Category: News

The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for a voluntary reduction in electricity use until Thursday afternoon as a result of frigid temperatures causing high demand across the Southeast. The request extends to all electric power consumers – residential, commercial and industrial customers.
The voluntary reduction will help ensure a continued supply of power to essential services throughout TVA’s seven-state service territory and avoid interruptions of service. All of TVA’s available generating resources are being used to meet the peak power demand. TVA’s bulk electric system remains secure and stable at this time.
Consumers can reduce their power consumption and lower their power bills by:
• Turning down the thermostat. Lowering the temperature just one degree can result in a savings of up to 3 percent.
• Postpone using electric appliances such as dishwashers, dryers and cooking equipment.
• Turn off nonessential lights, appliances, electronics and other electrical equipment.

The weather forecasters are saying that temperatures today and tonight will only reach the 20’s for a high and near zero this evening in some areas.
The Coffee County Emergency Management Agency is operating a cold weather shelter in the community room of the Coffee County Administration building on McArthur Street in Manchester. (Opening at 4pm Wednesday)
Coffee County Emergency Management Agency Director Allen Lendley stated that if anyone needs shelter please call 723-5105. There would cots set up and a place for people to sleep if they need to as the temperatures plunge to the coldest temperatures this season.

A new bill sponsored by state Rep. Bo Mitchell would allow grocery stores to sell wine in July of this year instead of waiting until 2016 as originally scheduled.
By definition, the bill “shortens the time frame by one year for the implementation of certain provisions governing the sale of wine in retail food stores.”
Tennesseans in many cities and counties, including Manchester and Tullahoma voted last November to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday announced Business Facilities, a leading national publication focused on site selection and economic development, has named Tennessee its 2014 State of the Year for a second consecutive year.
Tennessee becomes the first state in the award’s history to win back-to-back honors for economic development efforts and the first state to win the designation three times, winning in 2014, 2013 and 2009.
Some of Tennessee’s top economic development projects in 2014 included Volkswagen Group of America’s Chattanooga expansion creating 2,000 jobs with an investment of $600 million, Under Armour’s new Mount Juliet fulfillment center creating 1,500 jobs with an investment of more than $100 million, SL Tennessee’s Clinton expansion creating 1,000 jobs with an $80.5 million investment and Conduit Global’s new Memphis call center creating 1,000 jobs with an $8 million investment.
The magazine cited Tennessee’s successful execution of a diversified growth strategy, as well as an emphasis on infrastructure and education, as key factors in securing consecutive victories.
For more information on the State of the Year competition and Business Facilities, please visit BusinessFacilities.com.

With temperatures expected to drop down to as low as zero this week, the State Fire Marshal’s Office is reminding residents to use portable generators safely this winter.  In a statement released by the TN Department of Commerce and Insurance, Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak says “it’s essential that you take precautions for your safety” when using a generator should power outages take place.  Safety Tips: -Never use generators inside your home or enclosed areas. Generator released carbon monoxide, which is odorless, can be deadly. A battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm should be installed in the area you are using a generator.  -Use fresh gasoline and allow the engine to cool for at least two minutes before refueling. Generators shouldn’t be used near combustible materials.  -Generators shouldn’t be used in wet conditions and should never be used by plugging it in to a home’s wall outlet due to electrocution risk. Appliances should be plugged directly into the generator and cords should not be coiled, instead laid in flat, open locations.

The Manchester Police Department reports that the two missing teenagers have been found. Kayla Chu (16) and Brooke Brindle (17) had been missing for several days but were located late Monday night in Sumner County.
WMSR News has learned that Chu has been living in Manchester for the past few months and was attending Coffee County High School. She had been living in Hendersonville where Brindle is a current resident.

Motorists in Tennessee welcomed the New Year with gasoline selling below $2 a gallon at some filling stations. This begins what could be a year of monstrous savings at the pump after record-high oil production in 2014 pushed crude oil and gas prices to the lowest level in six years.
U.S. gasoline prices were $1.11 more expensive just one year ago. At the beginning of 2014, the national average for regular unleaded was $3.32. Prices rose in the spring due to refinery maintenance and the switch to “summer-blend gasoline,” peaking at $3.70 on April 18th. Prices fluctuated through the summer, before finishing the year on a historic 97-day streak of declines, dropping $1.08 from September 26 – December 31. That streak reached 101 days on Sunday, with prices falling a total of $1.13 so far.
“The entire landscape for gas prices has changed in a year,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “People went from squirming at the thought of potentially paying $4 for gasoline, to wondering how soon is too soon to fill their gas tanks so they can get the lowest possible price at the pump? The answer remains, ‘tomorrow is the best day to buy gas,’ because prices are getting cheaper every day.”
The average motorist currently saves nearly $22 for a 15-gallon tank of gasoline, compared to what they paid when prices were at their peak in April. American families could save as much as $550 this year on annual gasoline expenses compared to last year. In 2014, the average savings were $120 compared to the year before.
Gasoline prices are forecast to remain much lower this year. The experts say the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded to be $2.60 – 74 cents below last year’s average.
The average price per gallon in Tennessee is $2.04. In Coffee County the low price for gas in Manchester is $1.97 and in Tullahoma the low price per gallon is $1.95.

It is completely preventable, but there will be some 40-thousand babies born in the U.S. this year, including hundreds in Tennessee, diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Frederick Palmer, professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, says the severity of the health issues related to maternal alcohol use depends on the timing and frequency of consumption, which he says should be not a single drop. “The underlying thing is if you don’t drink while pregnant, you cannot have a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or any effects of alcohol, and that’s a fairly open-and-shut case,” he says. It is estimated that about one percent of children nationwide have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or other alcohol-related birth defects. Palmer says some cases are from women drinking before they realize they’ve become pregnant, while others believe it won’t harm their babies or the women struggle with addiction. The effects on the babies can include abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies and permanent brain damage. “These range from what is to a physician a readily identifiable Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to much milder problems, including maybe just cognitive problems or maybe just problems in school learning,” Palmer says.

The state Transportation Department is looking for a few good safety slogans.
TDOT is asking the public to submit ideas for the electronic message boards that grace the state’s highways, warning motorists about speeding, texting and other driving hazards.
TDOT Commissioner John Schroer says in a news release that recent slogans like “Ho Ho Hold Your Calls” have gotten the attention of drivers. He says some slogans are easily forgotten, but more colorful ones, even when painfully silly, stay with people and make them think.
The contest began Monday and runs through Jan. 16. Entries will be considered for five highway safety categories: seatbelt usage, impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and aggressive driving. They can be submitted through TDOT’s website at www.tdot.state.tn.us .