Category: News

This week, more than 20 male prisoners in Tennessee are celebrating the completion of the associate degrees they earned while behind bars.
It’s the first such group to receive the honor in more than 20 years.
The inmates will graduate at the Turney Center Industrial Complex as part of a program with Nashville State Community College that’s coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI).
Executive director Molly Lasagna says education is one way to give people a place to start once they are released.
“Our mission at the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative is really to think about the way that higher education opportunities, college opportunities, prepare folks to go back to their communities and experience success,” she states.
THEI currently has 140 students enrolled at two prison facilities, the other being in the Memphis area at Northwest Correctional Complex in partnership with Dyersburg State Community College.
A mix of public and private funding supports the program. It has been in existence since 2012, and Lasagna says the recidivism rate is 4 percent, compared with the state average of more than 40 percent.
Similar programs have been more widely available to female inmates in Tennessee for several years.
Lasagna says the education the men and women receive only helps them contribute to their communities.
“The majority of our students will be released from prison either during their studies or once their studies are complete,” she points out.
According to the Institute for Higher Education Policy, recidivism rates for incarcerated people who participated in educational programs behind bars were on average 46 percent lower than rates of inmates who did not take college classes.

According to an arrest warrant filed on Monday (Jan. 8, 2018), beginning at approximately age 5 (2004) and continuing until the female victim was approximately age 12 in 2011, Jewell Daniel Frame age 71 of Suits Me Lane Manchester, allegedly on multiple occasions engaged in unlawful sexual activity with the victim.
The warrant states that this alleged action by Frame occurred while the victim was more than 3 years of age but less that thirteen years of age.
Frame was charged by Deputy Brandon Reed of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department with Rape of a Child. His bond was set at $500,000 and he is set to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on January 15, 2018.
If anyone has information that could assist in the investigation of this case, please contact Deputy Reed at 931-570-4191.

A Shelbyville man was found shot multiple times at a park in Winchester Monday afternoon.
Harvey Dwayne Harper, 41, of Shoma Drive Shelbyille was found dead in his vehicle in the Oak Park in Winchester located on Oak Street around 4 p.m.
“Officer Lamar Howard spotted a vehicle sitting in the park and a man sitting in it,” Winchester Police Chief Ritchie Lewis stated Tuesday. “Lamar walked up to the car and saw that the man had been shot several times.” According to the chief it appears that the man had been shot with a pistol several times.
The chief stated that officers have reason to believe that Harper had been in the park “for most of the day.”
The body was sent to the State Medical Examiner where an autopsy will be performed. The car that Harper was in, will be sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for an analysis of the content to determine if there are any traces of evidence in it.
Chief Lewis asked that anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Winchester Police Department at 931-967-3840.

A Murfreesboro Podiatrist, who also operated an office in Manchester, will be sentenced to prison later this month on January 26, 2018. 51 year-old John J. Cauthon of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was convicted in 2017 by a federal jury on four counts of health care fraud involving a 16-month scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs, announced Donald Q. Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. The convictions came after a two-week trial before United States Chief District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. Cauthon was also acquitted of three counts of health care fraud.
According to the Indictment and the evidence presented at trial, from May 2014 to August 2015, Cauthon executed a scheme to defraud Medicare, TennCare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee by submitting false and fraudulent claims for surgical procedures he did not perform. Cauthon traveled around to nursing homes across Tennessee and up-coded routine foot care to nail avulsions, which is paid out at a higher rate by Medicare. Cauthon’s former employees testified at trial that they witnessed him prescribe medically unnecessary ankle braces to bed-bound patients and witnessed him pocket Medicare funds after durable medical equipment was returned or never picked up by patients.
Cauthon, the former Murfreesboro and Manchester doctor is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2018. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of health care fraud. (WGNS Radio)

Four Tennesseans have lost their lives to the flu so far this year, and it’s not even the peak of the flu season.
The most recent death was a pregnant woman. The other three victims have been children.
The Tennessee Department of Health says children and pregnant women are among the most at risk.
Nearly every county health department in Tennessee is offering flu shots for the rest of the season. This includes the two locations in Coffee County.
Nationwide, 106 people have died this flu season.

Slim Shady is coming to Manchester in June. One of the country’s premier multi-day musical events, Bonnaroo, has announced their lineup for the 2018 edition.
Eminem, The Killers and Muse headline the event, with a long list of other performers that includes Sheryl Crow, Moon Taxi, and dozens of other bands and performers.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 12 at 10:00am at Bonnaroo.com
Bonnaroo is scheduled for June 7-10 in Manchester, TN.
Tickets start at $299.50 plus a fee $37.90 per GA ticket, which includes a $6.00 facility fee, $4.00 contribution to Coffee County, $2.00 charity donation, and other related fees.

On Sunday afternoon (01/07/2018) Corporal Harmon Campbell with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department responded to a house fire at 999 Roberts Ridge Rd. When Campbell arrived, the house was fully engulfed.
A short time later the North Coffee County Volunteer Fire Department arrived and began extinguishing the fire. Other volunteer departments were also on the scene for mutual aid.
Campbell made contact with the owner Virgil Johns who said he grabbed two fire extinguishers to fight the fire but could not see through the heavy smoke.
Johns called 911 and exited the home with his daughter.
The home, valued at $150,000 was destroyed by the blaze.

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate after an assault call led to the discovery of marijuana and weapons. Deputies responded to the call on Ducktown Circle in Palmer last week.
Upon arrival they discovered the suspect, Thomas Joshua Day (32), had been fighting with family members.
During the course of the investigation, deputies found approximately two pounds of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and legend drugs. Also found was an AR-15, .45 semi-auto and 22 revolver pistols along with body armor.
Day is currently being held at the Grundy County Detention Center and is charged with manufacturing/sell & delivery of Schedule VI, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of firearm during dangerous felony, possession of legend drugs and drug paraphernalia.