Category: News

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released the “Crime in Tennessee 2011″ report which showed a 1.7% decrease in overall crimes reported in Tennessee in 2011 compared with 2010. This is third year in a row that reported offenses decreased when compared with the previous year. For the 2011 calendar year, 576,844 Group A offenses were reported compared with 586,714 in 2010. The largest majority of crimes reported were committed against property at more than 58% which is a decrease of 2.5% from the previous year. Crimes against persons also decreased approximately 2%, however, crimes against society increased 3%. With an estimated population of more than 6.3 million people, Tennessee has seen crime drop a total of 4.6% since 2009.

“Crime in Tennessee 2011″ Fact List

· The reported number of murders increased by more than 4% after a significant decrease between 2009 and 2010. 56.7% of the 2011 murder victims knew their offenders. · A total of 26,340 people were arrested for DUI in 2011 which is an increase from the 24,154 arrests made in 2010. · Domestic violence offenses made up more than 52% of all crimes against persons. · More than 46% of crimes against persons offenses were cleared by arrest or exceptional means. · Of the 401,004 arrests made across the state about 71% of the arrestees were male compared with 29% female. · Juveniles comprised 8.9% of total arrests — a decrease from last year. · 51% of robbery offenses involved a handgun and nearly 28% occurred at a residence. · 18-24 year olds accounted for nearly 35% of drug/narcotic violations.

TBI strongly discourages the use of crime data to compile rankings of individual jurisdictions due to the many underlying factors that cause crimes to occur such as population density, climate, cultural conditions and strength of law enforcement. It is also important to note that attitudes of citizens toward crime can affect the reporting practices of residents, and therefore, affect crimes coming to the attention of law enforcement. To view “Crime in Tennessee 2011″ in its entirety, go to the TBI website at www.tbi.tn.gov . Click on Tennessee Crime Statistics from the homepage for a link to the Statistical Analysis Center webpage. Up-to-date 2011 statistics can also be accessed at www.tncrimeonline.com.

According to the Better Business Bureau, more than 18 million Americans have been victims of identity theft over the past two years. This weekend the BBB is teaming up with Ascend Federal Credit Union to help area residents protect themselves from fraud. Ascend will host Shred Day on Saturday, April 21. People are welcome to bring old receipts to be shredded, in order to protect themselves from identity theft as much as possible, they should be sure to bring along old documents containing sensitive personal information. Shred Day will begin at 9 a.m. at the credit union on North Jackson St., and will continue till noon or until the truck collecting the shredded documents is full.

April is National Autism Awareness Month a special fundraiser that had been set for Saturday at Frazier McEwen Park to raise money to combat the devastating neurological and biological disorder is being postponed due to rain in the forecast. Plans have been changed to have the Children’s Spring Festival sometime in mid May, depending on when Frazier McEwen Park may be available to set up booths and recreational equipment to accommodate the event. The festival is planned to feature a bounce house, arts and crafts, games and food items. Autism typically affects children between the ages in 18 months to 5 years of age. According to new statistics released by the Center for Disease Control, autism affects one in every 88 children. It is estimated there are more than one million in the United States alone with autism.

Alderman Nettles was sworn in by Finance Director Esther Greene

The City of Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted Tuesday night for local realtor Janet Nettles as its newest alderman. The position became available when Lonnie Norman resigned his seat to run for mayor in the upcoming August election. A change in the city charter a couple of years ago forces a standing alderman to resign if he or she chooses to run for the higher office. Alderman Nettles was sworn-in by Finance Director Esther Greene after the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

Outside Millie's In Tullahoma... Photo by Scott Anderson

Tullahoma Police are investigating the theft of a prom dress from Millie’s. According to a report by Officer Daryn Gadeken, a woman, who is thought to be from the Sewanee area, recently paid a $100 deposit on a prom dress. When Julia Bryce of Millie’s attempted to deposit in her checking account, the bank notified her that the account had been closed. Bryce then placed the dress back on the rack. Then the woman returned to the store and advised an employee that she had paid for the dress and that she wanted to pick it up. The employee notified Bryce that the woman was attempting to get the dress. Bryce then advised the employee that the dress had not been purchased due to a bad check. Bryce advised that she was in route to the store. But the woman had other ideas, as she allegedly took the dress and left the store without paying the owed amount of $436.61. Tullahoma Police Detective Dale Stone is investigating the theft.

