Category: News

Governor Bill Haslam has released Coffee County from the burn ban early. This was done early so it would assist in the cleanup of those affected by the recent tornados. There has been some changes to rules and regulations now through December 31st, 2016. Starting January 1st, 2017 they will go back to the normal procedures.
If you live inside the City of Manchester you need to contact the Manchester Fire Department for their procedures and rules at 728-2999. If you live in the City of Tullahoma you need to contact the Tullahoma Fire Department for their procedures and rules at 455-0936. If you live outside of the city limits of Manchester and Tullahoma in the county you will need to contact the Tennessee Division of Forestry for the change in laws and procedures at 1-877-731-2221.
Once again this is a way for the Governor to help the county in the cleanup efforts through the end of the year. As always, no man made products can be burned at any time of the year and you must stay with your fire till it is completely out.

The Franklin County boy found guilty of reckless homicide in the death of 11 year old Sienna Dusk Owens has been sentenced to state custody.
The boy who was 12 at the time of the December 2015 shooting at his home on Honey Lane in Franklin County was ordered by Franklin County Juvenile Judge Thomas Faris to state custody with a review of the case on March 8.
According to Franklin County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Chris Guess, Owens suffered a gunshot wound to her upper back from a 20-gauge shotgun during an incident that occurred in the home the boy shared with his mother, Jennifer Amacher, on Dec. 11, 2015.
According to Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller, after the shooting a responding deputy attempted to perform CPR on the girl until medical personnel arrived. She was transported to Southern Tennessee Regional Health System where she was pronounced dead.
Owens and the boy were classmates and several other children allegedly witnessed the shooting.
The boy’s mother has been indicted on charges of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and is scheduled to go on trial Dec. 15.
The boy is represented by Tullahoma attorneys Bobby Carter and Randall Morrison.
Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Steve Blount prosecuted the case.

If you are looking at building in Coffee County, fees for building permits are changing effective Jan 1, 2017.
Members of the planning commission agreed to hire an inspector to perform the codes inspections for the county. The codes inspections in the county are currently done by the state.
When the state does the inspections, the state collects the money from the fees, and the county keeps $15 per building permit issued. On average, there are about 25 building permits issued each month.
The members of the county planning commission decided to go back to the way inspections were done prior to the state performing those inspections.
For example, if you want to build a house valued at $90,000, you will pay $570 through the county instead of $450, which is the fee through the state.
The intent is for more money to be collected by the county instead of letting the state profit from performing the codes inspections and issuing the building permits.
Comparing fees: Let’s say you want to build a 2,000-square-foot house valued at $150,000. Starting 2017, in Coffee County, a building permit for such a house will cost $760. In comparison, a building permit for the same house in Bedford County, costs $2,739. In Franklin County, a building permit for that house will cost you $250. (Story compliments of the Tullahoma News)

No one was injured in a tanker truck and a car accident Tuesday morning around 10:15 a.m. on Cedar Lane in Tullahoma. According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Josh Yates, a truck operated by Hank Williams, 60, of Morrison and a car operated by Kala Marie Small, 27, of Lynchburg collided at the intersection of the street behind Hardees on Cedar Lane. NO one was injured however, due to the car going under the truck, Coffee County Ambulance Service responded as did the Tullahoma Fire Department. No charges were filed.
Traffic in the area of Cedar Lane at North Jackson Street intersection was snarled for about an hour while emergency personnel worked and the vehicles were removed from the scene.
Sgt. Phil Henderson assisted in the investigation.

A possible murder is being investigated in Bedford County. The body of 51 year-old Robert Timothy Perkins was found just inside the front door of his burning house early Friday night, Dec. 2, 2016.
According to Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing, the man’s manufactured home was severely damaged from the fire, but was not a total loss.
Evidence has been turned over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation crime lab and the state bomb and arson squad.

A Tullahoma man was arrested December 1st for solicitation of a person under the age 18 among other charges.
Erol Jovan Bedolla, 21, of College Street was arrested after a woman reported to an officer that Bedolla had been sending text to her 15-year-old daughter asking for explicit pictures as well as asking for sexual favors, according to an arrest warrant obtained by Tullahoma Police Officer Phil Bratten.
According to a police report, the girl asked him to stop sending her text, but he continued.
Bedolla is being held under a $36,500 bond and is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court January 19.

On Saturday, December 3rd Tennessee Highway Patrolman Randy Euler stopped a vehicle on Hwy 55 in Manchester for a traffic violation.
The trooper made contact with the driver who Euler says had the odor of an intoxicant about him. The trooper also states that the subject had blood shot eyes and slurred speech. The driver allegedly admitted to drinking to the trooper.
Euler says in the arrest warrant that he conducted 8 field sobriety tests on Rodger Thomas Harper, age 42, of Sims Spring Road, Shelbyville. The warrant says Harper performed poorly on all 8 tests. Euler states that he also located an open container of beer in the vehicle as well. The trooper transported the subject to Unity Medical Center in Manchester for a blood/alcohol test, results are pending.
Harper was charged with criminal impersonation, driving on revoked/suspended license 4th offense, habitual motor offender and DUI 5th offense. Bond was set at $28,500 which Harper made and was released. He court date was set for February 17, 2017.

The Tullahoma Fire Department was called to the Tullahoma High School on Monday afternoon around 5:45pm.
An alarm was pulled by custodians on duty and that’s when the fire department was called.
Apparently a heating unit malfunctioned causing a small fire to break out.
Tullahoma Fire Department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire.
Minimal smoke and water damage occurred in the English wing of the building.
The fire department used fans to draw the smoke out of the building. While 1-800-Board Up arrived and used their equipment to clean the smoke chemicals out of the wing as well as remove the smell from the air.

Residents in Tullahoma have been very generous donating items to assist residents affected by the November 29th tornado. Most of the victims’ immediate needs have been met. There is no immediate need for food or clothing.
If your property has been affected by the storm, there are supplies available provided by the Salvation Army located at the First Christian Church Annex, 201 NW Atlantic Street. Supplies include: rakes, tarps, work gloves, bleach, paper towels and bottled water.
In lieu of donating supplies, the City of Tullahoma is requesting that monetary donations be made to the Salvation Army, PO Box 606, Tullahoma, TN 37388 or the Red Cross, 501 Memorial Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 38129.
For more information, please contact Pam Bussell at 581-2094.

The City of Tullahoma Public Works will pick up Tree Debris that is piled by the road. To facilitate the fastest clean up, it is recommended that debris be cut no larger than 4 ft by 15 inches in diameter. Smaller diameter items can be longer. Notify your contractor of these size requirements to allow for your materials to be picked up. If the equipment cannot pick up the debris, they will not be picked up until cut smaller.
Don’t comingle brush and building materials. Brush piles will not be picked up if they contain building materials or metal.

Fuel prices are still rising after members of OPEC agreed to reduce crude oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day. Since last week’s announcement, gas price averages have risen around 10 cents in Tennessee.
Last week, crude oil prices reached their highest level since July 2015. The price for a barrel of WTI settled at $51.68 last Friday on the NYMEX.
The low price per gallon on Tuesday afternoon in Manchester was $2 and $1.94 in Tullahoma.