Category: News

Tullahoma Woman and Two others Charged in Human Trafficking Case

(L-R- Kasity Hill, Christopher Hill and Amy Ferrell)

(L-R- Kasity Hill, Christopher Hill and Amy Ferrell)

Special Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained indictments for three individuals in connection to an ongoing juvenile human trafficking investigation. After receiving information from the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, TBI Agents opened a case on July 8, 2015, marking the first case initiated under a change in state law giving TBI original jurisdiction to investigate allegations of human trafficking in Tennessee. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information that Kasity Hill, Christopher Hill, and Amy Ferrell participated in an effort over several months to traffic a 17-year-old for the purposes of commercial sex at various locations in Montgomery County. On March 7th, the Montgomery County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging Kasity Hill, 25, of Tullahoma, and her husband, Christopher Hill, 32, of Nashville, with eight counts each of Trafficking for Commercial Sex Acts and two counts each of Money Laundering. The Grand Jury also returned an indictment, charging Ferrell, 24, of Shelbyville, with one count of Trafficking for Commercial Sex Acts. Authorities notified all three individuals of their new charges at two local jails, where they remain incarcerated on unrelated charges. All will later be booked at the Montgomery County Jail.

Haslam’s Insure Tennessee Placed on Back Burner by Lawmakers

The almost 300,000 Tennesseans currently in the coverage gap between Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are no closer to coverage. On Wednesday, two measures that would have funded Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee program failed to advance in the state legislature. One was withdrawn for lack of support, and the other was sent to a summer study committee, which supporters say signifies its dismissal. Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, says it's time for state lawmakers to address the needs of the people. "And the reason is pretty clearly about politicians putting politics before people, and so that's really disappointing because the majority of Tennesseans want this, they need it,” she states. “Across party lines, people, Tennesseans, support this." Haslam proposed the Insure Tennessee plan last year to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans. The Tennessee Hospital Association had pledged to cover the entire $74 million state share of the program. According to the Tennessee Justice Center, 64 percent of Tennesseans from both parties support the Insure Tennessee program. Opponents are concerned about potential costs to the state, but under its current proposal, the program would be cost-neutral for Tennessee. The Insure Tennessee program would cover Tennesseans working in the service industry and construction jobs that do not provide health coverage, many of whom, according to Johnson, are left with no other option. "The vast majority of those folks are working Tennesseans,” she points out. “So these folks are going without health care, they're getting sicker and if they were to have an accident, they would be rushed to the hospital and go into debt for the rest of their lives." If implemented, Insure Tennessee would provide more than $1 billion annually in federal funding. In addition to helping citizens, the funds would help hospitals, many of which are at financial risk. Four hospitals have closed and another 50 are on shaky ground financially.

The almost 300,000 Tennesseans currently in the coverage gap between Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are no closer to coverage.
On Wednesday, two measures that would have funded Gov. Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee program failed to advance in the state legislature. One was withdrawn for lack of support, and the other was sent to a summer study committee, which supporters say signifies its dismissal.
Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, says it’s time for state lawmakers to address the needs of the people.
“And the reason is pretty clearly about politicians putting politics before people, and so that’s really disappointing because the majority of Tennesseans want this, they need it,” she states. “Across party lines, people, Tennesseans, support this.”
Haslam proposed the Insure Tennessee plan last year to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans.
The Tennessee Hospital Association had pledged to cover the entire $74 million state share of the program.
According to the Tennessee Justice Center, 64 percent of Tennesseans from both parties support the Insure Tennessee program.
Opponents are concerned about potential costs to the state, but under its current proposal, the program would be cost-neutral for Tennessee.
The Insure Tennessee program would cover Tennesseans working in the service industry and construction jobs that do not provide health coverage, many of whom, according to Johnson, are left with no other option.
“The vast majority of those folks are working Tennesseans,” she points out. “So these folks are going without health care, they’re getting sicker and if they were to have an accident, they would be rushed to the hospital and go into debt for the rest of their lives.”
If implemented, Insure Tennessee would provide more than $1 billion annually in federal funding.
In addition to helping citizens, the funds would help hospitals, many of which are at financial risk. Four hospitals have closed and another 50 are on shaky ground financially.

