Category: News

Smartphones and tablets make communicating easy in some ways and yet, experts warn there may be consequences for youngsters. A new poll from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association found the biggest concern of speech pathologists is that excessive technology use is replacing conversation and human interaction. Senior Director of Speech-Language Pathology at Cincinnati Children’s Dr. Ann Kummer explains that when kids are on devices, they’re not only missing out on verbal interaction, but also physical language. “What’s most important in communication development and also in the development of relationships, is direct communication,” says Kummer. “Which means that you look at each other, you have eye contact, you laugh together and that is not well done through devices.” A majority of speech-language pathologists in the poll said they believe the overuse of technology could cause irreversible damage to the communication skills of future generations. During Better Hearing and Speech Month in May, they are encouraging parents to model safe technology use and set reasonable parameters for their children. Kummer notes that technology isn’t bad, but the key is moderation. She says nothing can replace what a child can learn through communicating person-to-person. “A lot of times, parents are driving and kids are sitting using their devices and there’s no talking going on,” she says. “I always found in raising my kids that, sometimes, the best conversations were when we were together in the car.” Kummer says there’s been a significant rise in hearing loss in young people in recent years, which coincides with an increase in MP3 players and iPods. She suggests encouraging kids to keep the volume at half-level, because most hearing loss is irreversible.

As students across Tennessee look for summer jobs, state Department of Labor and Workforce Development officials are reminding employers about child labor laws that ensure teens are safe.
State officials say students as young as 14 can work on a limited basis in Tennessee. When school is out, teens ages 14 and 15 can work as much as eight hours a day, 40 hours per week, but they aren’t allowed to work after 9 p.m. Labor and Workforce Development officials say teens who are 16 and 17 can work up until midnight when school is out of session, but they must have written permission from a parent to work that late.
Minors are also barred from serving alcoholic beverages, selling items door-to-door and working jobs declared as hazardous.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help once again. Authorities are searching for 30 year-old Candace Marie Walker, last known address Goosepond Rd Manchester. Walker is wanted for aggravated burglary, theft of property over $1,000, forgery under $500 and failure to appear.
If you have seen Candace Marie Walker or know her whereabouts please call the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department at 931-570-4011. She is known to frequent Tullahoma and Decherd. They ask you to leave a detailed message if no one answers because investigators could be working other cases.
As always the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department thanks the public for its help and support.

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department received great response from the public on another wanted case. On Sunday, 32 year-old Christopher James Decent of Hillsboro Blvd Manchester was captured. Decent was wanted on a burglary charge, violation of probation, child support and failure to appear.

Vicki Hargrove, 34, of Tullahoma, is charged in Moore County with fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance by doctor shopping. In addition, she was charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. District Attorney General Robert Carter will prosecute. Hargrove was arrested just three months ago, in February, on an indictment in Coffee County for TennCare fraud in connection with fraudulently obtaining the painkillers Hydrocodone and Oxycodone by means of doctor shopping. She has since plead guilty and was placed on two years’ probation. District Attorney General Craig Northcott prosecuted the Coffee County case. TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or visit the website and follow prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”

A trial date for Robert ‘Blaine’ Roper, 27, has been set for Aug. 8 according to court officials.
Roper and his wife Carol Michelle ‘Keri’ Roper, 21, were arrested in November 2014 and charged with killing their newborn child following an investigation by the TBI in conjunction with the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Department.
The pair will be tried separately; no trial date has been set for Keri Roper at this time.
According to Sheriff’s Department officials, both Keri Roper and Blaine Roper are being held in a Nashville correctional facility, each under a $1 million bond.
Jury selection for the case is expected to be Aug. 3-5 in Lynchburg, with Blaine Roper’s trial set to begin the following Monday, Aug. 8.
On Oct. 31, 2014, the Moore County Grand Jury indicted the Ropers, each with one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, one count of premeditated first degree murder and two counts of felony murder.
Investigators discovered the newborn’s remains in a fire pit and ditch located on and near the property where the Ropers resided.

County unemployment rates for April 2016 show the rates decreased in 90 counties, increased in two, and remained the same in three counties.
Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for April was 4.3 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s revised rate. The U.S. preliminary rate for April was 5.0 percent, unchanged from the previous month.
Coffee County unemployment rate fell from 4.0 in percent March to 3.8 percent April. Warren County’s unemployment rate was 3.7 percent, down from the March rate of 4.0 percent. Franklin County stayed the same in April, 3.8 percent. Bedford County dropped slightly from 4.1 to 4 percent. Moore County had one of the state’s lowest rates, falling from 3.4 to 2.8 percent. Grundy County went from 5.5 to 5.0 percent. Cannon County went from 4.0 to 3.7 percent.
Williamson County had the state’s lowest unemployment at 2.7 percent, while Houston County had the highest at 6.8 percent.

The Coffee County Veterans groups (American Legion Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Disabled American Veterans Chapter) held the annual Memorial Day event on the square in Manchester on Monday morning.
The guest speaker was Dr. David Black, a Vietnam Veteran and businessman. He is the husband of 6^th District Congressman Diane Black, who also spoke.
Rob Moreland, the master of ceremonies for the event says the event is an opportunity for citizens to remember the 646,568 Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice, fighting for and dying defending our freedoms.

Download Thunder Radio’s broadcast of Monday’s ceremony

David Arch Bass age 55 of Allen St Tullahoma was found deceased in his cell at the Coffee County Jail on Thursday morning. He was being housed on charges of aggravated assault and setting fire to personal property.
Since the death occurred in a penal institution the investigation has been taken over by the TBI. According to a TBI spokesperson, the investigation is being conducted following a request made by 14th District Attorney General Craig Northcott.
Bass was discovered by Coffee County Jail employees unresponsive around 7:30am Thursday morning. His body was taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Nashville for an autopsy.

Marcus T. Odum age 24 of Deaderick St Jackson TN was arrested on Friday afternoon by Manchester Police Officer Dustan Foster after what started off to be a simple traffic stop. Foster says he observed a vehicle with no brake lights and was crossing the center line several times. He said he activated his blue lights and stopped vehicle on Oak Drive near Highland Circle. As the officer was exiting his vehicle he says that Odum, the driver of the vehicle and a passenger exited their vehicle. The arrest warrant states that Odum and the passenger took off on foot towards South Spring St. While Foster was apprehending Odum at South Spring St and Wiley St the man pulled a .380 caliber pistol out of his waistband and threw it over a fence at a residence. Upon the officer patting down Odum, he allegedly located in the man’s right front pocket a bag of a leafy green substance that appeared to be marijuana which weighed at 5.1 grams. Foster also checked Odum’s driver’s license which showed he was driving on suspended license.
After searching the area for a period of time the other person could not be found.
Odum was booked in at the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $11,500 on charges of driving on revoked/suspended license, evading arrest, schedule V drug violation and unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon-illegal possession. He is set to appear in court on July 12, 2016.