Category: News

A Tennessee panel has dismissed campaign finance complaints against two Republican gubernatorial candidates that preceded the Aug. 2 primary election.
The Registry of Election Finance on Wednesday dismissed a complaint about GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Lee from June. The complaint claimed Lee used his businesses to supplement his campaign without disclosure and beyond limits.
It also claimed Lee exceeded campaign donation limits in other ways, including through trusts.
The panel dismissed complaints from February against House Speaker Beth Harwell, who lost in the four-way GOP governor’s race. Those complaints questioned whether Harwell’s political committee helped her beyond legal limits and examined whether she could financially back a $3.1 million self-loan.
Lee faces Democratic ex-Nashville Mayor Karl Dean in the general election in November.

The Motlow College Foundation is planning its 25th annual golf tournament for Friday, Sept. 14, at The Bear Trace at Tims Ford State Park.
All proceeds from the tournament benefit Motlow State Community College students primarily through scholarships including, but not limited to honors, presidential, student government and athletic scholarships.
The tournament is a four-person scramble with prizes for three places in two flights. The cost to participate is $115 per person or $450 per team and includes greens fees, cart rental, mulligans and lunch. Lunch will be served at 11:00 a.m. and tee time is 12:00 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date is Sept. 21.
Please contact the Motlow College Foundation at 931-393-1543 to sign up for the tournament.

Another bomb threat occurred Thursday morning in Manchester. The threat was issued through the Wilson County Communication Center and their staff relayed the message to the Coffee County Communication Center at 9:10am.
The person that called in the threat apparently said there was a bomb inside the Coffee County Justice Center.

Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves called for a physical search of the building and according to Graves no bomb was found. A second search was conducted by a bomb search dog from AEDC. The Justice Center was deemed clear of any danger just after 10am. Court resumed at 1pm.
An investigation is being conducted by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. If you have any information that could help investigators please call the department and ask for Investigator Jason Dendy or Brandon Reed, call 931-728-3591.

An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has revealed that the Grundy County Highway Department has been performing work on private properties and cemeteries for many years, this is not allowed under state law.
Though documents don’t name him, former Highway Superintendent Hubert Dewayne “Turkey” Hargis, who was defeated in the county’s May Democratic Primary elections, was in charge of the department since 2002.
In one situation, the Highway Department allegedly performed various work on an individual’s farm over approximately nine years. The former Highway Superintendent allegedly has cattle on the farm. The work has included bulldozing stumps and hauling the stumps, dirt, and old tile to fill in a hollow on the farm.
More work was done on another farm which is farmed by an acquaintance of the former Highway Superintendent. Highway Department employees drove a bulldozer onto the property and “cleaned up” a wooded area. Investigators could not determine if the Highway Superintendent received any compensation for the work.
Other work has been performed at various Grundy County cemeteries. The Highway Department also maintained a portion of a private road which is owned by a department employee.
State law prohibits using county equipment, supplies or materials for work outside of official county road purposes.
Comptroller investigators also noted the former Highway Superintendent allowed employees to work on their personal vehicles in the department garage during work hours. This activity is also prohibited by state law.
Comptroller investigators have reviewed their findings with the district attorney general for the Twelfth Judicial District.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is all set for another year, as their Board of Directors approved a $10.55 billion budget Wednesday, which begins October 1.
The board opted to increase their customers’ annual retail rate by 1.5 percent, a percentage that is below the rate of inflation, a TVA news release indicates.
Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, believes the claim that TVA’s rates are among the lowest 25 percent in the U.S. is misleading.
Smith also takes issue with TVA’s performance with solar power.
TVA CEO Bill Johnson also said later this year, TVA will be announcing a major solar project involving a couple hundred mega-watts of solar power. He also says the company has already committed $8 million in contracts for more wind and solar energy throughout the valley.

Tullahoma native and country music superstar Dustin Lynch will officially join the Grand Ole Opry.
Lynch was clearly overwhelmed when Trace Atkins came on stage at the Opry on Tuesday night to give him the news.
The “Small Town Boy” will be inducted on September 18, 2018.
Dustin Lynch attended Tullahoma High School and graduated in 2003. He started playing guitar when he was around 8 or 9 but soon abandoned it, and then picked it up again at 15. When he was 16, he performed at the Bluebird Café in Nashville on an open mic night and was well received by the audience, so he decided to start a band. Lynch moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2003 where he studied Biology and Chemistry at Lipscomb University, receiving a B.S. degree in biology in 2007, and although he was interested in going to medical school, he decided to pursue a career in music.
Each December Lynch performs a concert in Tullahoma to raise money for a local charity.

Veteran-owned and operated Black Rifle Coffee Company opened its Manchester, Tennessee, roasting facility on Wednesday. Black Rifle Coffee Company is investing $6 million in that state. Combined with their Utah facility, the Tennessee plant will ensure that consumers all over America receive the freshest coffee available, roasted to order and delivered right to their door.
The Manchester facility is expected to create 52 jobs over the next five years, and since Black Rifle Coffee Company is committed to hiring 10,000 veterans as the business expands, qualified veterans living in Tennessee will have first consideration for any open positions. As a further commitment to former service members, the company will give preference to veteran-owned businesses as they bring on new vendors and suppliers.
Black Rifle Coffee Company is located at 621 Park Tower Road in Manchester.

The Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen invite the public to a reception and swearing-in ceremony to meet newly elected City and County officials. The Reception is Monday, August 27 from 4:30pm to 5:30pm at City Hall in the Board Chambers. Light refreshments will be served, and the swearing-in ceremony begins at 5:30.
The newly elected Tullahoma officials include: Tullahoma Alderman Dr. Jimmy Blanks and Alderman Ray Knowis; Tullahoma School Board Members Dr. Steve Lynn and Amy Johnson.
Recently elected Coffee County officials: County Mayor Gary Cordell; County Commissioners Barbara Buckner, Rosemary Crabtree, Jackie Duncan, Dwight Miller, Lynn Sebourn, Tildon Stubblefield, Tim Stubblefield and Mike Ray. Other Coffee County recently elected officials are: County Trustee John Marchesoni; County Clerk, Teresa McFadden; Register of Deeds, Donna Toney; Circuit Court Clerk, Heather Duncan; Sheriff Chad Partin; Road Superintendent, Benton Bartlett; County School Board Members, Pat Barton and Sandy Klonaris; Constables Brian Coate, James Sanders and Carl Wilson.

State and federal candidates will speak at this Friday’s first-of-its-kind summit, Working Together to Find Solutions to the Opioid Crisis, at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville.
The summit is presented by nonprofit organization Healthy Tennessee, founded by Dr. Manny Sethi. Senatorial candidates Marsha Blackburn and Phil Bredesen as well as gubernatorial candidates Karl Dean and Bill Lee will speak to attendees.
DATE: Friday August 24, 2018
TIME: 8:30 am – 2:30 pm