The almost 300,000 Tennesseans currently in the coverage gap between Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are no closer to coverage. On Wednesday, two measures that would have funded Gov. Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee program failed to advance in the state legislature. One was withdrawn for lack of support, and the other was sent to a summer study committee, which supporters say signifies its dismissal. Michele Johnson, executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, says it’s time for state lawmakers to address the needs of the people. “And the reason is pretty clearly about politicians putting politics before people, and so that’s really disappointing because the majority of Tennesseans want this, they need it,” she states. “Across party lines, people, Tennesseans, support this.” Haslam proposed the Insure Tennessee plan last year to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans. The Tennessee Hospital Association had pledged to cover the entire $74 million state share of the program. According to the Tennessee Justice Center, 64 percent of Tennesseans from both parties support the Insure Tennessee program. Opponents are concerned about potential costs to the state, but under its current proposal, the program would be cost-neutral for Tennessee. The Insure Tennessee program would cover Tennesseans working in the service industry and construction jobs that do not provide health coverage, many of whom, according to Johnson, are left with no other option. “The vast majority of those folks are working Tennesseans,” she points out. “So these folks are going without health care, they’re getting sicker and if they were to have an accident, they would be rushed to the hospital and go into debt for the rest of their lives.” If implemented, Insure Tennessee would provide more than $1 billion annually in federal funding. In addition to helping citizens, the funds would help hospitals, many of which are at financial risk. Four hospitals have closed and another 50 are on shaky ground financially.

Legal Smoking Age in Tennessee remains 18

Photo provided by placardmonceur/morguefile

Photo provided by placardmonceur/morguefile

An effort to raise Tennessee’s smoking age from 18 to 21 has been defeated in the state House. The bill sponsored by Rep. Bob Ramsey of Maryville failed to receive a motion in the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday. Ramsey has said he introduced the bill over health concerns for Tennesseans. Legislative analysts had projected that the measure would cost state and local governments about $10 million in lost revenue a year once fully implemented. Tennessee’s tax on each pack of cigarettes was raised from 20 cents to 62 cents in 2007.

Motlow will be Closed on Good Friday

Motlow 3All Motlow State Community College facilities, including the Moore County, Fayetteville, McMinnville, and Smyrna campuses, will be closed Friday, March 25 for a spring holiday administrative day.
The College, including libraries and computer labs, will operate under normal schedules Thursday, March 24, and then remain closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Regular business hours and class schedules will resume Monday, March 28.

Woman Arrested after Counterfeit Checks Passed at area Businesses

Mary Elizabeth Fischer... Photo provided by the CCSD

Mary Elizabeth Fischer… Photo provided by the CCSD

Mary Elizabeth Fischer age 52 of Helen St Tullahoma was charged on Wednesday March 15 by Tullahoma Investigator Tyler Hatfield with theft of property and 2 counts criminal simulation.
Police claim that on February 28, Fischer cashed a counterfeit check at the Liquor Locker on North Jackson St in the amount on $309.36. Then in the arrest warrant police say that Fischer on March 10th cashed a counterfeit check at Mike’s Gold and Pawn on North Jackson St in the amount of $988.32 and received $868.32 in cash and purchased $120.00 worth of items from the store.
Fischer’s bond was set at $30,000 and she’ll be in court on Thursday.

Crimes on Campus Report released by TBI

crime-on-campusThe Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released to the public its 2015 ‘Crime on Campus’ report. The annual study compiles crime data submitted to TBI by the state’s colleges and universities through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS). Among the report’s findings:
• Crime reported by Tennessee colleges and universities decreased by 7.0% from 2014 to 2015.
• 29% of all 2015 offenses reported were categorized as Larceny/Theft.
• Assault Offenses increased slightly, by 1.4%, between 2014 and 2015.
• The overall category of Sex Offenses-Forcible increased by 26.6% in 2015, which includes an increase in the number of reported rapes from 51 in 2014 to 56 in 2015.
As always, the TBI strongly discourages the comparison of one institution’s statistics to another. The factors impacting crime vary from community to community and rudimentary comparisons will most likely result in inaccurate and generalized conclusions of the relative safety of one campus over another.
The full ‘Crime on Campus’ report, along with similar studies dating back to 2001, is available online for review at http://tn.gov/tbi

