Category: News

Layoffs for employees continue at the Goodman Manufacturing plant in Fayetteville as the company moves operations away from Tennessee. 

Goodman filed a notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce in late November that 45 employees would be permanently laid off by January 31, 2020. 

In total, more than 1,430 employees have been laid off from Goodman, which leaves the location with between 100-200 estimated workers remaining. 

Goodman announced in 2015 that it would close by 2017. While that was delayed, the plant will soon completely shutter as operations move to Kaikin, Texas near Houston. Employees affected by the lay-offs can contact the Dislocated Worker Unit of the Middle Tennessee Workforce Development Board at 615-253-6355.

The Tullahoma Police Department participated in No Shave November to raise money and, as a result, the department was able to donate to the Alzheimer’s Tennessee group this week in the amount of $588. 

Pictured are, from left to right, police chief Jason Williams, executive director of Tennessee Alzheimer’s Association Fran Gray; back row left to right, lt. Phil Henderson, Sgt. Robert Weaver, officer George Dodson and Darrell Richards. 

If you are looking for a way to help those less fortunate this holiday season with essentials, don’t forget about the Duck River Electric Membership Corporation’s Project Help program. You can donate to project help by adding a dollar or more to your monthly DREMC bill, and help your neighbors in need who are unable to pay for their energy bills. Your donation could make a difference in the lives of those who need help meeting one of the most basic needs – electricity. To get started you can visit your local DREMC office – which is at 209 E. Fort St. or check the appropriate box on your DREMC electric bill. You can also participate online. Visit thunder1320.com and click on this news story and we have a link to the project help page.  http://www.dremc.com/community/project-help/

If you are shopping online for a pet this holiday season, watch out for scams. Complaints continue to pour into Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Scam Tracker as fake pet and puppy scams are on the increase.

Scammers know that few things pull at a person’s heartstrings like an adorable puppy. And as consumers turn to the internet to find new pets, they will be met with a slew of heart-tugging ads. A BBB study found that many of the ads are scams, and anyone looking online for a pet is extremely likely to encounter one. 

Reports have increased 39% since 2017 when BBB first alerted consumers about the problem in the in-depth investigative study, “Puppy Scams: How Fake Online Pet Sellers Steal from Unsuspecting Pet Buyers.”

In the last three years, BBB received nearly 16,000 complaints and Scam Tracker reports from consumers about “businesses” selling puppies and other pets. The FTC estimates only about 10% of victims report these crimes – so the problem is likely more widespread. 

Locally, you can adopt in Manchester at the animal shelter – 156 Freedom Dr.

Year Estimated complaints and scams pertain to pet fraud

• 2017 4,664 

• 2018 6,007 

• 2019(Jan-Nov) 5,879 

• 2019 (projected) 6,466

BBB’s extensive investigative study of online puppy scams in 2017 the study looked at the scope of this problem, who is behind it, and the need for heightened enforcement and consumer education to address the issue.

The study notes that in approximately 60% of reports to BBB regarding dog sellers, consumers allegedly never received the pets they purchased. 

Consumers also complain to BBB about shipping costs, receiving animals with health and/or genetic problems and not receiving proper documentation for the pet.

More than 5,000 complaints and scam reports were registered about sellers of dogs, kittens, birds, reptiles and other pets.

How the Scam Works

You find an adorable puppy on a website or an online ad. Sometimes, scammers claim they are breeders or pet sellers. Other times, they pretend to be a distraught pet owner who must find a new home for their beloved dog. Either way, once you inquire about the pet, they ask you to wire money through such services as Western Union or Moneygram to complete the purchase. 

The “seller” then promises your pet will be shipped right away. But there are always unexpected problems. Scammers use a variety of excuses, like saying the airline requires a specific pet crate or the shipper requires costly pet insurance — all of which need to be paid in advance. With each problem, scammers promise that they will refund the unexpected costs as soon as your pet is delivered. In many cases, the pet is never delivered and neither is the refund. 

“Scammers love to try to take advantage of people when they are in high emotion situations,” says Robyn Householder, president, and CEO of BBB serving Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. “The excitement of buying a new pet can cloud good judgment, and victims can be hurt financially and emotionally when they realize they have lost their money along with hopes for a new pet.”

Tips to Protect Yourself from Pet Scams:

• If possible, inspect the pet yourself by arranging to meet with the prospective seller in person. Most legitimate breeders will welcome the visit. 

• Never send money via Western Union and Moneygram to people or companies you don’t know and trust. Once the money is wired, it is gone for good. The same goes for prepaid debit cards or gift cards. Always use a credit card in case you need to dispute the charges. If anyone asks you to pay for anything with a gift card, you may be dealing with fraud. Petscams.com has also has warned people about paying with Zelle, a digital payment system.

