Category: News

A Coffee County woman is charged with TennCare fraud in connection with selling prescription drugs which were paid for by the state’s healthcare insurance program.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced the arrest of Kimberly Varden, 59, of Tullahoma, after a joint investigation with the Tullahoma Police Department.
Varden is charged with TennCare fraud in connection with obtaining a prescription for the painkiller Hydrocodone, using TennCare as payment, and then selling a portion of the pills.
“We are working with municipal and county police across the state, as they zero in on local narcotics trafficking and where we can establish that TennCare was involved,” Inspector General Manny Tyndall said. “Local police, providers, and citizens are committed to eliminating prescription drug abuse, especially when it involves public dollars.”
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. District Attorney General Craig Northcott is prosecuting.
The OIG, which is separate from TennCare, began full operation in February 2005 and has investigated cases leading to over $3 million being repaid to TennCare, with a total estimated cost avoidance of over $163.6 million for TennCare, according to latest figures. To date, 2,324 people have been charged with TennCare fraud.
Through the OIG Cash for Tips Program established by the Legislature, Tennesseans can get cash rewards for TennCare fraud tips that lead to convictions. Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll-free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tn.gov/tnoig/ and follow the prompts that read “Report TennCare Fraud.”

A chase that began in Warren County, TN ended in Grundy County Wednesday evening.
Grundy County Sheriff Clint Shrum told WRCB-TV, the suspects were involved in an alleged drug deal earlier in the evening.
During the chase the suspect vehicle attempted to turn onto Colony Road hitting a Grundy sheriff’s deputy vehicle.
The deputy forced the vehicle off the roadway and both suspects were taken into custody.
No one was injured but the driver of the suspect vehicle was taken to a hospital for medical clearance.
The suspects had been evading law enforcement for over a year on other outstanding felony charges.

This month thousands of Tennessee businesses, citizens and community groups will be utilizing a classic childhood favorite – the pinwheel – to raise awareness about child abuse and prevention.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and according to the Tennessee Children’s Advocacy Centers there were more than 7,500 confirmed cases of abuse in the state in 2012, the most recent year data is available.
Kristen Rector, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, says protecting children starts with people taking a vested interest in the parents they encounter in their daily lives.
“If we see someone in our community who is really struggling in their parenting, or who is having a difficult time, we can reach out to those people and offer our support,” she says.
According to Rector, 50,000 pinwheels will be planted this month around the state.
The confirmed abuse cases by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services in 2012 involved more than 10,000 different Tennessee children. Drug exposure and sexual abuse were the most common sources of abuse.
If you suspect a child is being abused, experts recommend you remain calm, believe the child, allow them to talk and take action. Rector says it’s important to remember that preventing child abuse is protecting a child from a lifetime of impact from their abuse.
“Building a brain is like building a foundation,” says Rector. “If trauma and adversity happens while that brain is forming it can really have a long-term and lasting impact on that individual.”
According to Safe Horizon, an organization that offers help to victims of abuse, 60 percent of reports of child abuse come from teachers, law enforcement and social services. Of the child abuse cases in 2012, a parent was the perpetrator in over 80 percent of the cases.
Tennessee residents can report suspected child abuse cases by calling the Department of Children’s Services at 1-877-237-0004.

The City of Tullahoma invites the community to a discussion on Composting: From Garbage to Gold on Thursday, April 16 at City Hall, 5:30pm – 6:30 pm.
Annie Clements, Composting Coordinator at AEDC will talk about the basics of composting and why it is important.
Director of Public Works, Wayne Limbaugh, will provide an overview of the compositing program in Tullahoma and be signing up citizens for free composting bins.
“Our goal is to get an idea of how many residents would be interested in voluntary composting,” said Director of Public Works, Wayne Limbaugh.
“The compost Tullahoma project is not just an effort to reduce waste, but also an effort to change how we think about waste,” said Mayor Lane Curlee. “Even if the impact on the waste stream with this project is small, the impact on how people approach waste could be potentially really big. Other communities offer curb-side and drop off composting programs. If this program is successful at diverting solid waste from the landfill, then it will be a program we will analyze for growth.”
“This program is about teaching people to take peels, cores, and other organic waste and turn it into usable compost,” said Community Coordinator, Winston Brooks. “Burying solid waste in the landfill is expensive and not sustainable. If residents will recycle and compost, they would be surprised at how little garbage they actually create.”
The Clean Bin Project trailer will be shown during the meeting, according to Brooks. We hope residents are watching this, and we can have a brief discussion about that film. The Clean Bin Project is aired each night at 7 PM on channel 6 on LightTUBe cable in Tullahoma.  It will also play on a two hour delay on channel 15.
“Successful waste reduction must happen not only logistically but also culturally, and this movie will help give you a new perspective on the waste you create.”
Each workshop participant will have the opportunity to be placed on the list to receive a compost bin when they arrive at Public Works. Additionally, the meeting will give residents a clear understanding of the process and benefits of composting.

