Category: News

Manchester Vice Mayor Marilyn Howard has been appointed as  Mayor of Manchester.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen held a special called meeting Monday night at City Hall to address the vacancy left by the passing of Mayor Lonnie Norman.

Ryan French made the motion to name Howard as Mayor. The board voted unanimously in favor of Howard, with no discussion. Howard was immediately sworn in by Manchester city attorney Gerald Ewell.

Per the city charter, Howard will serve as mayor until the next regular city election, which will be August of 2022. At that point, there will be an election for Manchester Mayor to fill the remainder of Norman’s term, which is up in 2024.

That means whoever wins in 2022 will serve only two years before facing re-election.

Mayor Howard made brief comments following the vote, saying that she could never fill the shoes left by the passing of Norman.

Howard, who was elected as an alderman in 2018, was serving as vice-mayor after being appointed to that position by the board in September. She began taking on mayoral duties on Oct. 1, when Mayor Norman was first hospitalized with COVID-19. 

Next on the agenda for the board will be filling Howard’s vacant alderman seat, and appointing a new vice mayor. 

(Photo: Manchester Mayor Marilyn Howard, right, is sworn in by city attorney Gerald Ewell at a special called meeting Monday night, Oct. 19, 2020. Thunder Radio photo by Josh Peterson)

Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott said Monday that after reviewing preliminary autopsy report of Manchester Police Department Captain Chris Patterson, no foul play is suspected.

Patterson was found dead Friday, Oct. 16, just outside his truck on Blue Springs Rd. with a single gunshot wound.
Patterson, 42, was a longtime veteran of the Manchester Police Department and was serving as the Administrative Captain.

The investigation, which was led by Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and Coffee County District Attorney General’s office, is now closed.

Manchester Police Department has parked a patrol car in front of city hall in memory of Patterson. The community is welcome to leave flowers and other items with the car. Manchester Police Department is located at 200 W. Fort St. in downtown Manchester. (pictured below)

More than 110,000 Tennessee residents have yet to receive their stimulus payments, according to data from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. More than $100 million could be left unclaimed if residents don’t file their taxes.

Coordinator of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program at United Way of Greater Nashville Tamara Kreigh cited many reasons people don’t file.

“They just didn’t have the income, or perhaps they’re in that in-between area because of their age, they’re just coming out of school and didn’t work enough hours or earn enough to have a filing requirement,” Kreigh said.

The Internal Revenue Service recently extended the deadline to claim stimulus money to November 21. Individuals who make less than $66,000 a year can get free help filing their taxes and find out if they are eligible for a stimulus payment at GetYourRefund.org.

An estimated 5 million Americans haven’t received stimulus checks because the IRS doesn’t have the addresses of non-filers. Kreigh said that’s flexible cash families are entitled to – at a time when many are struggling. She said many of her clients are on the brink financially.

“But we consider that money just left on the table. And that’s money that can really help,” she said. “I’m hearing all kinds of stories: some of them are homeless, some of them are close to homeless – they’re staying with friends.”

Kreigh said systemic barriers have left out large groups of people, including many who aren’t equipped with tax refund literacy or resources – such as internet access – needed to file.

“If anybody’s ever read an IRS document, you know that it can be confusing,” she said.

One poll by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found most stimulus-check recipients used the money to pay off debt or cushion their savings accounts. It remains unclear whether Congress will pass another coronavirus relief package that includes a second round of stimulus payments.

-Report from Nadia Ramligan, Tennessee Public News Service

Tennessee gas prices dropped by a penny, on average, over the last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $1.93 which is a penny less than one month ago and 41 cents less than one year ago.

Average price in Coffee County is a penny below the state average, at $1.92 per gallon. The national average sits at $2.16 for a gallon regular unleaded.

“Decreases in U.S. gasoline demand, supply and imports helped push pump prices lower on the week,” said Megan Cooper, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “It’s likely that motorists will continue to see pump prices decline this week.”

Quick Facts
• 90% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.00
• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $1.73 for regular unleaded
• The highest 10% of pump prices are $2.23 for regular unleaded
• Tennessee remains the 9th least expensive market in the nation

Hundreds gathered at Manchester’s Rotary Amphitheater Sunday afternoon to pay their respects to Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman, with hundreds more listening on Thunder Radio and watching on Facebook.

Norman passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 12, just a little more a month after beginning his third consecutive term (fourth overall) as Manchester Mayor. He was 79-years old.

There were many speakers on hand, including senator Janice Bowling and former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Manchester Attorney Shawn Trail delivered a powerful message:

“I see older generations, I see younger generations. Different races, politicians, working class, republicans, democrats and independents. And they are all here together today because of one man – Lonnie Norman. And when you stop and think about that, it’s pretty powerful,” said Trail.

Manchester vice mayor Marilyn Howard is currently performing mayoral duties. There will be a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Manchester City Hall to appoint an acting mayor to serve until the next regular election, which will be 2022.

Thunder Radio was on hand to broadcast the services live Sunday. You can listen to the recording here.

(Top photo: Mayor Lonnie Norman’s body is taken from Rotary Amphitheater to the cemetery.)

