Category: News

Elmer Ray Church… Photo provided by the CCSD.

A Tullahoma man was arrested Aug. 2 on a charge of theft after he allegedly took $84,100 for construction work that he did not perform.
Elmer Ray Church, 46, of East Grundy Street was arrested on the charges.
According to a police report by Officer Rocky Ruehling, on Jan. 23 Robert Moyer of Lake Circle Drive hired Church to do work on his house. The report states that Church told Moyer that the work would cost $55,000 and would be completed in 45 days.
Moyer told the officer that only 25 percent of the work has been completed to date and what was done was poorly done.
This comes after Church was issued checks in January and February in the amount of $84,100, but the work still has not been completed.
Church was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $50,000. He is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on Aug. 17.

Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study provides evidence that the nonprofit arts and culture sector is a significant industry in the City of Tullahoma—one that generates $1.1 million in total economic activity. This spending—$610,715 by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $457,871 in event-related spending by their audiences—was reported by 11 local organizations.
As a result of attending a cultural event, attendees often eat dinner in local restaurants, pay for parking, buy gifts and souvenirs, and pay a babysitter. What’s more, attendees from out of town often stay overnight in local lodgings. In the City of Tullahoma, these dollars support 32 full-time equivalent jobs, which generates $561,000 in household income to local residents and delivers $85,000 in local and state government revenue.
The City of Tullahoma Arts Council led the local survey efforts. They collected 695 surveys from audiences attending events at the 11 participating local nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, and coordinated financial and program data collection from the organizations.
The Tennessee Arts Commission worked with 25 local partners and nine development districts to produce a statewide report and customized city, county and regional reports. Data was collected from 642 participating nonprofit organizations across the state and included 14,915 audience participation surveys. The study does not include numbers from individual artists or for-profit arts, music and culture businesses.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol said troopers haven’t planned for an event so extensively since Y2K. Now the countdown is on until August 21, when day briefly turns to night and we experience a total solar eclipse.
It’s something Tennessee state agencies have been planning for since Christmas.
On August 21, TDOT drivers will be stationed across the state to respond to crashes and other calls for help.
TDOT and THP fear that people will stop on the road or shoulder, causing serious or deadly crashes.
Troopers said there are some things you can do to help: If you are driving, turn on your headlights. When driving don’t look directly at the sun and whatever you do don’t try to wear your dark safety goggles on the road.
Pay attention and keep moving.
Keep in mind that if you do stop along the road, you will be reprimanded by law enforcement and you could get a ticket.
The best thing you can do is plan ahead. Anticipate traffic that day and get to your viewing spot early so you’re not caught on the roads during the eclipse.

The Coffee County Election Commission will meet on Monday, August 14, 2017, at 4:00 PM in the Election Commission office in the Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Street, Suite 6 in Manchester. The purpose of the meeting will be to certify the Tullahoma City election held on August 3, 2017.
For more information, contact Vernita Davis, Administrator Coffee County Election Commission.

Michael Dale Bennett… Photo provided by the CCSD.

A Manchester man was arrested Aug. 3 by a Tennessee Highway Patrolman.
Michael Dale Bennett, 44, of Old Tullahoma Highway, Manchester was charged with third offense DUI, violation of implied consent and possession of handgun while under the influence by Trooper Dylan Culver.
He was arrested at the Quick Mart in Manchester after the clerk called 911. The clerk called the emergency number because he thought Bennett was going to rob the store. But he was found to be intoxicated and very unsteady on his feet with blood shot eyes and smelled of alcohol.
According to a warrant by the trooper, permission was given to the officer to search Bennett’s vehicle and a weapon was found in the glove box.
He was transported to the hospital for a blood sample.
Bennett was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $12,500 and is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Oct. 10.

A Shelbyville man was arrested after he allegedly used a credit card belonging to someone else to make a large purchase at J.C. Penney on North Jackson in Tullahoma.
Justin Martin of Wade Drive, Shelbyville was charged with theft.
According to a police report by Tullahoma Police Officer Tyler Walls, the store reported a suspicious person in the store. When Walls and Cpl. Joshua Yates arrived they saw the individual at the jewelry counter where a large purchase had been made using a store charge card that was not in his name.
Shelbyville Police contacted the person whose name was on the credit card and he advised that he did not give permission to Martin to use his charge card. A witness told the officer that Martin had been in the store six other times and charged $4,717.96 to the card.
Martin was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $10,000.

John Gooch… Photo from the BCSO.

On Tuesday, August 1st, 2017, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Bedford County Deputies and Shelbyville Police Officers responded to a home invasion at a residence in the Deason Community. Deputies and Officers apprehended one of the suspects. John Gooch, 21, from Antioch was arrested and charged with Aggravated Burglary and Aggravated Robbery.
Investigators believe there are two other unknown suspects involved in the home invasion. If anyone has information about this crime or saw John Gooch the night of the home invasion, please contact the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office at 931-684-3232. The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Shelbyville Police Department, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Bedford County Fire Services for assisting with this investigation

Federal appeals judges are questioning two previous court rulings on a successful 2014 constitutional amendment allowing tougher abortion restrictions in Tennessee. On the one hand, the Tennessean reports, justices on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals expressed concern Wednesday about a Tennessee court’s ruling favoring the way state officials counted the votes. But the judges also questioned a recount ordered by a U.S. District judge. The recount is on hold pending the appeal.