Category: News

Coffee County and Warren County Sheriff’s Departments have issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) for a man they say is responsible for multiple car burglaries and thefts in Coffee, Warren and surrounding counties.

Jeffery Michael Hodges, (white male, 5’9”, 165 lbs, bald, blue eyes, DOB 3-11-74) is wanted for questioning by police.

Police say Hodges is considered to be “armed and dangerous” and at times “under the influence of narcotics.”

Hodges allegedly stole multiple firearms from vehicles along with several other items.

If anyone has seen or has information about Hodges’ whereabouts, you are encouraged to contact your local authorities. In Coffee County you can call 931-728-9555.

Tennessee started 2021 with a decrease in unemployment across the state. According to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), Tennessee recorded a jobless rate of 5.1% in January 2021.

The new seasonally adjusted rate represents a 0.5 of a percentage point drop from the December 2020 rate of 5.6%. The latest figure is just 1.4 percentage points higher than the statewide rate for January 2020, just months before the start of COVID-19’s impact on Tennessee’s economy.

Total nonfarm employment decreased by 2,100 jobs between December 2020 and January 2021. The largest decreases occurred in the leisure/hospitality sector, followed by the government and professional/business services sectors.

Over the year, nonfarm employment is down 122,800 positions across the state. The hardest-hit jobs sectors were leisure/hospitality, education/health services, and government.

Nationally, seasonally adjusted unemployment also decreased in January. The new rate of 6.3% is 0.4 of a percentage point lower than December’s revised rate of 6.7%. In a year-to-year comparison, the U.S. unemployment rate is 2.8 percentage points higher than it was in January 2020.

TDLWD has produced a comprehensive analysis of the January 2021 statewide unemployment data which is available here (https://www.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=166478db53c066a7d114ea462&id=f824a02f06&e=29851e7b63) .

Currently, the state’s workforce development website, Jobs4TN.gov, has more than 226,000 job listings for every skill level, in every part of Tennessee.

Job seekers can also visit the Tennessee Virtual American Job Center (VAJC). The website, located at www.TNVirtualAJC.com, allows Tennesseans to research different programs, from different state agencies, that can help them remove barriers to employment so they can more easily reenter Tennessee’s workforce. The VAJC allows job seekers to do this on their schedule, anytime, anywhere.

Tennessee House Republicans continued to advance House Bill 786, also known as the Constitutional Carry bill, through committees last week and on to Finance Ways and Means Subcommittee for consideration on March 17.

House Bill 786 ensures honest, law-abiding citizens who are legally eligible may utilize their Second-Amendment right to self-defense without asking for government permission. Alongside of that, the bill strengthens penalties for anyone who steals a firearm, felons in possession of a firearm, and dangerous stalkers. House Bill 786 makes Tennessee communities safer and corrects current law that leaves law-abiding citizens defenseless in violation of their constitutional rights.

Currently, concealed carry permit holders have the right to carry a handgun, except in restricted areas. House Bill 786 would extend the same constitutional right to carry a handgun without a permit to all law-abiding citizens 21 and older or 18 and older for active members of the military.

Last year was a struggle for so many businesses and nonprofits. It was the year of challenge, change, and unknown.
During the Covid-19 pandemic United Way of Highway 55 worked hard to connect both nonprofits, and citizens in our community with the resources they need. The needs for the citizens in this community grew during the pandemic. Whether that was food, utility/rental assistance, shelter, or help finding other resources.

With many collaboration projects and amazing donors that stepped up, UWHWY55 was able to raise $112,779 in 2020. Compared to $63,362 in 2019. Two of our Gold Donors-National Aerospace Solutions and Bechtel Group Foundation donated together close to $50,000.

Ashley Abraham, Director of United Way of Highway 55, states, “NAS has an employee payroll program set up, so we want to thank those individuals that continue to give. And thank you to Bechtel for donating $25,000 as well!”

UWHWY55 was able to allocate their promised $40,000 to the 16 partner nonprofits so they could continue their much-needed missions, as well as make a big impact in the community during the pandemic.

“Thank you to so many that contributed…It takes a village and we have such an amazing one,” Abraham expressed.

 Coffee County and Warren County Sheriff’s Departments have issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) for a man they say is responsible for multiple car burglaries and thefts in Coffee, Warren and surrounding counties. 

Jeffery Michael Hodges, (white male, 5’9”, 165 lbs, bald, blue eyes, DOB 3-11-74) is wanted for questioning by police. 

Police say Hodges is considered to be “armed and dangerous” and at times “under the influence of narcotics.”

Hodges allegedly stole multiple firearms from vehicles along with several other items. 

If anyone has seen or has information about Hodges’ whereabouts, you are encouraged to contact your local authorities. In Coffee County you can call 931-728-9555. 

