On Monday the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to approve $13,522,192 budget for 2018-19. The vote was 4-2 with aldermen Bob Bellamy and Lana Sain voting no.
The board’s vote included $799,153 taken out of city’s reserve funds, also known as the rainy-day fund. This marks the second consecutive year the board has withdrawn from the reserve fund to balance their budget.
The property tax rate was set at $1.93 for every $100 of assessed value.
Category: News
$13.5 Million Budget set by Manchester Leaders
Autopsy Results Reveal the man that Died at Bonnaroo 2018 was due to an Overdose
Photo from above Bonnaroo
The Tennessean cited a toxicology report that said 32-year-old Michael Donivan Craddock Jr. of Mt. Juliet had cocaine, alcohol and high levels of a psychedelic amphetamine in his system when he died.
Craddock was found dead on June 8 in a car at a festival campground.
Dozens of people were treated for heat-related issues at the four-day summer festival.
The death was the 13th in the festival’s 17-year history.
Man Wanted in a Child Pornography Case is Arrested
An investigation by Special Agents with the Technical Services Unit of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and federal law enforcement officers, has resulted in the arrest of a Bell Buckle man.
On July 25th, Agents were notified that a fugitive being sought by the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General was known to be in the Bedford County area. Bradley Richmond had been identified as the subject of an online undercover child pornography case and had multiple warrants out of Kentucky after being indicted on 15 counts related to child pornography.
Late last week, 23-year-old Bradley James Richmond was arrested and charged with Fugitive from Justice, stemming from the active warrants out of Kentucky. He was booked into the Bedford County Jail and is expected to be extradited to Kentucky.
31 Teachers to help with TNReady
The Tennessee Education Department has chosen a group of educators and testing coordinators tasked with improving the state assessment program during the 2018-19 school year.
The 31 teachers and six testing coordinators who make up this group will advise the Department of Education and its vendors, according to a written statement by TDE.
More than 900 educators applied over the summer for the 37 ambassador positions. Ambassadors will receive training on how to conduct their duties. TDE said they will also be compensated for their additional work.
According to TDE, the department is making other changes to the TNReady system, including eliminating two TNReady exams and eliminating the March stand-alone test field for the next two years.
Notably, the department said it is bringing in a third-party to perform an independent review of Questar, the testing vendor that has had repeated technical difficulties interfering with results.
UPDATE–Missing Teenager Found
We have good news to report. The missing teenager we reported about on Tuesday afternoon has been found safe. Autumn Jewel Bullock, 16 years old from Beechgrove was reported missing after she left her home on the morning of July 28, 2018.
Autumn Jewel Bullock contacted her mother on July 30, 2018 via social media and reported was reported missing by her mother.
She was located on Tuesday night and the missing person’s report is now closed.
Autumn Jewel Bullock
Thursday is Election Day
Manchester’s City election features three aldermen seats and three city school board seats up for grabs.
For Alderman: Tammie K Fuller, Terence B Hillsman, Marilyn Howard, Mark Messick, Bill Nickels, Donny Parsley and James Threet. (vote for up to 3)
Manchester City School Board: Lisa Lovelady Gregory, C. Travis Hillis, James “Jim “Lemmons and Prater Powell. (vote for up to 3)
City of Tullahoma Alderman: Jimmy Blanks, Ray Knowis and Stephen Landers. (vote for up to 2)
Tullahoma City School Board: Steve Lynn and Amy Johnson (vote for up to 2)
In county elections: Mayor: (R) Gary Cordell, (D) David Pennington and (I) Tim Brown
Sheriff: (D) Stephen Graves, (R) Chad Partin
County Clerk: (D) Teresa Henegar McFadden, (R) Jenna Amacher
Register of Deeds: (D) Teresa Wright and (R) Donna Toney
County Trustee: (R) John Marchesoni, (D) Robin Dunn
Road Superintendent: (D) Ronnie Dale Watts and (R) Benton Bartlett
Coffee County School Board: The only contested race is Pat Barton versus Steve Jernigan for Seat 4.
