Category: News

2/27/17–Tennessee State Education Commissioner visits Westwood Middle School

Tennessee’s Commissioner of education , Dr. Candice McQueen visited Westwood Middle School on Monday. As you might expect, Director of Manchester City Schools, Lee Wilkerson, WMS Principal Chad Fletcher and WMS Vice Principal Jonathan Graf were there to greet the Commissioner; but students from Westwood Middle School were tasked with touring the Commissioner through the school. The student body is divided into to one of four houses to foster teamwork, promote a family environment and to develop positive interactions between students in a respectful manner. Each house selected fellow students to serve as school ambassadors. These student ambassadors hosted Commissioner McQueen.

Pictured with Commissioner McQueen-Andie Mae Clutter of Delta House, Valarie Barger of Atlas House, Eliot Sain of Saturn House and Luz Maria Basurto of Falcon House

Commissioner McQueen had this to say about her visit:

Director of Schools for the City of Manchester, Lee Wilkerson had this to say about Commissioner McQueen’s visit:

Solar Eclipse Viewing to be held at Clingmans Dome

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is planning an event to view the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse from Clingmans Dome.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports tickets will be available for $30 each beginning Wednesday at http://www.recreation.gov. A ticket is necessary to attend, and participants will be shuttled in on buses from Gatlinburg and Cherokee, North Carolina.
The sun is expected to be partially obscured by the moon over a three-hour period that afternoon and totally obscured for a shorter time.
The park will have two viewing sites.
Clingmans Dome will be closed to vehicle traffic, and the parking lot will be turned into a special events site with a Jumbotron screen for a national NASA TV broadcast.
More information is available by calling (865) 436-1585.

Annual Motlow Gala is Coming Up Soon

Pictured above are, from left, James Fuller, Vice President of sponsoring Southern Community Bank; Bill Yoder, President and CEO of Southern Community Bank; Dr. Tony Kinkel, President of Motlow State Community College; Lane Yoder, Director of the Motlow College Foundation; Jeff Arnett, Master Distiller forsponsoring Jack Daniel’s Distillery; and Steve May, Director of Marketing Operations for Jack Daniel’s Distillery. Motlow State Community College photo.

An amazing night is being planned for guests attending the 25th Annual Motlow Gala, with many new and exciting elements being introduced this year. The Motlow Gala is hosted by the Motlow College Foundation, the fundraising arm of Motlow State Community College, and proceeds from the Motlow Gala help the Foundation provide financial assistance to Motlow students and help the College with creating new educational programs and building new facilities.
The Gala will be held on Saturday, March 25, at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center and starts this year at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and there will be a brief program where Motlow President Dr. Tony Kinkel will have the honor of bestowing two alumni awards; the Distinguished Alumni Award, and new this year, The One to Watch Award, which will recognize a younger alum.
This year the Motlow College Foundation will host a live auction featuring a limited number of items, and at the conclusion of the live auction the band Utopia will kick off a night of dancing.
New this year is also a pre-Gala event, the Motlow Gala Preview Cocktail Party, which will be held on Saturday, March 11, at the Motlow House Events Center in Tullahoma from 6-8 p.m.
Tickets to the Preview Party are $50 per person and the deadline to purchase is Friday, March 3. Tickets to the Motlow Gala are $100 per person and the deadline to purchase is Friday, March 18. Tickets can be purchased online and auction items viewed by visiting www.mscc.edu/foundation/gala.

Major with THP Resigns after Grundy County Arrest

Stacey Williams

State officials say the head of the Special Investigations Bureau with the Tennessee Highway Patrol has resigned following his arrest on charges that include aggravated assault and public intoxication.
Department of Safety and Homeland Security officials announced Friday that 47-year-old Major Stacy Williams had resigned before he may have been fired following an internal investigation.
Williams and his wife were arrested earlier this month at their home in Altamont in Grundy County. Grundy County officials at the time said deputies encountered a disturbance between Williams and his neighbors and had to subdue him with a Taser.
Williams had been a trooper since 1994.

Missing Man’s Body Found

Cecil D. Holland

Shelbyville Police say that the body that was found in the old Harris Middle School Wednesday is that of Cecil D. Holland.
According to his family, Holland was homeless and suffered from unknown mental illnesses. His last reported sighting was on January 18, 2017.
The state’s medical examiner’s office has positively identified the body as Holland, age 59.
No foul play is suspected.

