Category: News

Road construction will not delay travelers during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is once again halting all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways in anticipation of higher traffic volumes across the state. No temporary lane closures will be allowed for road construction in Tennessee beginning at 12 noon Friday, Dec. 21st until 6am Wednesday, Jan. 2nd, 2019.
Except for a few long-term closures which must remain in place for safety, all construction-related lane closures will be suspended during the holiday period.
AAA predicts over 2.5 million motorists are expected to travel by automobile in Tennessee between the Christmas and New Year holidays, an increase of 5.1 percent since 2017.

Motlow State Community College will administer the High School Equivalency (HiSET ™) test several times throughout 2019. The tests will be administered in Crouch Center Room 1046 on the College’s Moore County campus and will be available in both computer and paper-based formats.
As of April 1, 2016, the General Education Development (GED) Test is no longer an option for High School Equivalency Diploma for residents of Tennessee.
Applicants interested in completing the HiSET ™ must register online at Hiset.ets.org or by calling 1-855—MyHiSET (1-855-694-4739). The fee for the HiSET test is $15 per test or $75 for the entire test. Applicants should contact the Service Delivery Area (SDA), formerly the Adult Education Center, in their community for information on preparation classes for the tests and vouchers to take the test.
Applicants must complete the online registration form and bring a notarized copy of the Official Practice Test, present a government issued picture identification, confirmation letter, and an Eligibility for Enrollment Form, if applicable, to the test. For more information regarding the tests, visit the Motlow testing website at mscc.edu/testing.
A high school diploma remains the primary ticket to many entry-level jobs. It is also generally the prerequisite for advancement in employment, occupational training, and postsecondary education. The high school equivalency diploma provides adults with the opportunity to grow, whether it is through further education, enhanced employment, or stature within the community.
For additional information, please visit the Motlow State testing website mscc.edu/testing or call 931-393-1763 or 1-800-654-4877 ext. 1763.

Several local nonprofits will expand their programs, thanks to receiving grant money.
The Bonnaroo Works Fund (BWF) is a nonprofit organization that supports organizations advancing the arts, education and environmental sustainability, with a focus on local reinvestment and asset building in the communities.
Since the inception of the festival, Bonnaroo and the BWF have awarded more than $7 million in funding to deserving organizations.
Those receiving money in the local area include: Coffee County Central High School, Coffee County Child Care Center, Highland Rim Habitat for Humanity, Millennium Repertory Company in Manchester, Tullahoma Fine Arts Center and Tullahoma Parks and Recreation.

AAA forecasts that more than one-third of Americans and two-in-five Tennesseans will travel this holiday season. The record-breaking 112.5 million travelers taking to the nation’s runways, roads and rails for the year-end holidays is the most since AAA has been tracking holiday travel. That represents a 4.4 percent increase over last year nationwide and a 5.1% increase in travelers from Tennessee. The year-end holiday travel period is defined as Saturday, December 22 through Tuesday, January 1, 2019. The 11-day span is one day longer than last year, due to Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Tuesdays this year.

Tennessee’s state parks are taking applications for grants for school field trips.
State officials say field trip grants for visits to one of 56 state parks are available for kindergarten through eighth-grade students and led by a ranger.
A Department of Environment & Conservation news release says teachers may apply for the competitive grants. The grants cover transportation, lunches or snacks, and related project supplies. Grant funds typically total about $10 per student.
All public schools in Tennessee are eligible for grant funds this year. Applications are due Feb. 15.

Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee says he won’t seek re-election in 2020. Alexander said in a news release Monday that he’s deeply grateful for being elected to serve more combined years as governor and senator than anyone else in Tennessee.
As a Tennessee native, Alexander is the only Tennessean ever popularly elected both Governor and U.S. Senator. His 2008 general election vote total of 1,579,477 is the largest ever received by a statewide candidate.
He has served more than 24 years in public service.

