Category: News

The City of Manchester is looking for a volunteer to fill an open seat on the Manchester Tourism and Community Development Commission.

This term will run through Sept. of 2021. Anyone seeking appointment must be a resident or a property owner of the City of Manchester.

This commission generally meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at Manchester City Hall. Deadline to return applications is Nov. 30 and the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen will confirm an appointment on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Return applications to Manchester City Hall at 200 W. Fort St.

Click here for the required “citizen participation form.” 

There are currently 46,245 active cases of COVID-19 virus in Tennessee, this according to numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of Health on Sunday.

There have been 55 new deaths reported, bringing the total of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Tennessee to 3,929.
According to TDH, there are approximately 318 active cases of the virus in Coffee County. There have been 41 deaths reported in Coffee County that are related to the virus.

Among school-aged children in Coffee County, there have been 37 cases reported over the last 14 days.

Pertaining to hospital availability, 83 % of floor beds remain available across the state, 87% of ICU beds remain available and 28% of adult ventilators remain available.

Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell has released the following statement regarding the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Coffee County:

“For the past few weeks, COVID cases have been on the rise, both nationally and in Coffee County. We have lost 36 people to this disease, and many more have been seriously ill, taxing our health care system and creating financial and emotional hardships for a number of families.

“We are all tired of COVID-19. But COVID-19 is still here, whether we are tired of it or not. To get this pandemic under control, we must renew our efforts to protect each other, through social distancing, sanitation, hygiene, and masks. Cloth masks are not a cure-all. They are not equal to the N-95 masks worn by health care professionals. But state and federal officials – doctors, not politicians—say they are a key part of preventing the spread of the disease. When you exhale, you spray tiny droplets of water that could contain the COVID-19 virus and carry it to others. A cloth mask helps reduce the spread and distance of those droplets. You could be carrying the virus right now, without symptoms.

“Masks keep you from passing on the virus to the people you know, and the people you love. To a lesser extent, masks may also help protect the people wearing them. It is my hope as mayor that we will all take steps to undo this latest spike in COVID cases. It is the right thing to do. This is not about politics, or control, or authority. It is about protecting the lives of the people we hold dear. I remain confident that the people of Coffee County can do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

“Our numbers of active cases continue to rise, and our death rate continues to rise as well. I am strongly encouraging everyone to use common sense and do the following: Please, be diligent about handwashing, use social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and the proper use of masks. We are adults, privileged to live in the greatest country on Earth. It is our responsibility to behave in a manner that protects those around us. We are very concerned about our citizens and keeping the them safe from any threat.”

Tennessee has been selected as one of four states to participate in a pilot program for delivery of the Pfizer Inc. COVID-19 vaccine now under development. This program is designed to address distribution challenges posed by requirements for ultra-cold storage of the vaccine.

“We have a robust plan in place for distribution of this vaccine, and we’re honored to be chosen to help establish a model for other states in providing COVID-19 vaccine to their residents once it’s approved,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP.

Tennessee will participate in the pilot along with New Mexico, Rhode Island and Texas, states chosen based on their differences in size, population diversity and immunization infrastructure. Lessons learned through this program will help support all states in development of effective immunization programs for this COVID-19 vaccine.

Once the vaccine is approved, Tennessee and other states participating in the pilot will not receive vaccine doses earlier than other states by virtue of the pilot. Pfizer expects to have enough safety data on the vaccine from ongoing trials before the end of November before applying for emergency use authorization. Pfizer is working with Operation Warp Speed and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that following approval, their COVID-19 vaccine can be provided to those most in need as quickly and equitably as possible.

TDH in coordination with other state and local agencies submitted an initial draft of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for Tennessee to the CDC on October 16, 2020. This plan will be modified as more is understood about the virus and the availability of approved vaccines currently in development. Tennessee is preparing to begin distribution of COVID-19 vaccine as early as December 2020.

TDH is working to onboard hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other partners capable of storing vaccine and administering it to priority populations. TDH will ensure distribution of vaccination sites across all 95 counties, especially in rural counties and areas with high concentrations of people in vulnerable populations. Providers who wish to administer COVID-19 vaccine may find more information online at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/covid-19-vaccine-information.html.

