Most Tennesseans have never seen an animal with rabies or known a family who has lost a loved one to the deadly disease. While that’s a testament to vigorous statewide rabies vaccination efforts that started in 1954, the Tennessee Department of Health is reminding residents this disease could make a comeback if people become complacent. In the five years before dog vaccinations were required in our state, ten residents died from rabies, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The last human rabies death in Tennessee was in 2002. City and county health departments across Tennessee are now offering...

Tullahoma is fortunate to have a technology heritage. An impressive short list includes the Nation’s largest wind tunnel operated by hypersonic engineers, smallest city with gigabit fiber; 25 percent of residents hold advanced degrees and the University of Tennessee Space Institute graduates rocket scientists. The newest addition to this tech talent is Native Chad Marcum, whose app was selected as the winner of Atlanta’s NASA International Space Apps Challenge and will represent the city of Atlanta in the International Judging. The app will be available to the public on the app store following the international judging and NASA’s official...

A tip from a Tullahoma business led Coffee County investigators to a home where allegedly methamphetamines were being cooked. Coffee County Sheriff’s Investigator James Sherrill received information from a Tullahoma business that alerted him of individuals purchasing a gallon of muriatic acid, tubing and 2 lbs. of crystal drain opener which are ingredients used in the production of methamphetamines. Charges are now pending against a Tullahoma man after deputies found a meth lab after searching the home on East Decherd Street in Tullahoma on Monday. When authorities arrived they were given permission to search the residence. One male suspect...

A family traveling through Coffee County on I-24 were involved in one vehicle accident on Sunday. 16 year-old Andrew Fonseca was flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center following the crash and three others were transported by Coffee County EMS to a Manchester hospital. The driver, Laura Fonseca 45, of Arlington Heights, Illinois along with passengers Herman Fonseca, 47, and Eric Fonseca, 12 were transported to Medical Center of Manchester for treatment of their injuries. According to a report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a 2009 Subaru Forester SUV was traveling eastbound at mile marker 110. The SUV went off I-24...

It will be at least 2015 before the city pool reopens in Tullahoma. It has been closed since the end of the summer in 2011. Tullahoma City Administrator Jody Baltz says that “value engineering” process is ongoing and the hope is to have a new bid package ready to advertise by the end of the month with the intention of opening the new pool in time for the summer of 2015, according to a report in the Tullahoma News. The city had originally budgeted $2.45 million for the project. Of that amount, $42,250 has already been spent to purchase...

A Moore County man on trial for rape of an underage girl was found not guilty on Tuesday in a Lynchburg courtroom. Randy Cleek, 51, of 703 Leon Clifton Rd., Shelbyville, was acquitted of all four counts, which included rape of a child, aggravated rape and recklessly engaging in sexual contact with the girl. A Moore County Courthouse jury of eight men and four women, took less than three hours to return its verdict. On Monday, the prosecution called four witnesses to the stand, the alleged victim, who is now 20 years old, her mother, Moore County Investigator Mike...

This past Saturday at the Copperweld Arena, located in Nisbett Center on the Motlow College Moore County campus, graduation was held for 729 graduates. Energy, excitement and pride were not limited to graduates, however. Family members and friends filled the bleachers for the 44th graduation event. Motlow College opened in 1969 and held its first graduation in 1971. Keith Hamilton, corporate manager of the North America Manufacturing and Education Center for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operation in LaVergne, was guest speaker for two commencement ceremonies. The first ceremony, at 10 a.m., accommodated nursing graduates and graduates who took most of...

Fifty World War II and Korean War veterans and their guardians traveled to Washington D.C. Saturday (May 10) to visit their war memorials and observe the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. AEDC (Arnold AFB) Commander, Col. Raymond Toth, Coffee County Mayor David Pennington and Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman were some of the local officials along with local National Guard officers including two Tennessee National Guard generals seeing the veterans off early Saturday morning (2:45-3:45 a.m.) in Winchester, Tullahoma and Manchester. Local police and sheriff’s departments from Coffee and Franklin counties...