Category: News

Apollo Dion Burns age 27 of Glaze Court, Murfreesboro was arrested by Manchester Police on Saturday for being a habitual motor offender, driving on suspended/revoked license 5th offense and disorderly conduct.
According to the arrest warrants, officers responded to a single vehicle accident on Oakdale Street. Upon arrival, Burns allegedly had crashed through a private fence and was attempting to get his vehicle out of the ditch. The warrant says Burns was uncooperative with the officers and allegedly refused to listen to instructions. After a check of the man’s driving record he was placed under arrest.
Burns was booked in at the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $20,000 and he will appear in court on November 2, 2017.

We reported yesterday that Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced Tennessee’s 2017 Reward schools on Friday, which include the top 5 percent of schools for academic achievement and the top 5 percent for student growth. These 169 schools span 60 districts across Tennessee.
We reported that Hillsboro Elementary in Coffee County was listed as Reward Progress and we would also like to report that Pelham Elementary in Grundy County received the same recognition.
Of the 2017 Reward schools, 59 are being recognized for performance, 85 are recognized for progress, and 25 schools are Reward schools both for performance and progress.

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate a death after a body was found October 6, 2017.
The discovery was made on October 6, in a wooded area of Altamont.
Sheriff Clint Shrum said the body has been identified as 35-year-old Dylan Winton from Tracy City.
Winton was reported missing on March 13 of this year.
The sheriff said Dylan Winton’s remains were found partially buried under brush on Bess Road near Altamont. He is now looking for the people responsible.
In an update; the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Dylan Winton was shot at least four times.
The Medical Examiner’s Office recovered three bullets from his skull and one in the back. The bullets were sent to the TBI Crime Lab for analysis.

Tennessee young sportsman deer hunts for the 2017-18 season will be held the weekend of Oct. 28-29.
Youth ages 6-16 years of age may participate. Participating youth can use a gun, muzzleloader, and archery equipment.
Young sportsmen must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 21 or older who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device. The adult must also comply with the fluorescent orange regulations as specified for legal hunters. Multiple youth may be accompanied by a single qualifying adult.
The annual Coffee County Young Sportsman Deer Rally will be held on Saturday at the Coffee County Fair Grounds from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Sponsors and committee members would like to invite all eligible hunters (ages 6-16) who participate in the Statewide Young Sportsman Deer Hunt to attend this year’s 13th annual event. Admission is FREE, including lunch beginning at 10 a.m. Successful hunters can check in their harvest at the event beginning at 7:00 a.m. and will be entered into a contest. Vendors will be set up to exhibit the latest in hunting products. There will be lots of prizes given away. This is a nonprofit event with all proceeds used to conduct the event.
In 2016, youth hunters harvested a total of 5,854 deer during the first hunt. All 95 Tennessee counties reported harvests in 2016.

Sex offenders in Middle Tennessee can expect a knock on their door over the next several days as officers begin Operation Blackout. The goal of this sweep is to make sure sex offenders are not participating in any Halloween events.
People convicted of sex crimes have all signed a set of fall rules that prohibits them from participating in trick-or-treating. Sex offenders are not allowed to have their porch lights on, open their doors to anyone except law enforcement, to have fall decorations, wear costumes or attend fall festivals or parties.
During the statewide sweep last year, corrections officers checked on 3,000 sex offenders and found 400 violations.

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced Tennessee’s 2017 Reward schools on Friday, which include the top 5 percent of schools for academic achievement and the top 5 percent for student growth. These 169 schools span 60 districts across Tennessee.
“These schools represent what is possible for students in Tennessee as they exemplify excellence in performance or progress and in some cases, both,” Commissioner McQueen said. “We want to replicate this success across the state and continue to celebrate the hard work of our educators and students happening in classrooms every day.”
Of the 2017 Reward schools, 59 are being recognized for performance, 85 are recognized for progress, and 25 schools are Reward schools both for performance and progress.
Hillsboro Elementary in Coffee County was listed as Reward Progress.

Martin McFarlane, former co-director of bands at Tullahoma City Schools, who was charged in August with one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography recently pled guilty to a charge.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office he could be headed to prison for up to 20 years.
According to court documents, McFarlane pled guilty Thursday to one count of transportation of child pornography.
Because of the plea agreement, McFarlane will have a possession of child pornography charge against him dropped.
The transportation charge comes with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years with a possible maximum sentence of 20 years. The charge also carries a possible maximum fine of up to $250,000 and a mandatory term of five years of supervised release.

On Thursday, Charlie McGillis, Jr age 61 of Decatur Alabama was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 24 west near the 116 mile-marker by Tennessee State Trooper Donnie Clark. According to the arrest warrants the man and a passenger had conflicting stories about their travels. The trooper did a safety pat down of McGillis and felt something in his pocket and discovered what was believed to be a glass pipe and a small amount of marijuana. After a search of the man’s car the warrant says that Trooper Clark found 1,179 Hydrocodone pills in several bottles inside the subject’s luggage. McGillis allegedly claimed the luggage and pills were his.
McGillis was booked at the Coffee County Jail for unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities, schedule II drug violation and schedule VI drug violation. His bond was set at $17,000 and his court date is November 28, 2017.