Category: News

24 year-old Shannon Arnold crashed yesterday on the Old Manchester/Tullahoma Highway. Arnold was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center after she lost control of her vehicle in a curve on the narrow crooked road. Her vehicle struck a culvert, went airborne and came to rest against a tree on the passenger’s side. Tullahoma Firefighters had to cut the passenger door and remove Arnold from the vehicle. She was placed in a waiting Air Evac helicopter and flown to the Nashville hospital.

Federal charges against a Winchester man, who is also accused of 2010 double murder in Tullahoma, were dismissed Tuesday morning in federal court in Chattanooga. Marcus Wade, 42, of Elm Street, Winchester was arrested last February in Winchester on federal charges for distribution of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Tuesday morning the U.S. Attorney’s office announced the dismissal of the charges without prejudice, which means the charges could be brought up again. Winchester Police arrested Wade last February after officers allegedly learned that he was in possession of a firearm and crack cocaine. Winchester Police Chief Dennis Young described Wade as “being affiliated to major crack cocaine in Southern Middle Tennessee.” He was indicted by the February term of the federal grand jury.
Chief Young stated Tuesday morning that the case could be brought back up and prosecuted. Wade is accused of murdering Richard Wayne Elliott and Timothy Gill on Oct. 31, 2010 while they were staying in a Tullahoma motel.

Fischer USA Stainless Steel Tubing is now announcing not only an expansion of its current product line, but also a $4.5 million investment in new equipment as well as an expansion of its workforce later this year.
To supply a new client, Fischer USA will be adding a new tube-making line and tube cutting system for about $4.5 million later this year. They are looking for well-trained, highly skilled individuals, some of whom will travel to Germany to be trained on the new equipment there, while others will receive on-the-job training in Manchester. Applications are currently being accepted at the Hamilton-Ryker Company in Manchester.

Dozens of World War II-era veterans received honorary master’s degrees at the site of their training as young soldiers in preparation for the war in Europe.
Between 1941 and 1944, more than 850,000 Army soldiers trained in a series of military maneuvers spread across 22 counties of Middle Tennessee, including here in Coffee County. Cumberland University in Lebanon served as field headquarters to oversee the massive training exercises.
Seven decades later, veterans in their 80s and 90s were given diplomas for honorary master of military arts degrees during a morning ceremony on the lawn of the university Tuesday.
University President Harvill C. Eaton said the veterans deserved the degrees for what they learned during the maneuvers, which prepared them for the battlefield.

State officials are promoting motorcycle safety awareness month as motorcycle fatalities rise in Tennessee. Thirty-eight motorcyclists have died in state crashes this year, up 31% from 2011. Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons said unseasonably warm weather may be to blame for the increase. He said it’s important for motorists and motorcyclists to educate themselves, be alert and follow the rules of the road. Motorcyclists and their passengers are required by Tennessee law to wear helmets. Officials noted that motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than passengers in vehicles.

A recent study shows a large percentage of Tennesseans didn’t see a doctor over the last decade because they couldn’t afford to. The study was conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute. About 857,000 Tennesseans between the ages of 19 and 64 participated in the study, which said 55.6% of uninsured Tennesseans skipped a doctor visit in 2010 because they didn’t have the money and 12.6% of those with insurance did the same.
The study also found that nearly 10% fewer Tennesseans had a dental visit over the decade. However, the amount of those who had a routine health checkup stayed about the same.

Sammy and Amala Morton of Manchester have been selected as a winner in America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which gives farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local nonprofit organizations. The donations are available through the Monsanto Fund. The Morton’s have designated Coffee County FFA to receive the award. They will give the FFA the money at a ceremony tonight at Coffee County High School.
America’s Farmers Grow Communities is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society by helping them grow their local communities. Nearly 60,000 farmers participated in the second annual Grow Communities program, which is designed to benefit nonprofit groups such as Ag youth, schools and other civic organizations. For more information and to see a full list of winners, visit www.growcommunities.com.

Thieves continue to burglarize area churches by breaking into the houses of worship. The latest burglary was at St. Paul Catholic Church. According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Derrick Derlien, Father Steve Klasek reported that when arrived at the church Monday morning he found someone had broken in and taken a safe. According to the priest the safe contained approximately $7,500. He stated that he had locked the church doors around 7 p.m. and returned around 6 a.m. to an open door at the back of the building. The door was unlocked and is where the thieves entered. He noticed two doors had been damaged inside the church building, and the safe in one of the rooms was missing. According to the officer’s report, the thieves entered the building through an unsecured door and then entered the rooms by pulling the door vents off.

(L-R) Mayr Betty Superstein, Landon Crabtree, Judd Matheny. In the background Mayor David Pennington, Commissioner Ross Simmons and Alderman Roxanne Patton... By Barry West

Yesterday (Tuesday) 8-year-old Landon Crabtree was honored at College Street Elementary in Manchester by the State of Tennessee.
Crabtree used his tech skills to help local police recover a large amount of stolen goods and break up a multi-state crime ring.
Crabtree used a GPS tracking system to find his family’s stolen items and other stolen goods inside a Manchester motel.
Coffee County State Representative Judd Matheny was on hand to read a resolution honoring Crabtree for his hard work.  Many people from other counties and different states will get their items back because of Landon’s efforts.

Not actual plane

A Franklin man suffered minor injuries when his glider crashed near Shelbyville. According to the Shelbyville Times Gazette, Doug Miller’s aircraft went down near the Rover glider port on Sunday afternoon. Gary Davis of Murfreesboro, the glider’s co-owner, said Miller was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was treated and released.
Davis said Miller went into a spin as he attempted to land. Resident Johnny May said the glider struck trees in his front yard as it went down.
May said he “heard a noise and came out and it was on the pavement.”