The Coffee County School System is gearing up for the start of school, which will be here before you know it. The first abbreviated day for students will be Thursday, August 1st and the first full day is Monday, August. 5th. If you aren’t sure about what supplies your child will need, we have the back to school supply list...

Thomas Henry North Jr., who operates Watson-North Funeral Home, cremation center and memorial park and whispering winds crematory in Winchester., was accused in June of 2017 of displaying inappropriate conduct and being disrespectful to deceased persons in three different instances. However, the Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers has dismissed that complaint citing inconclusive evidence.  The Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers issued a press release saying that the investigation found a lack of cooperation by witnesses and a lack of corroborating evidence to support the allegations.  North’s licenses have now been reinstated. His licenses had been...

Millions of job seekers attend career fairs to learn about opportunities each year. Now many will have a similar experience at home from a computer or smartphone.  State Farm is hosting its first ever virtual career fair for applicants to learn about jobs the company hopes to fill this year. The nation’s largest insurer needs thousands of employees in claims, underwriting, technology and customer care. “This virtual fair allows candidates to visit virtual booths and chat with recruiters to discuss specific jobs, locations, and benefits, similar to attending in person,” said Alana O’Neal, Talent Acquisition Specialist at State Farm....

The Coffee County School System is adjusting its calendar for the upcoming school year due to the new Exit 111 music festival that is scheduled to take place Oct. 11 through Oct 13 at Great Stage Park in Manchester.  The county Board of Education voted during Monday’s meeting to move an already scheduled in-service day from November 1st to October 11th, meaning children will not have school Oct. 11. November 1st will now be a regularly scheduled day of school for students and teachers.  Speaking of school, the county schools will have their first abbreviated day of school on...

We have a scam that you should be aware of. The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department claims they have received several complaints from people stating they have received phone calls from personnel at the sheriff’s department asking for bond money for individuals that are in jail. The perpetrators are spoofing the sheriff department’s phone number to make it appear as if the call is actually coming from the sheriff’s department, but these are not actually sheriff’s department employees.  The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department will not call anyone asking for bond money for someone in jail, officials say. If you receive...

Tennessee is one of three states in the country with the sharpest drop in Medicaid enrollment between 2017 and 2018.  According to a report by the consumer health care group Families USA, the number of Tennesseans enrolled in Medicaid fell by nearly 10%, and more than 100,000 people lost coverage.  Eliot Fishman, senior director of health policy at Families USA, says that since 2013 the state has been struggling to bounce back from a massive software failure linked to TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program. “The way that Tennessee handled that was to mail out a hard copy – I...

The Decherd Board of Mayor and Aldermen is accusing Decherd Mayor Robin Smith of inappropriately receiving health insurance benefits paid for with city funds totaling $26,000.  According to the Herald Chronicle, aldermen claim that members of the board and the mayor are not eligible to receive insurance benefits from the City of Decherd. Alderman Roy Partin said that Mayor Robin Smith has been receiving insurance benefits since 2016. According to the Herald Chronicle, Mayor Smith said that former city administrator Mike Foster added him to the insurance program because he thought under the Affordable Care Act that Smith could be...