Category: News

On Sunday (October 15th, 2017) According to a warrant issued to Tennessee Highway Patrolman Dylan Culver, it states that a man was driving at a high rate of speed going east bound on I-24 in Manchester. The Trooper states that he attempted to stop Jermaine Quintrail Crockett age 25 of Chattanooga, but the man refused to stop and began to allegedly pass vehicles in a reckless manner including at least 2 vehicles on the shoulder of the road placing numerous lives at risk. According to the warrant Trooper Culver states that Crockett continued to evade arrest and was finally stopped by other units in Hamilton County by crashing his vehicle.
A check of the subject’s driver’s license by troopers showed that they were revoked for failure to satisfy citations. Troopers searched the vehicle and allegedly located digital scales, marijuana blunt and a container of urine with a temperature gauge in a container inside the vehicle during their search.
Crockett was booked at the Coffee County Jail on charges of; reckless endangerment, evading arrest, driving on a revoked suspended license, simple possession/casual exchange, unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities and falsification of drug test result. He also has an active warrant out of Hamilton County.
His bond was set at $22,000 and he’ll appear in Coffee Court on December 12, 2017.

The State Administrative Office of the Courts is taking steps to improve security at courthouses all across Tennessee.
Officials have approved new minimum security standards for courtrooms, which include more training, armed guards in court and extra protection on the bench.
Preference will be given to counties with courtrooms that do not currently meet the present minimum courtroom security standards as well as counties that have experienced a courtroom security breach during the 12-month period of July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017. In June of this year, at the Coffee County Justice Center an inmate fought a court officer for his weapon and shot another officer before running from the courthouse. He eventually ran to nearby house and turned the gun on himself.
Officials say rural counties need the most work. It will all be a part of a one-time $2 million grant approved by Gov. Haslam. Officials are asking for another $2 million to complete the project.
The Administrative Office of the Courts has extended its deadline for court security applications to Nov. 17th.

A Search Advisory Committee has been appointed to lead the search for a new president of Motlow State Community College. The committee will convene for the first time Oct. 24 at the college, immediately after a public forum to gather campus and community input.
The 18-member committee includes five members of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the college’s governing board, and representatives of the Motlow faculty, staff, students and alumni and of the region the college serves. It will be chaired by Board of Regents Member Tom Griscom.
The public forum will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Oct. 24 in the Marcum Technology Building, Room MT-112, at Motlow’s main campus in Moore County. The committee meeting will follow at 10 a.m. in Room MT-105. Both are open to the public.
The public forum will also be accessible via an interactive webcast on Motlow’s branch campuses in Fayetteville (Room 071), McMinnville (Room 102) and Smyrna (MaryLou Apple Science Technology Health Building Room 110).
The search committee will work with the executive search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates to identify a broad range of highly qualified candidates from around the country.
The committee’s charge is to identify three to five finalists, who will be invited to the college for forums and interviews with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public. Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will review input gathered from those visits, consult with the Advisory Committee and recommend a single candidate to the full Board of Regents, which appoints presidents of all its colleges. Application and nomination materials should be filed by Nov. 13, 2017. The goal is to have a new president named by April and in office by July 1.
Dr. Anthony G. Kinkel resigned as president of Motlow in June.

The Animal Rescue Corps responded to an urgent call for assistance from the Monteagle Tennessee Police Department on Thursday. Animal Rescue Corps rescued 14 animals found abandoned in makeshift pens inside a horse trailer. The animals appear to have been housed in the trailer for some time and abandoned at this location days ago. They were found without food or water. All of the animals exhibited signs of chronic neglect, tumors, dehydration, intestinal worms, external parasites, runny eyes, overgrown nails, and more.
The 14 animals were found in the horse trailer that was left attached to a U-Haul box truck behind a restaurant.
Employees with the restaurant provided food and water after discovering the animals trapped in the trailer.
The animals were being taken to an emergency shelter in Lebanon where they will receive thorough veterinary exams, vaccinations, and medical treatment.
Once they have been deemed ready, the animals will be transferred to shelters and rescue organizations to be adopted into loving homes.

On Tuesday, October 10th at approximately 8:44 PM, Decherd Police Department was dispatched to CVS Pharmacy located at 1717 Decherd Blvd to a robbery in progress. A person dressed in all black including a black ski mask made his way into the store and to the pharmacy where he demanded the workers to give him OxyContin. The clerk was able to identify the person as a male due to his voice. He was carrying a black trash bag and advised the employees that he had a gun. The employees complied with his request. The suspect then fled the scene before the officers arrived. The manager of the store was out front at the time and saw the suspect as he was leaving the store. The manager stated he observed the suspect pull his mask down and was able to tell that he was a white male.
Two Decherd officers arrived on scene less than a minute from the time the call was dispatched. They received assistance from Winchester Police Department and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and were unable to locate the subject.
Decherd Police Department is asking for assistance from anyone who may have information in regard to this case. You may call the Franklin County Communications at 931-967-2331.

