Category: News

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais said Friday that the physician-turned-politician has no plans to step down despite new revelations that could jeopardize his medical license.
“No, he does not,” spokesman Robert Jameson told The Hill, a Washington, D.C., newspaper, when asked if DesJarlais planned to resign his 4th District seat.
On Thursday, the Chattanooga Times Free Press published a story confirming that the recently re-elected, anti-abortion Republican supported his ex-wife’s two abortions in the 1990s before they were married. The information came from the congressman’s own sworn testimony in his 2001 divorce trial.
While that led Democrats to call him a political hypocrite, the bigger issue for state regulators could be the other bombshell from the divorce. DesJarlais testified that he had sexual relationships with two patients, three co-workers and a drug representative while chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tenn.

A decade before calling himself “a consistent supporter of pro-life values,” Tennessee physician and Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais supported his ex-wife’s decision to get two abortions before their marriage, according to the congressman’s sworn testimony during his divorce trial.
Obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the couple’s 2001 trial transcript also confirms DesJarlais had sexual relationships with at least two patients, three coworkers and a drug representative while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tenn. During one affair with a female patient, DesJarlais prescribed her drugs, gave her an $875 watch and bought her a plane ticket to Las Vegas, records show.
Despite all this DesJarlais did win re-election and told WMSR that he has strong family support after a lot of negative campaigning.
For more on this story click here Chattanooga Times Free-Press

An unofficial tally of votes from the recent presidential election shows more than 2.4 million people cast their ballots in Tennessee.
According to the secretary of state’s office, 2,454,470 Tennesseans voted. That’s down from the 2,599,749 votes cast in the 2008 presidential election.
This year, voters were required to show photo identification before voting. Those who didn’t have proper ID could vote provisionally.
Secretary of State Spokesman Blake Fontenay said Thursday that there were 674 photo ID-related provisional ballots cast, 178 of which have been counted.
Earlier this week, a coalition of Nashville poll watchers called for an audit of problems they documented with Election Day voting.
Tennessee Citizen Action organized the poll watching effort and its director, Mary Mancini, said that while some precincts were run effectively and smoothly, many were not.
Over 19,000 voted in Coffee County.

To honor Korean War veterans, Motlow College is hosting a screening of the documentary “Chosin.” The documentary is about the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, an epic battle that took place in North Korea in November, 1950.
Tullahoma native Curtis Hice, the driving force behind the Motlow screening, said, “I wanted to give Korean War veterans a chance to see this great movie,” he said. “I knew that many wouldn’t get to see it unless an event like this was held. It will give non-veterans a chance to see what these guys went through, also.
The screening will be shown from 2 to 4 p.m. this Saturday (Nov. 17) in Powers Auditorium, located in Eoff Hall on Motlow’s Moore County campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate decreased slightly in October.
Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis said in a news release Thursday that October’s rate was 8.2 percent, down from 8.3 percent in September.
She said the October rate is the lowest since June.
The national unemployment rate for October was 7.9 percent, which is one-tenth of a percent higher than the previous month.
In Tennessee, total nonfarm employment rose by 7,500 jobs from September to October, with increases in leisure/hospitality and professional/business services. There were declines in government and mining/logging/construction.

Students in Amber Adams Health Science Class and Michelle Malachea’s Art class at Coffee County High School made posters to discourage smoking and to make a plan to stop smoking in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout yesterday. School Nurse Sarah Walker, RN organized this school wide activity.
The American Cancer Society marked the 37th Great American Smokeout yesterday by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting — even for one day — smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes — Nearly 1 in every 5 adults. As of 2010, there were also 13.2 million cigar smokers in the US, and 2.2 million who smoke tobacco in pipes — other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.

Olde Towne Christmas Stroll, a longstanding Tullahoma Tradition… The city invites you to join them Tuesday, December 11 from 5pm – 8 pm. This free musical celebration takes place in Tullahoma’s historic district at sites delineated by luminaries. In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, the city asks you to bring a newly wrapped toy for Toys for Tots or non-perishable food item.

