Category: News

A federal judge in Nashville has ordered the state to stop suspending the driver’s licenses of people who are unable to pay traffic fines and court costs.
In an order Tuesday, a U.S. District judge also instructed the state to allow indigent drivers to get suspended licenses back without fees.
The lawsuit is the second of two similar cases. The earlier one dealt with people who lost licenses because they were unable to pay fines related to criminal convictions. The judge ruled against the state in July, and Tennessee appealed.
Plaintiffs argue the suspensions leave people unable to work, making it even harder for them to pay court debts.
The rulings potentially affect tens of thousands of Tennesseans and could have implications for similar policies in dozens of other states.

The Mega Millions jackpot is now up to over $900 million.
Lottery officials raised the estimated prize Wednesday, less than a day after another drawing without a winner increased the prize to $868 million.
Officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the Mega Millions prize Tuesday night.
The next drawing is Friday night. The estimated jackpot for that drawing would be the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
The largest lottery jackpot was a $1.6 billion Powerball prize won in January 2016.
The odds of winning the jackpot aren’t good, at one in 302.5 million.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Early voting for the November midterm elections has begun in Tennessee. Voters can cast their ballots through November 1 or on Election Day November 6.
You will see on the ballot, 28 people running for the office of Governor. 8 candidates are on the ballot for U.S. Senate and 4 individuals are running for 6th District Congress.
Two local candidates are running for 47th District State Representative, Mike Winton and Rush Bricken. The district includes all of Coffee County and small portion of Warren County.
These locations 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. 20, 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. 20, 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 Sheriff’s Department has sent out a request on their Facebook page for information on a wanted suspect.
Terry Justin Vaughn is wanted in connection with a theft case and has active arrest warrants here in Coffee County.
Any contact or information on Vaughn please contact Coffee County Sheriff’s Department Investigator James Sherrill at 931-570-4404.

A Rutherford County Adult Detention Center employee who enabled two inmates to escape last Wednesday was suspended for two weeks without pay from October 19-30, said Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh. Deputy Beth Miles was also placed on probation one year.
Miles was serving as the Central Control operator when inmates Dewayne Halfacre and Jonathan Baxter were accused of assaulting another detention deputy about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 10.
The injured deputy could be heard calling out for assistance on her radio and another employee alerted co-workers who rushed to help the injured deputy.
Also, the escapees pulled the fire alarm to cause an additional distraction.
While operating the doors for deputies responding to the injured deputy, Miles opened the exterior door at the bottom of the fire escape that exited onto the back-loading dock of the warehouse. Miles failed to properly identify the people requesting entry into the secure area and the operator error allowed the inmates to escape.
Halfacre and Baxter were returned to the jail last Thursday after a 35-hour manhunt from local, state and federal law enforcement officers and emergency responders.
Miles is being disciplined for failing to identify people requesting entrance into a secure area of the jail and maintaining the custody of inmates, which jeopardized the protection of citizens.
Miles may be terminated for any future infractions.
She has worked at the sheriff’s office nine years.

The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation brought in more profit for its first-quarter transfer, more than $98 million, making the total raised since inception to more than $4.7 billion.
Total sales and proceeds for education from the period of July 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2018, were the second highest since the Lottery first began in 2004. More than 130,000 students benefited from Lottery-funded programs during the past academic year, and more than $1.3 million scholarships and grants have been awarded since 2004.

 

The Coffee County Red Raider Band is preparing to march in the Veterans Day Parade in Winchester, TN. This will be the first Veterans Day parade in this area since 1945. The band accepted the invitation from the American Legion Post #44 to appear Sunday, November 11 in Winchester.
“All veterans in Coffee, Moore, Grundy and Franklin Counties are encouraged to participate in the parade,” said Ray Cobb, Parade Coordinator for American Legion Post #44.
Veterans will line up in their cars behind a banner that represents the time they were in the military beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the 600 Block of College St. (Cowan Highway). Roads will be closed at 2:10 p.m. The parade will begin at 2:30 p.m.
The Red Raider Band will be joined by the FCHS Band, Huntland Band and the combined band of North and South Middle Schools in Franklin County.
The Tennessee National Guard will be the Honor Guard and will also have a convoy of various military trucks.
WWII veterans will be recognized as Grand Marshalls of the parade.
Everyone is encouraged to come out and support the Red Raider Band and local heroes from the Coffee County Manchester area to include one WWII veteran that was also a POW.
Keep your eyes to the sky while viewing the parade. You might see something very special.
For additional information please contact Ray Cobb, Parade Coordinator American Legion #44 at 931-308-8914.

Gas prices declined over the weekend and that trend should continue this week. Gas prices in Tennessee slipped one cent lower during the weekend. Due to a slight increase last week, the Tennessee state average of $2.68 per gallon is only a half-cent less than a week ago. However, Tennessee motorists are still paying 9 cents more than last month and 38 cents more than this time last year.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said we should see a 5 to 10 cent drop or more in the next ten days. This is the type of downward movement we normally see at the pump during the fall.
The national average price of regular unleaded is $2.89.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the low price per gallon of gas in Manchester was $2.59 and in Tullahoma, it was $2.62.