A school custodian who is accused of writing threats on a wall at Warren County High School has waived her right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over to the Grand Jury. Marlene Madewell, who was a custodian at the high school is accused of writing threats on a bathroom wall, prompting an evacuation of the school and a search by police and K-9s. It happened a day after a similar threat was reported, resulting in students being bussed to the civic center. An investigation by school officials and law enforcement led to the arrest of...

More than a dozen education advocacy groups are calling for more transparency from the Tennessee Department of Education after it failed to communicate a change it made in the way a student’s test score is calculated. The Tennessean reports the issue is over “quick scores,” the scores educators in grades 3-8 are legally required to incorporate into a student’s final grade. A quick score is generated from a student’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program raw score, or the number of questions a student answered correctly. In the past, quick scores have been tied specifically to proficiency levels, but the department...

Do you know where your money is? Chances are you do, but not all public money in Tennessee is accounted for, according to the Tennessee Comptroller’s office. Nearly $2 million in stolen public money remains uncollected in municipalities and counties from more than 90 Tennessee counties. Jim Arnette, director of local government audit for the Tennessee Comptroller’s office, says in many cases employees have been ordered to pay restitution, but it can take months or even years to collect, and sometimes the clock runs out. “There are attempts to recoup this money,” he states. “Unfortunately, there are some of...

Postmaster General Megan Brennan announced Wednesday that Elvis Presley will be commemorated on a Forever stamp as the sixth inductee into the Postal Service’s Music Icon Series. The stamp image will be previewed at a later date. “Elvis is a natural addition to our Music Icon Series,” said Brennan. “His life and talents are an incredible story. Spanning from his humble beginnings in a Tupelo, Mississippi, two-room house to becoming one of the most legendary performance artists of the 20th Century, Elvis Presley’s works continues to resonate with millions the world over.” The First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony will take place...

A Manchester man is being held in the Coffee County Jail under a $50,000 bond after being arrested on public indecency charges following an incident in the Family Dollar Store on the Hillsboro Blvd. 28 year old David C. Harper of Hillsboro Highway was charged with indecent exposure, public indecency and vandalism following an incident inside the store. Harper is accused of committing an indecent act at the Family Dollar location. Store officials say that an employee witnessed Harper committing the act. Captain Victor Jones collected a black sweater belonging to the store for a DNA test. After allegedly...

Gas prices could finally be reaching their peak as the rate of increase at the pump is beginning to stall. Since last Sunday, the average price for gasoline rose 1-cent in Tennessee. In Coffee County the price went up drastically especially in Manchester where the low price per gallon jumped 14 cents to $2.49. In Tullahoma the low price went up by just one-cent to $2.37. “Gas prices usually peak by May, but have been rising on the back of crude oil prices and increasing demand,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “The price of...

Tennessee’s biggest health insurer has proposed raising premiums next year by an average of more than 36 percent. The Chattanooga Times Free-Press reports BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee lost $141 million during its first year of offering individual health plans through the federal Affordable Care Act. The insurer says it initially underestimated the number and cost of the medical claims filed by new enrollees. Last year, the insurer enrolled nearly two-thirds of the 231,000 Tennesseans who signed up for health insurance exchange plans. The deadline for state regulators to make a decision about the proposed rate hikes is August 25th....