Category: News

Residents of northeast Tennessee are speaking out against what they say is a questionable safety record of Nuclear Fuel Services, located in Erwin.
The manufacturing facility makes materials for the U.S. Navy and for private companies. Recently the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced it was reducing the number of regular safety inspections NFS will undergo, and that concerns Barbara O’Neal.
“I was born and raised there,” she said. “It’s really my hometown, and I feel that the people have been told by the NRC for years that everything was OK.”
O’Neal recently moved away from Erwin because of safety concerns, citing public documents that detail incidents at the facility where the environment was exposed to toxic materials.
The National Research Council is conducting a study of cancer risks in Erwin and at five other nuclear facilities around the nation. A spokeswoman from the NRC said the government is reducing the number of inspectors present at the facility to one because of an improved safety and compliance record.
NFS did not return requests for comment for this story.
O’Neal said she has analyzed thousands of pages of public documents that detail incidents of spills and releases of pollutants that exceed the legal limits. She said much of the information wasn’t available until 2004, and even what she can obtain lacks some details.
“There is not that much available,” she said. “The NRC has kept information like inspection reports, effluent releases – they’ve kept all of that stuff away from the public for years.”
In April, NFS had an unplanned chemical reaction in a storage area. No one was hurt and the incident is under investigation.
A government investigation in 2006 discovered there was a uranium solution leak into an elevator shaft that could have caused a nuclear reaction.
More information on the cancer study is online at dels.nas.edu. More information on the NRC is at nrc.gov.

 

Michael Finchum was injured after falling off of the edge of a cliff near a cave in Summitville.
According to a Coffee County sheriff’s department report, officers were called to the scene around 4:30pm Monday afternoon.
Finchum was found about 60 feet off the side of the bluff hanging on by a tree branch.
The Coffee County Rescue Squad was called to the area to pull Finchum back up the bluff area. Once Finchum was retrieved he was the transported down Fire tower Road to meet a Coffee County ambulance. Authorities sad if it had not been for the tree branch he would have fallen another 100 feet down the bluff.
Coffee County EMS transported Finchum to Manchester Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating a Monday night one-car crash on Highway 41-A near Christiana Hoovers Gap Road. Reports indicate that the 23-year old driver, Selby L. Lacewell of Manchester, was seven months pregnant.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Lieutenant Bill Miller says that Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services rushed Lacewell to the ER at St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital for pre-natal care as a precautionary measure.
At the scene, Lieutenant Monty Terry reports that the 1996 Toyota Corolla was traveling south on Highway 41-A and as it approached Christiana Hoovers Gap Road, it left the roadway, went down an embankment, crossed a creek and stopped in a field. Amazingly, the vehicle remained on all four tires–never rolling or flipping.
Also injured was 22-year old Michael Martin of Manchester. (WGNS)

Motorists headed to the pump are finding the highest gas prices of 2015. The national average price for regular unleaded is $2.62 per gallon, up 59 cents since this year’s low of $2.03 in late January.
“Rising crude oil has pushed gas prices to their highest levels of the year,” said Josh Carrasco, spokesperson, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Although prices are at their highest level of the year, they are still more than a dollar cheaper than this time last year.”
At $2.60, the national average had the cheapest start to the month of May since 2009. That year, the national average was $2.05. Last year, the average price was $3.69 on May 1.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at $59.15 on Friday, the highest settlement of 2015.
The average price in Tennessee is $2.40 and locally the low price in Manchester is $2.37 and in Tullahoma the low price per gallon is $2.39 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill Monday allowing the use of cannabis oil to treat certain medical conditions, including debilitating seizures.
While Haslam earlier opposed Senate Bill 280, after a review from the state attorney, he was on board.
Cannabis oil is used by people who suffer from seizures or epilepsy where medications have failed.
Under the terms of the law, patients will be allowed to bring cannabis oil into Tennessee for treatment only if it is legally obtained outside of Tennessee. It means patients must have a doctor’s approval.
It’s a class C misdemeanor if patients don’t have proof the cannabis oil was legally obtained.
The bill goes into effect immediately.

The community is invited to the 3rd annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Thursday, May 7th at 7:30 a.m. This is the same day as the annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.
The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast is being sponsored by Mayor Lane Curlee and First Baptist Church and will be held in the church’s Fellowship Hall. There is no charge to attend the breakfast and it should conclude by 8:30 a.m. First Baptist Church is located at 108 E. Grundy Street in Tullahoma.
“I appreciate very much Brother Herb Hester and First Baptist Church members’ offer to host and sponsor the breakfast again this year. It should be a meaningful time for all,” said Curlee.
Long-time THS head football coach John Olive is guest speaker.
Some seats are still available. Please contact the church at 455-5461 if you would like to attend.

Crews responded Monday to investigate a small plane crash in Lincoln County.
The Lincoln County EMA director confirmed the plane crash happened near 2 Steelman Rd. in Mulberry between Lynchburg and Fayetteville. The plane crashed into a pond.
A worker at the scene told WAFF-TV the two-seat plane left Winchester, TN on Sunday and went missing. One person was on board the small plane.
According to authorities, 46-year-old Linda Bauman of Belvidere died as a result of the crash.
According to the FAA, the plane is a Cessna-182P, a fixed wing, single-engine aircraft. This particular aircraft was manufactured in 1975.

The District manager of Cash Express reported to police that an individual cashed a forged check at their business location in Tullahoma.
According to a report on April 30 by Tullahoma Police Sgt. Phil Henderson, Lani Betke reported that an individual entered the East Carroll Street business and presented a check in the amount of $2,780 to be cashed. An employee cashed the check but they later learned that the check was forged.
An investigation is continuing by the Tullahoma Police Department.