Convicted child killer Thomas “TJ” Greenwood was back in a Coffee County courtroom on Wednesday(June 20, 2012). He was found guilty of first-degree murder in April. The murder of 2-year old-Hayden Gage West occurred on March 9, 2010. He was sent to state prison for life with a possibility of parole after 51 years before being eligible. Greenwood was in court Wednesday for a hearing about 2 charge, aggravated child neglect and aggravated child abuse. Lawyers wrangled over how those sentences should be served either concurrent or consecutive. Concurrent would be served at the same time as the possible...

A Bedford County Jail corrections officer has been charged with providing inmates tobacco and cell phones in return for money, officials said Tuesday. Jeremy Ryan Tyre, 25, of Fort Circle, Wartrace, confessed Monday. He was charged with official misconduct and introducing contraband into a penal institution and was released on $5,000 bond. –Shelbyville...

The Southern Middle Tennessee Entrepreneur Centers (SMTEC) is part of Governor Haslam’s Jobs4TN plan and a foundational component of the region’s economic development strategy while creating a network of partnerships and mentors within the local business community, the statewide investor base, higher education, non-profits and government. Haslam said, “Startup companies have the potential to be a significant source of job creation, and we want to give local entrepreneurs their best chances for success as we work to make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.” Southern Middle Tennessee Entrepreneur Centers TennesSeed Camp™ takes a...

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has two new programs this summer designed for families. The Hike the Smokies program encourages families to hike the park’s shorter, less strenuous trails. They get the chance to record the number of miles hiked in a booklet created especially for the participants. The Adopt a Trail program gives parents and children an opportunity to help maintain a short, kid-friendly park trail. As trail adopters, families help preserve the beauty of a trail by keeping it trash free. Adopters also remove small branches from the trail and report larger maintenance needs to the...

A state grant of up to $7.5 million has been approved for the “Nashville” television show on ABC this fall. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development said Wednesday the reimbursement grant will be based on the production’s actual qualified expenditures made in the state. The show will film in Nashville. Qualified expenditures are those incurred in the state for goods or services purchased from a Tennessee vendor or paid to a Tennessee resident in connection with the production. The department said in a news release that the production is expected to employ more than 350 Tennessee residents...

Motlow College will administer the complete Residual ACT assessment several times this summer to better prepare students for fall enrollment. Applicants under 21 years of age, who have missed taking the ACT during one of the national test dates, can register for the Residual ACT assessment for admission to Motlow. Community colleges are allowed to administer the test for admission to their school only. Scores cannot be transferred to another college/university. All tests will be administered in Crouch Center Room 1043 on the Moore County campus. The first two summer dates are June 27 and July 24 from 8:30...

The Coffee County Relay for Life is holding the 2nd “Colors of Cancer 5K Race and Family Walk” scheduled for Saturday June 23 at 7AM. It will be held along the Duck River Greenway through the Manchester Park. They are able to present this activity to the community with strong support from local businesses, the Manchester Recreation Complex, and the MachTenn Running Club. The registration fee is $20 per person, with a discounted fee for additional family members in the household. They will have t-shirts and participation certificates to all who register. Please help to fulfill this year’s commitment...

Monday morning at 8:00, a motorcycle was traveling south near Wal-Mart in Manchester when a small SUV from Illinois came across several lanes to attempt to turn into Relco Drive and struck the bike. The local man was taken to an area hospital via personal vehicle after being checked out by Coffee County EMS personnel. He was not seriously hurt, and the driver of the SUV was uninjured. Manchester Police Department worked the...