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Burch & Stanley Attorneys at Law Student of the Week 30 October 2015

The Burch & Stanley attorneys at law Student of the week for 23 October 2015

is Olena Coussens. Olena is in fifth grade at Farar Elementary School in

Tullahoma. She is the daughter of proud parents Wendy and Michael.

She is a well-rounded student who enjoys all facets of the school comunity.

She is a very studious and conscientious worker. Olena strives to always

do her best work. Along with being a great student, Olena is a good friend

to all the other students. She has a very outgoing, fun personality that

everyone enjoys. Olena’s favorite subject is Math because she thinks it’s fun

and enjoys the challenge it represents. Olena is an athlete, participating in

tumbling and gymnastics. She is also a member of both her school’s Math

and Science clubs. Her future plans are undecided but as well rounded as

she appears to be, the sky is surely the limit. Olena was presented with

a plaque (courtesy of K&S Trophies of Tullahoma) and a set of tickets to

an up-coming Nashville Predators game. Congratulations to Olena Coussens,

the Burch & Stanley attorneys at law Student of the Week.

The Burch & Stanley Student of the Week Olena Coussens with Attorney Eric Burch

Some Wanting To Change County Elections

Some county leaders are wanting a change in the way voters select people to all elected county positions. Commissioners brought a resolution before the county Legislative Committee this week to make county elections a nonpartisan vote. This would do away with a primary and there would only be a general election.
Some of the commissioners are saying this would save the county money. The primary alone cost taxpayers over $59,000.
However, representatives of the Coffee County Republican Party (CCRP) attended the meeting to oppose the resolution. Frances Arthur, a representative of the CCRP said the state Republican Party would not be in favor of this resolution because the election would be leaning more toward a popularity contest rather than a true election.
Some of the county Democratic leadership says this is way to save the county money when budgets are tight.
If both the Democratic and Republican parties do not agree to hold nonpartisan county elections, the commission must take the resolution to the Tennessee General Assembly with a two-thirds vote. If the assembly approves on behalf of the county, then the commission must again pass the resolution again by a two-thirds vote.
The next legislative committee meeting will be held 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 23 at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza.

Coffee County Woman Charged With TennCare Fraud

Valerie Diane Prince

A Coffee County woman is charged with TennCare fraud involving doctor prescription drugs.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Manchester Police Department has announced the arrest of Valerie Diane Prince, 44, of Summitville. An indictment accuses Prince of TennCare fraud in connection with selling the painkiller Hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, which was obtained using TennCare benefits.
“The Manchester Police Department laid the groundwork for this case before we joined in the investigation, and that’s the kind of cooperation we’re building statewide,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said.
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. District Attorney General Craig Northcott is prosecuting.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to more than $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of more than $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,476 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or go to http://www.tn.gov/finance/topic/fa-oig.

Fire Damages Hillsboro Home

On Wednesday afternoon Deputy Carey Baldwin responded to a call of a house fire at 465 Ben Lasater Road in Hillsboro. When the deputy arrived and spoke to Mr. Cody R. Foust he advised the deputy that he was outside and noticed smoke coming from the home. Foust said that it looked like it was coming from a bedroom and he called 911. Foust stated that he has been having trouble with the breaker tripping a couple of times over the past month.
According to the deputy’s report, the home suffered extensive smoke damage, but the majority of the fire was contained to the bedroom.
In the report the Hillsboro Fire Department stated that the fire started in the bedroom closet and that it appeared the fire started due to wiring.

Time to Fall Back

Most Americans will be able to get an extra hour of sleep this weekend thanks to the annual shift back to standard time.
The change officially occurs at 2 a.m. Sunday, but most people will set their clocks back before heading to bed Saturday night.
Residents of Hawaii, most of Arizona and some U.S. territories don’t have to change since they do not observe daylight saving time.
Public safety officials say this is also a good time to put a new battery in the smoke alarm, no matter where you live.
Don’t forget fall back.

Things to Do This Halloween

Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center is organizing the 9th Annual Safe on the Square, a safe and family friendly trick-or-treating event for area children around the historic Manchester Square.
This year’s event is Friday, October 30^th from 2:30 PM-5:00 PM. Over 70 local businesses will be passing out treats for the kids and there will be some special activities including face painting, games, and more along the way.
For information, call the CCCAC at 723-8888.

Coffee County Rescue Squad Halloween party will be held Saturday from 5pm-8pm at the rescue squad building at 2270 Murfreesboro Hwy. There will be free hot dogs and candy for everyone.

