Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett announces his office’s new Text to Report Voter Fraud system.
“Making it easy for Tennesseans to vote while protecting the integrity of our elections is our highest priority,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “With our new Text to Report Voter Fraud system, we’re giving voters a safe and convenient way to alert us to any Election Day issues so that our office can take appropriate action. I encourage Tennesseans to let us know if they see anything that could be voter fraud and about their voter experience, whether negative or positive.”
Using a cell phone or other texting device, Tennesseans can text ‘TN’ to 45995. They will receive a secure link where they can submit their concerns directly to the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections. The Division of Elections reviews reports of possible voter fraud, misinformation, intimidation, or any Election Day impropriety and works with county election commissions, district attorneys and other parties to take appropriate action.
“There are other organizations that offer voters ways to report election issues, but those organizations are not affiliated with our office,” said Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. “We created our Text to Report Voter Fraud system so that Tennesseans can be confident that their concerns are getting to the right place. We work together with local county election commissions to help Tennesseans have a positive voting experience.”
Voters can also report voting issues or get answers to Election Day questions by calling the Division of Elections Official Election Day Hotline toll-free at 1-877-850-4959.
On Tuesday, May 3, primaries for Republican or Democratic, judicial or county office candidates are taking place in 74 Tennessee counties.
Over 4,000 cast early ballots in Coffee County; Tuesday is election day
Early voting totals for the May 3 Coffee County primary are in.
According to Coffee County Administrator of Elections Andy Farrar, 4,171 people cast their ballots in early voting between April 13 and April 28 with the heaviest day coming on the final day, as 511 voters hit the polls on April 28.
The total of 4,171 is 12.5 percent of active Coffee County voters and 11% of total registered voters in the county.
Numbers break down like this: 2,058 rural county voters cast a ballot, while 1,223 registered voters in Tullahoma voted and 890 Manchester voters went to the polls.
Residents still have one day to vote – that is Election Day on Tuesday, May 3.
If voting on election day, you will vote at your assigned precinct. Voting hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p..m on that day. If you have questions about the process or your correct precinct (some have changed this year), contact the election commission at 931-723-5103. Voters are required to show a federal or state photo ID when voting.
The night of May 3, Thunder Radio will carry live election return coverage on our radio station – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app and thunder1320.com. Our coverage begins at 7 p.m. You can also see results updated in live time on our website by clicking here.
Growing number of Tennessee seniors will increase demand for state services
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released an updated version of its report on Senior Long-Term Care in Tennessee. The report indicates the number of Tennessee seniors age 60 and over is expected to increase by 30% from 1.6 million in 2020 to 2.1 million in 2040. The number of those age 80 and over in Tennessee is forecast to double during this time.
This population trend will likely create a significant growth in the demand for and potential cost of public long-term services and supports programs for low-income Tennessee seniors.
The Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) report focuses on the three primary publicly funded long-term services and supports programs for low-income elderly Tennesseans: TennCare CHOICES (Medicaid), Options for Community Living, and Older Americans Act programs. Together, these programs provide a continuum of services ranging from information and referral, meals, varying levels of home and community-based services, and nursing home care.
OREA’s first report on this topic was released in 2017. The updated report focuses on four issues that continue to be critical in 2022:
- -expanding home and community-based services for senior at risk of nursing home care, which would likely result in decreased future use of more expensive home-and community-based services and nursing homes;
- -expanding community-based residential alternatives;
- -addressing front line workers’ pay; and
- -providing additional support for family and other unpaid caregivers.
The report includes several policy options that the General Assembly may wish to consider. The report also notes that Governor Lee’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2022-2023, and actions taken as a result of the influx of federal money during the pandemic, address concerns presented in the report.
To read the 2022 update, please visit the Comptroller’s website at: tncot.cc/orea.
City Board of Mayor and Aldermen to have regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday
The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen will host a regularly scheduled board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3.
There will be no work session prior. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend the public meeting. The board room is upstairs in city hall at 200 W. Fort St. in Manchester. Full Agenda below:
Drug take back day is Saturday; drop event in Tullahoma
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, April 30.
The aim of the event is to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
There will be an event in Tullahoma at the Walmart on North Jackson Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30 for you to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescription medications.
Manchester Police Department has a permanent drop box at Manchester City Hall for dropping medications any other time of the year.
