Category: News

Students from Georgia, Arkansas, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky and New Mexico have been elected by delegates from throughout the United States to serve on the 2014-15 National FFA Officer team.
Stephen McBride of Tennessee, an agricultural business major at University of Tennessee at Martin, will serve as southern region vice president. McBride is a graduate of Coffee County High School.
Each year at the National FFA Convention & Expo, six students are elected by delegates to represent the organization as National FFA officers. Delegates elect a president, secretary and vice presidents representing the central, southern, eastern and western regions of the country.

Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained indictments for a Moore County couple accused of killing their newborn child.
At the request of 17th District Attorney General Robert Carter and Metro Moore County Sheriff Mark Logan, TBI Special Agents began investigating Robert ‘Blaine’ Roper and Carol Michelle ‘Keri’ Roper on September 23rd. On the same date, investigators with the sheriff’s department received information regarding the unreported death of the couple’s newborn child. Through the joint investigation, TBI and Moore County investigators learned the Ropers, of 3539 Wet Prong Road in Mulberry, had been expecting their second child and attempted to keep the pregnancy hidden from friends and family. The investigation further revealed the couple delivered the child while at their home alone in early August. After being born, the child died as a result of actions taken by the parents. Investigators later discovered the newborn’s remains in a fire pit and ditch located on and near the property where the Ropers resided.
Friday, the Moore County Grand Jury returned indictments for the couple, charging each individual with one count of Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder, one count of Premeditated First Degree Murder and two counts of Felony Murder. Robert, 27, and Carol, 21, were arrested and booked into the Moore County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond each.

Michael Botticelli, Acting Director of the Office for National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has announced 680 Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program grants, totaling $84 million, to communities across the country.
The Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition was one of the grant recipients and will receive $625,000 in DFC grant funds to involve and engage their local community to prevent substance use among youth.
“We are not powerless against the challenge of drug use among young people here in Coffee County,” said Kristina Clark, Executive Director. “Research shows that prevention is the most effective tool we have to reduce the terrible consequences associated with drug use among young people.
Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition will specifically work to address underage drinking, prescription drug, and marijuana abuse among middle and high school students. The DFC Program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community coalitions that facilitate youth and adult participation at the community level in local youth drug use prevention efforts. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and media.

Traders National Bank based in Tullahoma with 3 other branch locations has announced the merger with Citizens Bank of Lafayette, TN.
The Board of Directors from both banks say they have entered into an agreement to merge the two banks. Under the agreement Traders will be merged into Citizens Bank of Lafayette.
The current Traders Bank branches located in Tullahoma, Manchester, Winchester and Shelbyville will continue to operate under the Traders name as branches of Citizens Bank of Lafayette.

An inmate in the Coffee County Jail was charged with criminal attempt to commit first degree murder of another inmate.
According to Sgt. Danny Ferrell of the sheriff’s department, Cae Aguilera has been charged with attempted murder after a fight with another inmate in the jail.
On Wednesday Oct. 29 Aguilera got into a fight with inmate Michael Brown. Brown suffered a broken wrist, had a heart attack and was transported to Medical Center of Manchester. He then went into a coma and was transferred to Centennial Hospital in Nashville where he is being treated.
Brown was in jail for possession of schedule II drugs. Aguilera was being held in jail on charges of resisting arrest, the selling of a controlled substance and violation of probation.
Bond for the attempted murder for Aguilera was set at $75,000 and he is scheduled to appear in Coffee County General Sessions Court Nov. 17.

Manchester Police was called to the scene of a four vehicle accident on Wednesday night. The crash occurred at the Hwy 41/55 intersection. Two small pick-ups were in the turning lane going from 41 to 55 when a car pulled into turning lane and officials say it appears the person driving did not break in time. This caused a chain reaction wreck with the car, two trucks and a van that was next to car in another lane of traffic.
Manchester Fire and Rescue arrived at the scene and aided Coffee County EMS to load 4 patients to be taken to a medical facility. Two other people refused treatment. The driver of the car was taken to helipad at Medical Center of Manchester and flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. According to emergency personnel the others that were injured suffered from back/neck pain and dizziness.

An audit by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury says there are still problems in Grundy County.
The annual audit resulted in 14 findings, 10 of which were also identified in last year’s audit report.
The highway superintendent’s office and the director of schools’ office were once again the source of numerous deficiencies and weaknesses, according to a news release from the State Comptroller.
Problems noted in the audit included non-compliant purchasing procedures in several departments, inadequate segregation of financial duties, poor record-keeping and failure to follow policies.
Grundy County created an Audit Committee in May of 2013, however there were no minutes to document that this committee has ever met or conducted any business.