Category: News

A judge is letting a lawsuit continue that claims Tennessee is breaking federal law and endangering people with bleeding disorders like hemophilia by reimbursing less for prescription blood-clotting drugs through its Medicaid program.
Last week, Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins also ruled there’s insufficient proof to block the new TennCare rates immediately while the case proceeds.
The lawsuit by four specialty pharmacies and one drug wholesaler claims that if reimbursement methods implemented April 1 aren’t blocked, at least seven specialty pharmacies aiding about half of TennCare’s bleeding disorder patients will have to withdraw from serving them and close Tennessee operations.
The judge wrote that the rates are in place, but still under review for federal approval.
He said it’s in the public interest to let the case progress toward trial.

The City of Manchester’s Tourism and Community Development Commission will be holding a work session to review Photography and Video RPF (request for proposal) submissions on Thursday evening (August 17, 2017) at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the City Hall Conference room.
The next regular meeting of the Manchester Tourism and Community Development Commission will be Monday (August 28, 2017) at 5:30 p.m. at city hall.

Coffee County Deputy Joshua McKinney received information early Saturday morning of a person driving erratically on Interstate 24.
The deputy got behind the subject’s vehicle and according to the warrant, the vehicle was all over the road. McKinney attempted to stop the vehicle at the Exit 114 ramp, but the driver drove to the nearby Circle K store. While speaking to the deputy, the man allegedly admitted to drinking one beer and allegedly using Cocaine. Deputy McKinney says that the man identified as Amer Ramon Jones age 43 Whispering Drive, Spring Hill had strong odor of an intoxicant about his person.
Jones was asked to take three field sobriety tests and according to the arrest warrant Jones did poorly on all three. Jones was arrested for DUI and refused to take a blood test, but a warrant was issued and blood was taken at Unity Medical Center in Manchester with results pending.
In checking the man’s driving status, the deputy discovered that the man was driving on a revoked driver’s license. Jones has had 10 prior driving on revoked convictions. Bond was set at $17,500 and his court date is September 11, 2017.

On August 6, 2017 at 11:27 p.m. Corporal Gus Raby with the Winchester Police Department responded to Murphy Oil about a theft that had occurred.
A white male and a black male came into the store and took several items of merchandise from Murphy’s. They took two 12 packs of Bud Light, one 18-pack of Budweiser, and one 12-pack of Rolling Rock. There was another 12-pack and three 24 oz cans taken that have not been identified.
The Winchester Police Department is asking for assistance in identifying the two male suspects. If you know who the individuals are you can call Franklin County Communications at 931-967-2331 to speak with an officer or call CrimeStoppers at 931-962-INFO (4636).

An environmental group has set up a website that not only measures a person’s carbon footprint but also shares ways to reduce and even offset that footprint.
Conservation International’s Carbon Calculator gives an overview of how people’s habits affect the environment – everything from commuting style to diet to the number of airline trips taken each year – and offers tips for reducing emissions, such as taking the bus or meatless Mondays. But Shyla Raghav, climate change lead for Conservation International, said it may not be possible for someone to completely neutralize their carbon footprint.
“We wanted to offer everyone the possibility and the option to offset their emissions,” she said, “which is essentially purchasing carbon credits from projects that have been able to demonstrate a reduction in emissions.”
She said the average American’s annual footprint is 21 tons of carbon. The Tennessee Valley Authority has two programs that allow people to purchase renewable-energy credits to help offset carbon pollution from the power they use. The Green Power Switch Program is for residential customers and the Southeastern Renewable Energy Credit program is for commercial accounts.
In light of setbacks in the fight against climate change, such as President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Accords, Raghav said climate change has become a personal issue for more people.
“Climate change is really a global, collective problem that each of us really needs to internalize and respond to in our own way,” she said.
She noted that people also have the power of the ballot box and can elect officials who support a shift toward a renewable-energy power grid, for instance. Conservation International has a project in Kenya, where credits support a forest that absorbs carbon dioxide and help conserve an area with the world’s highest density of elephants. There also are projects in Peru and Madagascar.
The Carbon Calculator is online at conservation.org.

All Motlow State Community College campuses will be closed Thursday, Aug. 24, to permit faculty and staff to attend fall convocation. All campuses will reopen and resume normal business hours on Friday, Aug. 25.
Faculty and staff from all Motlow campuses will meet on the Moore County campus for the annual assembly, during which presentations are made for the fall semester, including recognition of faculty and staff accomplishments, presentation of service awards, and faculty discipline meetings.
“We are excited about this opportunity to bring the entire Motlow family together for the convocation,” said Melody Edmonds, interim vice president for academic affairs. “The 2017-18 year is going to be one of our best ever, and convocation is a great way to kick it off. Faculty and staff from all campuses have the opportunity to come together and share ideas.”
The final day that applications will be accepted for the fall 2017 semester is Aug. 21. Regular classes on all campuses begin Monday, Aug. 28. To apply, visit the Motlow website (www.mscc.edu) and click the “Apply Now” tab.

Charges are pending against two individuals in connection with a burglary of the D.W. Wilson Recreation Center located on North Collins Street Tullahoma.
According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer George Dodson, on Aug. 5 when employee Lily Medley arrived she noticed the front desk had been ransacked. She then backed out of the building and notified police. When Officer Dodson and Officers Bob Looney and Matt Pruitt arrived, they started going through the building.
The officers located a concession stand had been broken into and the cash register drawer had been pulled out and thrown into the floor. The officers also found that the door to the office had been kicked in. When they entered the office, they noticed change on the floor and several change drawers on the floor.
Lyle Russell who is the manager of the center informed officers that the safe was missing from his office and a laptop computer. Russell told the police officers that approximately $850 in cash had been taken by the thieves.
When officers looked at security video from the concession stand they observed two individuals carrying the safe and the laptop.
Investigator Tyler Hatfield with Tullahoma Police is investigating the break-in.

The Manchester Coffee County Conference Center and General Manager, Rebecca French working with Bonnie Gamble, Terri Hudson and Margie Lowe, were awarded by the State of Tennessee Tourism and Economic Development a grant in the amount of $50,000.
The grant came with one stipulation- to raise matching funds. The match grant is tier 2 or 70/30 with matching funds of $15,000. They have already raised almost $7,500 with $7,500 left to raise.
The grant is currently being used to build an outdoor multipurpose venue that is ADA compliant. This venue will be able to be used for weddings, competitions, award ceremonies, music, and team building exercises.
The Center has decided on three avenues to raise the funds- Sell personalized chairs for $67.00, sell personalized bricks for $500, dedicate the structure for $5,000, and dedicate the concrete work for $5,000. These personalized items will not be resold again. Chairs, Bricks, and Naming Rights can be purchased through any staff member at the Conference Center. For more information please call the Manchester – Coffee County Conference Center at (931) 728-8283 or send an email to Rebecca@MCCCC.com

Federal data shows the number of senior citizens in Tennessee who are hospitalized due to painkillers has more than tripled over the last decade.
The Tennessean reports the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality data showed that in 2005, 467 seniors out of every 100,000 spent time in the hospital due to opioids. In 2015, the rate had increased to 1,505.
The newspaper reports various reasons for hospitalizations, including auto accidents and falls after taking opioids, interactions with other medications and unintentional overdoses.
The spike has left some advocates who work with seniors age 65 and up puzzled.
Experts say family members and doctors are more likely to overlook addiction in seniors. In addition, Dr. Peter Martin, a psychiatrist and director of the Vanderbilt Addiction Center, says no one in the past worried about seniors becoming addicts.