Category: News

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Bonne Hommrich as commissioner of the state Department of Children’s Services.
Hommrich has served for more than a decade as a deputy commissioner for child programs at the agency. According to The Tennessean, Haslam said in a statement that the 68-year-old Hommrich “has dedicated her entire career to helping children and families.”
While at DCS, her role has focused on areas such as child protective services, foster care, and community juvenile justice. The statement said that before joining DCS, Hommrich spent 22 years as a social worker and had a leadership role with the Kentucky Department of Social Services.
Her appointment comes after the current commissioner, Jim Henry, was selected to be Haslam’s chief of staff beginning on Aug. 1

Bedford County authorities are searching for man who escaped after a court appearance. Tristan David McMahon is a 24 year-old black male, who escaped Tuesday from the Bedford County Courthouse after he was sentenced. McMahon was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans at approximately 10:20 a.m.
If you see, or know the whereabouts of Tristan McMahon, please call Bedford County Sheriff’s Office immediately at 931.684.3232, or Crimestoppers at 931.685.4300, to remain anonymous.

A familiar scam that continues to target Tennessee businesses is now in the spotlight of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Middle Tennessee.
The BBB recently added State Compliance Center, also known as SCC, to its list of “Misleading Advertising, Products and Services Middle Tennessee Consumers and Businesses Can Do Without.” The company received a “D-” BBB rating.
SCC is requesting businesses pay nearly $90 to obtain a Certificate of Existence/Authorization, also known as a Certificate of Good Standing. The request is being mailed out across the state on an official looking document.
The standard fee to obtain a Certificate of Existence directly from the Division of Business Services is $20.
Letters being sent by SCC make it appear as if a Certificate of Existence/Authorization is required by law, but it is important to note a certificate is not required to do business in Tennessee. Typically, a business requests a Certificate of Existence for specific business purposes, like obtaining a loan or entering into a contract.
SCC LLC is a registered business in the state of Tennessee, but is not affiliated or associated with the Division of Business Services.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett has been warning consumers about similar scams for years. Other companies, including Corporate Records Services and Annual Business Services, sent out official looking documents to businesses in 2013 with claims they must pay filing rates higher than what the state actually charges.
“I encourage all businesses and organizations to contact the Division of Business Services directly if they have questions regarding how to obtain a Certificate of Existence, or if they receive questionable items in the mail,” Secretary Hargett said. “Business leaders should use caution anytime a third-party is seeking to file something on their behalf with the state.”
Whenever the Department of State receives information about a company with questionable practices the information is sent directly to the appropriate authorities.

After more than a year of delays, a trial challenging Tennessee’s method for executing prisoners has begun.
Steve Kissinger represents 33 death row inmates who say lethal injection is unconstitutional. In opening statements, Kissinger said the state’s use of prison guards to inject the drug creates a substantial risk that it will be administered incorrectly and cause extreme pain.
Assistant Attorney General Scott Sutherland countered that the U.S. Supreme Court has said inmates aren’t guaranteed a painless death. Sutherland says the execution method is cruel and unusual only if it involves things such as torture or the deliberate infliction of pain.
Tennessee has yet to carry out an execution using the questionable drug. But Sutherland says Texas, Ohio and Georgia have carried out more than 30 successful and painless executions with the drug.
The lawsuit is one of several challenges to various execution protocols nationwide.

Manchester Police officers responded to KK’s Music, Loans and Jewelry at 808 Hillsboro Blvd on Saturday morning just after 6am. This was the fourth time they had reported to the business for a burglar alarm since early that morning. Officers on the night shift did notice a window up around the back of the building but it was inside a fenced in area.
Upon entering the building Officer Dale Robertson found a glass case had been broken into by breaking the glass in two spots. Robertson and Captain Victor Jones searched through the building finding an interior back door had been broken by the use of a large sledgehammer, plus in the area of the damaged door was a bent screwdriver and open pocket knife. The back room of KK’s was found as a possible entry point and a window was discovered with the bottom glass broken out. Outside Officer Robertson found an extension ladder leaning against the building with grass push down on the other side of the fence near the ladder.
Manchester Police Investigator Jackie Matheny was contacted and he responded to the scene.
An employee did an inventory on hand guns finding a total of 8 guns missing. The total loss was around $1,400.
The investigation is continuing as police try to find the perpetrator or perpetrators that are responsible for the burglary/breaking and entering.

On Sunday morning Tullahoma Police officers were conducting a search warrant at 904 North Washington Street and that’s when they located a 40 caliber pistol. The owner of the residence stated that it belonged to Mitchell Harrison Ghea, age 25 of Tullahoma. He admitted to officers that his fingerprints would be on the firearm. Ghea is listed as a felon who is not to be in possession of a firearm. Officers also located several Xanax pills that the subject did not have a prescription for at the time of his arrest.
Officer Rocky Reughling took Ghea into custody and charged him with possession of a schedule IV drug, illegal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and reckless endangerment. His bond was set at $19,000. He is set to appear in court July 23.

On Sunday night Coffee County deputies were called to 25 Leslie Jamie Road for a domestic issue with shots fired inside of the residence. Deputies arrived on the scene and located Michael Sean Tobin who was outside of the residence and deputies state that Tobin laid on the ground and surrendered. After speaking with the victim about what had happened, deputies went inside of the residence and took pictures of where Tobin allegedly fired shots that went through numerous walls and into the brick of the residence. The warrant states this placed neighbors at serious risk of bodily harm or death from the gunshots.
Tobin, age 41 is facing two charges, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Bond was set at $10,000.

A state lawmaker is calling for a refund of all but $10,000 of the $46,000 paid for development of a new Tennessee state logo.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports Rep. Martin Daniel made the request in a letter sent last week to executives of GS&F, the Nashville advertising firm that developed the logo, with copies to Gov. Haslam and state General Services Commissioner Bob Oglesby, whose department oversaw the firm’s contract with the state.
In his letter, Daniel said the company was substantially over-compensated for its work on the project.
The square logo featuring the white letters TN on a red field above a blue bar has drawn criticism for its price tag and for being simplistic.