Category: News

Moore County Sheriff’s Department is searching for thieves who have been burglarizing houses in the Hurricane Road, Price Hollow, Turkey Creek Church Road, Cobb Hollow Road and McGee Road areas. According Moore County Sheriff Mark Logan, the thieves, who are thought to be driving a dark blue SUV, are stealing televisions, jewelry, guns, chain saws and leaf blowers. He said the thieves are taking anything that they can pawn easily.

A new survey says late payments on mortgages hit a three-year low, but if you’re still having problems with your home mortgage, help might just be a phone call away. Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper and Tennessee Housing Development Agency Executive Director Ted R. Fellman announced a toll-free mortgage hotline is now available for Tennesseans who need advice. Homeowners can call Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST and speak with a representative who can direct homeowners to a free foreclosure prevention counselor and explain various housing assistance programs. “My office wants to make sure that Tennessee homeowners get all the help they deserve under this settlement,” said Cooper. “We are pleased to partner with THDA to create this mortgage hotline for all Tennessee homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payment.” For information about programs for eligible homeowners struggling to make their monthly payments due to unemployment or underemployment is also available at www.KeepMyTNHome.org. If you’d like to call the Tennessee mortgage hotline, their toll-free number is 855-876-7283

Charla Daly, County Executive Director of the Coffee/Grundy County Farm Service Agency, announces that due to the extreme drought situation that has been ongoing since April 10, 2012, Coffee and Grundy County FSA has been authorized to implement the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). Coffee/Grundy County’s ECP signup period will begin August 13 at 8:00 am and will continue through 4:30 p.m. on September 12, 2012. This program will provide a maximum of 50% cost share for permanent practices and 75% cost share for temporary practices (not to exceed actual documented costs) if funding becomes available. Applicants must incur at least $1,000 in cost before cost-share can be approved. Eligible expenses for cost-share under this program include: installing pipelines to another water source, water storage facilities, including above ground tanks and troughs, constructing or deepening wells, permanently installed submersible pumps of adequate size to address livestock water needs, solar panels to provide pump power, contractor costs for hauling water to livestock, portable or permanent holding/storage tanks, truck rental for delivering water to livestock, personal or hired labor for delivering livestock water, and pipelines for livestock watering facilities.  All expenses must be documented and must be limited to direct costs incurred as a result of the drought and beyond the normal operation of the farm. Livestock producers who wish to apply for USDA cost-share assistance should immediately visit the Coffee/Grundy County Farm Service Agency office to file an application. Daly reminds all applicants that, although his office is accepting the requests, this does not imply that cost share assistance will be made available. If funds become available, the applications processed will receive funding if all eligibility requirements are met. Applications received after 4:30 p.m. on September 12, 2012 will not be approved.

A number of Coffee County residents took time Tuesday afternoon to drive to the Tullahoma Airport to watch Metropolitan Life’s (MetLife) Snoopy #2 blimp. The blimp landed at the airport around 6 p.m. and the crewmembers spent the night in Tullahoma and then headed to South Carolina where they will be providing aerial shots of a PGA golf tournament. Airport manager Jon Glass said similar blimps have landed at the airport.

A Missing Child Alert has been issued in Coffee County. Police received information that Sierra Burgess, age 14, has been missing since Sunday night.
According to her family Sierra was last seen around Stacy Ann Mobile Home Park in Manchester Sunday night around 11 pm.
Anyone with any information about Sierra’s whereabouts please contact the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department at 931-728-9555.

One of four men who pleaded guilty to soring Tennessee walking horses will not face more jail time. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, John Mays was sentenced Monday to the time he has already served and ordered to write an article about horse soring. U.S. District Court Judge Sandy Mattice included the writing of the article as a community service requirement of Mays’ one-year supervised release. The court said the article must include how widespread soring is, who it is done for and how it affects horses. Horse trainer Jackie McConnell, Jeff Dockery and Joseph Abernathy were indicted along with Mays and charged with violating the federal Horse Protection Act. Mayes pleaded to a lesser charge. The other three are scheduled for sentencing in September.

A Tennessee walking horse group that has opposed new federal rules to stop the practice known as soring says they have received notice of decertification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The SHOW Horse Industry Organization said in news release that they received the notice from the USDA on Monday. The organization did not meet the deadline to adopt the tougher inspection rules. Soring is the practice of causing injuries to a horse’s legs or hooves to exaggerate the breed’s high-stepping gait at horse shows, usually done to improve the chances of winning. The organization said they will still have inspectors at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration later this month in Shelbyville. The group said they are challenging the rule because it is not enforced consistently across the industry.

Speeding in a school zone led to two Winchester women being charged with possession of 1.75 pounds of marijuana. Tullahoma Police Officer Chris Coe reported clocking by radar a GMC Envoy operated by 60 year old Shirley Miller, of Winchester traveling at 25 mph in the school zone at East Lincoln School. As the officer approached the vehicle he alleged that he detected the strong odor of marijuana from the vehicle. The woman gave the officer permission to search her vehicle and he found two bags in the rear floorboard with each containing approximately a quarter pound of marijuana. When the officer searched the rear cargo area, he allegedly found a duffle bag containing approximately one pound as well as drug paraphernalia. In addition to the driver being arrested Officer Coe arrested Danielle Jannette Miller, 27, of Winchester. The pair was charged with manufacturing/delivery/sell of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. They are being held in the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $27,000. They are scheduled to appear in General Sessions court Sept. 13.

The Coffee County Board of Education cordially invites you to attend a “Meet and Greet” for Dr. LaDonna McFall, Director of Coffee County Schools, on Thursday, August 9, 2012 beginning at 3:00 PM at the board’s central office. The board looks forward to you joining them in welcoming Dr. McFall.
McFall was hired by the Coffee County School Board after not renewing the contract of Kenny Casteel. Casteel went onto retire from the system.