A national study puts Grundy County at the bottom of Tennessee’s 95 counties when it comes to factors affecting health and life expectancy, including death rates, access to health care and healthy foods, economic and education factors, diet and smoking rates. The study, released in April by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, analyzes factors within four categories — health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment — each of which contain several measures. Coffee County ranks 48th in the study. Bedford County is 61st, Moore County did very...

The Walking Horse Trainers’ Association has announced a new initiative to detect soring with a two-week suspension for violations. Under the initiative, testing will be done by independent veterinarians and/or veterinarian technicians. It takes effect immediately. Soring is pouring caustic chemicals on the hooves and lower legs of horses to induce the high leg kick that wins prizes in competitions. Last month, the Humane Society of the United States released a video showing a trainer abusing and soring horses. Trainer Jackie McConnell of Collierville, pleaded guilty to violating the Horse Protection Act. He awaits sentencing. The trainers group said...

A state lawmaker says a recent legal opinion from the state’s attorney general has soothed concerns about Tennessee’s open meetings law. Republican Rep. Tony Shipley of Kingsport said he requested the opinion to clarify that local government officials can meet privately over a meal, as long as they don’t decide public business. Attorney General Bob Cooper cautioned in the opinion that while officials can share meals, they must avoid deliberating about official matters. The Tennessee County Commissioners Association during this year’s legislative session sought to have the state’s open meetings law changed to allow private meetings among officials as...

State elections officials have agreed to stop purging inactive voters from the rolls until after the November election. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports the decision was made as part of a lawsuit filed against the state by former Democratic U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, who says he was wrongfully kept from voting in the state’s presidential primary in March. Attorney George Barrett, who represents Davis and the state Democratic Party, told the paper that the two sides have agreed to ask U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp to appoint a special master to investigate claims that 11,000 voters’ records contain...

Members of the National Weather Service (NWS) recently visited Arnold AFB to understand the impact their services have on testing at the center. ATA’s Emergency Management Team worked very closely with both the Huntsville and Nashville NWS offices in order for Arnold AFB to attain the designation of “Storm Ready Community” in May 2011. “Over the course of becoming ‘Storm Ready’ we at AEDC have developed a sound working relationship with both Nashville and Huntsville weather forecasters,” said ATA Emergency Management Lead Daryl Justice. “They requested the tour, as they wanted to see the facilities they are providing their...

Just after 5:00PM Sunday afternoon, a Coffee County woman was driving a Toyota SUV and her 6-year-old son was a passenger. The two were traveling west on Gowen Road in the New Union area. The SUV was near the Gowen Road Bridge when the driver went off the right side of the road and struck several trees. The Toyota then careened back onto the road and burst into flames. The driver was able to get out, but the young boy was trapped. A bystander forced the passenger door open and rescued the child. The child was flown to Vanderbilt...

Animal rights activists from Coffee and surrounding counties were in Manchester on Friday to protest. The group first protested in the lane that leads into the Coffee County Animal Control building, and then moved to the Coffee County Administrative Plaza. Vera Lund, a Manchester resident, told WMSR Radio that she did NOT blame the animal control officer that shot and killed Bryan Pennington’s dog, Toby, on Monday. She says the problem is not enough funding and needed policy changes. Lund added that animal control officers should be better trained and facilities needed upgrading. Funding to animal control in Coffee...

A Manchester man is being held in the Coffee County jail on a bond of $115,000 after leading deputies on a chase around the Coffee County Justice Center Friday morning(June 15). Cody Ledbetter, of Commodore Drive in Manchester, is charged with initiation of the process intended to result in manufacture of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, evading arrest and violation of probation. According to a report by Deputy Sgt. James Sherrill, Ledbetter was seen in the lobby of the jail leaving a phone card for an inmate in the jail. When Sherrill told he him he was under arrest...