A McMinnville man was shot and killed by officers during an armed standoff on rural Toad Road Thursday night in DeKalb County. According to radio partners at WJLE in Smithville, 28 year old Gregorio Cruz Vanloo of McMinnville was taken by DeKalb EMS to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Reports indicate that there was an armed standoff with officers of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s and Smithville Police Departments Thursday night at a residence on Toad Road. “After we got a tip that he was at this residence on Toad Road, officers of the Sheriff’s...

We are roughly one month away from the opening of early voting for the 2020 August primary, county general and city municipal elections. Early voting will be July 17 through Aug. 1, with election day on Thursday, Aug. 6. If you have not yet registered to vote, you must do so by Tuesday, July 7 to participate in the Aug. 6 election. There will be many races on the ballot, including Manchester mayor and three aldermen seats, as well as Tullahoma mayor and two aldermen seats. To register, contact the Coffee County Election Commission at 1329 McArthur St. suite...

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning businesses about a mailer from a company called “TN Certificate Service.” “We have seen mailers like this before using deceptive forms and language,” Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “We continuously work with the appropriate authorities to eradicate scams and misleading mailers in order to protect Tennessee business owners.” The Secretary of State’s Division of Business Services has received several complaints about these deceptive mailers, which request a fee of $83.50 to obtain a “Certificate of Existence” from TN Certificate Service. A Certificate of Existence can be obtained directly from...

Coffee County is nearing its Census self-response rate from the 2010 Census, and remains in the top five in the entire state of Tennessee for Census response. According to numbers provided by the US Census Bureau on Friday, Coffee County’s self-response rate to the 2020 United States Census is 67.6 percent. The response from the 2010 census was 70 percent. If you have not yet responded to the 2020 Census, it’s not too late. You can respond by telephone by calling this number: 1-844-330-2020. Or click this link. Completion only takes minutes. Studies show that for every person not...

Tullahoma’s premier water park, Splash Island, plans to open for swimmers beginning Wednesday, June 24th. The park will be open for 300 swimmers from 11am to 4pm daily. The pool will operate on this schedule until July 28th. After that date, Splash Island will be open on Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day. The Manchester Recreation center pools already opened for the summer around Memorial Day. “Splash Island has become an important part of summer life in Tullahoma, and we are pleased and excited to once again offer outdoor water recreation opportunities for 2020 under the Tennessee Pledge,” said...

In an overwhelming show of support Thursday morning, the Westwood Middle School Football players took it upon themselves to show the Manchester Police Department that it is appreciated in this community. Westwood football players, along with head coach Chad Dyer, teamed up with Spring Street Market in Manchester and delivered uncooked steaks, baked potatoes and cases of drinks to the police department at city hall on Thursday for officers to enjoy. “We know you all are here for us and our community,” said Shannon Fletcher, who helped organize the gifts. “We just want to give a little appreciation back...

“Coffee County  Schools Director Dr. Charles Lawson issued a lengthy statement Thursday afternoon, stating that while the school system has a goal to open as normal as possible, the system is creating a plan to enhance student safety.  “It is impossible at this point to make solid plans for the opening of schools in the fall of 2020. The ever-changing climate that has been created by COVID-19 means a constant series of adjustments are being made. This has not prevented Coffee County Schools from moving forward and preparing to educate our students in the coming school year,” the statement...

Coffee County School system announced Thursday that it has hired Carrie Davis as the Family Resource Coordinator in the student support services department. Davis takes over for Taylor Rayfield, who left the system to take a position with the Tennessee State Department of Education. “Carrie’s past education work experience and community connections will benefit us greatly in this position. We are excited Carrie is joining Team Coffee,” the school system said. Thunder Radio has scheduled an interview to introduce Carrie to the community in the near...