Photo by MFRD’s Ashley McDonald
May is National Asthma Awareness Month, and health experts advise Tenneseans to reduce exposure to air pollution and allergens. Photo credit: Alviman/Morguefile.com
More than 7,000 Tenneseans were hospitalized for asthma in 2010, the most recent data available. Thousands more have the chronic disease of the respiratory system, which is made even more difficult by spring pollen and other allergens. Dr. Michael Warren, director of family health and wellness with the Tennessee Department of Health, says in spite of the ability to treat the disease, it still presents a problem to thousands in the state. “We know asthma can have severe and serious consequences, impacting people’s ability to be in school or to work or participate in recreation activities,” says Warren. “So it can be a very serious problem.” Asthma causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. Air pollution is a major environmental trigger for asthma. Too much pollution during childhood can permanently reduce lung function. According to the state Department of Health, more than 11 percent of children in Tennessee have asthma, and seven percent of adults have the disease. Warren says one of the best methods of managing asthma is to check in regularly with your doctor. “It’s really important for people to have a health-care provider they check in with regularly who can see how they’re doing,” he says. “Who can do a good exam and listen to their lungs, but also find out how their symptoms are being managed.” Warren adds, people with asthma should pay special attention to the air quality, especially in warmer months. “Most cities now will do air-quality alerts. Being mindful if you’re a person with asthma of what the air quality is in your community for that day can be really important,” he says. To prevent asthma attacks, experts recommend avoiding strong chemicals, odors and tobacco smoke.
File Photo – Brad Weir
Former Coffee County head baseball coach Brad Weir was released from the Franklin County Jail after being charged with domestic violence on Sunday. He was found Sunday afternoon by Hamilton County officials. Weir served 12 hours that are mandated by state law. He was then released on a $5,000 bond. He is to appear in Franklin County General Sessions Court June 8.
Police in Franklin County were searching for Weir, who allegedly threatened to kill people near Bluegill Grill restaurant just outside Coffee County at Tims Ford Lake. He threatened people saying he had an assault rifle around 7:45am on May 3.
Sgt. Chris Guess with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says that according to a report, Weir got into a fight with his ex-girlfriend’s husband. The domestic dispute escalated very quickly.
The report states that Weir said he had assault rifles in his car. He threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, her husband and everyone else in the restaurant.
Weir worked for the Coffee County Raider Academy as a teacher and was head baseball coach at the high school. This was his first year with the school system after being hired as baseball coach in late May of 2014. He was arrested by Manchester Police on February 3, 2015 for statutory rape by an authority figure.
According to a police report, an episode allegedly occurred on January 29, 2015 and apparently involved a 15-year-old female at Weir’s residence on Hills Chapel Rd in Manchester.
Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott said Monday morning that he will file a motion to revoke Weir’s bond on the Coffee County charge.
Coffee County Red Raider athletic director and head football coach Ryan Sulkowski
In a statement issued on Monday, Coffee County CHS principal Dr. Joey Vaughn announced that CHS football coach Ryan Sulkowski has been named athletic director for Coffee County CHS for the 2015-2016 school year. Sulkowski will remain as head football coach and will begin his duties almost immediately. Vaughn said, “We are in the process of restructuring the program and are excited about the enthusiasm and organization that Coach Sulkowski brings to CCCHS.” Vaughn added, “There are 17 athletic programs at CHS so the responsibilities are tremendous.”
With openings for 2 assistant athletic directors and an opening for a new head baseball coach, Sulkowski be directly involved in those upcoming hires. The coach becomes the 4th athletic director at CHS since the 2010 – 2011 school year.
Inside Bonnaroo
The City of Manchester recently passed a resolution that will prohibit the resale of entertainment admission tickets or tokens. Now Coffee County commissioners will vote on the same type of resolution. This would put a stop to the reselling of tickets like Bonnaroo or any other events.
Manchester Alderman Cheryl Swan says the main reason for the city passing this new law is safety. She says that sometimes tickets sellers will just walk out into traffic to sell tickets or buyers will stop their vehicles in the middle of a street or highway to purchase.
The county resolution will come up for vote during tonight’s meeting set for 6pm at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips has announced a new iPhone and Android mobile app that makes finding available Tennessee jobs even easier. The free mobile application brings thousands of employment opportunities to smart phones with advanced location and sharing features.
The new app’s functionality will allow users to access the entire Jobs4TN Online Services database on an iPhone or Android device, search for a job based on current location using the unique “Jobs Nearby” function, and pinpoint jobs on a map for easy reference. Users may also save and share their favorite jobs via email, Facebook, and Twitter; as well as login to their account so that all job search activity is recorded.
The app is compatible with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPad. Employers and jobseekers can download the “Jobs4TN” app at the Apple Store or Google Play at no charge.
Governor Haslam launched Tennessee’s comprehensive jobs database in May 2012. Since going live, more than 3,800,000 jobs have been posted, and approximately 1,300,000 employment referrals have been made.
The Tennessee Board of Regents is taking a look at how students are charged for classes.
Nashville Public Radio reports the board wants to encourage students to take more credit hours without reversing a 2009 decision.
Six years ago, any additional classes past 12 credit hours, or about four classes, were offered free to students. After deciding that wasn’t fair to part-time students, the board began charging for the extra classes.
Officials say because of the change, many students have stopped taking more than 12 credit hours per semester. The board’s chancellor, John Morgan, says this means they’re taking longer to graduate.
The board is considering making the fifth class free again, shifting some of the cost back to part-time students.
He says a decision isn’t likely this year.
Bradley Newton Weir
Former Coffee County head baseball coach Bradley Weir is in trouble again and this time it’s for a totally different reason.
Police in Franklin County were searching for Weir, who allegedly threatened to kill people at the Blue Gill Grill restaurant just outside Coffee County. He threaten people at the restaurant with an assault rifle. He was arrested in Chattanooga on Sunday and charged with domestic violence.
Sgt. Chris Guess with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says that according to a report, Weir got into a fight with his ex-girlfriend’s husband at the Blue Gill Grill. The domestic dispute escalated very quickly.
The report states that Weir said he had assault rifles in his car. He threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, her husband and everyone else in the restaurant.
He left the scene and Franklin County authorities issued an alert to be on the lookout for the 44 year-old Weir.
Weir worked for the Coffee County Raider Academy as a teacher and was head baseball coach at the high school. This was his first year with the school system after being hired as baseball coach in late May of 2014. He was arrested by Manchester Police on February 3, 2015 for statutory rape by an authority figure.
According to a police report, an episode allegedly occurred on January 29, 2015 and apparently involved a 15-year-old female at Weir’s residence on Hills Chapel Rd in Manchester.
Now that Weir has been found, Investigators will be looking into whether he violated any of his bond conditions during the domestic dispute.
Daniel Myers
Special Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have arrested and charged a Moore County man following a stabbing on Friday in the Lynchburg area.
At the request of 17th District Attorney General Robert Carter, TBI Special Agents began investigating the incident, which occurred Friday morning at a home on Pleasant Hill Road. The victim, an 18-year-old man, sustained multiple stab wounds and was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment. During the course of the investigation, Agents, working with investigators from the Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Department, developed information leading to the victim’s friend, Daniel Myers, as the individual responsible for the crime.
Early Saturday morning, a TBI Agent arrested Myers and charged the 18-year-old with one count of Attempted Criminal Homicide. He was booked into the Moore County Jail, where at the time of a TBI press release, he was being held on $100,000 bond.
File photo: Dr LaDonna McFall Director of Coffee County Schools
