Category: News

The Tennessee gas price average jumped 6 cents this week following a steady week of slow increases. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $1.95 which is 24 cents more than one month ago and nearly 47 cents less than one year ago. Gas price average in Manchester is about $1.99 per gallon of regular unleaded.

“The increase in gasoline demand contributed towards the state average’s six cent jump to $1.95. That average may continue to increase ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend, however, travelers could find pump prices nearly 50 cents cheaper than last year’s holiday,” said Megan Cooper, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group.

Quick Facts

· 90% of Tennessee gas stations still have prices below $2.00
· The lowest 10% of pump prices are $1.77 for regular unleaded
· The highest 10% of pump prices are $2.19 for regular unleaded

Summer Travel Outlook + Independence Day Gas Prices

AAA did not release an Independence Day holiday travel forecast this year, but does forecast that Americans will take 683 million road trips from July 1 – September 30. Before you hit the road for the holiday or a summer trip, AAA recommends:

· Make sure your vehicle is road trip ready – have your engine and oil levels checked.
· Include an emergency road kit in your vehicle with an extra cell phone charger, first-aid kit, a blanket, flashlight, basic tools, jumper cables, and gloves.
· Visit AAA’s COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Map for the latest state and local travel restrictions.
· Pack face coverings, cleaning supplies and a thermometer.
· Take all necessary travel documentation, including health insurance cards.

Historical Tennessee Independence Day Gas Prices

(Price per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline)

· 2019 – $2.46
· 2018 – $2.61
· 2017 – $1.99
· 2016 – $2.06
· 2015 – $2.53

Active cases of COVID-19 virus in Coffee County continue to remain near the same levels, with 20 active cases as of 2 p.m. Saturday. The Tennessee Department of Health did not issue data on COVID-19 cases and tests on Sunday, June 28, 2020 due to an unplanned shutdown of the state surveillance system.

Since testing began in March, there have been 103 confirmed cases in Coffee County. Of those cases, 83 have recovered, leaving the 20 active cases.

Meanwhile, across the state there were 13,129 active cases as of 2 p.m. Saturday. Since testing began, there have been 39,848 confirmed cases. There have been 560 confirmed deaths and 2,564 hospitalizations.

Approximately 748,229 tests have been administered in Tennessee. This means of all those testing, about 5.33 % are testing positive.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident that occurred on Saturday June 27th at approximately 7 p.m. in the Pleasant Grove Road area of Franklin County.

Initial reports indicate that a victim (who has yet to be identified) sustained gunshot wounds inflicted from what was reported to be a shotgun stemming from a disturbance.

The Sheriff’s Office is seeking to make contact with Brent Moon, of Tullahoma. Moon is wanted for questioning about this incident and was last reported to be possibly traveling in a silver Ford Fusion car. Anyone having contact with Mr. Moon is advised to NOT approach and contact your local law enforcement authorities immediately. (Photo below)

With Independence Day fast approaching, Manchester officials want to remind everyone about fireworks regulations inside the city limits.

It is permissible shoot fireworks from June 20 through July 5, which is this upcoming Sunday. Also, fireworks shall not be fired after 11 p.m..

Manchester City Schools want parents to know that if their family is receiving free and reduced lunches, you can apply for extra food benefits. These food benefits are called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT benefits.

Parents who already receive SNAP or TANF benefits do not have to apply, and the funds should have already been added to your EBT cards. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 29.
Click here to apply.

By Nadia Ramlagan, TN Public News Service

Tennessee ranks 48th in the nation for the health of its youngest residents, according to 2018 data released this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Richard Kennedy, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, says while the state has made strides in other areas, such as education, red-flag health indicators — including low birth-weight among newborns, and child and teen deaths — have increased.

Chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, also are on the rise among young people. Kennedy says the Kentucky Department of Health is working to develop a childhood obesity task force, among other efforts.

“And we know that childhood obesity, and obesity in general, continues to be a problem in the state,” he added.

According to the Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book, 38% of children ages 10-17 in Tennessee are overweight or obese, compared with 31% nationwide.

Kennedy says access to health coverage continues to be a barrier for many families. Around 83,000 Tennessee children currently lack health insurance, mostly kids of color. He says that’s contributing to worse health outcomes among Black and Hispanic kids.