PUMPKIN PLUNGE will be held at the Manchester Recreation Center on Saturday from 11am-Noon.
It’s a different kind of pumpkin patch. Jump in the pool and choose your pumpkin. Have fun painting, decorating and enjoy more swimming.
If you registered please attend.

Scam Alert!!

Another scam is working in the area. This scam has cost a 52-year old Murfreesboro woman over $800.
The scam started when the victim received an email in regards to low interest cash loan rates. The woman contacted the company and was told to send them several “Money Grams” to prove that she would be able to make future payments.
According to WGNS Radio in Murfreesboro, a man by the name of Chris Rogers told the female that the future payments would be returned after the loan was approved. Without further questions, the victim made numerous trips to local Dollar General Stores and obtained multiple Money Grams totaling $857.75. She then sent the Money Grams to the company that is called Cash Net USA, according to a police report.
So far, the woman has not received any of the cash back nor has she received a loan.
Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves says that someone in the local area has reported that they received a phone call concerning a similar scam. The sheriff says scammers are always on the prowl so he says the public should be aware that they could receive a call like this on their home or cellular phone. He says that scammers are now sending emails looking for victims. Sheriff Graves says most companies will not make calls or send emails requesting money upfront. He added that if someone calls you or emails you and asks you for money from a Money Gram, Green Dot credit card or something similar, it’s most likely a scam.

Concern Over Old Design of New TVA Nuclear Plant

The cooling towers of Watts Bar 1, which was completed in 1996. TVA recently received the operating license for Watts Bar 2. Credit: TVA

A Tennessee nuclear reactor more than 40 years in the making now has its operating license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and will soon begin producing electricity for Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) customers. But environmental advocates say the Watts Bar 2 Reactor 50 miles northeast of Chattanooga is without modern safety features that would protect residents and the environment in the event of a natural disaster. Sara Barczak, high-risk energy choices program director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, says while the NRC will continue extensive safety reviews, the license is cause for concern. “The licensing process offers a great opportunity for the public to engage and understand what’s going on,” she says. “Once that operating license has been issued, that door has closed and it’s very important to question TVA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to say, ‘Why did you rush this process?'” Barczak says the Watts Bar reactor utilizes a design not currently used in reactor construction, and has not been designed to anticipate the kind of earthquake and flooding risks revealed after the Fukushima incident in Japan in 2011. A statement from TVA says receipt of the license validates that Unit 2 has been built in a manner to ensure regulatory compliance. The TVA says it will be a few weeks before the initial fuel load for the reactor will be loaded into the unit. According to Barczak, the geographical risks of floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters have changed since the reactor’s initial design more than four decades ago, and it is important to take proper precautions. “That area of the country now has different seismic or earthquake risks than what was determined back in the ’60s and ’70s,” she says. “So what is the rush? Why couldn’t these seismic evaluations have been done during the public scrutiny that occurs during a licensing proceeding?” The NRC says inspectors spent more than 200,000 hours and eight years conducting extensive safety reviews and inspections, and would require TVA to address any additional issues identified in the future.

THP Urges Drivers to Make Right Choices while Celebrating the Holiday

This Halloween, The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is reminding Tennesseans to have an alternative way of getting home after Halloween festivities. In 2014, Tennessee experienced one fatal traffic crash during the Halloween enforcement period. That’s why THP is urging all motorists to drive cautiously, buckle up, don’t text and drive, and never drink and drive this Halloween.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43 percent of all people nationwide killed in motor vehicle crashes during the Halloween period (6:00 p.m. October 31st – 5:59 a.m. November 1st) from 2009 to 2013 were in crashes involving a drunk driver. On Halloween night alone, 119 lost their lives over that same period. Children out trick-or-treating and the parents accompanying them are also at risk. On Halloween night (2009 – 2013), 19 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes involved a drunk driver.

Tullahoma Leaf Pick Up Starts November 2

If you haven’t noticed, it’s time for that annual leaf raking ritual. If you have raked your leaves, you may be asking yourself about the options available for removing them. The City of Tullahoma strives to provide timely leaf pick up service for residents.
This year, Public Works will begin on Monday, November 2 to run the city’s leaf routes. A schedule is located here http://www.tullahomatn.gov/leaf-collection-schedule/.
Wayne Limbaugh Director of Public Works says that for fastest leaf collection, have your leaves bagged in biodegradable green bags ($2.05 for 10) and placed at the curb. These bags can be purchased at City Hall. One call to Public Works at 454-1768, and your bags will be picked up within 48 hours. These bags are then composted and mulched.

Category: News