Category: News

A Coffee County man was killed in a crash Thursday on Interstate 24 near the exit 111 eastbound after his vehicle went underneath a stationary tractor trailer.

THP Authorities identified the name of the deceased Friday as Ralph Reed, age 50, of Manchester.

Multiple agencies responded – including Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Manchester Police, Coffee County EMS, Manchester Fire & Rescue Department and Tennessee Highway Patrol, which will reconstruct the accident. 

According to THP preliminary report, Reed’s vehicle veered off the roadway and struck an improperly parked commercial vehicle on the shoulder of the road. The driver of the tractor trailer was identified as Michael Judkins, age 65, of McMinnville. No citations were issued. THP is continuing to investigate.

In a press release issued Thursday (Dec. 5), Manchester Police Department announced that a positive identification has been made on the human skull that authorities discovered Nov. 20 off of Skinner Flat Rd. In Manchester. 

After DNA testing, it has been determined that the remains are that of Justin Zeigler of Franklin County, who was reported missing three years ago – November of 2016. 

The investigation remains open. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact MPD chief investigator Brandon Tomberlin at 931-728-2099.

The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee will be placing wreaths on veterans graves in several local cemeteries on Saturday Dec. 14th. The public is invited to attend and participate. 

The day will start with a ceremony at the old county courthouse on the square in Manchester at the war memorials at 9 a.m.  Memorial wreaths for each of the armed services plus the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine as well as POW/MIA  will be placed there during a brief ceremony.

At 11 a.m. ceremonies will be held at Oakwood Cemetery in Tullahoma, Hurricane Grove Cemetery just north of I-24 exit 105, Beech Grove Confederate Cemetery in Beech Grove and Shofners Cemetery. This is the same time that a Wreaths Across America ceremony will begin at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

At approximately noon there will be a ceremony at Mt. Zion Halley Church Cemetery in Bedford County. Then at 1 p.m. a ceremony will be held at Freidonia Cemetery in rural Coffee County.  Also Memorial Wreaths will be placed at Citizens Cemetery in Tullahoma and at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens on Highway 55 in Tullahoma. 

Wreaths Across America has placed wreaths on military veterans graves at Arlington National Cemetery for 27 years.  The program has grown to more than 1600 cemeteries nation-wide in 2019.

The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee will be placing wreaths on military veterans graves in Coffee County cemeteries for the third year and Bedford County for the first time.  

The committee was formed in 2017 and that year placed wreaths on some 300 military veterans graves at Oakwood Cemetery and Citizens Cemetery in Tullahoma and Hurricane Grove Cemetery in Coffee County just north of I-24 exit 105.

In 2018 the committee added Fredonia Cemetery in Coffee County with almost 100 military graves.   Another group worked with the committee to place wreaths on Revolutionary War and Civil War graves at the Beach Grove Confederate Cemetery. 

This year the group added Shofners and Mt. Zion Halley Cemeteries in Bedford County.  

One hundred percent of all funds collected locally is used to order and place wreaths on military veterans graves.

A donation of $15 sponsors one wreath- $30 sponsors two wreaths – $75 sponsors five wreaths and $150 sponsors 10 wreaths.

Checks should be made out to Wreaths Across America and dropped off or mailed to Cyndi Clower (931) 728-9898 at Clower Automotive at 1406 McArthur St., Manchester TN 37355.  Wreaths Across America is an IRS 501c3 non-profit and donations are tax deductible.

If you would like to volunteer to help raise funds or help place wreaths call Bobbie Morse at (931) 247-4545 or Cyndi Clower at (931) 728-9898.

Like last year the wreaths committee expects help at each cemetery from high school junior ROTC units from Coffee County Central High Schoo, and Tullahoma High School, Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops, veterans and local civic groups. 

For more information contact Claude Morse at (931) 247-5151 or tnhonorflight@gmail.com

Looking for a job? The 2020 Census will be having two job fairs coming up this week, so mark your calendars to attend and snag one of these good-paying jobs. First, on Tuesday, Dec. 10 there will be a Census Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the American Jobs Center in Tullahoma. Then on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be another fair at the Manchester Public Library on Hillsboro Blvd. 

Two Manchester natives received law enforcement awards last week from the Cumberland Region. 

Jamie Norris, who was promoted from patrolman to investigator earlier this month at the Manchester Police Department, was named Cumberland Region Officer of the Year by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. Meanwhile, THP state trooper Adam Malone, who is from Manchester, was named Cumberland Region Trooper of the Year. 

In a press release Thursday, the Manchester Police Department announced that a positive identification has been made on the human skull that authorities discovered Nov. 20 off of Skinner Flat Rd. in Manchester.

After DNA testing, it has been determined the remains are that of Justin Zeigler of Franklin County, who was reported missing three years ago – November of 2016.

The investigation remains open. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact MPD Chief Investigator Brandon Tomberlin at 931-728-2099.

Two Coffee County residents are facing charges of animal cruelty after Coffee County deputies received a call about dead animals found on Shelley Rd. 

According to a report on file by deputy Jennifer Curbow, a complaint was filed when someone said their children were playing when they found several dead dogs in the woods near two residences. 

Deputies were able to locate four deceased dogs in the wood line, along with a deceased cat inside a plastic bag, along with two additional dead dogs in pens at two separate residences. 

Authorities, along with animal control, took custody of 16 extremely malnourished dogs and seven cats. 

Six criminal summons for animal cruelty have been filed against James Womack, 48, and three summons have been filed against Agatha Christian, age 71. 

In the report, Womack said that he has: “Had a hard time making ends meet and has not been able to care for the dogs.”

A Coffee County man was killed in a crash Thursday on Interstate 24 near the exit 111 eastbound after his vehicle went underneath a stationary tractor trailer. 

Authorities identified the name of the deceased Friday as Ralph Reed, age 50, of Manchester.

Multiple agencies responded – including Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Manchester Police, Coffee County EMS, Manchester Fire & Rescue Department and Tennessee Highway Patrol, which will reconstruct the accident. 

According to THP preliminary report, Reed’s vehicle veered off the roadway and struck an improperly parked commercial vehicle on the shoulder of the road. The driver of the tractor trailer was identified as Michael Judkins, age 65, of McMinnville. No citations were issued. THP is continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.

A joint investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the McMinnville Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of the 31st District Attorney General has led to the indictment of a man in connection to the death of his mother in 1996.

On December 23, 1996, officers found the body of Lela Adcock in her Rebel Hill Street home, after receiving a call asking for a welfare check. As a result of the investigation, authorities developed information leading to her son, Paul Alvin Adcock, Sr. (DOB 12-11-42) as the man responsible for the crime.

Wednesday, the Warren County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging Adcock with one count of Second Degree Murder and one count of Tampering with Evidence. At the time of this release, he was being held in the custody of the Warren County Jail on $57,500 bond.

Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin at the H&R Block of Manchester and say congratulations to our student of the week – Haley Blackwood.

Haley is a freshman student at Coffee County Raider Academy. She is the daughter of Jamie Boner and Kevin Boner. 

Haley was nominated by her teachers for her excellent attitude, attendance and desire to be a good student. 

Haley enjoys taking pictures and hopes to pursue a career in photography. 

Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize kids in our community all through hockey season. What does hockey have to do with our local students? Well, H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a set of Nashville Predators hockey tickets, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. 

Congratulations, Haley!