Category: News

The Tullahoma Fire Department (TFD) responded to a reported fire in the area of 409 Cumberland Avenue on Tuesday night. The fire department arrived on scene at 8:24 pm. Smoke was observed coming from the roof line. Firefighters made entrance through the front door and found heavy smoke and charring.
Neighbors advised occupants may be in the home, which alerted crews to do an interior search of the residence. After a brief search, two victims were removed from the home and medical care was initiated. Coffee County EMS transported patients to Tennova Harton Hospital. Joy Martinez age 50 was later pronounced dead at the hospital. A teenage victim was later airlifted to Vanderbilt Trauma Center.
The fire was quickly brought under control by firefighters and no further injuries occurred.
Once the fire scene was determined to be safe, TFD turned the investigation over to the Tullahoma Police Department (TPD). Three units of the State Fire Marshall’s Office responded on Wednesday and are working with TPD on the investigation.

Tuesday morning around 10:45AM Manchester Fire Rescue responded to a mutual aid fire along with the Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department. Crews responded to American Iron Company on the Hillsboro Blvd. Crews battled a large pile of plastics and foam and other materials for several hours. Crews worked together in a total team effort in attacking the fire. Crews from Hillsboro VFD provided much needed tanker support to keep the fire attack crews in service with water while together crews from both departments battled the fire to bring it under control.

On Tuesday Dakota Alexander Barnes age 22 of North Tennessee Blvd. Murfreesboro was driving a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation on Asbury Road in Manchester.
Tennessee Highway Patrolman Jason Boles allegedly found Barnes with approximately 26 grams of white pills and crushed white pills believed to be Xanax in five plastic baggies. Also allegedly found were two plastic baggies containing approximately 18 grams of a green plant-like material believed to be marijuana and approximately $875 in cash in a purse the subject was in possession of. According to the arrest warrant the trooper found a set of digital scales with residue on them. Later according to the warrant when Barnes was in the holding area of the Coffee County Jail, he allegedly advised that he had no illegal or unlawful items on his person, but was found to have a partially-smoked blunt with marijuana in it on his person.
Barnes was charged with entering contraband in a penal institution, 2 counts manufacturing/delivery/selling of a controlled substance and unlawful drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $101,000 and has a court date of April 26, 2016.

An estimated 10,000 vehicles are on Tennessee roads that have tampered odometers. Changing the mileage on a car is one way con artists get folks to pay more than the vehicle is worth or to sell them a vehicle that is unsafe. Kevin Walters, spokesman with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, says often you can tell something might be off just by looking at the vehicle. “If the car looks like it is in a worse shape than what the odometer would suggest that the car would be in based on the mileage,” he says. “That’s a tip off that you might be dealing with someone who is tampering the odometer.” Other warning signs include numbers on dial odometers that aren’t aligned evenly, or flashing numbers on digital odometers. In addition, if the vehicle identification number, or VIN, on the corner of the dashboard doesn’t match that listed on the inside door jam, that is another sign. Walters adds odometer tampering is a criminal offense and if you suspect you’ve been a victim you should report it immediately to authorities. Walters says even though technology has made it more difficult to tamper with mileage, scammers are always looking for ways around the system. “The fraudsters and the scam artists and the people who are out there to take advantage of you are always keeping up on the latest technology,” he says. “They’re always trying to find a way out of the mouse trap that we try to build.” The average car will accumulate 15,000 miles a year. If you are considering a used car and its mileage is considerably less than its age would indicate, it might be good to ask additional questions of the seller.