Founder of Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center receives award
PRESS RELEASE
Bonnie Watts, founder of Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center, is the first recipient of the Melissa Johnson Children’s Champion Award.
Director of Coffee County CAC Joyce Prusak and Ward Johnson presented the award to Watts on Apr. 21, during the Play with a Purpose event of the center.
This award honors the memory of Melissa Johnson and her love of children, said Prusak.
“I am thankful to Mr. Ward Johnson for making this award possible and look forward to presenting it to others in the years to come,” Prusak said. “I can think of no better recipient than Bonnie for this first year.”
Watts, of Tullahoma, and a group of local activists with the Coffee County Church Women United founded the Coffee County CAC in 2004. The center opened officially and began serving children in 2005.
“The Board of Directors of the CAC decided to give this award to Bonnie because of her relentless commitment to getting the center started and her continuous support over the years,” Prusak said. “Bonnie was the driving force behind the group of women who started the planning meetings for the center and was responsible for getting the buy-in of so many community partners. Bonnie recognized a need in our community and found a way to help meet that need. She wanted children who experienced abuse to have a safe place to come. Her efforts made it possible for us to be able to help over 4,500 children so far.”
The Coffee County CAC serves children who have experienced severe abuse. The center provides services, including forensic interviews, family advocacy, therapy and medical exams, at no cost for children and their families. A referral for services must come from one of the center’s investigative partners. The Coffee County CAC is a nonprofit organization and it operates thanks to the help of businesses, organizations and individuals who support the center.
For more information about the center, visit coffeecountycac.org and follow Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center on social media.
H&R BLOCK STUDENT OF THE WEEK – Kinsley Rogers
Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Kinsley Rogers
Kinsley is a 5th grader at East Coffee Elementary School. She was nominated by her teachers and administrators. Kinsley is the daughter of Gage Rogers and the granddaughter of Elaine Haggard.
Her favorite subject is social studies. In her free time she enjoys writing.
All students of the week are selected for their work ethic and excellent attitudes in and out of the classroom.
Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a commemorative plaque, a special letter of recognition and two tickets to Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park.
Job well done, Kinsley!
Early voting in Coffee County ends Thursday
Early voting for the May 3 Coffee County primaries will end on Thursday.
The final day to cast your ballot in the early voting period is Thursday, April 28. If you miss early voting, election day will be May 3.
Registered voters in Coffee county can appear and cast their early voting ballot at one of two locations:
Coffee County Election Commission at 1329 McArthur St Suite 6 in Manchester. Early voting hours are between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
CD Stamps Center at 810 South Jackson St. in Tullahoma. Early voting hours there are between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Voters are required to show a federal or state photo ID when voting.
As of the end of the day Tuesday (April 26), a total of 3,325 early votes had been cast – 1,625 county voters, 987 Tullahoma voters and 713 registered Manchester voters had cast ballots.
If you do not early vote, you will vote at your assigned precinct on Election Day (May 3). Voting hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p..m on that day. If you have questions, contact the election commission at 931-723-5103.
The night of May 3, Thunder Radio will carry live election return coverage on our radio station – 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app and thunder1320.com.
Few sponsorship opportunities remain for first ever Thundie Sports Awards
The Dream for Weave Foundation and Thunder Radio will be hosting the first ever “Thundie Sports Awards” for the Coffee County community on Saturday, May 21.
The inaugural sports awards will honor the best athletes, coaches and teams of Coffee County Central High School, Westwood Middle School and Coffee Middle School. Doors for the red carpet event will open at 5:15 p.m. at First Baptist Church Gymnasium (1006 Hillsboro Blvd). Middle Tennessee State University head softball coach and the pioneer of the CHS Lady Raider softball program, Jeff Breeden, will deliver the keynote address.
Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with awards to follow. There are only a few dozen tickets remaining – tickets are $50 ($400 per table). To purchase tickets, contact Josh Peterson at 931-409-2215 or josh.peterson.wmsr@gmail.com or Holly Peterson at 931-409-2173.
And there are only a few sponsorship opportunities remaining. All sponsorship money is being used for scholarship funds for select CHS senior athletes.
“This is the type of event that Holly, myself and the foundation board envisioned when the Dream for Weave Foundation launched back in late 2020, it has just taken us some time to get there,” said Josh Peterson, vice president of Thunder Radio and treasurer of the Dream for Weave Foundation.
