Category: News

John Matthew Lee

One man has been arrested on arson charges, and investigators are continuing to investigate another fire. John Matthew Lee, 19, of Marietta, Georgia, is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a $25,000 bond after being arrested by Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Danny Ferrell for burning a mobile home. According to the investigator, Lee admitted to throwing gasoline into a broken window of a mobile home on General Lee Drive located in Lakewood Park and setting it on fire. According to the investigator, when deputies and firefighters arrived at the fire, they found it burning.
During his investigation, Sgt. Ferrell developed information that led him to Lee. Lee is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Feb. 2, 2013. Sheriff’s Investigator Jeff McCullough is investigating a fire that burned a house on Mallery Boynton Road. The people living in the residence were not home at the time of the 11 a.m. Thursday fire.
When the North Coffee Fire Department arrived, they found the house and an outbuilding engulfed. The firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, but not before the house was a total loss.

Foreign companies — one from Japan another from China and a third from Germany — have expressed interest in potentially locating operations in Coffee County.
Industrial Board of Coffee County chairman, Bill Comer, told the Tullahoma Planning and Coordinating Committee that representatives from the company, which he did not identify, have inquired about what Coffee County has to offer if they were to choose to locate in the area. Each company would potentially offer between 125 and 200 jobs. Officials from the Japanese company firm were in the area Monday, and personnel from the Chinese company visited on Wednesday.

ATA, the prime contractor at AEDC, will reduce its work force by 17 people in Fiscal Year 2013. The company announced it will cut eight salaried and nine wage positions primarily because of skill mix issues. ATA General Manager Steve Pearson said they were hoping to avoid an involuntary reduction. He said the company management feels for the personnel affected, and they will do everything we can to help those employees. Pearson said some employees whose positions were affected by budget changes were offered open positions in other areas of ATA. However, the reassignment opportunities still didn’t prevent a forced reduction. The company will provide job-counseling services including resume development, skills self-assessment, interview techniques, resume distribution and job search assistance. Notifications for the involuntary reduction-in-force are being issued tomorrow with a departure date of Friday, Sept. 28th. Twenty-eight employees volunteered for a reduction-in-force last month.

Emergency crews on the scene just in case... By Barry West

A man on a backhoe was digging near the roadway on Asbury Road about 2:15 Sunday afternoon and struck a natural gas line. The gas line was not ruptured, but the Hillsboro Fire Department was dispatched for precaution. The Coffee County Sheriff’s Deputies blocked Asbury Road between Hickerson Road and Grosch Road. ERPUD was called to resolve the problem. We do not know at this time if any fines will be levied. Everyone is reminded to call 811 before digging.

Be careful when you dig... By Barry West

Person leaving local store after apparently writing forged check

Person allegedly writing forged checks

After helping police solve one crime, police are looking for help with another crime.
Someone is forging bad checks in the area, and Manchester Police is looking for help identifying the person committing this crime. This subject has written checks at a local store using forgery of the signature. If you have any information that could help police find this person, please contact Manchester Police Investigator Ray (Butch) Stewart at 728-2099.

Home fully engulfed... By Barry West

Fire destroys home... Bay Barry West

A fire alarm came in at about 11:00AM Thursday morning. A mobile home belonging to Frances Wise and occupied by Larry Edwards at 119 Mallery Boynton in the North Coffee area was on fire. No one was at home at the time of the fire. When Thunder Radio reporter Barry West arrived at the scene, the entire home and an out building were on fire. North Coffee Fire Department quickly brought the fire under control, but the home was a total loss. Coffee County Fire Investigator Jeff McCullough was notified to investigate this fire. The North Coffee Fire Chief said that fires of this nature had to be looked at.

Tullahoma Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Department are investigating an incident that occurred at the home of a family member of Megan Sharpton. According to authorities, a realtor arrived at the residence to take up a for sale sign, when “several” holes that appeared to be bullet holes were spotted on the sign. Megan Sharpton was murdered in July of this year. The realtor notified the homeowner and Kelly Sharpton, mother of the 24-year-old of Sharpton, notified Franklin County Sheriff’s investigator Todd Hindman. The investigator then told the woman to contact Tullahoma Police. A Tullahoma Policeman took a report of the incident. Tullahoma Police Investigators Sgt. Dale Stone and Jason Kennedy, along with Hindman and Franklin County Investigator George Dyer, arrived at the house Wednesday and conducted an investigation.

Highland Baptist Church in Tullahoma

For the second time in less than a week, thieves have stolen money from a local church. According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Jim Tate, thieves entered the office of Highland Baptist Church and removed $95 in cash. But as they have in the past, the thieves left all the checks that were in the office. Tullahoma Police Investigator Jason Kennedy is investigating the incidents.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department is hosting its 14th Annual Fishing for Christmas Tournament October 13, 2012 at Normandy Lake. The tournament will be held from 7:00am to 2:00pm at the Barton Springs Boat Ramp, this is where the weigh in will held as well. The tournament will give prizes away for Bass, Bream, and Crappie in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd places and children’s category for the biggest fish. Tickets may be purchased at the Coffee County Jail located at 300 Hillsboro Boulevard, Manchester, TN, or at the boat ramp the morning of the Tournament. This tournament helps the sheriff’s department support several local children and families. Come out and have a good time and help support a good cause.