Road construction won’t slow motorists across Tennessee over the July 4 holiday. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, July 1 through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5 to provide maximum roadway capacity for holiday travelers.
AAA predicts record travel in Tennessee this year, with over one million Tennesseans taking a trip and 92% of them driving.
“With so many people hitting the road we want to do all we can to ensure they reach their destinations safely and without necessary delays,” said TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “We are doing so by suspending lane closures during this busy holiday travel time.”
Motorists will still encounter some long-term lane closures on construction projects. While lane closure activity will be stopped, workers may be on-site in zones, and reduced speed limits in work zones will still be in effect. Drivers convicted of speeding through work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possible increased insurance premiums.
From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any landline or cellular phone for travel information or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel. As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
Thunder Radio political forum schedule finalized
Thunder Radio political forum for the upcoming August General Election will be held on Thursday, July 14th.
In a format similar to past years, Thunder Radio will welcome candidates involved in contested races. Some races will include a debate-style format, while others will include candidate speeches.
The schedule for the evening is as follows:
6:00-6:08 p.m. – Candidates for Road Superintendent
6:12 – 6:37 – Candidates for Coffee County Mayor*
6:45-6:53 – Candidates for County Clerk
6:57 – 7:33 – Candidates for Coffee County Sheriff*
7:37 – 8:10 – Candidates for Manchester Alderman
(*Indicates debate-style format. Questions welcome to be submitted to josh.peterson.wmsr@gmail.com. Candidates in other races listed will have 4 minutes of open microphone time. )
The event will be held from 6-8:10 p.m. Thursday, July 14 at The Church at 117 – an event facility located in downtown Manchester. Early voting for the August 4 election begins on July 15 and runs through July 30. The Thunder Radio political forum is open and free for anyone to attend. It will also be broadcast on Thunder Radio: 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app, thunder1320.com and video provided on Thunder Radio Facebook (click here to follow).
Multiple races will be contested in the August election, including Coffee County Sheriff, Coffee County Mayor, Coffee County Clerk and Coffee County Road Superintendent. There will be other various commission seats for grabs, as well as 8 candidates for aldermen seeking 3 open seats. See complete sample ballot by clicking here.
Anyone with questions should direct them to Josh Peterson at josh.peterson.wmsr@gmail.com.
TN gas prices fall for second straight week
Gas prices across Tennessee fell for the second week in a row – providing a bit of good news for the 945,000 Tennesseans expected to hit the road later this week for the Independence Day holiday. Today’s state average is nearly nine cents less expensive than one week ago. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $4.51 which is 24 cents more expensive than one month ago and $1.67 more than one year ago.
The average price per gallon in Coffee County s $4.50, which is a penny below the state average and 39 cents below the national average of $4.89.
“We’re headed into the holiday weekend on a two-week streak of declining gas prices, which is great news for road trippers, ” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Despite the recent declines, gas prices will still be the highest on record for the holiday.”
Drivers should expect busy roads during the holiday weekend, particularly during Thursday and Friday afternoons, as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. Drivers in major U.S. metros could experience double the travel times compared to a normal trip. AAA advises road travelers to leave early and identify alternate routes in case you encounter congestion.
AAA also urges drivers to ensure their vehicle is road trip ready. AAA expects to receive 446,000 calls for roadside assistance during the holiday weekend. Getting a full vehicle inspection could help ensure you are not one of them. Visit AAA.com/AutoRepair to find a certified mechanic.
Quick Facts
- 56% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $4.50
- The lowest 10% of pump prices are $4.25 for regular unleaded
- The highest 10% of pump prices are $4.80 for regular unleaded
- Tennessee is the 7th least expensive market in the nation
National Gas Prices
A drop in the global price of oil helped the national average for a gallon of gas to fall for a second week to land at $4.89. Economic fears of a potential global recession leading to less demand for oil dropped the price to around $107 per barrel, down from $110 last week.
