Category: News

Smyrna Police are investigating a murder-suicide.
They were called to Wisdom Way Monday morning at 5am for a domestic assault with shots fired.
NewsChannel 5 reports when authorities arrived on the scene, they found 32-year old Tiffany Barnes, who had been shot and killed by her husband, 43-year old James Barnes. They believe after he shot her, he turned the gun on himself.
There were four children at the home at the time the shooting took place, but police say none of them were harmed.

Children’s advocates say while the need for Medicaid expansion has been overlooked by the Tennessee legislature, its impact on the growing number of uninsured children shouldn’t be ignored.
A new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families shows Tennessee topping states where the numbers are backsliding, partly due to lack of Medicaid expansion.
“Studies show that children are more likely to be insured when their parents have coverage,” explains Kinika Young, director of children’s health for the Tennessee Justice Center. “So it’s really important to close the coverage gap and make sure that everyone has insurance, so that children can grow up in families that have this coverage and are more likely to take advantage of the coverage that’s available to them.”
The report says uninsured children are more likely to have untreated medical conditions that could lead to longer-term health issues and missed days of school.
If the state were to expand Medicaid, at least 250,000 people would gain access to coverage.
Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown Center and a report co-author, says expansion is key.
“We found three-quarters of the children who lost coverage between 2016 and 2017 live in states that have not expanded Medicaid to their parents and other adults,” she points out. “Really, the only thing I think at this point that a state could do to overcome these negative national currents would be to expand Medicaid.”
Medicaid expansion has been a non-starter for most Republican lawmakers in Tennessee, who control both chambers of the State legislature.
The report also cites Congress’ trouble getting the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, reauthorized last year, and steep federal cuts to programs that inform people about their insurance options.
Alker hopes the one-year downturn doesn’t become a trend.
“We won’t have the 2018 data, of course, until next fall, but we’re very concerned that this number is actually going to get worse,” she states. “Barring new and serious efforts to get back on track, there’s every reason to believe this decline in the number of kids having health insurance may get worse in 2018.”

A man that served as band director for 30 years at Westwood Junior High, now Westwood Middle School, in Manchester has been 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.
Evans Baird, who was also the chorus director at the school and was the director of various events in Manchester before his retirement, was indicted in Coffee County Court on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
District Attorney Craig Northcott says that Baird posted the $10,000 bond and was released from the Coffee County Jail.
Northcott added that the alleged incident apparently occurred recently.
Coffee County Judge Jere Ledsinger added a bond condition Thursday at Northcott’s request that restricts Baird from being in contact with anyone under 18 years old.
Baird is set to appear in court on Jan. 3, 2019. Evans Baird is currently the vice chairman of the Manchester Historical Society and is a member of the Manchester Steering Commission.
Northcott said that it is suspected that there might be other victims, and he is asking that anyone that could have been a victim or know of someone to please come forward. He says that if you can, contact his office or your local police department.

The body of David E. Steele, 33 yrs. old of Tullahoma, TN was found on October 26, 2017 in the Spring Creek/UTSI Road area of Franklin County. He had been reported as missing for over a month when his deceased body was found.
Now four people have been charged in this case. Bruce Edward Dorsett Jr., Shawna R. Haney, Voltaire Xavier Hickerson and Michael Andrew Taylor.
Both Dorsett and Haney are charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence and coercion of a witness.
Haney, 44, a resident of Tullahoma, is being held in the Coffee County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bond.
Taylor, 32, also of Tullahoma, is being held in the Coffee County Jail in lieu of $400,000 bond.
Dorsett, 32, and Hickerson, 38, are also being held in the Coffee County Jail.
All four have been charged with especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
No court date has been announced for any of those charged in this crime.

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man they say was selling prescription drugs and paraphernalia from an area gas station.
Ziad Mutlak was arrested Friday night following an investigation that lasted several months.
The sheriff’s office conducted a search warrant at the Cruise Inn and Mutlak’s home in Coalmont, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
Mutlak faces charges of manufacture, possession and sell of a controlled substance.
He is due in court on December 13.

One person was killed, and another injured in an armed robbery turned shooting in the Quebeck Community in White County.
According to officials with the White County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded Friday around 10:15 p.m. on Quebec Road for an alleged robbery and shooting.
The resident living in the home, called 911. The two alleged robbers were both shot after they entered the home. One of them died at the scene and the other was in critical condition at last report at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga.

