Tennessee’s infant mortality rate is on the decline for the first time in three years, according to new data released by the state Department of Health. The data show there were 38 fewer infant deaths in the state in 2018 compared with the year prior.  Dr. Morgan McDonald, deputy commissioner for population health at the Tennessee Department of Health, said infant mortality is a critical indicator of overall population health. “In particular, I think, it’s very noteworthy that we’ve had a decline in our sleep-related deaths,” McDonald said. “When we talk about our ABCs of safe sleep, what we...

Coffee County General Sessions Judge Timothy R. Brock has passed away.  According to Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott, Brock’s body was discovered in his hotel room in Nevada on Monday (Nov. 11) while attending a conference. No foul play is suspected, but a cause of death is pending an autopsy, according to Northcott. He was 62. Tim Brock “Tim Brock made a difference in Coffee County and Tennessee by redeeming individuals, reuniting families and restoring communities and creating change in the lives of children, teens and adults,”said Mike Lewis, director of Coffee County Drug Court. Lewis often worked...

Coffee County and Manchester City Schools are partnering together to host a Mobile Food Pantry for families in need on Friday, November 15th at First Baptist Church of Manchester. A Mobile Food Pantry is a large scale food distribution in which food items are delivered via Second Harvest Food Bank to a designated location for immediate distribution to those in need.    “We, Coffee County and Manchester City Schools, are excited to offer this opportunity for our families. By working together, this allows us to ensure we are serving every family in need,” said Taylor Rayfield, Coordinator of Family Resource...

SONIC Drive-In concluded its annual Limeades for Learning Fall Voting campaign in support of public school teachers last month, and Manchester, Tennessee teachers received funding to support their innovative and creative learning projects. In partnership with nonprofit DonorsChoose.org and with the help of SONIC fans, three teachers in Manchester received a combined $4,047 for necessary supplies to inspire learning in their classrooms. “Our Fall Voting Campaign is a special time for us to celebrate exceptional public school teachers who make a difference in communities across the country, including those in Manchester,” said Christi Woodworth, vice president for public relations...

Congress is considering a bill that would secure permanent and full federal funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a pot of money from offshore oil revenues used to protect the country’s natural parks. Mike Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, says over the past 50 years, around $200 million from LWCF have gone toward helping Tennesseans conserve the state’s natural gems. “That’s gone towards hiking and biking trails, ball fields, hunting access, historical battlefield sites, wildlife refuges and other public land acquisitions like the Appalachian Trail,” he points out. Butler notes that while the fund is supposed...

Scott Cutshaw, right, with wife Colene. A longtime Manchester resident has passed away and another man is in jail after a crash near the Rutherford and Coffee County line Wednesday, Nov. 6.  Severely injured in the crash was Scott Cutshaw, a longtime resident of Coffee County. Cutshaw was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he passed away from his injuries early Saturday morning, Nov. 9.  Matthew Brandon, age 29, was arrested Saturday after Cutshaw’s death and charged with aggravated vehicular assault, drug possession, DUI third offense, reckless endangerment, and aggravated vehicular homicide. He is being held in the...