Category: News

Sunday shooter is dead; body of hostage located in Coffee County

There have been two more fatalities related to this morning’s shooting on Interstate-24 in Manchester.

At approximately 4 p.m., Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers encountered allegedly shooter Dangelo Dorsey near the 154 mile marker on Interstate 24 in Marion County. Upon confronting the troopers, Dorsey allegedly shot himself and is now deceased.

Meanwhile, before being encountered by Troopers, Dorsey allegedly took two people hostage in Smartt Station, Tennessee – a small community which is located in Warren County.

Dorsey allegedly shot and killed the male hostage and dumped his body in Coffee County near Bonnaroo property. The wife of that hostage, who was also taken by Dorsey, is alive and is currently at a hospital.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will be aiding Coffee County Sheriff’s Department at the scene where the body of the hostage has been discovered. Names have not yet been released to the public.

ORIGINAL STORY FROM THUNDER RADIO SUNDAY MORNING, 10 A.M., SEPT. 13

One person is dead, four are injured and a shooter is at large after an argument inside a vehicle boiled over Sunday morning on Interstate-24 just north of Manchester.

According to Coffee County Sheriff’s Department investigator Billy Butler, as of 11 a.m. Sunday the alleged shooter remains at large and is believed to be driving a black Toyota Camry.

According to officials, a black Dodge Charger with four black males inside was traveling on Interstate 24. An argument that apparently boiled over from the previous day led one man to brandish a gun, shooting another male inside the vehicle. That person who was originally shot is deceased.

According to Butler, more shots were fired inside the vehicle and, possibly, two people were shooting judging by the condition of the vehicle. Two other people were struck – one was taken by ambulance and another flown to area hospitals.

One person escaped the vehicle without injury authorities say.

During this altercation, the Charger vehicle side-swiped another vehicle and the vehicles went off the road. At this time, the original shooter allegedly exited the Charger and car-jacked the crashed vehicle. Not far down the road, the shooter allegedly exited that vehicle, crossed the Interstate and car-jacked a black Toyota Camry.

“We believe he exited the interstate at the 97 mile marker. But we aren’t sure which direction he went from there. All we know is a black male inside a Toyota Camry,” Butler told Thunder Radio news.

During this process, an elderly lady was shot in the hand, according to Butler. And a truck driver who stopped to help was shot in the neck. Both are receiving treatment for their injuries.

Interstate-24 lanes in both directions are currently closed.

Manchester native and Central High School graduate Brandon Phillips and his family were traveling in the vehicle that was first side-swiped by the charger and then stolen.

“He ran us off of the interstate and held me up at gunpoint telling me to get out of my car,” Phillips said in a Facebook post. “Thank God he let my wife and Braeden get out of the car as I was getting Briley out of the back. He took my car and ran. The he ditched our car because it was so badly wrecked.”

Thunder Radio will continue to update this story as accurate information is available.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally stated Dorsey shot himself and was not deceased. That was a typo and should have said now deceased.

Grant-funded unemployment benefits will end with Sept. 5 payout

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has informed the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) funding for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program payments will stop after the week ending Sept. 5, 2020.

FEMA funded LWA through a $44 billion grant. Once the agency depleted that funding, the program ended.

Eligible claimants will receive the additional $300 payment for the weeks ending Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and Sept. 5.

Retroactive LWA payments will be delayed by two weeks or more after the week ending date because of the time involved in the approval process for funding, the eventual allocation of funding from FEMA, and then the time it takes the state to process payments.

Tennessee has applied for funding to cover payments for the weekend ending Aug. 29. Due to the nature of the LWA grant, payments for Aug. 29 and Sept. 5 will have a lag time. FEMA approves funding on a week-to-week basis after the state determines how many claimants are eligible to receive LWA that week.
Depending on when the state receives funding from FEMA, the additional benefit could be combined with a claimant’s weekly benefit payment or it could be deposited separately on a different date.

The LWA program is retroactive to Aug. 1, 2020, and TDLWD automatically adds the $300 to the benefit payments for eligible claimants.

