One man is deceased after apparently crashing his car off of Interstate-24 into Bradley Creek near the 120 mile marker in Coffee County, authorities tell Thunder Radio news.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a “Silver Alert” alert on Tuesday, Jan. 18 for Donald Alvarez who was last known to be in the Coffee County area traveling in a maroon Cadillac ATS.
At approximately 4 p.m. Thursday, January 20, a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter spotted what appeared to be a maroon bumper near the 120 mile marker on Interstate 24 in Coffee County. Ground units arrived on the scene and discovered a vehicle matching the description of Alvarez’s car upside down in the creek.
According to Coffee County Sheriff Chad Partin, once the vehicle was removed from the creek Alvarez’s body was discovered inside. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.
“Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to this family,” said Partin, who said family from as far away as New York had descended on Coffee County to help look for Alvarez.
“I really want to commend Investigator (Brandon) Gullett for his due diligence and staying persistent on the case,” added Partin. “We were afraid of this type of outcome, but at least the family knows and is able to have some closure.”
Partin explained that the family lost contact with Alvarez around January 15. He said that Investigator Gullett began tracking electronic information through phone services and OnStar and “worked diligently with THP and TBI.”
Partin explained that it appeared that Alvarez drove straight into the center median, got airborne and landed in the creek upside down.
“I’m sure with all the rain we have had, the current is rapid … it looks like the current shoved the vehicle under the bridge. We have not been able to see that while driving and looking.”
The Interstate was shut down for approximately 5 hours while crews worked to remove the vehicle from the creek.
Coffee County Rescue Squad divers arrived on the scene to aid in removing the vehicle.
“We are very appreciative of the rescue squad,” said Partin. “It is in the 20s outside, extremely cold, the water is hazardous. It was not an easy task.”
Partin said that Alvarez resided in Marietta, Ga. but had family in Illinois, Virginia and New York. He believed he was traveling back from a trip to Illinois. Partin said that CCSD Captain Billy Butler and Gullett were with the family Thursday evening.
County commission approves new spot for animal control facility
The Coffee County Commission has approved a resolution that gives a location for a new Coffee County Animal Shelter that would be located behind the Coffee County Jail.
The issue has been in discussion for several months now. Funding for a potential new shelter is not yet in place. The resolution only provides for a location once funding is approved.
Weak earthquake recorded in Warren County Wednesday
A weak 2.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded by seismologists in Warren County at 5:33 a.m. Wednesday morning, Jan. 19.
The earthquake epicenter was about 7 miles southeast of McMinnville.
According to the USGS, earthquakes below magnitude of 3 are rarely felt, depending on depth, and damage usually doesn’t occur until magnitudes “reach above 4 of 5.”
H&R BLOCK STUDENT OF THE WEEK – Alivia Boyd
Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Alivia Boyd.
Alivia is an 8th grader at Coffee Middle School. She was nominated by her teachers and administrators. Alivia is the daughter of Kellie Lemmons. Her favorite subject is math. During her free time, Alivia enjoys hunting.
After school, Alivia would like to become a physical therapist.
All students of the week are selected for their work ethic and excellent attitudes in and out of the classroom.
Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a commemorative plaque, a special letter of recognition and two tickets to Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park.
Job well done, Alivia!
Over 6% of Tennessee adults over 25 still live with parents
A recent analysis found that in Tennessee, 6.6% of adults aged 25 and older live with their parents, compared to 7.3% of adults at the national level.
The share of adult children living with their parents is much higher than even 20 years ago due to factors such as lower marriage rates, rising housing costs, and more recently higher unemployment rates. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the share of adults aged 25 and older living in their parents’ home was 7.3% in 2019. However, experts predict this number is likely to climb even higher as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2001, the share of adults 25 and older living with their parents was just 3.9%. After rising to 7.3% in 2016, the figure remained largely unchanged for several years. New data from the Pew Research Center, however, found that the pandemic resulted in a substantial increase in the share of young adults aged 18 to 29 years old living with their parents, from 47% in February 2020 to 52% just a few months later. While young adults are more likely than older adults to move back home, the pandemic will undoubtedly build upon the longer-term trend of more adults overall choosing to remain in their parents’ households.
Not only does the share of adults living with their parents vary by age, but also factors such as race, gender, and location. At 5.8%, non-Hispanic White adults are the least likely racial group to live with their parents—a share that has grown by just a single percentage point over the last 10 years. In comparison, at 11.3%, American Indian or Alaska Native adults are one of the most likely groups to live with their parents. This share has grown by 2.6 percentage points over the same time period, enough to rival the share of Black adults living with their parents, which stands at 11.4%.
