Another electric bill payment scam has surfaced in the Lynchburg district this week as an impersonator told a DREMC member to call the number and pay his last three months bills with a credit card in the next two hours or his power would be cut off.
This time, the scammer somehow knew the member’s last three bill amounts and the late fees.
The member was wise to the scam and quickly reported it to DREMC.
The scammer gave 913-380-8000, ext. 204 to call with the credit card payment. Please beware of payment scams such as this. Always call your local DREMC office if you get suspicious calls demanding bill payment and threatening power disconnection.
Category: News
DREMC Warns about another Scam
Grundy County Sheriff’s Office Searching for Theft Suspect
Hersel K. Patterson.. Photo provided
The GCSO says investigators are looking for 36-year-old Hershel K. Patterson from Tracy City.
If you have any information on Patterson’s location, please call Sgt. Larry Sims or Capt. Josh King at 931-692-3466 extension 5.
You can also send an anonymous message through Facebook to the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office.
Asian Longhorned Ticks Detected in Tennessee
Asian longhorned tick.. Photo provided
The Asian longhorned tick has now spread to 11 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there is no evidence that the tick has transmitted pathogens to humans or animals in the U.S.
Two Asian longhorned ticks were recently found on a dog in Union County, and five were found on a cow in Roane County. In the U.S., the tick has been reported on 17 different mammal species.
Tips to prevent tick bites in animals and livestock include:
• Coordinate with your veterinarian to determine appropriate pest prevention for pets and livestock.
• Check pets and livestock for ticks frequently.
• Remove any ticks by pulling from the attachment site of the tick bite with tweezers.
• Monitor your pets and livestock for any changes in health.
If your animals are bitten by a tick, put the tick in a Ziplock bag, writing down the date and where the tick was most likely encountered, and storing it in a freezer. If any symptoms of a tick-borne disease begin to develop, you should bring the tick to your veterinarian.
TN Driver Services App has been Launched
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) Driver Services Division launched a new mobile application that will better serve Tennesseans. The mobile application, titled TN Driver Services, can be found on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Driver Services is offering another way to conduct business rather than visiting a driver services center. The mobile application will allow customers to renew or get a duplicate license, renew a handgun carry permit, upgrade the Graduated Driver License (GDL), change your address and update your emergency contact information. Customers can also take the knowledge practice quiz and locate the nearest driver services center and more. The Driver Services division is constantly working to provide services that allow customers to conduct business more efficiently.
Wheel Tax? Talk Begins
The need for money to run county services has county leaders talking about the possibility of implementing a wheel tax.
The county is looking at having to use money from its general fund balance, sometimes known as the rainy-day fund. Coffee County has a $560,000 deficit to cover.
County Commissioner Margaret Cunningham is suggesting county leaders implement a wheel tax of $25.
Whenever this suggestion has come up before it’s always gone before the registered voters in the county and always been voted down.
Another way to create a wheel tax is by a two-thirds approval at two consecutive meetings of the full commission.
Another way a wheel tax could be considered is a private act. After the passage of a two-thirds commission vote, it could be challenged by a referendum if a petition is signed by 10 percent registered voters equal to 10 percent of the number of voters in the last gubernatorial election is filed with the county election commission within 30 days of passage.
The other way a wheel tax can be considered is for commissioners to create a referendum for voters to cast ballots on.
WMSR News will keep you updated if anything is placed on the next full commission agenda.
Coffee County Sets New Record Low for Unemployment
Unemployment rates for 94 of Tennessee’s 95 counties dropped in April 2019 according to data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
The unemployment rate in Maury County remained unchanged for the month.
Ninety-four counties have rates lower than 5 percent and only one county’s rate is higher than 5 percent.
Coffee County’s unemployment rate for April dropped to a record low, going down from the March rate of 3.1 percent to 2.6 percent. Currently, there are only 670 workers unemployed in Coffee County. Bedford County dropped from 3.6 to 3.0 percent. In Cannon County their rate fell from 3.0 percent to 2.4. In neighboring Franklin County their March unemployment rate was 3.2 percent, the April rate went down to 2.6 percent. Grundy County dropped a full percentage from 4.3 to 3.3. Moore County fell from 2.7 to 2.2 percent and Warren County’s unemployment rate went down from 3.9 percent in March to 3.2 percent in April.
Unemployment in Williamson County dipped below 2 percent in April. The county’s current rate of 1.9 percent marks a 0.5 of a percentage point drop from the previous month. Clay County had the state’s highest rate in April at 5.6 percent.
Lynn Resigns–Tullahoma needs New School Board Member
Dr. Steve Lynn recently announced that he was resigning his position on the Tullahoma School Board. Lynn was reelected in 2018 for a second four-year term.
The Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen will appoint an interim board member. This appointed member will serve on the school board until a new board member is elected in the August 2022 election.
For more information you can drop by Tullahoma City hall at 201 W. Grundy St. and or call 931-455-2648.
Tullahoma citizens that would like to serve need to feel out a citizen board participation form.
Voucher Bill to become Law
Tennessee Governor, Bill Lee.. Photo from BillLee.com
The new law will allow participating families to receive debit cards worth up to $7,300 in state education money each year.
The freshman governor navigated a bumpy legislative path to score his most prominent policy win yet with the voucher-like proposal. President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sent supportive tweets while it was debated in the Legislature.
Eventually, the bill narrowly emerged from fights over cost estimates and provisions that could exclude families in the U.S. illegally.
Nationally, five states have passed laws allowing some sort of education savings accounts: Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Nevada. The Nevada Supreme Court later ruled the state could not use school dollars to fund the accounts.
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network Launches App
The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network has launched an app for both Apple and Android users that allows people to learn about warning signs and local resources and more.
The app lets people request a suicide prevention training, take a depression screening and provides many more resources for users. To download the app, search for TSPN in the Apple or Google Play stores.
Three Tennesseans take their own lives each day, according to TSPN, making it the ninth leading cause of death in the state.
If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to one of the many crisis resources including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) or the State Crisis line (1-855-CRISIS-1).
2019 Seniors Celebrate
Principal Paul Parsley and Interim Coffee County Director of Schools Joe Pedigo.
Graduation was held Friday night (May 24, 2019) for Coffee County High School seniors. A crowd estimated to be over 7,000 saw 430 graduates accept their diplomas from Principal Paul Parsley and Interim Director of Coffee County Schools Joe Pedigo.
The seniors took their next step toward a future full of expectations as they heard from Valedictorian George Gannon, Salutatorian, Isabel Watkins, Senior Class President Harley Hinshaw and school officials.
The first full day of classes for 2019-2020 is August 5, 2019.
