Tennessee’s generous early voting period for the upcoming State and Federal General Election begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, and runs Monday to Saturday until Thursday, Oct. 29. “Our top priority, this election season is that every Tennessee voter can cast their ballot safely and securely,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Utilizing Tennessee’s robust early voting period is an excellent way to accomplish this goal.” Early voting provides Tennesseans the opportunity to avoid Election Day crowds and can shorten your wait time. Early voting also offers the flexibility of evenings and Saturdays, along with multiple polling locations in many counties....

The Tennessee gas price average remains unchanged since last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is $1.94 which is exactly where prices were one month ago and nearly 41 cents less than one year ago. The average price in Coffee County is on par with the state average at $1.94, which is up about two cents from the prior week. “In a typical year, a hurricane season like we’ve experienced this year would have caused gas prices to spike, but 2020 is not a typical year,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Low U.S. gasoline...

Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman has passed away. He was 79 years old.  Norman died in the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 12. Norman was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Oct. 1 and had spent much of the time since then hospitalized. In August Norman won re-election for his third consecutive term as Manchester’s Mayor. Currently, board-appointed vice mayor Marilyn Howard is performing mayoral duties. “With a deep sense of sadness and loss, we announce the passing of Mayor Lonnie Norman after being hospitalized for COVID-19 on Oct. 1, 2020,” the City of Manchester said. “Mayor Norman passed away in...

One person has died as the result of being shot on East Moore Street in Tullahoma. A 16-year old has been charged with murder. According to Tullahoma Public Information Officer Winston Brooks dead is 21-yaer old Brandon McGee, of Tullahoma. The shooting was allegedly the result of an argument between McGee and the shooter. The shooter’s name has not been released. He has been charged with first degree murder. The shooting took place at the Dossett Apartments at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Enter to win $150 Yeti Carryall Bag! Local realtor Charlie Gonzales is giving away a Yeti...

Story by Nadia Ramligan, Tennessee Public News Service More than 80,000 Tennessee children were uninsured last year, and that drop is among the highest rates in the nation , according to a new report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. Employer-sponsored coverage is increasingly unaffordable for many families, but Kinika Young – senior director of health policy and advocacy of the Tennessee Justice Center – said most kids are eligible for the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program or “CHIP.” But Young said the federal government slashed budgets for outreach and enrollment assistance, leaving many parents either unaware...

The annual Manchester Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony will be held in Manchester on Saturday, November 7th, 2020, with the parade commencing at 10 AM. Lineup for the parade will begin at 9 AM. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 3 parade entries. The Veterans Day Ceremony will be held immediately following the parade at 11 AM on the Manchester Square. U.S. Army retiree and VFW Post 10904 Chaplain Hans Hooker will serve as Master of Ceremonies. There will be food and merchandise vendors, and The Clower Family Band will perform before and after the ceremony. Safe...

Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman has been hospitalized due to COVID-19, according to his daughter Pricilla Norman. Mayor Norman tested positive on Thursday, October 1st, and was immediately hospitalized. “We appreciate everyone’s concern about my dad’s health,” said Pricilla Norman. “We would like to thank everyone for reaching out to us, but we ask for privacy at this time. Please keep my dad and our family in your prayers.” The city of Manchester released the following statement to Thunder Radio News: “Vice Mayor Marilyn Howard has been in constant communication with the city staff and officials to ensure the seamless...

The numbers of new persons filing for unemployment in Tennessee is up slightly compared to the previous week. During the week closing on October 3, 2020, there were 9,839 new unemployment filings in the Volunteer State. The previous week that closed on September 26, 2020 saw 9,802 new claims filed. Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, there have been 871,580 claims for unemployment filed in Tennessee. Currently, only 125,238 unemployment benefit packages are being paid, which is a number that continues to drop. Currently, there are 883 claims being paid in Coffee County. Numbers are provided by the...