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New Group says some Law Enforcement Officials Concerned about Death Penalty

Public safety officials nationwide are voicing concerns about the death penalty. (dodgertonskillhause/morguefile.com)

Gerald Galloway worked for more than 30 years in law enforcement in North Carolina, but in spite of encountering some of the hardest of criminals, he’s joining other current and former law enforcement officials to voice concern about the fairness and effectiveness of the death penalty. The new group, Public Safety Officials on the Death Penalty, seeks to explore alternatives to achieve a more just and effective public safety system. Galloway says condemning someone to death doesn’t always result in justice. “When you look at it anecdotally, it looks as if it’s a sentence that makes sense,” he states. “But if you look at it in a broader perspective in its actual implementation and what it actually delivers, it is about as dysfunctional a sentence as you can give.” Galloway points out that the death penalty is very costly to taxpayers because of multiple trials and hearings, and sometimes people on death row are later determined to be innocent. Supporters of the death penalty say it’s still needed for the most serious of crimes. Six people have been executed in Tennessee since 2000. The death penalty costs Tennessee approximately $11 million annually, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Galloway says one of the biggest factors in his opposition is that death sentences often are never carried out, leaving the family members of victims without closure. “Most folks who are put on death row will never be put to death, because of the processes it takes for government to actually kill somebody,” he explains. “We don’t deliver justice to surviving families of victims who wait for years and years and years for something that they’ve been promised that never occurs.” According to the Tennessee Department of Correction there are 67 people on death row, some of them with convictions dating back to the 1980s.

Federal Government gives Money to Help Combat Opioid Epidemic

The federal government is giving more than $800,000 to three health centers in Tennessee to combat the state’s growing and deadly opioid epidemic.
The money is part of a $94 million package announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to combat the serge of drug abuse across the country. Federal officials say the money will help more people access drug treatment and it will save lives.
The nation is currently in the grip of a prescription drug and heroin epidemic that has destroyed the lives of many Tennesseans.
State Health Department officials say more people die from drug overdoses than are killed in car wrecks.

Tullahoma Fire Department Urges Citizens to Have Indoor Weather Warning Plans

Tullahoma Fire Department Lieutenant Chris Smith

Tullahoma Fire Department Lieutenant Chris Smith recently performed spring maintenance on the outdoor tornado warning sirens that covers the city limits of Tullahoma. Maintenance is performed in the Spring and Fall to ensure the warning system is in proper working order. The system of eight sirens is designed to provide advanced warning of approaching tornadoes to people who are outdoors. Tullahoma Fire encourages citizens to also have warning systems indoor, such as a weather radio or a weather alert on your mobile device.

Manchester Board of Education asking CCHS Principal about taking their Director of Schools Opening

Manchester City Schools Teachers of the year Kent Barnard (College Street) and Elise Layne (Westwood Elementary) pictured with School Board Chairman, Mike Lewis and Interim Schools Director, Sandra Morris… Photos by Tiffany Clutter SEE VIDEO HERE:

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The Manchester Board of Education met Monday at Westwood Elementary. One item on the agenda was to honor the teachers of the year in the system. Kent Barnard (College Street) and Elise Layne (Westwood Elementary). Also on the agenda was the honoring the Scripts Spelling Bee Winners, Mariana Stein and Claire Jacobs.

Spelling Bee winners.

The main item on the agenda was the discussion about the open Director of Schools position. The board voted to close the application process. They decided to wait to discuss the candidates because a board member had a recent death in her family and had not seen videos of the interviewing of the finalist. School board Chairman Mike Lewis said he thought the board should ask a local education administrator about the possibility that he might interested in being the next director of schools. The board decided to ask Dr Joey Vaughn, principal at Coffee County High School if he would be willing to be the next leader of the school system.
Go to the top of this story to view a video from Monday’s meeting.

Chattanooga Man Busted for Drugs in Tullahoma

Kelvin DeAndre Turner… Photo provided by the CCSD

On Thursday night, March 10, Tullahoma officers served a search warrant on Kelvin DeAndre Turner age 31 of Bailey Ave Chattanooga at 1412 North Jackson Street, room #251 at the Executive Inn in Tullahoma. After a search of the room they allegedly recovered approximately 6 grams of a white rock like substance believed to be crack cocaine in a sock hidden in a shoe that they located under the subjects bed. Officers also say they recovered 150 sandwich baggies, digital scales, a razor knife with residue from the room and $3,270 from Turner during their search of the room.
He was charged with manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance and unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities.
Turner’s bond was set at $26,500 and he has a court date of May 12, 2016.

CORREECTION Mix up in information released- Teenager Still Alive

Not actual train.. File photo

A teenage boy who was injured after being struck on Feb. 28 by a train near Estill Springs is alive.
Authorities said information released on Monday was mixed up with a March 3 incident in Estill Springs where another child had died.
Estill Springs Police Chief Allen Rhodes confirmed that an infant had passed away due to injuries. He added he could not release any further information about the exact cause of death because it is under investigation.
Chris Guess, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, said the teenage boy had been taken off a ventilator at Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga and was responding to treatment.
Authorities are still seeking additional information about the recent incident where the teenage boy was injured after being struck by a train traveling south between Blackberry Ridge Lane and the University of Tennessee Farm Road near Estill Springs.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone having any additional information about the case to call 931-962-0123. Authorities declined to release the name due to an ongoing investigation in the case. (Information from the Herald Chronicle in Winchester)

State Attorney General says Lawyers Charging to Much

A group of lawyers seeking $2.3 million for their work overturning Tennessee’s ban on same-sex marriage are overbilling taxpayers, according to Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery. He says they only deserve $1.1 million.
The Tennessean reports that a court document unsealed last week shows Slatery arguing that lawyers who worked in other states involved in the historic civil rights case asked for less money.
The filing from the state says the legal team “ballooned to 19 attorneys, billing a total of nearly 6,000 hours.”
A U.S. District Judge will determine the amount of fees the lawyers should receive.
The group argues that the large legal force was necessary because the state continued to defend the ban.

Tourism Up in Tennessee

State Officials say that a campaign to promote tourism in the state of Tennessee has generated more than $73 million in new state and local tax revenue.
WPLN Radio reports that a newly released state Department of Tourism Development report says the “Made in Tennessee” campaign has generated 18 times the amount of money spent on it.
The “Made in Tennessee” campaign, which was launched in 2014, focused on the state’s natural beauty, music and history. There was some controversy when it was first launched, because the ad agency behind it is based in Kansas City, Missouri.
State officials are basing the numbers off visitor surveys.
Officials say Tennessee now ranks among the top 10 states in tourism.

DHS facing Scrutiny over meals for Hungry Children

A Department of Human Services program that provides meals to children at risk for hunger is under scrutiny over a lack of oversight.
The Tennessean reports that a federal review issued last month found multiple instances of lax oversight by the DHS. The review also found there is a lack of adequate level of staffing to properly oversee the program.
According to the review, the department currently has three open positions for department auditors who are supposed to review the program for waste, fraud and abuse.
Lawmakers are now working on oversight measures for the DHS.
State Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville says the measures would make sure that contractors are getting food to children in need. His bill would require the DHS to provide regular reports to lawmakers.

03/14/16-Justice Center phone lines not working

Phone lines are not working at the Justice Center. Email system is working, should you need to contact those offices please go to the county website coffeecountytn.org for email information.

Category: News