The inaugural Lynchburg Music Fest is this weekend and that will effect traffic starting at Midnight Thursday in Moore County.  These closures and limitations will be in place through midnight August 24th, according to the Moore County Sheriff’s Department. The Lynchburg square will be closed for traffic throughout the event and many of the side roads around the park will limited to local, resident traffic. Majors Blvd. will be open at all times but expect slowdowns through the hours of 9 a.m. and Midnight on both August 23rd and 24th. The following roads will be limited to resident traffic...

Former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold has returned to Middle Tennessee to complete his federal prison sentence in a Nashville halfway house.  Arnold was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison in May of 2017. He pleaded guilty to various charges related to the sale of electronic cigarettes to inmates at the Rutherford County Jail through his business, JailCigs, while he was sheriff at that facility. Arnold, you may remember, was elected in 2010 and later indicted on 14 counts in June of 2016. He was halfway into his second term when he was arrested. He also pleaded guilty...

Scam artists pilfered over $18 million from Tennesseans in 2018, making the Volunteer State the nation’s fifth-leading state per capita when it comes to complaints about fraud and other scams. Reports of identity theft also grew in a year’s time, moving Tennessee to 21st in the country in 2018. Scam artists may promise once-in-a-lifetime opportunities but, in fact, they’re ripping off hard- working Tennesseans and their families. If consumers believe they have been victimized by a scammer, they should report the incident to their local law enforcement agencies. Remember: Don’t answer the phone if your number shows up on...

The Coffee County School system will have to fork out $200,000 as part of a lawsuit settlement. The settlement involved a special needs child and the funds will come from the school system’s general fund. While details of the case are limited, school board members indicate that the suit was brought about due to a refusal of admittance. The settlement was reached in order to avoid a potentially more costly payout. The terms and conditions of the settlement are confidential. The incident in question took place while Dr. LaDonna McFall was director of Coffee County Schools. She left that position in...

A popular swimming area at Center Hill Lake in Smithville has been closed after the US Army Corps of Engineers in Nashville announced that E. coli has been detected in the water.  E. Coli was found at the Ragland Bottom Day Use Beach. The area is still open for picnicking and boat launching. No other beaches on the lake have been impacted. Anyone with questions can contact the Center Hill Lake Resource manager’s office at...

With back to school season under way, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) is reminding consumers that this time of year is especially dangerous for teen drivers. Research from the AAA Foundation indicates that the number of crash fatalities involving teen drivers rises significantly between Memorial Day (May 27, 2019) and Labor Day (Sept. 2, 2019). Because of the higher period of fatalities, this 100 day period has been deemed the “100 Deadliest Days.” TDCI’s Division of Insurance is urging parents to take extra precautions between Memorial Day and Labor Day by stressing the importance of safe...

The Tennessee Department of Education has released its report card for 2019. TN ready scores show that more than half of the schools in Tennessee – 56 percent to be exact.- improved their growth scores from the previous year with 41 percent of all schools earning level 4 or 5.  Locally, Hillsboro Elementary, Westwood Elementary and Tullahoma High School were designated as reward schools. All three local school districts in Coffee County — Coffee County Schools, Manchester City Schools and Tullahoma City Schools — have been classified as advancing...

Judge Dianne Turner on Thursday denied a request to disqualify Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott from handling a black activist’s court case in connection to former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada.  You may remember that earlier this year, accusations were made that Casada’s office attempted to frame Justin Jones, a student activist, in order to make it appear Jones violated bond conditions. The speaker’s staff has denied those accusations.  Northcott was then appointed special prosecutor to investigate the emails and take over the case but Jones’ attorneys objected due to comments Northcott made earlier, specifically those pointing...