent revelations that depict a private life starkly at odds with his public image as an anti-abortion, family values congressman. In his first remarks since the release of a court transcript from his 14-year-old divorce, the Jasper Republican conceded that he often used “very poor judgment” during his first marriage and the lengthy separation that followed. But DesJarlais said he is not the same man who supported his first wife’s decision to have two abortions. The physician-turned-congressman said he also deeply regrets sexual relationships with multiple women, including two patients, three co-workers and a drug company representative while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper. DesJarlais, re-elected to a second term just two weeks ago, said he hopes voters will look at the job he has done while in office and will not judge him on his past. He formally represented Coffee County before the districts were changed.

Grundy County grand jurors have indicted two Palmer, Tenn., men in connection with unrelated slayings in Gruetli-Laager, Tenn., according to officials.
In one case, Troy E. Dent, 44, of 1274 Tatesville Road, was charged with second-degree murder in a fatal attack on another man with a ball peen hammer.
Doug Birdwell, 63, was lying on the ground off Colony Road when deputies found him late in the afternoon on Oct. 5, according to Grundy County Sheriff Brent Myers.
Birdwell was flown to Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga, where he died from severe brain injury, Myers said.
Dent turned himself in Nov. 14.
In the other case, Kurt Brewer, 31, of 257 Barker’s Cove Loop, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder on July 29 and indicted this month on that charge, 12th Judicial District Attorney Mike Taylor said this week.
Brewer is charged in the shooting of Corey Henry, 29, at a home on Sweetan Road.
Brewer and Henry reportedly were arguing all day over a $25 debt, and Brewer had called Henry and threatened him several times before the shooting at the home of an acquaintance where Henry and several others were gathered, according to Myers and Taylor.
Officials said Henry was shot multiple times in the leg and back. He died later at Erlanger hospital.
Brewer and Dent are free on bond, according to Grundy County Jail officials. Both men are due in court on Nov. 30, Circuit Court officials said.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for October 2012 have been released. They show the rate decreased in 14 counties, increased in 64, and remained the same in 17.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate for October decreased to 8.2 percent, down from the September revised rate of 8.3 percent. The national unemployment rate for October 2012 was 7.9 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the September rate of 7.8 percent.
Coffee County went up slightly going from 7.3% in September to 7.4 in October. Cannon County dropped from 6.9 to 6.8. Bedford County stayed the same at 8.7%. Franklin County also remained the same as it was in September at 7.2. Grundy County was another county staying the same as the previous month at 8.8%. Moore County went up in October from a September rate of 7.3 to 7.6. Warren County saw its rate go up slightly from 8.6 to 8.7%.
Lincoln County has the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 5.1% and the highest rate is Scott County at 16.4%.

A Lynchburg man is being held in the Coffee County Jail on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and criminal impersonation. Nicholas Deangelo Beasley, 19, of Craig St. Lynchburg was indicted by the October term of the Coffee County Grand Jury. According to indictments, Beasley is accused of placing a gun to the head of Jimmy Leroy Corrigan of Silver Street, Tullahoma and taking his wallet. Beasley was indicted for the robbery. Beasley then allegedly forced Anthony Harmon of Old Manchester Highway, Tullahoma to drive him away from the residence. For forcing Harmon to drive him away from the residence, Beasley was indicted for kidnapping. Beasely is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $32,500.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducted extensive roadblocks in the area during the Thanksgiving holiday with the first ones set for Friday night here in Coffee County. This is being done in an effort to get drunk drivers off of the roadway. Be aware that the Tennessee Highway Patrol will be out in full force throughout the state.

A crash occurred early Tuesday morning around 12:50 a.m. on Highway 127 in Franklin County. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a pickup truck left the roadway and traveled some 400 feet through a field and came to rest against a fence and caught fire. The body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and to identify the body. According to Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller, authorities were notified of the burning vehicle by an individual who was driving by and saw the fire. Authorities had a difficulty in reaching the pickup due to its location in the field.

FOOD, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CELEBRATIONS. It’s holiday time! But, how do our pets handle it? Some of the simple things we take part in over the holidays can often be hazardous to our pets’ health, from food to decorations. Doctor Doug Aspros, President of the American Veterinary Medical Association says, “There are ten common hazards that pet owners should be aware of at this time of year”. If you keep these at the top of mind and away from pets, everyone will enjoy the holidays free from trips to the emergency clinic. Start with table scraps, candy, tasty decorations, flowers and plants, sugar-free snacks and chocolate. Then consider candles – keep them away from your pets’ reach and their wagging tail as they can be a hazard. If you’re having a holiday party, keep your pets in a separate room away from arriving guests where they can feel safe and secure. Finally, it’s best not to give a pet as a gift because the recipients won’t be able to choose one for themselves. For more holiday pet safety tips, visit avma.org.

The holiday shopping season is upon us. Area police would like to take an opportunity to remind citizens and visitors of a few crime prevention and safety tips to make the shopping experience enjoyable and safe. 1. Don’t shop alone, take a friend or relative with you. 2. Take only the cash or credit cards you believe you will need. Make sure you have the information avail able to notify the bank or credit card company in the event of loss or theft. Keep cash, credit cards, and ID in a front pants pocket whenever possible. 3. Keep close control on your purse or wallet. Do not leave your purse unattended or open in a shopping cart. 4. When paying for a purchase, do not “flash” large amounts of cash and use your body to shield your credit card information and any personal data. The availability of camera phones makes it too easy to capture credit card or driver’s license information for retrieval later. 5. Don’t carry so many packages. 6. Park your vehicle in a well lit area and survey the area for suspicious vehicles or people before exiting your vehicle. Make sure your windows are rolled up and the vehicle is locked. Any items of value should be placed in the trunk or out of sight. 7. When walking to your car have your keys out and available. Place your packages in the trunk or out of sight before going to your next destination. Make sure your doors are still locked and look in your vehicle before entering it. Once in your vehicle immediately lock the doors. 8. Above all, be aware of your surroundings. Notify store security or local law enforcement if you feel you are being followed or if you observe activity that does not appear “right”. 9. Be cautious of strangers that offer you products or try to engage you in long conversation, do not be distracted. 10. If you are concerned about a situation, please notify store security or call 911 for emergencies.