Category: News

A new poll from Vanderbilt University finds Tennessee is becoming more politically polarized.
Pollsters surveyed by phone 1,000 of what they call “demographically representative voters,” covering topics such as voting access, health care, the opioid crisis and immigration.
John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University and co-director of the poll, says the findings suggest the rise in polarization at the national level has begun to infiltrate state politics.
“The misperceptions there were just staggering,” he states. “I mean, about a quarter of the state thinks we have more than 1 million illegal immigrants. And the answer is closer to about 100,000.
“And so, I think the debate that’s gone on about immigration in this country, has given people the belief that this is a widespread problem that is just massive in scope, and the data say that’s not the case.”
The poll results also show Tennesseans favor policies that preserve the rights of immigrants already in the U.S. to stay here and become citizens – 54% said they should be allowed to apply for citizenship, while another 20% favor a guest worker program.
Gov. Bill Lee is the most popular politician in the state, according to the poll, with a 61% approval rating.
And Geer is convinced that in this age of information overload polls are still a reliable tool to gauge what people are thinking.
“So, I think polls are particularly important in this day and age, because the people who have the loudest voices, who are the most ideologically extreme, they can use social media,” he points out. “But the quiet majority tends not to do it, because they’re tending to their children, attending church, working two jobs. Polls provide a chance to tap into those opinions.”
The poll found 54% of Tennessee voters support President Donald Trump. However, only 26% said they were happy with Congress.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini who has faced criticism for comments she’s made in the past has released a statement condemning Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott.
Mancini wrote; “Equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation, isn’t just a Democratic Party value — it’s a non-negotiable constitutional guarantee that every public servant should uphold every day. If Craig Northcott and Republican leaders take issue with that, they don’t deserve to serve the people of Tennessee,” Mancini said. “Craig Northcott needs to change his stance or resign. Until he does, Tennessee Republican Party leaders should be held to account and asked to denounce his bigotry and rescind their support.”
Mancini has had her own problems after having to apologize for calling Tennessee racist recently while promoting less conventional candidates.
Mancini made a controversial statement while speaking with the Coffee County Democratic Party earlier this year. Mancini is quoted as saying, “We have a little bit of a problem in this state, I’m just going to say it outright. This is a racist state.”
Mancini said in her apology, “In the heat and the frustration of seeing and hearing the constant drumbeat of bigotry, misogyny and homophobia coming from the Republicans at the state legislature, I used a poor choice of words and vented my frustration and I apologize.”
Mancini said her words didn’t represent how she or other members of the state Democratic Party view Tennessee residents.
Northcott has not released a statement since a Facebook post he made was seen as anti-Muslim. He also has not made a comment after a video surfaced while Northcott was speaking at a religious conference in 2018. He is quoted as saying that if there is domestic violence in a marriage involving a gay couple, he would not prosecute it as domestic violence because he does not recognize the marriage.
Northcott’s term runs through the end of August 2022.

The Bonnaroo Music Festival gates open at 8pm Wednesday night in Manchester.
Here is how law enforcement and the Tennessee Department of Transportation plan for the traffic.
• Efforts will be concentrated on keeping I-24 traffic flowing
• Exit 111 (SR 55) will be used as the main festival exit. Exits 97, 105, 112 (temporary exit on the westbound side only), 117 and 127 are alternate exits if congestion occurs on the interstate
• TDOT maintenance units will be posted throughout the festival region, and maintenance personnel will be on call all weekend
• TDOT will provide variable message signs to warn drivers of delays
• There will be no construction-related lane closures on I-24 near the Bonnaroo festival area between 6 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12 through 7 p.m. on Monday, June 17
• Median crossovers will be guarded to prevent motorists from parking in the crossovers and blocking emergency vehicles
• Festival traffic will be kept in the right lane and/or on the shoulder of the interstate, allowing through traffic to utilize the left travel lane unimpeded
• Emergency vehicles will use county roads that will be kept at low volume
• Bonnaroo promoters issued early news releases to the trucking industry and other sources to alert the traveling public about festival times, location, and alternate routes
• Temporary communication towers are in place to improve emergency communications
During the festival, motorists should call 511 for traffic updates or visit the TDOT website at www.tn.gov/tdot for information on alternate routes. As always Manchester Police, THP and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department will be working together to keep traffic running as smoothly as possible.

This week Bonnaroo begins, and music lovers are counting down the days until the event starts. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office is reminding music fans to always incorporate safety into their festival plans.
Do Your Research & Follow the Rules
• Check the festival’s website to get an understanding of the location/layout.
• Familiarize yourself with the locations of medical and safety tents.
• Know what items you can and cannot bring into the venue.
• If portable grills and/or generators are allowed, use them with care:
• Place your grill well away from anything that can catch fire. Do not leave an active grill unattended.
• Do not add lighter fluid to an already lit fire as the flame can flash back up into the container and explode.
• Pay attention to the location of exits in tents and crowd barriers. If there is a panic, head for these locations first.
• Dispose of hot coals properly. Douse them with plenty of water and stir to ensure the fire is out. Never place them in plastic, paper, or wooden containers.
• Never utilize grills or generators in enclosed areas as deadly levels of carbon monoxide can build up quickly and linger for hours.
• If camping in an RV, ensure it has a working carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas created when fuels (such as kerosene, gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. Tennessee law requires that rented RVs must have functioning carbon monoxide detectors before being leased for use.
• Leave sky lanterns and fireworks to the experts. They can easily start a fire on dry grass or debris.
• Park only in designated areas. Be sure to leave fire lanes clear for emergency vehicles.

