Category: News

Normandy Lake Project being conducted to Improve Angler Catch Rates

Fish habitat at Normandy Lake.. Photo provided.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in Region II has built over 900 structures to be placed in area lakes as fish attractors.
The North and South Reservoir crews along with those from Normandy and Springfield Hatcheries set up an assembly line of sorts to construct these odd-looking structures. Concrete blocks, corrugated pipes and concrete are combined to create the attractors that will mimic a stump or grassy vegetation on the lake floor.
Region II Fishery Manager, Todd St John said, “Our area lakes have been impounded for over 50 years and during that time the natural organic material, such as trees and stumps, has decayed leaving the lake floor looking like an underwater desert. This effort is very important to increasing the amount of habitat in the lake. The goal is to bring fish and anglers together and improve angler catch rates and structure is a key in doing that.”
Through a new Fish Habitat Initiative, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission dedicated $200,000 this year for fish habitat improvements that will allow the TWRA to increase the amount of effort and numbers of structures.
This is an ongoing project. This year they are focusing on Percy Priest and Normandy Lakes. In the years to come they will be looking at other reservoirs and agency lakes.
Structures will be taken out on Normandy Lake during this week by a special barge and placed in varying depths along points and flats. The algae that will grow on the pipes will attract smaller fish which will in turn attract larger fish. Fish relate to structure as ambush cover as well as protective cover.

Tennessee 13th Deadliest State for Drug Overdoses

A new report says that Tennessee is the 13th deadliest state when it comes to drug overdoses.
The CDC report says that in 2016 alone, there were 1,630 overdose deaths in Tennessee, for an average of 24.5 deaths per every 100,000 residents.
Drug overdose deaths among US residents totaled 70,237 in 2017, nearly 6,600 more than in 2016, according to a second government report.
West Virginia has the highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the country.

Motlow Winter Break and Registration Information

Motlow State Community College will close for winter break on Thursday, Dec. 20, at 4:30 p.m., and will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, according to college officials.
The closing applies to computer labs, libraries and other facilities at all Motlow locations, including the Fayetteville, McMinnville, Moore County and Smyrna campuses.
The registration deadline for the spring 2019 semester is Tuesday, Jan. 15, with classes beginning on Monday, Jan. 14.
Registering now will increase students’ chances of getting their preferred classes and schedules.
New and readmit students must submit applications for admission and readmission by Jan. 8, with online applications accepted until midnight on that date. Online applications may be accessed from the “Apply Now” button on the Motlow website, mscc.edu.
Students interested in earning high school and college credit courses in the Dual Enrollment program and those enrolling in the Adult College Express (ACE) program are required to apply by Jan. 8.
For more information about applying for admission to Motlow, call 931-393-1520 or email admissions@mscc.edu.

Coffee County Government meetings THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 10

MEETINGS THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 10, 2018

Tuesday, December 11
5:00 p.m. – Budget & Finance Committee

Wednesday, December 12
10:00 a.m. – Rural Solid Waste/Sanitation

4:30 p.m. – Personnel & Compensation Committee

Thursday, December 13
5:00 p.m. – Law Enforcement Committee

Local Schools to Receive Grant Money

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced Thursday the 218 public school recipients of the 2019 Read to be Ready Summer Grants, which will provide a total of $8,900,000 in funding for tuition-free, month-long literacy-focused summer camps for 8,910 students in need across the state. For summer 2019, the fourth year of the grant program, the department expanded students’ access to the program by changing the student-to-teacher ratio. This allows more students to participate without sacrificing the quality and close-knit nature of camps.
Over the past three years, the Tennessee Departments of Education and Human Services, with support from First Lady Crissy Haslam, have partnered to expand the Read to Be Ready Summer Grant program. In summer 2018, about 7,700 rising first, second, and third grade students collectively spent over 6.8 million minutes reading and over 4.6 million minutes writing.
Students who attend Read to be Ready summer camps generally are economically disadvantaged and not reading on grade level. For summer 2019, there will be 218 summer programs in 114 districts across the state, including 56 camps located in economically distressed or at-risk counties.
All Tennessee public schools were eligible to apply for the Read to be Ready Summer Grant program.
In the Coffee County system those elementary schools receiving grant money are Hickerson, Hillsboro, East Coffee, Deerfield and North Coffee.
In Manchester; Westwood Elementary.
No school in Tullahoma will be receiving money.

