Category: News

Earlier this year the Coffee County Health, Welfare and Recreation Committee approved a resolution proposing the establishment of a $45 victim’s assistance fee. Last week the Coffee County Budget and Finance Committee approved the proposed $45 fee. The full county commission will vote on the proposal on September 13. The fee would be collected from individuals convicted or entering a plea of guilty to a crime that imposes a fine of over $500 and possible imprisonment.
According to the director of the Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center Joyce Pursak, the county would keep $3 from each of the fees assessed. Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and Haven of Hope would split the remaining amount. Many counties already have been collecting this fee for years. The state legislature passed the bill allowing for such a fee.

A Tullahoma woman was arrested on charges of theft that contain embezzlement.
On Aug. 16 Denshia Branford, 27, of New Rock Creek Road was charged with taking $1,200 from Wal-Mart on North Jackson Street.
According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Jamason Wells, store security reported that Branford had been taking money out of her register from July 22 to Aug. 14 totaling $1,200. The report alleges that the woman admitted to taking the money over the time period.
Branford was booked into the Coffee County Jail on the charges under a $5,000 bond. She is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Oct. 6.

On Tuesday August 24th at approximately 1:00pm the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office executed a search of a residence located on Burks Ln. in the Huntland area. As a result of the search, Sheriff’s Office Investigators discovered components and materials associated with the production of methamphetamine. The scene was processed and charges are anticipated through the Grand Jury process.
Investigators Robert Tipps and George Dyer were responsible for conducting the investigation.

Tennessee residents are allowed to hunt without a license on Saturday, Aug. 27 which coincides with the opening day of squirrel season. Free Hunting Day is an event the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency annually provides in hopes of increasing interest in hunting. Squirrel hunting is one of Tennessee’s oldest and favorite traditions. The day serves as an excellent opportunity for persons to experience the enjoyment of the sport. The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members (young and old) to the outdoors sport. It is also an excellent opportunity for those folks who have not tried hunting in a while to be reintroduced to the sport. On Free Hunting Day, state resident hunters are exempt from hunting licenses and WMA permit requirements.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to have successfully completed a hunter education course. An apprentice license is required for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 if the hunter education course has not been completed. This license exempts the hunter from the mandatory hunter education law for one year from the date of purchase, but may only be purchased for up to three consecutive years during the lifetime of the hunter. Hunters are allowed to harvest up to 10 squirrels a day from the opening day of squirrel season through Feb. 28, 2017 with each hunting day beginning a half-hour before sunrise and ending a half-hour after sunset. In addition to squirrels, those species that have a year-round season will be open as well. The year-round species include armadillo, beaver, coyote, groundhog, and striped skunk.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is accepting pre-orders of license plates featuring the country music star.
Production will begin once 1,000 pre-orders are made, according to a release from the Imagination Library.
A total of 282 plates had been sold as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The cost for a license plate is $35, and proceeds benefit the Imagination Library.
Patron started the Imagination Library in Sevier County in 1995.
Tennessee soon became one of the first states to launch a statewide effort to ensure all children under the age of 5 would have access to quality books.

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 one deputy or police officer will be honored as a Hometown Hero.
We are looking for the public’s help. Go to the Thunder Radio or Al White Ford Lincoln Mercury Facebook page to nominate a law enforcement official. Tell us why you think a Coffee County deputy, Tennessee Highway Patrolman, Manchester Police officer or Tullahoma Police department officer deserves to be honored.
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.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department received a call on Friday (August 19, 2016) that Benjamin Cox was missing from his residence in the Summitville, TN area. Apparently he went missing on Wednesday (August, 17) around 2 pm. On Tuesday morning Cox was found deceased at a location in Summitville.
No foul play is suspected at this time and an autopsy will be performed.
Over the past few days, deputies and Coffee Rescue Squad members have searched the area, but were unable to find Cox until he was located by a person on Tuesday.
Mr Cox was 35 years old.

A loaded Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum revolver reported stolen in Coffee County was found in the possession of a man being arrested on drug charges Sunday night in Bedford County.
Matthew Tyler Cook, 25, of Pinkston Road was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia by the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force and possession of stolen property by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office. Cook told officers of the presence of the gun and several syringes during a traffic stop.
Cook posted $5,000 bond. (Shelbyville Times-Gazette)

Tennessee’s economy is outpacing pre-recession strength, based on the flow of new business filings and a slower pace of closings, according to Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
Tennessee recorded 8,919 new businesses from April to June, up 7.2% from the same time last year. The increase is the state’s 19th consecutive year-over-year, according to a report prepared by Tennessee Secretary of State’s office and University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
The state experienced a 53 percent drop in business closures, with close to 2,000 businesses shutting down in the second quarter.
Nearly all of the new business filings were Tennessee based, indicating the state’s momentum in entrepreneurship.
Hargett said he is optimistic about the state’s economic trajectory and forecasts ongoing expansion for the next year, despite slow gross domestic product growth nationally.

An association representing state employees in Tennessee wants the state to stop using private prisons.
The Tennessean reports that Tennessee State Employee Association President Bryan Merritt is calling on the Tennessee Department of Correction to end the use of private prisons because he says state employees already do a great job managing prisons. He says private prisons provide an inferior product, lower levels of safety, security and debatable savings.
The move from the association comes after the U.S. Department of Justice announced last week that it would end its contracts with private prison operators.
Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Tony Parker says in a statement that the state is satisfied with the services provided by private prison operator Corrections Corporation of America.