Category: News

One of the most popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed on Tuesday for repairs.
The Clingmans Dome Observation Tower on the North Carolina-Tennessee state line is about 6,600 feet (2010 meters) above sea level, and the highest point in the Smoky Mountains.
Park spokeswoman Dana Soehn says the tower will be is closed through July 27.
Visitors will not be able to climb the tower while an overlay is installed on the lower ramp. But the Clingmans Dome parking overlook is open and offers scenic mountaintop views. Also, open are the visitor contact station and store, the trail up to the tower, and all access to the trailheads in the vicinity.

With political campaigns in their final weeks, early voting for the August 2nd county general and state primary elections will begin this Friday, July 13th.
In local races, voters will be electing county commissioners, a County Mayor, Sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, Register of Deeds, Trustee, Road Superintendent, County Clerk, County School Board, Constables and Road Commissioners.
Manchester voters will also select three Aldermen and three City School Board members. Tullahoma will elect 2 Aldermen and 2 School Board members.
State primary races include those of Governor, U-S Senator, U-S Representative and State Representative.
Early voting hours will be Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm and Saturdays from 8:30am until noon at the Election Commission office in the Coffee County Administration Plaza and in Tullahoma at the C.D. Stamps Center from 9am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday and Saturdays 9am-noon. Early voting will end on July 28th. Election Day is August 2nd. All voters who vote early or on Election Day must present a government issued photo ID.

A former jailer at the Bedford County Jail, 29 year-old Drew Anthony Greer of Wartrace was in court last week. Greer worked out an agreement with the district attorney’s office after he was indicted in February allegedly for bringing contraband, including drugs, into the county jail and for misconduct as a part of that crime.
Circuit Judge M. Wyatt Burk sentenced Greer to probation, if he violates his probation the man will receive on the first count of bringing drugs into the jail, 8 years at 35 percent and community corrections supervision. On the second misconduct charge, Greer received a 3-year sentence at 35 percent and community corrections supervision.
If Greer violates his probation, he would be required to serve just under four years (35 percent) of the 11-year total sentence before he would be eligible for early release.
Judge Burk mentioned briefly that because Greer knowingly allowed drugs to get into the jail, he also, in the process, convicted himself of aiding and abetting two criminals.
David Darrell Fletcher, formerly of Winchester, was reportedly the intended recipient of the drugs that made it inside the jail. In February, a Bedford County jury found Fletcher guilty of first degree murder, first degree murder in perpetrating a felony and aggravated burglary in the 2015 murder of Angela Kibble in Shelbyville. He will not be eligible for parole until September of 2080.
Greer allegedly received the drugs through Amber Marie Rinaldi, who claims she is married to Fletcher. She has also said on record that Fletcher is the father of her child. (Shelbyville Times-Gazette)

A weekend crash claimed the life of a Morrison man. It happened at the intersection of Colville and Depot Street in McMinnville Saturday afternoon.
According to police, a 2016 Toyota SUV, driven by 69 year-old Kenny Taylor of McMinnville, was crossing Colville Street northbound and pulled into the path of a 1987 Harley Davidson motorcycle, driven by Jay Alan Webster of Morrison, which was eastbound on Colville.
Webster died from his injuries a short time later at River Park Hospital.
Taylor, who is a former Warren County Sheriff, was cited for failure to yield. The investigation is continuing with the assistance of the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the District Attorney’s Office.

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced on Monday that Tennessee was awarded over $4.3 million in grant funding to support the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based strategies and activities to prevent childhood obesity, reduce the risk of children and adolescents developing chronic disease in adulthood, and help manage chronic health conditions prevalent in Tennessee students. In addition to this work, Tennessee was the only state to receive an additional grant to fund the National Professional Development and Partnership for School Health (NPDPSH) project. The funds, awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will also support professional development and training to help educators improve student health and academic achievement.

A presentation will be led by Jane Coleman-Cottone, the Certified Local Government Coordinator for the Tennessee Historical Commission on Tuesday (July 10) in downtown Manchester at “The Church at 117” on East Fort Street beginning at 11am.
Topics of discussion will be how historic zoning can bolster downtown revitalization and development. There will ample opportunity to have your questions answered by Cottone, regarding historic zoning issues and regulations.
As the Certified Local Government Coordinator, Cottone assists towns and cities across the state in setting up and running their historic zoning commissions.
The meeting is being conducted to help downtown merchants, residents, city officials and downtown property owners.

