Category: News

The State of Tennessee has completed the sale of approximately $128 million of general obligations bonds at some of the lowest interest rates in the past several years.

Tennessee has one of the lowest debt levels of any state, and investors recognize its strong history of balanced budgeting and fiscal stability. Investors were willing to pay $20 million in premium to acquire Tennessee’s bonds.

The bond proceeds will be used to fund new capital projects such as renovations and repairs at a variety of state office and higher education buildings.

The debt offering was sold in two series of bonds, consisting of $100,105,000 of Series A tax-exempt bonds and $28,000,000 of Series B taxable bonds. The combined true interest cost of the bonds was 2.66%.

“Tennessee is one of just 13 states with a AAA credit rating from all three major credit rating agencies,” said Comptroller Justin P.  Wilson. “All Tennesseans should take pride in knowing the Governor and General Assembly are committed to fiscal responsibility. This approach  saves each of us money whenever we sell bonds.”

The annual Manchester Old Timer’s Day parade is Saturday at 10 a.m. But the festivities begin Friday night with a 7 p.m. performance by Beech Grove Bob on the downtown square. 

Saturday starts with 9 a.m. prayer and National Anthem, the “Small Town Hoedown, Big Town Fun” themed parade will begin at 10 a.m. it will run from the intersection of Highways 55 and 41, down Highway 41 north and turn onto the downtown square via Spring Street.

Other entertainment is slated through the day – Macy Tabor with Second Fret will play at 11 a.m. Amanda Wood at noon, The Rhythm Express Cloggers at 1 p.m. Duck River Dance at 2 p.m., Grace Baptist Church at 3 p.m., East of Nowhere at 4 p.m. and By Grace at 5 p.m.

There will also be plenty of free games and activities – free petting zoo, free train rides, a free digital scavenger hunt and a free ice cream eating contest, just a few of the activities on tap. There will also be craft vendors on hand.

TN Achieves has a goal of 9,000 mentors for the class of 2020 and has officially reached the halfway point, with 4,500 mentors signed up. 

If you would like to become a mentor for these students, you can sign up here. 

Cannon County Schools Officials received information on Wednesday Evening, September 25th, about a possible firearm brought to Woodland School on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019. Law Enforcement Officials investigated and have determined that NO actual gun was brought to Woodland School. However, the investigation is continuing and school policies will be adhered to and followed regarding this incident. The student has been suspended pending the investigation.

Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Curtis stated, “Keeping OUR Students safe is Cannon County Schools top priority. We know these situations alarm parents/guardians, but we want to thank them and our students for continuing to be vigilant and for reporting any suspicious activity you see. Please talk with your children and please tell school officials (Teacher, Principal, Counselor, etc.) about these and other types of situations. Doing so is one of the best ways to assist us with maintaining a safe campus.”

WGNS Radio provided this news story for Thunder Radio. 

We are officially one week away from the first ever Exit 111 Festival, which will take place Friday, Oct. 11 through Sunday Oct. 13. This marks the first major festival event at Great Stage Park other than Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Both city and county school officials have closed school for Friday, Oct. 11 for fear of traffic concerns. Officials expect no more than half of the annual Bonnaroo attendance, which means about 40,000 in attendance for the Exit 111 Festival. Tickets remain on sale through the exit 111 website. 

Manchester firefighters responded to a structure fire at 2 p.m. Tuesday on Skinner Flat Rd. The structure was a six unit apartment complex and five of the units were occupied at the time of the fire – all six units received damage. 

According to Manchester Fire Department officials, the cause of the fire remains under investigation. One person was transported to Unity Medical Center for treatment. 

State Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), said today  

she was informed Senate District 16 has been awarded $726,528 in  

Highway Safety Grants to promote public safety on local roads and to  

curb drunk driving.  Bowling made the announcement after being  

informed by the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

All seven counties in Senate District 16 – Coffee, Franklin, Grundy,  

Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren and Warren Counties – are receiving  

grants.

“I am very pleased that so many law enforcement agencies in our Senate  

District, will receive these grants,” said Senator Bowling.  “I’m  

especially pleased that these grants can be used to aid in our efforts  

to protect our citizens against drunk driving.”

