Category: News

It official, Nashville-based restaurant chain Logan’s Roadhouse filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week with plans to restructure its operations and close 18 locations.
Logan’s has 18,964 employees, including 1,002 full-time workers, at its 234 company-owned locations, according to a court filing. The company has 26 franchised restaurants.
The locations to be closed have not been released. The steakhouse chain has one restaurant in Manchester, TN.

Over 400 motorcycles will pass through Manchester on Wednesday Aug 24 during a seven-state journey raising money for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. They will ride through between approximately 9:15 am to 9:45 am.
The American Legion Riders of American Legion Gold Star Post 78 of Manchester invite the citizens of Coffee County to join them in cheering and waving American Flags for this group of 500 riders and passengers as it passes on I-24. This is a way of thanking these veterans for their service to our country and their continued service through The American Legion and its Legacy Scholarship Fund. Several of the riders will be from this area.
They ask that you gather at the Hwy 53 Bridge (Woodbury Hwy) overlooking I-24 West at Exit 110.
In cooperation with the Manchester PD the right lane on the Chattanooga side of the bridge will be closed to vehicles at 9:00 am so pedestrians can gather to see the group as it approaches from Chattanooga on I-24. If you have one, bring an American Flag to wave as a way of showing your support. Some flags will be available from our American Legion Riders Chapter.
Important Note: For safety, No Parking and No Stopping on the bridge will be allowed. Park off of Hwy 53 and carefully walk to the gathering spot on the bridge.
Since its inception in 2002, over $11 million has been raised for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund which is a trust with all expenses paid by The American Legion. The American Legion Riders have generated several million dollars for the scholarships through annual fund raising and it culminates each year with the American Legion Legacy Run. This is the 11th annual run.
Eligibility for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship is open to children of service members who died while on active duty following 9/11 as well as children of these veterans who have a disability rating of 50% or better by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Detailed information is available at www.Legion.org/scholarships/legacy.
For more information contact Rob Moreland at 931-224-0610.

On Tuesday (Aug. 8) Captain Danny Ferrell received information that there was going to be a drug drop at the Coffee County Sheriff’s department. Ferrell was sitting in the parking lot and watched Corrections Officer Joseph Matthew Call receive a food bag. Call then entered the Coffee County Jail. Investigator James Sherrill talked to the officer as he was coming in the door and ask him to step into the investigations office. Upon opening the food bag, there were packages in it. When the packages were opened, marijuana and methamphetamine were allegedly found.
When Captain Ferrell spoke to correction officer Call, he advised he had received money for delivering one package.
Call, age 30 of John Mark Ct in Manchester was charged with Contraband in a penal institution and 2 counts of manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance. He was released on a $45,000 bond and has a court date of September 12, 2016.
Any other information or comments will be released when deemed necessary.

With so many houses in Manchester that are in desperate need of repairs, a grant is coming at a great time. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency granted the city $500,000 to rehabilitate homes for low-income homeowners.
These funds will go directly toward helping those with the greatest need to bring the homes up to code.
In a statement from the City of Manchester, “A house is more than just a place people live, a house is a shield against the tough elements.” The statement goes onto say, “We are grateful that we can now make these places of dwelling safer and more secure.”
Applications are currently available at the Manchester City Hall, located at 200 West Fort Street Manchester, Tennessee.

This summer marks the seven-year anniversary of the last time the federal minimum wage was raised, from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour. Meanwhile, the buying power of those dollars has fallen by 10 percent because of inflation, that comes from a new analysis from the Economic Policy Institute.
The study’s author, David Cooper, senior economic analyst with the Economic Policy Institute, said until the 1960s the wage was raised at roughly the same pace as increases in worker productivity.
“Had that trend continued since 1968 and we had continued to raise the minimum wage pretty regularly every year, we would have a minimum wage today of close to $19 an hour,” he said.
The Democratic Party recently added a $15-an-hour minimum wage to its platform, and Donald Trump has also come out in favor of an increase. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, raising the federal wage isn’t possible for all businesses, especially in the South and parts of the Midwest. At $7.25 an hour, Tennessee’s minimum wage matches the federal minimum, although some states have opted to increase the hourly rate for workers.
Cooper’s study also found that if the wage had kept pace with the average growth for a typical worker’s income, today’s minimum wage would be almost $12 an hour. Groups opposing initiatives in several states to pay workers at least that amount claim the move could lead to thousands of jobs being cut. Cooper disagrees.
“The effect of increases in the minimum wage on employment is probably the most studied topic in all of labor economics,” he added. “Modest increases in the minimum wage have little to no effect on employment, I mean, that debate is basically settled.”
Cooper said raising the wage floor also helps middle-class workers get paid more, and has a positive impact on local economies.

The president of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing said Monday the company is going to donate a REC7 DI rifle to every Tennessee sheriff’s office or department.
Barrett Firearms President Chris Barrett made the announcement at the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association Annual Conference and Exhibition in Sevierville.
Barrett’s headquarters are located in Murfreesboro, and their M52 was recently designated as the state’s gun.
Barrett said in a news release “We believe that the sheriffs can use these rifles as they enforce the laws around this great state.”

Recently property owners in the Wayside Sewer System area received a letter from Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell. The letter stated that starting Oct. 1, 2016 owners in the area of Wayside, Country Air and Deer Range will be required to pay fees for the sewer system.
Due to new standards set by the State of Tennessee Water and Wastewater Financing Board for the Wayside Wastewater system it has become necessary to reassess the financial situation.
The Wayside Sewer System is operated by Coffee County Water Wastewater Treatment Authority (CCWWTA) in conjunction with Coffee County Government.
In these subdivisions, environmental issues caused by improperly operating septic systems in low-lying wetland areas necessitated the construction of the sewer system, according to county officials. The problem was identified by the state in 2004. The system was installed by the county in 2006.
There are 125 homeowners and lot owners in the area that received letters informing them about this situation. Fifty-eight of those residents already use the system and pay $56 each month. Now the other home owners will be charged $56 per month; for lot owners $34 per month whether they use the system or not. If an owner wants to connect to system there is a $500 connection fee and $5,500 fee for the cost of tank and installation, effective until October 2017 when the cost of installation of the tank could change.
According to county officials, if a resident or property owner fails to pay for more than two months, a lien will be filed on the deed in the Coffee County Register of Deeds office. If no payments are made 90 days after the lien has been filed, the property will be condemned.

Last Thursday night a Tullahoma officer received a call that a car was in a ditch behind Pet Smart on No. Jackson St. When the officer arrived a male subject and a child had left the car and were running down the street near the Pizza Hut.
After contact was made two witnesses said they were riding with the man and he was the driver. The child also said the subject was driving the stuck vehicle.
James Austin Beck age 47 of East Grizzard St Tullahoma was charged for his 12th offense for driving on a revoked/suspended license. His bond was set at $18,000 and he will appear in court on Sept. 13, 2016.