Category: News

On Mother’s Day 2014 Manchester Police responded to a motor vehicle accident with injuries on I-24 at mile marker 110.
The Fonseca family involved was traveling from their home in Chicago to a family vacation in Florida.
Son Andy was flown by helicopter to Vanderbilt Hospital due to his severe injuries. Andy sustained numerous fractures in his skull and had significant bleeding on his brain.
Last week the Fonseca family returned to Manchester from Chicago, to show their thanks and appreciation to first responders for their quick response, the care for their family and helping to save Andy’s life.

Buffalo Wild Wings has officially confirmed that it will open a location in Tullahoma on North Jackson Street! The new restaurant will open to the left of Office Max this fall. The restaurant’s menu includes over 21 signature sauces and seasonings, as well as made-to-order salads, wraps, flatbreads, and burgers.
A building permit valued at $415,000 was issued to the property owner last month.
Buffalo Wild Wings announced that it would open 85 NEW restaurants this year, and already has 1,083 locations in all 50 states.

In a follow-up to a story we brought last August; Troy David Rogers was arrested August 2014 for having unlawful sexual contact with two girls under the age of 13 at a home day care operated by his wife.
Rogers entered into a plea agreement on attempted aggravated sexual battery charges.
According to Assistant District Attorney Jason Ponder, Rogers pleaded guilty earlier this year to attempted aggravated sexual battery and sentenced to four years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. “The families of the children asked for a settlement,” the ADA stated recently.
According to indictments issued by the August 2014 term of the Coffee County Grand Jury, Rogers had unlawful sexual contact with the two girls. According to Sgt. Danny Ferrell who investigated the allegations, the incidents occurred at Rogers’ home where his wife operated a home day care.
Ferrell said that the victims were not related to Rogers.
Rogers was represented in the case by Tullahoma attorney Bobby Carter.

A Bedford County man is charged with TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping, or using TennCare to go to multiple providers to obtain controlled substances.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced the arrest of Samuel L. Harris, Jr., 40, of Shelbyville. He is charged with three counts of fraudulently using TennCare to obtain controlled substances by doctor shopping, which is using TennCare as payment for the prescriptions, office visit or both. Bedford County Police assisted in this arrest.
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge. District Attorney General Robert Carter is prosecuting.
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.”

If a woman in Tennessee gets pregnant while not covered by insurance, she is not eligible to enroll in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act outside of the open-enrollment period. Pregnancy is not considered a life-changing event by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – while giving birth or adopting a child are.
Ashley Coffield, chief executive of Planned Parenthood – Greater Memphis Region, said that needs to change.
“Pregnancy is a life-changing event, and access to health care is incredibly important for women to access prenatal care,” she said. “We would like the Department of Health and Human Services to recognize that in order to allow women to enroll at any point during the year.”
Planned Parenthood and other women’s health advocacy groups are asking citizens to voice their concerns to DHHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, uninsured pregnant women receive fewer prenatal-care services and are more likely to experience hypertension as well as low birth weight and infant mortality in their babies.
Every day, Planned Parenthood Health Centers are seeing the benefits of available health coverage, Coffield said, but that benefit needs to be offered to women as they prepare to become mothers.
“We’re seeing more insured women. We’re seeing more women who are coming to us with health insurance and how empowering that is for them and their families,” she said, “and we don’t believe any pregnant woman should have to worry about enrollment dates and blackout periods to get the care that she needs.”
Currently, women who qualify for Medicaid can apply for coverage at any point during their pregnancy.
More information is online at acog.org.

The John Willis Memorial Scholarship Fund has received a $2,500 donation from Coffee County farmer Johnny DeBerry and America’s Farmers Grow Communities, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. The donation will help the organization award an educational scholarship.

 “I am honored to give the $2,500 donation to the John Willis Memorial Scholarship Fund,” said DeBerry. “I respected John Willis as a young man and I think of him quite often.  I like to keep his memory alive and this scholarship allows for that.” 

The John Willis Memorial Scholarship Fund provides college scholarships to sophomore, junior and senior agriculture majors. This scholarship can also help students pay for registration fees or purchase textbooks. Last year, five $1000 scholarships were awarded.

For five years, America’s Farmers Grow Communities has collaborated with farmers to donate over $16.5 million to over 7,300 community organizations across rural America. This year winning farmers will direct another $3.3 million to nonprofits to help fight rural hunger, purchase lifesaving fire and EMS equipment, support ag youth leadership programs, buy much needed classroom resources, and so much more.

