Category: News

State officials say 12 communities in Tennessee will participate in a program aimed at revitalizing their downtown commercial districts.
Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe said Friday that the communities will receive a $15,000 grant to complete a commercial improvement project as part of their inclusion in the Tennessee Downtowns program.
The communities are Alamo, Bell Buckle, Clinton, Dresden, Huntingdon, Jasper, Lexington, Lynnville, Newport, Trenton, Tullahoma and Watertown.
In a news release, Rolfe says the program “promotes retail and tourism but also encourages economic growth.”
Since 2010, 58 communities have participated in the program. Officials say the selection process was based on historic commercial resources, economic and physical need, demonstrated local effort, overall presentation and probability of success.

A man stopped for a traffic violation in Murfreesboro now faces three drug related charges and a charge for driving on a revoked license.
Kenneth Shane Fox of Bell Buckle was pulled over on Old Fort Parkway for a tag violation and failing to come to a complete stop while exiting a business.
Evidently, Fox had a revoked license for failing to pay for past fines. The report shows that this was the fourth time he was caught driving on a revoked license.
When police searched the 41 year old man, the arresting officer noted the discovery of a cut straw that had what looked to be drug residue on it.
Inside the car that Fox was driving, police located a small amount of methamphetamine along with empty baggies with possible drug residue inside of them. Police also discovered three Vyvanse pills (ADHD medication) and what looked to be a “Meth” pipe wrapped in paper and another “Meth” pipe in the trunk of the car.
Also in the car was a .22 rifle which is illegal for a convicted felon to possess. Fox told police that he is a convicted felon, although dispatch was unable to confirm that information.
Fox is due in court on August 23, 2018. He is currently free after posting a $12,000 bond. (WGNS-Radio)

Former Coffee County High School baseball coach Brad Weir, 47, returned to Manchester Friday and is now being held in the Coffee County Jail. Back on April 22 in Hamilton County, Weir allegedly struck a man with the car he was driving. Later that night Weir was being served an arrest warrant for the alleged aggravated assault. He was later charged with resisting arrest and assault of a police officer.
His bond was revoked by Coffee County Judge Vanessa Jackson. Weir has been free on $100,000 bond from the Coffee County Jail since early 2015 when he was arrested for allegedly having sex with a 15-year old student. Charges include statutory rape by an authority figure, one count of aggravated rape, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, seven counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He has pleaded not guilty.

On Thursday (May 10th, 2018) Manchester Police responded to Yamoto restaurant for a welfare check on a subject who appeared to be passed out. Upon arrival officers located the subject inside the restaurant at a table slouched over. The subject had extremely slurred speech, was very lethargic and upon standing was unsteady on his feet. Officers asked the man for his driver’s license and he told officers that it was in his car.  Officers found the subject’s vehicle parked in the parking lot and then asked the subject for consent to search.  There officers found $3,680 in cash 10 1/2 Diazepam tablets and 13 Trazadone tablets, 4 and 1/2 bars of Alprazolam, 3 Adderall tablets and one other prescription pill.
Manchester Officer Daniel Ray arrested Matthew David Terrill age 42 of Murfreesboro for manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance and public intoxication. Terrill’s bond was set at $25,500 and he is set to appear in Coffee Court General Sessions Court May 22, 2018.

On Thursday (May 10th, 2018) Manchester Police Officer Derek Boles responded to the Greyhound bus station on the Woodbury Highway in reference to a suspicious person. Upon arrival, Boles walked in and the clerk pointed at a man telling the officer that the man had no bus money and that he refused to leave.
As the officer went to speak to the man, he walked away. According to the arrest warrant, when the officer asked the man to come and speak with him he noticed the man allegedly attempting to retrieve something from his front pocket. The officer asked the subject to turn around and to interlock his fingers above his head, so he could pat him down for his safety.  The man later identified as Isaiah Antonio Tyler, age 20, of Greenville, MS, allegedly hit the officer near his face. The warrant goes onto state that Tyler grabbed Officer Boles around his neck. The man is also accused of attempting to grab the officer’s service weapon during a struggle. Tyler was tased by the officer but broke away and ran across the parking lot of a nearby business before being apprehended.
Tyler was charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest, resisting arrest and vandalism. His bond was set at $22,500 and a court date of May 22, 2018.

On Thursday evening the New Union Fire Department and Coffee County deputies responded to a fire at Rimfire Dr. inside Lakewood Park.
When Deputy Duston Foster along with Sgt. Dwayne Mullins arrived, they observed the camper home fully engulfed in flames.
Upon speaking with the owner, William Walters, he stated that he had left his residence for about thirty minutes to visit a friend. When he returned he noticed his residence was on fire.
The New Union Fire Department extinguished the blaze, but the camper home was a total loss.

Bonnarroo is just around the corner. Local agencies are planning, training and have strategies in place, should an emergency occur during the music festival. At a recent “summit” hosted by Director of Homeland Security and Coffee County Emergency Management, Allen Lendley, over 18 emergency agencies came together for a planning and training session. See the video for more information.

The following agencies were represented:
Harton Hospital, Unity Medical Center, The National Guard 45th, Manchester City Police Department, Hillsboro Fire Department, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Coffee County EMA, Manchester City Fire Department, Coffee County EMS, Coffee County Rescue Squad, (multiple) Bonnaroo private security agencies, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Coffee County 911 Comm Center, Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Alcohol and Beverage Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, AEDC Fire Department and State Health.