Category: News

Students from Westwood Middle School attended the National Junior Beta Club Convention at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. The convention brings together Junior Beta Clubs from across the country for four days of competition, learning, leadership development, and fellowship. At the Tennessee Junior Beta Club Convention held back in November of 2014, Westwood Middle School 7th grader Austin (Auggie) Burch was elected State President. This qualified Austin to run for national office and on Monday Auggie was elected National Junior Beta Club President. He will attend a leadership camp next month and as national president he will attend state conventions throughout the country plus he’ll oversee the national convention next year in Louisiana. Burch’s Mom Melissa said she is very proud of her son, but also of the group of outstanding students at Westwood Middle. Upholding the tradition of Westwood’s strong Beta Club heritage, the 53 club members competed in two competitions and won both, campaign skits and regular skits. Over 10,000 people attended the convention, the largest crowd to date.
The WMS BETA club faculty sponsors are Elizabeth Eaton and Amanda Sullivan.

Tullahoma Director of Public Works, Wayne Limbaugh, has been notified by CSX that construction of the road crossings over the railroad tracks will be closed according to the following schedule:
July 1 & 2: Warren Street and Lauderdale Street
July 8 & 9: Grundy Street and Wiseman Road
July 12, 13 & 14: Hogan Street and Brown Street
July 15 & 16: Lincoln Street and Parham Boulevard
CSX indicated that these dates are estimates and could vary some. The work will replace the wood ties and asphalt.
During this construction, expect delays and seek alternative routes in Tullahoma.
Motorists should be aware of the closure and watch out for workers in the construction zone and drive with caution.
Motorists should always expect a train when crossing railroad tracks.

Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell is working to raise awareness of the danger of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.
A recent report shows Tennessee is among the top 10 states for death of children due to hot vehicles, claiming 23 deaths from 1998 to 2014.
Speaker Harwell has recorded a PSA to address the issue.
Last year, lawmakers passed legislation that protects individuals from the cost of damages if they have to force their way into a hot car to save a child.
Tennessee law requires Good Samaritans to first call 911, and then see if any vehicle doors are unlocked. If not, they can break in to rescue a child.
Tennessee is among 20 states that have laws that address leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.

A new law that goes into effect July 1 means drivers in Tennessee caught without insurance could have their car towed.
House Bill 606, which was approved earlier this year and is now law, is aimed at getting uninsured drivers off the roads.
Starting in July, law enforcement will be authorized to have someone’s vehicle towed if they’re caught driving without insurance.
The law also triples the fine from $100 to $300.
The move also aims to make it easier for law enforcement and DMV clerks to determine if a driver has insurance, whether they have proof or not.
A new system that will be in place by summer 2016 will allow authorities to ping a vehicle’s VIN, so a database can relay whether the owner has insurance.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, Tennessee had the sixth highest rate of uninsured motorists in the country in 2012, with 20.1 percent.
The national average that year was 12.6 percent. (WKRN)

In 2009 the Bonnaroo Works Fund was created. Administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Bonnaroo Works Fund supports regional and national organizations with a mission of making communities healthy in areas of the arts, education, and environmental sustainability; with the goal of local reinvestment and asset building for the communities in which we live, work and play. The Bonnaroo Works Fund recently donated 1,200 backpacks and 3,600 books to the Coffee County School System.

Funeral services for Captain Jeffery Lynn McCullough, age 58, of Manchester, was conducted Sunday, at Main Street Church of Christ in Manchester.
Jeff passed away suddenly on last Wednesday afternoon at Southern Tennessee Medical Center in Winchester, TN.
He was a Captain for the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, where he was also Captain of the CCSD Honor Guard. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Many officers from several departments attended the funeral service.
Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves said that McCullough will be deeply missed by his friends and co-workers at the sheriff’s department.

Earlier this week Tennessee State Trooper Jason Boles observed an open beer can sitting next to a vehicle getting gas at the Kangaroo store near Exit 114. Upon walking over the passenger in the vehicle admitted to setting the beer down on the ground. The officer then went to talk with the driver, Jacob Wayne Sneed age 26 of Paoli, IN. The trooper then observed a pistol in the door frame. The vehicle occupants were asked to exit the vehicle and the officer observed an open baggie on the passenger side rear seat. Dillon T Scott, 28 of Paoli, IN who was sitting there was searched and a pill bottle with allegedly 1.8 grams of heroin and .4 grams of crystal meth were in the bottle. Also in the rear seat next to the passenger was a black bag containing what was thought to be marijuana and a metal pipe, set of scales and rolling papers and another 1.3 grams of what was believed to be crystal meth. Scott was arrested and charged with possession of schedule I, II, VI and drug paraphernalia. He was booked at the Coffee County Jail under a bond of $19,000 with a court date of August 18. Sneed was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of schedule II and VI, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on revoked/ suspended license. He was booked under a $30,500 bond and also has a court date set for August 18.

Thomas Fuhrman has resigned effective June 30 as principal of Westwood Elementary in Manchester. Thomas was principal of the school from 2013-2015. He replaced long time principal, Sandra Morris, who is currently the director of schools for Manchester City.
Fuhrman has accepted a position with Putnam County Schools as principal of Jere Whitson Elementary.
Melissa Glenn has been named new principal of Westwood Elementary. Glenn has served as principal of Maury City Elementary in Crockett County, Tennessee since 2009.  During her tenure as principal there, the school showed significant growth in student achievement and enrollment. Maury City Elementary has been recognized by the State of Tennessee as a Reward School for academic growth two of the last three years.
Glenn considers it a great privilege to be chosen as principal of Westwood Elementary and pledges to do her best to serve the students, parents, staff, and community.
Glenn is relocating to Manchester with her husband who is the new plant manager of Batesville Casket Company.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fifty-three students and over thirty parents from Westwood Middle School are attending the National Junior Beta Club Convention at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. The convention brings together Junior Beta Clubs from across the country for four days of competition, learning, leadership development, and fellowship.
One of the most important events at the convention will be election of officers. At the Tennessee Junior Beta Club Convention held back in November of 2014, Westwood Middle School 7th grader Austin Burch was elected State President. This qualified Austin to run for national office.
Upholding the tradition of Westwood’s strong Beta Club heritage, Austin is running for National President. Westwood Middle School Principal Chad Fletcher said, “We are blessed at Westwood to have great student leaders and involved parents. Austin and our Beta Club students are great representatives of our school and Manchester City Schools. It is a positive honor for Manchester to be home to the state president and Austin will make a great national president.” The WMS BETA club faculty sponsors, Elizabeth Eaton and Amanda Sullivan will provide updates on Austin’s campaign as the convention continues.