Category: News

To better inform the voters before the Aug. 7 Coffee County General and Manchester Municipal Elections, the Manchester Times and Thunder Radio have teamed up for a candidate forum from 4:30-8 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center – 147 Hospitality Blvd.
In total, 23 candidates from seven county-wide races and one city race have been invited to participate in the event. Candidates for District Attorney General, Manchester Alderman and Coffee County Mayor have been invited to participate in a question-and-answer session with Peterson and Thunder Radio’s Lucky Knott, who will serve as event moderators.
Candidates for District Attorney – incumbent Mickey Layne (D) and challenger Craig Northcott (R) – will take the stage from 5-5:30 p.m. for a forum session with Peterson.
Eight candidates for alderman – incumbent Cheryl Swan, Nelson Watson, Claude Morse, Tim Kilgore, Lana Sain, Chris Robison, Gary Trail and Sam Miller – have been invited to the event and will participate in a forum session between 6-7 p.m.
Tim Brown and Gary Cordell, candidates for Coffee County Mayor, are scheduled to close the evening with a forum from 8-8:30 p.m.
Candidates for Coffee County Trustee, General Sessions Judge, Register of Deeds, Road Superintendent and County Clerk will be speaking on stage between forum events and will be given tables to set up throughout the building to speak with potential voters.
The event, sponsored by the Manchester Times will be broadcast live on Thunder Radio 107.9FM and AM1320. The event is free to attend and is free for candidates who are invited to participate. Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact Peterson at 931-728-7577 ext. 105 or Knott at 728-1320.

Coffee County schools would like to inform the Manchester students in the school system about their bus service changes for this new year. All Manchester High School students will be picked up at their usual bus stops located throughout Manchester City Limits. These buses will not have markings on the outside of them making them designated for the high school. The Raider Academy (9th grade) buses will also stop at these same stops within Manchester. These buses will have a large 9 on the right front corner of the bus. The Coffee County school system will be asking students to check and make sure they are on the correct bus by asking your bus driver if needed. Coffee County schools are excited about the start of this new school year and hope that they can meet the needs of your student. Please feel free to call 931-723-5157 if you have any questions about your student’s routes or bus stops.

Last week Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigators Andrea Davidson and George Dyer responded to 301 W. Petty Lane in Winchester, TN. In reference to a report of child neglect. A report filed by Investigator Andrea Davidson stated that upon arrival investigators discovered two minor children at the residence. The report further stated that the living conditions and treatment of the children were found to be extremely unsatisfactory. The Department of Children Services was notified and took custody of the children. The completion of the investigation resulted in John Walter Blankenship (45 years old of 301 W. Petty Lane Winchester, TN.) being arrested and transported to the Franklin County Jail. Mr. Blankenship is charged with Aggravated Child Abuse/Neglect and is currently being held on $100,000 bond and has an initial court appearance in Franklin County General Sessions Court on Monday September 22nd at 8:00am. Also charged was Carla Fae Smith Blankenship (41 year old female 301 W. Petty Lane Winchester, TN.) Mrs. Blankenship is currently incarcerated in another jurisdiction but will face Aggravated Child Abuse/Neglect charges in Franklin County in September. There is an ongoing investigation into this matter and further information will be released as deemed necessary.

For thousands of low-income families in Tennessee, summer vacation is a time of increased hunger, as children don’t have their usual school meals to rely on. Signe Anderson, Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), says a new study conducted by her organization shows participation in summer nutrition programs in Tennessee fell slightly from 2012 to 2013. Nationally, numbers went up after the hit many programs took during the recession. “During the economic downturn, a lot of schools shut their doors and no longer offered summer school,” says Anderson. “So along with that, summer meals disappeared because meal programs are often set up in conjunction with summer school programs.” Last year the number of Tennessee kids in summer nutrition programs slipped by about a half-percent to 5,600. That represents only about 13 percent of the children in the state who receive free and reduced-price lunches during the school year. According to Anderson, another way to reach those kids going without regular meals during the summer is through local parks and recreation programs. “Kids are often in parks and enjoying the outdoors, and ideally you want them outside and active in a safe space,” says Anderson. “Working with parks and recreation departments has also been a good avenue, along with area YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs.” Nationally, the average daily participation in summer meal programs rose about six percent from 2012 to 2013, and now reaches nearly three million children. Anderson notes that in addition to nutritious food, summer meal programs also help children with enrichment and recreational activities that keep them engaged, learning, and safe during summer vacation.

Large yellow school buses began pulling up in front of the Grundy County Jail in Altamont in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 16. Responding to a call from the sheriff’s office, the school system provided buses and drivers to transport approximately 73 inmates to seven different facilities throughout the state, the result of a notice by the Fire Marshal that major electrical problems posed a hazard to the inmates at the jail.
A recent inspection of the Grundy County Jail by the Fire Marshal determined that exposed electrical wiring and natural gas lines put the inmates at risk. Several renovations were immediately implemented while others are projected to take up to two weeks – the deadline set by the Fire Marshal for completion of all improvements. In addition to electrical and gas issues, minor changes must be implemented to bring the jail closer to code, including tamper-proof screws on all electrical outlets.
It will cost the county $35-$85 per day, per inmate to house prisoners at other facilities, Williamson County being the only jail to waive the housing costs. Added expenses will be incurred as Grundy County deputies’ transport prisoners from their new location back to Grundy County for court dates, meetings with lawyers, and doctor’s visits.
The temporary shutdown does not address all of the concerns of Grundy County residents. Overcrowding, hygiene, and other safety concerns are not the focus of current renovations.
Transport of inmates continued throughout the day on Thursday, with all prisoners out of the jail by late afternoon. No details are available to the consequences if the July 24 deadline passes without the repairs completed. However, there is speculation the jail will be permanently closed.