Last week, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced special session legislation addressing K-12 student learning loss and the adverse effects on Tennessee students’ proficiency in reading and math after extended time away from the classroom due to COVID-19. “COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of education and we are on the cusp of severe consequences for our students if we don’t act now,” said Gov. Lee. “Data suggests that Tennessee third graders are facing an estimated 50% drop in reading proficiency and a projected 65% drop in math proficiency and that is not an acceptable path for our kids[1]. I thank...

Motlow State Community College leadership plans a return to on-campus instruction and activities by Fall 2021. The plan is contingent upon the status and spread of the Covid-19 virus. Leadership will make the final determination of the College’s on-ground Fall 2021 plan later this summer. Current planning is based on Tennessee’s vaccination plan and Motlow’s pattern of success in its pandemic response. The approaching Spring 2021 semester will continue to operate using an alternate schedule. The alternate schedule allows most classes to meet online in a virtual environment, with on-campus exceptions made for required course completion in programs such...

Monday Martin Luther King Day; special called Manchester Public Building Authority Meeting. –Most government offices are closed in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Coffee County and Manchester City Schools are also closed. –Also on Monday, while the Manchester City Government offices are closed, there will be a special called meeting of the Manchester Public Building Authority at 11:30 a.m. at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center (147 Hospitality Blvd.) Tuesday City schools return to in person learning; final day of Governor’s executive order –Manchester City Schools return to in-person, traditional learning beginning on Tuesday. The city schools were...

The Tennessee Department of Health and Tennessee’s Unified Command Group have added new features to the COVID19.tn.gov website to make it easier for users to find county-specific information and request an appointment for COVID-19 vaccination. The COVID19.tn.gov website provides a simple tool for Tennesseans to find their phase in Tennessee’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Updates to this tool make it easier for eligible users to request a vaccination appointment with their county health department. Find the tool at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/eligibility/. The website also offers an interactive map where Tennesseans can select their county to learn the risk-based and age-based phases currently...

The numbers of those seeking unemployment due to joblessness during the COVID-19 Pandemic is growing once again at a record pace. In Tennessee, the number of those filing for unemployment has tripled since December 19, 2020. New unemployment claims between December 13th and December 19th stood at 7,411 filings. After the New Year rang in, there were approximately 22,000 new unemployment claims filed in Tennessee from January 3rd to January 9th of 2021. Currently, there are 58,945 continued jobless claims in the Volunteer State. This is up 7,000 from the previous week and 13,000 from two weeks prior. Coincidentally,...

By Josh Peterson, news director Just three days before Christmas, Manchester resident Brandon Imhoff got a scare. The local business owner was having a heart attack. Imhoff was flown by helicopter to a Murfreesboro hospital where a stint was put in and he was home for Christmas. Thankfully – weather conditions were favorable for a helicopter flight that day. Had they not been, this story may have ended differently. Why? Because he may not have had access to emergency transportation. Thunder Radio News has learned that a myriad of obstacles and conditions have led to a major issue in...

Tennessee Department of Health is warning Tennesseans to be aware of vaccine scams. TDH is warning that if you have a grandparent or another loved one who is a senior citizen, to talk to them about not becoming a victim of the following types of scams: -Do not pay out of pocket for a vaccine -Do not pay to get early access to the vaccine -Vaccines are NOT solicited door to door. -Do not pay to put your name on a priority list All of the above listed are ways to scam elderly citizens out of money. You are...

Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Sabrina Watson Sabrina is a fifth-grade student at Deerfield Elementary School and Mrs. Jamie Daugherty is her homeroom teacher. Sabrina’s parents are Stephanie Watson and Chris Watson. She enjoys drawing, reading and coloring. When she grows up, Sabrina would like to be a veterinarian. Her favorite subject is ELA. Rosalyn Partin, owner of the Manchester H&R Block, has been inspired to recognize great kids in our community all year long. H&R Block gives each Student of the Week...