Category: News

Industrial Board gives Hackney One-Year Deal

We reported recently that the Industrial Board of Coffee County had officially launched a search for a new executive director.
Current Executive Director Ted Hackney has served in that capacity for many years and agreed to stay on until a committee decided on their next move, if any.
The board last week decided in a 6-2 vote to give Hackney a new one-year contract.
The agreement will include no change to Hackney’s current compensation or benefits, provided by the county. But after the initial one-year term, any renewal of the contract agreement would necessarily take into consideration the results of a newly required annual evaluation and for the first time, define in writing the duties, responsibilities and authority of the executive director.

Grundy County School Board Member Arrested

Kasey Anderson jail intake photo.

A Grundy County school board member was arrested Monday night for public intoxication, indecent exposure, false reports/statements and resisting arrest.
Amanda ‘Kasey’ Anderson was arrested after an early morning phone call on June 27 which led deputies to her home.
An unknown male caller called 911 dispatch and reported a domestic situation. The call was lost and dispatch pinged the phone because the caller once called back but would not give his name and address.
Deputies responded to the residence in Pelham, and found evidence of a domestic situation had occurred and Amanda ‘Kasey’ Anderson who became uncooperative was arrested.
The resulting altercation between Anderson and deputies prompted her arrest and charges.
Anderson was recently sued for defamation by two members of the Grundy County Schools. Board member; Robert Foster, the chairman of the Grundy County School Board and Jessie Kinsey, the Director of the Grundy County Schools. Anderson is accused of posting on Facebook defamatory content falsely accusing Foster and Kinsey of having attempted to cover up alleged child abuse, with knowledge of its falsity.

Gas Prices Continue Downward Trend

Gas prices opened the summer travel season averaging the lowest price in 12 years. Tennessee gas prices averaged $2.07, which is 9 cents less than the same period last year and the lowest since 2005.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said lower gas prices will make it more enticing for Americans to take extended, or more frequent road trips this summer.
Gas prices in Tennessee averaged $2.02 on Sunday, yet some motorists are finding gas prices well below $2 a gallon at many service stations around the state. The state average declined 3 cents during the past week.
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline during the month of June is $2.33.
The low price in Coffee County can be found in both Manchester and Tullahoma at $1.93.

Head-On Crash takes the Life of McMinnville Teen

A McMinnville teenager was killed and two other people critically injured in a head-on crash Sunday night on Highway 70 near Centertown.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a 2005 Toyota pickup truck, driven by 56 year old Craig Mears of Woodbury was headed east bound in the west bound lanes when it crashed head-on into a 2012 Nissan Versa, driven by 16 year old Promise Harrison of McMinnville. Harrison was pronounced dead on arrival at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Mears and a 14 year old female passenger in the Nissan were critically injured and were both airlifted to Erlanger.
The THP suspects some type of impairment as the reason Mears was traveling the wrong way in the westbound lanes.
Harrison’s death makes the 11th traffic fatality in Warren County in 2017.

Manchester Man Arrested for Theft and More

Clifford Joe Mangum jail intake photo.

On Sunday (June 25, 2017) Clifford Joe Mangum age 60 of Stroud Dr Manchester allegedly entered a residence at 43 Poplar Lane Tullahoma without permission. The arrest warrant states that Mangum removed items without the owner’s permission. Coffee County Deputy Ben Sneed went to the subject’s residence and as deputies approached the residence Mangum allegedly went out a rear window and ran into the woods.
He was captured and charged with driving on revoked/suspended license, aggravated burglary, theft of property, resisting stop/halt/frisk/arrest or search. Mangum’s bond was set at $18,500 and he will appear in court on July 24, 2017.

Kayaker Drowns in Warren County

Authorities say a man has drowned after his kayak overturned on the Collins River Sunday. According to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Ernest Wade age 59 of McMinnville was kayaking the river with a family member Sunday morning when his kayak overturned near the Shellsford area.
The family member was unable to find Wade after he went under the water.
Personnel from the Warren County Rescue Squad and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency searched for several hours before finding Wade’s body late Sunday afternoon.

Public Notice of Vacancies for Manchester Commissions and/or Committees

There are vacancies for volunteer reappointments and/or appointments for beginning months of October and November 2017 to The Manchester Planning Commission, Water/Sewer Commission, Recreation Commission, Manchester Housing Authority, ADA Compliance Committee, Tourist & Community Development Commission, Historic Zoning Commission, and Manchester Arts Commission. All appointments are for 5 year terms and will be made at a board meeting. Applications are available on-line (Citizens participation Application) and in the Mayor’s Office.