The awards include:

*   $24,924 to Coffee County Sheriff’s Department for High  

Visibility Enforcement

*   $23,000 to Coffee County to the Manchester Police Department  

for Alcohol and Impaired Driving Enforcement

*   $185,700 to Coffee County to the Tennessee District Attorney  

General, 14th Judicial District for DUI Prosecution

*   $15,019 to Coffee County to the Tullahoma Police Department for  

Police Traffic Services

*   $5,000 to Franklin County to the Cowan Police Department for  

High Visibility Enforcement

*   $5,000 to Franklin County to the Decherd Police Department for  

High Visibility Enforcement

*   $5,000 to Franklin County to the Estill Springs Police  

Department for High Visibility Enforcement

*   $9,999 to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for Alcohol and  

Impaired Driving Enforcement

*   $29,998 to Franklin County to the University of the South for  

Distracted Dricing

*   $5,000 to Franklin County to the Winchester Police Department  

for High Visibility Enforcement

*   $16,500 to the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department for Alcohol  

and Impaired Driving Enforcement

*   $5,000 to Grundy County to the Tracy City Police Department for  

High Visibility Enforcement

*   $5,000 to Marion County to the Jasper Police Department for  

High Visibility Enforcement

*   $20,000 to Marion County to the Kimball Police Department for  

Police Traffic Services

*   $20,000 to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for Alcohol  

and Impaired Driving Enforcement

*   $20,000 to Marion County to the South Pittsburg police  

Department for Police Traffic Services

*   $10,000 to Sequatchie County to the Dunlap Police Department  

for Alcohol and Impaired Driving Enforcement

*   $10,000 to the Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department

*   $5,000 to Van Buren County to the Spencer Police Department for  

High Visibility Enforcement

*   $5,000 to the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department for High  

Visibility Enforcement

*   $20,088 to Warren County to the McMinnville Police Department  

for Police Traffic Services

*   $261,300 to Warren County to the Tennessee District Attorney  

General, 31st Judicial District for DUI Prosecution

*   $20,000 to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department for Police  

Traffic Services

“These investments will give our local communities additional funds  

that should help upgrade their efforts to make our roads safer. I will  

continue to work to ensure our citizens are kept safe and our roads  

are made safer in the next General Assembly,” added Bowling.

The grant awards will be disbursed by the Tennessee Highway Safety  

Office (THSO).  The grants are provided to agencies that successfully  

applied for funding who meet the required data-driven criteria and  

highway safety standard.  Grant applications must be in line with  

THSO’s mission to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities.

Coffee County Schools is facilitating a Poverty Simulation on Friday, October 11th at Hillsboro Elementary School for both Hillsboro and Deerfield Elementary School Staff as Professional Development. Poverty is often portrayed as a stand alone issue; however, this simulation allows the opportunity for our teachers, staff, and administrators to walk a month in the shoes of what it is like for some of our students and families who are facing poverty and fully see how complex and interconnected issues of poverty really are.

During this simulation, teachers, staff, and administrators will participate living through a month of poverty and go through stations to take care of employment, housing, transportation, utilities, and other needs to simulate an excellent perspective of what life is like for some of our students and families.

The school system is looking for business leaders to participate by manning a booth in their field of expertise. The simulation will begin at 8 a.m. and should conclude around noon. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Taylor Rayfield at (931) 222-1066

Poverty Simulation Booths:

• Community Banker
• Quick Cash (Pay Day Lender)
• Community Action – (Non-profit organization leaders serving families)
• Interfaith Services
• Food-A-Rama (Grocery Store)
• Mortgage Lender
• Pawnbroker
• Police Officer
• Utility Collector
• Social Service Representative
• Social Service Caseworker
• Realville School
• Childcare/Headstart
• General Employer
• Community Health Care

In Fayetteville, 529 employees at the Goodman Manufacturing plant learned this week that they will be laid off at the end of November as the plant continues to close up its operations in favor of moving operations to Texas. 

On Friday, Goodman filed a notice with the State of Tennessee Labor and Workforce Development stating that it would complete the 529 worker layoff by Nov. 27. This comes on the heels of 703 workers from the plant losing jobs last week. 

In total, 1,328 workers have bene affected. 

Goodman announced in 2015 that the plant would close by 2017 – however that has been delayed but appears to me moving forward now.