Please note that a vital gas price indicator was unavailable to AAA for this week’s report. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said it was delaying the release of gasoline demand data because of “systems issues.” Demand is a sign of whether motorists are fueling up or not, which in turn may be reflected in higher or lower pump prices.
Today’s national average of $4.89 is nine cents less than a week ago, 30 cents more than a month ago, and $1.80 more than a year ago.
Henley Storage units sustain heavy fire damage Saturday
Multiple units at Henley Storage in Manchester sustained heavy fire damage Saturday night, June 25, 2022.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Manchester Fire was dispatched to a fire at Henley Storage, located on Burger Street behind the Budget Motel.
According to MFD, arriving crews found heavy fire and smoke coming from the middle storage building. The fire was in the various storage spaces and in the roof of the facility. Crews gained access to the fire inside the storage unit with power saws.
Due to heat and multiple fire areas, units requested manpower assistance and air truck from Tullahoma Fire. Manpower was also requested from Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department, AEDC, Summitville and New Union Volunteer Fire Departments.
Cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Photos below provided by Manchester Fire.
TBI makes addition to most wanted list for man wanted out of Marion County
Johnny Lewis Payne is wanted by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and has been added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Most Wanted List.
Payne is wanted for escape, and should be considered armed and dangerous.
Payne is described as a 48-year old white male. He is bald and has green eyes. He is approximately 5’7″ and weighs 140 pounds.
A reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
Please call 1-800-TBI-FIND if you have information or have seen Johnny Lewis Payne.
Manchester Independence Day celebration set for July 4th; Thunder Radio to broadcast patriotic music for fireworks
Manchester Parks and Recreation Department has announced its annual Independence Day celebration will be held on July 4th at Rotary Park.
Provided for free will be live music and a spectacular fireworks show. Thunder Radio (107.9 FM, 1320 AM) will broadcast patriotic music to go along with fireworks at 9 p.m. The live music starts at 7 p.m. with The Spazmatics performing at Rotary Amphitheatre.
There will be food trucks on site at Rotary Park to purchase meals, including Jefferson’s, Mercantile, El Oro Verde, Crazy Daisies, Common John Brewing Company, SnoBros, Ms. Pokey’s Lemonade and Bad Boys Bbq.
The event is sponsored by Manchester Tourism Commission.
Manchester Rotary Park is located at 557 N. Woodland St. next to the Manchester Recreation Complex. The fireworks will be shot from across the street from the recreation center, making other areas available for watching the fireworks.
Be sure to tune into 107.9 FM during the fireworks show to enjoy the music. (NOTE. When tuning in for music. Tune directly to 107.9 FM. If you listen to Thunder Radio on the Manchester Go app or thunder1320.com, there is a 10-15 second delay).
Coffee County unemployment jumps up in May
New data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed unemployment rates increased slightly during May in each of the state’s 95 counties. Even with the minimal increases, 93 of Tennessee’s 95 counties maintained rates lower than 5% for the month.
Coffee County unemployment numbers jumped nearly a half percentage point – increasing from 3.0 percent in April to 3.4 percent in May. The rate is still 0.7 of a percentage point than May 2021, when Coffee County unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.
Williamson County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the state for May. At 2.3%, its rate increased 0.3 of a percentage point from April’s revised rate of 2%. Moore County had the second-lowest rate at 2.5%, a 0.4 of a percentage point increase when compared to the previous month.
Perry County’s rate came in at 5.5%, the highest in the state. That represented a 0.4 of a percentage point increase from April’s rate of 5.1%. Bledsoe County had the second-highest rate in May at 5.1%, also a 0.4 of a percentage point increase for the month.
The increase in county unemployment followed the slightest uptick in the statewide unemployment rate in May. Tennessee’s jobless number inched up to 3.3% in May, just 0.1 of a percentage point higher than the state’s all-time low rate of 3.2%.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates county and statewide unemployment rates differently. It does not factor in seasonal impacts on data when determining county unemployment rates, while it does seasonally adjust the statewide unemployment number.
