Grundy County Sheriff’s Department deputies made a traffic stop in the Pelham area overnight Saturday into Sunday morning that ended in a drug bust and recovery of a stolen vehicle.
A deputy came in contact with a stolen vehicle near the intersection of Payne’s Cove and Clouse Hill roads. During the stop, deputies discovered approximately $8,000 in counterfeit currency and over two ounces of what is suspected to be crystal meth. Thunder Radio news has reached out for further information from the department.
The suspect identified himself as being from New York. However, Grundy County officials later identified the suspect as Thomas Lymn, age 33, from Elora, Tenn. He has been charged with manufacture, sale and delivery of schedule II drugs, unlawful possession of a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, drug paraphernalia and evading arrest.
Thomas Lymn (33) from Elora, TN. Lymn has been charged with several charges including: manufacture, sell and delivery of schedule II drugs, unlawful possession of a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, drug paraphernalia, and evading arrest.
Over the weekend, Saturday (Dec. 21) in fact, was the first official day of winter. Although it might not feel like it out there – we are officially in the winter season. This is a good time to remind everyone that as temperatures remain cooler – and that eventually will happen – fire deaths across the state increase by almost 75 percent in Tennessee during this time of the year.
Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fire deaths nationally and the second leading known cause in Tennessee.
Remember – keep flammable items like blankets or furniture at least three feet away from space heaters and wood stoves, practice a home fire escape plan with your family, never smoke in a home where medical oxygen is present as the increased oxygen in the air makes fire burn hotter and faster, always turn off portable heaters when going to bed and never use the oven to heat your home.
With the start of winter, it also means that days will start getting longer little by little.
Front row, from left, Leslie Trussler, DPT, MS, CSCS, Martha McCormick, CEO, MHA, CHC, Kimberly Roberts, PharmD;
Middle, from left, Pastor Jerry Pullum, Ashoke “Bappa” Mukherji and Mike Niederhauser
Back row, from left, Eric J. Burch, James Van Winkle, MD, Dr. Joey Vaughn
Friday, September 27th was a momentous day for Unity Medical Center in Manchester. The hospital’s new board of directors held its first meeting since transitioning to a not-for-profit hospital in July.
“Members of our new board of directors are committed to strengthening healthcare in our community and together we have a great vision for moving our local hospital forward,” stated Martha McCormick, CEO of Unity Medical Center.
Members of the newly-formed board of directors are Leslie Trussler, DPT, MS, CSCS,, Kim Roberts, PharmD, Pastor Jerry Pullum, Ashoke “Bappa” Mukherji, Mike Niederhauser, Eric Burch, James Van Winkle, MD, Dr. Joey Vaughn and McCormick, MHA,CHC.
“We have an eclectic mix of community leaders, intelligent and informed business people and medical experts on our board,” stated McCormick. “I look forward to working with them to improve healthcare for our residents.”
Unity Medical Center officially converted to a not-for-profit hospital in July in order to expand the breadth of medical services that it can offer. Previously, the hospital was a physician-owned facility. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) restricted the ability of physician-owned hospitals to add new service lines.
New services that Unity plans to implement in the coming months include inpatient medical detox and opening an intensive care unit (ICU). Another planned service is the use of telemedicine through a partnership with TriStar Centennial that will allow for patients at Unity Medical Center to be examined by specialists at other hospitals remotely using a robot.
“We are honored that TriStar chose Unity to be the hospital to launch its tele-cardiology service,” said McCormick. “We have a four-bed ICU unit that was not in active use in 2010 so we have not been allowed to reopen it due to restrictions contained in the ACA. Reopening the unit will enable us to take care of more acute patients in Manchester, closer to their homes and families,” said Mukherji, Chairman of the Board.
In addition to adding services, Unity will be eligible for grants reserved for non- profits.
“We will qualify for additional grants, specifically to recruit physicians, and we will also be eligible for some student loan-forgiveness programs for workers moving to rural healthcare settings,” explained McCormick.
Unity Medical Center is a 49-bed acute care hospital located at 481 Interstate Drive in Manchester that operates two rural health clinics employing over 40 medical providers. The hospital can be reached by phone at 931-728-6354.
Manchester Police Department has been recognizing officers over the past few weeks for years of service. The department recognized Sgt. Keith Hendrix for 10 years of service, captain Devin Deford for 20 years of service, and Captain Nilesh Patel for 10 years of service.
MPD Captain Nilesh Patel, center, was recognized for 10 years of service. MPD Captain Devin Deford, center, was recently recognized for 20 years of service. MPD Sgt. Keith Hendrix (second from left) was recently recognized for 10 years of service.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has made an addition to its most wanted list. Wanted by TBI is Rasheen Idries Greenwood II.
He is wanted by the Clarksville Police Department and TBI for criminal homicide. Greenwood is also wanted in Sumter, SC for attempted murder. If you have information about his whereabouts, call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Greenwood is considered armed and dangerous. There is a $2,500 reward for information leading to his capture.
The United States House of Representatives voted on two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump Wednesday night.
