There will be a Patriot Day ceremony held at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Coffee County Middle School. The ceremony will remember those who perished in the Sept. 11 attacks and honor local first responders. The event is open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend. Coffee Middle School is located at 3063 Woodbury Highway, Manchester.
Category: News
Gas prices in Tennessee remain well below national average
After a brief spike, gas prices in Tennessee are on their way back down. As of Monday, the average gas price in Tennessee for a gallon of regular unleaded stood at $2.25, which is a whopping 31 cents below the national average. It’s also down a cent from a week ago and 15 cents cheaper than the same time in August.
As of Sept. 9, a gallon of regular unleaded is 34 cents cheaper than this same time last year.
Red Cross asking for blood, donations after hurricane
As the American Red Cross works around the clock supporting those impacted by Hurricane Dorian, providing food, shelter and comfort, individuals outside the affected areas are urged to help by giving blood or platelets to ensure patients in the storm’s path and around the country have access to lifesaving blood. People can also help by making a financial donation to support relief efforts.
Hurricane Dorian has forced the closure of blood donation centers and the cancellation of blood drives in its path, causing blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. When blood donations are disrupted in a region of the country, the Red Cross is able to move blood donations where they are needed most.
How to help
Donors of all blood types are urgently needed to ensure a sufficient supply for patients. Type O and B blood donors are especially needed. Make an appointment to donate blood now by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Financial donations are also needed and allow the Red Cross to make a difference in the lives of people impacted by Hurricane Dorian. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word DORIAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.
The next opportunity to donate blood locally will be at 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Manchester Recreation Center – that’s at 557 N. Woodland St.
Hillsboro man dies in custody of Cowan Police
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of a 47-year old Hillsboro man who apparently died while in custody of the Cowan Police Department Thursday.
Gary Scott, age 47, has been identified as the victim. Scott was detained and then found unresponsive upon arrival at the Franklin County Jail.
Gary Scott
Tullahoma to vote on new police chief Monday night
The Tulllahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen will meet 5:30 p.m. Monday night and it is expected that Tullahoma City Administrator Jennifer Moody will recommend the hire of Jason Williams to be the city’s next chief of police.
The board will have to approve the hire, per city charter.
Williams was one of four finalists for the position. Currently he is the chief deputy of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Department. Before the he was a lieutenant with the Shelbyville Police Department.
Other finalists for the job were Phillip Sullivan of Abington, Virginia, Michael Anderson of Franklin, Tennessee and Phil Henderson, who is currently serving as the acting chief for the department.
Tullahoma is looking for a police chief after longtime former chief Paul Blackwell pleaded no contest to tampering with evidence in April.
One dead after early Sunday shooting in Murfreesboro
A man is dead, and police are looking for the suspect, after responding to shooting in Murfreesboro early Sunday (9/8/2019) morning.
Paramedics from the Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services rushed a male victim to the ER at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Detectives are currently trying to determine his identity.
Officers were initially dispatched to the 2400 block of Halls Hill Pike around 1:11 a.m. Sunday to assist Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies with a shots fired call and to help disperse a large crowd.
It was determined the shooting victim was located within the city limits, so Murfreesboro Police took over the crime scene.
Detectives interviewed several possible witnesses, but at this time, no suspect information is available.
Investigators urge anyone else who may have been in the area at the time of the shooting and saw what occurred or could help identify the shooter to call Det. James Abbott at (629) 201- 5523 or call Crime Stoppers at (615) 893-STOP (7867).
The incident is under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division.
Thanks to WGNS Radio for help with this story.
TDH reports six cases of serious disease from e-cigs in Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Health has reported six cases of suspected serious respiratory disease among people who use electronic cigarettes or other vaping devices. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a cluster of severe pulmonary disease among people who use e-cigarettes or vape, with 215 cases reported to date in 25 states.
‘’Tennessee health care providers are reporting to us any patients they treat for severe respiratory symptoms who report vaping in the weeks before they got sick,‘’ said TDH State Epidemiologist Tim Jones, MD. ‘’We’re investigating to look for common factors and collect information on specific components or brands of vaping products that may be the source of the illness.‘’
Patients across the country associated with this outbreak have had symptoms including cough, shortness of breath and/or chest pain, growing worse over a period of days or weeks before admission to the hospital. Other symptoms may include fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. In many but not all cases, patients have acknowledged recent use of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC-containing e-cigarette products. Most of the cases are among adolescents and young adults.
TDH is providing information about this investigation and the number of Tennessee patients associated with this outbreak online at www.tn.gov/health/cedep/vaping-illness.html. This page will be updated weekly by 3:30 p.m. Central time each Thursday with any additional cases reported.
Electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices are not approved by the FDA for smoking cessation. Smokers who are attempting to quit should use evidence-based treatments including counseling and FDA-approved medications. If you need help quitting tobacco products including e-cigarettes, contact your health care provider, your local health department or the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or www.tnquitline.org/.
Manchester man allegedly assaults US postal carrier
A Manchester man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after allegedly assaulting a United States Postal Carrier on Blanton Chapel Rd. in Coffee County.
Arrested and charged with assault was Shane Omar Elgouhary, age 30, of Manchester. His bond was set at $3,000.
Shane Elgouhary
According to a report filed by Coffee County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Dustan Foster, deputies responded to a call on Blanton Chapel Rd. to a complaint of a male subject with no shirt and khaki shorts jumping out in front of vehicles. When Foster arrived he encountered a United States Postal Carrier who was distraught. The postal carrier stated that the male, later identified as Elgouhary, jumped into the window of her mail van and grabbed her while she was delivering mail. The carrier stated that she hit the accelerator and sped off in an attempt to get Elgouhary out of her vehicle, saying that she was fearful for her life.
The suspect then left on foot toward US Highway 41 and was later located at Busy Corner Truck Stop. Foster’s report states that when he encountered Elgouhary he was acting nervous, sweating profusely and appeared to be on some sort of illegal drug. He was then taken into custody.
Coffee Co. Sheriff’s Department investigating case of possible animal cruelty
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a case of possible animal cruelty after several dogs were found with no owners around and no food or water on August 30 on Ute Dr. in Beech Grove.
Deputies responded to a call at Ute Dr. to a complaint that a puppy had fallen out of a second floor window of a house across the road from the complainant.
Deputy Austin Wilson was allegedly greeted at the residence in question by three aggressive pitbulls. Wilson used pepper spray to keep those dogs away. Wilson’s report states that he found the door open and a wooden board keeping more puppies from getting out, but found other dogs entering and exiting the residence. Upon a welfare check of the home, Wilson states in his report that it appears no one was in the home nor had anyone been home recently. The report states that multiple dogs appeared to be malnourished, and no food or water appeared to be present. One dog was found to be in a cage, malnourished and dirty.
Animal Control provided food for the dogs and advised that they had been to the residence before. Animal control took six puppies and two mature dogs into their care, including one that had an open sore on its back. There was also five dogs chained up and caged in the yard that appeared to have no food or water. Those dogs also appeared to be malnourished and neglected, according to Wilson’s report. Deputies were unable to locate the owners and the case remains under investigation at this time.
Former Decherd Mayor Robin Smith arrested
The Decherd Mayor Robin Smith has been arrested and charged with one count of official misconduct and one count of theft of property between $1,000 and $2,500. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation secured indictments against Smith in charges that relate to his time as a probation officer.
Smith was arrested Wednesday and released on $10,000 bond. During an investigation by the TBI that begain in November of 2018, agents learned that Smith allegedly took payments paid by those on probation for misdemeanors and used it for his personal benefit.
Smith resigned from that job back in July.