Written By: Mary Grace Stoneking, SNAP Community Outreach Advocate, Legal Aid SocietyChances are, if you live in Tennessee, you probably know somebody who currently benefits, or who has benefited in the past, from the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) is used by more than 1 million people in Tennessee — a state with fewer than 7 million total residents. That means more than 1 out of 7 residents depend on this program to keep food on the table as they keep up with other essential living expenses. As we reflect on our own blessings this holiday season, that figure is an eye-opening one that should give us all pause.
Benefits go to residents whose income is below an established threshold — a situation that can apply to working families, the elderly, the disabled and the unemployed, among others. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2016, 107,000 of Tennessee’s SNAP recipients were seniors, very few of whom likely know they can deduct medical costs in order to receive more SNAP benefits. Around 467,000 children in Tennessee were on SNAP in 2016, without which they would be less likely to receive adequate nutrition and food.
SNAP delivers more nutrition assistance to low-income children than any other federal program, making it the United States’ largest child nutrition program, according to a 2016 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report.
Despite providing an average of just $1.35 per person per meal for households with children, the small boost it gives families is enough to bring them over the poverty line into a basic level of stability.
Despite the clear need for this assistance, there is often confusion surrounding how SNAP works. Many Tennesseans don’t know their legal rights when it comes to the program — such as when they qualify, how to apply, or if they are receiving the correct amount. Some have even had their SNAP benefits wrongfully terminated or reduced.
It’s a terrible feeling to not know where to seek help for such a fundamental need. As a result,
some of our fellow Tennesseans do not have sufficient food for their families, oftentimes
choosing between having a meal or being able to pay for rent.
This is why Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has started its new SNAP Outreach Program to inform and educate our state’s most vulnerable populations of their rights when it comes to SNAP. By contacting us, these residents can ensure they are getting the level of SNAP benefits they are entitled to, as well as resolve issues surrounding benefits that have been unexpectedly cut off or cut back.
This new program is funded by MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. MAZON is a national advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. MAZON is enabling Legal Aid Society to more effectively provide advocacy for those who experience food insecurity.
If you ever feel that your SNAP benefits have been wrongfully terminated, or you would like to know what amount of SNAP you should be getting, please contact us. We’re also happy to work with organizations that serve low-income and senior Tennesseans to provide SNAP train progressions and to accept referrals for people who need help getting access to their benefits. All it
takes to get the process started is a phone call.
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands provides assistance on SNAP and other civil legal matters to eligible residents across 48 counties in Middle Tennessee and the Cumberland Plateau. The Legal Aid office in Coffee County is located at 281 Industrial Blvd. Tullahoma, TN. The best way to get help is to call them at 931-455-7000 or 866-898-0171 before you come in.

On Saturday morning just after 7 am, there was a fatal crash involving a 2004 Buick and a bicycle.

According to Tennessee Highway Patrolman Sgt. Shawn Boyd’s report, the Buick, driven by 49-year-old Scott D. Ross of Manchester, TN, was traveling south on Highway 53.  The bicycle was being operated by 63-year-old Terry McCullough also of Manchester.  McCullough was on the right shoulder of the roadway, likewise going south. Ross’ Buick crossed two lanes of traffic and struck the bicyclist. McCullough succumbed to his injuries at the scene. McCullough is known to pull a small trailer with his bike with a small dog inside. The animal was also found deceased at the scene.
Ross was charged with vehicular homicide, DUI 2nd offense, driving on a revoked license and violation of implied consent. He was booked in at the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $82,000.

The Coffee County District Attorney’s office has filed a motion to revoke the bond of Evans Baird age 79 of Manchester.
A man that served as band director for 30 years at Westwood Junior High, now Westwood Middle School, in Manchester was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated sexual battery against a 12-year-old. That is a Class B felony in the state of Tennessee.
Baird was also the chorus director at the school and was the director of various events in Manchester before his retirement. He was indicted in Coffee County Court on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
Now the DA’s office has made a request in the order that Baird be held in custody without bail until the disposition in this matter.
According to the motion, on December 9, 2018, Baird was found to be present at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Tullahoma where one of his alleged minor victims was present. Further, the State says that Baird knew or should have known that one or more of his victims would be present at the church as they are regular attendees. Coffee County District Attorney’s says the man was confronted by church security, he refused to exit the sanctuary to speak with Tullahoma Police officers, who had been called to deal with the situation. Tullahoma officers were forced to enter the sanctuary to confront Baird about being in the presence of children in the worship service.
The DA’s office goes onto to state that the presence in the sanctuary during service, especially when Baird allegedly knew one or more of the victims were present, violated the “no contact with anyone under the age of 18” condition set in Coffee County court on November 29, 2018.
The motion also states that his presence caused substantial emotional distress to one of his victims present in the service without his parents. The DA’s office also claims the defendant further worsened the situation by refusing to leave the worship hall when asked by church security members.
The motion goes further to state that the minor victims in this matter must be protected from the blatant manipulation and intimidation by Baird.
In a separate incident on the same date, December 9, 2018, Baird attempted to contact one of the victims’ mother and she reported the incident to Manchester Police.