“Health disparities, I know that continues to be a focus with the Tennessee Department of Health, and it continues to be a priority with us at the Commission on Children and Youth,” he said.

Research shows children who are covered under a health plan are more likely to receive preventive care and developmental screenings.

Kennedy adds that examining state agency data by race is critical for fleshing out hidden health disparities among certain populations.

For the first time since 2001, there will be no Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival held in Manchester.

The Bonnaroo festival for 2020 has been cancelled, organizers announced on Thursday.

The festival, which was originally scheduled for June but was moved to Sept. 24-27 due to COVID-19 pandemic will now not take place at all.

Organizers say the festival will return next year, June 17-20 at Great Stage Park in Manchester for a 20^th year anniversary celebration.

Bonnaroo officials said that ticket holders will be able to roll their tickets to next year, or get a refund.

According to Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell, with a soldout crowd expected for this year’s festival, the county had budgeted for upward of $800,000-$900,000 of a sales tax windfall for the event. Without this revenue, the county’s budget is tightened even further. 

“This certainly doesn’t help us,” said Cordell. “We are getting some new revenues through the out-of-state online tax that is new this year and I hope we can offset some of these losses with that. Otherwise, we may have to make amendments as we go. This has certainly been a challenging budget year.”

New claims for unemployment in Tennessee trended up last week, after 10 straight weeks of decline. According to numbers released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce, there were 21,155 new unemployment claims filed for the week ending June 20. This was up from 19,925 the prior week and was the first week that numbers went up after peaking at 116,141 the first week of April.

Since March 15, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been 643,799 new claims of unemployment filed in Tennessee.

The continued claims did fall last week, down to 266,596, which is down from 280,593 the previous week.

In Coffee County, there were 113 initial claims last week and 2,577 continued claims for unemployment benefits. Coffee County’s May unemployment rate was 14.2%.

Active cases of COVID-19 virus in Coffee County remain steady at 20 – the same as the previous day. There have been 102 total cases in Coffee County since testing began, with 82 recoveries.

Meanwhile, across the state there are approximately 12,473 active cases. There have been 540 confirmed deaths and 2,431 hospitalizations.

This summer, AAA forecasts Americans will take 700 million trips based on economic indicators and state re-openings. That number is down nearly 15% compared to last July through September and is the first decline in summer travel since 2009. AAA booking trends show Americans are making travel plans, though cautiously and more spur of the moment.
“Americans will get out and explore this summer though they’re taking a ‘wait and see approach’ when it comes to booking and are likely to book more long weekend getaways than extended vacations,” said Megan Cooper, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “When they do venture out, travelers will take to the road with 683 million car trips to satisfy their wanderlust.”

Car trips reign supreme accounting for 97% of the favored mode of transportation. Car trips will also see the smallest decrease in travel volume of just 3% year-over-year. Air travel will be off by about 74%, while rail, cruise ship and bus travel will slide by 86%. Were it not for the pandemic, AAA would be projecting 857 million trips during the third quarter, a 3.6% increase over last year. By this analysis, the pandemic wiped out nearly 150 million person-trips this summer.

AAA travel experts have begun to see positive trends in travel, noting that hotel and rental car bookings have been gradually increasing since April. Air travel has been slower to rebound. The share of travelers making plans 48 hours to 7 days before departure – a sign that people are arranging last-minute trips – is significantly higher than normal.

Tennessee Summer Travel Outlook

New research from AAA shows the coronavirus has impacted 2020 travel plans for 72 percent of Tennesseans, according to the AAA Consumer Pulse™ travel survey conducted in late May.

Last year, 61 percent of Tennesseans took a summer vacation, which did not include the Memorial and Labor Day holidays. During the same period this year, nearly half as many (33%) Tennesseans have summer travel plans.

While about 39 percent of Tennessee travelers had to reschedule at least one trip this year, 31 percent say they cancelled a trip with no plans to reschedule.

What needs to happen for Tennesseans to feel comfortable traveling?
• When a vaccine is available for COVID-19 (41%)
• Once COVID-19 virus cases start to decrease (37%)
• When the CDC or World Health Organizatioon say it’s safe to travel (31%)
• When stay-at-home orders are lifted (23%)
• When the U.S. lifts travel advisories for area(s) I want to travel (23%)