Category: News

The Coffee County Election Commission will meet on Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at 4:00 PM in the Election Commission office in the Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 6 in Manchester. The purpose of the meeting will be to appoint a new Administrator of Elections. Apparently, this will be done to revote for the administrator position in a public meeting.
In a story we first reported on October 9, the Coffee County Election Commission voted in an apparent secret ballot to give the position of Administrator of Elections to current Coffee County Government Purchasing Agent Andy Farrar. Current administrator Vernita Davis is set to retire at the end of the year.
In a letter to WMSR News, the Coffee County Republican Party expresses extraordinary displeasure with the conduct of the Coffee County Election Commission during the recent “secret vote” for a new Election Administrator. The local republican party says the procedure of the vote was in blatant violation of the Tennessee Open Records Act and Open Meetings Act (aka the Sunshine Law): elections of public officials must be open and transparent to the public.
While 21 prospective candidates submitted applications and 5 were selected as finalists, neither the identities of the applicants nor the finalists were made public. The Commission’s explanation was that the 21 applications were divided among the members for review. The local republican party is asking the question; was each application reviewed by all members of the Commission; or did each member review their assigned applications and individually determine eligibility?
After a secret vote was taken by the members of the Commission, Andy Farrar was declared the winner.
The Coffee County Republican Party says that Lee Pope, Open Records Counsel for the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office, has issued a notice of complaints, ruled on the illegal and unethical activity vote and forwarded his findings to the Election Commission.
The Coffee County Republican Party is demanding that the secret vote be declared null and void, according to provisions in State Law; and further demands that a new election be held in accordance with State Law, in which the applicants and finalists, as well as the actual votes cast by the Commission members, are made available for public review.
WMSR News reached out to Coffee County Democrat Party Chairman Jimmy Bradford and he says he is sure the commission thought they were doing the right thing, but said he was glad someone brought it to the attention on the members, Bradford says he applauds the commission for correcting a possible violation of the law. He went onto say he was not involved in the process. Bradford said he thinks Farrar would do a good job.
On a side note early voting continues through Thursday.

Edward McKinley Childers, 35 from Beersheba Springs in Grundy County was arrested after a fire broke out at the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites, 33 Paradise St. in Manchester on Thursday night around 8pm. The fire occurred in room 200.
When the Manchester Fire Department arrived, they found the room full of smoke. Firemen were about to begin to search the room and discovered the door was locked from the inside. Firefighters took out the window to the room and attacked the fire from the outside, according to Manchester Fire Rescue Chief George Chambers. One male occupant was located face down on the bed. Engine 607 Officer Sherman White, Firefighter Tyler Bradshaw and Firefighter Andrew Floied scooped up the occupant and removed him from the room. They handed the occupant to Engine One Officer Tyler Hickerson who quickly began accessing the occupant’s condition. The man was transported by Coffee County EMS to Unity Hospital for evaluation.
Childers was charged on Friday with one count of aggravated arson and one count of vandalism and was booked into Coffee County Jail under a $51,000 bond, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

A retail store in Grundy County received a visitor on Saturday that they were not expecting, a car. No one was injured when the car slammed into the Family Dollar Store on Highway 108 in Gruetli-Laager in Grundy County.
The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office said the driver suffered some type of medical emergency and crashed through the store.
The name of the person involved in the accident was not released by the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office.

You can expect deer activity to increase between October and December in Tennessee because it’s mating season. Thousands of deer versus car crashes are investigated in Tennessee every year. But this time of year, they’re more likely to happen.
If you spot a dead deer on the side of the road, you can call the Tennessee Department of Transportation to clean it up.
From July 1, 2017 to October 22nd, 2018 TDOT spent $6,149,498 on “special litter” cleanup.
If you spot a dead deer on the side of the road you can call TDOT at 615-350-4300 or email them at TDOT.comments@tn.gov
Usually, workers pick up carcasses between 9a.m. and 3p.m. If it’s a public safety matter, or injuries are involved, call police.

The Manchester Police Department and other emergency responders conducted an emergency drill on Thursday morning. Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother explains why this drill was conducted on Interstate Drive in Manchester.

There were numerous emergency vehicles, from various agencies involved in this exercise. This was done as a test as continuing education to help first responders when they to react to an emergency issue.
Remember this was only a drill.

More questions are coming up about the Public Building Authority (PBA) who oversees the financially troubled Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center (MCCCC). The PBA voted at its Sept. 14 meeting to amend the bylaws of the authority.
The change now allows for three members from Manchester and the other four can be from anywhere in the county. Before the change the City of Manchester had two, two represented Tullahoma, two represented rural Coffee County, and one member was designated at-large. PBA Board Member Greg Sandlin, who represents Tullahoma, believes that the vote went against PBA bylaws. Sandlin believes the PBA is not a joint venture, rather, that is a singular county entity that oversees a joint venture.
Although the PBA cannot act on Sandlin’s motion during two meetings, Coffee County Mayor Cordell says he has asked County Attorney Bob Huskey to solicit an outside opinion on the matter, CTAS [County Technical Assistance Service].”
It is unknown when CTAS will get back to officials in Coffee County.

Many Coffee Countians are taking part in the 2 weeks of early voting. Election Day November 6th. Early voting continues through November 1, 2018. So far over 6,000 voters have cast ballots, which is over 20 percent of all eligible voters in Coffee County.
The locations for early voting are:
Coffee County Election Commission, 1329 McArthur Street, Manchester, TN 37355, Monday through Friday, early voting will be conducted from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily. Saturday early voting hours are 8:30 AM to 12 Noon (Oct. 27).
CD Stamps Center, 810 South Jackson Street, Tullahoma, TN 37388
Monday through Friday, early voting will be conducted from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm daily. Saturday early voting hours are 9 AM to 12 Noon (Oct. 27).
Voters shall show a Federal or State Photo ID when they appear to vote. This is true during early voting and at your election day polling place.
If you do not vote early during these times, registered voters can vote on November 6, 2018, at your assigned precincts, according to your residential address. Hours for all precincts in Coffee County will be 8:00 am – 7:00 pm.
The Coffee County Election Commission, they will meet on Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, at 4:00 PM in the Election Commission office in the Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 6 in Manchester. The purpose of the meeting will be to appoint a new Administrator of Elections. Apparently, this will be done to re-vote for the Administrator position in a public meeting. Andy Farrar was named new administrator in an apparent secret ballot on Oct. 9.
The Commission will also meet on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at 4:00 PM in the Election Commission office in the Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 6 in Manchester. The purpose of the meeting will be to certify voting machines to be used during the November 6, 2018 election.

A kindergarten class at Hickerson Elementary School surprised their school’s longtime custodian for his 60th birthday by singing to him — in Sign Language.
The Tennessean reports the class posted a video of the surprise on Facebook Tuesday.
It shows custodian James Anthony laughing in disbelief and bringing his hands to his head as the children signed the “Happy Birthday” song.
Anthony has worked for the Coffee County school system since 1991 and is hearing-impaired, but he can read lips. The children learned the song with the help of a teacher, teacher’s aide and nurse.