Category: News

Three Coffee County residents are facing sentences in Ohio for their part in the distribution of steroids in that state. Jason Sherrill, 31, and Stephanie Sherrill, 27, both of Tullahoma and Kenneth Freeman, 44, of Manchester were all arrested last November on charges of purchasing drugs in powder form from China and mixing the substance into injectable form to sell. The three are accused of engaging in corrupt activity and trafficking in drugs in Ohio. The three were indicted by a Warren County Ohio grand jury along 30 other in the operation to distribute steroid in Ohio. The Ohio authorities then came to Tullahoma and with the assistance of the 14th Judicial Drug Task Force in conducting a raid on a residence located on the Old Estill Springs Road and Rutledge Ford Road. Freeman was sentenced to four years in jail for three counts of trafficking of steroids. The Sherrill’s are to appear in court in Warren County, Ohio on April 18 to be sentenced on the charges.

A newly released report ranks the health of the residents in Tennessee’s 95 counties, and the scores for four area counties are all over the chart. Coffee County ranks 48th overall on the list of the healthiest counties in the state, according to the 2012 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Moore County ranked fifth, Franklin County came in 20th, and Grundy County came in dead last, ranked at 95th. The rankings consider factors that affect people’s health within four categories: health behavior, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. This year’s Rankings include several new measures, such as how many fast food restaurants are in a county and levels of physical inactivity among residents. The rankings are based on the latest publicly-available data for each county.

To keep up with technologically changing times and to save money, the Tullahoma Board of Education is looking into what it would take to provide the school system’s students with electronic textbooks. The board recently discussed the idea during a meeting. But Dr. Dan Lawson, Tullahoma City Schools director, said students actually using electronic textbooks by computer companies, such as Apple’s iPad and Google Inc.’s Chromebook, is at least two years away. But the board is looking into possibilities in the meantime regarding what it would take to make the computer-age move. Lawson said the electronic devices can cost several hundred dollars, But a single high school printed literature textbook can cost about $120. The electronic device can access various different textbook sources, potentially leading to a great cost savings. At issue is how the school system’s 3,400 students would be equipped with the electronic textbooks. Lawson said many students will probably have their own electronic books.

While the surface may look clear in the woods off Wattendorf Highway, there are still crews out clearing up Unexploded Ordnance in the woods at Arnold Air Force Base. The difference between the work done last year and now is this time they’re going underground. The Military Munitions Response Project on base has moved into the remedial investigation phase, which means workers are looking for any munitions sub-surface that may have been fired onto these historical ranges and impact areas. The munitions date back to the 1940s, when Arnold AFB was actually the site of the U.S. Army’s Camp Forrest.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has rolled out a comprehensive statewide campaign designed to inform Tennesseans about the consequences of violating the “I Hate Meth Act,” which took effect on July 1, 2011. The announcement took place in coordination with the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association meeting in Nashville.

“The goal of this campaign is to communicate the harsh consequences of violating our anti-meth law,” Haslam said. “We want to deter people from making and using meth in our state, which will save lives, protect children, save taxpayer dollars, and make Tennessee safer overall.”

The communications campaign targets the counties in Tennessee where there have been the highest number of children removed from homes due to meth-related incidents and the greatest number of meth lab seizures. In 2011, the Department of Children’s Services removed 321 children from their parents’ custody due to meth use or manufacturing. Law enforcement officials also seized 1,687 meth labs in Tennessee last year, the second highest number in the nation, according to the Tennessee Meth Task Force.

The governor also announced $750,000 in his budget amendment for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to assist local governments with training and equipment costs related to meth clean-up. Partners in the effort include the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Department of Children’s Services, Tennessee Meth Task Force, Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association, Tennessee Pharmacists Association, and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

