A measure that was designed to allow teachers and coaches to join with students in prayer – before and after school – received its final OK in the Tennessee House of Representatives this week. Earlier this week, the Senate added a new amendment, with no debate and little explanation. Rep. Phillip Johnson, a Cheatham County Republican, tried to explain the addition in the House. What the amendment actually says is that school boards may also approve other “constitutionally permissible religious activities on school grounds.” Those activities are not defined. The bill now goes to the governor for review and...

Easter Egg Hunt Saturday – March 31, 2012 Free to all participants!! THE EGG HUNT LOCATION FOR 2 TO 7 YEAR OLDS IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR!! Age Categories & Times are as follows: 2 to 7 year olds will be held at 10:00am at Dave King Park 8 to 12 year olds will be held at 8:00pm at the Babe Ruth Field at Fred Deadman This hunt will take place in the dark please provide your child with a flashlight!! All participants must bring their own basket or bag to hold their...

A home occupied Adam Walker and his wife at 784 Pete Sain Road was seen with smoke coming out of it around 11:30 Wednesday morning. Neighbors called 911, and the Summitville Fire Department was dispatched. The fire was contained to one room of the home and was put out quickly. The home suffered moderate damage and no one was hurt. The cause of the fire was unknown and is under...

Dispatchers in Marion County confirm the body of a construction worker, missing since Monday, has been removed from the Tennessee River. The recovery operation lasted several hours. Coffee County Rescue Squad diver Les Bradford made the recovery after using the squad’s special underwater camera. Franklin County divers assisted in the recovery. Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett says the man’s body was found 70 feet below the river’s surface, just below the Haletown Bridge. Burnett said that the body was identified as Abimael Contreras Martinez, of Morrison,...

To reduce court system delays and add potential greater punitive measures to get city code violators into compliance, Tullahoma is considering an administrative hearing officer program. During a work session the Board of Mayor and Alderman agreed to have an ordinance drawn-up for consideration for adopting the program that would have a special judge decide codes violation cases and make punitive decisions. Jody Baltz, city administrator, said the process often has little effect because the cases involve a lengthy process with the city taking legal action through Chancery Court, and violation cases are often placed on an extensive docket....

Robert Alan Harris of Tullahoma was promoted to Major General in a March 19 ceremony at the Tennessee National Guard’s Regional Training Institute in Smyrna. Maj. Gen. Harris serves as the Assistant Adjutant General-Army for the Tennessee National Guard. He is married to the former Susan Lightner of Tullahoma, and is the son of the late Tom and Lee Harris of Tullahoma. General and Mrs. Harris are 1972 graduates of Tullahoma High...

The Elk River Public Utilities Board (ERPUD) commissioners have approved hiring a Georgia-based company to perform the utility’s yearly gas survey. The commissioners approved the contract that will pay Southern Cross Corp., of Norcross, Ga., a total of $14,800 to complete the survey of all ERPUD’s distribution lines in Estill Springs, Sewanee and Cowan, which amounts to approximately 250 miles of mains serving about 5,000 customers. The survey checks for leaks on ERPUD’s distribution system. The project added to that list this week will provide natural gas service to homes in the Cherokee Estates subdivision currently under development in...

A proposal to legalize medical marijuana is advancing in the state House. The House Health Subcommittee approved the measure on a voice vote Tuesday after similar measures had quickly failed in previous years. Democratic Rep. Jeanne Richardson of Memphis, the bill’s main sponsor, said the measure would create the toughest access standards among the states that have enacted similar laws. Republican Rep. Joey Hensley, a Hohenwald physician, raised concerns that doctors aren’t trained on how to prescribe marijuana. The companion bill has yet to be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Government Operations...