When Coffee Countians go to the polls in April and May for the upcoming primary election, many will be going to different polling locations that previous elections.
The state of Tennessee underwent its decennial redistricting process last year. Coffee County Commission districts were adjusted and so were polling locations. Coffee County Administrator of Elections Andy Farrar sent out new voter registration cards last month to all registered voters.
If you did not receive a card, or if yours has inaccurate information, you should contact the Coffee County Election Commission immediately by phone at 931-723-5103 or you can visit in person at 1329 McArthur St. suite 6.
If you aren’t sure where you are to vote, you can click here to check.
Bill to protect teachers from assault advances out of subcommittee
A Republican proposal aimed at helping protect Tennessee teachers from being assaulted on the job advanced out of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee last Wednesday.
House Bill 1934 expands the offences of assault and aggravated assault against first responders or nurses to also include teachers. There are 68,838 public school teachers in Tennessee, according to information from the Tennessee General Assembly Financial Review Committee. The legislation would result in an estimated 69 convictions annually.
“All of our schools have nurses in them that are already protected by this law,” State Rep. Jay Reedy, R-Erin, told members of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday. “Why do we not protect the teachers in the classroom?”
Assaulting a teacher would be a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $5,000 and mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days in jail, according to the bill. Aggravated assault of a teacher would be a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $15,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days in jail.
House Bill 1934 now heads to the full House Criminal Justice Committee for consideration. More information about the legislation can be found here.
High speed chase ends with arrest in Morrison
One man has been arrested after leading authorities on a high-speed chase Tuesday afternoon.
According to WOWC news, Cannon County Sheriff’s Department initiated the chase that ended in Morrison, which is in neighboring Warren County.
The chase began in Woodlawn. The suspect, driving a white Chevrolet truck, went through several roads into Warren County before finally being caught.
the suspect has been identified as Daniel Smithson, age 49, of Cannon County.
Less than 3 weeks remain to register to vote in May primary
The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming May 3 Coffee County Primary is fast approaching.
Anyone wishing to vote in the May 3 primary must be registered by Monday, April 4. You can register by visiting the Coffee County Election Commission on McArthur St. You can also register to vote from your computer – just click here. Early voting will be April 13 through April 28.
Bill would increase punishment for assaulting first responders in Tennessee
A bill strengthening the punishment for assaulting a first responder advanced out of the Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee last week.
House Bill 2247 expands the offenses of assault and aggravated assault against a first responder or nurse to include offenses committed against any licensed emergency healthcare provider. It also increases the mandatory minimum jail sentence for each offence.
“My purpose (with) this bill is to draw attention to the fact that evil doesn’t discriminate against only policemen,” State Rep. Kevin Vaughan, R-Collierville, told members of the subcommittee. “It discriminates against anybody in a uniform doing their job. We’d like to call attention to that fact… and then put evil where it belongs.”
The legislation was prompted by a fatal shooting at a grocery store in Collierville last fall that left two people dead, including the shooter, and a dozen others injured.
According to the bill, assault of a first responder or other licensed emergency healthcare provider would be a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a mandatory $5,000 fine and minimum sentence of 90 days in jail. Aggravated assault would be a Class C felony punishable by a mandatory $10,000 fine and minimum 180 days in jail.
Any aggravated assault that resulted in the death of a first responder or other licensed emergency healthcare provider would be a Class A felony. It would carry a mandatory $50,000 fine and mandatory minimum jail sentence of 15 years.
House Bill 2247 will now go to the full House Criminal Justice Committee for consideration. More information about the legislation can be found here.
TN legislature strengthens punishment for certain violent offenders
The Tennessee General Assembly approved legislation last week that eliminates the possibility for parole for first-degree murderers in rape cases.
House Bill 2269 requires that a person be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole if they are convicted of first-degree murder while committing or attempting to commit aggravated rape, rape, rape of a child and aggravated rape of a child.
The legislation now heads to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. More information about House Bill 2269 can be found here.
Thunder Radio political forum set for Thursday, April 7
In an effort to better inform our listeners and the electorate at large, Thunder Radio WMSR will host a political forum on April 7 – just before early voting begins for the May 3 Coffee County primary.
This continues an election-year tradition for Thunder Radio WMSR that dates back to 2012.
The forum will run from 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7. The public is welcome to attend the event, which will be held at The Church at 117 (117 E. Fort St.) just off the square in downtown Manchester.
For those who are unable to attend, the forum will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio: 107.9 FM, 1320 AM, 106.7 FM, Manchester Go app, thunder1320.com and Facebook live. There is no charge to attend.
Anyone wishing to submit questions for candidates should do so by April 1 to josh.peterson.wmsr@gmail.com.
