Category: News

The impact of a law that gives Tennessee court clerks a powerful tool for collecting unpaid court costs will soon be felt when thousands of people begin losing their driver’s licenses. The law says defendants have a year to pay all court costs in misdemeanor and felony cases or the Department of Safety will automatically revoke their licenses. It took effect last July and the one-year grace period to pay is beginning to come to an end for some defendants. Court officials say that they welcome a new way to collect millions of dollars in outstanding costs, but they worry about the burden it will put on an already overloaded court system. Court clerks will be the ones providing the information to the state about who hasn’t paid their fines. Coffee County Circuit Court Clerk Heather Duncan says that while her office has more owed to it than they collect, they have “one of the highest percentages of collections of any circuit court office in the state.”

With temperatures on the rise, customers of the Tullahoma Utilities Board (TUB) can help the city’s elderly and handicapped residents stay cool this summer by simply adding $1 to their utility bills. The amount given goes directly to Project Help, which is a program administered through The Good Samaritan, an independent non-profit agency in Tullahoma.
By supporting Project Help, customers can ask that a specific amount, usually $1, be added to his or her utility bill. This money helps pay for the utility cost of those on a fixed income. Project Help funds are only distributed to the elderly and/or handicapped citizens of the community, so the money you donate goes only to help those people in Tullahoma who really needs the assistance. Each year, TUB customers contribute more than $10,000 to the needy in the city.

The continued decrease in retail gas prices helped make this year’s unofficial start to the summer travel season much more affordable for motorists. Although prices remain above $3 a gallon, motorists in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee paid an average of 30 cents less a gallon than they did during last year’s Memorial Day weekend.
The national average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.64, 5 cents less than last week. Tennessee’s average of $3.34 both decreased 7 cents from last week.
In Coffee County gas price continue their decline with Manchester averaging $3.30 per gallon with a low of $3.24. In Tullahoma the average is $3.24 and a low at $3.19.

No one died in any boating-relating accidents over the 2012 Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
However there were eight boating accidents reported, five of them resulted in injuries.
TWRA officers made 22 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests over the weekend, an increase of nine from the same period last year. Officers also issued 12 reckless/negligent operation citations, down two from 2011.
This marks the second consecutive Memorial Day holiday weekend that there were no boating fatalities. Last year, there were six reported accidents, two of which resulted in injuries.
There have been seven boating-related fatalities from five accidents thus far in 2012 in Tennessee. There were also seven fatalities at this time last year.
TWRA officers have worked 39 reportable boating accidents in 2012. Officers have now made 42 BUI arrests for the year.

Good Samaritan will host a large job outreach program next month, when the Tennessee Department of Labor will have one of its three mobile career coaches to the Northgate Mall for Good Samaritan’s first Career Day event. The event will be held from 9am-4pm on June 8. All services will be offered at no charge and attendees will be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Jones and his wife

Charlie Jones, age 58 of Manchester, passed away yesterday morning at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Jones was a sergeant with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. Charlie was employed by the department for 23 years.
Sheriff Steve Graves told WMSR News that Jones was a very dedicated employee and always ready to volunteer for things that needed to be done. Jones always helped out during the Sheriff’s annual Christmas basket give-away to the needy. Jones was also a member of the honor guard. Funeral services will be announced later on Thunder Radio’s Obituaries.

Argie Ruth Ridner, an 88 year-old female of Manchester, died after she was involved in a two car crash in Manchester Sunday morning. According to police two vehicles collided at the intersection of Coffee and Spring Street. Ridner was transported to a local hospital and later airlifted. As the chopper was in route to Nashville, they made an emergency landing at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro because Ridner’s condition had gotten worse. Ridner passed away at the hospital.

For the second time in less than a week, a Coffee County resident has been attacked at their residence. Timothy Richard Howard of Silver Street reported to Tullahoma Police Officer Chase Sons that 3 black males attacked him Tuesday morning around 12:30 a.m. when he went to get something out of his vehicle. Howard told the officer that the men hit him multiple times, and that one picked up a beer bottle and began to beat him in the head. The attackers took Howard’s wallet with $200 cash and bankcards. Manchester Police are continuing to investigate an attack on a woman on Summer Street in Manchester Friday night. 32-year-old Amanda Townsend told officers that the attackers entered her residence and beat her until she lost consciousness. She said that when she regained consciousness, she was in a closet with her hands and feet tied behind her. Townsend was taken to a local hospital and released over the weekend. Manchester investigator Butch Stewart says the attacks are similar to some in Nashville, and that information has been shared with Nashville.

Willard Henderson and family along with Lottery leader Rebecca Hargrove

A Powerball ticket worth $1 million was sold in Manchester last week, and the winner came forward yesterday. Willard Henderson of Manchester collected his money on Tuesday.
Saturday’s winning numbers were 13-14-41-49-59 with a Powerball of 14. No one won the jackpot, but players in five states will get $1 million for matching five numbers.
Prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing.

Area police remind parents not to leave a child alone in a hot car as summer months approach. With temperatures soaring into the 90s, it may seem like common sense, but every summer law enforcement agencies deal with calls about unattended children in vehicles. According to statistics some 38 children die each year after being left in hot cars across the country. Most of those children are under the age of three and are strapped into a car seat. Children are more susceptible to heat than adults. A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult. The temperature inside a car can rise 10 degrees in just 10 minutes. Officials urge parents to double check vehicles before getting out and locking the doors.