State Warns of Medical Oxygen Dangers

The Tennessee Fire Marshal recommends users of medical oxygen place signage in and outside of their homes to prevent accidental exposure to flame or heat. (Jason Eppink/flickr.com)

For thousands of Tennesseans with medical issues like COPD or cancer, using a medical oxygen tank is necessary for survival. But according to the State Fire Marshal, a lack of safety precautions when using supplemental air resulted in six fire-related deaths in 2016 and more than 30 in the last five years.
State spokesman Kevin Walters with the Fire Marshal’s office said just having a tank inside your home can increase the risk of fire.
“The oxygen feeds a fire,” Walters said. “Oxygen saturates fabric-covered furniture, clothing, hair and bedding and it makes it easier for a fire to start and to spread. And that’s why we are warning people to take extra care whenever using medical oxygen at home. ”
Experts recommend patients keep their oxygen cylinders at least five feet away from heat sources, open flames or electrical devices. Posting “no smoking” or “no open flame” signs in and outside the home can also help prevent accidents.
Walters said it’s also important for oxygen users to avoid smoking – and not just for health reasons.
“You’re only going to make things more complicated and potentially catastrophically bad for you and your family if you smoke on medical oxygen,” he warned.
He added that even body oil, hand lotion and items containing oil and grease can easily ignite near a tank. And he said never use aerosol sprays – especially those whose cans indicate flammable contents – near the oxygen.

Garner’s Furniture makes Donation

Pictured (L to R) Michelle Hummel, New Union Principal; Wimpy Carden, Garners Furniture; and Taylor Rayfield, Coffee County Schools Family Resource Coordinator.

In response to Coffee County Schools’ initiative to eliminate barriers that may hinder student academic success, Garners Furniture donated a washer to New Union Elementary honoring Mrs. Bobbie Carden, retired teacher, who served her entire teaching career at New Union for over four decades. “It has been a pleasure to work with Wimpy, Lloyd, and the great folks of Garners Furniture on our washer and dryer program. We appreciate each of them and their continuous support to our students and schools,” said Taylor Rayfield, Coffee County Schools Family Resource Coordinator. If you or your organization would like to know more or donate to programs supporting students in need, please contact Taylor Rayfield at rayfieldt@k12coffee.net or (931) 222-1066.

2/27/17–H&R Block Student of the Week Jada Buckingham


Congratulations to Student of the Week -Jada Buckingham!!! Jada, the daughter of Jamie and Griselda Clark and Thomas Buckingham, is an eighth grade student at Westwood Middle School. Jada was chosen to be honored because she is a leader in her class, an “A” student and a pleasure to be around. Jada’s favorite subject is Math. Jada plans to enter into the Air Force in the future. She says that she has a lot of family in the military and she thinks it is cool. Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all through hockey season. What does hockey season have to do with our local students? Well, H&R Block gives each Student of the Week a set of Nashville Predators Hockey tickets, a commemorative plaque, as well as a special letter of recognition. This will be Jada’s first Preds game and she says that she plans to take her Mom to the hockey game! Check back here every week for H&R Block’s next Student of the Week award!
Pictured with Jada is Rosalyn Partin of H & R Block and Jonathan Graf, Assistant Principal at Westwood Middle School.

Manchester Female facing charges including Rape of a Child

A Manchester woman has been charged with rape of a child and adult contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Arreall Gyna Lawhorn, 28, of Century Street, Manchester was arrested Jan. 20 on the charges by Manchester Police Investigator Bryan Eldridge.
Lawhorn is accused of having a party at a residence on Oak Drive where juveniles were present. Warrants obtained by the investigator allege that she and her husband Robert Lawhorn, 30, provided alcohol to juveniles. She is also accused of providing condoms to an underage child for the purpose of the youth to have inappropriate relations with another juvenile.
Her bond was set at $52,500.
Robert Lawhorn was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a child, burglary of a motor vehicle, failure to appear in court and violation of probation. His bond was set at $14,500.
They will appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court March 28.

IRS Imposters looking for Victims in Coffee County

Area law enforcement continues to receive tips about IRS imposters threatening arrests, lawsuits, and property seizures unless the victim pays up. Law enforcement says they’re investigating alongside several other agencies across the United States. Police say these calls are not coming from the IRS.
The Internal Revenue Service will never demand payment over the telephone. Typical IRS communication comes in the form of U.S. Mail. If you receive a phone call that you suspect is a tax scam, hang up and report it to the US Treasury, Office of Inspector General at 1-800-366-4484. To help avoid becoming the victim of a scam, area law enforcement recommend to never transfer funds through third-party wire or card services. People in Coffee County have fallen for this scam in the past. Sheriff Steve Graves is advising local residents to not fall prey to this latest attempt by scam artists.