The TBI is investigating the 4th of July shooting death of Murfreesboro Cardiologist, Chester D. Falterman at a gun range in neighboring Woodbury.
Around 4:00 o’clock Wednesday afternoon (7/4/2018), the Cannon County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accidental shooting call to the OK Coaral Shooting Range at 3175 Pleasant Ridge Road in Woodbury.
A TBI spokesman says preliminary information indicates the incident does not involve foul play. TBI was asked to head up the investigation by 16th District Attorney General Jennings Jones.
Dr. Falterman practiced with St. Thomas Heart in Murfreesboro. (WGNS Radio)

The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is reminding parents and caregivers of the necessity of child fire safety education this summer in light of a recent analysis of state fire data that reveals an ongoing increase in child fire fatalities during this time of year.
Data from the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System shows that since 2010 there is an observed increase in fire fatalities and multiple fatality incidents involving children under 18 in the months of June and July. In fact, 16 percent of all Tennessee house fire victims under the age of 18 died in fires in June and July. Since 2010, seven child fire deaths occurred in June and eight occurred in July, compared to a total of only one in May and four in August, figures show.
“During the summer months, children are often left at home with teenage siblings or babysitters,” State Fire Marshal and Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “Parents must take care to ensure children know what to do if there is an emergency. We encourage parents to sit down with their children to discuss a home fire escape plan and what to do in an emergency.”
The SFMO encourages Tennesseans to create a home fire escape plan with a designated outside meeting place. The plan should be practiced at least twice a year with everyone who lives in the home. Additionally, since most deadly fires occur at night, every bedroom should be equipped with a working smoke alarm.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office offers the following additional tips to help you best protect your family from the dangers of fire:
Plan Your Escape
• Draw a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room.
• Agree on an outside meeting place where everyone should gather in the event of an emergency. Make sure it’s something permanent, like a tree, light pole, or mail box, and that it’s a safe distance from the home.
• Practice makes perfect! Hold home fire drills twice a year to ensure everyone in your home knows what to do in the event of a fire. Practice using different ways out.
Be Prepared
• Install smoke alarms inside every sleeping area, outside every sleeping area and on every level of the home. The SFMO has created a helpful video showing how to properly install smoke alarms.
• Test smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year. Remember: no matter what type of smoke alarm you use, they are only good for 10 years.
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and what it signifies.
• Ensure everyone in the household can unlock and open all doors and windows, even in the dark.
• If a room has a window air conditioner, make sure there is still a second way out of the room. Windows with security bars, grills, and window guards should have emergency release devices. Make sure you everyone in the home can operate these.
• Children, older adults, and people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make sure that someone will help them.
• Teach your children how to escape on their own in case you cannot help them.
Get Out
• If the smoke alarm sounds or fire is discovered in your home, get out fast. Close doors behind you as you leave to help stop the spread of the fire.
• Test doors before opening them. Use the back of your hand to see if the door is warm. If it is, use another escape route.
• If you have to escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your way out.
• If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors with clothes or towels to keep out smoke. Call the fire department, wait at a window and signal for help with a light-colored cloth or a flashlight.
Stay Out
• Once you are out, stay out. Don’t go back inside for any reason.
• Call the fire department from your safe, outside meeting place.
• If people or pets are trapped, notify the fire department and let them handle the rescue efforts.

Tennesseans will head to the polls in 2018 with an updated way to proudly honor someone who is serving or has served our country.
The Honor Vote program allows registered Tennessee voters to dedicate their vote to a U.S. veteran or active duty military member, both online and with a commemorative button, to thank them for protecting our country.
Once enrolled, dedications are posted on the official Honor Vote List as well as the Honor Vote Twitter account @tnhonorvote. Voters can also share their dedication on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GoVoteTN.
The Division of Elections will send a packet to each participant with an official Honor Vote button. Voters are encouraged to wear their button while going to the polls in honor of the veteran or service member they are recognizing.
“The men and women of the U.S. military ensure our freedom and democracy, allowing us to cast a ballot each Election Day. It’s important we honor those who protect that right,” said Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I’m proud we are able to offer customized buttons to honor the specific branch each honoree represents.”
The program returns this election season with the ability to honor military service members by branch, including Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Tennessee National Guard. Each branch now has its own button branded with its unique camouflage pattern.
To learn more, visit GoVoteTN.com/honor.