Category: News

Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center has been awarded re-accreditation by National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process. As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, National Children’s Alliance awards various levels of accreditation and membership to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision.
Accredited CACs must undergo a re-accreditation process every five years to ensure that best practices are continually being applied. With accreditation standards being updated in 2017, re-accreditation this year reflects Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center’s commitment to providing evidence-based methods practice.
Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center has been helping children in Coffee County since opening in 2005. Since then, over 3,450 children and families have been helped and over 18,500 have participated in child abuse prevention and awareness programs. The Center provides services including forensic interviews of child victims, child and family advocacy services, trauma focused mental health services, specialized medical exams on-site through a partnership with Our Kids and child abuse prevention programs throughout the community. All services are provided free of charge. As an Accredited Member of National Children’s Alliance, Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center is dedicated to providing comprehensive, coordinated and compassionate services to victims of child abuse.
National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims. Accredited Members must utilize a functioning and effective Multidisciplinary Team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy, medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and child focused setting.
“As an organization/team of individuals dedicated to responding to child abuse, we recognize the importance of providing the highest level of intervention services for children and families that are affected by child abuse. Re-accreditation not only validates the Center’s dedication to proven effective approaches of child abuse intervention and prevention, but also contributes to consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Joyce Prusak, Executive Director of Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center.
“Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center is to be commended for its continued commitment to effectively serve victims of child abuse. As the national association and accrediting body for Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country, our goal is to ensure that every victim of child abuse has access to high quality services that result from professional collaboration. By requiring Accredited Centers to undergo re-Accreditation every five years, we ensure that evidence-based practices are being implemented and the highest quality of service is being provided,” remarked Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance.
For more information about Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center, please call 723-8888 or visit www.coffeecountycac.org.

Near-constant rain is creating flooding through parts of Tennessee. AAA urges caution on the road during periods of heavy rainfall because it can cause reduced visibility. In fact, nearly 1.2 million traffic crashes occur each year on wet pavement with more than a half million injuries and 5,700 deaths, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“There’s no way to tell how deep standing water is, so motorists should avoid driving through water covered and flooded roads,” said Stephanie Milani, Tennessee Public Affairs Director for “The Auto Club Group.” “Driving on familiar water covered roads is no safer because objects could be below the water that could cause damage to your vehicle.”
Here’s what can happen to your vehicle if you drive through standing water:
• Engine floods with rain water
• Brake rotors warp from rapid cooling when immersed in water
• Loss of power steering
• Short in electrical components
Know what to do if your vehicle stalls in water:
• DO NOT remain in the car. Abandon it as soon as possible and seek higher ground. Flood waters can elevate quickly, sweeping away the vehicle and its occupants.
• Do not restart the vehicle. If your vehicle shuts down while in standing water, do not try to restart it. Restarting a vehicle in standing water can cause more water to enter the engine and could cost thousands of dollars to repair.
• Contact your insurance company. Depending on the vehicle year, make and model, the cost of repairing flood damage can easily exceed a car’s value. Contact your insurance company for help in determining the best course of action.
• Have vehicle inspected by a qualified technician. Once the vehicle can be moved safely, take it to a trusted mechanic for a thorough inspection of mechanical and electrical systems and to flush contaminated systems.

Police say a Bedford County inmate is now back in custody after escaping for the fifth time.
According to the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, 25 year-old Andrew Phillip Marshall from Estill Springs was reported missing around 5 a.m. on Feb. 19.
Marshall escaped the jail by climbing into a vent in the ceiling of his cell which put him on the jail’s roof and shimmied down the side of the building.
Marshall was eventually tracked to Texas, where he was taken into custody on Monday (Feb. 26).
Marshall is suspected of stealing a car in Tullahoma. Texas authorities discovered the car abandoned before finding Marshall.
He will now be facing charges in Coffee County.