If a claimant was eligible for the first three weeks of August, they received a retroactive lump sum payment. Some claimants may have been eligible for all three weeks, others may not have been eligible.

To receive the additional LWA payment, a claimant must be out of work due to COVID-19, they must earn at least $100 per week in unemployment benefits, and they must complete their required weekly certifications.

Claimants who received a message last weekend asking them to confirm they are out of work due to COVID-19 cannot receive their LWA payments until they respond to the Department’s request and confirm that detail.

Unemployment benefits starting the week ending Sept. 12 will only contain the weekly benefit amount a claimant is eligible to receive through either a state or federal unemployment program.

Coffee County COVID-19 update Sunday, Sept. 13

There are 147 active cases of COVID-19 virus in Coffee County as of Sunday afternoon, according to data provided by Tennessee Department of Health.

There have been nine deaths reported in Coffee County that are COVID-19 related.

Since March, there have been a total of 925 cases of the virus in Coffee County. The estimated population of Coffee County is 57,000.

Across the state of Tennessee, active cases went down by 1,279 over the weekend, according to TDH. Currently, there are 696 hospitalizations related to the virus across the state. This is 109 fewer on Sunday than on Saturday.

Coffee County Schools to offer virtual learning for second quarter; deadline available for students to re-enroll

Coffee County Schools will continue to offer parents the option of distance learning.

Parents must reapply every quarter for continued participation. Renewal application directions are located on the district website at www.coffeecountyschools.com or by clicking here. The window for the renewal application is Sept 14-Oct 9.

The renewal process is only for those parents who had received prior approval during Quarter 1. You must complete a separate online renewal application for each of your students. An email confirmation will be sent to the parent. Parents who want to enroll under this option for the first time are required to visit the Central Office to complete the initial application (1329 McArthur St.).

Also, all parents must have completed the online registration process before initial or renewal approval is granted. If you have not completed online registration yet this year, contact your child’s school to receive information about online registration and ParentVUE.

ONE DEAD IN INTERSTATE SHOOTING, SHOOTER KILLED AFTER LENGTHY SEARCH

One person is dead, two injured and a shooter at large after a shooting on Interstate 24 Sunday morning.

UPDATE, 4:30 P.M. SEPT 13

There have been two more fatalities related to this morning’s shooting on Interstate-24 in Manchester.

At approximately 4 p.m., Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers encountered Dangelo Dorsey near the 154 mile marker on Interstate 24 in Marion County. Upon confronting the troopers, Dorsey allegedly shot himself and is not deceased.

Meanwhile, before being encountered by Troopers, Dorsey allegedly took two people hostage in Smartt, Tennessee – which is located in Warren County.

Dorsey allegedly shot and killed the male hostage and dumped his body in Coffee County near Bonnaroo property. The wife of that hostage, who was also taken by Dorsey, is alive and is currently at a hospital.

UPDATE. 2:15 p.m., Sept. 13

Police have identified the alleged shooter as Dangelo Dorsey, 29, of St. Louis Missouri. He remains at large at this time and is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Anyone with information should contact authorities immediately.

Dangelo Dorsey

Original Story:

One person is dead, four are injured and a shooter is at large after an argument inside a vehicle boiled over Sunday morning on Interstate-24 just north of Manchester.

According to Coffee County Sheriff’s Department investigator Billy Butler, as of 11 a.m. Sunday the alleged shooter remains at large and is believed to be driving a black Toyota Camry.

According to officials, a black Dodge Charger with four black males inside was traveling on Interstate 24. An argument that apparently boiled over from the previous day led one man to brandish a gun, shooting another male inside the vehicle. That person who was originally shot is deceased.

According to Butler, more shots were fired inside the vehicle and, possibly, two people were shooting judging by the condition of the vehicle. Two other people were struck – one was taken by ambulance and another flown to area hospitals.

One person escaped the vehicle without injury authorities say.

