Your Local News
Westwood Elementary School Is Honored
The energy and excitement was evident at Tuesday’s special announcement ceremony at Westwood Elementary School where students, teachers, and community members alike were told that Westwood Elementary School had been chosen out of 1889 elementary schools to be among the top 3 elementary school finalists in TN for 2014 Score Prize. SCORE stands for State Collaborative on Reforming Education. The SCORE Prize “recognizes the schools and school districts in Tennessee that are leaders in student learning.” Westwood was chosen to be among the top 3 finalist based on their past 3 years of growth and performance. The winner will...
Two Area Crashes Result In Two Deaths
The driver of a tractor trailer was struck by a car on Interstate 24 after he crashed his own truck on the opposite side of the highway. The accident happened just outside Manchester in Coffee County early Sunday morning at 5:20 a.m. According to a traffic report, 27-year-old Phillip Toombs of Beechgrove, TN was driving a semi when he crashed in the eastbound lanes. Toombs got out of his truck and walked through the median into westbound lanes where he was struck by a 2008 Trailblazer driven by Gregory W Shannon age 36 of Manchester, TN. Toombs was pronounced...
Man Receives Plea Deal After Lying To Police
A Tullahoma man entered a plea of guilty to perjury in Coffee County Circuit Court last week. Nick Curtis pleaded guilty to the perjury charge for lying to police about what happed the day that Kayla Qualls was murdered in November 2012. Qualls body was found in the rear of her SUV by hunters in Franklin County in a wooded area behind the UT Tree Farm on Spring Creek Road. An autopsy revealed that she had been beaten to death. The investigation into the murder revealed that Nick Curtis’ father Michael Curtis committed the murder and at the time...
D.A. Says No Evidence To Support Criminal Prosecution In Investigation Of The Manchester Police Department
On April 15, 2013, Coffee County District Attorney Mickey Layne requested the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to conduct an investigation of the Manchester Police Department’s use of the money from the Police Officers’ Fund, aka the Flower Account, and the use and disposition of surplus equipment obtained from the United States Department of Defense during the year 2012 and prior to. The Police Officers’ Fund had been in existence for some twenty (20) years and was funded by police officer contributions, fundraisers and from other sources. This fund did not contain public taxpayer money. On Friday Layne said in a...
Changes At The District Attorney’s Office
With newly elected officials in Coffee County now sworn-in some big changes have already taken place at the district attorney’s office. Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott is working at putting together his new team. Northcott has decided not to retain four employees including two longtime assistant district attorneys. Felicia Walkup, assistant district attorney for over 10 years; Marla Holloway, assistant district attorney for nine years; Kathy Walker, Child Support administrator for 10 years; and Stacey Dotson, an administrative assistant for four years. “A lot of difficult decisions had to be made regarding personnel,” Northcott told The Tullahoma...
Drowning Occurs In Franklin County
A man drowned in a lake in Franklin County Saturday afternoon around 3pm. The victim was identified as 42-year-old Craig Caldwell of Palmer, TN. According to officials, Caldwell was tubing when he fell into the water and drowned near Tims Ford State Park at Mansford Bridge. Emergency crews arrived about 30 minutes later, but could not revive him. He was not wearing a life jacket. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency was in charge of the scene. No other details are available. Officials said alcohol was not a factor in the...
High School Football
Coffee Middle and New Union Back Open After Water Problem
Two Coffee County schools remained closed on Thursday following a water main break in Manchester on Wednesday. The water main break occurred on State Route 53/Woodbury Highway. Both New Union Elementary School and Coffee County Middle School were closed Thursday but are reopening Friday. All Coffee County schools dismissed at Noon on Wednesday due to the rupture. The Manchester Water Department worked for many hours to repair the damage. Director of the water department Brian Pennington, said this was the most difficult water repair that he has seen in his 17 years as...
