Motlow Scholarship Reception
Category: News
Foundation Scholarship Donors Honored by Motlow
As Roadway Deaths Increase THP Urging Everyone to Drive Safely
As the year is quickly coming to an end, the Tennessee Highway Patrol is urging everyone to drive safely and lower the traffic fatalities on Tennessee roads.
So far in 2017, 898 people have lost their lives on Tennessee roads, the same as this time last year. 14 have died in crashes on roads in Coffee County this year up from 2016 when 6 people had died.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol urges you to be safe, buckle your seat belt, don’t speed, don’t drive intoxicated and don’t drive distracted.
Possible Embezzlement from Tullahoma Business
A Tullahoma man was arrested on Nov. 10 on the charge of theft that contains embezzlement.
Tullahoma Police Officer Matt Pruitt arrived at K-Mart on North Jackson Street in reference to a larceny call. When Officer Pruitt spoke to Cheryl Montesi of the store he was told that employee Jaavan Shay Williams, 18, of West Lincoln Street had been taking money from the register prior to leaving work since Oct. 13. Montesi alleged that Williams had taken money on approximately 14 different occasions totaling $2,900.
Williams allegedly told the officer that he had been taking the money because he lost a scholarship at Motlow College. But according to the police report most of the funds were in his Motlow account.
Williams was arrested on the embezzlement charge and booked into the Coffee County Jail. His bond was set at $5,000. He is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Nov. 22.
Montesi told the officer that she would obtain copies of security video for each incident.
UPDATE–Decherd Runaway Found
The Decherd Police Department has located a runaway juvenile. James Dalton Jones, age 17, had been missing since September 20, 2017. Dalton was found and taken into custody on Tuesday. November 15, 2017.
Survey being conducted for Duck River Electric Membership Corporation
Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC) and a Touchstone Energy third-party member survey affiliate, Bellomy Research, Inc., has begun a market research study to better understand how its members are using and accessing the internet in their households as part of the cooperative’s ongoing due diligence relating to offering broadband services in its service area.
DREMC’s study will target the opinions of residential members who are randomly selected in efforts to represent various age groups who live in both rural and more densely populated areas within its service area. The purpose of the survey is to gather an accurate representation of current broadband availability and member interest and level of support of the utility offering internet service.
“The survey is being conducted by a reputable and trusted affiliate,” says Member Services Manager Carol Garrette. “We encourage our members to participate and voice their needs and opinions relating to our possible offering of internet service.”
The broadband survey will inquire about the following and other relative survey information:
• Satisfaction with current internet service providers (ISP) and the services they provide
• Current ISP pricing
• Online behaviors (how often is internet service used or needed at the residence)
• Level of interest in obtaining internet service for those currently without service
• Importance of DREMC’s involvement in bringing broadband to rural areas
Garrette adds that some DREMC members will receive the survey via email while others will be contacted by phone. The email survey will originate from Bellomy Research, Inc. and will include the DREMC logo and cooperative’s name as the survey sponsor. The phone survey can be identified on Caller ID as “Opinion Counts” and will originate from the survey call center using a 336 area code. Furthermore, telephone interviewers will identify themselves as calling on behalf of DREMC.
“Member input is very important regarding the broadband venture,” adds Garrette. “We have spent months researching this possibility, weighing and considering all options and possibilities before making a conclusion on its feasibility and how it fits with our cooperative’s mission statement and commitment to our communities. This survey will serve DREMC as one more voice from our members and help us gauge the need for reliable, affordable broadband service, as well as member commitment, across our service area.”
If you have questions about the broadband survey, please contact the DREMC Member Services Department at 931-680-5883.
Bedford County Woman’s Guilty Verdict Reinstated by Supreme Court
A guilty verdict against a Bedford County woman who paid two men to kill her husband in 2012 has been reinstated by the Tennessee Supreme Court.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals overturned the verdict against Susan Walls last year because deliberations in her trial continued until 1 a.m. One juror had fallen asleep several hours earlier during a delay before deliberations began.