• Do an internet search for the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, you may be dealing with a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials to see if the seller copied it from another site.

• Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting or purchasing. If someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, you could be dealing with a fraudulent offer. If they state that they register their dogs with a specific organization or registry, confirm by contacting the registry or organization directly.

• Check out the website. Go to petscams.com to see if a site selling pets is bogus. 

• Find out what other consumers are saying. Check BBB Scam Tracker and do an internet search on the breeder’s or organization’s name.

• If you have been a victim or see a puppy scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker.

The Manchester Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect who was allegedly involved in a. Shoplifting incident at the Manchester Walmart. If you have any information regarding crime in Manchester, you are encouraged to contact the Manchester Police Department at 931-728-2099. 

By Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service

Fraud is widespread in the online vacation rental market, according to a new report by the Better Business Bureau. The study found nearly 43% of consumers have encountered a bogus listing. 

Nancy Crawford, director of marketing and communications at the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, said the internet has opened the floodgates for scammers, so shoppers need to be savvy. 

“There’s so much fraud in today’s world. About 26 million Americans are defrauded by some type of scam every year,” Crawford said. “It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, and it is big business.”

The Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker received more than 1,300 reports of rental fraud from 2016 to 2019. The report noted fake rentals turn up on vacation rental sites such as Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway.com, despite these companies’ efforts to weed out scam listings.

Crawford said fraudsters most often copy a photo and description of a property, post it online with their own contact information, and then try to get a deposit from the victim.

“Doing some research ahead of time and finding out what typical properties in that area usually rent for will give you some information so that you don’t land on a listing that’s half the price of everything else, and you think, ‘Oh, great, this is a great deal,’ and then end up going on vacation and having nowhere to stay,” she said.

According to the report, renters may find websites that are actually cloned copies of Airbnb’s website. Airbnb warns travelers that scammers tend to exploit popular events, such as the Super Bowl, when hotels may be booked.

“With 43% of online shoppers encountering a fake listing, and more than 5 million consumers losing money to these kinds of scams,” Crawford said.

She added victims of a suspected property-rental scam should immediately file a report with the local police and file a complaint or report a scam to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker.

Adjusting for the cost of living, the median income for a family in Tennessee is $65,656, the ninth lowest in the U.S., reports financial news website 247wallst.com.  The household income range in Tennessee for a family to be considered middle income is $22,992 to $113,291.  From state to state, the cost of living varies significantly. Adjusting for the cost of living, the bottom threshold of the middle class in one state is as low as $21,797 and as high as $148,507 in another.

To determine the income, it takes for a family to be considered middle class in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on the upper and lower bounds of U.S. household income quintiles from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey. The boundaries of the three middle income quintiles for the U.S. as a whole were adjusted for state-level cost of living using regional price parity data for 2017 from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The RPP-adjusted boundaries were defined as the range of income that could be considered middle class in a given state. 

10 States with the Lowest Median Family Income

1. Mississippi — $57,380

2. West Virginia — $57,718

3. Arkansas — $58,080

4. New Mexico — $58,760

5. Louisiana — $61,847

6. Kentucky — $62,228

7. Alabama — $63,837

8. Oklahoma — $64,082

9. Tennessee — $65,656

10. South Carolina — $65,742

10 States with the Highest Median Family Income

1. Massachusetts — $101,548

2. Maryland — $101,437

3. New Jersey — $101,404

4. Connecticut — $98,100

5. Hawaii — $95,448

6. New Hampshire — $93,930

7. Alaska — $89,847

8. Minnesota — $89,039

9. Colorado — $88,955

10. Virginia — $88,92

Manchester doctor Harrison Yang, who was indicted in April of this year with fraud violation in relation to healthcare and overprescribing, has been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a fine. 

Yang, a cardiologist, will serve three years of probation and pay a $9,500 fine, according to the Chattanoogan. 

Prosecutors described Yang as a “small fish” who quickly accepted responsibility for his actions. Prosecutor Louis Manzo also told the court that undercover visits showed Yang to be an actual doctor who practiced medicine and not a pill factory, but that he prescribed opioids that he should not have. Manzo added that Yang did prescribe low doses and warned patients, according to the Chattanoogan. 

Yang’s attorney said that many healthcare companies have cut ties with Yang after his indictment, but that Yang still sees patients by accepting cash or working for free. 

As part of his plea agreement, Yang surrendered his DEA license and can no longer prescribe opioids. 

Tennessee Highway Patrol celebrated its 90th anniversary of serving the state Saturday by celebration the graduation of 37 trooper cadets, who earned their badges in a graduation ceremony at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church in Nashville. Governor Bill Lee served as the keynote speaker.