The Tennessee Judicial Conference and the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference have adopted new minimum courtroom security standards to promote the security and safety of the members of the judiciary, court personnel, and the public. The standards were last updated in the 1990s.
In the past year, there have been at least three major security breaches in Tennessee courthouses, including a serious weapons incident here in Coffee County.
On Monday June 19, 2017 there was shooting inside the Coffee County Justice Center. An inmate was in the courthouse for a hearing on charges of domestic-related kidnapping, evading arrest and other charges.
The man attacked Deputy Wade Bassett as he was escorting the inmate to a transport van. The two engaged in a significant struggle with the inmate gaining control of the deputy’s weapon after severely biting Bassett’s hand. The man then shot the deputy, but his bullet proof vest protected him.
After making his way downstairs of the justice center the inmate then shot Deputy Wendell Bowen in the stomach, causing a severe injury.
Minutes later the inmate took his own life down the street from the Justice Center.
The new, approved court security criteria include:
(1) Silent bench and court clerk’s public transaction counter panic button connected directly to the sheriff’s department or police department.
(2) A bullet-proof bench and court clerk work area in courtrooms.
(3) Availability of armed, uniformed guard (court officer) in each courtroom during court sessions.
(4) Court security training for court officers. Court security briefing on annual basis for judicial staff and courthouse personnel.
(5) Hand-held detectors (minimum of 2) and/or magnetometers in each county to assure the safety in each courthouse or courtroom.
(6) Each court building shall have signage posted at each court access entrance stating that all persons are subject to search by security personnel. Prohibited items are subject to seizure and forfeiture. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: firearms; other forms of weaponry; and any item(s) that can be transformed into a weapon.
(7) Hand held inspection security mirror to be used to view under courtroom seating and other areas for safety in the courthouse and/or courtroom(s).

If you have a 2017-2018 hunting or fishing license, those expire February 28th. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is now selling licenses that will be good through February 2019.
These licenses are the primary funding mechanism for the TWRA. They can be purchased at any of their regional offices statewide, through their website at tn.gov/TWRA or through their phone app. Keep in mind that a Social Security number is required to purchase a hunting or fishing license in the state of Tennessee.

On Saturday (February 24th, 2018) Manchester Police Officer Daniel Ray states that he observed Floyd Daniel Fults age 41 of Hillsboro
operating a motor vehicle on Hillsboro Blvd. The arrest warrant says that Ray knew Fults had active warrants. Allegedly the man attempted to flee from the officer and drove through two business parking lots apparently placing numerous people at risk of serious bodily injury, in an attempt to evade Officer Ray. Fults’ vehicle was located behind Food Lion and a witness stated that the man took off on foot through the woods.
Another officer located the man on Rye Street allegedly trying kick in the front door of a residence in apparent further attempt to evade arrest. Fults was placed into custody and transported to the Coffee County Jail.
He was charged with reckless endangerment, evading arrest, driving on revoked/suspended 4th offense and criminal impersonation. Bond was set at $27,500 and he will appear in court on March 27, 2018.
Fults also has active warrants in Franklin County.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) customers are footing the bill for an estimated $40 million worth of luxury jets and a Mercedes Benz helicopter, according to public records from the Federal Aviation Administration registry, which details TVA purchases over the last two years.
The expenditure comes amid growing concern about rate breaks given to industrial customers, versus what residential consumers pay.
Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, says this recent discovery doesn’t add up.
“Every month, you’re sending your hard-earned money away, thinking that you’re paying for just electricity,” Smith says. “They’re manipulating the rates, and they’re going out and buying corporate jets and helicopters on your dime.”
Smith and others are calling for an investigation – potentially by Congress, since the utility is technically a federal agency.
He says another concern is that currently, TVA is a self-regulated utility. In comparison, all other utility providers in the southeastern United States have oversight by independent utility regulators.
In a statement, TVA said because of its vast service area, private aircraft are needed to meet the needs of customers and stakeholders, and that the recent purchases were made to improve the safety of its fleet.
Smith says no one is questioning the need for aircraft, but his group’s concern is the value of the aircraft involved. In the past, TVA has said such items are needed to enable the utility to bring industry to the state, but the alliance and other consumer groups aren’t buying it.
“Every time they want to justify some outlandish expense or behavior that ends up hurting the common person, they say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this for economic development,'” Smith states. “But the reality is, why are they flying people around in a helicopter with hardwood floors? Is that really going to make the difference in a deal?”
The alliance joins Conservatives for Energy Freedom and the Tennessee NAACP in calling for federal, state and local leaders to create and enforce laws that would realign TVA with its original charter – to sell electricity to people in the Tennessee Valley at the lowest possible price.

Jack Daniel’s wants state lawmakers to ensure that distillers aren’t subject to Tennessee property tax on whiskey barrels, which the company says it hasn’t had to pay at least since Prohibition ended eight decades ago.
The whiskey giant is pushing the barrel tax exemption bill after an auditor for Moore County’s property assessor recently determined the company’s barrels are taxable. A legislative fiscal review says the tax would cost Jack Daniel’s $2.8 million this year.
Jack Daniel’s master distiller Jeff Arnett says the barrels are inventory because they’re sold for other uses afterward. He says the tax would hurt Tennessee distilleries and would be against the state Constitution.
Ralph Cooper, the Tennessee County Services Association’s lobbyist, says the audit found Jack Daniel’s hadn’t self-reported the barrels for personal property tax.