Edward McKinley Childers, 35 from Beersheba Springs in Grundy County was arrested after a fire broke out at the Econo Lodge Inn and Suites, 33 Paradise St. in Manchester on Thursday night around 8pm. The fire occurred in room 200. When the Manchester Fire Department arrived, they found the room full of smoke. Firemen were about to begin to search the room and discovered the door was locked from the inside. Firefighters took out the window to the room and attacked the fire from the outside, according to Manchester Fire Rescue Chief George Chambers. One male occupant was located...

A retail store in Grundy County received a visitor on Saturday that they were not expecting, a car. No one was injured when the car slammed into the Family Dollar Store on Highway 108 in Gruetli-Laager in Grundy County. The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office said the driver suffered some type of medical emergency and crashed through the store. The name of the person involved in the accident was not released by the Grundy County Sheriff’s...

You can expect deer activity to increase between October and December in Tennessee because it’s mating season. Thousands of deer versus car crashes are investigated in Tennessee every year. But this time of year, they’re more likely to happen. If you spot a dead deer on the side of the road, you can call the Tennessee Department of Transportation to clean it up. From July 1, 2017 to October 22nd, 2018 TDOT spent $6,149,498 on “special litter” cleanup. If you spot a dead deer on the side of the road you can call TDOT at 615-350-4300 or email them...

The Manchester Police Department and other emergency responders conducted an emergency drill on Thursday morning. Manchester Police Chief Mark Yother explains why this drill was conducted on Interstate Drive in Manchester. http://www.thunder1320.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Chief-Yother-Oct-25-2018.mp3 There were numerous emergency vehicles, from various agencies involved in this exercise. This was done as a test as continuing education to help first responders when they to react to an emergency issue. Remember this was only a...

More questions are coming up about the Public Building Authority (PBA) who oversees the financially troubled Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center (MCCCC). The PBA voted at its Sept. 14 meeting to amend the bylaws of the authority. The change now allows for three members from Manchester and the other four can be from anywhere in the county. Before the change the City of Manchester had two, two represented Tullahoma, two represented rural Coffee County, and one member was designated at-large. PBA Board Member Greg Sandlin, who represents Tullahoma, believes that the vote went against PBA bylaws. Sandlin believes the PBA...

Many Coffee Countians are taking part in the 2 weeks of early voting. Election Day November 6th. Early voting continues through November 1, 2018. So far over 6,000 voters have cast ballots, which is over 20 percent of all eligible voters in Coffee County. The locations for early voting are: Coffee County Election Commission, 1329 McArthur Street, Manchester, TN 37355, Monday through Friday, early voting will be conducted from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm daily. Saturday early voting hours are 8:30 AM to 12 Noon (Oct. 27). CD Stamps Center, 810 South Jackson Street, Tullahoma, TN 37388 Monday through...