Wreaths Across America to Place Wreaths on Military Veterans Graves in Coffee County on Dec. 15th

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFPN) — Christmas wreaths adorn head stones at Arlington National Cemetery.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jim Varhegyi)

The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee will hold ceremonies at several locations in Coffee County and place memorial wreaths and wreaths on military veterans graves on December 15th.
The first ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. at the old county court house on the square in Manchester where seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed at the war memorials.
Each wreath represents a military service plus the U.S. Coast Guard, the Merchant Marines and to honor POW/MIAs.
At 11 am. three ceremonies and wreath placement will be held at local cemeteries. This is the same time a ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 wreaths will be placed.
The local cemeteries are:
Oakwood Cemetery in Tullahoma (corner of Wilson and N. Jackson Streets) where almost 230 military veterans are buried. This ceremony with seven ceremonial wreaths and wreath placement on military veterans graves will be supported by the Marine Corps Junior ROTC from Tullahoma High School,
Cub and Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and local veterans groups.
Hurricane Grove Cemetery in Rural Coffee County (just NW of I-24 exit 105) where approximately 35 military veterans are buried. This ceremony with seven ceremonial wreaths and wreath placement on military veterans will be supported by the Air Force Junior ROTC from Coffee County Central High
School;
Beech Grove Confederate Cemetery (just east of I-24 at the Beech Grove exit) where 59 veterans are buried. Contact for the Beech Grove Cemetery effort is Paul McCullough (615) 232-4445.
Following those ceremonies seven ceremonial wreaths only will be placed at Citizens Cemetery (Old Camp Forrest Cemetery) in Tullahoma and at Rose Hill Cemetery between Manchester and Tullahoma on Highway 55.
Then at 2 p.m. a ceremony placing seven ceremonial wreaths and then wreaths on almost 90 military veterans graves will take place at Fredonia Cemetery in rural Coffee County. This ceremony will be supported by the Army Junior ROTC from Warren County High School. The public is invited to all these ceremonies and to help place wreaths on military veterans graves.
Wreaths across America has placed Remembrance Wreaths on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery at Christmas for more than 25 years.
For the second year Coffee County joins more than 1,400 other sites nation-wide participating in this program to honor our deceased military veterans.
The Coffee County Wreaths Across America Committee is responsible for this project with 100 percent of all funds collected locally being used to order and place wreaths on veterans graves. The committee appreciates the generous donations that make this program possible. $15 sponsors one wreath – $30 sponsors two wreaths – $75 sponsors five wreaths $150 sponsors 15 wreaths. Checks should be made out to WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA TM and dropped off or mailed to Cyndi Clower (931) 728-9898 at Clower Automotive at 1406 McArthur St. Manchester, TN 37355. Wreaths across America is an IRS 501c3 non-profit, donations are tax deductible.
If you would like to volunteer to help place wreaths on December 15th, Cyndi Clower at (931) 728-9898 or Claude Morse at (931) 247-5151.

Mr. and Miss Motlow Named

Pictured is Dr. Michael Torrence, Motlow president, with Miss Motlow, Kallie Hill, from Pelham and Mr. Motlow, J.C. Williams, from Estill Springs.

Pictured is Dr. Michael Torrence, Motlow president, with Miss Motlow, Kallie Hill, from Pelham and Mr. Motlow, J.C. Williams, from Estill Springs.

Motlow State Community College’s Moore County campus recently selected its Mr. and Miss Motlow representatives for the 2018-19 academic year.
Miss Motlow is Kallie Hill, from Pelham, who is majoring in health sciences; and Mr. Motlow, J.C. Williams, from Estill Springs, who is majoring in electrical engineering. Kallie and J.C. will represent Motlow at various civic functions throughout the year in the Moore and Coffee County area. Candidates were interviewed by a panel composed of individuals involved with different departments within the College and were asked several questions.

H&R Block Student of the Week

Congratulations to Student of the Week -Timothy Poteete!!! Timothy, the son of Timothy, Sr. and Jessica Poteete is a fifth grader at New Union Elementary School.
According to his teacher, Mrs. Helms, Timothy was nominated because he is an amazing young man. Timothy consistently displays patience, respectfulness and kindness to everyone he encounters. The school is proud that Timothy is a New Union Rebel.

Timothy’s favorite subject is Math. Timothy plays basketball for New Union and enjoys watching professional basketball. Timothy hopes to one day play basketball for the Golden State Warriors.

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 Timothy is Rosalyn Partin of H & R Block and Mrs. Helms.

Update–Coffee County School Bus accident

Crash scene photo by Barry West

On Wednesday morning just after 7am there was a 2-vehicle accident near the intersection of Matts Hollow Road and Farrar Hill Road. The crash involved a Coffee County school bus and a pickup truck.
Dr. Ladonna McFall, Director of Coffee County Schools told WMSR News that 2 students on the bus were transported the hospital to be checked out.
The driver of the pickup truck also had to be taken to the hospital to be checked out for injuries. It’s suspected that the pickup truck had some
type of malfunction that was a contributing factor in the accident.

The driver is also a student in the Coffee County School system. No names were released.

McFall is very grateful for the first responders and the bus driver for their work at the scene and she is pleased no one was seriously injured.
All other students on the bus that was headed to Coffee County Middle School were put on another bus and transported to the school.

Tullahoma Woman Injured in One-Vehicle Wreck

On Wednesday, Brittany Griffith, 24, of Tullahoma was traveling on the Old Tullahoma Hwy toward Winchester. The vehicle rolled over in the 500 block of the rural highway.
Griffith was taken to the hospital to be treated for her injuries. No information was received on what type of injures Griffith suffered.
Franklin County Sheriff’s Department personnel, Winchester Fire Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to the scene.