Category: News

Tennessee’s generous early voting period for the upcoming State and Federal General Election begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, and runs Monday to Saturday until Thursday, Oct. 29.

“Our top priority, this election season is that every Tennessee voter can cast their ballot safely and securely,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Utilizing Tennessee’s robust early voting period is an excellent way to accomplish this goal.”

Early voting provides Tennesseans the opportunity to avoid Election Day crowds and can shorten your wait time. Early voting also offers the flexibility of evenings and Saturdays, along with multiple polling locations in many counties.

During early voting and on Election Day, Tennesseans are encouraged to do their part. This includes wearing a face covering and maintaining a six-foot distance from poll officials and other voters. Voters should expect to see signs with further safety instructions at their polling locations. All poll officials will be wearing face coverings and will be trained in social distancing measures.

In Coffee County, registered voters can cast their ballots at the Coffee County election commission at 1329 McArthur St. Suite 6., or the CD Stamps building in Tullahoma at 810 S. Jackson St. Tullahoma.

Tennesseans can find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots and much more with the GoVoteTN app (https://t.e2ma.net/click/ati1qmb/yvgckg/ek2laxn) or online at GoVoteTN.com (https://t.e2ma.net/click/ati1qmb/yvgckg/uc3laxn). You can download the GoVoteTN app for free in the App Store or Google Play. Reviewing your sample ballot and deciding how you will vote can reduce your time at the polls.

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, by the Tennessee state government or by the federal government, is acceptable even if it’s expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.

The Tennessee gas price average remains unchanged since last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is $1.94 which is exactly where prices were one month ago and nearly 41 cents less than one year ago.

The average price in Coffee County is on par with the state average at $1.94, which is up about two cents from the prior week.

“In a typical year, a hurricane season like we’ve experienced this year would have caused gas prices to spike, but 2020 is not a typical year,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Low U.S. gasoline demand has helped contain any impact to gas prices locally and regionally throughout this hurricane season.”

Quick Facts

· 89% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.00
· The lowest 10% of pump prices are $1.75 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

National Gas Prices

Over the weekend Hurricane Delta made landfall in southwestern Louisiana as a category 2 hurricane. While the storm caused some disruptions, refineries are reporting operations have resumed. The Colonial Pipeline Line 1, the main gas line, was down temporarily over the weekend due to loss of power, which has since been restored as well as service. Line 2, the distillates line, is currently shutdown without power. While the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement reports that approximately 91% of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is currently shut-in, as of this morning, inspections are underway and production is expected to resume this week.

On the week, the national gas price average held steady at $2.18 despite a slight jump in demand. At 8.8 million b/d, gasoline demand is just 6% below levels last year at this time. However, the increase isn’t substantial enough to impact supply levels or pump prices. The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly report measures gasoline supply at 226.7 million bbl. That is a decrease of 1.7 million bbl from the week prior, though the drop is likely attributed to high export numbers.

Today, motorists can find gas for $2.25 or cheaper at 72% of gas stations, compared to 12% last October. The national average is a penny less than last month and 45 cents cheaper than last year.

National Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, WTI decreased by 59 cents to settle at $40.60. Crude prices dropped due to market concern about increasing coronavirus infections worldwide, which could lower crude demand. The drop in prices occurred alongside the EIA weekly report revealing that total domestic crude inventories increased by 500,000 bbl to 492.9 million bbl. For this week, crude prices could decline further if demand concerns continue to worry the market.

Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman has passed away. He was 79 years old. 

Norman died in the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 12. Norman was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Oct. 1 and had spent much of the time since then hospitalized.

In August Norman won re-election for his third consecutive term as Manchester’s Mayor. Currently, board-appointed vice mayor Marilyn Howard is performing mayoral duties.

“With a deep sense of sadness and loss, we announce the passing of Mayor Lonnie Norman after being hospitalized for COVID-19 on Oct. 1, 2020,” the City of Manchester said. “Mayor Norman passed away in the early hours of Monday, Oct. 12, after a valiant fight against COVID-19.”

