Category: News

A Cannon County woman is charged for the third time with doctor shopping for prescription drugs, using the state’s healthcare insurance program for payment.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Heather Marie Hale, 30, of Woodbury. She is charged in Warren County with using TennCare to visit multiple providers in a short period of time in order to obtain prescriptions for the painkillers Hydrocodone, Tramadol and Tylenol with codeine. TennCare was used to pay for the clinical visits, the prescriptions, or both. Hale was being held in the Rutherford County Jail on unrelated charges and was later transported to the Warren County Jail where she was served.
Hale was arrested in November of last year on an indictment in Rutherford County where she was charged with doctor shopping for Hydrocodone and Tramadol, using TennCare as payment. She was first arrested in September of last year on a Cannon County indictment charging her with two counts of using TennCare to obtain prescriptions for the painkillers Hydrocodone and Tramadol. She was given four years of supervised probation in a plea bargain agreement.
TennCare fraud is now a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,797 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the OIG website and follow prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”

Texting and driving is a dangerous and sometimes deadly distraction that is oftentimes hard for officers to prove. Currently, they can’t ask to see a driver’s phone if they suspect distracted driving.
In 2016, Tennessee Highway Patrol issued 13,549 citations for texting and driving.
This year, troopers have already issued 849 distracted driving citations for texting and due care violations.
What if officers could check a distracted driver’s phone for text messages just like they ask a suspected drunk driver to perform a breathalyzer? A new bill being drafted in the legislature is aiming to make that happen.
The device officers would use is called a “textalyzer.” An officer could plug the device in to a driver’s cell phone to see if the person was texting before a crash.
One obstacle would be proving there’s probable cause and that the search is constitutional.
The Supreme Court says officers need a warrant to search a phone. But this bill could closely mirror the laws that make breathalyzers legal.
On benefit is privacy should not be compromised, as officers cannot read the content of the messages. The app would only allow officers to see that a message has been sent.
The last day to file bills this legislative session is Feb. 9. (WSMV-TV)

Three members of the Coffee County Water Wastewater Treatment Authority have resigned, leaving the board unable to conduct business. John Hall, Don Hershman and Margaret Cunningham have all resigned. This group and two others were in charge of the Wayside Sewer System.
The next meeting of the State of Tennessee Water and Wastewater Financing Board is scheduled for March 13. The sewer system serves the area of Wayside, Country Air and Deer Range, located off Hwy 55.
On Jan. 10, the full commission supported a resolution to forgive the debt for the sewer system if a utility company agrees to assume operations of the system.
The question is who will be in charge of the Wayside Sewer System? Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell is hoping to get a resigning member to reinstate for one day so they can abolish the authority and turn the operating power over to the county government.

Motlow State Community College will crown its king and queen on Saturday, Feb. 4, when it celebrates Homecoming in Nisbett Center on the Moore County campus.
The College invites all alumni, fans, friends and students to the festivities, with the crowning to be held at halftime of the men’s basketball game between Motlow and Cleveland State. The women’s teams play at 2 p.m., with the men to follow at approximately 4 p.m.
All children present will be crowned honorary kings and queens, and custom Homecoming t-shirts will be given to the first 100 people who arrive at the gymnasium. In addition, many spirit items will be given away to help boost the Bucks and Lady Bucks to victory.
Both Motlow teams are ranked among the top 25 in the nation by the National Junior College Athletic Association, with the Lady Bucks at No. 20 and the Bucks holding down the No. 25 spot. There is no admission charge to Motlow State athletic events.

