Category: News

Al White Motors and WMSR (Thunder Radio) are teaming up to honor those who serve that thin blue line, our local law enforcement. Each month someone in law enforcement will be honored as a Hometown Hero.
Our hero this month is Sgt. Chris Patterson with the Manchester Police Department. After receiving a degree in Criminal Justice from MTSU he attended the police academy in 2000. He began his career in law enforcement the same year with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department as a School Resource Officer. Patterson was hired in 2005 by the Manchester Police Department as a patrol officer. Patterson was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2012, taking over the training duties of the department. He is in charge of all training for the officers of Manchester PD. The department also provides training in multiple facets relating to law enforcement, he schedules and instructs for both the law enforcement and civilian arena. Sgt. Patterson has the difficult task of maintaining the department to P.O.S.T. standards, both in training and personnel. He is also the liaison between the department and the Governors Highway Safety Office, applying for grants and training provided at no cost to the citizens. Patterson is a very valuable asset to the department and the City of Manchester. Citizens are fortunate to have someone with his abilities, knowledge and education as part of the administrative staff of the department.
We are continuing to ask for the public’s help for more hometown heroes. Go to our Facebook page or the Al White Ford Lincoln Mercury Facebook page to nominate a law enforcement official. Tell us why you think someone that serves Coffee County in law enforcement deserves to be chosen as a “Hometown Hero”. The man or woman that is selected each month will be recognized on WMSRradio.com and receive a nice surprise from Al White Motors.
Thank you to all that serve and protect us, our Hometown Heroes.

Brandi Michelle Gurdak, 19, of Expressway Dr in Manchester has been arrested on child abuse charges.
Gurdak was arrested late last week and charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect, possession of schedule II and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The arrest was made after a complaint was lodged about the alleged abuse.
She was arrested by Manchester Police Investigator Butch Stewart after the officer served a search warrant at her residence.
The investigator alleges in a warrant that he found Percocet tablets with no prescription and a glass pipe.
She was booked into the Coffee County Jail with a bond of $76,500.

Unity Medical Center in Manchester held a mock disaster drill on Tuesday. More than 20 volunteers and hospital employees took place in the drill at the hospital.
The event was done to focus on plans for an actual crisis, which could send several patients to Unity.
During the drill, mock patients were transferred by ambulances to the Unity Medical Center Emergency Department on Interstate Drive.
The State of Tennessee Department of Health, MedStat, Coffee County EMS, Coffee County EMA, Manchester Fire Department, the South Central Regional Health Care Coalition and others were included in the drill.
Hospitals are required by the Joint Commission, formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, to have disaster response plans in place and to conduct disaster drills periodically for improvement and training purposes.
Unity CEO Martha McCormick said she was very pleased with the drill.

On Monday police responded to a hit and run accident on Highway 55. The driver of the hit vehicle gave officers a description of the fleeing vehicle. A witness stated to police that the driver was throwing some type items out of his car as he drove. The witness to the accident followed the vehicle to Highway 127 where the subject stopped and allegedly tried to remove parts from his vehicle.
Tennessee Highway Patrolman Larzo Serna arrived and the man was outside his vehicle and had the keys. The arrest warrant states that the man identified as Timothy Wade Hampton age 46 of Fults Cove Road Morrison had a strong odor of intoxicant, was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech. The warrant alleges that Hampton admitted to drinking some beer. He was given three field sobriety tests doing poorly on all three. Hampton consented and was taken to Unity Medical Center for blood work with results pending.
Hampton was charged with; DUI 2nd offense and leaving the scene of an accident. His bond was set at $10,000 and a court date of December 13, 2016.

Pump prices in Tennessee continue their descent. Tennessee’s state average of $2.12 is 2 cents less than a week ago.
“Gas prices are a mixed bag across the southeastern United States,” said, Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Motorists in Georgia and Tennessee continue to benefit from abundant gasoline supplies at a time when demand is low.
Tennessee’s average has declined for several days in a row.
In Coffee County the low price per gallon in Manchester is $1.98 and in Tullahoma it’s a $1.97.

Teen involved crash fatalities increased 10 percent in 2015, according to a new report from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.
Distracted driving is the number one cause of teen driver crashes and teen passengers are the number one distraction for teen drivers.
AAA suggests teen passengers avoid unnecessary conversations, don’t pull the driver’s attention from the road, silence phone notifications and navigate and stay alert to help the driver avoid danger.
AAA also recommends that parents get involved as their teens learn to drive by helping them practice in varying conditions, enrolling them in a drivers education program, and setting a good example behind the wheel.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department received a call around 4:47pm Sunday afternoon that some type of aircraft had crashed at 2376 Prairie Plains Rd, Hillsboro.
Emergency crews arrived quickly on the scene and discovered an Ultralight Sky Cycle aircraft had indeed crashed. The area was secured and an investigation ensued.
Emergency personnel then located Michael David Nelms age 52, 2376 Prairie Plains Road in Hillsboro and determined that he had perished.
Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves says his department will work with Federal Aviation Administration Investigator Aaron DeVogel. The cause of the crash is still being investigated and the cause of the crash has not been determined at this time.
Mr Nelms’ body was transported to the medical examiner’s office in Nashville to determine the exact cause of death.

Early voting begins on Wednesday and in Manchester, residents can vote at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza, which is located at 1329 McArthur St., Suite 6. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The hours will be extended through 5:30 p.m. on the last day of early voting, which is Thursday, Nov. 3. In Tullahoma, voters can cast their ballots at the C.D. Stamps Community Center, located at 810 S. Jackson St. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The hours will also be extended through 5:30 on Nov. 3. Election Day is November 8.

On the ballot:

• President
• United States House of Representatives
•     (6th Congressional District)
• Tennessee State Senate
•     (16th Senatorial District)
• Tennessee House of Representatives
•      (47th House District)

The total number of registered voters in Coffee County is more than 32,000.

On Sunday Manchester Police officers were called to 726 Madison Street for an aggravated assault call. The victim stated she had been kidnapped by knife point by a male subject while in the parking lot at a restaurant in Manchester. According to the arrest warrant, the victim told police that Taurean Siron Green entered her car and allegedly produced a knife and told her to drive around town so that he could talk to her. The victim states that several times Green allegedly put the knife to her and threatened to kill her if she flagged anyone down for help. She told police that they finally ended up at her mother’s residence where the victim was able to wake her mother and Green’s father and they made the subject leave. He apparently left in the victim’s vehicle without her permission. Officers later located Green age 21 of East Harp Street Manchester sitting in the vehicle.
Officers state that there is an active order of protection against the subject by the victim.
Manchester Police Officer Keith Hendrix charged Green with kidnapping, theft of property, aggravated assault, driving on revoked/suspended 3rd offense and order of protection violation. Bond was set at $27,000 and his court is Tuesday.