The appeals court said that late-night trial proceedings should be avoided except in unusual circumstances. The Supreme Court didn’t agree.
Walls was being tried in May 2014 for soliciting the 2012 murder of her husband Larry Walls Sr. at their Unionville home.
Susan and daughter Dawn Walls had allegedly paid two of Dawn’s friends, Jason Starrick and Sean Gearhardt, both of Nashville, to kill Larry Walls on Aug. 8, 2012 at his home near Unionville.
Gearhardt allegedly stabbed Wells more than 80 times but received none of $400 paid to Starrick.
Susan Walls was sentenced to 60 years on charges of criminal responsibility to commit first degree murder and 21 years concurrently for conspiracy to commit first degree murder.
She was the only defendant to go to trial. The others entered guilty pleas. Starrick is serving a 51-year sentence, Dawn Walls 25 years and Garhardt 21.
New Bonnaroo Contract to be discussed at County Commission Meeting
The Coffee County Commission will meet at 6pm Tuesday (Nov. 14, 2017) inside the Coffee County Administrative Plaza in Manchester.
A Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival representative is expected to attend the meeting to update officials on the proposed new contract between the county and music festival organizers.
The current contract, which has been in effect since 2006, ended June 30.
The first infrastructure project outlined by Bonnaroo is widening of Bushy Branch Road in Manchester.
Festival organizers have been in discussions with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to widen a 2.9-mile section of Bushy Branch Road. The majority of festival attendees use Bushy Branch Road off I-24’s exit 111 to enter the festival site.
According to festival organizers, the project would cost about $6 million.
Bonnaroo organizers are planning to widen Bushy Branch Road from Ragsdale Road to Shed Road. The road would be expanded from two to three lanes, and there will also be a pedestrian lane to make it safer for people who walk to the festival’s entrance.
Earlier this year, county officials and Bonnaroo representatives began talks about the new contract, shortly after the previous contract ended June 30.
The Coffee County Budget and Finance Committee agreed to support a letter to TDOT. The purpose of the letter is to determine if Coffee County would qualify for a 50/50 grant match program for the road project.
One of the less popular changes in the new proposed contract, according to county officials, is the elimination of the flat fee of $30,000, which was previously received by the county. In the proposed contract, ticket fees, also previously received by the county, will go to a fund to be used for infrastructure improvements.
Voting on the issue is not on the agenda for the meeting on Tuesday. (Tullahoma News)
Tullahoma Police asking for the Public’s Help
The Tullahoma Police Department needs assistance identifying a person in a theft case. Anyone with information regarding this person’s identity, please contact the Tullahoma Police Department at 931.455.0530 or by sending us a message on our Facebook page. If you wish to remain anonymous you may text your tip to 847411 and start your text with your community keyword “TPDTIP.” The Tullahoma Police Department thanks the public for its help.
Manchester Man facing the Same Charge for 10th Time
Brian Keith Escalon jail intake photo
Upon reviewing Escalon’s driving license status, the deputy determined that Escalon was driving on a revoked license for the 10th time and was determined to be a habitual motor vehicle offender.
Escalon was booked in at the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $17,500 and is set to appear in court on December 4, 2017.
More Mentors Needed for TN Promise Program
tnAchieves is needing 35 more mentors out of a total of 84 from Coffee County for the Tennessee Promise program to ensure each student has a local support system. tnAchieves partners with Gov. Haslam’s Tn Promise to recruit mentors to work with more than 60,000 Tn Promise scholars from the graduating class of 2018. Mentors spend about one hour per month working with a group of students to help eliminate the barriers associated with the transition from high school to college.
Mentors attend one-hour training and two one-hour meetings with the students at the high school. The rest of the mentor program can be done via phone calls, email or text messages.
The deadline to sign up as a mentor is Dec. 1st. To learn more, go to www.tnachieves.org .
