Category: News

The Tennessee Association of School Nurses says more than half of Tennessee teens aren’t vaccinated against meningitis. With the new school year beginning, the group urges parents to get the shots for their children and teens. The first is administered at age 11-12 and a booster should be given around age 16-18. Meningitis can be spread through such contact as sharing drink bottles. Ten percent of people who contract the disease die – sometimes within 24 hours. Dr. Kelly Moore, who directs the Tennessee Department of Health immunization program, said the shots are not required in Tennessee, but are recommended. There is no charge for the vaccine at public health clinics for children on TennCare, those who are uninsured if parents’ insurance doesn’t cover the shots.

A domestic dispute at a residence on South Franklin Street leads to Tullahoma Police arresting three people living there to be arrested on drug charges. Officer Chris Coe charged Mitchell Harrison Ghea, 22, was charged with manufacture/delivery/sell of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on revoked/suspended license assault-domestic. He is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a $56,000 bond. Shawnee Kelsey Morgan, 21, was charged with manufacture/delivery/sell of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and assault-domestic. She is being held under a bond of $53,000. William Anthony Nutt, 23, of South Franklin Street was charged with manufacture/delivery/sell of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on a bond of $50,500 bond. Tullahoma. The officer allegedly found a quantity of marijuana in their possession, methamphetamines, $5,773 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a loaded pistol at the residence.

A local nineteen-year-old was riding his motorcycle late Tuesday afternoon on Jackson Street near Lowery Street in Manchester. The rider said the bike suddenly locked up tossing him to the pavement. The bike slid about 100 feet before coming to rest in a yard. The rider was taken to Medical Center of Manchester with road rash to all four extremities. The cause of the crash
is under investigation. Manchester Police Department was in charge of the scene.

Tullahoma’s Cedar Lane widening has been in the works for several years through the planning and design phases, and now the project is moving toward when the actual work will start. According to Public Works Director Wayne Limbaugh, a pre-bid meeting is set for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 17 at City Hall to inform prospective contractors specifically about what the project will involve. According to the public works director, bids are scheduled to be opened on Aug. 24 meeting at the Public Works office building on Maplewood Ave. The widening will extend Cedar Lane from near Tractor Supply in the Forrest Gallery shopping center to just past the William Northern Boulevard intersection. The project is being provided through an 80 percent matching grant through the Department of Transportation. Tullahoma will pay the remaining 20 percent. Workers will have to move utility lines to make way for the widening.

According to a report published by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, crimes against the elderly increased from 2009 to 2011. The study focused on crimes against persons and crimes against property where the victim of the crime was age 65 or older.

While the total number of all crime victims decreased 5 percent over the three-year period, the total number of elderly victims increased by 7 percent. The crime categories studied were robbery, burglary, assault and fraud.

All crimes were reported by Tennessee law enforcement agencies through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS).

The elderly are often targets of fraud, identity theft, neglect and abuse. The Tennessee Adult Protection Act requires the reporting of adult neglect, abuse or exploitation.

Highlights of the “Crimes Against the Elderly Report” include:

• More than 6 percent of all reported victims were elderly
• Burglary is the most common crime committed against the elderly
• More than 46 percent of robberies against the elderly occur at home
• 41 percent of all assault offenses against the elderly were committed by family members

Chandler Lawson, Miss Tennessee 2012, is coming home to Tullahoma!  The public is invited to stop by to meet and congratulate Miss Tennessee and her family on Monday, August 13, 2012 between 4:00-5:00 p.m. at the Tullahoma Events Center, 205 NW Atlantic Street.  This reception, hosted by the City of Tullahoma and the Tullahoma Area Chamber of Commerce, will be an excellent opportunity to meet and congratulate our hometown celebrity.  Please remember to bring your camera if you would like to get a picture.

Miss Lawson, now Miss Tennessee, a graduate of Tullahoma High School, has performed extensive volunteer work in our community.  She was the founder of the non-profit organization, “5 Loaves 4 Kids”, that feeds over 300 elementary and middle school children in Tullahoma.  Mayor Curlee welcomes you to take this opportunity to meet this exceptional young woman and give her a warm hometown welcome!

In addition to Miss Tennessee, Miss TullahomaBethany Welch, Junior Miss Tullahoma Katie Beth McGehee and Little Miss Tullahoma Trinity Merrell will be on hand to greet well-wishers.

Franklin County investigators are continuing to investigate the early July 2nd death of a 24-year-old nursing student Megan Sharpton. They say they still need information to lead them to a suspect or suspects in the slaying. Sheriff Detectives and TBI agents have conducted “more than two dozen” interviews since her burning body was found by a passing motorist. Franklin County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Chris Guess says investigators are still awaiting results from an autopsy and an examination of Sharpton’s 1995 Ford Mustang performed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Initial autopsy results indicated she was killed by “blunt force trauma” to her head. TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said the state agency cannot release any details now. She stated that she can only say they have evidence that still needs to be processed that may give us a forensic lead. Her cellphone records are being examined, but Guess would not elaborate. And authorities also are trying to determine what type of chemical was used to set the woman’s body on fire. No combustible items were found at the site. Authorities ask anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 931-967-2331 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-824-3463.

An argument allegedly over a $25 debt has left one Grundy County man dead of multiple gunshot wounds.
On Sunday, July 29, Grundy County residents Kurt Brewer, 31, and Corey Henry, 30, allegedly had been arguing all day. At approximately 5:30 p.m. at a residence on 60th Avenue North in Gruetli-Laager at the home of an acquaintance of Henry where he and others were gathered for a cookout, Brewer, who had called Henry and threatened him several times, came to the residence and allegedly shot Henry.
When authorities arrived, they found Henry with multiple gunshot wounds to his leg and back. He was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga where he later died.
Authorities said Brewer was not at the shooting scene when officers got there on Sunday, but he was taken into custody a short time later at his home not too far away.
Mike Taylor, 12th Judicial District Attorney General, said that a weapon recovered at the scene has been sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) crime lab. Henry’s body has also been sent to the TBI for examination.
Brewer was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in Grundy County General Sessions Court, where a bond could be set.
According to residents, the two men had been best friends for years and cannot understand how this could possibly have happened.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation captured the latest addition to the state’s Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive list over the weekend.
Gregorio Arenas, 35, was found hiding in a closet under a pile of clothes and bed sheets in an inner room of a house located on East Fairview Boulevard in Fairview.
TBI, U.S. Marshals and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team gained entry to the residence after receiving information Arenas was barricaded inside and may have committed suicide or was about to attempt suicide.
He was safely located and taken into custody around 5:20 p.m. Sunday.
Arenas was wanted for the July 20 fatal shooting of 29-year-old Albertano Guerrero Trejo.
Witnesses said Trejo was shot and killed during an argument with Arenas at Trejo’s apartment in McMinnville.
Arenas was booked into the Williamson County jail and will be transferred to the Warren County jail.
His bond has been set at $1 million.