Active COVID-19 cases in Coffee County increased slightly over the weekend, up to 308 as of Sunday afternoon according to Tennessee Department of Health. There has also been a fourth COVID-19 virus related death in Coffee County, bringing the total to four, according to TDH. Since testing began in March, there have been 608 positive cases in Coffee County. Of these, 296 are classified as recovered and four people have passed away. There have been 10,610 negative tests performed in Coffee County. Meanwhile, active cases across the state went up by approximately 1,878 over the weekend, but did finish...

After several weeks of waiting to pass inspection, the new inclusive playground at Fred Deadman Park officially opened to the public on Friday. The Parks and Recreation Department celebrated the opening of the new playground – officially titled the “Dusty Elam Memorial Playground” – with a ribbon cutting on Friday, Aug, 14. The funding for the project did not come from local tax dollars, but instead from a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant, as well as matching funds from Park Partners, which is a local non-profit that raises money for various parks and recreation projects and improvements. The...

The Manchester, Tennessee Veterans of Foreign Wars All-American Post 10904 presented twenty awards, both to members and supporters in our community, for their dedication to local veterans and their families. Notable recipients include Lisa Mullins, Shelia Pack and Kyra Hill of the Altamont Post Office, who accepted a special Military Support Appreciation award on the post office’s behalf for their overwhelming support for area veterans and their families. Resa Smith, student at Coffee County Central High School, received 1st Place in the VFW Auxiliary Patriotic Art Awards for her two paintings of veterans. She was accompanied by her teacher,...

News claims for unemployment benefits and continued claims for unemployment benefits both dropped in Tennessee last week. For the week ending Aug, 8, there were 10,036 new claims filed for unemployment benefits. This is down 1,600 from the previous week and 9,400 from two weeks ago. However, this is still abnormally high and makes 781,310 new claims since COVID-19 pandemic began in mid March. Meanwhile, continued claims dropped significantly for the second consecutive week. There were 208,810 continued claims, down 15,283 from the previous week and down 33,587 from two weeks prior – which is when CARES act federal...

There are 300 active cases of COVID-19 virus in Coffee County as of Thursday, this according to data provided by the Tennessee Department of Health. This is two fewer cases than the previous day and remains down 21 for the week. Since testing began in March, there have been 584 total cases in Coffee County. Of these, 281 are classified as recovered and three people have passed away, leaving 300 active cases. Coffee County’s total population is estimated at 57,000. Statewide, active cases went up by 233 on Thursday but remain down for the week by about...

Coffee County is nearing the mark to surpassing the self-response rate of the last US Census. Currently, Coffee County has a 68.9 percent self-response rate to the 2020 Census. For the previous Census, in 2010, Coffee County’s self-response rate was 70. Currently, Coffee County has the sixth best response in the entire state of Tennessee out of 95 counties. Local officials encourage everyone to complete Census data. One study shows that for every person that goes uncounted, Coffee County will miss out on about $11,000 in federal funding. You can complete your Census in just about 5-10 minutes on...

By Susan Campbell, Thunder Radio   In 1993, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation that would allow private, nonprofit groups to organize for the purpose of “maintaining, and enhancing” the state park system. These groups are more commonly known as “Friends.” According to the state, Friends are concerned citizens who have banded together to assist in protecting, preserving and promoting the beauty and the splendor of their favorite state park. They give selflessly of their time, talents and energy to help ensure the park’s integrity is intact for future generations to enjoy. Currently, 50 state parks have active Friends...

Active cases of COVID-19 dropped across the state again on Wednesday and rose only slightly in Coffee County. Across the state, active cases dropped by 517 on Wednesday. This brings active cases across the state down by over 2,500 for the week. Meanwhile, in Coffee County active cases are back up to 302. This is up just four from the previous day and remains down for the week. Since testing began in March, there have been 573 cases in Coffee County. Of these, 268 have recovered and three have passed away, leaving 302 active...