The 9th annual Coffee County Home and Garden Show will be held at the Coffee County Fairgrounds on Saturday.
Over 30 vendors will display goods and services from 9am-3pm on Saturday. The WMSR Thunder Radio event is brought to you by Al White Ford-Lincoln of Manchester.
You’ll be able to attend for free, we just ask if you can to bring a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Good Samaritan Food Bank.
Builders, pest control, paint, real estate and so much more will be on display plus many, many prizes will be given away.
The 9th annual Al White Motors Coffee County Home and Garden Show being held at the Coffee County Fairgrounds on Saturday is sponsored by Hill’s Power Pro and Professional Roofing Contractors.

Warren County High School in McMinnville was evacuated Wednesday morning after receiving a threat.
The evacuation happened just after 11 a.m. at the campus on Pioneer Lane in McMinnville.
Students were bused to the McMinnville Civic Center.
The Southern Standard is reporting that the threat was found by a student written on a bathroom wall.
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais was scheduled to speak at the school on Wednesday, according to his staff, but that event was canceled before he arrived at the school.
Personnel from the State Bomb Squad in Nashville searched the school for any bombs or weapons before giving the all clear and students were transported back to the high school.
Just over 1,700 students attend Warren County High School, grades nine through 12.

The Tullahoma Police Department has responded to numerous car break-ins in the Colonial Acres, Macon Manor, Blue Creek and Brookfield subdivisions over the last few days. Investigators have recovered a large amount of stolen property from these burglaries and are starting the process of finding the rightful owners.
If you are in these areas please check and make sure all of you property is still in your vehicle. If anyone discovers items missing contact the Tullahoma Police Department at 931-455-0530.

All Health Departments in the Southeast Region including those here in Coffee County have a program to help pregnant women quit smoking during and after pregnancy. The “Baby and Me Tobacco Free” program is available thanks to funding from the tobacco settlement lawsuit to help pregnant women quit smoking during and after pregnancy for healthier babies. Quitting smoking when you are pregnant is the most important thing you can do to protect your health and the health of your baby.
Help is also available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

As thousands of Tennesseans return from their spring-break beach vacations or plan a summer trip, the Tennessee Department of Health is reminding travelers about the importance of protection from mosquitoes. Of particular concern, said state entomologist Abelardo Moncayo, are those pests that may carry the chikungunya virus, which poses a risk to humans and could have major consequences if it spreads to the United States. “If you go to someplace in the Caribbean or now in Latin America, and you suddenly have fever, joint pain, especially in your hands and feet,” he said, “that is a good indication you might have chikungunya.” Before 2013, chikungunya was found in Africa, Asia and Europe, but spread last summer to areas south of the United States. To protect yourself while in at-risk areas, Moncayo recommended using insect repellent and treating your clothes with a product containing Permethrin. If you suspect you have chikungunya, the Tennessee Department of Health recommends you contact a health-care provider immediately, treat your fever and pain with over-the-counter medicines, and get lots of rest. Moncayo added that it’s very important to avoid contact with other mosquitoes to prevent the spread of the disease in Tennessee. “What we’re trying to do is keep it out of Tennessee,” he said, “and the only way to do that is by asking people that do travel and then come back, and they experience these symptoms to go see their physician.” There is currently no medicine to treat chikungunya or vaccine to prevent it. Most patients feel better within a week, but joint pain may persist for several months. More information is online at wwwnc.cdc.gov.