Nationally, May’s unemployment rate mirrored April’s rate of 3.6%.
A complete analysis of the May 2022 county unemployment data for the state of Tennessee’s 95 counties is available here.
Job seekers can find all the resources and the services they need to start their search, all in one place. TNWorkReady.com is the site to find a new job, develop new skills, or find classes where adult learners can earn a high school equivalency diploma.
One-on-one help with a Career Specialist is also available at nearly 80 American Job Centers located in counties across Tennessee. Job seekers can find the closest job center to them here.
Manchester woman dies after swimming incident at Barton Springs
A Manchester woman has passed away after an incident at Barton Springs boat ramp late Tuesday night (June 21, 2022).
According to Frank Watkins with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, police received a call of CPR in progress at approximately 11:40 p.m. Tuesday at the boat ramp. The victim, a 52-year old female from Manchester, was transported to Vanderbilt Harton where she passed away shortly after noon on Wednesday.
According to Watkins, the victim and other individuals were swimming in that area. He said alcohol may have been involved.
Coffee County Sheriff’s Department is investigating. The victim’s name has not yet been released.
Bonnaroo officials pen letter to Coffee County leadership, disappointed in new fees
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival organizers penned a letter to county and state officials, dated June 21, with a strong tone against new event fees passed by the county commission that will assess a $5 per ticket fee on all tickets sold.
The letter from Bonnaroo was signed by Brad Parker, project manager for C3 Presents, and it scolds the county commission for creating fees that they say singles out the festival. Bonnaroo goes on to request a “full accounting for those funds every year to ensure they are being used for their legally specified purpose.”
According to Parker’s letter, the state law calls for “The funds collected by the accounts and budget director shall be deposited in the county general fund and be used for purposes related to the entertainment event.”
Parker goes on to state that because this new fee will generate in excess of $300,000 annually, the festival will no longer reimburse the county for its costs related to county police, fire, traffic and emergency services, saying the new fee will be more than enough to cover those costs related to Bonnaroo.
The letter also says that the bill authorizing the fee was given one hearing in a house committee and accuses representative Rush Bricken of giving a disingenuous presentation where he never mentioned the word Bonnaroo, despite the fact that the fee was crafted to target only Bonnaroo patrons.
Read the full letter below (3 pages).
Motlow to host admission, advisement and registration days on all campuses
Motlow State registration, advisement, and admission specialists will host 12 days of on-campus assistance June 27-30, July 18-21, and August 1-4. Prospects and students can RSVP at Motlow.edu/calendar.
Prospective and current students who either have or have not applied for the Fall 2022 semester are welcome. Apply to Motlow at Motlow.edu/apply.
EVENT SCHEDULE
- Monday, June 27 at 4 p.m. in Smyrna
- Tuesday, June 28 at 4 p.m. in Moore County
- Wednesday, June 29 at 4 p.m. in Fayetteville
- Thursday, June 30 at 9 a.m. in McMinnville
- Monday, July 18 at 4 p.m. in Smyrna
- Tuesday, July 19 at 4 p.m. in Moore County
- Wednesday, July 20 at 4 p.m. in Fayetteville
- Thursday, July 21 at 4 p.m. in McMinnville
- Monday, August 1 at 4 p.m. in Smyrna
- Tuesday, August 2 at 4 p.m. in Moore County
- Wednesday, August 3 at 4 p.m. in Fayetteville
- Thursday, August 4 at 4 p.m. in McMinnville
Motlow’s knowledgeable experts will guide prospective and current students through the complete process of applying to Motlow, submitting admission requirements, submitting financial aid requirements, and registering for Fall 2022 classes. Students who have not submitted all their admission and/or financial aid requirements should bring as many to their appointment as possible.
For more information about admissions visit Motlow.edu/admissions or email info@mscc.edu.
For more information about financial aid visit Motlow.edu/FinancialAid or email fas@mscc.edu.
