Three Franklin County teenagers were killed in a fiery crash, just over the Alabama line on Sunday night. Two vehicles were involved in the crash on Mulberry Road in Hazel Green, Alabama. Four people were inside one of the vehicle, a 2013 Dodge Dart. The victims were identified as Jonah Bradley, Chad Swafford and Jeff Stewart. Waylan Terpay, who was also inside the boys’ car, survived the wreck and was taken to a hospital in Huntsville, AL. The three victims all graduated from Huntland High School in May. The cause of the crash was not immediately...

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday upheld a decision of the Chancery Court for Franklin County to permit the continued development of Cooley’s Rift, a 1,400-acre residential development near Monteagle, despite objections from some original homeowners to changes in the development plan. In 2005, after the president of the original developer of Cooley’s Rift died, New Life Development Corp. purchased the real property and the rights to develop Cooley’s Rift. Several existing property owners objected to New Life Development’s revised plans for the property and filed suit in the Chancery Court for Franklin County. The trial court dismissed property...

TEPRO, Inc., a manufacturer of automotive parts, violated federal law by subjecting a class of 20 or more employees to age discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed last week. The EEOC’s suit alleges that TEPRO, operating a facility in Winchester, targeted and terminated employees on account of age, while retaining younger employees. TEPRO told older employees that they had to accept demotions or lose their jobs, and then eliminated those jobs anyway. TEPRO is a Tennessee corporation and subsidiary of the Kinugawa Rubber Industrial Co., a Japanese manufacturer of automotive parts with...

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is halting all lane closures during the Thanksgiving holiday. Officials say all construction-related lane closures will be stopped beginning at noon on Wednesday until 6 a.m. on Monday. They say there will also be increased law enforcement on the roads. TDOT Commissioner John Schroer says about a million Tennessee travelers are expected to drive to their destinations over the holiday. According to AAA, about 44 million motorists nationwide will travel 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving...

Anyone who purchased a television or computer with an LCD screen before 2006 may be getting some money back. Several manufacturers and their U.S. affiliates are accused of inflating the prices of those devices containing LCD screens, including TVs, computer monitors and laptops purchased between 1999 and 2006. Those manufacturers have agreed to a proposed deal to refund customers in 24 states, including Tennessee. The settlement totals $692 million. If you believe you are eligible to file a claim, register at:...

Tennessee State Parks is offering special winter rates for 360 villas and cabins. The discount, which also includes six state park inns, began last Thursday and lasts through March 15, 2013. The special rate allows park visitors to stay at 1 of Tennessee’s six state park inns for $54.95 a night, excluding tax. The inn discount can be used seven days a week and applies to both individuals and groups. A 50% discount also is being offered for villas and cabins with a two-night minimum stay. For more information about the special promotion, call the Tennessee State Parks information...

Coffee County resident Christian Ball recently graduated from Basic Firefighting at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy. Ball, a Volunteer Firefighter for the Manchester Fire & Rescue and the Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department, paid his own tuition for the 10-week basic firefighting to become a state certified firefighter. On hand for the graduation ceremony from the Manchester Fire & Rescue were Assistant Chief Mark Reed, Firefighter Chris Spencer and Fire Chief Charlie...

Coffee County Sheriff’s investigators are attempting to determine the cause of fires that destroyed three houses in the Lakewood Park area Sunday night. Emergency communication dispatchers received a call of a house exploding and catching fire on Kennsaw Pike in the Lakewood Park area. When Deputy David Reed arrived, the house located at 30 Kennsaw Pike was fully engulfed with flames. Several neighbors advised that they did not know if Troy Toler who lived at 70 Kennsaw Pike was in the house or not. Reed then went in to check but he wasn’t there. Several rural fire departments were...