A recent study examined data from the national highway traffic administration from 2015 to 2017. Between that time, it states more than 1,400 fatalities were attributed to car crashes involving drivers that were distracted by their cellphones. It shows Tennessee having the highest rate of distracted driving fatalities.
AAA representative Megan Cooper says the company did their own traffic safety study. In it, the study reveals 88 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is happening more often.
Currently, Tennessee only has a handheld ban on using cellphones in school zones while lights are flashing. There is a bill moving through the legislature right now that would ban drivers from using handheld devices on any Tennessee road or highways.

AARP Tennessee is accepting applications through April 17 for its 2019 Community Challenge Grant to fund “quick-action” projects that spark change in local communities.
The grant program is in its third year and is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative.
Eric Hoke, design manager at the Nashville Civic Design Center received one of the grants in 2017 and says the program aims to make communities accessible for people of all ages.
Hoke said the center applied for temporary low-cost installations that made two Nashville neighborhoods safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
“It was a really great opportunity because it allowed us to really get and become more involved with this specific community,” he said. “I’m told that, this spring, the designs that we informed will be implemented by our government.”
The Community Challenge Grant is open to nonprofits and government entities and can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to several thousand for larger projects.
Grant funds can be used to improve quality of life through transportation, walkability, bike-ability, wayfinding and housing in Tennessee communities.
Hoke explained that the Nashville Civic Design Center benefited by increasing community involvement in its design process. The group relied on civic and church groups as well as local festivals and parks for implementation of its projects.
“I definitely would encourage people to apply for it, because it allowed us this opportunity to experiment with public space, and then we could actually see some physical change come from it,” he added, “so we had pretty good community engagement on this.”
Since 2017, AARP has awarded 217 Community Challenge grants to nonprofit organizations and government entities representing every state and U.S. territories.

Congratulations to Student of the Week -Mario Arellano!!! Mario is a fifth grader at East Coffee Elementary School. Mario is the son of Serrvando and Laura Arellano.
Mario was nominated “because he is a very well-behaved and respectful young man. He excels in every subject and is especially interested in science and computer coding. Mario makes East Coffee Proud!”, said Mrs. Leedy, Mario’s homeroom teacher. Mario says that his favorite subject is math. Mario enjoys reading mysteries. Mario likes to play video games.

Mario’s future plans include re-opening Rafael’s restaurant and to be the manager. His parents used to own the Manchester Rafael’s.

Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all through hockey season. What does hockey season have to do with our local students? Well, H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a set of Nashville Predators Hockey tickets, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition.
Pictured with Mario is Rosalyn Partin of H & R Block, Tiffany Clutter of Thunder Radio and Kelvin Shores, Principal of East Coffee Elementary School.

The Coffee Co. Sheriff’s Department (CCSD) is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) for its annual “Seatbelts Are for Everyone” (SAFE) campaign. This statewide initiative is designed to increase seatbelt usage and child passenger safety restraint usage through the implementation of occupant-protection programs, public events, and checkpoints throughout local communities across Tennessee. The SAFE campaign runs through August 1, 2019.
The CCSD is participating in this year’s campaign in an effort to remind all our citizens to utilize the safety equipment available, and for them to continue to help protect lives on county roads and highways. Seatbelt usage is mandatory in Tennessee, and the CCSD hopes that each person is committed to being SAFE”.
2019 will be the sixth year the THSO has sponsored the SAFE campaign. Last year yielded the following results:
• 1,182 child restraint violations
• 13,165 seat belt citations
• 305 other seat belt enforcement activities
“In 2017, Tennessee’s average seatbelt usage rate was 88.51 percent,” said THSO Director Vic Donoho. “Last year, the usage rate was 88.77 percent. Through increased education, enforcement, and community involvement, we’re striving to achieve 100 percent.”
This year, the CCSD and all other law enforcement agencies will pay special attention to nighttime seatbelt enforcement. Tennessee has seen a larger percentage of unrestrained fatalities between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. Historically, approximately 50 percent of Tennessee’s traffic fatalities are unbelted. That percentage increases to nearly 60 when nighttime crashes are examined.
Remember buckle up, it’s the law.

On February 2, 2018 the Franklin County Grand Jury met, and indictments were obtained for the murder of James Leon Wood, 50, of Winchester, Tennessee. Indictments were obtained for six individuals, including his wife Glenna Yvonne Newingham Wood. She pleaded guilty this week to first-degree murder in the 2017 slaying of her husband and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The sentence was handed down by Circuit Criminal Court Judge Thomas W. Graham.
Also accused in the slaying are Glenna Wood’s daughter, Mikayla Danielle Harmon Poole, Grant Matthew Poole and Shawn Michael Hampton. All are charged with first-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and abuse of a corpse, records show.
Kisha Evelyn Anderson and Glenna Wood’s son, Joseph Scott Newingham, are charged as accessories after the fact.
Mr Wood’s body, wrapped in a sheet or blanket, was found the night of Jan. 24, 2018, when Winchester police served a search warrant at Wood’s Spring Hill Drive home as part of a missing person investigation.
His body was found buried under a 5-by-8-foot concrete slab that had been poured over the shallow grave.
Wood was a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard in Bakersfield, California, who served two military tours, and received full military honors at his graveside service in Winchester.

The Tennessee Department of Health is hoping to boost the state’s immunization rates by spending $400,000 on advertisements promoting the value of vaccines.
The health agency sent out a request last month looking for an advertisement firm to “purchase and manage media time” promoting vaccines.
The state is looking to spend $400,000 on vaccine promotions and $500,000 on tobacco prevention advertisements starting this May and continuing through October 2020.
While Tennessee tends to have higher immunization rates than the overall national average, the state ranks low on the percentage of adolescents who have received their recommended immunizations.
Last year, the agency issued a brief statement saying vaccines “do not cause autism” but do “save lives” in response to a Tennessee congressman who alleged without evidence vaccines may cause autism.