An 18-year-old Manchester man is free on a $39,500 bond after his arrest Friday. Alex Jacob Dalton of Madison Street was arrested after police were called to the Ambassador Inn in Manchester to investigate burglaries involving two vehicles. According to a report by Manchester Police officer Fed Lee, Dalton ran but was caught, and officers found him to be in possession of burglary...

Coffee County sheriff’s investigators are still waiting on results of an autopsy of local car dealer Mike Thompson. The 45 year-old Thompson died May 6 in a swimming accident at a home in Coffee County. Apparently Thompson dove into a pool at his residence on Fairview School Road and did not come back up. Meanwhile officials with the business say that they will continue to operate the Ford dealership on Highway 55. Robert North is the General Manager; Thompson’s mother, Brenda Mehring, will be involved in the...

A key figure in the Tennessee Walking Horse scandal aimed at trainers involved in “horse soring” is set to plead guilty in Chattanooga today. Jackie McConnell is due to appear before Federal Magistrate Court Judge Bill Carter. According to papers filed in Federal Court, he will plead guilty to one count and all other charges will be dismissed. A 52-count indictment had been issued against him, Jeff Dockery, John Mays and Joseph R. Abernathy. Abernathy and Mays are also set to appear in court...

The annual Memorial Day Ceremony will be held Monday, May 28th, at 11 AM on the Square in downtown Manchester. The event pays deserving respect to those who have given their all for the liberties and freedoms we hold dear. Scheduled speakers are State Representative Judd Matheny, representatives from Coffee County, the City of Manchester, Arnold Engineering Development Center, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. This will be a brief but educational and enlightening ceremony. The public is encouraged to attend. Bring your friends, family, children and neighbors. Seating is limited so arrive early,...

The dental health care for Tennesseans ranks among the worst in the nation, which has sent more patients to the emergency room and caused more adults to lose teeth to decay and disease. A survey performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed declining dental visits in Tennessee and an increase in the number of people who have lost at least one permanent tooth. That puts Tennessee at 47th in the nation for dental health, The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. Tennessee doesn’t cover dental care for Medicaid enrollees 21 or older, and Michele Johnson with...

The Coffee County Rescue Squad and The Coffee County Ambulance Service is partnering in hosting: Friends and Family CPR. This program is intended for members of the general public who would like to learn basic CPR. This program is non- credentialed – no course card will be awarded, but an attendance card will be issued along with a course booklet for your completion of this class. There will be three (3) different class times on this date. Please RSVP for which class time you would like to attend. Call and leave message at the Rescue Squad building (931) 728-1785....

The County Technical Assistance Service recently completed an in-depth analysis of Coffee County’s Emergency Medical Service.  The results included several weaknesses and a few scathing deficiencies on the part of upper and middle management. Gary Hayes, lead consultant for CTAS, presented the report Thursday to a joint meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee, Ambulance Authority, and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) directors. In addition to management deficiencies, the report also found low morale among employees, partly stemming from their notoriously low pay that we reported in February on WMSR. That report showed starting EMT’s at only $7.85 an hour...