The city’s charter states,  “…in case of a vacancy in the office of Mayor, the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen shall fill the vacancy with the Vice-mayor or from the
remaining members of the Board until the next regular election, at which
time someone will be elected for the balance of the term, if any, or for a
new term. ” 

The next regular city election is in two years – August of 2022. Thunder Radio is currently seeking clarity as to what will be considered the next “regular election.”

We will update this story with more details as we have them this morning.

NOTE, 8:47 A.M. MONDAY: Norman’s body will be escorted through Manchester Monday morning (likely between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.). Police will escort Norman’s body from the Interstate-24 exit 105 through Manchester to Central Funeral Home. 

One person has died as the result of being shot on East Moore Street in Tullahoma. A 16-year old has been charged with murder.

According to Tullahoma Public Information Officer Winston Brooks dead is 21-yaer old Brandon McGee, of Tullahoma.

The shooting was allegedly the result of an argument between McGee and the shooter.

The shooter’s name has not been released. He has been charged with first degree murder.

The shooting took place at the Dossett Apartments at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Story by Nadia Ramligan, Tennessee Public News Service

More than 80,000 Tennessee children were uninsured last year, and that drop is among the highest rates in the nation , according to a new report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families.

Employer-sponsored coverage is increasingly unaffordable for many families, but Kinika Young – senior director of health policy and advocacy of the Tennessee Justice Center – said most kids are eligible for the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program or “CHIP.”

But Young said the federal government slashed budgets for outreach and enrollment assistance, leaving many parents either unaware of, or confused about, how to get kids covered.

“This report looks at 2016 to 2019, when we had a healthy economy and the lowest unemployment rates in decades,” said Young. “So the picture is likely much worse for 2020.”

The report said the Trump administration’s hostile rhetoric toward immigrants is another factor that left those families too afraid to sign up. It said around 726,000 children have lost health coverage nationwide since 2016 – and predicts the pandemic will continue the trend.

Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, said the number of uninsured children has increased every year of the Trump administration. The largest jump was between 2018 and 2019.

“What’s so troubling is that, you know, we’ve had years and years of progress as a country, in a bipartisan way, to reduce the number of uninsured children,” said Alker. “And what we see now is, that trend has clearly turned around since President Trump took office. And we’re going backwards at an accelerating rate.”

Studies have shown children who are insured are more likely to stay on track for immunizations and receive preventive care. Young noted that during the pandemic, routine doctor and dentist visits are even more critical for spotting potential cases of abuse or neglect.

“Especially for kids who are not having interactions with teachers or other people outside the home at this time,” said Young. “Their only sort of connection to the outside world may be their doctor.”

She notes all Tennessee families enrolled in CoverKids and Tenncare are protected from being dis-enrolled during the COVID-19 crisis, as part of an executive order issued early this year by Gov. Bill Lee.

The annual Manchester Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony will be held in
Manchester on Saturday, November 7th, 2020, with the parade commencing at 10
AM. Lineup for the parade will begin at 9 AM.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 parade entries.

The Veterans Day Ceremony will be held immediately following the parade at
11 AM on the Manchester Square. U.S. Army retiree and VFW Post 10904
Chaplain Hans Hooker will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

There will be food and merchandise vendors, and The Clower Family Band will
perform before and after the ceremony. Safe distancing is strongly urged,
and attendees should wear appropriate personal protection as they deem
necessary.

The parade registration form can be found below:

Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman has been hospitalized due to COVID-19, according to his daughter Pricilla Norman.

Mayor Norman tested positive on Thursday, October 1st, and was immediately hospitalized.

“We appreciate everyone’s concern about my dad’s health,” said Pricilla Norman. “We would like to thank everyone for reaching out to us, but we ask for privacy at this time. Please keep my dad and our family in your prayers.”

The city of Manchester released the following statement to Thunder Radio News: “Vice Mayor Marilyn Howard has been in constant communication with the city staff and officials to ensure the seamless operation of our city. The city implemented strict measures months ago to mitigate the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, like other cities and businesses, we have had employees impacted by the virus.”

Howard was appointed vice mayor by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in September.

Lonnie Norman in August won re-election for his third consecutive term as Manchester Mayor. 

Thunder Radio will post more to this story as it is available. 