Tennessee is following the national trend of fewer adolescent pregnancies. New federal statistics show that nearly every state in the union saw a decline in teen births from 2007 to 2010. The biggest drop occured in Arizona at 29 percent, while Mississippi had the highest rate. There were 55 teen births in Mississippi per 1,000 girls, though the rate there is also declining. Pregnancies among Tennessee girls between the ages of 10 and 17 fell 25% between 2007 and 2010. There were just over 2600 pregnancies recorded in that age bracket in 2010.

Early indications suggest that construction in Tennessee is starting to rebound. Unemployment in the construction trades fell in the state by an average of more than nine percent per month over the winter. Bill Young is a spokesman for the 600 members Associated General Contractors of Tennessee.  He says the member companies are now reporting an improved business climate. Young stresses that construction in the state has not returned to pre-recession levels and he doubts that it will any time soon. He also notes that many construction workers abandoned the field for other trades during the economic downturn. As a result, Tennessee could actually experience a shortage of qualified employees in the years to come.

A fisherman on the Duck River in Bedford County discovered a mysterious human skull on a gravel bar in the river. Officials said the skull appears to be larger than a child’s, but smaller than an adult’s. Detectives scoured the area where it was found for much of the day but didn’t turn up any other clues. Investigators said there’s no indication of the skull’s age. Detectives with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that skull will be taken to the University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology in Knoxville for examination. The TBI is also studying the skull in hopes of determining an identity.

Parents/caregivers play a major role in their children’s choices about alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. A recent national survey of parents and teens by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found one-third of teen partygoers have been to parties where teens were drinking alcohol or using other drugs while a parent was present. By age 17, nearly half (46 percent) of teens have been at such parties where parents were present. In Coffee County forty percent (40%) of adults have first-hand knowledge of parents who knowingly allow youth under 21 to drink in their home and do not do anything about it (2008 Focus Group Study).

Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition has teamed up with Drug-Free Action Alliance along with national sports icon and the 2012 Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking Campaign Spokesperson Clark Kellogg to spread the word in our community that underage drinking is unsafe, unhealthy and unacceptable.

FACT: As a parent, you cannot give alcohol to your teen’s friends under the age of 21 under any circumstance, even in your own home, even with their parent’s permission.  You also cannot knowingly allow a person under 21, other than your own child, to remain in your home or on your property while consuming or possessing alcohol.  There are legal consequences if you do.  According to Tennessee law, it is a Class A misdemeanor for any owner, occupant or other person having a lawful right to exclusive use and enjoyment of property to knowingly allow an underage person to consume alcoholic beverages.

With prom and graduation season upon us, it is imperative for parents to be aware of the increased risk of teen alcohol parties occurring and the potential dangers that accompany those alcohol-fueled gatherings. Simply taking away the car keys does not solve all of the problems related to underage drinking.

It is important for parents to proactively take measures to help ensure these special times are fun, yet safe and drug-free for their teens. Here are a few ideas for parents (and teens) planning celebratory parties:

§  Create a party plan, including a guest list, with your teen

• Invite just the friends on your list and let them know in advance the party is ‘invitation only’
• Let party guests know that if they leave, they cannot come back
• Plan some activities such as music, games, movies, etc
• Make regular and unobtrusive visits to the party area with sensitivity to teens’ needs for privacy

If your teen is attending a party:

• Know where your child will be. Call the parent in charge to verify the location of      the party. Ensure there will be adult supervision ant that the host will not be serving or allowing alcohol.
• Set a curfew for your teen to be home and when they arrive home, have them check      in with you.
• Know how your child is getting to and from the party.  Reinforce the message to your teenager      that he/she should never allow someone who has been drinking to drive them anywhere.

For additional information, including the full list of parent tips and ideas, visit www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org.

Tullahoma youngsters will have to find an alternate place to swim this summer.  The Joel Ferrell Outdoor Pool is closed due to heavy deterioration. Kurt Glick, Tullahoma Parks and Recreation director, says the pool’s poor substructure caused the pool to be out of commission. The pool has been operating the past 23 years with a liner designed to last 15 years. The recreation department has managed to repair the vinyl material for eight extra years, but an October 2011 hail storm left it beyond repair. The recreation director says the city received $82,810 in insurance money to replace the liner, but the concrete substructure has crumbled to where replacing the liner in the pool’s present state wouldn’t be feasible. The recreation department is working to extend the indoor pools hours of operation to accommodate swimmers. Manchester’s outdoor city pool will be open Memorial Day Weekend.