Category: News

Gas prices continue to drop across the Southeast region as motorists gear up for Thanksgiving travel. This is positive news for travelers who are paying less for a gallon of gas than they did this time last year. Here in the Coffee County the low price in Manchester is $3.14 and in Tullahoma it’s $3.06.
Although gas prices are on a downward trend, the cost for a barrel of oil increased slightly.
“Although oil prices inched up slightly, retail gas prices are expected to fall throughout the month,” said Jessica Brady of AAA.
A barrel of oil closed Friday at $86.07—$1.21 more than the week prior.
The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.44, 4 cents less than last week. Here in Tennessee the average of $3.18 dropping cents from last week.

Investigators believe a Franklin County man was overcome by smoke and could not escape a fire at his home.
Police told the Winchester Herald Chronicle that it appeared Roy Bethel Davis, Jr. died from smoke inhalation.
Firefighters discovered the man’s body after they knocked down the fire at his mobile home on Keith Springs Mountain Road Nov. 6.
Davis’ remains were transported to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.

November marks the start of holiday shopping for countless Tennesseans and shoppers everywhere. Here is how consumers can keep gift cards’ policies from dumping snow on their holiday season.

• Check expiration dates and fees. In the state of Tennessee, expiration dates, fees and other terms must be clearly disclosed at the time of purchase. The expiration date and fee must be legibly printed on the gift card.
• Ask about restrictions. Some card issuers deduct a monthly fee from the card or apply inactivity fees, if a card has not been used for a period of time. These fees will reduce the value of the card. Some gift cards do not allow cash refunds for a remaining balance on a card. You will have to either forfeit the balance or buy additional items.
• Know what it will cost. Major shopping mall operators charge fees for gift cards. Gift cards issued by banks and credit card companies often expire and tend to add fees. Fees – including activation fees, transaction fees, maintenance fees and inactivity fees – can lessen a card’s value.
• Ask what to do if the card is stolen. Always keep a receipt. Because gift cards are not usually registered to an individual purchaser, they can be easily stolen. Some stores urge customers to access their website and register cards in case they’re stolen.
• Check on purchase exemptions. Ask if the card may be used at both a store’s physical location and the store’s website. Also ask if the card may be used at other locations, not just the specific store where the card was purchased.
• Get as much information as possible for the card’s recipient. Ask for a toll-free phone number, in case there are problems with the gift card. Ask if a website that provides gift card details is available.

Consumer Affairs (www.tn.gov/consumer/) is a division of the Department of Commerce and Insurance

A Chattanooga woman escaped serious injury Friday afternoon when a wheelbarrow fell off of a truck in front of her on I-24.
According to Tennessee Highway Patrolman Carl Seagroves, 30-year-old Paulette Russell of Chattanooga was traveling eastbound when at the 106 mile marker a wheelbarrow fell off of the truck in front of her. She swerved to miss it and went off the interstate; her Honda Civic then struck a tree on the driver’s side and flipped. The car was cut in half by the crash. When the trooper arrived Russell was walking around and was able to provide details of the crash. The truck that the wheelbarrow fell off of continued to travel down the interstate and has not been found. According to Trooper Seagroves, the usage of a seatbelt definitely saved the woman’s life. Russell was treated and released from a Manchester hospital.

A Boy Scout leader and Liberty School teacher has been charged with inappropriately touching a teenage boy.
Travis Scott Spivey, 43, was charged Tuesday with sexual battery by an authority figure, Detective Sgt. Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department said Thursday.
The Shelbyville Times-Gazette reports the victim is not one of Spivey’s students or involved in current Boy Scout activity.
Spivey has been placed on administrative leave without pay from his teaching position.

Stephen B. Givens, the former band director of Community High School in Bedford County, will serve nine months in jail after pleading guilty Thursday to soliciting one of his students. Givens will also forfeit his teaching license.
As part of his plea, Givens will also be placed on the sexual offender registry.

The state court of appeals has upheld the custody ruling that allows the daughter of Shelly Mook to stay with the maternal grandmother in Pennsylvania.
Tyler Mook, now of Decherd, had appealed the decision of Bedford County Chancery Court Judge Lee Russell. The court of appeals says the child will stay with the grandmother.
Shelly Mook has been missing since earlier this year after leaving the couple’s daughter with Tyler Mook at his residence then in Bedford County. She was suppose to go to her apartment in Murfreesboro and meet a repair person but never showed up. Her car was later found in Rutherford County burned up. She has not been seen.
Investigators have searched a number of areas for the woman, including the railroad yard in Cowan but nothing was found.
The visitation rights were taken away from Tyler Mook after alleged statements concerning the burning of the grandmother’s house.
The court of appeals issued the ruling Friday afternoon.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam appears to prefer to have Tennessee design its own health insurance exchange required under Democratic President Barack Obama’s health care law. But resistance in the GOP-controlled General Assembly may cause the state to hand that power off to the federal government.
States have until Friday to inform the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whether they plan to set up their own health insurance markets.
Haslam says that while he opposes the federal health care law, he believes the state could do a better job of running the exchanges than the federal government.
But he acknowledges that it would be a tough vote for fellow Republicans in the Legislature, who chalked up big gains in last week’s election due in large part to their opposition to Obama’s policies.

Veterans Day was celebrated yesterday on the square in Manchester. The Manchester American Legion Gold Star Post 78 hosted the ceremony. Many veterans, citizens and the families of veterans were in attendance. The ceremony honored those who have or still serving our country. Six Veterans were specially honored and awarded with the Army sword in recognition for exceptional service while on duty in a hostile environment in support of a combat victory in military history. Two soldiers presented a wreath at the foot of the stones of the soliders who fought and lost their lives for our freedom.

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