A preliminary autopsy revealed that Thomas Colucci died of multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy was conducted yesterday (Nov. 14) by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Nashville. Colucci’s body was found Tuesday morning in his residence on Maple Springs Road in the Pocahontas community. His body was found after a passerby saw his fiancé Connie King with blood on her, running in the yard screaming for help. The passerby then called 911.
Sheriff Steve Graves says that King suffered injuries in the attack.
Sheriff’s investigators spent Wednesday at the Maple Springs Road residence sifting through evidence that they found. They plan to send that evidence to the TBI Crime Lab in Nashville for analysis. The sheriff stated that investigators will wait on the lab to do testing on the evidence but “in the meantime they will continue to investigate why Colucci was killed and King was attacked. King was transported to a Manchester hospital for treatment of her injuries.
The sheriff did not reveal what evidence had been collected. He stated that investigators are still attempting to determine a motive for the murder and attack.

During the Coffee County Commission meeting on Tuesday night, a new commissioner was appointed to the 20th district. Gary Kidd, who recently won the election for that district, was appointed because the votes have not been certified. The seat was open after Chris Bird resigned and left the district without representation for several months. If Kidd had not been sworn in Tuesday, he would have not taken over the seat until January.
The meeting may have set a record for the length of time after going for a marathon 4.5 hours.
The hot topic of the night was the proposed rock quarry in Hillsboro. Commissioner Barry West said he didn’t see anything the commission would do tonight that would be ground breaking. West said he wanted the commission to set the criteria so that Wright Paving or any other company would have a chance to start the process of asking for the right to build in the county. Commissioner Bobby Bryan said he was looking out for the Hillsboro citizens that were opposed to the idea. Most of the bantering between commissioners was about whether to allow an M-2 zoned business to operate in that area and what reclamation cost should be. (Reclamation- The process of reconverting disturbed land to its former or other productive uses.) Commissioner Virgil Alford asked Codes Director Glen Darden to see the zoning map of the county. Darden got a map from his office. Commissioners questioned if that was an updated map and Darden said yes and it was done in 2006. A representative for St. John Engineering said a newer map was done in 2009 and showed the current rock quarry in Hillsboro as an M-2. In a vote of 13-6 the commission voted to approve $3,000 per acre reclamation cost not to exceed $95,000 per project. Some said the cost may be too low. Commissioner West says he will submit a new resolution to change the cost to $4,000 per acre not to exceed $200,000 per project at the next meeting. The next issue to be voted on was postponed. This was the issue of re-zoning the land M-2. This was done so county attorney Robert Huskey can check on all legalities of changing the zoning including whether a public hearing needs to be held. The next meeting of the county commission is Jan. 8, 2013.

Tennessee sales tax collections for October fell below budgeted estimates, but overall revenue collections for the month reflected growth above a year ago. The Finance and Administration Commissioner reported that state revenue collections for October were $836.7 million, which is 5.72% above October 2011.
On an accrual basis, October is the third month in the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
October collections were $26.7 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $21.5 million and the four other funds were over collected by $5.2 million.
Sales tax collections were $9.9 million less than the estimate for October. The October growth rate was 0.93 %. The year-to-date growth rate is 1.63%.
Franchise and excise combined collections for October were $65.1 million, which is $31.6 million above the budgeted estimate of $33.5 million.
Gasoline and motor fuel collections increased by 6.44%, which is $3.8 million above the budgeted estimate of $72.4 million.
Tobacco tax collections for the month were under collected by $1.7 million.
Privilege tax collections were $1.1 million below the budgeted estimate of $21.1 million.
Inheritance and Estate taxes were over collected by $1.8 million for the month.
All other taxes were over collected by a net of $2.2 million.
Year-to date collections for three months were $68.6 million more than the budgeted estimate. The general fund was over collected by $72.9 million and the four other funds were under collected by $4.3 million.