Health officials say four more people have died in the national meningitis outbreak, bringing the number of deaths to 19. Of the four additional deaths, two are in Tennessee. The deaths are among the 247 people in 15 states sickened in the outbreak, which has been tied to steroid shots for back pain. Most have a rare fungal form of meningitis. Two have joint infections. A specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts made the steroid, and federal officials are investigating the business. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the count on Wednesday. There were two more deaths reported in...

The Tennessee Highway Patrol cautions motorists to watch out for deer on or near the roadways this fall season. An increase in deer-related crashes is likely during the months of October through December due to deer mating. “Deer pose a danger to motorists throughout the year, but especially in the fall,” THP Colonel Tracy Trott said. “November is typically the worst month for deer-related crashes. It is important to exercise caution, slow down and stay alert in areas where deer are populated.” In Tennessee, between 2007 and 2011, 9.2 percent of deer-related crashes occurred on interstate highways. In 2011,...

Celebrate Halloween with a party to thrill kids and adults! According to the National Retail Federation, Halloween has become nearly a seven billion dollar industry and is the second largest retail holiday in the U.S. Since October 31st will be here before we know it, we need to get ready to celebrate. Nancy Siler, host of PBS’s bake decorate celebrate says, Scare up some fun with various Halloween goodies. Tombstone and monster-shaped sandwich cookies paired with ghostly graveyard cookies set an eerie scene. Add fang-tastic monster-faced popcorn balls, and a parade of monster pretzels – a breeze to make...

The Coffee County School Board appears one step closer to officially purchasing the Colwell property on State Route 53 to construct a new middle school, but some hurdles do remain. The Manchester Times reports the board voted 4-2 Monday afternoon to allow Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall to close on the land pending a sewer permit from the State of Tennessee. Board members Brett Henley and Gary Nester voted against the measure, which was put on the table by a motion from Marilyn Morris and a second from Freda Jones. Reggie Johnson and chair person Esther Sims also...

A Moore County man has been charged with rape of a 13-year-old Tullahoma girl. 20-year-old Jonathan Allen Ford of Chestnut Ridge Road, Lynchburg was arrested Monday by Tullahoma Police Officer Johnny Gore on the charges of rape. According to a warrant obtained by Gore, the girl had been staying with a relative on Maplewood Avenue when Ford arrived and entered through a bedroom window where the girl was. The girl told the officer that they first talked for a while but then he started to take her clothes off. She said that she told him to stop but that...

A Smartt Station man was flown to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga after being involved in a three-vehicle crash Tuesday on Highway 55. According to a report by Tennessee Highway Patrolman Carl Seagroves, a 2009 Chevrolet HHR operated by Ernie Bouldin, 30, of Smartt Station, struck the rear of 1995 GMC pickup that was pulling a flat bed trailer with a farm tractor on it that was operated by Jack Cock, 56, of Morrison. Bouldin’s vehicle then went airborne and struck a Frontier operated by Milton Whitsett, 41, of Oak Drive, Manchester. Manchester Fire personnel worked carefully for a...

It looks like a familiar name may be coming back to lead Manchester City Schools. The school board has voted to formally approach former director Dr. Keith Brewer to enter into negotiations with the system. Current Director of Schools Dr. Prater Powell’s contract will end June 30, 2013. Powell earlier announced this would be his last year. Brewer was superintendent for 12 years in Manchester before leaving to take a Deputy Commissioner of Education for the state. School board attorney Mark Williams told the board they could name a new director without a search, that policy does not mandate...

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released a study that analyzed the state’s domestic violence crime data as reported by law enforcement agencies through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS) program in an effort to gain more insight into the problem of domestic violence within Tennessee. The report analyzes offense data flagged as domestic related from 2009 through 2011. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence says that is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. A count of domestic violence victims reported from 2009 to 2011 in...