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
COFFEE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE PLAZA
June 11, 2019 @ 6:00 p.m.
AGENDA

1. Sheriff Proclaims Commission Open for Business

2. Invocation

3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

4. Roll Call

5. Approve agenda.

6. Review and approval of the minutes of previous meeting.

7. Resolution of Memorial, Sympathy and Commendation

8. Elections, Appointments and Confirmations
a. Notaries
b. Other

9. Unfinished Business
a. Resolution 2019-10 – Adoption of the State Approved Hotel/Motel Tax

10. New Business
a. Resolution 2019-11 – Resolution to amend the 1974 Interlocal Agreement among Coffee County, the cities of Manchester and Tullahoma, and the Coffee County Emergency Communications District to provide for the Chairman of the district Board of Directors to serve as an Ex Officio member of the Consolidated Communications Committee
b. School Budget Amendments
c. Budget Amendments
d. Exit 105 Sewer Project Discussion
e. Coffee County Fund Balance Policy
f. 2020 Proposed Fiscal Budget
g. County Legislative Body Work Sessions instead of Caucus’ discussion.
h. Resolution 2019-12 – Resolution to amend Coffee County Zoning Resolution No. 2006-39 to rezone a tract of land at 3014 Hillsboro Highway and the front 150 feet of a tract of land located at 3204 McMinnville Highway from RS-1, Low-Density Residential District, to C-2, General Commercial District.
i. Other

*Report of standing committee and action thereon by the commission.
*Report of special committees and action thereon by the commission.

11. Statements & Announcements

12. Public Comments

13. Adjournment

Nearly two hundred attorneys from across the state of Tennessee are calling for an investigation into Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott.
A video was posted online earlier this week by the political website TNHoller.com of Northcott speaking at a religious conference in 2018. In the video, Northcott is speaking to a group and says that if there is domestic violence in a marriage involving a gay couple, he would not prosecute it as domestic violence because he does not recognize the marriage.
In Tennessee, domestic violence crimes carry heavier, more serious penalties than other assaults.
Northcott added in the video from last year, “social engineers on the Supreme Court decided we now have homosexual marriage, and I disagree with them.”
Northcott was also questioned last month for a Facebook comment he made about Muslims, saying that Islam is “evil, violent and against God’s truth.”
The lawyers are calling on the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to investigate Northcott’s conduct.
The attorneys state in the letter, “When Mr. Northcott swore an oath to become an attorney and represented intentions to uphold the constitution and laws of this country, he was acting dishonestly. During his speech, Mr. Northcott plainly stated his practice and intentions to act outside those very laws and instead set office policies based upon his personal beliefs.”
The letter was sent to members of the Tennessee Bar and it goes onto say, “We (attorneys that signed the letter) watch with deep distress as the actions of Mr. Northcott cast a cloud over the Bar’s reputation in the national spotlight. We call upon the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, the Tennessee District Attorney General’s Conference, and Governor Bill Lee to restore ethical leadership to Coffee County, to investigate the statements and actions of Mr. Northcott and to stand up for our highest ideals as members of the Tennessee Bar. “
When Northcott was contacted by WMSR News for a comment the district attorney decided to not a statement at this time. His term runs through the end of August 2022.

Lakeway Publishers, Inc. President R. Jack Fishman announced this week that the company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Lakeway owns and operates the Manchester Times and the Tullahoma News in Coffee County plus some other nearby newspapers, including ones in Grundy, Franklin Lincoln and Moore counties.
Chapter 11 permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship and to individuals, although it is most prominently used by corporate entities. When a business is unable to service its debt or pay its creditors, the business or its creditors can file with a federal bankruptcy court for protection under either Chapter 7 or Chapter 11.
In Chapter 11, in most instances, the debtor remains in control of its business operations as a debtor in possession and is subject to the oversight and jurisdiction of the court.
Lakeway Publishers, Inc. is composed of mostly smaller newspapers and websites in smaller communities in Tennessee, Missouri and Virginia.

Coffee County Administrator of Elections, Andy Farrar has been recognized for passing the state certification exam.
Secretary of State Tre Hargett presented the administrator with a certificate on Monday at the annual state election law summer seminar in Nashville.
Participants must first complete a training process that covers 40 different topics related to election law.
The exam, which is administered by the Division of Elections, is a rigorous closed book written assessment that can last up to three and a half hours. Questions, which are based on statutory requirements, range from voter registration to Election Day guidelines.

Faced with mounting public pressure to take action against robocalls, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to make it easier for telecom companies to block suspected scam calls on their customers’ behalf.
Companies like AT&T and Verizon can now, under the newly approved rules, automatically enroll their customers in their call-blocking services. Currently, customers have to sign up for the tools.
The FCC said this action empowers providers to protect their customers from unwanted robocalls before those calls even reach the customers’ phones.
The FCC said the move would lead to consumers receiving fewer unwanted calls.
Wireless companies have until the end of the year adopt robocall blocking technology.
Just because the FCC has passed this does not mean the calls will stop, however. The industry’s solution – authentication technology called STIR/SHAKEN that verifies that calls come from real caller ID instead of spoofed or faked caller ID – isn’t set to go into widespread effect until 2020, though companies are testing it and using it now. Until then, phone companies will have to use other means of identifying unwanted calls.
No word yet on whether there will be an extra charge on your bill.