Category: News

A fire last week has claimed its second victim. Saniya Shanes, 14, was transported to Tennova Healthcare-Harton Hospital and then flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died Thursday afternoon around 5 p.m.
The Tullahoma Fire Department answered a call to 409 Cumberland Avenue around 8:24 p.m. Tuesday night and observed smoke coming from the roof of the house. Firefighters quickly entered the house and found heavy smoke and charring of the inside.
Neighbors alerted firefighters that occupants of the house might be inside, which caused the fire crews to do an interior search of the house. After a brief search of the residence, two victims were removed from the house and medical care was initiated.
Crews from Coffee County Ambulance Service began CPR to Joy Martinez, 50, who was transported to Tennova Healthcare-Harton where she was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital.
The fire department requested the assistance from the State Fire Marshall’s Office to determine the cause of the blaze. According to investigators, the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen of the residence and spread. Investigators say that the fire was accidental.
An autopsy was performed on Martinez to determine the cause of death but investigators have not received the results. An autopsy will also be performed to determine the cause of death of Shanes.

Fire crews from Manchester Fire-Rescue, New Union and Summitville Volunteer departments responded to a tractor trailer fire on I-24 West at the 109 mile-marker on Thursday night.
New Union VFD requested manpower and mutual aid response from Manchester Fire-Rescue. When crews arrived on scene, the tractor had separated itself from the trailer, and firemen attacked the trailer fire which was fully engulfed when crews arrived on the scene. The 18-wheeler was loaded with cotton.
Manchester Fire Chief George Chambers says that all crews on the scene did a great job of controlling and extinguishing the fire. He added that it was a joint effort by all the responding departments. Chambers went on to say, “By providing assistance to each other is key to our success in the county, and crews did a great job of coming together to extinguish this fire, and get the interstate open quicker.”
Traffic was shut down on the interstate for several hours while emergency crews cleaned up the scene. No injuries were reported.
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Fire crews from New Union and Manchester were back at it Sunday morning around 9:15am. Apparently the brakes on an 18-wheeler hauling new automobiles caught fire. According to one firemen one of new cars was completely destroyed along with the cab of the truck. I-24 traffic was closed while fire crews battled the blazing truck. No one was injured.

Winchester police is asking for the public’s help as they probe for answers and a cause in a horrific New Year’s Eve car crash.
Investigators are hoping someone saw or heard something the afternoon of Dec. 31 at the stop light on Dinah Shore Boulevard at Highway 41 when a 2008 Kia optima driven by 83-year-old Mary Parks ran into a minivan, killing 7-year-old twins and seriously injuring their parents.
Up to this point, all authorities know is Parks told first responders the car ran away with her accelerating to 90 miles per hour.
Initial reports indicate Parks didn’t attempt to brake, making federal investigators believe the car malfunctioned.
Winchester police are waiting on findings from the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency.
Drivers in the area at the time of the crash are asked to call Officer Kelly Gass at 931-967-3840.
Parks died days after the accident, so police don’t have a lot to go on.
A memorial is set for John and James Hill March 19 at their school, Deerfield Elementary.

The Manchester Board of Education is set to meet Monday at Westwood Elementary School beginning at 4:00 p.m. During this meeting discussion will take place about hiring the next Director of Schools. The board recently wrapped up interviewing 6 finalist for the position; Dr. Sharon Harper, Dr. Charles Lawson, Mr. Chad Fletcher, Dr. William Childers, Dr. Don McPherson and Sharon Edwards.
The board could decide on the new director at the meeting or according to school officials the decision could be pushed to a future date.

Five people were arrested Wednesday by deputies on drugs, child neglect and weapons charges.
According to warrants, they were all in a vehicle in the Lakewood Park area in Coffee County when they were stopped due to deputies having knowledge that the driver did not have a license.
Tiffany Jewel Blalock, 28 of East Grizzard Street, Tullahoma, Heather Shae Witas, 25, of Pleasant Ridge Road Woodbury, Timothy Scott Saylor, 24, Cheyenne Circle, Beechgrove were charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect, intent to manufacture methamphetamines, reckless endangerment, firearm use in association with dangerous felonies and domestic assault.
Also arrested was Laurisa Rose Brady, 34, of Dogwood Lane, Beechgrove who was a passenger in the vehicle. She was charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect, intent to manufacture methamphetamines, reckless endangerment, firearms use in association with dangerous felonies and tampering with or fabricating evidence and destruction of evidence.
They were all in a vehicle operated by Joseph Michael Faulk, 23, Spring Lake Circle, Beechgrove. He was charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect, intent to manufacture methamphetamines, reckless endangerment, firearm use in association with dangerous felonies, evading arrest and driving on revoke/suspended license.
A sheriff’s department report alleges that when Falk saw the officers and “took off at a high speed and items were being thrown from the car.”
When the officers finally got the driver stopped they found an 8-month old baby in the car that was showing signs of possible meth illness. Also found was a .38 caliber revolver. Blalock is the Mother of the child.
When deputies searched to determine what was being thrown out they found items associated with a shake and bake meth lab.
The arrests were made by deputies Blake Simmons and Steve Sharketti.
They were all booked into the Coffee County Jail on the charges with bonds ranging from $95,000 to over $100,000.

A sealed indictments roundup was conducted by law enforcement on Wednesday with 43 people charged by Coffee County deputies with assistance from Manchester and Tullahoma police departments and the Warren County Sheriff’s department.
The operation was led by Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Sherrill and Deputy Brandon Reed.
$11,257 in cash was seized along with 8 vehicles over a period of time leading up to Wednesday.
8.5 oz of Meth, 4 oz of marijuana, 4 grams of cocaine and 8 grams of heroin with a total value of $32,540 worth of drugs were taken off the street.
Other warrants are continuing to be served including state warrants with most being drug related plus others (such as probation violations, parole violations, failure to appear and other charges).
Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves says he is very proud of the professionalism shown by all law officials. Graves also thanked the other law agencies involved in the roundup.

On or about Tuesday March 8, James O’Neal Wells age 26 of County Farm Road Manchester is accused of burglarizing the Sportsman’s Corner in Manchester by allegedly cutting a chain link fence on the property and entering the premises to commit a theft.
In the arrest warrant it indicates that the estimated damage to the fence due to being cut is unknown.
After entering the area, Wells allegedly stole two kayaks, valued at approximately $1,195 each and transported them to his residence at County Farm Road in Coffee County.
Items were recovered by Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Sherrill and Deputy Brandon Reed with assistance from Investigator Butch Stewart with the Manchester Police Department.
An investigation is continuing into other thefts in Coffee and Bedford Counties.
Wells is charged with burglary and theft of property with bond set at $20,000 and he has a court date of March 22.

The Coffee County Farm Bureau Women, in conjunction with Ford Motor Company and Al White Ford/Lincoln, will be hosting their annual “Fill a Ford” campaign this Saturday. The event begins at 8 AM at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza at 1329 McArthur Drive in Manchester. Persons are asked to bring any and all non-perishable food items to help benefit a local charity. The yearly goal is to completely fill the bed of a Ford pick-up truck with food donations to help those in need. Persons may also drop off their food item, or cash donation, at the Coffee County Farm Bureau office at 225 E Main Street in Manchester or at Al White Ford/Lincoln at 2002 Hillsboro Boulevard. All donations will go to the Haven of Hope for their food pantry and the public is invited to share in this worthwhile event.