Category: News

Kenneth Stephen Fagin, Jr., 39, of South Pittsburgh, Tenn., and Terry Bruce Tate, 61, of Manchester, Tenn., were sentenced on July 30, 2015, by the Honorable Curtis L. Collier, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 30 months in federal prison. Fagin was ordered to pay $22,463.59 in restitution to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the National Park Service to cover the cost of restoration and repair to the sites. Tate was ordered to pay $21,619.59 in restitution to the TVA. Upon their release from prison, Fagin and Tate will each serve a one-year term of supervised release.
Fagin and Tate pleaded guilty in February 2015 to multiple counts of violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), including violations in the Eastern District of Tennessee, Northern District of Alabama, and Western District of Tennessee. ARPA first became law in 1979 as a way to protect against the loss and destruction of archaeological resources found on public and Indian lands that are an “irreplaceable part of the nation’s heritage.”
From September 2007 to July 2011, Fagin, Tate and others excavated Civil War era artifacts from the bottom of Fort McCook, also known as Battle Creek, which is located on TVA property. Specifically, Fagin, Tate and others recovered Civil War shells, which were pieces of artillery used during the Civil War. Fagin and Tate did not have permits as required under the ARPA nor did they have authority from TVA or any other entity to excavate artifacts from Battle Creek.
In August 2009, Fagin and Tate also excavated Civil War era U-rails from public lands in Bridgeport, Alabama. In March 2010, Fagin and Tate transported and delivered a counterfeit “Sherman Bow-Tie” that was made from Civil War era U-rails that Fagin and Tate excavated from public lands in Bridgeport, Alabama, without permission or authorization.
In August 2010, Fagin also excavated Civil War era artifacts from Shiloh National Military Park, including a .57 cal. three-ring rifle bullet; five fired three-ring rifle bullets and Schenkl artillery shell fragments. Fagin had no permit or authorization from the National Park Service to excavate artifacts from Shiloh National Military Park.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol have announced a decrease in seat belt use. The new statewide rate has been finalized at 86.2 percent for the month of June. This percentage represents a decrease from the previous usage rate of 87.7 percent.
Governor’s Highway Safety Office Director Kendell Poole said the decrease represents tens of thousands of Tennesseans not wearing a seat belt this year.
Earlier this year, Gov. Haslam signed a bill that will increase Tennessee’s seat belt fine beginning in January 2016. The fine will increase from $10 to $25 for first offenders and from $25 to $50 for subsequent offenses.
As of August 3rd, preliminary statistics indicate 519 people have died on Tennessee roadways, a decrease of 35 compared to this time last year. To date, 47.9 percent of the state’s fatalities have been unrestrained motorists.

A resident of Madison Street in Manchester has been arrested and charged with the theft of a utility trailer from Tullahoma.
Anthony Tyrone Dalton, 39, was arrested July 29 on a charge of theft of property over $1,000.
Dalton’s arrest was made by Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Sherrill after the investigator learned that he had been attempting to sell a lawn mower and trailer.
The investigator learned that Dalton had traded the mower and trailer for a Camaro to a resident of Charlie Crosslin Road. Sherrill along with Investigator Kerry Farrar went to the residence on Crosslin Road and located the trailer and mower.
Investigators Sherrill, Farrar and Billy Marcom went to Dalton’s residence and spoke with him about the trailer and mower but he told the officers that he knew nothing about the mower and trailer. Dalton claimed that he had purchased the Camaro for $800. He was arrested by the officers.
Sherrill then realized that a tool box on the back of Anthony’s truck had allegedly been stolen.
After speaking with the Tullahoma resident who the trailer and mower had been stolen from, officers recovered two shovels, post hole diggers and a pick. Sherrill states that a mower and weed eater that were taken are still missing.
Dalton is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Aug. 13. (Thanks to Wayne Thomas with the Tullahoma News for his help with this story)

A Gnat Hill Road woman was arrested Aug. 3 for theft of property and fraudulent use a credit or debit card.
The arrest came after Coffee County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Jason Dendy located a 2002 Nissan Altima that had been reported stolen in Hillsboro on East Grizzard Street in Tullahoma.
As the vehicle was stopped, the driver and another individual jumped out and ran leaving Holly Denise Knoblauch, 29, in the car.
She allegedly told the investigator that several clothes in the car were hers. When the investigator looked through the clothes, he found a stolen credit/debit Visa card that was issued by a Manchester bank.
According to a report by Dendy, the credit/debit card had allegedly been fraudulently used at several locations in Coffee and Rutherford Counties.
Knoblauch was booked into the Coffee County Jail on the charges and held under a $15,000 bond. She is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Aug. 31.
Dendy is continuing to search for the two men who jumped out of the vehicle and ran and he is also continuing the investigation into the theft of the car and credit card.

