Category: News

The low price of oil has given way to declines in prices at the pump. The average price of gas fell for the tenth consecutive day Sunday. State averages are 2-3 cents lower than a week ago.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said motorists filling their gas tanks got a brief reprieve from rising prices, thanks to a dip in oil prices early last week. But he said oil finished the week $4 higher than it started, which could cause pump prices to climb again in the near future.
The national average price of regular unleaded Sunday was $2.04, one cent lower than a week ago. Tennessee average was $1.85, four cents cheaper than a week ago, 20 cents higher than a month ago, 27 cents cheaper than a year ago. In Coffee County the low price is $1.69 in Tullahoma and $1.74 in Manchester.

On Saturday afternoon Manchester Fire-Rescue received a report of a kitchen fire at 140 Woodcrest Blvd. Fire crews from both stations responded to the scene. When they arrived there was heavy fire and smoke as the fire had vented itself thru the roof area over the kitchen. Crews attacked the fire aggressively and stopped the fire from spreading to other areas of the home. There is heavy damage in the kitchen and living room areas of the home.
The Manchester Police Department and Coffee County EMS provided outstanding support to the firefighters on scene during the incident from controlling the area to assisting in offloading some hoses off one of the engines.
Manchester Fire Chief George Chambers said that it was a total team effort and all crews on scene did a great job in making a quick attack on the fire and knocking it down before it could spread to the rest of the home.
On scene crews called in 1800 Board Up who came out to the home, secured the premises and provided vital assistance for the family that was affected by the fire. 1800 Board Up and the American Red Cross were instrumental in setting up the family a place to stay, cleaning the resident’s clothes so they could have some clean smoke free clothes and providing other needed assistance. See video shot by Deuce Anderson below:

A Tullahoma man is being held under $50,000 bond after he allegedly held an 8-year-old girl’s head underwater in a bathtub.
Christopher Terrance Daniels, 31, of 131 Silver St., has been charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect under Haley’s Law. Haley’s Law makes the abuse of a child under the age of 9 resulting in bodily injury a Class A felony. The law was named in honor the 2004 East Tennessee case of “Baby Haley,” who was badly abused by her father and stepmother.
According to the warrant, Daniels assaulted his ex-girlfriend’s 8-year-daughter in the bathroom of a unit in the Eastgate Apartments.
The warrant states the girl was taking a bath with her sibling when Daniels apparently turned music up really loud and entered the bathroom. Daniels is the father of the sibling.
He then allegedly covered the girl’s mouth and nose with a washcloth, pushed the child’s held under the water and held it there for a period of time, “making her believe she was going to drown.”
According to the warrant, the child told investigators that water went down her throat and nose, “causing her nose, throat and jaw to hurt.” The victim also said when Daniels allowed her to surface, her brother was crying. Daniels then apologized to the girl, the warrant states.
Daniels is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on April 21.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security announced the current McMinnville Driver Services Center will close and space for a new center will be renovated at McMinnville City Hall located at 101 East Street.
In addition, the department has installed a self-service kiosk at the County Administration Building located at 201 Locust Street.
The kiosk offers a quick way to renew or replace a driver’s license.
The McMinnville Driver Services Center, located at 594 Vervilla Road will stop serving customers at the close of business on Tuesday, May 31.
During renovations of the City Hall space, the County Administration Building kiosk and centers in Murfreesboro and Tullahoma will be available to provide services, with staff positions in McMinnville being temporarily transferred to one or more of these centers. These centers are full-service and will continue to provide excellent customer service.
Both driver services centers are open from 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. (CDT), Monday through Friday.
These facilities are full-service centers handling driver license, identification cards, motor vehicle records, vision testing, knowledge and skills testing, and handgun permit applications.

The 11th annual Coffee County Home and Garden Show was held at the Coffee County Fairgrounds on Saturday. Around 30 vendors displayed goods and services at the event brought to you by Al White Ford-Lincoln of Manchester. Several attendees brought non-perishable food items that will be donated to the Good Samaritan Food Bank. The 11th annual Al White Motors Coffee County Home and Garden Show at the Coffee County Fairgrounds was sponsored by Hill’s Power Pro and Watson Metals.
Thank you to businesses and those of you who attended. The 12^th annual show from Thunder Radio is already being planned.

On Wednesday (April 6, 2016) afternoon at approximately 4:45pm Coffee County Sheriff’s Department Captain Frank Watkins received information of a possible homicide at 962 A Street in Hillsboro.
When patrolman arrived they made contact with a man to advise him why they were at the residence and received verbal consent to search the property. A patrolman discovered a deceased male body located outside the subject’s residence covered with numerous items. At that time investigators advised Vincent John Elliott Jr age 48 of 962 A Street Hillsboro of his Miranda rights.
According to the arrest warrant, Elliott allegedly gave investigators a confession of why he killed the victim after first giving no cooperation. The warrant goes onto to say that Elliott said he killed the male victim by beating and shooting the man.
Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott said the victim has been identified as David Lee Brooks, 50, of West First Street Hillsboro. An autopsy was performed on Thursday.
Allegedly Elliott stated this all occurred over an altercation over Elliott’s dog.
He was charged with 1st Degree Murder and appeared in Coffee County General Sessions court on Thursday where no bond was set.
Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves said he would like to commend the work of all members of the sheriff’s department and District Attorney Investigator Billy Cook to bring a close to the case.

A Manchester woman was arrested after being indicted by the Coffee County Grand Jury for inflicting injuries on her 4-year-old daughter.
Shraddhaben Alpeshkumar Chaudhari, 34 of Summer Street, Manchester was arrested March 31 after being indicted on charges of aggravated child abuse or neglect and aggravated assault.
According to a report by Manchester Police Investigator Butch Stewart, the Tennessee Department of Children Services (DCS) called for him to meet them at Westwood Elementary School in Manchester on Dec. 2, 2015.
When the investigator arrived he alleges that DCS investigators showed him pictures of the little girl that allegedly showed that the child had bite marks on her left hand. The report states that the bites were “obviously human bite marks.”
The investigator states that she had a small injury to her neck and a burn on her right hand with two of her fingers swollen and discolored. She also allegedly had bruises and discoloration on another part of her body.
According to the police officer, the child told a DCS investigator that her mother had bitten her. Teachers at the school also told the investigator that the little girl had told them that her mother had bitten her as well as the burn her.
The child’s father, told the investigator that “the child was not hurt” and that it would not happen again. According to the investigator, the father stated that the child had shut the door on her hand.
The father also told Investigator Stewart that he disagreed with allegations that the child had been bitten.
The Chaudhari is free on a bond of $150,000. She is scheduled to appear in Coffee County Circuit Court April 27. (Courtesy of the Tullahoma News)