Category: News

With recent word on the first U.S. transmission of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, many across the state and the nation are concerned about what it could mean for public health.
Dr. David Swerdlow is leading the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s response team for this virus.
There is no alarm for Tennessee at this point, with Swerdlow explaining that while the virus can spread from person to person, it isn’t easily transmitted.
“There’s been no sustained transmission like you see with flu, where it goes from person to person to person,” he explains. “So, at the current time, we are concerned about the virus, we do think that there could be imported cases, but we don’t see this being a major problem in the U.S. with widespread cases.”
According to the CDC, the first U.S. transmission happened when an Illinois resident had contact with a person in Indiana, who was infected while traveling in Saudi Arabia.
These two cases of MERS are not linked to third patient in Florida, who had also traveled to Saudi Arabia.
MERS was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
There have been almost 600 confirmed cases in 15 countries, and 173 deaths.
Swerdlow says most patients develop respiratory illness, with fever, cough and shortness of breath. And he says there is no specific treatment.
“Of course, if a person gets a respiratory illness like this, they can be treated in an intensive care unit if needed, and sort of the standard things that we do for patients with respiratory illness,” he stresses. “But there’s no specific treatment, like an anti-viral.”
The CDC advises health care workers traveling to the Arabian Peninsula to follow guidelines for infection control, and for other travelers to take precautions to protect their health.
As with any respiratory illness, Swerdlow says that means frequent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding contact with those who are sick.

Area police departments, as well as Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, have received complaints that a person/persons are calling their phones advising that they failed to appear in court and have ignored a subpoena. The caller then states to get a green dot credit card and deposit money into an account or they will be arrested by a deputy or police officer. This is a SCAM. Neither the local police departments nor the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department would attempt to collect money for this, nor would they request any payment in lieu of going to jail.
Another scam is a rip off the Publisher’s Clearing House contest. The caller tells the intended victim that they have won $10M and a new car. The scammer ask you to put money on a Green Dot credit card for processing fees. Remember this is a scam and has nothing to do with Publisher’s Clearing House and if you didn’t enter the contest you are not going to win.
If you have been contacted by someone soliciting money please notify the Criminal Investigation Division of the Manchester Police Department at 931-728-2099, Tullahoma Police at 455-0530 or the sheriff’s department at 728-3591. Do not give these people any money or personal information.

Bonnaroo Works Fund (BWF) has named nearly 40 nonprofit organizations as 2014 recipients, doubling the number of grantees from last year. The Bonnaroo Works Fund is the charitable arm of the world-renowned Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and supports national and regional organizations that advance the arts, education and the environment; with a focus on local reinvestment.
Program administrators also announced that The Avett Brothers have signed on as 2014 Bonnaroo Works Fund Ambassadors and will help raise awareness of the Fund’s purpose and impact.
Bonnaroo Works Fund is a component of the East Tennessee Foundation (ETF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which administers the fund. Grantees are selected by committee, based on need, mission and the specific use of funding.
Local 2014 Grant Recipients
CASA Works, Inc., Manchester (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
Coffee County Central High School, Manchester
Coffee County Raider Academy, Manchester
Coffee County Schools Libraries, Manchester
Coffee County Soil Conservation District, Manchester
Franklin County Arts Guild, Cowan
Highland Rim Habitat for Humanity, Tullahoma
Manchester Municipal Arts Commission, Manchester
Mountain Goat Trail Alliance, Monteagle
South Cumberland Community Fund, Tracy City
Tennessee Clean Water Network, Benefiting Manchester
Tennessee Opportunity Programs, McMinnville
Tullahoma Fine Arts Center, Inc., Tullahoma
Tullahoma South Jackson Civic Association, Tullahoma
Westwood Elementary School, Manchester
Westwood Middle School, Manchester

Without desperately needed financial help, the Tullahoma Kiwanis Club will not be able to sponsor this year’s annual July 4 fireworks display and air show, club spokesman Mike Rutherford.
“We have $5,000 and we need another $15,000 to have a show comparable to last year’s show,” Rutherford said.
He noted that the Kiwanis Club has sponsored the annual Independence Day fireworks event since 1968, “but if the collections don’t come in within the next few days the skies over Tullahoma will be dark on July 4.”
Rutherford explained that in the past the club has depended on donations from businesses and individuals to hold the event, but this year those donations have been slower coming in.
In order for a fireworks event to be held at the Tullahoma Regional Airport, an air show must also be held as a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration. At this time, the airport is the only viable location for a fireworks event, according to local officials.
Rutherford said he has met with Mayor Lane Curlee to ask the city to pay for a larger portion of the event. The city currently contributes $2,500 to the fireworks show. “The city isn’t going to contribute anymore,” the mayor said. “We want to give other organizations a chance to step up and participate.”
Tullahoma fire inspector Richard Steiner said that even if the air show was scrapped, the new fire codes would restrict the fireworks event from behind Wilkins Stadium because of the new safety requirements that expand the distance required between the stands and the fireworks themselves, as well as between the fireworks and the school. This helps keep debris from falling on those watching the fireworks.
Steiner noted that the same rules would apply to holding the fireworks show at Frazier McEwen Park or Waggoner Park.
Anyone wishing to donate may do so by visiting the website at kiwanisfireworks.com.

