Category: News

The Tennessee Board of Parole voted Wednesday that governor Bill Lee exonerate Adam Braseel – a Grundy County man who spent 12 years in prison for a killing that he says he did not commit.

Braseel was freed from prison last August after new evidence brought to light Braseel’s innocence. The unanimous vote from the parole board clears the way for Lee to potentially completely exonerate Braseel of the charges. He entered an Alford plea upon his August release, a plea that does not admit guilt but admits that there may be enough evidence for a conviction.

We are a week away from the City of Manchester’s annual Independence Day celebration.

Although COVID-19 has forced this year’s celebration to look a little different with no live music or entertainment at Rotary Park, the city will still be shooting fireworks on Saturday, July 4, beginning at 9 p.m. Fireworks will be launched from the Manchester Recreation Center grounds.

With other cities in the area cancelling or postponing their shows, Manchester’s show will go on and citizens and visitors from other areas are encouraged to find a suitable viewing area and remain socially distanced. Wherever you choose to watch from – whether it be in a park, in your car or a random parking lot, you will be able to hear synchronized, patriotic music to the fireworks on Thunder Radio – 107.9 FM and 1320 AM. Radio programming will begin at approximately 8:53 p.m. on July 4, with fireworks to begin at 9 p.m.

Coffee County School System has a parent survey available online to gather input to begin the 2020-2021 school year amid COVID-19 concerns.

The school system states that the goal is to open school as normal as possible. The schools state that health and safety protocols will include, but are not limited to the following:

*Nurses will remain on staff at all school locations.

*Students exhibiting symptoms will be evaluated by the school nurse. Parents will be informed to pick up their
child, if necessary.

*Masks will be optional for students and school personnel.

*Regular temperature checks will be in place.

*Proper handwashing will be taught and expected throughout the day.

*Increased cleaning and disinfecting will occur on frequently touched surfaces.

*Social distancing will be encouraged, when feasible.

Parents of students in Coffee County School System can take the survey by clicking here. 

Wednesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its 2019 ‘Crime in Tennessee’ publication, which details the volume and nature of crime, as reported by the state’s law enforcement agencies.

The report compiles data submitted to TBI’s Tennessee Incident-Based Reporting System (TIBRS). Among the report’s findings:

 The number of Group A offenses, generally considered the most serious criminal incidents, totaled 529,524 in 2019, a decrease of 5% from 2018.
 Reported incidents of murder, rape, and weapons law violations all decreased in 2019.
 Reported cases of kidnapping increased by 7.2% year-to-year.
 The number of crimes reported as having a domestic violence nexus decreased 4% from 2018 to 2019.
 The number of reported drug violations decreased by 5.6%. However, the number of drug offenses identified as methamphetamine-related increased to 18,086 in 2019, a 32.1% increase in the span of three years.
 The number of both juvenile victims of crime and juvenile arrestees decreased year-to-year.

“The TIBRS program continues to serve as a model for the nation and remains successful because of the continued cooperation by Tennessee’s law enforcement community,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “TBI remains committed to this effort and will continue to provide the training and technical assistance necessary to collect the most accurate and comprehensive crime statistics for Tennessee and its citizens.”

See the full report by clicking here. 

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County remain at 20 – the same as the prior day.

Since testing for the virus began in March, there have been 102 confirmed cases of the virus in Coffee County. With 82 people classified as recovered, this leaves approximately 20 active cases.

Meanwhile, across the state there are approximately 12,276 active cases. Since testing began there have been 36,969 confirmed cases of the virus across the state. Paired with 24,693 recoveries, that leaves a little over 12,000 active cases.

There have been 535 confirmed deaths and 2,386 hospitalizations.

All numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of Health.

We have more details regarding the capture of Steven Andrew Lokey in Manchester early Monday morning.

Lokey, who was wanted for first degree murder in Shelbyville, was captured early Monday morning in Manchester.
According to a report obtained by Thunder Radio News, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday night, a female on Magnolia Glen Circle called police to report a suspicious person.

The victim stated that she noticed a light on in her garage, and noticed a white male standing by her car with the door open. When she confronted the man, he got into a white 4-door car and left the scene. She described the subject as a white male, tall, slender and with tattoos on his arms – a description that fit Lokey.

Later in the night, at approximately 4 a.m. Monday, Manchester Police Department officers responded to a call of a truck with the doors open near Clearwater Pool & Spa. At this point, officers encountered Lokey, who ran toward Food Lion. Coffee County Sheriff’s Department deputies observed Lokey jump onto a moving tractor trailer and attempt to get into it. Lokey then jumped off the truck and rolled underneath, where officers were able to restrain him.

While in custody, Lokey began to run while in handcuffs, but was caught after a few steps. He has since been booked into the Bedford County Jail on $1 million dollar bond for first degree murder.

There are now 20 active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County, according to numbers provided by the Tennessee Department of Health on Tuesday. This is three fewer than the prior day and five fewer than two days ago.

Since testing began in March, there have been 99 total positive tests in Coffee County. With 79 cases classified as recovered, that leaves 20 active cases.

Statewide, there are 11,980 confirmed active cases. Since testing began in March, there have been 36,048 cases in the state, with 24,068 recoveries. There have been 561 confirmed deaths and 2,336 hospitalizations.

Meanwhile, in nearby Franklin County, there have been three deaths related to the virus. No deaths have been reported in Coffee County.

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. If you need to apply, click here.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the alleged theft of a boat from 4451 Old Tullahoma Highway.

This particular boat carries an estimated value of $50,000. You can see a photo below.
Anyone with information should call Sgt. Todd Hindman at 931-968-6050.