The Grundy County football team added a loss to their season record Friday night.
The team was forced to cancel their game against Upperman High School in Putnam County. This comes after five of the team’s players were charged with attempted aggravated rape.
The school board is meeting Monday October 16, 2017 to decide the fate of the team.
TSSAA Handbook states that it is a longstanding TSSAA Board of Control Policy that if a school states they are going to compete in the football playoffs and/or regular season contests that leads to the playoffs and they fail to do so; the school is also removed from the post season in basketball. If Grundy County High School decides not to complete the football season, they will be removed from the postseason basketball tournament, as per Board policy. They would be allowed to appeal to the TSSAA Board of Control upon request by the administration.
The five Grundy County High School students charged with attempted aggravated rape were placed under house arrest.
It will be up to a juvenile court judge to decide how long the students will wear ankle monitors. It will also be up to that same court system to determine if the students will face adult charges.
David McGovern, Assistant District Attorney for the 12th Judicial District said, “They’ll be in juvenile court on Monday, which serves a different purpose than adult court.”
“We’re bouncing a couple of factors here. On the one hand, we’re wanting to hold folks accountable for conduct. On the other hand, with juveniles, you’re also wanting to have something that will be beneficial even to the folks we think have committed crimes,” McGovern said.
The punishments are less severe if a juvenile is found guilty. They range from probation to jail time up until their 19th birthday.
McGovern said it could be months or even a year before a judge makes a ruling in the case.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services works closely with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to track law enforcement data involving opioid crime.
According to the department, since 2011, every year in Tennessee more than 6,000 people are arrested for crimes related to prescription opioids. Prescription opioids are pain killers, such as hydrocodone.
This number of arrests equates to more than 16 people getting arrested every day in Tennessee.
In 2016, 1,516 people were arrested for heroin offenses, which is an average about four Tennesseans arrested per day.
That number is significantly up since 2009, when only 169 arrests were recorded.
Drug seizures of prescription opioids have steadily dropped in recent years, from 6,858 seizures in 2012 to 4,585 in 2015. However, law enforcement seizures of heroin are rising. (WKRN)

Fake $20 bills are popping up around Coffee County, according to Coffee County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Jason Dendy. The counterfeit bills were passed at four area businesses (convenience stores and a restaurant) and discovered by American City Bank on Wednesday. The employees did not realize the bills were fake until the bank informed the businesses.
Investigator Jason Dendy is urging area businesses to be very cautious when accepting cash. Any person that is in the business of money exchange, such as stores or street vendors should practice some basic precautions. Workers are encouraged to use a marking pen to check if the money is real.
Also, Dendy stated that business employees should check both sides of the bill and see if they look right, because sometimes it can be obvious the money is fake.
An investigation is underway.

An incident involving hazing is under investigation in Grundy County.
Director of Schools Jessie Kinsey says that a hazing incident did happen at Grundy County High School football field house.
Kinsey added that the students will be punished according to the school handbook.
Sheriff Clint Shrum says investigators spent the afternoon interviewing students, teachers and parents to determine what happened.
Sheriff Shrum says that 5 Grundy County H.S. football players have now been charged with attempted aggravated rape.
The sheriff said the victim was placed on the floor with his arms behind his back, and one participant put his knee on his neck while others held down the 15 year-old freshman’s legs. One of the five others reportedly involved recorded the assault on a cell phone. That video has since been recovered by authorities.
Authorities said the students did not have permission to be at the field house at the time and they are still investigating how they got access.
Also on Thursday Director Kinsey said that GCHS Head Football Coach, Casey Tate is suspended from coaching pending further investigation into new information that has been provided. Assistant Coach, Greg Brewer will assume the role of head coach of the football team during this suspension.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is observing National Fire Prevention Week by reminding citizens that burning permits must be obtained beginning Sunday, Oct. 15th, which is the official start of the wildfire season.
Burning permits can be obtained from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
Forestry officials say it’s important, and required by law from October 15, 2017 to May 15, 2018, that citizens call for a burning permit and follow outdoor burning safety recommendations.
The online burn permit system is free, fast and simple. If you are burning a leaf or brush pile that is smaller than 8 feet by 8 feet in size, log on to www.BurnSafeTN.org for approval. More than 300,000 permits are issued each year, and the online system provides a quick and efficient way to apply.
Burn permits are only issued when conditions are conducive to safe burning.
Burning without a permit is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine. Wildfires caused by arson are a class C felony punishable by 3 to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. Anyone with information about suspected arson activity should call the state Fire Marshal’s Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017.