Category: News

New street lights, sidewalks, paving and landscape areas highlight the renovations on the Manchester square

August 25th is the new target completion date for the $1M Downtown Manchester Square renovation project according to the city’s project manager Terry Dendy.  The project, which has been the source of angst for merchants and citizens alike, suffered a 60 day delay due to poor soil found during the demolition of the existing streets.  The soil, which was deemed unsuitable to support the renovated street, was tested by the Tennessee Department of Transportation(TDOT) and excavated from the downtown area.  After digging down to find acceptable quality soil, rock and gravel were backfilled in to support the roadway.  TDOT approved a project extension from the original July 1 completion date as a result of the additional work.  Dendy said that the top coating of asphalt is complete, and the contractor, Rick Brindley, expects no problems in meeting the new deadline.  The project, designed to beautify the historic square, has completed the new sidewalks and street lighting along with the renovation of all the utilities to underground service lines.  Final detail touch ups, along with the final paving, landscaping and cleanup are the remaining steps to completion.  Dendy told WMSR News that the local merchants are working together to plan landscaping improvements going forward.  Downtown merchant Wendell Cothran, of The Sportsman’s Corner, hopes that the renovations will draw more consumer traffic back to the square.  Cothran is also excited about aesthetic improvements.  “It is really gonna look tremendous” said Cothran.  Manchester city engineer Scott St.John, along with TDOT Project personnel and TDOT engineers have overseen the construction which was funded through a TDOT grant with additional funding from the Surface Transportation Program and the City of Manchester Tourism Committee.

New landscaping and sidewalks welcome customers into Toliver’s Pawn on the Manchester square

A report on Tuesday night’s newscast by Nashville TV station WSMV says that the TBI estimates that in Coffee County there have been more than 100 recent cases of minors being sold into slavery.   The TBI’s conclusions come from the Tennessee Human Sex Trafficking and Its Impact on Children and Youth study which was completed by Vanderbilt University in 2011.  According to the TBI, anonymous survey respondents were identified by TBI staff and only included experienced law enforcement personnel, DCS caseworkers or court clerks with the knowledge, training and experience to identify and quantify these types of cases according to the TBI.  Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves, when contacted by WMSR Radio News; stated that he is aware of only 1 case of possible human trafficking in Coffee County in the recent past.  Graves went on the say that he and District Attorney Mickey Layne have implored the TBI to provide details as to the survey responses so investigations could be undertaken for any possible case.  To date, the TBI has provided no such information.  Sheriff Graves was quick to point out that the only way to stop human trafficking is to speak up.  Persons with information, or suspicions, of human trafficking such contact the Coffee County Sheriff’s office immediately.  To view the report, visit the TBI website at:  TBI/Vanderbilt Study link

Photo compliments of Hillsboro Homecoming Association

The Hillsboro Homecoming Association are making final preparations for their 15^th Annual Truck and Tractor Pull on Friday and Saturday nights at the Hillsboro Community Park.   Classes include 7 tractor classes such as Super Stock and Pro Stock; 5 truck classes, from diesel to all wheel drive; and  even a Big Block Hot Rod class.  The action starts at 7 each night and admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids on Friday and $15 for Adults and $5 for kids on Saturday.  Come on out to Hillsboro for great food and fun and bring the whole family along.  WMSR will be broadcasting LIVE on Friday beginning at 4 PM at the park, so come early and bring your lawn chair.  All proceeds from the event go to fund projects to “make Hillsboro a cleaner, safer, and more attractive place to live, work, and play.”

Motlow College is offering the COMPASS assessment test at all Motlow campuses multiple times through the end of the 2014 calendar year. Students planning to enroll at Motlow for the fall semester who need to take the COMPASS, which is used to assess a student’s readiness for college-level work, should do so as soon as possible.

Before taking the test, students must have on file in Motlow’s admissions office the following: a completed admissions application, official high school and/or college transcripts, and if applicable, official test scores. Special test accommodations are available for students who require other than standard conditions for taking the test.

The COMPASS test is a computer testing system and helps determine students’ academic readiness in reading, writing and mathematics for college level work. Test results determine which courses are best suited to the students’ level of readiness.

The first initial test is provided free of charge. Students who take the COMPASS test and feel their test results have placed them incorrectly may challenge their initial placement score and retake the test or portions of the test. The college charges a $10 challenge fee for each portion of the test or $20 to challenge the entire test.

Students who are 21 years of age or older must take all three portions (reading, writing and math) of the COMPASS test unless they have valid ACT scores on file or collegiate credit from an accredited college or university.

Motlow College will administer the General Educational Development (GED®) and High School Equivalency (HiSET) tests several times throughout the remainder of 2014. These tests will be conducted on the Moore County campus in the Crouch Center room 1046. Each applicant should decide which test is needed for his or her Tennessee High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma.

Applicants interested in completing the GED® must register online (www.GEDcomputer.com) or by calling 1-877-392-6433. The fee for the test is $24 per test or $120 for the entire test. The GED® is in computer-based format only.

The HiSET is available in both computer and paper-based formats. Applicants interested in completing the HiSET must register online (www.Hiset.ets.org) or by calling 1-855-694-4739. The fee for the HiSET test is $15 per test or $75 for the entire test.

Both tests meet the criteria for the HSE. Applicants should contact the Service Delivery Area (SDA), formerly the Adult Education Center, in his or her community for test vouchers and information on preparation classes. Applicants must also complete the online registration form, bring a notarized copy of the Official Practice Test, present government-issued picture identification, bring a confirmation letter, and present an Eligibility for Enrollment Form if applicable to the test.

Please visit the GED® and HiSET websites for details regarding the schedule and appointments for the tests. For more information regarding the tests, visit the Motlow College Testing Center online (www.mscc.edu/testing) or call 931-393-1763.

Coffee County School Board vice-Chairman Reggie Johnson cuts the ribbon to ceremonially open the Coffee County Middle School
Photo by Samantha Terrell-Watters

A large crowd turned out on Tuesday night for the dedication, ribbon-cutting and open house of the new Coffee County Middle School.  Coffee County Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall welcomed the crowd as the $21 million dollar school opened its doors to the community.  Coffee County School Board vice-Chairman Reggie Johnson had the honor of cutting the ribbon to ceremonially open the new school.  Coffee County Middle School principal Kim Aaron spoke to the crowd expressing her gratitude to the community for investing in the new beautiful facility.  The middle school will open with approximately 900 students for this school year with an immediate expansion capacity of 1,200.  Long term, the design of the facility, and its common facilities, would allow for future expansion which could increase the overall capacity to 1,500.  Thunder Radio’s Samantha Terrell-Watters attended the dedication and will have a Thunder TV video presentation on the new school next week.  Make sure you visit our website, WMSRradio.com

Coffee County Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall delivers remarks at the dedication ceremony for the new Coffee County Middle School
Photo by Samantha Terrell-Watters

Manchester Fire & Rescue, along with the Coffee County Sherriff’s Office, Coffee County EMS and the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to a motor vehicle accident on Fredonia Road on Monday night.  Upon arrival, emergency crews found a single vehicle which had flipped over near the 5500 block of Fredonia Road.  The female driver, who was the lone passenger in the vehicle, had to be extricated from the vehicle and was transported via ambulance to Manchester Medical Center.  From there, Air Evac Life-Flight transported the driver to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.  No update was given on the driver’s condition and the accident is still under investigation.

A Manchester firefighter works to remove teh drive from an overturned vehicle on Fredonia Road on Monday night. Picture courtesy of Manchester Fire Chief George DeShields