In the upper left photo, VFW Commander Kim King presents an award to Mary Campbell Weddington. In the upper right photo, Doyle Reeves poses with his award. Photos provided.  On September 12, 2020, the Manchester, Tennessee Veterans of Foreign Wars All-American Post 10904 presented awards to area supporters for their outstanding support to our military and local veterans. Mary Campbell Weddington accepted the VFW Military Support Appreciation Award for Citizens Tri-County Bank. Citizens Tri-County Bank has paid the shipping costs of care packages, shipped from our local area to our military personnel serving on active duty, since Operation Desert Storm...

Manchester Mayor Lonnie Norman and Coffee County Mayor Gary Cordell joined several leaders across the state in signing a proclamation recognizing September as Suicide Awareness Month in Manchester and Coffee County .The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network will hold several events across the state in observance of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month this September. According to an August 2020 Harris Poll conducted by leaders in the suicide prevention field, more than half of adults know someone who has had suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and approximately 1 in 4 U.S. adults has personally thought about or attempted suicide. In Tennessee, an...

Written by Susan Campbell, Thunder Radio With the presidential election quickly approaching, election commission officers around the country are scrambling to meet the need for additional poll workers, and Coffee County Administrator of Elections Andy Farrar is no exception. COVID-19, coupled with the older age of most poll workers, has led to a critical shortage around the country because many experienced poll workers are choosing to stay home. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, even as Tennessee and many other states expand access to vote-by-mail and absentee voting options, many county residents, especially voters with disabilities and those...

With the recent announcement to cancel Safe on the Square in Manchester, local citizens and businesses have quickly organized a large-scale trunk-or-treat event or 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oc.t 30 at the old Southern Family Market parking lot on Hillsboro Blvd. in Manchester. There will be a costume contest, food vendors and music on hand provided by Thunder Radio. There will be prizes for first, second and third place for best costume and a prize for best decorated trunk. There will be a $100 prize for first-place costume and a $50 gift card for first-place trunk. There will also...

Adults across Tennessee who did not graduate high school now have an online pathway that will lead them to a high school equivalency diploma. Every county in the state offers students virtual classes that will prepare them to take the online HiSET examination. The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) is coordinating the statewide campaign “Learn Online. Graduate Online.” to make adult education accessible to all interested Tennesseans. “There are still several adult education programs whose classrooms are closed due to COVID-19,” said Jay Baker, interim Assistant Commissioner of Adult Education. “We want everyone interested in improving...

The annual Patriot Day Ceremony was held on Manchester Square Friday, September 11th, hosted by the Coffee County Veterans Association (CCVA). Rather than single out individuals, local veterans organizations honored the service and dedication of all local first responder departments. The event included a commemoration honoring the victims of Sept 11th as well as an art competition by Coffee County High School students. Students submitted 104 entries for judging: of those, 36 were awarded First, Second and Third Place in ten categories. Approximately 300 attendees were present to show their gratitude to the everyday heroes who live, work and...

 Administrators at Unity Medical Center were notified on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 of a positive COVID-19 result from Manchester Rural Health Clinic. A decision has been made to close the office for cleaning and to allow other exposed employees to self-isolate and receive testing. Unity is happy to provide free COVID testing to any patient that was treated at Manchester Rural Health Clinic on Monday, September 14, 2020 or Tuesday, September 15, 2020, upon request. “We are thankful that we were able to avoid having any positive results up until this point,” said Martha McCormick, CEO. “We knew that...

Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott issued a statement Tuesday morning regarding the Sunday crime spree that left two people dead, several injured and hundreds more grieving and scared. Northcott praised area law enforcement for their work on the case. The full statement from Northcott is below: “As you know, Dangelo Dorsey went on a murderous rampage in Coffee County and many surrounding counties on September 13, 2020. However, we often focus on the murderer rather than the victims. This, in my opinion, is a crime in and of itself. Thus, I want to focus on the victims...