John Rose
Tennessee’s representatives in the house vote split along party lines. John Rose, who serves Tennessee’s sixth congressional district, which includes Coffee County, voted against the articles of impeachment. Scott DesJerlais, who represents the 4th congressional district, which includes surrounding counties such as Franklin, Warren, Moore, Grundy, Bedford and Warren counties, also voted against the articles of impeachment. There are five other Tennessee house members who are republicans – all voted against impeachment. Two Tennessee democrats, Jim Cooper and Steve Cohen – voted in favor of the impeachment.
More Tennesseans took home paychecks in November, leading to a slight drop in statewide unemployment. New data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) shows a 0.1 of a percentage point decrease in unemployment when compared to the previous month, setting the new rate at 3.3 percent.
The current seasonally adjusted rate is close to the historically low unemployment rate Tennessee marked earlier this year. In February, the rate dropped to an all-time low of 3.2 percent and remained there for three consecutive months.
In a year to year comparison, Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate mirrors the rate from November 2018.
“We’ve had a consistently low unemployment rate for nearly two years, and that points to a strong and healthy economy here in Tennessee,” said TDLWD Commissioner Jeff McCord. “While it’s great more people are going to work each day, for those who are not, we have many services that can help them find meaningful employment.”
Tennessee employers added 9,200 new nonfarm jobs across the state between October and November. Companies in the manufacturing sector added the most new jobs, followed by the leisure/hospitality and education/health services sectors.
Over the last year, nonfarm employment in Tennessee increased by 46,700 jobs. The leisure/hospitality sector created the largest number of new jobs in the state, followed by the professional/business services and education/health services sectors.
Unemployment nationwide dropped in November. The United States’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 3.5 percent, 0.1 of a percentage point lower than it was in October. Over the past year, nationally, unemployment declined from 3.7 percent to 3.5 percent.
Tennesseans looking for employment, or to change their current job situation, can access assistance and more than 198,000 current job openings through the state’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov. They can also visit more than 80 local American Job Centers across the state.
The state of Tennessee will release the November 2019 county unemployment rates on Thursday, December 26, 2019.
There will officially be four candidates vying for Coffee County General Sessions judge seat that was vacated by the passing of longtime judge Tim Brock.
Qualifying for the March 3 primary election are republicans Jason Huskey, Stacy Lynch, Greg Perry and Jess Stockwell – the winner of the primary will effectively win the seat for the remainder of the term, with no democratic candidates qualifying for the election.
Brock passed away in November at a judicial conference in Nevada. Currently, retired Judge John Damron is serving as a specially appointed judge by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Also to be decided in the March 3 primary will be District 8 County Commissioner between Tim Brown and Jeffery Keele. Both have been vying to fill the seat since Emily Howes moved from the district and resigned in July. The County Commission has tried and failed to appoint someone to the seat, despite holding a few votes, all failing to give one candidate the majority of votes.
Early voting for the March primary begins Feb. 12. To see a full list of elections for 2020, visit this story on our website. https://www.coffeecountyelectioncommission.com/current_elections.pdf
An investigation by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agents with the Technical Services Unit has resulted in the arrest of a Murfreesboro man on charges of solicitation of a minor and soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor.
Beginning in October, a TBI Agent posed as a 14-year-old female and 12-year-old female on an online site. An individual began communicating with the undercover personas, engaged in conversations that were sexual in nature, and sent multiple photos of himself. The individual arranged to meet with what he was told were a 14-year-old female and a 12-year-old female, for the purpose of sexual activity. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information that identified that individual as Ryan Fitzner.
On Monday, with the assistance of officers with the Franklin Police Department, TBI Agents arrested Ryan James Fitzner (DOB 04/05/1990) and charged him with one count of Solicitation of a Minor and one count of Soliciting Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means. He was booked into the Williamson County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
If you are one of the $2.6 million folks expected to travel Tennessee roadways this Christmas and New Year’s holidays, you can expect to not be slowed down by road construction.
Tennessee Department of Transportation has announced it is once again halting all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes across the state. There will be no temporary lane closures allowed for construction on Tennessee roadways beginning at noon Friday, Dec. 20, through.6 a.m. Thursday, January 2.
“With 2.59 million motorists expected to travel Tennessee roadways during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, keeping traffic moving and getting motorists to their destinations safely is our top priority,” said TDOT Commissioner Clay Bright. “As always, please wear your seatbelt, reduce your speed, avoid distractions, and never drink and drive.”
Except for a few long-term closures which must remain in place for safety, all construction related closures will be suspended during the holiday period. Workers may still be on-site in some construction zones. Drivers should obey all posted speed limits, particularly in construction areas. Slower speeds are necessary in work zones due to the temporary layout of the roadway and will be enforced. Drivers convicted of speeding through work zones where workers are present face a fine of $250 to $500, plus court fees and possible increased insurance premiums.
According to AAA, 115.6 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more, with 104.8 million expected to drive to their holiday destinations. In Tennessee, AAA predicts 2.59 million motorists will travel by automobile between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, an increase of 4.4% since 2018.
From your desktop or mobile device, get the latest construction activity and live streaming SmartWay traffic cameras at www.TNSmartWay.com/Traffic. Travelers can also dial 511 from any land-line or cellular phone for travel information, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TN511 for statewide travel. As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
