ennessee’s economy continued to show signs of recovery from the COVID-19 health emergency in July. Newly released information from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development revealed statewide unemployment decreased for the third consecutive month. Tennessee’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2020 was 9.5%. That is a 0.1 of a percentage point decrease from the previous month’s revised rate of 9.6%. The latest jobless rate is 6.1 percentage points higher than it was a year ago in July 2019. Employers across Tennessee added 600 new jobs between June and July. The leisure/hospitality sector, along with the...

Active cases of COVID-19 in Coffee County took a downward trend Thursday, with Tennessee Department of Health reporting 310 active cases. That is 8 fewer than the previous day. Since testing began in March, there have been 660 total cases in Coffee County. Of these, 345 have recovered and five people have passed away. Meanwhile, numbers across the state continue to decline, with 543 fewer active cases reported on Thursday. There have been 1,447 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in Tennessee since March, and 6,156...

A complaint has been filed against the Coffee County School System in Circuit Court seeking injunctive relief against the school system’s mask mandate. The complaint calls for the schools to cease and desist the mask mandate implemented on Aug. 10, citing no legal authority. A judge has yet to review the complaint, which was filed by Parnham Law Office on behalf Heather Murchison, who is the mother of a student in the system. The complaint states that Murchison’s child was refused the ability to attend class on Aug. 13 and Aug. 18 and was sent to in-school suspension when...

The Braves slightly altered their rotation after Wednesday night’s game against the Nationals was postponed by rain and rescheduled as part of a seven-inning doubleheader that will be played on Sept. 4 at Truist Park. Kyle Wright, who had been scheduled to start on Wednesday, has been skipped, and Touki Toussaint is no longer scheduled to start on Sunday. Max Fried remains scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Phillies, and the Braves are sticking with the plan to start Robbie Erlin on Saturday. But instead of Toussaint, Josh Tomlin will now take the mound for Sunday’s series finale against...

Active cases of COVID-19 virus in Coffee County are at 318 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Tennessee Department of Health. This is nearing the high mark of 321 from nearly two weeks ago. There has also been a fifth COVID-19 related death in Coffee County, according to Tennessee Department of Health. Since testing began in March, there have been 650 total cases in Coffee County. Of these, 327 have recovered and five people have passed away, leaving 318 active cases, There have been 11,111 negative tests performed in Coffee County. Active cases across the state decreased by about...

Tennessee residents are allowed to hunt without a license on Saturday, Aug. 22 which coincides with the opening day of squirrel season. Free Hunting Day is an event the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency annually provides in hopes of increasing interest in hunting. Squirrel hunting is one of Tennessee’s oldest and favorite traditions. The day serves as an excellent opportunity for persons to experience the enjoyment of the sport. The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members (young and old) to the outdoor sport. It is also an excellent opportunity for persons who have not tried hunting...