In response to a Korean outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, commonly known as MERS Co-V, the Tennessee Department of Health has issued an alert to healthcare providers. The alert issued Friday, June 12, urges providers to ask their patients about recent travel, to look for evidence of the illness in patient assessments and to share their findings and information with public health officials. MERS Co-V is a respiratory illness first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia; it is now known to exist in more than 20 countries. Those infected with the viral illness may develop severe respiratory...

Dr. MaryLou Apple, president of Motlow College, was recently recognized by Women in Higher Education in Tennessee (WHET) during the Middle Tennessee Regional Conference held at the Motlow College Smyrna Center. While she has been an active member of WHET throughout her time in higher education, Dr. Apple has served as the presidential advisor for the past three years. At the conference, Dr. Apple was recognized for her years of service as well as her contributions to higher education throughout Tennessee. The recognition comes on the heels of Dr. Apple’s tenure at Motlow College where she has served as...

Local police would like to make area businesses aware of several counterfeit bills being passed over the weekend. Tullahoma Police Chief Paul Blackwell said his department has received multiple reports of counterfeit currency throughout the city at different locations. He urges businesses to be vigilant when accepting cash payments and mark all bills when possible. According to police reports, five $20 bills were passed in Tullahoma during the weekend. They were passed at Mapco Mart on Lincoln Street, Domino’s Pizza on East Lincoln Street, Chef Lin Buffet on West Ogee Street and another one at Mapco on East Lincoln...

There was a wreck Sunday evening on Highway 279 outside of Estill Springs. The accident occurred when a tree fell on a truck that was traveling on Highway 279 near the Elk River Bridge. According to police reports, Christine Scott was driving a pickup truck that a tree fell on causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Scott hit a guardrail on the opposite side of the roadway and the rail impaled the truck. The state highway department was called to clear the roadway by cutting the tree up. Scott was flown to Erlanger Medical Center in...

Motorists across the country saw increases at the pump last week, but that trend is not likely to continue. The EIA updated its forecast, expecting monthly average gas prices to decline through the end of the year, reaching as low as $2.27 in December. According to the report, the average price of gasoline from June 1 – August 31 would be $2.60 – the lowest since 2009. The average price through the end of 2015 is forecast to be $2.47. If that forecast holds true, the average price for this year ($2.43) would also be the lowest since 2009....

Tennessee is asking a federal appeals court to throw out a class-action lawsuit that claims the state left thousands of TennCare applicants in indefinite limbo, with their applications neither approved nor rejected. In a brief to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, attorneys for Tennessee say the original plaintiffs already have enrolled in TennCare, with the state’s help. They argue that because their grievances were resolved, the case shouldn’t have been certified as a class action. They also say the problems the original plaintiffs faced have been fixed. Attorneys for the TennCare applicants counter that about 100 people...