Category: News

Come join the Dusty Elam Foundation for its 15th annual fundraiser this Saturday, May 11th. The day will be a fun filled including a delicious BBQ meal, live auction, games, face painting, music, raffle and more to support the amazing foundation that helps underprivileged children!
Gates open at noon, live auction at 2pm, grand prize drawing of $5,000 at 7pm. A special music performance by Rubiks Groove featuring 80’s and 90’s rock starts at 8pm.
Tickets are available from Melinda Ashburn at 728-3381 or Chris Elam at 273-3419. The event is being held at the Elam Farm on Hwy 53 (Woodbury Hwy).

The Tennessee Women, Infants and Children or WIC Program has transitioned to an electronic benefit transfer system from a paper-based method of issuing benefits. Tennessee families participating in WIC now use their TNWIC cards instead of paper vouchers to purchase WIC-approved foods. TNWIC is now available in all 95 counties of Tennessee.
With the new TNWIC system, benefits for WIC-approved foods are automatically entered into an account and accessed with a card similar to a debit card. This card replaces paper vouchers and can be used at any of the 790 WIC-authorized stores statewide. WIC is an important economic driver in Tennessee communities: In 2018, Tennessee WIC participants redeemed almost $87 million in program benefits at WIC-authorized stores across the state.
Each month more than 125,000 Tennesseans at nutritional risk receive WIC benefits provided through the Tennessee Department of Health in 124 county health departments, stand-alone clinics and hospital sites throughout the state. WIC provides supplemental food assistance and nutrition education to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children until age five. In addition to healthy foods, nutrition education and breastfeeding support, WIC provides referrals to other health and community-based services. WIC has proven to be effective in preventing and improving nutrition-related health problems, including reducing obesity in a group of 2 – 4-year-old Tennessee participants.
To learn more about WIC in Tennessee, contact your local health department in Manchester or Tullahoma or call 1-800-DIAL WIC (1-800-342-5942)

Tennessee’s state average gas price is $2.59 per gallon for regular unleaded, which is three cents less than a week ago, but still seven cents more than this time last month, and seven cents higher than this time last year. Tennessee has the eighth lowest average gas price in the nation. Alabama has the lowest at $2.50.
The national gas price average is $2.89, only one cent more than last week’s average.
AAA spokesperson Stephanie Milani said that while gasoline demand remains robust this week, 27 states saw gas prices decrease or hold steady.
The low price per gallon of gas in Coffee County as of Tuesday afternoon could be found in Tullahoma at $2.47. In Manchester, the low price for gas is $2.48 per gallon.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) is joining other state and national regulators to warn consumers about reports of people claiming to represent genetic testing firms who are visiting senior living communities, assisted living facilities and senior centers to swab seniors’ cheeks purportedly to collect genetic material in order to screen for cancer or other life-threatening diseases. Instead, these people are reportedly acquiring consumers’ sensitive personal information under the disguise of DNA testing and should be avoided.
The scams’ victims are sometimes under the impression that the cost of testing would be covered by Medicare. If a non-cancer patient is brought in for genetic testing under the pretense that it would be covered by Medicare, this may be a scam. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have set forth guidelines as to when Medicare will allow and pay for these services. CMS has determined that Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) as a diagnostic laboratory test, when performed in an approved and certified laboratory and when ordered by a treating physician, is allowed when all CMS requirements have been met.
CMS officials urge Medicare recipients to report concerns about suspicious activity to its toll-free number, 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).
If you or a loved one is approached by someone claiming to offer genetic testing, remember:
• Never give your personal information (like your Medicare or Social Security information) to someone you do not know.
• Don’t sign any papers unless you ask questions first and talk about it with your family.
• Be alert. If it sounds like too good a deal, it probably is.

Motlow State students won gold medals in Principles of Engineering and Technology, and Criminal Justice. They recently won the competition at the SkillsUSA state conference in Chattanooga.
SkillsUSA is a national membership association serving high school, college and middle school students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

Navy Week is coming to Middle Tennessee on June 3-9, and Smyrna, TN will be wrap up events with the Blue Angels.
Navy Weeks are an outreach and awareness event that give citizens across the country an opportunity to see and hear from THEIR Navy.
The week will kick off with a proclamation from the Nashville Mayor and culminate with the Blue Angels at the Smyrna Air Show.
In between, there will be public performances from the US Navy Band, robotics and diving team displays and more. Sailors from the USS Tennessee and USS Constitution (the oldest commissioned warship afloat) will also be on hand.
The air show in Smyrna will be June 8th and 9th. The show is called “The Great Tennessee Air Show.” (WGNS Radio)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and area law enforcement are warning people to avoid answering the phone for a number you don’t know.
A new Robocall scam is impacting people in Coffee County and beyond, and, according to reported complaints, the calls come in the middle of the night.
Early Sunday morning thousands of cell phone users received multiple Robocalls where an automated caller hangs up after one ring.
An automated voice message directs the intended victim to call the number back. The call might come from a 222 country code, which is the West African nation of Mauritania.
The scam was designed to work as a 1-900 number that charges a fee to the phone owner’s account, this can create a very large bill.
Officials say there are some ways to prevent Robocalls from spamming your phone by adding your number to the National Do Not Call List.