Category: News

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING…

The Flash Flood Watch continues for a portion of Middle Tennessee, including the following areas, Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Moore, Rutherford, Warren and several others.
* From Tuesday evening through Thursday morning.
* 2 to 4 inches of rainfall are expected across the watch area.
* Street flooding will be a hazard for travelers. Low-lying and
poor drainage areas will be at risk for flash flooding, as
well as small streams.
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
You should monitor forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
More rain is predicted Friday-Sunday. As much as 7 inches of rain is expected between now and Sunday night.

We may be just over midway through the month of February, but the flu season is still in its peak. According to a new report from the CDC, flu activity is down nationally, but we are seeing an uptick in Tennessee.
26 states, including Tennessee, are experiencing high flu activity. Despite a milder season this year, the CDC says flu activity this past week was the highest it has been all season.
If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, it’s not too late. The CDC says this year’s flu vaccine appears to be working. The vaccine has reduced the risk of going to the doctor for flu-related illness by 47 percent this season.
Other than getting the flu shot, health officials say make sure you’re practicing good hygiene.
Flu season usually will last through March.

If you’re looking for love online, AARP’s advice for people over 50 is make sure you guard your wallet and your heart.
The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South estimates there are 25,000 romance scammers on dating sites worldwide.
Their victims could be any age, but women over 50 make up the largest demographic.
Nancy Crawford, director of marketing and communications for the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, says the perception of loneliness, grieving the loss of a partner and having a nest egg all tend to make seniors scam targets.
“You know, nobody wants to be single and alone on Valentine’s Day and so, they tend to use dating apps more frequently,” she explains. “And these romance scammers often try to take the conversation off of the dating site, so that it’s harder to trace.”
Crawford says the common denominator for victims is that they believe in true love – and they’re led to believe they’ve found it.
She cautions never to send money to someone you haven’t met in person and report these types of requests to the local police or consumer protection agency, and to the dating site.
In an in-depth investigation of romance scams last February, the BBB found that scammers most often contact their victims on dating websites, apps and social media with fake profiles.
Crawford says scammers might spend months cultivating a relationship before asking for travel money or emergency funds.
This month, the BBB released a follow-up report, “Fall in Love – Go to Jail”. It exposes how some romance victims are even finding themselves in legal trouble.
“The victim themselves can get caught up in moving money, and helping the scammer to scam other people once they’ve exhausted their own supply of cash,” Crawford points out.
The BBB estimates there may be more than 1 million victims in the U.S. alone – maybe even someone you know, as people who’ve been scammed this way rarely speak out.
To report romance scams, call the AARP helpline at 877-908-3360 or visit bbb.org/scamtracker.

On Friday, February 15, 2019 the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) honored the next generation of Sergeants during a graduation ceremony at the Tennessee Correction Academy in Tullahoma. The ceremony celebrated the hard work of 21 officers currently serving the citizens of Tennessee by working in TDOC facilities and offices across the state.
The keynote speaker for the event was John Fisher, Correctional Administrator. Fisher spoke to the class about challenging the status quo and the importance of doing your part within TDOC. “Remember to do your part and lift where you stand. You’ll make the department a better department.” shared Fisher.
During their weeks of training the class learned skills that will assist them in being effective leaders in their respective offices and facilities.
The graduating class also participated in a community service project during their time at the academy. The class decided to collect stuffed animals for law enforcement officials to give to children involved in the critical calls officers respond to. At the graduation two class representatives gave those donations to the Tullahoma Police Department.

The City of Tullahoma stated in a press release on January 7, 2019 that the city has begun an internal investigation into the police department management. As a result of this investigation, Police Chief Paul Blackwell and Captain George Marsh were placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice.
On Friday Marsh submitted his resignation to the City of Tullahoma. His resignation is effective immediately.
City Administrator Jennifer Moody stated that, “His dedication and experience will be difficult to replace, and we are grateful to Captain Marsh for his contributions to the City and our citizens over the years.” Captain Marsh has a 27-year career in law enforcement, serving the Tullahoma Police Department since October 2004. He was promoted to the captain’s position in 2015 and served as Acting Police Chief from May to September 2018.
Blackwell remains on leave and Lieutenant Jason Ferrell continues to hold the position as acting chief.
Back in November, WMSR News reported that at the request of Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott the TBI began investigating a complaint of official misconduct against Blackwell’s office. The complaint stemmed from the police department’s handling of the investigation into a November motor vehicle crash involving the chief’s son, Jonathan Paul Blackwell.
The TBI completed its investigation in early January. No details about the findings in that report have been released. Tennessee state law dictates that all TBI investigative records are confidential.
Northcott later reported to WMSR News that he had recused himself from the matter, citing the need to avoid any appearance of impropriety due to his “close professional relationship with the individuals involved, as well as the Tullahoma Police Department as a whole.
Jennings Jones, District Attorney General for the 16th Judicial District serving Cannon and Rutherford counties, has been appointed by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to review the TBI’s findings and decide what action, if any, should be taken.

