Dozens of World War II-era veterans received honorary master’s degrees at the site of their training as young soldiers in preparation for the war in Europe. Between 1941 and 1944, more than 850,000 Army soldiers trained in a series of military maneuvers spread across 22 counties of Middle Tennessee, including here in Coffee County. Cumberland University in Lebanon served as field headquarters to oversee the massive training exercises. Seven decades later, veterans in their 80s and 90s were given diplomas for honorary master of military arts degrees during a morning ceremony on the lawn of the university Tuesday. University...

State officials are promoting motorcycle safety awareness month as motorcycle fatalities rise in Tennessee. Thirty-eight motorcyclists have died in state crashes this year, up 31% from 2011. Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons said unseasonably warm weather may be to blame for the increase. He said it’s important for motorists and motorcyclists to educate themselves, be alert and follow the rules of the road. Motorcyclists and their passengers are required by Tennessee law to wear helmets. Officials noted that motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than passengers in...

A recent study shows a large percentage of Tennesseans didn’t see a doctor over the last decade because they couldn’t afford to. The study was conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute. About 857,000 Tennesseans between the ages of 19 and 64 participated in the study, which said 55.6% of uninsured Tennesseans skipped a doctor visit in 2010 because they didn’t have the money and 12.6% of those with insurance did the same. The study also found that nearly 10% fewer Tennesseans had a dental visit over the decade. However, the amount of those who...

Sammy and Amala Morton of Manchester have been selected as a winner in America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which gives farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local nonprofit organizations. The donations are available through the Monsanto Fund. The Morton’s have designated Coffee County FFA to receive the award. They will give the FFA the money at a ceremony tonight at Coffee County High School. America’s Farmers Grow Communities is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society by helping them grow their local communities....

Thieves continue to burglarize area churches by breaking into the houses of worship. The latest burglary was at St. Paul Catholic Church. According to a report by Tullahoma Police Officer Derrick Derlien, Father Steve Klasek reported that when arrived at the church Monday morning he found someone had broken in and taken a safe. According to the priest the safe contained approximately $7,500. He stated that he had locked the church doors around 7 p.m. and returned around 6 a.m. to an open door at the back of the building. The door was unlocked and is where the thieves...

Yesterday (Tuesday) 8-year-old Landon Crabtree was honored at College Street Elementary in Manchester by the State of Tennessee. Crabtree used his tech skills to help local police recover a large amount of stolen goods and break up a multi-state crime ring. Crabtree used a GPS tracking system to find his family’s stolen items and other stolen goods inside a Manchester motel. Coffee County State Representative Judd Matheny was on hand to read a resolution honoring Crabtree for his hard work.  Many people from other counties and different states will get their items back because of Landon’s...

A Franklin man suffered minor injuries when his glider crashed near Shelbyville. According to the Shelbyville Times Gazette, Doug Miller’s aircraft went down near the Rover glider port on Sunday afternoon. Gary Davis of Murfreesboro, the glider’s co-owner, said Miller was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was treated and released. Davis said Miller went into a spin as he attempted to land. Resident Johnny May said the glider struck trees in his front yard as it went down. May said he “heard a noise and came out and it was on the...

The City of Monteagle is changing lanes. Monteagle’s downtown corridor project, part of an ongoing effort to extend a pedestrian/bicycle trail from Cowan in Franklin County to Palmer in Grundy County, kicked off over the last couple of weeks with road work and striping along the town’s main drag. The four lanes on Main Street and Dixie Lee Avenue were reduced to two with a central turn lane almost all the way through town, converting the outside lane into a bike lane with a buffer.  The project funding totals $782,560 in state enhancement grants added to a 20 percent...