The Tennessee Department of Transportation is joining states across the nation to ask motorists to “Drive like you work here”-move over and slow down for highway workers. TDOT is spreading that message statewide during National Work Zone Awareness Week in an effort to improve safety in Tennessee’s interstate and highway construction and maintenance work zones. In 2016, three TDOT employees were struck and killed by passing motorists. With hundreds of TDOT employees working on the highways every day, TDOT is urging drivers to pay attention to signs, reduce your speed and move over when possible. Last year in Tennessee,...

On Tuesday morning WMSR News was invited to Hickerson Elementary School for a special swearing-in ceremony of 8 Student School Safety Officers. Coffee County Sheriff Chad Partin with the help of AAA (The Auto Club Group), and SRO Hassan Peterson began a school safety officer patrol. The program began a few months ago to include all Coffee County elementary schools. Sheriff Partin swore in the officers that will work with Hickerson’s SRO Jason Dendy. Sgt. Laura Nettles said that there is a total of 53 school safety officers in Coffee County elementary schools. She added the officers will have...

Dinah Gail Loughridge has safely been located (4-9-19). Story from 4-8-19. The Coffee County Sheriff’s Department has issued a statement to be on the lookout for a runaway juvenile. Her name is Dinah Gail Loughridge. She stands 5’3”, weighing 170lbs with Blonde and Brown hair. She was last seen on 3/24/19 in Coffee County in the Old Seminary Road area. She was wearing black jogging pants with a white stripe going down the leg, black sweatshirt, green Nike hoodie, and a cream-colored backpack. If you see Dinah Gail Loughridge or have any contact with her, please call Coffee County...

Now through April 12th, the Manchester Police Department, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and other agencies are having a special enforcement known as “Operation Incognito.” It is a specialized enforcement operation aimed at reducing crashes by concentrating efforts on the main contributing factors involving injury-related crashes which are distracted driving, aggressive driving, speeding, seat belt violations and other high-risk driving behaviors. More than 3,400 people are killed in distracted driving crashes each year. Drivers are being urged to put down their phone and avoid distractions when behind the wheel, especially now during April’s Distracted Driving...

The Shelbyville Police Department was asking your assistance locating Jamichael Richardson. He was wanted for a shooting offense that occurred in the early morning hours of April 5, 2019. Richardson has been brought into custody. No details about his arrest were released by police. A 17-year-male victim was rushed to a Nashville hospital after being...

Monteagle Police Department in conjunction with Dunlap Police Department recovered stolen property from a theft that happened at the Super 8 Motel in Monteagle. On March 24th, 2019, an individual reported $6,300 stolen from a jacket pocket left at the motel. After officers with the Monteagle Police Department reviewed security footage from the motel, warrants were issued for the individuals responsible. Just 3 days later on March 27th Dunlap Police Department stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction with one of the individuals responsible for the theft driving the vehicle. The following day officers from the Monteagle Police Department...

A regional overdose-prevention program that equips citizens with naloxone is expanding across the state. Tennessee has seen increasing numbers of overdose deaths in recent years because of opioid use. But the program, which already has put 35,000 naloxone kits into residents’ hands, aims to change that. In October 2017, the state placed regional overdose-prevention specialists in communities where overdose deaths were highest. These individuals are training others on when and how to use naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote. They’re handing out naloxone kits and educating people about addiction. Matthew Parriott, director of communication for the Tennessee Department of Mental...