The Manchester, Tennessee Veterans of Foreign Wars All-American Post 10904
is pleased to announce that the VFW Breakfast, a long-time community
favorite, is resuming beginning this month from 7 AM – 9:30 AM. Past
attendees will attest that it’s well worth the early wake-up.

The VFW Breakfast will return safely and confidently on March 27th, and will
again serve our community a hearty all-you-can-eat breakfast for only $6.50
per person, although donations above that amount are always welcome. The VFW
Breakfast, traditionally held the last Saturday of each month, was suspended
a year ago due to the pandemic. VFW is proudly starting it back up again,
better than ever.

As the Post’s main fundraiser, the VFW Breakfast has special relevance
because revenues allow the Post to carry out its mission of helping veterans
and their families. Without these critical funds, VFW has been hard-pressed
to complete its mission at full capability. Now, necessary funds will be
available.

Additionally, Humana Health Care has partnered with VFW Post 10904 to pay
all food costs – meaning even more funds will be available to help area
veterans.

VFW Post Commander, retired Navy Chief Kim King, said, “Please know that
nearly every member of the Post has had a vaccine to date. We will do all
we can to provide a safe, clean breakfast event.”

For more information and to stay current on the latest local VFW news, visit
our website at www.vfwpost10904.com

Murfreesboro Police Department detectives are still in search of the man who allegedly threatened a Hardee’s employee with a gun in the drive-thru back in November 2020.

The unidentified man pulled up at a Hardee’s drive-thru window and requested to speak to a manager about a $10.00 refund. The man became hostile and pointed a handgun at a fast-food worker with his finger on the trigger.

The upset customer was driving a black Chevy Equinox SUV and left the restaurant, located at 1685 Middle Tennessee Blvd., before police officers arrived. He has a beard and wears a nose-ring.

The man could face aggravated assault charges once he’s identified and located.
Anyone with information about this man’s identity can email crimetips@murfreesborotn.gov.

In what organizers believe is the largest community tree planting event in America, thousands of volunteers have registered to plant more than 50,000 native trees including every county in Tennessee during Tennessee Tree Day, taking place March 20, 2021. The event includes 112 community tree pickup sites and more than 4,000 individual tree-planting locations. The event is organized every year by Tennessee Environmental Council, a non-profit organization based in Nashville, with Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry playing a vital role in this event.
The pickup site in Coffee County is the UT Extension at 1331 McArthur St. in Manchester. Pickup is 9a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, March 19 and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The deadline has already passed to order trees.

“In a rough pandemic year, it is heartwarming to see thousands of volunteer participants planting trees and planting hope for our future,” says Cynthia Hernandez, Tree Program Manager at Tennessee Environmental Council.

The annual statewide event was recently endorsed by the Tennessee State House of Representatives, which voted unanimously in favor of a joint “Tennessee Tree Day Resolution” (HJR0147) (https://t.e2ma.net/click/9cwemi/d4npzgb/9sgp84d). The goals of this volunteer effort include maintaining a healthy tree canopy in communities across Tennessee, advancing natural climate solutions, and increasing biological diversity. Native tree species being planted include bald cypress, eastern redbud, northern red oak, white oak, pecan, shortleaf pine, red mulberry, silky dogwood, tulip-poplar, sweetgum, wild plum, and buttonbush.

“There’s no better way to improve our environment,” says Jeffrey Barrie, CEO of Tennessee Environmental Council. “Every year, participants show up by the thousands to do something positive for our world, and that’s why we keep doing it year after year,” says Barrie.

Tennessee Environmental Council’s Tree Program was established in 2007 with a goal of planting one million native trees across the state by 2025 to increase the biological diversity of the state and region, and to help replace trees lost to development and other causes. Since then, volunteers have planted over 679,100 trees through this program, fulfilling the mission of engaging individuals and communities to improve our environment and public health.

The event is sponsored by numerous funders and agencies, including National Wildlife Federation, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Memorial Foundation, TVA, Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, Penske, Sharing Change, Root Nashville, more than a dozen city and county municipalities, and other funders and sponsors.

About Tennessee Environmental Council:

Tennessee Environmental Council was founded in 1970 by six founding groups: Tennessee Wildlife Federation, League of Women Voters, American Lung Association of Tennessee, Junior League of Nashville, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Estates, and Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs, along with founding members Cecil Branstetter, Lucius Birch Jr., and Lester Dudney.

Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Will Rogers

Will is 7th grader at Westwood Middle School. He is the son of Stan and  Lee Rogers. His favorite subject is Math. Will has not yet decided on his career plans after school. In his free time, Will enjoys soccer, basketball, dirt bikes and his dog Shadow.

Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a gift card, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. Job well done, Will.

(Pictured above, from left, Rosalyn Partin with H&R Block, WMS principal Julie Miller and Will Rogers)