Come out and run/walk to help the family of Jason Creek. Any amount donated will be accepted and appreciated! This is an untimed event to raise money to support Jason Creek and his family during their time of need. An Aerobathon has been planned for Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Manchester Recreation Complex, and a 5K Benefit Fun Run has been set up for Saturday, Feb. 25 also beginning at the recreation center.
On Monday, January 2, 2017, Jason was driving to referee a college basketball game when an impaired driver crossed over the median on Interstate 75 north of Atlanta and struck Jason’s vehicle head-on. Jason suffered significant trauma that included many external and internal injuries, including a broken femur, broken ribs and clavicle, facial lacerations, damage to his spleen that had to be partially removed, and significant damage to his lungs. Jason had surgery two days after the accident to place a rod in his broken leg. The days that followed were very critical as his lungs struggled to function properly, and chest tubes had to be inserted to drain fluid/blood and remove pressure from around his lungs. After several days being sedated and on a ventilator in the ICU, Jason’s condition slowly improved and he was taken off the ventilator for a couple of days. However, breathing and swallowing issues arose and he was placed back on the ventilator and back in the ICU. After showing significant improvement again in vital signs, fever and lung issues, Creek was placed in an Intermediate Care Unit, where he will remain until he can be placed in a regular room.
Jason is an assistant principal at Coffee County Middle School, and his wife, Lana, is also an educator. They have two young sons.
This fundraiser has been set up to assist the family with medical expenses and associated costs throughout Jason’s recovery, not to mention the lost income from being unable to referee for an extended period of time. Thank you to everyone who has already reached out and asked for a way to help. Please continue to keep Jason and his family in your thoughts and prayers. All money raised will be given directly to the family.
To learn more about the events to take place at the recreation center, call (931)-728-0273. To purchase a benefit T-shirt, contact Melady Sherrill at (931)-247-5241, or visit the recreation center to fill out available order forms.

On Thursday, Coffee County Deputy Joey Ricco responded to a single vehicle roll-over crash on Hwy 53. Upon arrival the deputy located Chelsey Lynn West age 28 of Bailey Perry Rd, Manchester and her 3 month old child inside the car, West was unresponsive, medical personal arrived and transported her and the child to Unity Medical Center. West was later transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center via Life Flight.
Deputies allegedly found inside the vehicle, a small bag of green leafy substance believed to be marijuana, Xanax, and a hydrocodone pill along with several other non-scheduled prescriptions in a bottle. A blood test was done at Unity Medical with results pending.
Later on Thursday Ricco was told West was out of the hospital and charged her with reckless endangerment, schedule 2, 4 and 6 drug violations and DUI
Her bond was set at $18,000 and her court date is Feb 27, 2017.
The child that was in the accident was released from the hospital.

Coffee County Deputy Kevin Smith stopped a vehicle on the McMinnville Hwy on Thursday for a traffic violation.
Smith says in the arrest warrant that he was given consent to search the vehicle.
The deputy says he observed Paul Martin Phillips age 54 Smart Station Rd, Morrison attempting to hide a white bottle. After the subject gave the bottle to the deputy he opened it and it allegedly contained a small amount of meth and some other pills. Upon search of the vehicle the deputy allegedly found approximately 59.8 grams of crystal meth along with 29 grams of marijuana, 9 Xanax pills, and 1 oxycodone. The subject also allegedly had in his possession, plastic bags that could be used to deliver illegal drugs, and fake containers of chocolate milk and WD40 cans that can be used to conceal illegal drugs.
Deputy Smith says in his report that the man was asked if all the drugs in the vehicle were his and he said yes.
Phillips was charged with 2 counts of manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance, unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities, schedule 2 and 4 drug violations and violation of probation.
Bond was set at $57,500 and he’ll appear in Coffee County General Sessions court Feb 13, 2017.

The Tullahoma Police Department is continuing to investigate a fire that destroyed a house on Johnson Lane on Jan. 3.
The Tullahoma Fire Department arrived around 5:50 a.m. to the fire and found the house was fully engulfed with flames. Fire Chief Richard Shasteen stated at the time that the firefighters battled the blaze and kept if from spreading to nearby houses.
The chief stated the house was under construction and no one was living in it at the time. The chief said at the time that fire appeared to have started in the floor of a bedroom and spread up the walls into the attic. The flames then spread throughout the house.
There was no power to the house at the time of the fire.
Police say they are waiting on evidence that was collected from the house to be returned from the lab.
Lt Jason Ferrell stated that they are continuing to investigate the fire and anyone with information about the blaze is asked to contact the police department at 455-0530.