Category: News

An exciting new era of training and career development has arrived in Middle Tennessee as Motlow State Community College held a grand opening for the Automation & Robotics Training Center (ARTC) in McMinnville.
The grand opening was an invitation-only event for business and industry leaders. An open house will be held May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the public to get a first-hand look at the ARTC. The 12,500-square-feet facility is located on 4.5 acres of land, donated by the Warren County Commission, adjacent to the Motlow State and Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus.
According to Terri Bryson, Vice President of Workforce Innovation, the umbrella division of the College’s short-term robotics training program, “At the ARTC our short-term objective is to provide a highly skilled work force that is second-to-none in robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing systems. This will attract new and expanding businesses into our region. Ultimately, our long-term mission is to create new employment opportunities for our students by literally growing the number and quality of jobs available to them.”
The ARTC is unique in the fact that it houses robots and training equipment from the top three international robot manufacturers. There are currently more than 7,000 robots in operation within a 70-mile radius of the ARTC.
The new facility opened with six teaching laboratories. In addition, the ARTC offers automation training, including digital systems, sensors, electronics, hydraulics, programming and alarm management. Robotic training can be realized through two distinctive pathways: training for industry and job seekers, and instruction for college credit.
Dr. Michael Torrence, Motlow president, continues to reach out to industry and community partners to keep the program growing. “The ARTC’s launch was funded through a Drive to 55 grant,” said Torrence.
Robotics degrees and robotics industry-recognized training credentials will fuel workforce development for industry, meet existing demand for workers, create new high-wage, high-demand jobs in robotics and automation, expand the tax base for the region, and help Tennessee reach its “Drive to 55” education goals.
Initial corporate industry credentialing and certification opportunities begins at the ARTC in early May. Beginning in fall 2019, students will be able to take courses leading to a Mechatronics degree with a concentration in Robotics. For additional information on the ARTC, visit RoboticsTraining.com.

Coffee County Extended School Program (ESP) will be open at New Union Elementary and Hillsboro Elementary for the 2019 Summer. The first day of Summer ESP will be May 28, 2019, and the last day will be July 19, 2019. They will be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. and will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2019. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided for everyone beginning June 3, 2019, through July 19, 2019. Every child will need a sack lunch for May 28 – May 31, 2019.
The Coffee County Extended School Program will be taking several field trips to the library, the movies, bowling, and swimming. An activity fee will be charged for these programs. The ESP program will also have a workshop that will be provided to them by Home Depot and they will watch the North Coffee Production of Madagascar.

An East Tennessee resident has been diagnosed with measles, and public health officials have released new information on when and where people might have been exposed.
Anyone who spent time at a Mapco Mart in Chattanooga on April 11, and at a Speedway gas station in Clinton on April 12, might have been exposed if he or she came into contact with the confirmed patient.
Dr. Tim Jones, the state’s epidemiologist, says even with just one known measles case, the Tennessee Health Department is taking a proactive approach to curtail the spread of the highly contagious, airborne disease.
“So far, we’ve only identified one case,” he states. “I will say that I will be shocked if we don’t see more.
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases that we deal with. Personally, I’m almost certain we will see additional cases fairly soon.”
People recently infected with measles may not show symptoms, but still can transmit the virus for nearly a week before a rash appears on the face and body.
Other tell-tale signs of measles include high fever, runny nose, body aches, and white spots in the mouth.
Tennessee has had only 15 cases of measles in the last decade.
Since January, more than 600 individual cases of measles have been confirmed across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Unfortunately we are in the middle of a national outbreak,” Jones says. “There have been well over 600 cases now. I think there are over 20 states that have cases.
“So, before this, almost all the cases we’ve seen were people coming back from countries where it’s common. That’s not the case anymore.”
Jones says anyone with measles symptoms should first call a health care provider and make arrangements for a visit in advance, in order to prevent exposing others.
The state also has set up a hotline to answer citizens’ questions about measles. The hotline number is 865-549-5343.

A voucher-like proposal has split the Tennessee House and Senate as lawmakers wrestle over the details in this year’s top legislative issue.
The Senate on Thursday advanced legislation limiting Gov. Bill Lee’s voucher program to just the metro Nashville area and Shelby County, which includes Memphis. Under Lee’s proposal, parents of students in certain low-performing school districts could receive up to $7,300 in state funds to spend on private school tuition and other approved expenses, but they would need to meet certain income requirements.
The Senate’s version conflicts with what House members passed earlier this week, which includes immigration status verification and applies to the state’s top four most populated counties. That means the two chambers will form a joint panel known as a “conference committee” to find a solution.