Tennessee employers added nearly 25,000 new jobs between September and October. Even with the creation of new jobs, the state’s unemployment rate inched upward for the first time in three months.

The preliminary, seasonally adjusted, statewide unemployment rate for October 2020 is 7.4%, an increase of 0.9 of a percentage point from September’s revised rate of 6.5%.

One year ago, the unemployment rate in Tennessee was 3.3%.

The number of jobs increased by 24,600 during the month as Tennessee businesses rebound from COVID-19 business closures in the spring. Employers in the professional/business services sector created the most jobs during the month. The leisure/hospitality and manufacturing sectors experienced the next largest increases in employment.
While employment increased month-to-month, the year-to-year comparison showed a decrease of 108,800 jobs across the state. The largest decreases occurred in the leisure/hospitality sector, along with the manufacturing and government sectors.

Nationally, unemployment decreased from September’s revised rate of 7.9% to 6.9% in October. The U.S. rate is 3.3 percentage points higher than it was in October 2019.

The Reemploy Tennessee initiative can match job seekers with employers across the state. Jobs4TN.gov, Tennessee’s workforce development website, currently has more than 240,000 open positions for job seekers of any skill level.

Besides current job openings, Jobs4TN.gov also provides online assistance with writing a resume that will catch the attention of employers, advice on how to engage and impress during job interviews, and details about potential job training opportunities.

The more than 80 American Job Centers across Tennessee are open for business and offering job seekers one-on-one personalized assistance. Career specialists are ready to work with individuals to devise a reemployment plan that will help them rejoin the state’s workforce.

All the assistance is free to anyone who needs help finding a new job or career path.
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Blue Monarch, a residential and therapeutic recovery center for women and their children located in rural Coffee County, has as its mission “to provide a long term, residential and therapeutic Christian community to break adverse cycles and rebuild their families.”

According to Kate Cataldo, operations and development director, the center assists families who are dealing with addiction, domestic violence and economic hardship transform in mind, body and spirit.

“We provide a nurturing and therapeutic environment for individuals and families to achieve sobriety, enhance mother and child relationships, and build better life skills while promoting spiritual growth,” Cataldo said. “We believe destructive cycles can be broken and want to serve women who have the desire and commitment to change.”

A large part of the residents’ economic hardship transformation is the production, distribution and sale of Out of the Blue Granola. The granola business was originally privately owned by Blue Monarch founder Susan Binkley, according to Cataldo. She used the granola business to provide jobs for the women through her former restaurant in Sewanee. In 2015, the ownership of the granola business shifted to Blue Monarch in order to more closely align it with the organization’s work ethics training program and to use the product as a fundraising marketing piece for Blue Monarch.

The granola is hand-baked by women recovering from abuse and addition, Cataldo said.

“Our granola offers the women we serve hands-on job training, work history and references. Not only is it granola with a purpose, it is delicious, too. We have spent years perfecting our baking process. Out of the Blue Granola is hand-turned six different times throughout the baking process and every bag comes with a picture of a women who baked it with her special story of recovery on the back.”

One recent graduate, Tasha, spent six years on disability. Now, she is employed by Out of the Blue Granola and providing for her family.

“After a terrible car accident, I was told that I would never be able to work again,” Tasha said. “That left me feeling hopeless. I thought that my situation would never change until Out of the Blue Granola gave me a chance. I am currently employed as the kitchen supervisor and I love my job. More importantly, I am grateful that I am able to provide for myself and my two children.”

Every resident has an opportunity to intern in the granola business, and then earn a paid position.

“We typically have 5-7 women working in the kitchen at any given time, but this opportunity comes later in the program after other recovery work has been completed. All of the proceeds from the granola sales go to support women in recovery and their children. Our granola is all natural and we use local Tennessee wildflower honey.”

By providing jobs in the center’s granola business, residents learn marketable skills, Cataldo said. “They are in charge of new customer initiative and maintaining Out of the Blue Granola’s customer base, so they are becoming very skilled in customer service. They conduct in-store demos and get valuable experience talking to customers and promoting the granola. All of these skills, plus an intense work ethics course with Binkley, develop employees with integrity and create positive references for their future employment.”

