TVA officials will likely close the property near the Barton Springs Bridge on Lyndell Bell Road to horseback riding in the coming months, unless area planners can come up with a way to halt the environmental damage reportedly caused by the riding. A TVA spokesman says that a recent land assessment, which monitors the uses of TVA property, observed approximately 7 ½ miles of unauthorized trails on the 100-150 acres set aside for natural resource retention. According to TVA, those trails are causing serious environmental damage. According to the TVA, riding in the area is currently permitted, but the...

Police are investigating the theft money from the Mapco Market located on Cedar Lane. According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Tyler Hatfield, the manager of the store reported Monday evening that an employee had taken money from the store’s safe. The manager told the officer that after the cash drawer from Sunday came up short, she reviewed the store’s security system and observed an employee removing money from the store’s safe. The video reveals, according to the police report, that the employee entered the store around 1:45 a.m. Sunday and walked to the store’s storage area to...

As the temperatures heat up, so does the population of the Coffee County Jail. According to Sheriff Steve Graves, 272 inmates were being housed in the jail Tuesday. The jail was designed to house only 196 inmates. The sheriff stated that corrections captain Pam Freeman sent ten inmates to the state prison late last week, but the population continues to swell. The county is in hopes of construction starting soon on a new...

Between now and Labor Day weekend, thousands of boaters are enjoying time on the water with family and friends. Following safe and responsible boating practices, including wearing a life jacket, can make each time you are on the water fun while being prepared for an emergency situation. In 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard counted 4,588 accidents that involved 758 deaths, 3,081 injuries and approximately $52 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents. Of those drowned, 84 percent were not wearing life jackets. The statistics show that no matter where you are boating, following...

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation had planned to offer free radon test kits through July 30. However, due to such a large demand, their free supply was gone within hours of offering them on Monday. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can seep into homes through cracks and openings in the foundation. In concentrated levels, it can threaten human health. Federal statistics show it as the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States. The best time to use the kits is in cold weather, usually from October to...

Authorities say witnesses may be scared to come forward in a murder in McMinnville over the weekend. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation into the shooting death of 28-year-old Renoldo Lopez Moran. Moran was found shot with a 9 millimeter in his apartment on Cascade Avenue on Friday night. Investigators said someone came to his door, and then an argument ensued before the shooting. He had several roommates; all said they heard the gunshot, but didn’t see what happened. Kristin Helm with the TBI said no one has been charged, but they continue to interview the...

Early voting continues through July 28. Those voting in Manchester can do so at the Coffee County Election Commission office. Those who want to vote in Tullahoma can vote at C D Stamps Center. Saturday hours are 8:30 to noon in Manchester and 9 to noon in Tullahoma. Weekday hours are 8 to 4:30 in Manchester and 9 to 4:30 at C D Stamps Center. Don’t forget to bring your photo...

Researchers at the Center for Laser Applications at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have developed a technology that goes on a “seek and destroy” mission for cancerous tumors. They have harnessed the power of lasers to find, map and non-invasively destruct cancerous tumors. Christian Parigger, associate professor of physics, and Jacqueline Johnson, associate professor of mechanical, aerospace, and biomedical engineering, along with Robert Splinter of Splinter Consultants, have developed the invention. The high speed enables the laser to focus in on a specific region to find and acutely map a...