Category: News

Three Tennessee cities top the list when it comes to their support of women-owned businesses. The findings from a WalletHub study commissioned by American Express OPEN recognized Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis in the top five out of 100 cities and Knoxville at 15th for their overall “new business friendliness” and female entrepreneurship. Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, executive director of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, says the recognition in the report represents a validation of efforts in recent years. “It shows that as the economic council and other advocates work to empower Tennessee’s women each day, we are also creating a more attractive community throughout the state and a more dynamic business environment,” says Qualls-Brooks. According to the Small Business Administration’s data from 2014, there are 141,000 women-owned businesses in Tennessee. Qualls-Brooks says programs that encourage women to pursue math, science and technology careers is one part of the state’s success. She says another area where Tennessee excels is a large number of women’s networking and leadership organizations that help connect women with resources and possible business leads. William Arth is a senior research manager for the Tennessee Economic Council on Women and says networking groups and community support can go a long way in advancing the position of women in the economy. “A big part of overcoming that and ensuring that women can be a part of Tennessee’s successes is creating a social environment in which we can see a man and a woman as equally likely to succeed in entrepreneurship,” says Arth. “And to ensure that women see themselves as that.” Arth says leveling the playing field starts with everyone understanding what women can contribute to the economy. “They need to be seen as a viable investment, breaking those old traditions and those old trends, making sure investors and other business owners can see a woman as a likely strong entrepreneur,” he says. “It’s an important thing moving forward.” According to the WalletHub report, there are more than 9.4 million women-owned businesses operating nationwide, pulling in annual revenues of $1.5 trillion and employing 8 million workers.

The Manchester Old Timers Day committee is proud to say that Sally Berryman was chosen as the Grand Marshal for 2016. Those who know Sally know why she is an unstoppable tireless volunteer for so many wonderful causes. She is a great leader for the Humane Society. She investigates animal abuse claims and has dog adoptions that are very successful. She takes animals around to nursing homes every week for residents to play with. This year’s event will be October 7th beginning at 6:30 and all day the 8th.

The Coffee County Election Commission will meet on Friday March 11, 2016 at 4 P.M. in the election commission office located in the Administration Plaza at 1329 McArthur St. Suite 6 in Manchester. The purpose of this meeting is to certify the primary elections held on March 1, 2016.

On Thursday Christopher R Bowden age 32 of Old Mill Road McMinnville was a passenger in a vehicle that was being questioned for suspicion of reckless driving.
The driver gave the consent to Manchester Officer Jamie Norris to search and Bowden allegedly got out of the car with a blue case in his hand and threw it on the seat of the vehicle. A search of the case yielded 4 individually wrapped bags of methamphetamine with an approximate weight of .72 grams. 18 amphetamine tablets, 10 generic Xanax pills and 14 hydrocodone tablets. Also found in a bag was a set of digital scales.
Bowden was charged with manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance, 2 counts of schedule II drug violation, 2 counts of schedule IV drug violation and unlawful drug paraphernalia uses and activities. His bond was set at $16,500 and he has a court date of April 26, 2016.

Motlow State Community College continues to lead all Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institutions in enrollment and full-time equivalency (FTE) growth, based on preliminary numbers for the spring 2016 semester.
Motlow outpaced all TBR institutions in the fall 2015 semester, establishing Motlow as the fastest growing college in Tennessee and among the fastest growing in the nation.
“A real team effort by our coaches, faculty, and admissions staff has helped us lead the state in enrollment growth two semesters in a row,” said Dr. Anthony Kinkel, Motlow president. “Not only is Motlow State benefiting from a record number of Tennessee Promise students, but we are also retaining students at the highest rate in our college’s history.”
The most recent numbers for the spring semester show Motlow posted a state-leading growth rate of nine percent in enrollment headcount, and an impressive 19 percent increase in FTE numbers. Out of the 13 state community colleges, only four other institutions showed an increase in headcount, with the closest to Motlow being Northeast State with an increase of three percent.

The second of four suspects charged in the beating death of a Cowan man has been convicted
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports 29-year-old Todd E. Dalton pleaded guilty Wednesday in Franklin County Circuit Court to facilitating first-degree murder in Corey N. Matthews’ death.
Matthews’ body was found in 2013 in a cornfield outside of Cowan. Authorities say he had been struck 14 times with a hammer.
Dalton was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Dalton is one of four men charged in Matthews’ slaying. David G. Jenkins was found guilty last year and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Two other suspects, 29-year-old Corey Lanier and 28-year-old Coty Keith Holmes, are each charged with first-degree murder and felony murder in Matthews’ death. Their court dates are pending. At one time all of the men lived in Coffee County. One or more have been linked to a white supremacy group.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for January was 5.4 percent, a drop of 2-tenths of a percentage point from the December rate of 5.6 percent. That’s according to numbers from the Tennessee Department of Labor. The U.S. unemployment rate for January was 4.9 percent, a slight drop from the December rate of 5.0 percent. Over the past year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate has decreased from 6.1 to 5.4 percent, while the national rate declined from 5.7 to 4.9 percent.

AEDC was recently notified that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC) denied the protest and upheld the award of the Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) contract to National Aerospace Solutions, LLC (NAS). In a message to the AEDC workforce, AEDC Commander, Col. Rodney F. Todaro wrote, “You have done a phenomenal job of staying focused on our mission during this time of uncertainty. The Facility Support Services (FSS) and Base Communications and Information Technology Services (BCITS) contracts are performing well because of your diligence.  Now I encourage you to join with me in welcoming National Aerospace Solutions to the AEDC team as we enter a new era.  I will keep you informed as we develop the transition schedule.” He continued, “your expertise and innovation help make our Air Force great. There’s been a lot of change recently and it has caused a lot of anxiety, but what we do has never been more important, and you have never been more important. You are extremely valued.” AEDC has transitioned several portions of the current contract with Aerospace Testing Alliance to new organizations. The Air Force’s contract with ATA expired on Sept. 30, 2015, and is currently extended until March 31, with an option to extend until Sept. 30, 2016. The TOS effort will represent the largest transition to date. The award date of the Technical Management and Advisory Services (TMAS) effort, being managed at Eglin AFB, Fla., is still to be determined.