Category: News

Motorcycle riders in Coffee County are warning people about the consequences of grass clippings left on roadways.
Those patches of loose grass clippings can cause riders to lose their traction on the road. The clippings are often blown or left in the road and can lead to serious injuries or even death for those that ride.
But leaving clippings by the curb isn’t just dangerous for bikers, it’s illegal. THP troopers say it’s the same as leaving garbage or anything else in the road.
If you do leave any significant amount in the road, please use some type of blower or broom to remove grass clippings from the road.

A Facebook post has Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott answering questions. The DA’s comments were brought to light by the online news site TNHoller. Northcott responded to a post made by Tullahoma Alderman candidate Daniel Berry, asking about accepting stereotypes for an entire group. Some of what Northcott said claimed was that Islam is evil, violent and against God’s truth” and that being Muslim is no different than “being part of the KKK, Aryan Nation, etc.” He also wrote, “there are no Constitutional rights. There are God-given rights protected by the Constitution. If you don’t believe in the one true God, there is nothing to protect.”

Now, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is asking for Northcott to resign.
Northcott told WMSR News when asked if he would resign, he simply said no, and he will continue to do his job:

He emailed us a longer response over the entire issue. Read below:
As to the Facebook issue, the point that I was expressing was simply any ideology by whatever name that promotes hate, killing/harming of those who don’t believe in that ideology and/or killing/harming someone due to their physical/genetic characteristic is evil. The wonderful thing about this Country is that our Constitution protects everyone’s God-given right to believe whatever they wish and even to express their beliefs through oral and written word. However, if someone acts on their beliefs in a way that violates the criminal laws of Tennessee, they will be held accountable for those actions through our criminal justice system that affords everyone the equal protection of the law and due process. I have always believed this and will always believe this. Professionally, this means that I judge each situation based upon its own merits and facts but not on the belief system of the one who committed those acts. I then pursue justice based upon the laws of Tennessee and the actions of the defendant. I have done this in each and every case that I have ever handled as District Attorney and will continue to do so as long as I maintain this job.
As to CAIR’s asking for my resignation, simply put, that IS NOT going to happen. I have no reason to do so. I will continue to serve this community to the best of my ability so long as the Lord and the citizens of the 14th Judicial District provide me with that opportunity.
WMSR News also asked D.A. Northcott if he had any remorse about his Facebook post and if he wanted to apologize or take back anything he stated? Northcott said he doesn’t have anything to apologize about:

WMSR News will continue to follow this story and report any updates.

Jackie Wayne Bean of Soddy-Daisy has pleaded guilty to felony reckless endangerment and was sentenced to probation for his part in a deadly 2017 police chase in Grundy County, Tennessee.
Now, the District Attorney’s Office says he may testify in another Grundy County murder case.
Bean was driving with 20-year-old Shelby Comer in the car when Grundy County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Holmes tried to make a traffic stop. Officials said Bean failed to stop and led a chase onto B Mine Road, where he spun the car around. The TBI report said Holmes fired on the vehicle several times as Bean drove past, and one bullet hit and killed Comer. Bean was later captured and charged with attempted first-degree murder, evading arrest, three counts of reckless endangerment, DUI, and violation of implied consent.
Bean pleaded guilty on May 13 to the felony reckless endangerment charge, and received a 6-year sentence, with credit given for the time he’s spent behind bars since December 2017. District Attorney Mike Taylor says Bean will serve the remainder of his sentence on probation.
In November 2018 the grand jury indicted Deputy Holmes on a voluntary manslaughter charge in Comer’s death. No court date has been set at this time.
Bean has agreed to testify, if necessary, in the state’s murder case against Daniel Chandler. Sheriff Clint Shrum says Chandler and Bean were cellmates for a brief time while Bean was incarcerated in the Grundy County Jail.
Chandler was arrested in 2017 and charged in the murder of his estranged wife, Samantha Kathleen Chandler.
In 2016, the 26-year-old woman’s body was found in the Ross Creek area of Gruetli-Laager, and the TBI began investigating it as a homicide.
Daniel Chandler was indicted by the grand jury with first-degree murder in Samantha’s death. (WTVC-TV)

For the third consecutive month, Tennessee’s preliminary statewide unemployment rate for April remains at the all-time low of 3.2 percent. That’s according to data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Tennessee first set its all-time low unemployment rate in February and it has remained at 3.2 percent each month since establishing the record. Over the last twelve months, unemployment across the state dropped by four-tenths of a percentage point when compared to numbers from April of 2018.
Tennessee employers added 5,000 new nonfarm jobs between March and April.
The national unemployment rate for April was 3.6 percent, which is slightly lower than the March rate.

