Category: News

Big Smo is coming to Tullahoma this weekend. The man from Bedford County who took the country by storm last year with his hit TV show on A&E will be performing live Saturday night beginning at 9:15pm during the 41-A Music and Arts Festival. The always fun event will startup Friday night in downtown Tullahoma with profits from the event going to local children’s charities. Big Smo, a self-proclaimed ‘hick-hop’ artist, mixes country, hip-hop, rock, and pop into his own kind of music. Kicking off the Saturday night lineup will be local southern alternative group, The Stagger Moon Band. Friday will be headlined by the popular “Resurrection”, a Journey tribute band. The event is sponsored by the Highland Rim Kiwanis Club.

On the Way Market on South Chancery Street in McMinnville was robbed on Monday night. McMinnville police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery.
Police say two men wearing hoodies entered the store at around 9pm and one man forced the clerk to the floor while the other tried to open the safe. Police say the robbers then demanded the clerk open the register and fled with an undetermined amount of cash.
The suspects were apprehended a short time later.
Police arrested 19 year old Daniel Reyes, who was jailed under a $150,000 bond, and 21 year old Adrian Smith, who is in jail under a $250,000 bond. Police say Smith was out on bond for an aggravated assault charge.
Both men have been charged with robbery.

Gas prices continue falling at a rate of about a half cent a day. The average price in Tennessee fell below $2 a gallon last week, while motorists in Florida and Georgia are also beginning to find prices below $2 a gallon at various gas stations.
“Gas prices below $2 a gallon will become more of a common sight in the southeastern United States,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Prices at the pump are typically their lowest during the fall and winter seasons, because fewer Americans take extended road trips, leading to declines in demand. Plus, oil prices are especially low right now due to a wealth in global supply.”
The price of oil averaged $45.46 last week – a minor increase of 30 cents compared to the week before.
The average price in Tennessee fell 94 of the past 95 days for a total of 58 cents for an average of $1.99 per gallon.
The low price in Manchester on Tuesday afternoon was $1.89 and in Tullahoma the low price per gallon was $1.91.

A recent report shows Tennessee attorneys have increased the number of hours of free and reduced-rate legal services they provide to those in need.
The study by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission shows that the number of hours of pro bono service volunteered by attorneys in Tennessee went up by nearly 3,000 hours in the last reporting year.
Reporting pro bono activity is encouraged but not required by the Supreme Court. Although fewer attorneys reported performing pro bono work, those that did reported an average of more than 78 hours in one year, an increase of nearly 6 percent.
Forty-one percent of the 17,980 Tennessee attorneys reported participating in pro bono activity. The total number of hours the attorneys reported was more than 578,000.
The report relies on data collected in 2014 for work done in 2013.

Eighty-one thousand homes and businesses in Tennessee are on the list to get a broadband Internet connection. It’s part of the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund that began three years ago. The goal is to make sure higher-speed Internet connections are available to communities where the lack of population may not provide enough incentive to providers to install the technology, explains FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield. “Rural areas tend to be more expensive to serve because there’s fewer people, the terrain may be challenging,” Wigfield says. “So, the costs tend to be high and because of that, service often is not deployed.” He says it could take six years for the expansion to be complete and it will be installed largely by AT&T. Cities and counties across Tennessee have also expressed interest in offering fiberoptic Internet connections to their residents, but so far that expansion has been held up by groups lobbying on behalf of the large communications providers. In times where homes rely on a high-speed Internet connection for higher education, employment and entertainment, Wigfield says greater availability of broadband will help move communities forward. “For any kind of business that’s operating there, that gives them more access to other marketplaces and other sources of business, to suppliers,” he says. “It’s important for the local economy, as well.” In Tennessee, the Connect America Fund is providing $26 million to companies, which then have to meet installation deadlines in order to access the money.

Shelbyville Police detectives are continuing to ask the public for help identifying the suspect responsible for an armed bank robbery. The man who allegedly robbed First Community Bank’s U.S. 231 North branch last week is likely not from this area, investigators say. Police added that other banks around Middle Tennessee have been held up by a man fitting the same description.
Approximately 1:15 p.m. on Thursday September 17, 2015, the suspect robbed First Community Bank located at 2841 Hwy 231 North.
The man entered the bank and handed the teller a note stating he was armed and demanding cash. The suspect took the money and fled the bank on foot heading southbound.
The man is described as black man, approximately 30 years old, 5’11” tall, with a slim build.
If you have any information that can help Shelbyville Police please call 931-684-5811 or Crimestoppers at 931-685-4300.

A religious organization has requested records pertaining to Islam curriculum from all Tennessee school districts.
Spokeswoman CeCe Heil from the American Center for Law & Justice tells The Tennessean that the Christian-based nonprofit made the open records request after concerned parents contacted them. The group advocates and litigates freedom of religion and free speech issues.
Heil says the requests are being made to all 146 school districts and state special schools. The organization is requesting records and information on what students are learning about Islam and other religions, how students are being taught and what resources teachers are using.
The state provides academic standards, which Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen says are designed to provide a deep understanding of how world religions have affected world history.

The Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen will host a reception to welcome two individuals who are new to their respective organizations: Colonel Rodney Todaro and Dr.Tony Kinkel. The public is invited to the reception Monday, September 28 from 5:00pm to 5:30pm in the Council Chambers of the Tullahoma Municipal Building.
“I welcome both to Tullahoma,” said Mayor Lane Curlee. “Our city is a better place because of the work they will accomplish. This is a great opportunity to welcome both of these outstanding citizens to our community. ”
Colonel Rodney Todaro is the Commander at Arnold Engineering Development Complex. He leads the largest and most advanced complex of flight simulation test facilities in the world.
Colonel Todaro was commissioned in 1991 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.
Colonel Todaro is a Master Navigator with over 2500 hours in 35 different aircraft types. He is a Department of Defense Acquisition Corps member and holds Level 3 certification in Test and Evaluation and Level 2 certification in Program Management.
Dr. Tony Kinkel brings a unique blend of teaching, administrative, policy making and leadership experience to Motlow College. Elected at age 24 to the Minnesota House of Representatives, Dr. Kinkel served from 1986 to 1998 where he was appointed by the Speaker of the House to chair the Higher Education Finance Division. From 1999-2002, Dr. Kinkel served in the Minnesota State Senate and was elected by his peers to serve on the Education Commission of the States, a national organization of state policy makers who hold educational leadership positions in their respective states.

Motlow College Tennessee Promise Coordinator Jonathan Graham is urging any interested Motlow faculty, staff and administrators, and members of the general public, to apply to the tnAchieves mentor program.
Since 2008, tnAchieves has been helping Tennessee students not only afford but excel in college. The non-profit is the partnering organization to the Tennessee Promise scholarship in 85 of the 95 Tennessee counties. The organization’s mission is to, “increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance.”
Mentors help students earn various scholarships through programs such as Tennessee Promise. These volunteers are required to spend at least 10-15 hours annually assisting 5-10 high school seniors with post-secondary education guidance.
“Last year, Motlow had 22 employees sign up to mentor our Tennessee Promise class of 2015, while Volunteer State Community College led all community colleges with 47 employee mentors,” said Graham. “This year, we would like to be the community college with the highest number of employee mentors.
To apply, fill out the application form by Nov. 20, and attend a mentor training session location in your county or region. Many sessions will begin as early as Nov. 3. Applicants can RSVP a date for mentor training by visiting https://tnachieves.org/mentor-training-sessions.
For more information about tnAchieves, please visit the tnAchieves website at www.tnachieves.org. Information about Tennessee Promise can be found at www.tnpromise.gov.