Category: News

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches and more drivers hit the roads, Manchester Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) to remind motorists to “Click It or Ticket.” From November 16 – 29, participating agencies across the state will increase seat belt enforcement as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) nationwide mobilization..

“During the ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the seat belt safety message gets out to all drivers and passengers,” said Chief Mark Yother. “By far, buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and devastating injuries that could’ve been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. That’s why buckling up is more than just a good idea—it’s the law.”

According to NHTSA, in 2018, there were 9,778 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Manchester, TN, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $30 for first offense, $60 for second or more.

For more information about seat belt safety or the THSO, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org

Warren County Executive Jimmy Haley signed an order mandating face coverings in Warren County beginning at 12 a.m. Nov. 13.

The order, in part, reads: “A mandate order is enacted for all residents and visitors in settings where close proximity to others is anticipated and especially where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.”

The order goes on to state that large gatherings are “strongly discouraged” but does not ban them.

The order also says that local law enforcement will issue “verbal warnings” if guidelines are not followed.

“Both city of McMinnville and Warren County law enforcement officials will promote the use of masks in public areas and will issue verbal warnings when there is a disregard for the use of masks and social distancing guidelines established by the CDC,” the order reads.

Exemptions include children 12 and under (except in school settings), while eating or drinking and while outdoors, among others.

The orders states that all public schools and school- related events will be “required to subscribe to these orders.”

There are currently 237 active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County as of Thursday afternoon – this according to numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of health.

There have been a total of 35 COVID-19 related deaths reported in Coffee County since the pandemic began.

As it pertains to school-aged children between the ages of 5-18, there have been a total of 287 cases since the pandemic began in Coffee County. In the past 14 days, there have been 35 cases in Coffee County for that age group, which is down 2 from yesterday.

Across the state there are 1,749 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 complications.

In reference to hospital capacity across the state: 87% of floor beds remain available, 91% of ICU beds are available and 26% of ventilators are available.

New COVID-19 related unemployment claims are on a slight increase, after Tennessee saw three weeks of unemployment claims going down.

The latest numbers for the week that closed on November 7, 2020 showed new unemployment claims rang in at 7,221. The previous week that ended on October 31st closed with 6,992 new unemployment filings in Tennessee.

Since March 15th, there have been 913,581 jobless claims filed in Tennessee. That number represents filings related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Currently, there are 58,298 approved recipients receiving unemployment benefits in the Volunteer State due to COVID related unemployment. When COVID was at its peak, there were over 325,000 unemployment checks going out in one week, which was the week that ended on May 9th.

In Coffee County, there are currently 396 unemployment claims related to the pandemic. This is down 78 from the previous week in Coffee County. 

Manchester Parks and Recreation Department will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the Ada Wright Center to discuss a local Parks and Recreation Fund Grant Application.

This application is from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the proposed project is to replace lights on three baseball fields and three softball fields in Fred Deadman and Dave King Parks.

These lights would all have metal poles and LED lights similar tot eh new lights recently installed at the soccer fields.
Any citizens with questions can attend the meeting or email Bonnie Gamble at bgamble@cityofmanchestertn.com

Thanksgiving will be on the lighter side when it comes to the typical number of travelers on the roads and at airports. According to AAA Travel, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including health concerns and high unemployment, are impacting Americans’ decisions to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. With health and government officials stressing that staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting sick, AAA anticipates at least a 10% drop in travel – the largest one-year decrease since the Great Recession in 2008.

AAA projects 50 million Americans will travel this Thanksgiving. In Tennessee, the expectation is 1.2 million travelers. However, these figures could be even lower as Americans monitor the public health landscape, including rising COVID-19 positive case numbers, renewed quarantine restrictions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) travel health notices.

“AAA acknowledges that the decision to travel is a personal one,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “The CDC says staying home is the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19. For those who still decide to travel, we urge you to take every precaution possible to protect yourself and others.”

For Americans who make the personal decision to travel for the holiday, it is important to know the risks involved and ways to keep yourself and others safe. In addition to CDC guidance, travelers should also be aware of local and state travel restrictions, including testing requirements and quarantine orders.