COFFEE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
1343 McArthur Street
Manchester, Tennessee 37355
Telephone – 931-723-5150 Facsimile – 931-723-8285
To: All Board Members
From: Brett Henley, Chairman
Subject: Work Session / Special Called Meeting
Date: May 20, 2019
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Place: Coffee County Board of Education
WORK SESSION AGENDA
I. Call to Order
II. Agenda Items
1. North Coffee Renovation Bids
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AGENDA
I. North Coffee Renovation Bid

Recently, Hickerson Elementary was awarded the Tennessee STEM School Designation. This honor was developed with the guidance of the Tennessee Department of Education and the STEM Leadership Council to identify and recognize schools in their commitment to teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and integrating strategies that ultimately prepare for success in the 21st century. Learning from the state’s early investments in STEM platform schools, such schools focus on employing inquiry, project and problem- based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurship, student-centered classrooms, and STEM enrichment activities.
The Tennessee STEM School Designation was developed to provide a “roadmap” for schools to successfully implement a STEM education plan at the local level. The Tennessee Department of Education and Tennessee STEM Innovation Network developed tools and resources to define the attributes of a comprehensive STEM learning environment for students. Schools that receive the Tennessee STEM School Designation, like Hickerson are recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education for their use of STEM teaching and learning strategies and serve as a model from which other schools may visit and learn. All K–12 schools serving students in Tennessee are eligible.
Each school that was awarded the Tennessee STEM School Designation was evaluated through a rigorous application process. Schools were asked to complete a self-evaluation, participate in interviews, and host site visits with the Tennessee STEM Designation review team.

The Children’s Emergency Care Alliance EMS Star of Life event was held this week and it honors the accomplishments of emergency personnel across the state who provide outstanding lifesaving care to adult and pediatric patients. The Star of Life Award recognizes exceptional front-line care, with a focus on the agencies and providers who are the initial care responders. The ceremony reunited the EMS caregivers with the individuals they treated.
Congratulations to personnel with Coffee County Emergency Medical Services on their recognition and being bestowed a TN State Star of Life award for their life-saving efforts and quick actions during an incident in Coffee County. Those recognized were; Kay Hill May, Jeremiah Partin, Whitney Aussiker, Courtney Swayze, Pam Millaway, Kellee West, Davis Sanders and Brian Jennings.

Jerry Ray of Tullahoma, Tennessee, started farming 45 years ago on just 45 acres that once belonged to his grandfather. Over the years he added 75 acres to his holdings, and the veteran of an occupation that is more calling than profession rented additional property and became steward to some 1,900 acres in Moore County. Today he raises corn, wheat, soybeans, hay and lots of cattle — more than 1,400 head of stocker cattle. Ray has been named the Tennessee Farmer of the Year by the University of Tennessee Extension.
As Tennessee Farmer of the Year, Ray will compete in the Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, October 15-17. The Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition chooses from among the top farmers from 10 southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia) and is sponsored by Swisher International, Inc. The award recognizes excellence in agricultural production and farm management, along with leadership in farm and community organizations. The award also honors family contributions in producing safe and abundant supplies of food, fiber and shelter products for U.S. consumers. The overall Southeastern Farmer of the Year will be announced at a luncheon on the opening day of the expo.

The Grand Ole Opry is coming to Manchester. Bonnaroo is set for June 13-16 with June 14 set for the Grand Ole Opry show at Great Stage Park.
Grand Ole Opry at Bonnaroo 2019 will include musical guests Old Crow Medicine Show, Ricky Skaggs, Riders In The Sky, Steve Earle and many more.
For more information on festival ticketing, including entry to the Grand Ole Opry at Bonnaroo, head over to the Bonnaroo.com.