A Coffee County jury took about an hour to sentence convicted child killer Thomas “T.J.” Greenwood of Tullahoma to life in prison Thursday in a Manchester courtroom.
According to Judge Craig Johnson, he will be required to serve at least 51 years before being eligible for parole.
Greenwood was convicted last week of the murder of Haydon Gage West, 2, at his residence on Circle Drive in Tullahoma on March 9, 2010.
Young Haydon’s mother had left the child with Greenwood while she went to court with a relative. She said that she had left him with Greenwood on other occasions.
According to police accounts, Greenwood called 911 and told the operators that Haydon was having problems breathing caused by his asthma. When ambulance personnel arrived at Harton Regional Medical Center, emergency room personnel immediately began to try and revive the child to no avail. He was pronounced dead a short time later in the emergency room.
When pictures that were taken in the emergency room of the 2-year-old’s bruised body were shown during last week’s trial, many of the jurors cried at what they saw.
Greenwood’s attorney Roger Bean asked the jury of seven women and five men to consider the defendant’s age and give him life in prison.
Renee Kimbro, Haydon’s mother, told the court that she “blamed” herself for “bringing him (Greenwood) into Hayden’s life.”
Kimbro testified that she played with Haydon everyday and two days before his death she taught Haydon to ride a bicycle.
Kimbro stated outside the courtroom that she would have liked to have seen Greenwood receive life without parole.
After the court hearing, Greenwood was led back to the Coffee County Jail where he will be held until the Tennessee Department of Corrections can find a bed for him.
“I called and requested a bed for him,” Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves stated. “As soon as one becomes available we will send him to Nashville.”

Manchester police have caught two suspects who attempted to break into coin machines at National Carwash on Hwy. 41. The duo caused $3,500 in damages at the carwash. According to Manchester Police Department Investigator Billy Butler, the suspects have confessed to that crime along with a home burglary on Stillwood Drive in Manchester.
Lillard DeWayne Presley, Tasha Lynn Lakosky of Coffee County will have their cases will be presented to the June term of Coffee County Grand Jury.

August 2 is Election Day in Coffee County and we now know the list of candidates.

Mayor Betty Superstein is running for re-election along with former Mayor Lonnie Norman, Claude Morse and Stella McWhorter.

For Manchester alderman, those who have returned petitions to have their names listed on the Aug. 2 ballot include incumbents Donnie Thomas, Harlan Gene Holmes, Ryan French and Roxanne Patton. Other candidates qualifying are J. Sam Miller, Mark Messick, Tim Pauley, Cheryl Swan, Russell Bryan and Joshua Jackson Moore.

Manchester City School Board candidates will be incumbents Bob Bellamy and Susan Parsley along with Mike Lewis.

Regarding the Coffee County School Board, Esther Sims is the only candidate for Seat 7.

In the Seat 5 election, which represents Districts 13, 14 and 16, Shannon Duncan will run against incumbent Kathy Norton.

Regarding Seat 2, which represents Districts 4, 8 and 9, newly appointed member Freda Jones has qualified along with Marshall Gilliam.

With Seat 1, which represents districts 1, 2, and 3 Gary Nester is the only candidate. Incumbent Janet Galyen is not running.

Coffee County has commission races for District 4 and District 14 to respectively fill the un-expired terms of Ted Frisby and Paul Hogan. Both passed away while in office.

Democrat Anne Frisby, wife of Mr. Frisby, will be challenged by Republican Steve Mai on Aug. 2.

In District 14, Democrat Keith Thacker is unchallenged on the Aug. 2 ballot.

Jimmy White, assessor of property, is not challenged.

For Tullahoma alderman, incumbent Jimmy Blanks and challengers John Riley and Sandy Lindeman have returned petitions and will have their names listed on the Aug. 2 ballot.

Incumbent Alderman Greg Sandlin opted not to seek re-election.

Incumbent Tullahoma school board members Vickie Shelton and Pat Welsh have returned petitions to have their names on the ballot as has Kim C. Uselton.

Incumbent Daryl Welch opted not to run again for his position.

Manchester Mayor Betty Superstein has qualified by returning a petition as has former Mayor Lonnie Norman along with Claude Morse and Stella McWhorter.

For District 16 state senator, Republicans Janice Bowling, Eric Chance, Rod McClellan, Ron Stolzfus have all returned positions as have Democrats Jeff Bottoms, Jim Lewis, Steve Roller, John Hargis, Justin Walling and Kevin Lawrence.

In the State House District 47, incumbent Republican Judd Matheny and Democrat Scott Price have qualified.

Manchester Police were dispatched to a crash with injuries at the intersection of Hwy 55 and Interstate drive at 6:30pm Wednesday afternoon. As it turned out there were only minor injuries and no one was transported to a hospital. All involved were local and Manchester PD was in charge of the scene.