Eligibility for the Planning Commission requires a 4 hour class which is scheduled once a year and the State will send them an ethic form for on-line completion. Applicant must be 21 years of age.

Eligibility for the Water Commission requires a year residence in the State of Tennessee and 6 month residency in the City of Manchester and must be 21 years of age.

Eligibility for the Recreation Commission requires applicant to be 21 years of age, a resident in the State of Tennessee for one year and a resident of the City of Manchester for 6 months or in lieu of residency, a property owner in the city limits of Manchester.

Eligibility for the Historic Zoning Commission requires residents or electors in the City of Manchester, one member a representative on the Planning Commission, one member must be a representative of local or historical organization, one member must be an architect, and appointments made by the Mayor.

Eligibility for the Arts Commission requires the applicant to be a Coffee County resident.

Eligibility for The Housing Authority requires the applicant to live within the boundaries of the jurisdiction. (TCA 13-20-408 authority –appointment to the commission is by the Mayor.

Eligibility for ADA Committee requires residency in Coffee County and commission consist of a teacher, an elected official, a disabled person, a person from the medical profession, and a business person.

Operation Dry Water begins Friday

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will be participating in Operation Dry Water, June 30-July 2. Operation Dry Water is a national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) awareness and enforcement campaign directed toward reducing alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities.
Operation Dry Water is held the weekend prior to the Independence Day (July 4) holiday to give BUI enforcement high visibility during the peak boating season.
TWRA boating officers will saturate high traffic areas on reservoirs across the state. Along with the use of life jackets and other safety practices, officers want boaters to be aware of the effects and ramifications of alcohol use. The TWRA will be intensifying efforts to detect and apprehend boat operators who are operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In 2016 during Operation Dry Water, there were 10 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests across the state. TWRA boating officers checked more than 4,000 vessels, issued 175 citations, 113 warnings, and assisted 94 boaters. There were four injury accidents and three property damage accidents reported.
Operating a boat with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 percent or higher is illegal in Tennessee, the same as operating a motor vehicle. Penalties may include fines, jail, boat impoundment and the loss of boat driving privileges.

As TN Temperatures Climb, Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness

Treatments for heat stroke and heat exhaustion are very different, and experts say it’s important to know those differences. (gr33n3gg/Flickr)

After a rainy weekend, temperatures are expected to climb this week across the state – and with them, the risk of heat-related illness also climbs. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are both serious medical conditions, but the ways they are treated are very different. Sports Medicine Doctor A.K. Misra, certified in internal medicine and sports medicine, says if you’re hot but you’ve stopped sweating, it’s a likely sign of heat stroke. “They don’t sweat anymore,” he says. “In heat exhaustion, you’re sweating quite profusely. And also, even the quality of the skin can be different – you can have cold, clammy, pale skin in the context of heat exhaustion. In heat stroke, it can be red, and it can be hot.” If you think you or someone around you has heat exhaustion, Misra says to move them to a cool area, loosen or even remove their clothing, and offer them water – avoiding anything with alcohol, caffeine or high amounts of sugar. If you suspect heat stroke, he says seek immediate medical attention. Although offering water to someone with heat stroke may seem logical, Misra says it isn’t safe in their condition. “In heat stroke, it’s really failing mental status that makes it stand apart; they may be totally in a delirium state of affairs,” he adds. “Don’t try to give these people fluids, because they can’t protect their airways very well. You do want to give fluids in the heat exhaustion context.” People with heat stroke have body temperatures that reach at least 104 degrees, and Misra says the longer it stays at that elevated level, the more health damage can be done.

Crash Injures Two in Manchester on Friday

Photo from the crash scene on Friday afternoon.

On Friday, (June 23, 2017) WMSR News reported live from the scene of an accident in Manchester. Around noon a Toyota Prius and Ford Explorer collided on McArthur Street near the Coffee County Administrative Plaza. Bystanders helped the drivers out of their vehicles as the Explorer caught fire.
Manchester Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene and extinguished the burning vehicle. Manchester City Police assisted the fire department and controlled the heavy flow of traffic that had to be stopped for a period of time while the accident scene was cleared. Coffee County deputies were also at wreckage to help.
The female and male drivers were transported via Coffee County EMS to the hospital.