The driver of a pickup truck has been charged following a wreck last week on John Bragg Highway.
Joshua Pearson, age 27 of Tullahoma, TN was driving a 2008 Chevy Silverado and was charged with failure to yield.
According the Tennessee Highway Patrol report, the pickup was traveling north on Hollis Creek Road in Cannon County. A Freightliner Semi (owned by FedEx) and driven by Jimmy Hughes, Jr., age 61 of Shelbyville, was traveling west on US70S. The pickup crossed over US70S from Hollis Creek. While entering the intersection, the pickup failed to yield for the semi in the west bound lanes. The semi struck the pickup in the roadway. The pickup was struck on the passenger side. The pickup spun around in the roadway before coming to rest. The semi came to rest in the asphalt median.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts. Pearson was injured. No word on the extent of those injuries.
The crash was investigated by Trooper Josh Sparkman. Assisting on the scene were members of the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department, Cannon County Rescue Department and Cannon County Emergency Management Agency. (Info and pick from WGNS Radio)

Doctors performing abortions on girls younger than 18 years old would be required to preserve a sample of the fetal tissue for law enforcement under a bill making its way through the Tennessee State house.
Currently the threshold is age 13.
The proposal is the latest abortion related legislation Republican state lawmakers have introduced following newly elected Gov. Bill Lee’s promise to support any bill that would reduce the number of abortions throughout the state.
Most prominently, the governor says he’s supporting a proposal that would ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
However, other bills are also hoping to restrict access surrounding abortion in Tennessee.
One bill would trigger an abortion ban in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark 1973 decision that legalized the procedure.

Newly released data detailing how ready Tennessee students are for college paints a grim picture of the state’s continued challenges in improving K-12 education.
The data tallies college readiness across the state in math and reading down to the individual high school level.
According to a report in the Tennessean, the data shows that while some public high schools prepare their students extraordinarily well for college, others have profound challenges and send many of their students on needing remedial education.
Students who need remedial efforts have a lower chance of graduating from college, according to state data. Students are deemed to need remedial efforts on either math or reading when they score 18 or below on the ACT subtest, according to the state.
The data come as the state is sending more students than ever to college free of tuition and fees through the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect programs. The state also has a goal of equipping 55 percent of Tennesseans with a degree or certificate by 2025.
The data show that 46 percent of the roughly 33,000 high school graduates headed to Tennessee’s public colleges in 2016-2017 needed remedial efforts in math. And 33 percent needed remedial efforts in reading.
The data does not include students who attend a private or out-of-state college or choose not to attend college.

Coffee County Sheriff Chad Partin held a press conference Thursday afternoon over last week’s story about inmate Carl Dalton Williams being left at the Justice Center overnight February 7.
After an internal investigation four officers are facing disciplinary actions.
One transport officer responsible for clearing the area where Williams was being held will receive three days suspension without pay for failure to perform his duties and negligence that allowed a prisoner to escape.
Additionally, those whose job is to do counts at the jail will receive reprimands and more. One officer will receive a write up in their file and an additional six months on probation, one correction officer will receive a write up and verbal counseling and a third officer will receive two days suspension without pay and a written reprimand.
Two transport officers carried seven inmates to the jail following court.
Multiple headcounts were made, all noting the inmate was absent.
No action was taken concerning the missing inmate, nor were supervisors notified.
At approximately 5:45 a.m., Feb 8, the inmate was found outside the Justice Center by K-9 officers that were there for training.
Williams was then transported back to the jail where he was checked out by medical staff.
Partin said as a result of the oversights, several updated standard procedures will be implemented on how the jail tracks inmates.
A new tracking sheet has been developed and is being used for the transportation and movement of inmates.
According to the sheriff, the department is looking at purchasing a barcode system similar to what hospitals use to track patients to log their movements.
For more on this story watch the video above this information.

A Coffee County Jury returned guilty verdicts against William Eugene Moon for Attempted 2nd Degree Murder (Class B Felony) and Employing a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony (Class C Felony) on Thursday following a three-day jury trial and approximately 6 hours of deliberation. Moon was originally charged with Attempted 1st Degree Murder and other charges. Northcott audio:

Moon’s sentencing hearing is set for March 20, 2019 at 1 p.m. District Attorney Craig Northcott represented the State of Tennessee in the matter and Drew Justice of Murfreesboro represented the defendant.
Pursuant to the current Tennessee sentencing guidelines, Moon is facing 8-12 years in prison for Attempted 2nd Degree Murder with parole eligibility after service of 30% of the sentence. He will be sentenced to 6 years in prison with no possibility of parole for the Employing a Firearm conviction. These sentences are required to run consecutively to each other for a total range of punishment from 14 to 18 years in prison.

These convictions stem from Moon’s attempt to kill Cpl. Michael Wilder as Cpl. Wilder was serving a separate Aggravated Assault warrant on Moon at a residence located on East Moore Street in Tullahoma on December 17, 2017. In his attempt to avoid being arrested Northcott said Moon drew a fully loaded 9mm handgun from the waistband of his pants and pointed the weapon from point blank range at Tullahoma Police Cpl. Wilder. Cpl. Wilder, through his training and experience as well and as Northcott said, the grace of God, was able to stop Moon from firing his weapon at him and was forced to shoot Moon in order to prevent Moon from killing him. Cpl. Wilder then took medical action that, with the help of Coffee County EMS and other first responders, saved Moon from his injuries. Cpl. Wilder was employed with the Tullahoma Police Department at the time of the incident and is now a member of the Manchester Police Department.
Northcott thank the jury for their service in bringing justice in this case. He also thanked the Tullahoma PD, Manchester PD and Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and specifically Cpl. Wilder for their assistance in preparing this case as well as their daily service to this community. Further, Northcott thanked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for their thorough and professional investigation. Nothcott added, “Most of all, I want to remind everyone to pray for all of our police officers who daily put their lives at risk to protect us from many evils in our community that, because of their work, often are unknown to most of us.”