Category: News

The current Coffee County Jail opened around 3.5 years, but it took many years to settle on the location and money needed to build the jail. The main reason for building the jail was overcrowding. Now another nearby county is having a problem with too many people in their facility.
State officials met with the Warren County Commission Monday night to present facts and figures regarding the current overcrowded conditions at the Warren County Jail.
Tennessee Corrections Institute Program Coordinator Bob Bass and County Technical Assistance Service Jail Management Consultant Jim Hart gave a presentation in which they discussed why the jail is overcrowded and how the problem might be relieved.
Officials said 82 percent of Warren County’s inmates have been in jail more than once. Overcrowding has also forced authorities to place non-violent offenders in the population with violent offenders.
Officials also said more corrections officers are needed and programs are needed to address the problems.
No action was taken by the Warren County Commission as more studying will be needed to decide how the problems will be addressed in accordance with state standards.

Special Investigations Section of the Tennessee Department of Revenue conducted the investigation that led to the indictment and arrest of Serapio (Jose) Granados, owner of Stonebridge Restaurant and the former Fried Tomato Restaurant, in Fayetteville. Revenue special agents arrested Granados, 48, at his business. Bond was set at $10,000.
On Tuesday, the Lincoln County Grand Jury indicted Granados on 58 Class E felony counts of filing false tax returns, one Class B felony count of theft over $60,000, and one Class E felony of tax evasion. The indictments allege Granados falsified sales tax returns submitted to the Tennessee Department of Revenue and failed to remit collected sales tax as required by law.
If convicted, Granados could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in the state penitentiary and fined up to $3,000 for each Class E felony and a maximum of 12 years and fined up to $25,000 for the Class B felony.
The Department is pursuing this criminal case in cooperation with District Attorney Robert J. Carter’s office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee’s revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).

Four juveniles were charged after they allegedly wrote racially-insensitive comments in Bibles and doors of an African-American church and stole property Tuesday, according to Rutherford County Sheriff’s officials.
Deputy Shawn Matthews responded to the Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church where he found “KKK” written in Bibles and “we are white and we are watching you, white power” written on the doors of the predominantly African-American church.
Damage to the church was extensive and included overflowing toilets with water damage at the Twin Oak Drive location.
“With the help of citizens, Deputy Matthews developed two suspects and located the juveniles nearby. Items stolen included a laptop computer and a video camera.
Matthews charged the two boys ages 14 and 16 with burglary, theft and vandalism on Tuesday. A video camera stolen from the church was found in the woods behind the church.
Detective Jamin Humphress arrested two more boys, ages 15 and 16, with burglary and vandalism Wednesday morning.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said he appreciated the manner deputies and detectives responded swiftly.
He plans to speak with the District Attorney’s Office about additional charges.
The two juveniles arrested Tuesday were released from the Juvenile Detention Center. They are expected to be in Juvenile Court Monday.
Court hearings are pending for the two juveniles arrested Wednesday. (WGNS Radio)

The Coffee County Fair continues at the fairgrounds in Manchester. Activities on Friday include, ride all the rides you want from 10am-5pm for a $15 hand stamp. Regular ticket price after 6. Youth field activities start at 11, Nick’s Kids Show at 3, 5 and 7pm. The Outlaw and mini rod tractor pull has been cancelled because of a family emergency. In place of the tractor pull will be a concert with the “Sound Dogs” from 6-10pm. On Saturday it’s double hand stamp day. Two hand stamps for only $25 from 1pm-6pm. Regular ticket price after 6. At 10am the dog and pet show, Nick’s Kids Show at 3, 5 and 7pm, Pedal Pull at 3:30pm and Mule Races at 7pm.
The Coffee County Fair will wrap up this year’s events at close Saturday night.

The federal government has pushed back the date for a test of President Donald Trump’s emergency text alert system.
On October 3, most cell phone users will get a non-political, emergency test message from the president.
It’s a part of FEMA’s system to warn citizens in cases of national emergencies.
The text will have a header reading “presidential alert.”
The test was originally supposed to take place on September 20.
The wireless emergency alert system was launched in 2012 but has yet to be tested.

Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says that Tennessee is set to receive $30.8 million to combat the opioid crisis.
This funding will help health centers in Tennessee, from Chattanooga to Memphis, hire more staff and ensure they are equipped to fight the crisis; provide more medication-assisted treatment to patients; help our rural communities tackle opioid addiction; and support programs that prevent more Tennesseans from becoming addicted to opioids. These grants are funded by appropriations legislation passed by Congress in March.
On Monday, the Senate passed 99-1 the Opioid Crisis Response Act, which Alexander has been the lead sponsor of.

The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation this week is urging people in Tennessee to take a picture of themselves reading.
Tennessee’s Imagination Library Week is celebrating the program first piloted by singer Dolly Parton almost 30 years ago.
Now with programs in 49 states and several countries, the campaign to send children from birth to age five a new book once a month is changing lives, according to Dean Hoskins, vice president of the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation.
“Just by the virtue of having books in the home, children are more likely to succeed, not just as they enter kindergarten but at third-grade reading levels,” she states. “But also, we have seen that parents do engage around books with their children when they are in the home.”
Neighboring North Carolina just confirmed funding for a program modeled after Tennessee.
This week as part of the campaign, the state is encouraging people to take a picture of themselves reading and post it on social media with the hashtag #GetCaughtReading.
Hoskins says while the social media effort is a great way to increase public awareness, it’s also about making sure reading is modeled for our younger generation.
“We want to raise awareness of how important it is for children to see adults in their lives and older siblings in their lives, reading, that reading is an integral part of everything that happens in family life,” she stresses.
More than 1 million children have participated in the program. A state study in 2014 found increased school testing scores for children who received the free books, which are available to all, regardless of income.

Many local golfers and business people in Coffee County remember a young man named, Spencer Wayne. The young man, fresh out of college came to Manchester around 10 years ago to manage Willowbrook Golf Course. A few years later Wayne left Willowbrook, owned by his friend David Burris to manage and later become co-owner the Western Sizzlin restaurant in Jasper, TN. Wayne grew up in Marion County, so it was natural fit.
On Monday the sad news broke and Spencer’s many friends in Coffee County began to learn that Wayne had died at the age of 33. The one question that was asked by hundreds on Facebook was how? How did this healthy young man suddenly die?
WMSR News reached out to Willowbrook owner David Burris who said his friend had died in a “freak accident.” The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Spencer Wayne was lifting weights alone when he apparently dropped a barbell on his neck. The 33-year-old died inside his Jasper home.
Wayne is survived by his wife Cheetah Fletcher Wayne; children, daughter Chandler Zella Wayne, baby son John Spencer Wayne and many others. Spencer Wayne will be laid to rest Thursday in Kimball, TN.

Trevor Sanders who graduated from Grundy County High School has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office and county school system, claiming his right to free speech was violated.
Sanders says he was arrested and put in jail for asking questions about Grundy High School’s Valedictorian policy.
Trevor asked questions when it was announced a student who was graduating after only three years – not 4 – would be Valedictorian.
When Sanders began to ask why, he was told he needed to meet with school administrators to talk about him speaking out.
In that meeting he asked to record the conversation. Soon after, he posted it on his public Facebook page.
The young man says he made no remarks about the female that was chosen as a person in the recording.
School administrators can be heard telling Trevor that he’s harassing the newly-chosen valedictorian.
Sanders was released after spending over 12 hours in jail.
The school later decided to have 11 Valedictorians for 2018, and the harassment charge against Sanders was also later dismissed.
In December 2017, the school board voted that students graduating early could not be Valedictorian, but afterwards the board reversed that decision. The lawsuit says Trevor and the graduating class weren’t told this when it happened.
Now, Sanders is suing the Grundy County sheriff’s office and school system for violating his right to free speech and right to search and seizure without reason.
The suit says Sanders wants $1 million dollars.