The Coffee County Commission has approved the issuance of $22 million for the construction of a new 400 bed jail. The current jail is averaging nearly 300 inmates on the weekends and a little less during the week. Sheriff Steve Graves there will not be any ground breaking for at least another month at the site on Hillsboro Boulevard beside Fann’s...

Tennessee has about the same number of methamphetamine labs as it did two years ago, despite new laws and a new system for tracking the drug’s main ingredient, pseudoephedrine. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports authorities expect the statewide total to reach nearly 1,800 busts for the year. State law limits consumers to about three boxes of pseudoephedrine per month. But that doesn’t stop meth cooks from recruiting other people to buy it, often using fake IDs. Police have reported finding buyers with 75 or more fake IDs. Police are proud of one success story, however. Since the loss of...

Gov. Bill Haslam says he’s taking advantage of an extended deadline the federal government has given states regarding health insurance exchanges. States had until Friday to inform the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if they plan to set up their own health insurance markets. But the deadline has been extended to Dec. 14. Haslam has yet to reach a decision, but the governor says he’s hopeful that in the coming weeks he will receive answers from Washington to questions he has about the exchanges, mainly the amount of flexibility Tennessee would have if it set up its...

The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) Visitor Center will change hours of operation during the upcoming holiday season. Beginning Nov. 22-25, the visitor center will close in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. The visitor center will also close Dec. 22 – Jan. 1 in observance of the Christmas holiday. AEDC’s Visitor Center provides services to AEDC personnel, military, retirees and other base visitors. The Visitor Center has two main functions for military identification (ID) services and base entry services. The military ID service provides common access cards (CACs) to active duty members and members of reserve components within all...

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and in the midst of planning for the big feast many leave turkey gravy, an important part of the meal, to the last minute. There is a simple solution for the perfect turkey gravy, and Chef Mark Garcia from the McCormick kitchens says the gravy can make everyone’s favorite dish better. McCormick’s rich turkey gravy mix is easy to prepare and comes out perfect every time. Plus, home cooks can feel great serving our turkey gravy since it’s made with natural spices, no artificial flavors or colors, no msg and zero grams of trans fat....

The Interact Club at Coffee County Central High School is currently collecting donations, toiletries and new packaged shirts, socks, and underwear for Pineland High School in Stafford, New Jersey, which was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Two weeks ago the school contacted our club asking for these items. They have over 600 students and teachers that are in dire need. The Interact Club at Coffee County Central High School desperately needs help in collecting these items by November 30th. The club has had trouble effectively notifying the community of this project so they are now asking for your assistance. All...

Donnie Jones Jr, 37, who is charged with killing 24-year-old nursing student Megan Sharpton of Tullahoma, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to first-degree murder charges in a Franklin County courtroom Friday morning. Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Buddy Perry appointed Winchester lawyer Joe Ford to act as Jones’ attorney. A court date was set for mid-January to begin a trial. Jones was arrested Nov. 7 and charged with first-degree murder, two counts of rape and two counts of aggravated kidnapping in Sharpton’s death. A passing motorist discovered the partially burned body of Sharpton in a rural area of Franklin County in...

Coffee County Sheriff investigators are continuing their investigation into the murder of Thomas Colucci whose body was found last week on Maple Springs Road with multiple gunshot wounds. His fiancé Connie King received injuries in the attack at the residence. The sheriff stated Sunday that investigators have been following up on leads in the case. Evidence that was collected at the couple’s residence has been sent to the TBI Crime Lab for...