During this altercation, the Charger vehicle side-swiped another vehicle and the vehicles went off the road. At this time, the original shooter allegedly exited the Charger and car-jacked the crashed vehicle. Not far down the road, the shooter allegedly exited that vehicle, crossed the Interstate and car-jacked a black Toyota Camry.

“We believe he exited the interstate at the 97 mile marker. But we aren’t sure which direction he went from there. All we know is a black male inside a Toyota Camry,” Butler told Thunder Radio news.

During this process, an elderly lady was shot in the hand, according to Butler. And a truck driver who stopped to help was shot in the neck. Both are receiving treatment for their injuries.

Interstate-24 lanes in both directions are currently closed.

Manchester native and Central High School graduate Brandon Phillips and his family were traveling in the vehicle that was first side-swiped by the charger and then stolen.

“He ran us off of the interstate and held me up at gunpoint telling me to get out of my car,” Phillips said in a Facebook post. “Thank God he let my wife and Braeden get out of the car as I was getting Briley out of the back. He took my car and ran. The he ditched our car because it was so badly wrecked.”

Thunder Radio will continue to update this story as accurate information is available.

County students enrolled in virtual learning must renew by Oct. 9 to continue

Coffee County Schools will continue to offer parents the option of distance learning.

Parents must reapply every quarter for continued participation. Renewal application directions are located on the district website at www.coffeecountyschools.com or by clicking here. The window for the renewal application is Sept 14-Oct 9. 

The renewal process is only for those parents who had received prior approval during Quarter 1. You must complete a separate online renewal application for each of your students. An email confirmation will be sent to the parent. Parents who want to enroll under this option for the first time are required to visit the Central Office to complete the initial application (1329 McArthur St.).

Also, all parents must have completed the online registration process before initial or renewal approval is granted. If you have not completed online registration yet this year, contact your child’s school to receive information about online registration and ParentVUE.

New Fitcore Obstacle Course opens in Manchester

Officials with the City of Manchester, Parks and Recreation Department and Manchester Tourism Commission officially marked the opening of the city’s new Fitcore Extreme Obstacle Course behind Riverview Alternative School on Thursday.

The course, modeled after an “American Ninja” type of course, was funded through a Tennessee Department of Health Diabetes initiative grant received by the city and was 100% funded by the grant. The total amount of the grant was $450,000 – this grant funded the installation of the obstacle course at $200,000 and will also fund a year-around farmer’s market near the Manchester Soccer Park.

City officials say that a picnic shelter will be added in the near future near the obstacle course, along with seating.
The obstacle course can be accessed by the Little Duck River Greenway past the soccer park, or by parking at the old Riverview Alternative School on Emerson St. in Manchester.

 

Bell Buckle cancels annual craft fair

Organizers for the annual Bell Buckle Craft Fair – also known as the Webb Art & Craft Show – announced on Thursday the cancellation of the event.

The town of Bell Buckle announced that the cancellation includes all booths within the town limits.
“This decision is collaboration with state, county and local officials,” organizers stated. “Although this is an event that we all love, we love the people who live in and visit Bell Buckle more.”

The event is expected to return in 2021. The event is annually held in October. 

Coffee County COVID-19 update Thursday, Sept. 10

There are currently 128 active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County as of Thursday afternoon, according to data provided by Tennessee Department of Health.

This is 20 more cases than the previous day. There have been eight COVID-19 related deaths reported in Coffee County.

Across the state, active cases went up by about 89 on Thursday. Active hospitalizations went down by 18, now at 848 across the state.

Old Timers Day car show set for Sept. 12

If you are looking for some fun this Saturday, Sept. 12, you can attend the second annual Manchester Old Timers Day Car Show.

The event starts at 2 p.m. at 2050 Hillsboro Blvd., which is the location of the old Southern Family Market building.
There will be a $100 cash prize and a trophy for the winner. Categories include Best of Show and People’s Choice. There will also be door prizes.

If you have questions, contact Roger Steele at 931-570-0370 or Tiffany Tweet at 931-247-4239.