Above photos: At left, Jimmy Church sings at Mayor Norman’s funeral service. At right, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry reads Mayor Norman’s obituary. (Thunder Radio Photos by Holly Peterson)

Pictured above: At left, attorney Shawn Trail delivers a speech during Mayor Lonnie Norman’s Funeral on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. At right, Christina Norman Young performs a reading. (Thunder Radio photos by Holly Peterson)

Manchester Police Department officers served as pall bearers at Mayor Lonnie Norman’s funeral on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020. (Thunder Radio photo by Holly Peterson)

Newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) showed the state’s economic recovery continued in September. The jobless rate for the month dropped significantly when compared to the previous month.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2020 is 6.3%, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from the revised August rate of 8.6%.

The latest rate is 9.2 percentage points lower than the April 2020 rate of 15.5%. That is Tennessee’s all-time highest unemployment rate and was recorded during the peak of COVID-19 business closures.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate is moving closer to pre-pandemic levels. One year ago, the unemployment rate for September was 3.3%.

Employers across the state created 11,100 new nonfarm jobs between August and September. The leisure/hospitality sector was responsible for the largest number of new hires for the month. The manufacturing sector created the second-largest increase, followed by the education/health services sector.
Between September 2019 and September 2020, Tennessee recorded a deficit of 131,500 jobs. The hardest-hit sectors are leisure/hospitality, manufacturing and professional/business services.

TDLWD has compiled a complete analysis of the September 2020 unemployment data, as well as jobs data for the state. You can find that report here (https://www.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=166478db53c066a7d114ea462&id=d1d09152ea&e=29851e7b63) .

Unemployment also decreased nationally in September. The seasonally adjusted rate for the United States is 7.9%, down 0.5 of a percentage points from August’s revised rate of 8.4%. Tennessee’s unemployment rate is now 1.6 percentage points lower than the national rate.

Businesses across the state are ready to reemploy Tennesseans. Jobs4TN.gov, Tennessee’s workforce development website, currently has more than 210,000 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.

Early voting numbers have been strong across the state of Tennessee, and that includes right here in Coffee County.

According to administrator of elections Andy Farrar, there were a total of 2,060 early votes cast on the first day of early voting, Wednesday, Oct. 14. Of these, 1,371 were cast in person and 689 were absentee votes.

Early voting continues Monday through Saturday until Oct. 29.

The Manchester Recreation Complex has announced that it will be closed on Sunday, Oct. 28, for Mayor Lonnie Norman’s funeral service.

Services will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at Rotary Amphitheater, which is located next to the rec center at 557 N. Woodland St.

If you cannot attend Mayor Norman’s funeral services, Thunder Radio will be broadcasting the service live on the radio at AM 1320 and 107.9 FM. You can also listen on the Manchester Go app and at www.thunder1320.com. For those wishing to watch, Thunder Radio will video stream the service on our Facebook page.

Mayor Norman passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 12. He was 79 years old. Governor Bill Lee ordered state flags lowered to half staff on Wednesday in honor of Norman.

Motlow State’s Dual Enrollment (DE) program, already featuring the highest enrollment of any community college in the state, set another milestone in May. The number of students who graduated from Motlow the same semester as they graduated high school grew a phenomenal 800%.

Partnerships with secondary schools are at the forefront of Motlow’s mission to serve the community, and as a result, Motlow leads the state in dual enrollment headcount. Dual enrollment partnerships allow high school students to take college courses in their junior and senior year to get a jumpstart on their college education.

“Motlow continues to create partnerships with high schools in our service area so any student that wants to take college courses while in high school has the opportunity to do that,” said Sally Pack, Dual Enrollment Director. “We appreciate the professionals in these high schools and in industry who help support and promote dual enrollment to their students. The growth that we are experiencing is exciting.”

After eight students accomplished dual graduations in 2019, Pack, working with partners from area high schools and industry, focused on increasing that dual graduation rate. In May 2020, 65 students graduated from Motlow and their high school, an increase of 800%. Leading the way in this growth was LaVergne High School, where 42 students graduated with associate degrees in General Studies.

“We are so pleased that our dual enrollment efforts are providing these wonderful opportunities for students,” said Melody Edmonds, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs. “The team is dedicated to student success, and the students are supported throughout their dual enrollment experience. We look forward to further expanding dual enrollment avenues in the future.”

One significant driver of the dramatic increase is Motlow’s Dual Enrollment Mechatronics program. Designed for high school juniors, the program allows students to obtain a degree in Mechatronics at no cost while completing their final two years of high school. In May 2020, 11 high school seniors became the first graduates from the Middle College Mechatronics program, funded by a grant awarded to Motlow in 2018.

A second factor in the rising rates of Motlow DE is the early scholarship opportunities it offers. Student who sign up for DE classes are often eligible for several tuition-free courses. DE students are more likely to enroll in college after high school graduation as opposed to taking a ‘gap’ year, or a year off. Studies show that taking a gap year can cost students over $90,000 of their lifetime earning potential.

The 11 Middle College Mechatronics graduates included students from Oakland, Franklin County, and Warren County high schools.

Additional high schools with 2020 dual enrollment graduates were Tullahoma, DeKalb County, Cannon County, and F.C. Boyd Christian School in McMinnville.

For further information contact Debbie Jennings at 931-393-1793 or djennings@mscc.edu.