Category: News

If you’ve ever wanted to help choose the messages that show up on TDOT signs, now’s your chance!
TDOT has narrowed down 15 finalists from 2,000 submissions.
Voting ends March 7 at 4:30 p.m. The winner will be announced March 13.
The catchphrase with the most votes will be put into the message board rotation across the state. TDOT has 177 message signs statewide.
Last year’s winner was, “Turn signals, the original instant messaging.”
Here are some of the finalist:

• Not buckled up? What’s holding you back?
• Speeding can lead to skid marks
• Only bird brains tweet while driving
• Use your blinking blinker!
• Avoid a wreck – don’t rubberneck
• Let your babies grow up to be cowboys – buckle ’em up!
• Signal your intentions
• In a hurry? Shoulda left early – slow down!
• Nice headlights! Turn yours on during rain or fog
• Ride like lightning – crash like thunder
To vote go to http://www.tn.gov/tdot/article/dms-contest

If you’ve been wondering what’s going in the former location of Pizza Hut in Manchester, well soon it will be the home of Dunkin’ Donuts.
Dunkin’ Donuts sells a wide variety of donuts, coffee beverages, breakfast sandwiches and other baked goods. There are over 11,300 locations worldwide.
The franchisee is looking for part-time and full-time positions for the Manchester location to open soon, according to job listings on snagajob.com. Visit the site for details.

Sunday afternoon around 12:30pm near AEDC on the Wattendorf Memorial Highway at the Exit 117 Interstate 24 overpass there was a 2-vehicle crash.
In Tennessee Highway Patrolman Larry Fraley’s report a 2002 Ford Mustang driven by 18 year-old Mary E McBee of Decherd was traveling north when she allegedly failed to yield while turning onto the I-24 westbound exit ramp. The action apparently caused 48 year-old Korey J Benbow of Manchester to collide his Harley Davidson motorcycle with the Mustang. Benbow was pronounced deceased at the scene. Apparently McBee was injured, but no information was given on the extent of her injures.
No charges were filed.

Gov. Bill Haslam was in Franklin County on Monday discussing his plan for a 7 cent tax increase per gallon on gasoline and 12 cents on diesel to go toward roadway improvements.
The purpose of the event, was to provide a forum on a plan focusing exclusively on increasing much-needed funding to repair and maintain safe highways and bridges throughout Tennessee. Haslam has also proposed that sales tax be reduced on food products.
Haslam’s agenda includes the IMPROVE Act, which stands for “Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy.”
The IMPROVE Act, besides increasing the road user fee by 7 cents for a gallon of gas and 12 cents for a gallon of diesel, also increases car registration fees by $5 for the average passenger vehicle.
It places an annual road user fee on electric vehicles and increases charges on vehicles using alternative fuels.
The proposal also includes a 3 percent charge on rental cars and changes the state’s open container law to allow the Tennessee Department of Transportation flexibility to use $18 million in existing federal dollars on roads.
Under the IMPROVE Act, the state sales tax on groceries will fall to 4.5 percent – for a total one percent reduction under this administration since 2011.

While the fate of the Affordable Care Act hangs in limbo, one sector of the population is particularly vulnerable to changes in the health care system. Over the last eight years, access to mental health care for those who need it has increased through availability of coverage and safeguards to ensure access to that care.
Jeff Fladen with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Tennessee said reducing accessibility for folks who need mental health services also greatly affects their ability to remain self-sufficient.
“They’re getting insurance now through the exchanges and if a lot of people lose insurance because there’s no subsidy, then they won’t have insurance coverage for treatment,” Fladen said. “And that can make the difference between keeping the job and advancing and not.”
Experts say it can take up to 10 years to establish a successful treatment plan for people in need of mental health care, and a disruption in treatment can instigate behavior that makes it almost impossible for some people to function in society.
Fladen said if the state and federal governments don’t support regular mental health care for those who need it, it ultimately will cost more down the line – from law enforcement to social services.
“We have a lot of low income people who would depend on things like Medicaid through block grants and Medicaid expansion,” Fladen said. “And reduction in care will hit that group even more, which will cost all of us more – in hospitals and jails and homelessness – even above and beyond the impact on the individual and their family.”
Despite the progress made in the availability of care, he said millions of people still live in areas with a shortage of mental health service providers – particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged communities.

Last week Coffee County Sheriff Investigator James Sherrill received information from Capt. Frank Watkins that Stacy Sibley Stewart, 36, could be found at a residence on Thornberry Road in Normandy. The investigator learned that the man was wanted on warrants from Coffee Warren and Bedford Counties, as well as Coles County, Illinois.
Watkins had received information that Stewart was in possession of a large amount of meth. So they asked him if they could search and he gave permission to do so. Deputy Brandon Reed allegedly found approximately a gram of methamphetamine in a bedroom.
Stewart was charged with being a fugitive from justice, violation of probation and possession of schedule II in Coffee County and faces other charges in the other counties.
Stewart was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $103,500. He is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court March 6.

We have a follow-up to a story we reported a few weeks ago about a man that allegedly had stolen money and product from a Tullahoma business.
Gary Wayne Dodson, 37, of Tate Avenue, Shelbyville was arrested by Tullahoma Police last week on charges of theft over a $1,000 in connection with the theft from the business.
He was arrested by Tullahoma Police Investigator Johnny Gore after he allegedly took on five different occasions, a total $921 from the money bag from Express Lube and Car Wash located on North Jackson Street.
He is also accused of taking $200 worth of oil and four oil filters from the business as well as other merchandise valued at $600.
The oil was recovered after Dodson allegedly was involved in an accident in Shelbyville and left the scene but the oil was found in the vehicle.
Dodson was allegedly in possession of a Hydrocodone pill at the time of his arrest. In addition to the theft charge, he is charged with possession of schedule IV and unlawful drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $17,000 and is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court this Thursday, Feb. 23.
According to the arrest warrant, Dodson is wanted in Bedford County on charges related to the accident.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol Chattanooga district announced this week that they were the only district out of eight to report less traffic fatalities in 2016 than in 2015.
Lt. John Harmon says that in the twelve county district (that includes Coffee County) there were sixteen less traffic fatalities. Coffee County went down from fourteen to twelve. In nearby counties, Franklin County went down from nine to six and Grundy County went up from zero to two.
Harmon added the THP success is due in part to the “Drive to Zero” campaign. Each trooper’s goal is to have zero fatalities during their shift.
Troopers make arrests of drivers driving under the influence and write citations for seatbelt violations to help save lives. According to statistics, troopers in Coffee County arrested 79 drivers for DUI and wrote 1,027 seatbelt violations.
Other statistics show that there were 126 injury crashes in Coffee County, 190 property damage accidents where no one was injured and the THP assisted 727 stranded motorists.
Lt. Harmon said he would like to thank all sheriff’s deputies and city police officers for their outstanding work helping to keep Tennessee roadways safe.
He went onto say thank you to troopers that work in Coffee County; Lt. Tim Spicer, Sgt. Patrick Turner, Troopers Randall Williams, Lazaro Serna, Joseph Jones, Randy Euler, Timothy Johnson along with Interdiction Patrolmen Donnie Clark and Jason Boles.