Category: News

Jacob Pearman waived his right to appear in court Monday as attorneys argued over whether pictures of his stepson’s injuries should be admissible during his child abuse case and murder trial set to being on Jan. 12, 2015.
Pearman is charged with murdering his wife Carla Pearman, formally Carla Dillard of Manchester, in their home on Valentine’s Day in 2013. He is also charged with child abuse for an incident in the days before the murder involving Carla’s son.
Pearman confessed to punching and then choking his wife to death after they argued about his child abuse charges.
According to Pearman’s confession, Carla Pearman told Jacob that she would not be attending a court hearing scheduled for the next day in regard to his child abuse charge.
She also told him that he needed to move out of the home so she could regain custody of her son.
Pearman’s defense attorney argued Monday that pictures of the child’s injuries would inflame the jury.
The judge said he would issue a written order in regards to the pictures. But, in court, he said the pictures did not appear to be inflammatory.
Another issue was a Facebook message between Carla and a friend. In the message the friend references Jacob Pearman’s multiple affairs and the fact Carla had confronted him about it in the past.
Prosecutors want to include the message to prove Carla knew her husband was cheating on her before her death.
Jacob’s attorney called the message hearsay. The judge will also issue a written ruling on that message.

Well known Tennessee broadcaster Teddy Bart passed away Saturday (12/20/2014). The 78-year old Coffee County resident prepared a statement to be released at his death: “I lived the life I dreamed of living. My love goes to all who shared that life with me. A bit of rest, and I’ll be back to learn more. May God bless you all.”
He requests that there not be any memorial service or visitation, and that “the public simply remember him for the work he has done.”
Most recently, Teddy Bart was active in the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. In fact, about two years ago he emceed that organization’s first induction ceremony at the Embassy Suites Hotel. And this last spring, he was induced into the Hall of Fame.
In addition to being the talk show host of such broadcasts as Teddy Bart’s Roundtable, Beyond Belief and others he was known for his time on WSMV-TV

Manchester Police officer Trey Adcock responded to the scene of an accident involving a car and a pedestrian around 5:30pm Friday afternoon. Adcock found a white Kia vehicle that was damaged including a shattered windshield on Hwy 55 in front of United Regional Medical Center.
Adcock said he talked with the driver of the Kia and she said she knew she struck something but did not know what it was. The female said she pulled over and exited the vehicle and that’s when she saw a person in the roadway. The person that was hit was identified as 70 year-old James Nelson Brewer of Manchester.
When Adcock arrived on the scene an ambulance was already at the location and had Brewer loaded and providing medical treatment. Coffee County EMS transported Brewer to United Regional Medical Center where a short time later he was pronounced deceased from multi-trauma injuries.

Also on Friday afternoon the Tullahoma Police Department confirmed that a 10-year-old boy was killed in a car accident at the intersection of Freeman Street and Highway 55. No other information was provided.

The trial for Troy and Connie King has been continued until May 14.
Motions were made last week in court for the couple who are accused of murdering Thomas Colucci on Nov. 13, 2012 at his Maple Springs Road residence just outside Manchester.
The continuance was granted Friday during a special hearing before Circuit Court Judge Vanessa Jackson.
The continuance was granted due to the death of Public Defender Campbell Smoot, who was representing Troy King. Margo Kilgore will take over the defense of King and she needed “time to get up to speed” on the case. After hearing the request and noting that there are several other murder cases coming up next year the trial was delayed.
Attorney Chris Stanford who represents Connie King filed a motion for a bond reduction. Judge Jackson set Jan. 14 for the bond hearing. She is currently being held under a $500,000 bond. To keep her away from Troy King, she is currently housed in the Franklin County Jail.

A bill aimed at promoting financial stability for individuals with disabilities now awaits the president’s signature after winning approval by the U.S. Senate. The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act allows people with disabilities to save money without jeopardizing their eligibility for Social Security and Medicaid benefits. That’s key for financial security and independence, says Melanie Bull, public policy director for the Tennessee Disability Coalition. “It allows you to live and lead a more productive life,” says Bull. “It gives you some economic self-sufficiency and allows you to have a lot more flexibility with your employment, your health care, supplementary income, things like that.” Under current law, a person with a disability can’t have assets worth more than $2,000 without forfeiting program eligibility. The ABLE Act allows for a savings account of up to $100,000. These accounts would accept deposits from the family and friends of an individual with disabilities. Carrie Hobbs Guiden, executive director of The Arc Tennessee, says they would also be tax-exempt when used for qualified expenses such as education, housing and health care. “So, if you have extra medications and you have to pay co-pays, and you can’t afford those, it would help for that,” she explains. “If you have a job and you’re able to work, but you don’t have transportation because you can’t drive, it would help you pay for a driver to get you to and from your job.” It’s estimated that about 170,000 Tennesseans will be able to work and grow their savings without fear of losing their benefits once the ABLE Act is signed into law.

Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman has called a special meeting of the board of mayor and aldermen to meet at Westwood Middle School at 5:30pm on Jan. 12.
This will be a public meeting to discuss a possible Manchester City School system consolidation with the Coffee County school system. All interested parties are invited to attend. One possibility city leaders may look at and will be talked about at the public meeting is a voter referendum on the subject.
Many people for years have voiced opinions about combining the three Coffee County school systems into one. Here are the numbers; it runs taxpayers around $79 (M) annually to run the schools. The Manchester schools’ budget is roughly $14 million for the current year. Coffee County’s budget is just under $35 million and the Tullahoma City Schools’ current operating budget is just under $30 million.

A group representing 40 mayors in Middle Tennessee is urging Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and state lawmakers to find new sources of revenue to pay for transportation needs.
The Tennessean reports that the Middle Tennessee Mayor Caucus listed transportation revenue as its top state priority for the upcoming legislative session.
The mayors’ group did not lay out a preferred path for a road funding system that keeps pace with inflation.
Haslam, Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and others have acknowledged that Tennessee’s antiquated road funding system needs to be updated, but none has taken the reins on making a specific proposal.
The state’s gas tax that funds most of the Tennessee’s road program has not been increased in 25 years.
Tennessee currently taxes 21.4 cents per gallon of fuel, providing the state with $657.8 million in yearly revenue. Local governments collect 7.9 cents of the per-gallon share, the Tennessee Department of Transportation collects 12.8 cents and the remaining portion goes to the state’s general fund.

While the holidays are a happy time for many, the stress associated with family obligations and dynamics can be the “lump of coal” in some people’s Christmas stockings. According to the American Psychological Association, fatigue and stress are the top sources of negative feelings during this time of year. Sometimes, said clinical social worker and psychotherapist Lisa Ferentz, the best thing to do is simply not take part in potentially stressful situations. “Sometimes,” she said, “you have to give yourself permission to avoid family interactions that you know are going to be too painful or that will set you up to be ‘triggered’ in some way.” If you do feel compelled to see family or friends who can be a source of conflict, Ferentz said, limit time you spend, bring a friend to act as a buffer and use your cell phone as an excuse for a break. Sometimes, the best relief is to break away from habits, from the past, she said, by beginning a new tradition or doing something for others. “I encourage people to volunteer during this time of year,” Ferentz said. “I think when you do things that kind of help you step outside of yourself and your own emotional upset. It gives you perspective about life. It also helps you to kind of reclaim a feeling of gratitude.” Ferentz said it’s also important to avoid self-destructive behaviors such as overeating or drinking too much – and replace them with exercise or meditation. Tips from the American Psychological Association are online at apa.org.