Matheny Backs Bill to make Transgender Students use Sex at Birth Restroom

Rep. Judd Matheny

Rep. Judd Matheny

A bill that would require transgender students to use bathrooms that match their sex at birth is gaining momentum in the Tennessee legislature after passing in a House subcommittee.
The bill is advancing despite opposition from the state’s Republican governor, Bill Haslam. On Tuesday, the bill passed by 100% in the Education, Administration and Planning Subcommittee.
It was a bitter disappointment to transgender students and their supporters.
Haslam has voiced concerns that the bill could endanger federal funding. He told reporters last week that he wants to leave the issue up to individual school districts.
Republicans in support of the measure have said that it would protect the privacy of students. Rep. Mark White, a Republican from Memphis on the committee, said members had compassion for transgendered kids but they had to create a balance while creating a law for all kids.
The Americans Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has opposed the bill, saying it discriminates against transgender students.
Coffee County State Rep. Judd Matheny says he supports the proposed bill.
Last month South Dakota became the only state to pass a bill that would require transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond to their sex at birth. However, their Republican Governor vetoed the legislation.
Tennessee’s bill would require transgender students at public grade schools and universities to use restrooms and locker rooms that match their sex on their birth certificate.

Frozen College Tuition Rate Fails

Tennessee State Capital

Tennessee State Capital

A bill that would have frozen tuition rates at Tennessee’s public colleges and universities appears to be dead after failing to make it through a House subcommittee.
Under the bill, students would pay the same tuition for all four years in college and any major tuition hike would have to gain unanimous approval by the school’s government board.
Members of the House Education Administration and Planning Subcommittee voted down the bill on Wednesday.
According to the nonprofit College Board, the 54 percent increase over five years at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville was the highest rate among flagship public universities in the country.
UT officials had fought the bill, saying that steep tuition hikes were the result of dramatic decreases in the amount of state funding to universities.

Winchester Man Charged with Murder has case bound over to Grand Jury

murder3Almost a year to the day after a Winchester man shot and killed his estranged wife in the head at a Fairfield home where she had spent the night with a male friend, his case has been bound over to the Bedford County grand jury following a preliminary hearing.
James Tim Hall, now 49, is charged with first degree murder, reckless endangerment and burglary. His attorneys admit he shot Kristal L. Hall, 46, after forcing his way into the house on State Highway 64 in Fairfield early March 14, 2015.
The attorney attempted to claim that encountering a spouse in that situation “is not first degree murder, it is voluntary manslaughter.”
Hall will be arraigned at the grand jury’s March 21 session.

Memphis Female Arrested in Manchester

LaSonya Talonda Ward... Photo provided by the CCSD

LaSonya Talonda Ward… Photo provided by the CCSD

On Saturday March 12, 2016, Manchester Police received information that a female was causing a disturbance at the I-24 Truck Plaza. According to a warrant, as Officer Jordan Watson was attempting to find out what was going on the female refused to cooperate. The warrant says that LaSonya Talonda Ward age 25 Honor Park Dr, Memphis began walking away and refusing to stop and attempted to evade arrest by running across the Hillsboro Highway, narrowly being missed by a passing truck and forcing Watson to have to pull her back. In the report Watson said Ward appeared to be under the influence and she had the extreme odor of an intoxicant about her person, her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet. The warrant goes on to say that a friend of Ward advised she had been drinking vodka for most of the night.
When Ward being booked in to the jail the arrest warrant indicates that a small package of methamphetamine was found in her billfold.
Ward was charged with Public Intoxication, Resisting stop, halt, frisk, arrest or search (non-violent) and contraband in a penal institution. Her bond was set at $8,500 and she has a court date of March 22, 2016.