America’s Health Rankings released its second annual report on senior population health at the state and national levels. The data from America’s Health Rankings 2014 Senior Report shows Tennessee Ranks 43rd in the country for the health of its seniors, down one place from 42nd in 2013 after accounting for an update in the study’s methodology.*
This analysis reflects the health of Tennessee seniors on 34 measures of health, including prevalence of obesity, chronic health conditions, level of physical activity, food insecurity and poverty.
Tennessee’s low rank can be attributed to multiple factors, including:
• The second highest rate of smoking in the country, at 12.5 percent or 110,000 seniors who smoke,
• Ranking 46th for preventable hospitalizations, with 80.8 preventable hospitalizations per 1,000 Medicare discharges,
• High rates of hip fractures (47th) and teeth extractions (45th), and
• A bottom-10 ranking for food insecurity among seniors for the second year in a row.
Thankfully, the news isn’t all bad for Tennessee seniors. The state ranked well for its low prevalence of chronic drinking among seniors (5th), a high percentage of social support (4th) and high flu vaccination coverage (2nd). The study also shows that physical inactivity among seniors decreased by 22 percent in the past year. The percentage of hospital deaths among seniors also decreased by 22 percent, boosting the state’s ranking on that measure from 45th to 35th.
Tennessee’s senior population is expected to grow by 46.3 percent between 2015 and 2030; that’s why improving the health of our seniors is both a moral and an economic imperative.

A Memorial Day remembrance of fallen soldiers and honoring local veterans was held in Manchester. Local veteran groups hosted the event.
Those receiving honorary swords from MSG Tim Brown were:
*Seaman 1st Class William Keesee – WWII
*SFC C. M. Houston Tosh – Vietnam
*Sgt. Buster Bush accepted the memorial sword passed down from Staff Sgt. K.K. Huddleston.
The Memorial Sword is presented in honor of our fallen heroes who served bravely and gave their lives to protect and defend the constitution of the United States of America.

Two people died in a single car accident on Gourdneck Road in Franklin County on Wednesday. The victims were identified as Allan Lewis Bisby, 26 of Tullahoma and Ramon Winfrey, 31 of Normandy. Bisby is the son of former Mayor and current Tullahoma mayoral candidate Troy Bisby.
According to Highway Patrol Sgt. Larry Fraley, Bisby, who was driving, lost control of his 1990 Volvo and ran off the right side of the curvy, narrow road. He then overcorrected the vehicle which crossed the road, ran off the left side and crashed into two trees.
The trooper’s report also states that neither drugs nor alcohol were present.

WTVF-TV NewsChannel 5 reported this week that Bonnaroo has been designated as a “soft target” for terrorism. Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves and others question the report.
The sheriff stated that there will be officers checking the vehicles and there will be dogs used to check vehicles as well. In addition to the local officers checking vehicles, members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol will be on hand to handle traffic and assist in checking vehicles.
Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother stated that his force will be doing the same this year as always, getting 80,000 into the site as safely as possible.
A spokesperson for the State Office of Homeland Security stated that they have “NOT referred to Bonnaroo as a soft target for acts of terrorism.”
Graves noted that Bonnaroo has traditionally been a very safe event and we expect it to remain that way.
Bonnaroo will be held in Manchester June 12-15.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has arrested and charged a deputy for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department accused of assaulting his wife.
At the request of 17th District Attorney General Robert J. Carter, TBI Special Agents began investigating Timothy Alan Moorehead on Tuesday, soon after the Sheriff’s Department learned of an allegation of domestic violence involving the 34-year-old. During the course of the TBI investigation, Agents developed information that Moorehead and his wife were involved in a physical altercation at their Petersburg home on Friday, May 16th, which left visible injuries on the woman.
Agents arrested Moorehead without incident on Tuesday evening and charged him with one count of Domestic Assault. The department subsequently terminated his employment. Wednesday morning, Moorehead posted $1,500 bond and was released.