Category: News

On Tuesday, a very large crane was used at Harton Regional Medical Center to install a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine (MRI) at Harton was receiving a transplant of its own: a new and upgraded magnetic imaging component weighing nearly 10,000 pounds. According to CEO Russ Spray, the new, upgraded MRI machine will provide vast improvements in both quantity and quality over its 11-year old predecessor.
Spray said that despite its $1.6 million cost, the price of an MRI will not go up. He said that most of the reimbursements are already negotiated and under contract with the various insurance providers like Medicare, Tenncare, and the private insurance companies so the hospital can charge whatever we want, but they will still only pay the negotiated amount. According to Stephanie Speegle, Harton’s Director of Marketing & Customer Loyalty, the entire rear wall of the imaging room had to be torn out just to allow enough space to get the new part inside. The crane was then needed to carefully lift the gigantic device off its flatbed transport truck, but first, a platform with wheels had to be built on the spot outside the imaging room, so it could be rolled into its new home.
Spray said the new machine should be fully operational by April 23, 2012.

Manchester police are searching for two people who allegedly attempted to break into coin machines at National Carwash on U.S. Highway 41 Monday night. According to Manchester police investigator Butch Stewart, two people in a white Chevrolet pickup attempted to steal money from the machines at the car wash after midnight. According to Stewart, the suspects did not get any money, but caused $3,500 in damage to the machines. If anyone has information regarding the attempted burglary, contact Stewart at 931-728-2099.

Manchester’s 8-year-old Landon Crabtree received the key to the City of Manchester on Monday night. Crabtree using his tech skills helped local police recover a bunch of stolen goods and break up a crime ring. The Crabtree family last month discovered 2 iPad’s, a Playstation and about $10,000 worth of his family’s belongings were stolen.
After his family’s insurance money allowed the family to replace the iPad, the 8-year-old got to work on an iPad app. The app showed him exactly where his stolen iPad was located and his tip led police to a Manchester motel where they arrested the suspect. Landon and his family appeared on NBC’s Today Show Sunday, April 1st.

The Tullahoma Regional Airport has been awarded $35,000 in grants from the State of Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division announced this week that the grants require the airport to pay a portion. One of the grants is for taxiway lightning system modifications in the amount of $20,000 with the state supplying $18,000 and the airport paying $2,000. According to airport manager Jon Glass, the airport will upgrade the lighting system along the runway and connect some lights with other runway lights at the airport. The other grant is for repairs on the north hangar roof in the amount of $15,000 with the state paying $7,500 and the airport paying $7,500. According to Glass, the hangar repairs will “take care” of problems with the roof on the north hangar that was recently leased by the airport to the Tennessee Skydivers and the National Aero Space Education Foundation.

A New Market man entered a plea of guilty in Lincoln County Court this week to charges of molestation of a minor and sexual assault and faces 15 years in prison. After pleading he was arrested on federal indictments issued by U.S. District Court in Chattanooga of production of child pornography. Richard Bradford Junior of New Market and formerly of Flintville is accused of molesting his stepdaughter and taking sexually explicit pictures of the act as well as posing her in various explicit poses. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Investigator Capt. Joyce McConnell charged Bradford on state charges. She also referred the case to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children based at the Winchester Police Department for further investigation. The Winchester Police unit then began to investigate the allegations and FBI Special Agent Richard Poff presented the allegations against Bradford last week to the federal grand jury. Bradford is facing a minimum of 15 years in prison on the federal charges.

They’re at it again! Phony emails bearing the BBB name are bombarding email in-boxes across the country and right here in Middle Tennessee. Like many financial institutions and government agencies, BBB’s visibility and reputation for trust makes us an ideal vehicle for scammers. Consider that bbb.org receives over six million visits every month; this makes BBB an attractive decoy for fraud and malicious activity.
The spammers’ goal is to get as many email recipients as possible to click on the link within the email which redirects to a website infected with malware. If you clicked on the link within these emails, you are likely to be infected because of the drive-by-download nature of these sites that contain the malware. The criminals use that malware to transfer money out of banking accounts if you use online banking. In the last two days, they have been sending multiples of the same email, and the BBB apologizes and understand this is disruptive to your business.
Please understand that these attacks are external to the BBB and are randomly targeting thousands of email accounts.
If you receive any e-mails from BBB about a complaint filed against your business and need assistance in determining whether or not it is legitimate, contact your BBB directly at 615.242.4222.

Sign up for the Citizen Emergency Response Training classes is now going on at the Coffee County Emergency Management Agency Office in Manchester. According to EMA Director Allen Lendley, the classes give those taking the class a chance to get a taste of the work that emergency personnel go through on a regular basis. The classes will be held May 3, 5, 10 and 12 at the EMA office. Anyone interested in signing up is asked to call the EMA office at 723-5105.

A Manchester man was arrested Monday night on multiple drug related charges by Tullahoma Police. Devin Messick, 33, of Keele Road, Manchester was arrested by Tullahoma Police Officer Rocky Ruehling on charges of possession of schedule II (Methamphetamines), intent to manufacture methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on revoked/suspended license, expired registration and driving left of the center line. He was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a $40,000 bond. According to Ruehling’s report, Messick was observed crossing the centerline three times as he drove in front of the officer. When the officer checked, he learned that the registration on the vehicle was expired and that Messick was driving on suspended license. When Officer Ruehling searched Messick before arresting him, he allegedly found in his pocket two small bags of a white powder. He also found a pouch under the driver seat containing syringes and a spoon with white residue on it. When the officer searched the trunk of the vehicle he allegedly found chemicals and a container with several items used in the production of methamphetamines. The Tennessee Meth Drug Task Force was summoned and took possession of the chemicals and paraphernalia. Messick was transported to the Coffee County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on April 26.

A Florida man was recently arrested on charges of sexually molesting a 10-year-old girl based on information that police in Florida received from Tullahoma Police. According to Deland Florida police, investigators with Tullahoma Police notified them in December 2010 after the child told her mother she was sexually assaulted while visiting in Florida.