Story and photo by Susan Campbell, for Thunder Radio

Thanksgiving is best described as a holiday for “family, football and feasting.” According to the Calorie Control Council, the average American will consume 3,000 calories at the meal alone, plus drinks, desserts and appetizers, which brings total calorie count to 4,500!

To help work off the hefty caloric intake that often accompanies Thanksgiving Day, Tennessee’s 56 state parks are offering a chance to #optoutside on Friday, Nov. 27 with guided hikes in all of the parks. The hikes are for all ages and abilities, and range from easy peaceful strolls to rugged ramblings.

More information and registration for the hikes can be found on Twitter at #thankful4hiking, or at www.tnstateparks.com. Pre-registration is required for most hikes.

A Sampling of Middle Tennessee Hikes

Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park in Manchester will host a hike lead by Park Manager Keith Wimberley. Details will be published soon on the website at https://tnstateparks.com/parks/old-stone-fort.

South Cumberland State Park in Tracy City will host a hike lead by Park Ranger Jessie DeRight from 1-3 p.m. at the Grundy Forest Natural Area, 131 Fiery Gizzard Road, Tracy City. DeRight will share information with hikers about the plants and animals of the Grundy Forest, as well as the history of the area. This hike is 2 miles in length and is rated as moderate due to rocky terrain, exposed roots and some minor elevation change.

Burgess Falls State Park will host a hike from 9-10:30 a.m. on Nov. 27 at the head of the trail in the main parking lot, located at 4000 Burgess Falls Dr. in Sparta. The trail is about 1.5 miles round trip, and is moderately strenuous with elevation changes. Hikers will see the cascades at the head of the trail, and three waterfalls. Email devin.simmons#@tn.gov to register.

Edgar Evins State Park, located at 1630 Edgar Evins State Park Road in Silver Point, will host a hike on the Millennium Trail from 9 a.m. to noon. Hikers will meet at the Millennium Trail Parking area for this 2.5-mile hike to discover the fall wonders of the park.

Fall Creek Falls State Park, 2009 Village Camp Road in Spencer, will host a Turkey Trot After Thanksgiving from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Hikers are asked to meet at the snack bar parking area in the village for a 2-mile hike to see the Fall Creek Falls waterfall.

Rock Island State Park, located at 82 Beech Road in Rock Island, will host a hike beginning at 10 a.m. Hikers are asked to meet at the Collins River Trail parking Lot.

How to burn calories

According to estimates from www.livestrong.com, a 160-pound adult burns between 430 and 440 calories per hour of hiking. A 200-pound hiker can burn 550 calories per hour. To increase your caloric burn, add a gallon of water or another heavy object to your backpack. Hikers can also increase caloric burn by sprinting or lunging up hills, use tree branches for pull-ups, jump over logs, or turn a hike into a trail run. But, ultimately, the best part of hiking is just being outside in nature, especially with friends and family.

PICTURED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE
Ranger Jessie DeRight will lead hikers through the Grundy Forest in the South Cumberland State Park during the park’s day-after-Thanksgiving hikes. To learn more about other hikes planned, visit Twitter at #thankful4hiking, or visit www.tnstateparks.com. Pre-registration is required for most hikes. – Photo by Susan Campbell

Local businessman Jay Kalvala and Manchester resident Gene Holmes have paired up to work on a project to show support for law enforcement officers at Manchester Police Department.

They began this project in September, and this month were able to recognize four more officers. The officers were: Assistant Chief Adam Floied, Captain Nilesh Patel, Sergeant Landon Pence and the late Captain Chris Patterson, who recently passed away.

Captain Patterson’s family was in attendance to receive his letter and gift cards.

Mr. Kalvala and Mr. Holmes stated they intend to continue this project until every officer is recognized. 

With so much focus on COVID-19 – it’s important to remember we are entering the season or another highly contagious virus – the flu.

There will be free flu shots administered through local health departments in Tennessee between 12:30-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.

In Coffee County, anyone can go and receive the free flu shot. The health department will be administering those shots at the Coffee County Fairgrounds – 99 Lakeview Dr. in Manchester.