Locally, Out of the Blue granola can be purchased at Harvest Local on the square in Manchester; at Tullahoma Drug Store; at Lapp’s Greenhouse in Cowan; at Piggly Wiggly, The Blue Chair and Mooney’s in Sewanee; at Produce Place and the Turnip Truck in Nashville, and at all Tennessee Whole Foods locations. Online orders may be placed at http://www.outofthebluegranola.com/shop.

The Blue Monarch is currently home to 19 families. A new residential home that will house eight additional families is currently under construction. Binkley serves as founder and president. Deanna Barnes is the Blue Monarch products supervisor. Learn more www.bluemonarch.org.

Manchester Fire Department responded to a structure fire Tuesday morning on Glenburg Dr.

According to Manchester Fire Department Chief George Chambers, when crews arrived on the scene there was smoke coming out of the eaves of the home.

“Engine 611 crew arrived on scene, deployed an attack line, and after walking around conducting their 360 degree check of the home, crews found the fire to be in the living room area of the home,” explained Chambers.

Chambers explained that crews were able to attack the fire in the living room and eliminate minimal fire extension in the attic.

“Most probable cause of the fire was a wall heater turned on due to low temperatures [Tuesday] morning which caught a recliner on fire that was near the wall heater,” explained Chambers.

There was no one inside the home at the time of the fire. Damage was limited to the area around the heater. There was significant heat and smoke damage.

Coffee County School System has announced that East Coffee Elementary will go to virtual learning through the end of November due to a rise of COVID-19 cases there.

“Due to several positive cases of COVID-19 among the staff at East Coffee Elementary and quarantines among staff and students, Coffee County Schools is placing East Coffee Elementary on virtual/distance-learning status through the rest of November,” announced director of schools Dr. Charles Lawson. “Potential close contacts have already been identified and contacted.”

Due to Thanksgiving break and the current use of Fridays as distance-learning days, this means that the students at East Coffee will miss in-person instruction on November 19 and November 30. East Coffee Elementary should be open for in-person instruction starting on December 1.

No other schools in the Coffee County School District are impacted by this decision.

The Coffee County Health Department is offering flu vaccines at no charge to the community during a special “Fight Flu TN” vaccination event November 19.

“Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family and others in our community from the flu,” said Coffee County Health Department Director Pam Browning, RN. ”The flu can make you very sick, keep you away from work, school and other activities, put you in the hospital or even take your life. We urge everyone in Coffee County who hasn’t received a flu shot yet to get one now, and this event is a great time to do it.”

The Coffee County Health Department will provide flu vaccine November 19 at no cost to anyone who wishes to receive one at the Coffee County Fairgrounds from 12:30 to 3:30. To access the vaccine site please use the Hendrixson Drive entrance.

All TN county health departments are participating in the Fight Flu TN vaccination event on Thursday, Nov. 19. TDH county health department sites will not offer COVID-19 testing on this date, but will resume COVID-19 testing on Friday, Nov. 20.

The Coffee County Health Department recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone ages six months and older. The flu vaccine is especially important for infants, young children, pregnant women, adults over age 50 and those with chronic medical conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best protection against influenza.

For more information about the flu and getting a flu vaccine, contact your health care provider, call the Coffee County Health Department at 931-455-9369 (Tullahoma) 931-723-5134 (Manchester) or visit tn.gov/health/fightflu.

Scammers seem to never stop and a familiar scam has made its way back into the area.

According to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, calls are coming into the local area with someone on the other end of the line identifying themselves as a member of the sheriff’s department. The suspect then tells the intended victim that they have civil warrants and need to call a number to resolve the issue. Once that number is contacted, the intended victim is instructed to pay an amount of money that is owed. This is a scam. Do not pay money over the phone to these groups. 

“We want to let citizens know that we do not call and solicit payment for process that we need to serve,” CCSD said in a statement. “If you have any concerns over calls you receive from individuals claiming to be members of the department, feel free to call and verify their identity.”

You can reach the sheriff’s department by telephone at 931-570-4421.