Coffee County commissioners:
D1: (D) Nilesh Patel, (R) Helen Debellis
D2: (D) Dan Fleenor, (R) Steven Jones and (I) Jimmy Hollandsworth
D3: (D) Paul Thornton, (R) Todd Crockett
D4: (D) Lee Ellard, (R) Joey Hobbs
D5: (R) Bill Judkins and (I) Bobby Bryan
D6: (D) Pat Carr, (R) Dennis Hunt
D7: (R) Paul Gish and (I) Margaret Cunningham
D8: (R) Emily Powers Howes
D9: (I) David Orrick
D10: (D) Harley Meyers, (R) Scarlett Taylor
D11: (D) Barry E. West, (R) Jim Fielding
D12: (R) Ashley Kraft and (I) Timothy Morris
D13: Michael Lex Ray (I)
D14: (D) Missy Davis Deford
D15: (D) Clifton T. Campbell, (R) Dwight A. Miller
D16: (R) Tim Stubblefield and (I) Marian Galbraith
D17: (D) Jimmy Bradford, (R) Tildon J. Stubblefield
D18: (D) David E. Clark, (R) Barbara S. Buckner
D19: (D) Jackie A. Duncan
D20: (D) Rosemary Crabtree
D21: (D) Gwen Carr, (R) Charles Lynn Sebourn
Poles will open for the state primary, county general and city elections in Coffee County at 8am and close at 7pm. Live election coverage starts at 7pm on Thunder Radio.
THP Working to Keep School Buses Safe
As Tennessee students return to the classroom the Tennessee Highway Patrol is working to make sure the buses children ride to and from school are safe and working properly.
Inspectors are checking tires, brakes, seats, windows, emergency exits and underneath each bus.
They want to find and fix little problems before they become big ones.
When students go back to school, troopers plan to follow school buses to make sure cars around them are stopping and are not speeding in school zones.
Fake Money Leads to Woman’s Arrest
On Friday July 27th 2018, Tullahoma Police Officer Rocky Ruehling responded to a call at Sonic on North Jackson Street in reference to a person attempting to pay with a counterfeit 100 dollar bill. A description of the female and the vehicle she was driving was given to the officer. A short time later officers located the woman driving a vehicle matching the description. Upon making a traffic stop the woman identified as Brandi Danielle Frazier age 31 of Locust Fort, Alabama admitted to being at the Sonic and admitted that she tried to use the bill but said she did not know it was fake.
Officers then allegedly observed in plain sight a small marijuana cigarette in the ash tray. Officers then received permission to search the vehicle and reportedly found in the floorboard next to the driver seat a small bag of white residue believed to be crack cocaine. The arrest warrant indicates that officers found several needles with a brown residue and a marijuana pipe. A check of the Frazier’s driving privilege revealed she was driving on a revoked license.
Tullahoma Officer Rocky Ruehling charged Frazier with criminal simulation, schedule II and VI drug violations, unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities. Bond was set at $10,000 and she is set to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on August 23, 2018.
Tennessee General Assembly will have Lots of New Faces
Tennessee State Capital
Eighteen Republican and seven Democratic incumbents in the House won’t be running again. They include Republican Speaker Beth Harwell of Nashville, a gubernatorial candidate. The 47th district which includes all of Coffee County and a portion of Warren County is represented Republican Judd Matheny from Tullahoma. He is not seeking re-election but instead choosing to run for 6th district United States Congress.
The senators not seeking re-election are Democrats Lee Harris of Memphis and Thelma Harper of Nashville. Republican Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro has also decided to not run for again for his seat. Ketron is running for Rutherford County Mayor.
The primary, county general and city elections are Thursday with poles opening in Coffee County at 8am and closing at 7pm. Live election coverage starts at 7pm on Thunder Radio.
