A commander says Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee is vital to the overall Air Force mission. Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger of the Air Force Materiel Command praised the work done at the Middle Tennessee base and its Arnold Engineering and Development Center. The center has recently been redesigned as a complex as part of an AFMC re-construct that consolidates the command’s centers from 12 to five. Wolfenbarger said Arnold will continue to be critical to the command’s mission of providing war fighter support. The newly designated complex is the country’s largest complex of flight simulation test facilities. The complex...

The woman convicted of stabbing Middle Tennessee State University basketball player Tina Stewart to death has been sentenced to 29 years total in prison. Rutherford County Circuit Court Judge Don Ash on Tuesday sentenced Shanterrica Madden of Memphis to 25 years for second-degree murder and four years for tampering with evidence, with the sentences to be served consecutively Judge Ash said during sentencing that he did not find her credible or remorseful, during the trial or in her statement read before the court Tuesday. Madden was convicted in May of second-degree murder in the March 2, 2011, death of...

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...

Saturday night (July 14, 2012) Corporal James Sherrill of the Coffee Co. Sheriff’s Department along with Agent Wendell Norton and Deputy George Dodson went to 3900 Powers Bridge road just outside Manchester to execute a search warrant for meth products. The officers recovered 8 one-pot cooks and numerous other items used to cook meth. The subjects appeared to have been cooking at the residence for some time. The case is to be presented to the Coffee County Grand...

A Franklin County man is charged with TennCare fraud and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced the arrest of Alfred Hill, 54, of Decherd, after a joint investigation with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Hill is charged with one count of TennCare fraud and two counts of obtaining a controlled substance from a local pharmacy by means of fraud. TennCare fraud is a Class E felony, carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison. Obtaining a controlled substance by fraud is a Class D felony that carries a sentence...

A CNBC report ranks Tennessee’s transportation system as one of the best in the nation for the third year in a row. According to CNBC’s 2012 study “America’s Top States for Business,” the state ranks fourth best in America in the category of “Transportation and Infrastructure,” and is the only state topping the list that has no transportation debt. Many states across the nation carry transportation debt, and must allocate a large portion of their funds to interest payments. “This is significant as we are the only top-ranked state without any transportation debt,” said the Tennessee Department of Transportation...

Tennessee lottery officials say the lottery has set another record with more than $323 million raised this year for state education programs. They announced Monday that the figure is a 10.2% increase over last year’s then-record of $293.4 million. Officials said this year marks the eighth consecutive record-setting year. According to data from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, which oversees lottery-funded programs, more than 600,000 scholarships have been awarded to in-state education institutions since the lottery’s inception in 2004. Total education funding since then stands at more than $2 billion. The lottery had more than $1.3 billion in total...

The Tullahoma Police Department has been notified by concerned citizens of a possible scam that is going around. It has been reported that a caller(s) is representing themselves as an employee of a cellular service provider and needing information to correct billing problems. The caller(s) requests information about the primary account holder, to include full name and social security number. In one instance the caller offered a $10 credit for the inconvenience. Also in all cases the caller(s) number is showing up as restricted or blocked from call-back. Police cautions all citizens about unsolicited phone calls that request personal...