The numbers of new persons filing for unemployment in Tennessee is up slightly compared to the previous week. During the week closing on October 3, 2020, there were 9,839 new unemployment filings in the Volunteer State. The previous week that closed on September 26, 2020 saw 9,802 new claims filed.

Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, there have been 871,580 claims for unemployment filed in Tennessee. Currently, only 125,238 unemployment benefit packages are being paid, which is a number that continues to drop. Currently, there are 883 claims being paid in Coffee County.

Numbers are provided by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 

Motlow State is increasing student access to Wi-Fi and adding a physical paperwork Dropbox at its Moore County campus. Both additions come from an advanced collaboration between the College’s academic and student success leaders to increase retention and graduation.

The same additions have been made to the Motlow McMinnville campus, as well. 

The Dropbox is easily identifiable in front of the Ingram Administration Building. Students can use the Dropbox to drop off paperwork related to admission applications, class registrations, and financial aid. The Dropbox is not available for individual class items such as writing assignments and homework.

Motlow’s Moore County campus has also expanded student Wi-Fi access to the parking lot on both sides of the Marcum Technology Center. Students who do not have access to Wi-Fi are encouraged to come to the campus, remain in their parked car, and use the free Motlow Wi-Fi by signing in with their email username and password.

“We are thrilled to offer these new avenues for students to communicate with the College and with each other,” said Scott Shasteen, director of communications. “Motlow’s continuous focus on student success is strengthened by these evolving strategies. If one student in our Moore County area drops out because of a lack of internet access, then it is highly unlikely they will ever return to College. We can’t let that happen.”

The Washington Post reported this month that record numbers of low-income students are dropping out of college due to a lack of access to good Wi-Fi, stating, “As the fall semester gets into full swing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, schools are noticing a concerning trend: Low-income students are the most likely to drop out or not enroll at all, raising fears that they might never get a college degree. Some 100,000 fewer high school seniors completed financial aid applications to attend College this year, according to a National College Attainment Network analysis of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data through August.

Students from families with incomes under $75,000 are nearly twice as likely to say they “canceled all plans” to take classes this fall as students from families with incomes over $100,000, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey in late August.

The Post article adds, “The drop-off in college enrollment is unusual and particular to this pandemic, as college enrollment during the Great Recession grew. Typically, enrollment jumps during economic downturns when jobs are scarce, and people look to retrain. Yet, the opposite is happening now.

Students who are the first in their families to pursue college degrees don’t tend to take “gap years” to travel and intern. When low-income students stop attending school, they rarely return, diminishing their job and wage prospects for the rest of their lives. Only 13 percent of college dropouts ever return, a National Student Clearinghouse report last year found, and even fewer graduate.

At Motlow, we want the story to be different,” said Terri Bryson, vice president of External Affairs. “Student success is our mission. Every student needs to be a success story. We want to ensure that everyone can access Wi-Fi and can drop documents off at our campuses 24/7.”

Tennessee’s generous early voting period for the upcoming State and Federal General Election begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, and runs Monday to Saturday until Thursday, Oct. 29.

“Our top priority, this election season is that every Tennessee voter can cast their ballot safely and securely,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Utilizing Tennessee’s robust early voting period is an excellent way to accomplish this goal.”

Early voting provides Tennesseans the opportunity to avoid Election Day crowds and can shorten your wait time. Early voting also offers the flexibility of evenings and Saturdays, along with multiple polling locations in many counties.

During early voting and on Election Day, Tennesseans are encouraged to do their part. This includes wearing a face covering and maintaining a six-foot distance from poll officials and other voters. Voters should expect to see signs with further safety instructions at their polling locations. All poll officials will be wearing face coverings and will be trained in social distancing measures.

Tennesseans can find early voting and Election Day polling locations, view and mark sample ballots and much more with the GoVoteTN app (https://t.e2ma.net/click/ati1qmb/yvgckg/ek2laxn) or online at GoVoteTN.com (https://t.e2ma.net/click/ati1qmb/yvgckg/uc3laxn). You can download the GoVoteTN app for free in the App Store or Google Play. Reviewing your sample ballot and deciding how you will vote can reduce your time at the polls.

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, by the Tennessee state government or by the federal government, is acceptable even if it’s expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.