Census takers officially began working their way through the Coffee County community on Aug. 11.
Since then, law enforcement in surrounding communities are reporting that people are posing as census takers and approaching citizens when, in fact, they are not.
Legitimate Census workers will have federal identification and a bag that says Census worker on it. The badge will have a phone number to call and verify that person’s identity, if you wish.
If someone approaches your residence and identifies as a Census worker and does not have these items readily presentable, you are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement immediately.
Coffee County’s 2020 self-response rate continues to be among tops in the state.
In fact, Coffee County’s 2020 response rate is just .6 percent shy of surpassing the 2010 self-response rate of 70%. Currently, Coffee County is sixth in the entire state for highest self-response rate. If you have yet to respond, you can still do so. By responding, you help to ensure an accurate count for Coffee County, which will ensure more federal money will be allocated to this area for transportation, school funding and other areas. One study shows that for every person who is not counted, Coffee County will miss out on about $11,000 in federal funding.
Respond by telephone at 1-844-330-2020 or online by clicking here. If you do not self-respond, you will soon be visited by a census taker.
All Red Raider football players have a “DW” sticker on their helmets in memory of Dennis Weaver, the voice of the Red Raiders who passed away July 24, 2020.
The Raider defense showed up to play Friday night and the
offense put together enough production for the Central High School Red Raiders
to drop visiting Franklin County 21-19 Friday night at Carden-Jarrell Field in
Manchester
After giving up two long touchdown passes in the second
quarter of 85 and 53 yards, respectively, the Raider defense left the locker
room and pitched a shutout in the second half.
Franklin County’s only score in the second half came on a interception
return for a touchdown by Anthony Seno in the second half. Seno was in the
right place in the right time when a Connor Shemwell passed went through the
hands of CJ Anthony on a wide receiver screen, setting the stage for Seno to
pluck it out of the air and walk into the end zone.
That Franklin County score cut into the Red Raider lead and
made the score 21-19. But Raider linebacker Jalen Williams snuffed out the
two-point conversion attempt to maintain the Raiders’ 2 point lead. That lead
held through the remainder of the second half thanks to a stingy defense and a
defensive stand in the last five minutes when Franklin County crossed the 50
yard line looking to take the lead.
For the Raiders, Shemwell finished the night 8 of 15,
including a 51 yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Verge in the second quarter.
Shemwell put the Raiders on the board first in the opening
quarter, capping a 13 play drive with a four-yard quarterback sneak thanks to a
big push from the offensive line and some help from tailback Marshal Haney.
“These boys are out there trying out their new bodies,” said
CHS head coach Doug Greene, speaking about the physicality the Raiders played
with Friday. “And they are doing it at the expense of someone else. And that’s a
lot of fun to see.”
Haney crossed the 100 yard mark, finishing with 106 yards on
19 totes, including a 21 yard touchdown run.
Perhaps Haney’s most important carries came late in the
fourth quarter, when he stayed between the tackles and helped the Raiders melt
the clock away.
Notebook
*The lights cut out in the third quarter and forced an
approximate 40-minute delay. Head coach Doug Greene said he used that time to “pump
more water” into the players.
The Raider defense was flawless after the extra
intermission.
*The Raiders are now 1-0 on the season. They will now travel to Tullahoma to take on the Wildcats in the annual Coffee Pot Rivalry at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29. That game broadcast can be heard on Thunder Radio: 107.9 FM, 106.7 FM, 1320 AM
The CHS Red Raider cheerleaders had special bows in their hair Friday against Franklin County, honoring Dennis Weaver – the play-by-play voice of Raider athletics who passed away July 24, 2020. – Photos by Holly Peterson
ennessee’s economy continued to show signs of recovery from the COVID-19 health emergency in July. Newly released information from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development revealed statewide unemployment decreased for the third consecutive month.
Tennessee’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2020 was 9.5%. That is a 0.1 of a percentage point decrease from the previous month’s revised rate of 9.6%.
The latest jobless rate is 6.1 percentage points higher than it was a year ago in July 2019.
Employers across Tennessee added 600 new jobs between June and July. The leisure/hospitality sector, along with the professional/business services and manufacturing sectors created the most jobs during the month.
While those three sectors showed the biggest gains in employment during July, they are also responsible for the biggest losses over the last year. Between July 2019 and July 2020, nonfarm employment decreased by 160,600 jobs in Tennessee. The hardest-hit sectors were leisure/hospitality, manufacturing, and professional/business services.
Across the United States, unemployment also decreased in July. The preliminary, seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate is 10.2%, a 0.9 of a percentage point drop from the previous month’s rate.
The July rate for the nation is 6.5 percentage points higher than it was one year ago.
A complete analysis of Tennessee’s unemployment situation, including which industries were impacted the most in July, is available here. (https://www.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=166478db53c066a7d114ea462&id=63dd5e7b1d&e=29851e7b63)
As Tennessee economy rebounds, employers across the state are hiring. Jobs4TN.gov offers a wide range of services for Tennesseans looking for new work. Currently, there are more than 221,000 job listings posted on the site. Job seekers can also visit their local American Job Center where career specialists can help them find new employment or training for a new career.
Active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County took a downward trend Thursday, with Tennessee Department of Health reporting 310 active cases. That is 8 fewer than the previous day.
Since testing began in March, there have been 660 total cases in Coffee County. Of these, 345 have recovered and five people have passed away.
Meanwhile, numbers across the state continue to decline, with 543 fewer active cases reported on Thursday. There have been 1,447 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in Tennessee since March, and 6,156 hospitalizations.
The annual Coffee Pot football rivalry is set for Friday, Aug.