The schedule for April 7 is as follows:
6:00-6:22 p.m.: Circuit Court Judge Part 2
Eric Burch
Bobby Carter
6:27 – 6:49: General Sessions Judge Part 2
Gerald Ewell
Garth Segroves
6:54 – 7:16: District Attorney General
Craig Northcott
Felicia Walkup
7:21-7:43: Circuit Court Clerk
Jenny Anthony
Josh Morris
7:48-8:05: Road Superintendent
Benton Bartlett
Scott Hansert
8:10-8:32 – Sheriff
Chad Partin
Alethia Rawn
Candidates will be provided up to 2 minutes for opening statements and 2 minutes to answer questions. Closing statement of 1 minute will be given if time allows.
Early voting is April 13-28. Election day May 3.
Local VFW raises over $4,000 for Ukraine; more donations welcome
On March 11th, Manchester’s Veterans of Foreign Wars All-American Post 10904
hosted a fundraiser dinner to benefit relief efforts in Ukraine. At least
117 people filled the Coffee County Veterans Building to capacity.
A fundraiser dinner was served, followed by a discussion of current events
in Ukraine led by Commander Kimberly King; VFW Auxiliary President David
King; and VFW Post Judge Advocate Claude Morse. Special effort was made to
help children in attendance understand current events. and what freedom
means.
Linda Salerno of Nashville donated a specially made quilt, designed with
Ukrainian flag colors and patriotic star in the center. It was raffled at
the event, yielding $2,577 in donations. Ukraine support buttons were
donated by Becki Louden, and specially-made cupcakes were designed for the
event by Christie Conlee.
The event ended with a prayer service led by VFW Post Service Officer and
American Legion Post 78 Chaplain Tom Hewell; and VFW Post Chaplain Hans
Hooker.
Combined. the raffle and dinner raised $4,021, all of which will be sent
directly to Samaritan’s Purse. The charity is currently in several
countries, distributing medical supplies, food, and other necessities to
Ukrainian refugees.
VFW Post 10904 will continue accepting donations with the goal of raising
$5,000. Relief funds are urgently needed, however, so funds will be sent at
the end of this week. Donations can be made by mailing check or money order
to:
VFW Post 10904
Attn: Ukraine Relief Fund
130 Shelton Road
Manchester, TN 37355
For more information, contact Commander Kimberly King for more information
at (251) 554-8836.
Unity Medical makes list for top patient experiences in the south
Using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers systems (HCAHPS), Becker’s Hospital Review has compiled a list of best hospital patient experience in the south and Manchester’s Unity Medical Center made the list. These are hospitals that received a 5-star patient experience summary rating.
Only 54 hospitals in the south received a 5-star rating and just three of those were from Tennessee: Ascension St. Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery, Mountain Home VA Medical Center and Unity Medical Center.
“Congratulations and a thank you are in order to our team at Unity Medical Center for being named one of the best hospitals in the south for patient experiences by Becker’s Hospital Review,” said Unity CEO Martha Mccormick. “Our achievements are shaped by the strength of the foundations we set. Thank you for your commitment to excellence.
“Our caring and compassionate staff strives every day to provide excellent hospital care in our town. This is some well-deserved vindication that their hard work is paying off,” added McCormick.
The HCAHPS summery is the average of star ratings of 10 topic specific measures. The rating combines information about different aspects of patient experience of care to make it easier to compare hospitals. Figures used were from July 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021.
Unity Medical Center is located at 481 Interstate Drive in Manchester. Learn more by clicking here.
TAX TIPS: Some business tax filing due March 15
By Rosalyn Partin, H&R Block
If you are responsible for filing the federal tax return for a Partnership (Form 1065) or S-Corporation (Form 1120-S), the due date is the 15th day of the third month following the close of your tax year. For Partnerships and S-Corps that are on a calendar year this means the tax return is due March 15.
If you aren’t able to file the Partnership or S-Corp return by March 15, you should file for an extension using Form 7004. The extension form must be filed by March 15 or it will not be accepted. By filing the Partnership or S-Corp extension, you are granted an automatic six-month extension, giving you until September 15 to file the return.
If the Partnership or S-Corporation tax return or extension isn’t filed by March 15, IRS can impose a penalty of $210 for each month or part of a month (for a maximum of 12 months) the failure continues, multiplied by the total number of partners or shareholders during any part of the partnership’s tax year for which the return is due.
If possible, it is best to file the extension electronically so IRS receives and processes it timely.
Avoid penalties for late-filing Partnership and S-Corporation returns. For help in filing your business extension, call H&R Block today!
If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment, please call H&R Block in Manchester TN at 931-728-9462. H&R Block Has Your Back!
