Category: News

According to a new study, Tullahoma ranks third in the state for “Micropolitan” areas due to its economic strength. The study recognizes communities that have consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time. “Micropolitan” areas, according to the 2000 Census, are too rural to be considered urban and too urban to be considered rural. The Tullahoma “Micropolitan” Area ranks 134th out of 576 in the nation for 2012, which is up from 148th in 2011. The city has ranked as high as 44th in the nation in years prior and is behind Harriman (85th) and Cookeville (116th) in the state of Tennessee.

Think the heat is bad on us?  How about your pet?
Each year, countless animals die because they are left in cars on warm, not just hot, days. Most people don’t realize how quickly the temperature in a car rises, making even a five-minute errand a dangerous situation for a pet left in a parked car.
Doctor René Carlson, President of the American Veterinary Medical Association says, when it comes to your pet’s safety and health, every minute counts. In just ten minutes, the temperature inside a car can rise nineteen degrees. Even if it’s ‘only’ seventy-five out, the temperature in the car can go up to ninety-four degrees. In another ten minutes, you’re looking at a dangerous one-hundred and four. And, cracking windows does not help. Situations like this leave your pet in danger of heat-stroke, a life-threatening condition if left untreated by a veterinarian.
Be sure to leave your pet at home except for when you need to have them in the car. For more about what you can do to be sure your pet stays safe and beats the summer heat, visit my-veterinarian.com

A 6-year-old Tullahoma boy is listed in stable condition at Vanderbilt Medical Center after being struck by a car Wednesday night, and the driver of the car that struck him has been charged. According to a report by Tullahoma Officer Rana Pawlowski, Kayden Jaramillo of Eddie Street in Tullahoma, was struck by a Dodge Charger operated by 35-year-old William Deshon Braston of Hermitage, Tennessee, while at the Jefferson Street Park. According to the police report, the Charger struck the child and then left the area, but as the car was driving away, the boy’s mother, Crystal Miller, started to “bang on the window” of the car hoping to stop the driver. He drove away. He later returned to the park, and police were notified that the man had returned to the park. Braston, according to the police officer, stated when the accident occurred he was going to move the car due to fireworks in the area, but as he was leaving, people started to yell at him. He said that he stopped and got out of the car, thinking that there were fireworks under the vehicle. Braston stated that he saw the boy and helped him from underneath the car, and that the boy was “scratched up and crying” but otherwise seemed to be okay. Braston was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injury and driving on revoked/suspended license. He was released after posting a bond of $22,500 and is set to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court August 9.

Jonathan Taylor

A West Grundy Street man faces a number of drug charges following a traffic stop Wednesday night by a Tullahoma Police officer.
Tullahoma Officer Rocky Ruehling stopped a Dodge Ram on East Lincoln Street operated by Jonathan Taylor for failing to maintain his lane.
As the officer approached the car, Taylor opened the door to get out.  As he did, Ruehling alleges that he observed a bag that contained marijuana sitting in the seat. The officer placed Taylor under arrest, asked him if he had any more drugs, and was told that there “was some marijuana in the floor.”
As the officer searched the car, he allegedly found 300 grams of marijuana along with several Oxycodone, Soma pills, digital scales, as well as $493.07 in cash.
Taylor was booked into the Coffee County Jail on charges of manufacture/delivery/sell of a controlled substance, possession of schedule II, possession of schedule IV, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to maintain control of his vehicle and no proof of insurance. He is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $23,500 and is scheduled to appear in general sessions court July 26.

At a recent meeting in the Grundy County town of Tracy City, their mayor resigned. Mayor Jim Campbell decided to leave his leadership roll due to health reasons.
The council also passed a resolution outlining procedures to follow after accepting Mayor Campbell’s resignation, which stated that due to the resignation of the mayor, council members would appoint a vice mayor or mayor pro tempore.
Tracy City Councilman Michael Price nominated Councilman Kevin Meeks for the position of vice mayor, which was approved by the board. Meeks will serve until the next meeting to be held July 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Tracy City Hall or until a new mayor is appointed.

Low water levels at area lakes

The U.S. Drought Monitor issued its weekly-updated map of drought conditions, and things are looking decidedly worse across the state of Tennessee.
Last week’s map showed 26% of the state in the “severe drought” category that included Coffee and several surrounding counties. After a week that brought a new all-time record high temperature, and no organized rain, it’s safe to say that conditions were expected to get worse.
And that’s the case: nearly 65% of Tennessee, including all of Middle Tennessee, is now in the “severe drought” category. The map even paints “extreme drought” across the northwest corner of Middle Tennessee into northern parts of West Tennessee.
The drought’s impacts are currently classified as “short-term,” meaning the lack of rainfall has caused vegetation to dry out and primarily impacted farmers thus far. If the lack of rainfall continues through the summer, the impacts may become more “long-term.” That’s when the water tables are impacted and the dry conditions have a wider impact on all walks of wildlife, not just agriculture.

A Woodbury man was arrested on possession of child pornography charges. 23-year-old Casey B. Basham evidently forgot his cell phone at a Dairy Queen in Murfreesboro, and the person who found the phone looked through the pictures saved to the device. That was when they discovered 24 child porn photos on the phone. Basham admitted to downloading the photos, and as a result was charged with 24 counts of possession of child pornography.