America’s Farmers Grow Communities is part of the America’s Farmers initiative. Since 2010, the America’s Farmers campaign and programs have advocated on behalf of farmers and their efforts to meet society’s needs through agriculture. Today, consumers are more interested than ever in agriculture and how food is grown. Consider joining the conversation and helping to raise awareness about agriculture. Learn more at FoodDialogues.com.

A sister program in the America’s Farmers effort, Grow Rural Education, is currently in its farmer nomination phase. Farmers interested in supporting math and science education in their communities should visit www.GrowRuralEducation.com from now through April 1 to learn how.

 

A Coffee County Circuit Court jury needed a little over an hour to determine that a Tullahoma man was guilty of abducting and raping a Tullahoma woman Jan. 1, 2013.
The jury of eight women and four men found Billy Joe Nelson, 33, guilty of rape, carjacking, robbery, aggravated kidnapping with bodily injury and aggravated kidnapping with the threat of deadly weapon.
According to Coffee County Assistant District Attorney Jason Ponder, Nelson faces a sentence of 15 to 55 years in prison for the conviction. He is to be sentenced June 30.
Nelson was charged with abducting the woman from the parking lot adjacent to a Manchester restaurant on Hillsboro Boulevard in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2013.
Special Judge Paul Summers, who heard the case due to the Coffee County Circuit Judges either knowing the victim or some of the witnesses, revoked Nelson’s bond and ordered him held until his June 30 sentencing. He is being held in the Coffee County Jail.

The North Coffee Volunteer Fire Department will not be receiving $22,000 for the Coffee County government.
The Coffee County Health, Welfare and Recreation Committee recently voted to not give the fire department the money until its Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating can be lowered.
North Coffee’s current ISO rating is at level 9, while a 10 is the rating equivalent to having no fire department at all.
More than one-third of the fire districts in the United States have a Class 9 rating, which indicates the minimum recognized standard of fire protection.
In comparison, Summitville is a 5 and all other departments are currently a 6. All ratings are within 5 miles of the fire hall.
The lower the number the lower the insurance rate can be for property owners.

An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) along with several other law enforcement agencies has resulted in 22 people arrested on several drug and firearm charges.
The arrests, made Wednesday, canvassed nine counties across southeast Tennessee, northern Georgia and northern Alabama with the operation being centered in Marion County.
The investigation resulted in two separate grand jury indictments which includes charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by prohibited people.
Those charged in the first indictment include:

• David Henderson, 45, of Wildwood, GA
• Ronald Green Jr., 49, of Jasper, TN
• James Ray Pritchett, 36, of South Pittsburg, TN
• Dennis Reed, 44, of South Pittsburg, TN
• Steve Hankins, 58, of Jasper, TN
• Christopher Brian Janeway, 41, of South Pittsburg, TN
• Kevin, Denney, 40, of South Pittsburg, TN
• James Allen Sexton, 50, of Chattanooga, TN
• Kelly Nance, 34, of Jasper, TN
• Jason Boston, 35, of South Pittsburg, TN
• Charles Meeks, 41, of Tracy City, TN
• Michael Patterson, 40, of Philadelphia, TN
• Robert Graham, 46, of Trenton, GA

Those charged in the second indictment include:

• Monica Sha Newman, 38, of Jasper, TN
• Mark Anthony Johnson, 33, of Tracy City, TN
• Terry Jones, 53, of Crandall, GA
• Ronald Terry Wilmore, 46, of McMinnville, TN
• Tiffany Hadder, 32, of Gruetli Laager, TN
• Nathan Carlton, 40, of Stevenson, AL
• Rodney Craig Akins, 49, of Dunlap, TN
• Jamie Harris, 43, of Whiteside, TN
• Jeremy Toro, 40, of Tracy City, TN

In addition to ATF and the Marion County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, state and local law enforcement agencies who assisted with the arrests include: the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Tennessee Highway Patrol; Dade County Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Grundy County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office; Jackson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office; Loudon County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office; Murray County Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Sequatchie County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office; Monteagle Tennessee Police Department; and the Chattanooga Tennessee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Bay will represent the United States.

A bill being considered in the state House would require students in kindergarten to fifth grade to participate in a physical education class at least twice a week.
The proposal was approved on a voice vote in a House Education subcommittee on Wednesday.
Currently, school districts must integrate a minimum of 90 minutes of physical activity per week into the school day for elementary and secondary school students. The latest proposal would be in addition to that.
Opponents of the measure question if there would be enough resources and time for the additional program.