The Motlow State Community College Music Department is excited to present a pair of holiday concerts featuring The Motlow Vocal Ensemble and The Motlow Community Band. Performances will be in Powers Auditorium in Eoff Hall on the Moore County campus on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., with a matinee performance on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served beginning an hour before each concert; reservations are recommended.
Music Director Dr. David Bethea has chosen songs that will appeal to every age. Students and community band members will perform a wide variety of musical styles and holiday standards, and the Vocal Ensemble will be singing holiday pieces from the distant past to the present.
“Each year we try to put on a show to remember, and this show is no exception,’ said Bethea. “The Choir and the Band have worked hard and are ready to entertain.”
Special guests will include Christmas Fairy and Winter Fairy, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Grinch, and more. Even though this time of year is a very busy time for Santa, he will be making an appearance as well! Santa and other characters will be available during intermission for pictures and autographs.

A Bedford County woman bound for a family Thanksgiving dinner died Monday of injuries suffered in a head-on crash Sunday on U.S. 41A South.
State Trooper Nathan Archer’s report said that Evelyn K, Barton, 88, of Normandy was seriously hurt in the crash at the Normandy Road intersection on Sunday afternoon. She died from the injuries on Monday.
Barton was a passenger in a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by her son Richard A. Barton, 51, of Normandy.
Lynn L. Bell, 74, of Manchester was southbound on 41A in a 2009 Ford Escape and turned into the path of the Barton truck, striking it head-on, according to Archer’s report. A citation for failure to yield is pending against Bell, who was injured in the crash.
Richard Barton was not hurt, the report said. A family member posted on Facebook the Bartons were headed for the dinner in Normandy at the time of the crash. (Shelbyville Times-Gazette)

The option to “try before your buy” when looking for a product or service can be enticing, but the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance’s (TDCI) Consumer Affairs Division is advising consumers to approach free trial offers with caution.
While there are many honest companies offering free trials, some use these offers as a way to sign you up for more products—even if you don’t want them. These subscriptions can end up costing hundreds of dollars before the consumer realizes their accounts have been debited.
Unscrupulous individuals can take advantage of consumers by making it hard to cancel, by hiding the terms and conditions, pre-checking sign-up boxes during the initial order, or by making their cancellation terms so strict that it is next to impossible to stop the deliveries and billing. Other scammers take advantage of consumers by charging a seemingly low “shipping and handling fee”. While you think you’re getting a product by paying only a few dollars in shipping and handling costs, the scammers now have your bank information and continue to charge you after the trial ends.
“Trial offers can be a great way for consumers to test a product or service before they buy, but they are also an easy way for scammers to take advantage of consumers,” said TDCI Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “We encourage Tennesseans to do their research before signing up for free trials to avoid falling victim to scammers.”
To help consumers avoid hidden costs associated with free trial subscriptions, TDCI’s Division of Consumer Affairs offers tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
• RESEARCH THE COMPANY: Read reviews to see what other people are saying about the company. Complaints from other consumers can tip you off to “catches” that might come with the trial.
· FIND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Carefully read the terms and conditions for all types of offers—online, TV, newspaper, or radio. If you can’t find them or can’t understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, don’t sign up.
· LOOK FOR WHO’S BEHIND THE OFFER: Just because you were on a webpage of a well-known business doesn’t mean the offer or pop-up is from them. Double-check the URL and ensure the offer is from who you think it is. If a product claims to be endorsed by a celebrity, verify the endorsement from the celebrity’s official website or social media account.
· BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PRE-CHECKED BOXES: If you sign-up for a free trial online, look for boxes that have been automatically checked. These checkmarks could give the company authority to continue the offer past the free trial or could sign you up for more products—only this time you will have to pay.
· MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Many free trials have a time limit. Once it passes without you telling the company to cancel your “order”, you may be on the hook for more products.
· LOOK FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO CANCEL FUTURE SHIPMENTS: It’s important to know how to cancel the subscription if you decide you no longer want the product or service.
· REVIEW YOUR CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD STATEMENTS: Keeping track of your credit and debit card statements can provide you with an early warning if you are being charged for something you didn’t want or didn’t order. If you see charges you didn’t agree to, contact the company directly to sort out the situation. If that doesn’t work, call your credit card company to dispute the charge.

One person was killed, and another was injured in a two-car accident early Wednesday morning in Franklin County. The crash took place at intersection of Highway 64 and Blue Spring Road, near the Nissan plant.
Tennessee Highway Patrol reports said a Chevy Impala was traveling south on Blue Springs Road, approaching the Highway 64 intersection when it and a Nissan Rouge collided. The Nissan was traveling west on Highway 64 in the right lane. The Nissan partially spun around before coming to rest at the point of impact.
The Chevy Impala spun around and rolled backward about 300 feet before coming to rest in the Highway 64 median.
The name of the person that was killed in the Chevy Impala has not been released at this time.
Kimberly F. Foutch was driving the Nissan Rogue, was taken to the hospital in Winchester for treatment of her injuries.