Category: News

Potential candidates for county offices have until Thursday, Feb. 15th at noon to turn in qualifying papers at the Coffee County Election Commission office, 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 6 in Manchester, TN.
Numerous offices are up for grabs in August, starting with the primary on May 1. This includes all 21 County Commission seats, as well as County Mayor, Sheriff, Register of Deeds, Road Superintendent, County Clerk, Trustee, Circuit Court Clerk and others.
Deadline for voter registration for the May 1 primary is April 2. Early voting will take place April 11-April 26, 2018.
Manchester and Tullahoma municipal elections and the county general along with state primaries will be held on Aug. 2.

Motlow State Community college is proud to announce its Emergency Medical Service (EMS) program recently received national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
“The Motlow EMS Education program plays an important role in providing exceptionally trained EMS personnel, many who return to the Motlow 11-county service area, who on a daily basis are helping to save lives and minimize trauma,” said Hilda Tunstill, interim Motlow president. “Obtaining the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs accreditation is further evidence of our commitment to better serve the region and our students.”
Receiving the accreditation means the Motlow EMS program meets the rigorous standards of quality set forth by the EMS professionals on the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs board, who determine what a program needs for its graduates to function successfully within their profession. Potential employers of EMS personnel seek graduates from CAAHEP accredited institutions.
“We are very proud of our staff and faculty for their hard work and dedication in obtaining this important milestone for the program. The strong leadership provided by Motlow EMS Director Drew Hooker continues to raise the bar for our EMS educational standards,” said Pat Hendrix, dean of Allied Health.
For more information about Motlow’s EMS Education program contact Drew Hooker at 931-438-0028 or dhooker@mscc.edu, or go to mscc.edu/nursing/ems.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has received complaints of the number 931-447-0287 calling and pretending to be with the Decherd Police Department. Eventually the individual will try to get you to pay a fine for missing jury duty etc… When the number is called back even the voice mail is set up as Decherd Police. THIS IS A SCAM!!!
Please do not give anyone calling your banking information unless you 100% trust them and always remember when in doubt call your local law enforcement agency and let them investigate it for you.

Throughout this past fall, Coffee County High School “Future Business Leaders of America” (FBLA) members, officers, and advisors, along with special volunteers, spent many hours organizing the “Team Up to Tackle Breast Cancer” event.
FBLA members sold t-shirts and Otis Spunkmeyer breast cancer cookies and hosted a “pink out” game where the football team wore pink jerseys and all other participants at the game sported pink. Funds raised from these activities have totaled $7,000.
The donation was presented to the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition with all funds set to benefit breast cancer patients in Coffee County. FBLA would like to thank everyone who participated in the various activities and donated so that one day a cure may be found!

Almost two dozen stores were padlocked Monday morning during a joint operation across Rutherford County, targeting stores allegedly selling illegal marijuana products that look like candy.
Officers from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne police departments, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation closed the 23 stores after a court order was given by from Circuit Court Judge Royce Taylor.
These candies were mainly made to look like Gummie Bears with CBD, a synthetic marijuana.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said his department received a tip from a parent about the candy being brought home by their child.

A Tennessee organization is working on a statewide event to oversee 25,000 volunteers planting 250,000 trees later this month.
The Tennessee Environmental Council says its Tennessee Tree Project was created to plant 1 million native trees across the state. The intention is to help repopulate trees in Tennessee. So far, the organization has planted more than 360,000 trees since 2007.
The event is set for Feb. 24.
Working with the council are the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Manchester Board of Education Regular Board Meeting at the Administrative Building on February 12, 2018 – 6:00 p.m. Work Session at 5 p.m.
1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER 1.1 Recognition of Visitors 1.2 Invocation/Pledge of Allegiance
2. CONSENT ITEMS 2.1 Approval of Minutes of January 9, 2018 2.2 Additions/Deletions and Acceptance of Agenda 2.3 Declaration of Technology Printers Surplus
3. AWARDS AND HONORS 3.1 Announcement of Elementary Basketball Champs
College Street Boys – Record: 10-0 Champions five (5) years in a row
3.2 Teachers of the Year
Building Level: Name: Heather Reid grades PK-4 CSE, Greg Ray 5-8 CSE, Misty Crosslin PK-4 WES, Jordan Hice 5-8 WES, Teri Leonard 5-8 WMS
District Level: Misty Crosslin grades Pk-4 and Greg Ray 5-8
4. COMMUNICATION TO THE BOARD 4.1 MEA 4.2 Beta Club Sponsor 4.3 Finance 4.4 Director of Maintenance/Facilities 4.5 Administrators/Principals
5. BOARD/DIRECTOR DISCUSSION
5.1 Ratification of Executive Action – Engagement Letter with Bone McAllester Norton, PLLC.
5.2 Ratification of Executive Action – PESG Contract
5.3 Creation of a 5-hour PK Special Education Assistant Position
5.4 Approval of Overnight Trip for 5th Graders – Cedars of Lebanon
6. PERSONNEL ANNOUNCEMENTS
7. OLD BUSINESS Budget
8. FUTURE MEETINGS (S) Regular Meeting – March 12, 2018
Dates of Interest: February 22-24 – WMS School Play (“Once on this Island”) at 7:00pm
February 28–WMS Sports Banquet
9. ADJOURNMENT

On February 8th, 2018 at approximately 1:00am, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office personnel, while on patrol in the Belvidere area of Franklin County observed a vehicle being operated by an individual they believed to be Hugh Lawson Hill, who they were attempting to locate due to a harassment complaint. Sgt. Chuck Stines attempted to initiate a traffic stop but the vehicle fled the scene resulting in a pursuit. The pursuit proceeded through the Sugar Cove area of Franklin County as well as the Hickory Grove area and eventually onto Maxwell Rd. Sheriff’s Office personnel were able to force the vehicle off the road at the intersection of Maxwell Road and David Crockett Parkway.
Once the vehicle was stopped, a Huntland Police officer attempted to place the truck in park, at which time the driver accelerated backward resulting in Officer Patrick Stefanski being dragged and his right leg being run over. Sheriff’s Office personnel then made contact with the truck once more rendering it inoperable and the driver was taken into custody.
Hugh Lawson Hill, 40 year-old of 765 Foster Lane, Belvidere, TN., was transported to the Franklin County Jail where is currently being held on a $150,000 bond. Hill is facing charges of: Aggravated Assault, Evading Arrest, Driving on Suspended License 4th Offense, Habitual Motor Offender, D.U.I. 4th Offense, Unlawful Carry/Possession of a Weapon, Reckless Endangerment and Reckless Driving. Hill has an initial court date of May 14th, 2018 in Franklin County General Sessions Court.

A Maury County woman is charged with TennCare fraud in Williamson and Coffee Counties, and it’s her second round of charges in Williamson County.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Williamson and Coffee County Sheriff’s Offices, have announced the arrest of Ashley M. Craig, 31, of Spring Hill. She was charged with TennCare doctor shopping in Williamson County, and upon posting bond, she was transferred to face the same charges in Coffee County. In both counties, she is charged with visiting multiple doctors’ offices in a short period of time to obtain drugs. In both cases, she was seeking the painkiller Hydrocodone.
Just last week, she was charged with doctor shopping in Williamson County for the painkiller Oxycodone.
District Attorney General Craig Northcott will be prosecuting the Coffee County case. TennCare fraud is a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,952 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”