Murfreesboro Police recovered a 9mm handgun that was reported as stolen in Smyrna. The recovery of the gun took place on Sunday morning after an alleged domestic violence situation unfolded in Coffee County.
26 Year old Russell W. Stover II is accused of threatening his step mother with the handgun in Coffee County and then driving to a friend’s home in Murfreesboro. Police got a call that Stover was at the house in question where he was found to be asleep on the couch.
Murfreesboro Police questioned Stover about the aggravated domestic situation that was reported in Coffee County and he denied knowing about it, according to an arrest report. He then made statements about how he would “Show his stepmother what an aggravated domestic assault is.” The police report also showed that he said, “When he got out of jail he would face her and punch her teeth out.”
Stover was charged with Aggravated Domestic Assault. Stover was booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center and later transferred to Coffee County where the charges originated from. He was placed under a $10,000. His court date is March 14.
As for the gun, it was returned to the rightful owner in Smyrna. (WGNS Radio)

A new leader will soon be in charge at Tennova Healthcare – Harton in Tullahoma. Ken James has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective Monday, April 4.
James is native of Tullahoma with over 20 years of healthcare experience. For the last three years James has served as CEO of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, a 460-bed medical center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
The appointment comes after Russ Spray’s announcement to retire earlier this year, his last day is April 1.

Motorists likely noticed an increase in prices at the pump last week. Gas prices are following their seasonal upward trend, increasing an average of 6 cents in the past week. The national average rose 11 days in a row – the longest streak of increases since May 2015 – for a total of 11 cents before leveling-out on Sunday.
In Tennessee, gas prices have increased nine of the past 10 days, for a total of 9 cents. The state average price of $1.60 is 7 cents higher than last week, but 63 cents lower than this time last year and $1.62 lower than the price on March 6, 2014.
The low price in Coffee County this week is in Tullahoma at $1.40 per gallon and in Manchester the low price is $1.55.

With the resolution of legal action against the Air Force last week, National Aerospace Solutions LLC (NAS) has been directed to begin its 90-day transition period to assume the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) contract at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), as well as facilities in Maryland and California, on April 1.
The TOS contract has a term of up to eight years and maximum value of approximately $1.5 billion if all options and awards are earned.
NAS is scheduled to assume full responsibility for TOS on July 1.
The work includes operation of wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, ballistic ranges, space chambers and other specialized testing units; as well as technology development, equipment and facility sustainment, capital improvements to the sites and other services for the complex.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is announcing the first ever lateral trooper class for the agency.
THP will soon begin accepting applications for the next Trooper Cadet Academy. Men and women interested in a career as a state trooper can begin the application process online only, beginning Wednesday, March 9, through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, March 15.
Preferred qualifications for the lateral class will be Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Certified police officers and those individuals who have graduated from a POST certified law enforcement training facility (i.e. Walter State Community College or Cleveland State, etc.).
As stated, this lateral class is the first of its kind for THP and is scheduled to begin Thursday, September 1, 2016, and scheduled to graduate Friday, December 16, 2016. The class will consist of 16 weeks of training condensed from the THP’s traditional trooper academies, which consist of 22 weeks.
Individuals interested in applying for the position of state trooper must be at least 21 years old, a U.S. Citizen and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Current Peace Officer Standard Commission (POST) certified law enforcement officers and/or graduates from an academy that allows eligibility to be POST certified by the agency are preferred. No applicants with felony convictions will be considered.
If hired, individuals must obtain a valid Tennessee driver’s license prior to class start date September 1, 2016, and are required to successfully complete a Level II background investigation, which includes a credit check and polygraph test. Recruits must also pass a psychological and medical examination, including a drug screening.
Those interested in and qualified for the position of state trooper should submit an employment application to the Tennessee Department of Human Resources. Once approved by the Department of Human Resources, applicants will be notified of their qualification status via email.
There are currently 884 authorized commissioned trooper positions within the THP. Trooper cadets will be assigned to vacant positions across the state upon graduation. The starting salary for a trooper cadet during the training academy is $2,733 per month.
Upon graduation and commissioning as a Tennessee state trooper, the salary will increase to $3,024 per month and include a pension plan, health insurance and paid holidays. Troopers are also provided a uniform, equipment and patrol vehicles. With regular pay increases, a state trooper can earn $53,928 per year after 10 years of service under the current pay structure.
For more information about applications, interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Tennessee Department of Human Resources Applicant Services Division at (615) 741-4841.