A Morrison man lost his life Saturday night when his motorcycle left the roadway and he struck several trees.
According to a report by Tennessee Highway Patrol Sgt. Larry Fraley, around 10 p.m. a 2001 Harley Davidson operated by Charles M. Pruitt, 46 of Morrison was traveling north on the Old Awalt Road when he ran off the right side of the roadway. He then traveled down an embankment striking several trees.
Air-Evac was summoned to fly Pruitt out but that was cancelled and he was transported by Rural Metro Ambulance Service to Harton Regional Medical Center where died from his injuries.
According to the THP report, Pruitt was wearing his motorcycle helmet.
The North Franklin County Fire Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies and a park ranger from Tims Ford State Park assisted at the crash scene.

Motlow College is encouraging all students, faculty and staff to register for the mobile Motlow Alert system. The service is free and is also open to members of the general public who would like to receive the latest information regarding Motlow.
Motlow Alert, formerly Rave, is one of Motlow’s methods of emergency notification and is the easiest and quickest way for members of the Motlow community to receive important campus updates such as school cancellations due to inclement weather. The system sends text messages to service subscribers, enabling registered members to be as prepared as possible for any kind of emergency.
Register by visiting the Motlow College website and clicking the Motlow Alert icon. Fill out the form, which requires email and phone number information. Subscribers will receive an email and text message confirming a successful registration.
Motlow Alert does not charge subscribers to send or receive SMS messages. Standard or other messaging charges apply depending upon the wireless carrier plan and subscription details. Once registered, subscribers can opt out of SMS messages at any time.

Every spring, students’ in Tennessee skills and academic progress are measured by a set of statewide assessments called the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP. Students in third through eighth grade take the tests. Results from 2015 have been announced and Manchester City Schools have a reason to celebrate!
Here is Sandra Morris, Interim Director of Manchester City Schools, with a special announcement (Play audio below).

Manchester City School Board Chairman, Susan Parsley had this to say,
(Play audio below)

Manchester City Schools had the #1 rank in Math, with a 31% gain. The respective Principals at each of the three schools cited the hard work of the teachers for the school district’s success.
(Play audio from the 3 principals below)

Congratulations to Manchester City Schools Exemplary District Status!

Michael Brent Clowers, 29 and Constance Nicole Love, 33 both of Manchester were arrested over the weekend on drug charges.
The charges against the two include, manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, possession of schedule II and introduction of drugs into a county institution.
Clowers was driving a vehicle and was pulled over by Manchester Officer Jamie Norris. After a check of Clowers’ driver license he learned that the license had been revoked/suspended.
Norris allegedly found a small plastic box that contained a small amount of crystal methamphetamines in the floor board on the passenger side of the vehicle. When Clowers was booked into the Coffee County Jail, corrections officers apparently found a bag containing 3.1 grams on his body.
When Love was booked into the county jail, correction officers allegedly found a bag containing Hydrocodone and morphine pills on her person. The pills were, according to a warrant, packaged for resale.
Clowers is being held on a bond of $151,000 while Love is being held on a bond of $105,000. They are to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court on Sept. 22.

A Tullahoma man was arrested on several charges following an incident Sunday Aug. 2 at the intersection of Lincoln and Jackson Streets.
Joel C. Rogers of Cedar Lane was charged with aggravated assault, possession of schedule II and possession of schedule IV.
The arrest came after an alleged incident involving Rogers and the driver of another vehicle.
According to a Tullahoma Police officer along with Tennessee Highway Patrolman, they were flagged down by Joseph Cabral of East Lincoln Street claiming that the vehicle operated by Rogers had almost run into his vehicle as he drove over the railroad tracks on Lincoln Street. When Cabral “yelled at him” he said that Rogers pulled a small handgun at his vehicle.
Rogers told the officer that he was driving “along peacefully when another vehicle pulled up alongside” his vehicle and began yelling and cussing at him. He told the officer that he was worried because the people in the other vehicle were bigger than him and he wanted to “be as big as they were” so he pulled out a handgun but he said that he did not point it at anyone.
One of the troopers told the Tullahoma officer that while looking in the Rogers truck he found a small silver handgun as well as a .22 caliber rifle behind the seat of the truck.
The Tullahoma officer stated in his report that he noticed a waterproof match case in a small tool box located in the passenger seat of the truck. Rogers stated that the bottle contained his prescriptions. In addition to Rogers’ prescription medication were 20 Xanax, 23 Adderall and 13 Celexa pills.
Rogers was booked into the Coffee County Jail on drug and assault charges. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond. He is to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Sept. 17.