Category: News

Late Saturday afternoon at 5:30 pm the Tennessee Highway Patrol and other first responders were called to Interstate 24 for a one-vehicle accident.
According to Trooper Timothy Gossett’s report, a 2015 Dodge Challenger driven by 45-year-old Michael L. Freeland of Hillsboro, TN was allegedly racing another vehicle on Interstate 24 when he lost control of the vehicle. Freeland’s Dodge entered the wood line and hit a tree.
Freeland died at the scene from the injuries he received in the crash.

James Anthony of Tullahoma, a custodian at Hickerson Elementary School who is hearing impaired, was recently the subject of a video that went viral on YouTube and made national news broadcasts. The video featured a kindergarten class at the school surprising him by singing “Happy Birthday” using sign language. Mr. James, as he is known to the students, was a guest on the Pickler and Ben national talk show on Dec. 3.
During the show, Anthony learned that he can attend Motlow State Community College tuition-free through the Tennessee Reconnect Scholarship Program.
Joining Mr. James on the TV show was Hickerson kindergarten teacher Alyssa Hartsfield, along with program hosts Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron. To view the video segment featuring Mr. James, visit youtube.com and search for ‘James Anthony Pickler and Ben’.

The State Department of Education recently released the new, redesigned state report card for 2017-18. The new report card is intended to help families better understand school performance and support student success. This tool was developed over the past year with educators, parents, and community organizations and includes several new features based on that feedback.
A school receives a rating on each indicator ranging from 0.0 to 4.0, like a GPA scale, with 4.0 being the highest.
The six indicators are academic achievement, whether students are performing on grade level or above based on state tests; student academic growth, whether students are making progress from year to year, regardless of whether they are on grade level yet; chronically out of school, students who miss at least 10 percent of school days; progress on English language proficiency, whether English learners are making progress in their understanding of the English language; ready graduate, the percentage of high school students who graduate and earn at least a 21 on the ACT or 1060 on the SAT.
Manchester Schools:
In academic achievement, the district scored 41.6 percent, which is above the state’s 39. 1 percent average.
City schools scored a level 5 in overall student academic growth.
About 11.5 percent of Manchester students were chronically out of school, an increase of 0.4 percent from 2016-17. The state average is 13.3 percent.
Manchester schools excelled in their progress on English language proficiency earning a 57.3 percent, which is above the state’s 50.4 percent average.
Coffee County Schools:
Academic achievement, 38.2 percent, 0.4 percent higher than last year.
Like Manchester, the county scored level five for overall student academic growth.
8.3 percent of Coffee County school system students were chronically absent, down from last year’s 11 percent.
The county scored 5.2 percent higher, 42.9 in Progress on English language proficiency.
Coffee County is just under the state average in the ready graduate category. Coffee County scored 34.2 percent, with the state average being 35.8 percent.
The Coffee County school system graduation rate is 90.8 percent. The rate last year was 91.1 percent.
Starting in 2019, a Tennessee state law will require the department to assign each school a letter grade.

At approximately 8:40 p.m. Wednesday night (December 12) a rock was thrown off the Trussell Road overpass in Monteagle, seriously injuring the driver of an 18-wheeler.
Deputies who arrived on the scene called in Monteagle Police Chief Virgil McNeece who, along with a CID investigative officer from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, collected evidence and found footprints at the overpass and developed a lead in the case.
McNeece says they first interviewed a juvenile and were able to match his boots to one of the footprints found at the scene. The juvenile admitted to being at the overpass when the incident occurred but placed the blame for throwing the rock on Phillip Thrasher, 20.
Both Thrasher and the juvenile were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. According to McNeece, the District Attorney is considering bumping up the charges to include aggravated assault with a weapon. Thrasher is being held in the Marion County Jail and the juvenile is at a juvenile detention center. (Grundy County Herald)

The College St Elementary School Music Department presents Cougar Christmas Coffee House on Monday December 17 at 6:30pm, doors open at 6pm at the school in Manchester.
Teacher Greg Ray invites everyone to ring in the season with hot chocolate, coffee, baked goods and great music.
The program will feature recording artist CJ Solar. They are asking for a donation of $5 for adults and $1 for children. Any other donation will be great appreciated. The school and Mr. Ray hope to see you there.

Grundy County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Larry Sims was dragged by a vehicle while trying to detain a man Tuesday night in Coffee County.
Sheriff Clint Shrum said the suspect is still on the run.
The incident happened when Sims stopped to check on what appeared to be a minor crash or stranded motorists in Coffee County, Sheriff Shrum explained.
In a press release from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department it stated:
On December 11, 2018 at approximately 5:40pm Coffee County Sheriff’s Department received a call that an out of county investigator had been involved in an incident at the intersection of Highway 55 and New Hope Road and shots had been fired. The Grundy County Sheriff’s Department investigator was on his way home when he came across two vehicles at the intersection that appeared to be involved in a minor traffic accident or stranded motorists.
Investigator Sims came in contact with one of the parties and an altercation began. This resulted in the investigator attempting to detain the male suspect. The suspect made his way back to his vehicle and fled resulting in the investigator being dragged down the road. Shots were fired by the officer and the suspect eluded arrest. The suspect has not been apprehended at this time.
Investigator Sims was treated at a local hospital and released. The investigation is ongoing, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department is attempting to locate the suspect.
As further information becomes available the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department says it will update their press release.

According to arrest warrants issued to Sgt. Harmon Campbell with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday, December 8, Katsana Maxkenzie Chanthoumphone age 26 of Murfreesboro was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated criminal trespass. The warrant states that Campbell responded to Arnold Air Force base at the guard shack for a person driving through the security check-point without stopping. The male driver went to the second check-point where he was detained by protective services. Director of Public Affairs for the base, Jason Austin describes what to place:
Since AEDC no longer has a regular police force the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department was called to the scene. When Chanthoumphone exited the vehicle, he began to make threats including that he was on a mission for Osama Bin Laden. The guards were unsure what the man’s intent was and were in fear of how Chanthoumphone would use his vehicle.
Apparently, he was under investigation for committing the same act on a previous date.
Bond for Chanthoumphone was set at $20,000 and he will appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on Monday December 17, 2018. He is currently housed at the Coffee County Jail.

The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake that struck eastern Tennessee could be felt as far away as Atlanta. The light earthquake occurred about 4:15 a.m. Wednesday and was centered about 7 miles northeast of Decatur.
According to the USGS, the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone is one of the most active earthquake areas in the Southeast. The zone extends across parts of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
There were actually 2 quakes. The first earthquake was a 4.4 magnitude around 4:15 a.m. that had a depth of about 9 kilometers with an epicenter 6.8 miles outside of Decatur, Tennessee.
The second was about 15 minutes later, with an epicenter in nearly the same location. It was a 3.3 magnitude quake and had a depth of about 6.8 kilometers.
Initial reports were that the tremors were felt as far away as Atlanta GA, Asheville NC, and Knoxville TN.
No severe damage was reported in any location where the quakes could be felt.
You might remember that a small earthquake occurred in Grundy County on October 15, 2018.