A Tennessee bill to allow sports betting has passed the House, a key hurdle in a state that has been historically hesitant to expand gambling.
The House cleared legislation Wednesday to allow and regulate statewide mobile and interactive sports gambling, without brick-and-mortar betting locations. It still requires Senate approval.
Proponents said sports betting is already happening illegally, and the bill would create order, regulation and revenue. Several Republican opponents argued the bill would fuel addiction.
Previously asked about it, Gov. Bill Lee has said he opposes expanded gambling and his administration sometimes works to align legislation more with his views.
Montana, Iowa and Indiana are nearing decisions on sports betting. They would join six others that made the change last year after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it nationwide.

On Saturday, April 27th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition (CCADC), in cooperation with the semiannual Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) national DRUG TAKEBACK campaign, will be partnering with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Tullahoma Police Department to once again give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by providing a safe, convenient and reliable way to clean out medicine cabinets.
Disposing of unneeded prescriptions can help keep potentially harmful medications out of the wrong hands. You can bring your unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications for disposal to either the Manchester First Vision Bank at 2134 Hillsboro Blvd. or Tullahoma Walgreens at 700 N. Jackson Street. The service is free, anonymous and easy to use. Assigned volunteers will be stationed outdoors to accommodate the public’s quick and easy disposal.
In 2017 Coffee County had 81,832 opioid prescriptions dispersed. With a U. S. Census Bureau population estimate of 53,496 that’s enough for EVERY man, woman and child in Coffee County to have at least one and a half prescriptions of opioids! On average, providers in Tennessee wrote 1.4 opioid prescriptions opioid-related year. According to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee was 3rd in the nation for opioid prescriptions and 13th in the nation for overdose deaths. Each day in Tennessee at least three people die from opioid-related overdoses—more than the daily number of traffic fatalities. In fact, according to a recent University of Tennessee study which looked at county-level data from across the United States, it was found that a 10% increase in opioid prescriptions per capita led to a 0.6 percentage point drop in labor force participation rates and a 0.1 percentage point increase in county unemployment rates. The study further concluded that prescription opioids may explain up to half of the decline in labor force participation since 2000. Local employers can confirm these statistics further emphasized by the difficulty to hire drug-free employees.
Because the medicines that stay in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse the CCADC initiated the Count It! Lock It! Drop It!® campaign to help combat abuse and theft of medications by offering free medication lock boxes for better security of medications at home. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue, so important that the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Tennessee enabled 93 of 95 counties in Tennessee to have access to the Count It! Lock It! Drop It!® boxes in 2017.
First Vision Bank in Manchester will also be offering free shredding during the Drug Take Back event. If you would like a free medication Count It! Lock It! Drop It!® box when dropping off just ask for one. For more information on this or other prevention efforts, contact the Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition at 931-570-4484.

A shooting took place earlier this week in Decherd. Tommy Wilkerson was shot in the face with a 20-gauge shotgun on Monday evening.
The shooting suspect, Roger Dale Burgess, was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and domestic assault.
Wilkerson was transported to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga for treatment of his injuries.
Burgess is being housed at the Franklin County Jail with no bond set. He is to appear in Franklin County General Sessions Court at 8 a.m. on July 8.

A grand jury has indicted a former Grundy County deputy for using excessive force against a person he was arresting.
Gregory Higgins is charged with one count of depriving someone of rights under color of law and one count of making false statements to the FBI.
The indictment alleges that Higgins used unreasonable force by assaulting someone in handcuffs and then lied to the FBI about the incident:
Specifically, regarding the incident on July 25, 2017, as set out in Count One, the defendant talked to an FBI Special Agent and falsely claimed that he handcuffed the arrestee and that the arrestee had hit his own head against a doorframe. Allegedly Higgins also falsely claimed that he did not hit the arrestee’s head against a doorframe. The indictment also alleges that Gregory Higgins knew, on or about July 25, 2017, that the arrestee did not hit his own head against a doorframe; and Gregory Higgins hit the arrestee’s head against the doorframe area while the arrestee was handcuffed.
Higgins could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Grundy County Sheriff Clint Shrum says that Higgins is no longer employed by the department.

Tennessee House lawmakers say they’re fighting to secure funding in next year’s budget so that disabled children will be able to get Medicaid assistance.
House members announced Wednesday they intend to fully fund the so-called Katie Beckett program – which helps parents care for severely disabled children at home – while approving Tennessee’s annual spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
However, the House’s intention to fund the $27.3 million program hasn’t been adopted by the Senate.
The program was named for an Iowa girl whose health plight led President Ronald Reagan to change Medicaid’s rules in 1981. It allows states to extend services to children even if their parents aren’t poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. It helps pay for therapy and medical equipment to maintain kids at home.

On Wednesday, May 1, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office joins the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to kick off Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. A press event will take place in conjunction with the Ninth Annual Music City Police Motorcycle Skills and Training Competition, hosted by the THP’s “Falcons” Motor Unit at Opry Mills.
During the event, guest speaker Andrew Floied of Manchester, TN will discuss the 2013 motorcycle crash on Hwy 41 that changed his life forever.
Last year, there were 2,701 motorcycle crashes in Tennessee. Of those crashes, 166 were fatal.