Category: News

The “Phrase that Plays” is back on Thunder Radio beginning Monday morning (June 2). Be listening for a phrase from an area business each day. When you hear the phrase call 728-1320, repeat the phrase and you’ll be qualified to win. You can play as many times as you want. Remember with any contest on WMSR you can only one time in any 30 day period. What will you win? During the month of June the “Phrase that Plays” gives you a chance to win 2 free tickets for unlimited rides at Lake Winnepesaukahin Chattanooga and remember that you’ll also be able to join the SOAKya Water Park inside Lake Winnie. Good Luck and have fun with the “Phrase that Plays” beginning Monday.

Back in March an opinion was given by Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper that the Coffee County school system would receive over $500,000 combined from the cities of Tullahoma and Manchester. Tullahoma would pay $387,488 to the Coffee County school system for past collections of liquor-by-the-drink taxes.
Other cities in the state have also not paid a portion of their mixed-drink tax revenue to their county school systems according to a Tennessee State Code. Manchester allegedly owes the county $137,340 for mixed drink taxes.
This issue was brought up at this week’s county school board meeting. Board members decided after not receiving any money from either municipality to sue each city for the money. Attorney Eric Burch will file the lawsuit for the school board. The Coffee County government will not be sued because they are paying school system the $2,767 it owes.

Manchester Police Officer Keith Hendrix was dispatched to an apartment on McKeller Drive on Monday night. When the officer arrived, he found Reginald Green in his bathroom with a puncture wound to the lower left portion of his stomach. The officer reported that there was “quite a bit of blood on the floor as well as outside his front door.” Green told Officer Hendrix that his neighbor had stabbed him.
The officer went next door to the neighbor and was told that the stabbing was “in self-defense.” He gave the officer a five-inch utility knife with paring type blade, which had some blood on it.
The neighbor who has not been identified because charges have not been filed at this time, told the officer that he stabbed the man after he and Green became involved in an argument on the walkway between their apartments. The man said he felt threaten. The officer stated that the neighbor did have a “knot” on his head.
Manchester Police are continuing to investigate the incident.

At approximately 4:00pm Monday, the Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at 402 Limbo Drive. Upon arrival they found the garage area of the home involved in heavy fire and venting through the roof. Units quickly made an aggressive interior attack on the fire from the living room.
Thanks to a quick response by HVFD members the fire was quickly knocked down and units began the lengthy process of extinguishing hot spots. Damage was limited to approximately 40% of the home, mainly in the garage and attic area. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time; however, neighbors advised they heard an explosion before they noticed the home was on fire.

HVFD received automatic aid from Hickerson Station Volunteer Fire Department, New Union Volunteer Fire Department, North Coffee Volunteer Fire Department, and Summitville Volunteer Fire Department. Coffee County EMS stood by for the duration of the emergency while the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department provided traffic control on Limbo Drive. While wrapping up fire suppression operations on Limbo Drive, HVFD was dispatched to another structure fire on South B Street. Upon arrival, units determined that it was not a structure fire, but an illegal burn.
HVFD would like to thank all of the automatic aid departments for all of their continued support.

National Stroke Awareness Month is quickly coming to a close, but it’s hoped that the lessons learned will last long beyond the end of May. Patty Clements, senior communications director, American Heart Association, Nashville, says brain damage can mount with each passing minute, so it’s vital to know the warning signs, which can easily be remembered with the acronym “FAST.” “‘F’ is for face. Is your face drooping or feeling numb? ‘A’ is for arm weakness. ‘S’ is for speech difficulty. If you have any one of these symptoms, ‘T’ is it’s time to call 911,” Clements explains. Among the number of ways to reduce risk for stroke are quitting smoking, getting regular exercise and eating healthy meals, she adds. All of those lifestyle changes can help reduce high blood pressure, which is the number one controllable risk factor. “If you lower your top number by 10 or your bottom number by five, you can cut your risk of stroke in half,” she says. “So that is the number one thing to look at. Go get a blood pressure check. Any pharmacy is going to have a free blood pressure cuff at this point. Check it out.” In Tennessee, stroke takes more than 3,000 lives every year and is one of the leading causes of severe disability. More information is available at www.strokeassociation.org.

Summertime means many people will be hitting the state’s waterways in their boats. With lakes like Normandy, Tims Ford and Woods Reservoir nearby many people in Coffee County own various types of boats. But a new study by AAA finds many boaters in Tennessee don’t have insurance. While it’s not legally required, TWRA Sgt. Dale Grandstaff told Fox 17 News boaters need coverage even if they think they don’t…
AAA reports about 28-percent of the state’s owners are boating without coverage. (Thanks Fox 17 and WGNS)

This free water safety event will be held at the Manchester Recreation Center.

Date:      Saturday, May 31st 2014

Time:      10am-12pm

Where:  Outdoor Pool

Come join the fun in the sun, while learning valuable information on keeping your family safe around water!!

Presenting: Coffee County Rescue Squad:  Lake Safety Manchester Fire Dept:  CPR TWRA Game Warden:  Boating Safety Manchester Police Dept Manchester Lifeguards :  Simple water rescues Tour the Air Evac Lifeteam Helicopter Clearwater Pool & Spa Home Pool Safety Tour an ambulance and meet EMS Personel Free raffle for tickets to the Chattanooga Aquarium and IMAX Theater There will Snacks/Drinks and lots of other giveaways Thunder Radio will broadcast live from 10am-11am.

Sylvester Norman nephew of Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman passed away unexpectedly on Monday. The 51 year-old Norman was recently elected as Seat 1 Constable in Coffee County. He also served as a crossing guard for the City of Manchester and was a captain on the Coffee County Rescue Squad. You can read more about Norman and his arrangements on our obituaries page at www.wmsrradio.com.
WMSR News talked with Coffee County Administrator of Elections Vernita Davis about Norman’s constable seat and she says the local Democratic Party will nominate someone, send that name to Nashville for approval and back to her for admission to the August ballot. The name must be selected by June 13 at noon.

On Sunday morning April 27th at approximately 1:00am Morrison, Tenn., resident Bridgette Haley died of blunt-force trauma to her head and upper body in Franklin County. The suspect Robert Troy Whipple, 47 of Winchester has not been charged with her slaying because the site where the homicide took place has not yet been identified.
The 46 year-old Haley, was found after law enforcement stopped the car her body was found in on Chase Bend Road in Estill Springs following a pursuit that started outside of Decherd, traveled the back roads to the outer Tullahoma City limits and back to Estill Springs.
Whipple ran after police stopped the vehicle he was driving and then fought with officers. After being captured Whipple was booked into the Franklin County jail where he remains.

County unemployment rates for April 2014, show the rate decreased in all 95 counties. In Coffee County we fell from 6.1% to 5.1. Bedford County went down from 6.5 to 5.6%. Over in Cannon County the unemployment rate in March was 5.7%, going down to 4.8% in April. Franklin County dropped from 6.4 to 5.4%. On the mountain in Grundy County the unemployment rate fell from 9.1% to 8.3. Moore County had a nice drop from 5.7% in March and 4.5% in April. The biggest drop locally was in Warren County falling 1.3% to 6.4%. Williamson County had the state’s lowest unemployment rate in April, 3.9% and Scott County remains the highest at 13.5%.