Men are more likely than women to live with their parents (8.6% of men compared to 6.1% of women), and this difference has widened over the last decade. Similarly, adults living in metropolitan areas are more likely to live in their parents’ home (7.6%) than those located outside of metropolitan areas (6.0%), and this gap has also widened in recent years alongside rising housing costs in major urban areas.
n a geographic level, both economic and cultural differences all impact how likely adults are to remain living with their parents. For example, states in the Midwest that are more affordable and have above-average marriage rates tend to have fewer adults still living with their parents. Examples include North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. In contrast, states with lower marriage rates that are either highly expensive—such as Hawaii, Rhode Island, and California—or have more limited job opportunities—such as Louisiana and Mississippi—generally report larger numbers of adults still living in their parents’ home.
To determine the U.S. states with the most adults still living at home, researchers at Namechk.com analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked states according to the percentage of adults aged 25 and older still living at home with their parents. Researchers also calculated the percentage of adults ever married, the total number of adults living with their parents, and the 10-year percentage point change in the share of adults living with their parents.
The analysis found that in Tennessee, 6.6% of adults aged 25 and older live with their parents, compared to 7.3% of adults at the national level.
-Our news partner WGNS Radio provided this news story.
Silver alert issued for elderly Coffee County man
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has issued a “Silver Alert” on behalf of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department.
Donald Alvarez was last known to be in the area of Interstate 24 near Hillsboro and Winchester Highway. He may be traveling in a 2015 red Cadillac ATS with Georgia disabled tag XKH466.
Donald is 5’9″ and weighs 218 pounds. He has gray hair and blue eyes. He has a medical condition that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance. If you have seen Mr. Alvarez or his vehicle, call Coffee County Sheriff’s Department at 931-728-3591 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
(see photo of Alvarez and make and model of his vehicle below).
Suspects in Manchester Cash Express armed robbery remain at large
Manchester police are seeking three suspects who robbed the Manchester Cash Express at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 18.
According to Manchester Police Department authorities, two black males and one white male entered the store at approximately 3:30 p.m., produced firearms and demanded money.
The subjects then left, travelled down Rye St., turned onto Emerson St. and then proceeded east onto McMinnville Highway. They were travelling in a white Hyundai crossover (see photo above).
Anyone with information about this robbery is encouraged to contact MPD investigator Benjamin Sneed or Trey Adock at 931-728-2099.
Davis Homes owner faces 29 criminal charges involving theft from customers
After a lengthy investigation, authorities have charged Aubry Dale Davis, age 63, with 29 criminal charges.
Authorities say that Davis, for former owner of Davis Homes, stole approximately $300,000 from customers and never delivered goods or services.
Davis was indicted by a Warren County grand jury Friday, Jan. 14 on 26 charges of theft of property and three charges of exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult. He has been released on $150,000 bond.
Davis Homes allegedly shut down in December. It was located on Smithville Highway in Warren County.
These allegations date back several years – to 2017. Davis allegedly accepted money for payment on mobile homes and then never delivered them. The dollar amount on these cases tops $300,000, according to Warren County Sheriff’s Department. Meanwhile, in 14 cases Davis is alleged to have delivered the home but never furnished a title. Over $1.5 million in mobile homes were allegedly furnished without a title.
Victims range all over the Middle Tennessee area.
Winchester PD needs help identifying subjects
The Winchester Police Department requests assistance in identifying the individuals in the photos below. If you may know the identity of the subjects, please contact Detective Brian Wilder with the Winchester Police Department at 931-967-3840 or Crimestoppers at 931-962-INFO(4636).
‘Freezin’ for a reason’ polar plunge set for February
Join hundreds of brave souls across the state for the coolest thing you’ll do in 2022! Whether you jump, run or tiptoe in you will be helping us build a bigger, better, and COOLER community for our 18,000+ Special Olympics athletes. The Polar plunge has become the signature fundraising event of Special Olympics. Plunges take place all over the US with nine of those plunges taking place in Tennessee during February.
This year Manchester has been added to the list of Polar Plunges. Join in on Saturday, February 26, at the Manchester Rec Center (557 N. Woodland St.) where folks who have been raising money on behalf of our Tennessee Special Olympic athletes will take a cold jump into the pool!
Costume contest is at 11:00 am and participants will start jumping in the pool immediately after. New this year – Too Chicken to Plunge! Want to support Special Olympics Tennessee athletes but really, REALLY don’t want to plunge into the frigid water? It’s your lucky day! Register online as a “Too Chicken” plunger and you can still raise money, earn incentives, and be part of the fun! And on event day you can even dip your toes in the kiddie pool to show your support!
Visit www.polarplungetn.com to register or donate.
Special Olympics Tennessee has helped thousands of children and adults with intellectual disabilities realize new dreams through sports training and competition.