28 at Wilkins Stadium in Tullahoma. Due to stadium capacity limitations due to
COVID-19 restrictions, Coffee County has only been allotted 500 tickets to
sell.
Tickets are $7 each and there is no student discount.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Wednesday, Aug. 26, tickets will only
be sold to the varsity football team, cheer squad, dance team and band. Each
student may purchase no more than two tickets. Students or a parent of a
student can purchase tickets at the Central High School main office between 8
a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, any remaining tickets will be sold to the
public in the CHS main office from 8 a.m. until noon. There will be no tickets
sold on Friday or at the stadium.
TACA and TSSAA passes will be accepted at the Pass Gate.
If you can’t attend the game, you can listen to every Red Raider football game all season long on Thunder Radio. Game broadcasts begin with the Friday Night Thunder pregame show at 6 p.m. and kickoff at 7 p.m. on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM, 106.7 FM, 1320 AM and streaming at www.thunder1320.com and the Manchester Go smartphone app.
A complaint has been filed against the Coffee County School System in Circuit Court seeking injunctive relief against the school system’s mask mandate.
The complaint calls for the schools to cease and desist the mask mandate implemented on Aug. 10, citing no legal authority. A judge has yet to review the complaint, which was filed by Parnham Law Office on behalf Heather Murchison, who is the mother of a student in the system.
The complaint states that Murchison’s child was refused the ability to attend class on Aug. 13 and Aug. 18 and was sent to in-school suspension when he refused to wear a mask “based upon personal healthcare decisions made by hiimself, in conjunction with his legal guardian, Mrs. Murchison.”
The complaint goes on to state that “neither the Tennessee General Assembly, nor the State Board of Education have promulgated any mandate that students within the state wear a face mask as a condition precedent to entry into a public school.
“Moreover, the Tennessee State Legislature, in its limited grant of authority, has not authorized local boards of education to promulgate compulsory health mandates before allowing a student to attend public school within a school building.”
The complaint asks that the court enter a judgement for a temporary restraining order to prohibit the schools from enforcing the mask mandate, and also a permanent injunction prohibiting the enforcement of the mandate. The filing also asks that the school board pay for court costs and attorney’s fees for Murchison.
Director of Schools Dr. Charles Lawson told Thunder Radio News that this matter will be handled by the school board attorney. .
The Braves slightly altered their rotation after Wednesday
night’s game against the Nationals was postponed by rain and rescheduled as
part of a seven-inning doubleheader that will be played on Sept. 4 at Truist
Park.
Kyle Wright, who had been scheduled to start on Wednesday, has been skipped, and Touki Toussaint is no longer scheduled to start on Sunday.
Max Fried
remains scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Phillies, and the
Braves are sticking with the plan to start Robbie Erlin on Saturday. But
instead of Toussaint, Josh Tomlin will now take the mound for Sunday’s series
finale against Philadelphia.
The Braves
have not revealed who is lined up to start during next week’s two-game series
against the Yankees. Bringing Fried back on normal rest for Wednesday’s series
finale would be an option. But it’s unclear who will start Tuesday’s series
opener.
Wright and Toussaint would be among the candidates to start on Tuesday. But both of these young hurlers have been maddeningly inconsistent while attempting to fill the rotation holes created by injuries (Mike Soroka and Cole Hamels) and demotions (Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb).
Active cases of COVID-19 virus in Coffee County are at 318 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Tennessee Department of Health. This is nearing the high mark of 321 from nearly two weeks ago.
There has also been a fifth COVID-19 related death in Coffee County, according to Tennessee Department of Health. Since testing began in March, there have been 650 total cases in Coffee County. Of these, 327 have recovered and five people have passed away, leaving 318 active cases, There have been 11,111 negative tests performed in Coffee County.
Active cases across the state decreased by about 193 on Wednesday. This after active cases fell by about 1,142 the previous day.
There have been 1,412 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19 since Mrach in the state of Tennessee, with 6,069 hospitalizations. Tennessee is also nearing the 2 million mark when it comes to tests performed, as 1,926,357 tests have been performed in the state for the virus. .
Tennessee residents are allowed to hunt without a license on Saturday, Aug. 22 which coincides with the opening day of squirrel season.
Free Hunting Day is an event the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency annually provides in hopes of increasing interest in hunting. Squirrel hunting is one of Tennessee’s oldest and favorite traditions. The day serves as an excellent opportunity for persons to experience the enjoyment of the sport.
The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members (young and old) to the outdoor sport. It is also an excellent opportunity for persons who have not tried hunting in a while to be reintroduced to the sport. On Free Hunting Day, state resident hunters are exempt from hunting licenses and WMA permit requirements. Many of the WMAs are open to hunters seeking public access on Aug. 22. Hunters are asked to check the information for particular WMAs in the 2020-21 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. Sportsmen are reminded to ask for permission to hunt on private lands.
The TWRA offers a reminder that hunter education requirements are not waived for Free Hunting Day. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to have successfully completed a hunter education course. An apprentice license is required for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 if the hunter education course has not been completed. This license exempts the hunter from the mandatory hunter education law for one year from the date of purchase, but may only be purchased for up to three consecutive years during the lifetime of the hunter.
Hunters can harvest up to 10 squirrels a day from the opening day of squirrel season through Feb. 28, 2021. Each hunting day begins a half-hour before sunrise and ending a half-hour after sunset.
In addition to squirrels, those species that have a year-round season will be open as well. The year-round species include armadillos, beavers, coyotes, groundhogs, and striped skunks.
For more information about hunting in Tennessee, visit TWRA’s website at www.tnwildlife.org or contact your nearest TWRA regional office.
