Category: News

Taylor Renee Cantrell

A Warren County woman is charged with TennCare fraud involving doctor shopping, which is going from doctor to doctor in a short period of time in order to obtain prescriptions drugs, while using TennCare as payment.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), with the assistance of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, announced the arrest of Taylor Renee Cantrell, 24, of McMinnville. She is charged with four counts of doctor shopping to obtain the painkillers Tramadol and Oxycodone.
TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison per charge.
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, more than 2,310 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.”

As National Youth Violence Prevention Week continues, research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates youth violence is the second-leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24 in Tennessee, and around the nation. Photo credit: Mconnors/Morguefile.

As National Youth Violence Prevention Week continues, health and education leaders in Tennessee say families, schools and communities each play a role in preventing violence before it occurs. According to the CDC, youth violence is the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24. Carleen Wray, executive director of Students Against Violence Everywhere, says children should be taught respect, anger management and effective conflict resolution starting at an early age. “So many times they are desensitized to the violence that’s happening because they’ve grown up with it,” says Wray. “Whether through the media and TV, music or violence in their own homes, they need some help and guidance on what is appropriate behavior and what’s not appropriate behavior.” Wray says schools, churches, law enforcement, medical providers and social service programs can be a part of the solution by creating a safe community. At the policy level, she says strategies that reduce youth violence include ensuring children have access to high-quality education and recreation programs, equitable access to mental health services and common-sense approaches to gun violence prevention. Wray says young people learn what they see, so it’s important for parents, educators and other adults to be good role models. And she says the more trusted adults a child has in his or her life setting high expectations and showing support, the better the child will do. “Violence doesn’t have to happen, it can be prevented,” says Wray. “But it takes all of us working together to create a safer community and safer schools for our youth to attend.” All this week, schools and organizations around the Volunteer State are holding events to mark National Youth Violence Prevention Week.

AAA motor club wants to put the brakes on proposed legislation that would allow many motorcyclists to ride without a helmet. Currently, Tennessee law requires all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. But a bill under discussion would allow anyone who is 21 or over who has health coverage, as long as it is not through TennCare, to be able to legally ride without a helmet. AAA says the bill will be almost impossible to enforce and will lead to more deaths and injuries.

Billy Joe Nelson

A Tullahoma woman recalled the horrifying incidents that she said occurred to her on New Year’s Day 2013 when she was abducted and allegedly raped during testimony in Coffee County Circuit Court Monday.
The woman was the first witness to take the stand in the trial of Billy Joe Nelson, 33, of Tullahoma who is accused of aggravated rape, carjacking, robbery and aggravated kidnapping of the woman.
The victim took the stand in Coffee County Circuit Court this week in Manchester and testified about the incident.
Under questioning by Assistant District Attorney Jason Ponder, he asked the victim if she saw the man who abducted her in the courtroom and she pointed to Nelson and said she had no doubt that he was her attacker.
Nelson’s attorney Jeremy Parham stated that the crime lab tested the car and found no fingerprints of Nelson in the car nor did they find any of his hair in the car.
Parham stated that the victim’s life changed that night and so did Nelson’s life.
The defense will present their side of the case on Wednesday.

A Bedford County jury has awarded a former corrections officer $385,000 in damages following a civil trial over her firing in 2012.
The jury found that Virginia Lynn Hall was terminated from her position at Bedford County Jail in violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act, awarding damages following a four-day civil trial last week.
Hall had sued for gender discrimination — claiming she was fired for the escape of a male prisoner in 2012, while a relative of then-sheriff Randall Boyce kept his job.
She had also demanded unspecified damages for loss of earnings, front pay compensation or reinstatement, compensatory damages for mental distress, emotional anguish, humiliation, and embarrassment, attorney fees, and prejudgment interest.
(Courtesy of the Shelbyville Times Gazette)

Donna Toney

The launch of a fresh new website for the Coffee County Register’s Office went live on March 23, 2015.
www.coffeecountyregisterofdeeds.com, it is a multipage Web site that brings two special services with it:
It has a PRICING CALCULATOR; this feature allows someone who needs to know the costs of recording fees and provides an accurate method of pricing the documents straight from the Register’s software! Documents and instruments come to the Register’s office from our county and across the U.S.
There is FRAUD ALERT; this new on line service helps to monitor and protect the citizens and businesses of Coffee County against fraud.
The subscription to the fraud alert is offered free of charge. This is another step towards providing the newest and best resources available to the people of Coffee County.
Protecting consumers’ information is our top priority and requires more attention and vigilance than ever before. Fraud and Identity Theft are commonplace problems in today’s fast pace world.
While Fraud Alert will not prevent fraud from happening, it will provide an early warning system that will allow citizens to take appropriate actions should they deem possible fraudulent activity.
Users need only to go to the website and click onto Fraud Alert under the navigation column, after accepting the disclaimer, they will enter their names and contact information. Subscribers can choose to be contacted by phone or email. No personal information is required and there is no fee to enroll.
Register of Deeds Donna Toney said, “I am very excited about the launching of the new Coffee County Register of Deeds Office website that will give everyone access to information about this office. And to bring to our site two valuable features, the Pricing Calculator and Fraud Alert. My staff and I started working on this project the first three months in office and we are so proud to now have it available to the citizens of Coffee County.
The cost of this project was paid for by data processing fees that are collected on documents being filed or recorded and are earmarked for computerization of the office of the Register” stated Toney.
“The new website is advancing the Register of Deeds Office in the direction of e-filing along with credit card payments, this is all a part of our short-term plan for this year, along with getting all our documents and plats scanned. Our long-range goal is to complete scanning and indexing back to 1980 and to be in position to take the office paperless!  We are working everyday toward that goal,” Toney said.
The new website can also be reached through the Coffee County government website under the Register of Deeds tab.
Toney added “we invite anyone to come by the office or call and we can assist them with using the new website.”