“We put a great emphasis on local sports coverage at Thunder Radio with our broadcasts, our daily sports coverage, photos, Thunder The Magazine and our weekly coaches show,” added Peterson. “As everyone saw last spring when the Lady Raider softball team made a deep run in the state tournament and just recently when the Red Raider basketball team reached the state tournament – athletics are very important to our community. This event is perfect to recognize and honor them.”
The Thundie Sports Awards are driven by Al White Ford Lincoln — the presenting sponsor.
Sponsor Peoples Bank & Trust is providing meals and t-shirts for winning athletes, and Unity Medical Center is providing dessert and admission for award-winning athletes. All athletes who are set to be honored will be contacted and invited to the event free of charge thanks to these generous sponsors. Awards will be decided based on decisions of the awards committee.
In addition to awards, the Weave Foundation annual scholarships will be presented at the Thundies. In its first year of operation, the Dream for Weave Foundation presented $3,500 in scholarship funding to athletes departing CHS. The foundation has also purchased and provided athletic gear and apparel for athletes in need. This year, scholarship funding is expected to exceed $10,000.
“There are multiple people who are putting in so much of their time to make this event possible for our athletes and if not for them and our great sponsors, it simply would not be possible,” said Rob Clutter, president of the Dream for Weave Foundation.
Dream for Weave Foundation
The foundation was formed in October of 2020, just 3 months after the sudden passing of Thunder Radio sports director Dennis Weaver after complications from a routine operation.
Beloved by all, Weave as the play-by-play voice for Coffee County athletics and one of the key contributors to the rise of the CHS softball program in the 90s. He was a graduate of Central High School.
His love for sports and the athletes who played them led to the formation of the foundation, which aims to ensure all children who want to play sports have the means and equipment necessary to play. The foundation also strives to provide scholarship funding to athletes departing CHS and pursuing higher education – whether in the college or technical fields.
About Keynote Speaker Jeff Breeden
Jeff Breeden is currently coaching his 10th season as Head Softball Coach at Middle Tennessee in 2022 and has seen improvement in his team in each of the nine previous years.
MT finished at 26-22 overall in 2021, including an 11-8 mark in Conference USA play, leading the Blue Raiders to their first winning record in league play since 2007.
Breeden is a high school state championship softball coach in Tennessee with over 700 career wins. He is largely credited with helping to build the Coffee County Central Lady Raider softball program, which had 1 win before his arrival. Breeden coached with Weaver for many years and together the two helped to build the softball complex where the Lady Raiders now play. He earned 341 wins as Lady Raider head coach from 1990-2003, and made two state tournament appearances before leaving for Riverdale.
Two suspects in custody after running from Coffee County authorities Tuesday; third suspect remains at large
Two suspects are in custody and face a litany of charges after running from Coffee County authorities Tuesday morning. A third suspect remains at large.
According to Coffee County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Frank Watkins, a patrol deputy was behind subjects on Interstate 24 westbound at approximately 4:30 a.m. Tuesday (April 26) when they began “driving recklessly.”
When the deputy attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver allegedly began passing vehicles on the shoulder of the road at a high rate of speed. Subjects then turned around and came into Coffee County. According to Watkins, someone threw a gun and a white substance from the vehicle believed to be methamphetamine. The vehicle then wrecked just off of the interstate and subjects fled.
Manchester Police Department responded to mutual aid request from the sheriff’s department near the rear of The Reserve at Northridge, where the three suspects allegedly fled.
One subject was quickly apprehended by MPD K9 Officer Daryn Gadeken and canine Nalty. At approximately 8:45 a.m. a second suspect was apprehended near Melrose Market on US Highway 41.
As of this story Tuesday afternoon, the third suspect remains at large and authorities believe he is a black male who is no longer in the area.
Arrested were Michael Zander Labelle, 20, of McMinnville and Zebulun Waleed Byrd, 35, of Smyrna. Both subjects are in custody of the Coffee County Jail.
Labelle is held on $49,000 bond facing charges of resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, manufacture, sale, delivery or possession of methamphetamine, tampering with or fabricating evidence, theft of motor vehicle, contraband in a penal institution and evading arrest.
Meanwhile, Byrd is held on $329,500 bond and is facing charges of evading arrest, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, manufacture, sale, delivery, possession of methamphetamine, reckless driving, tampering with or fabricating evidence and theft of property.
