A kindergarten class at Hickerson Elementary School surprised their school’s longtime custodian for his 60th birthday by singing to him — in Sign Language. The Tennessean reports the class posted a video of the surprise on Facebook Tuesday. It shows custodian James Anthony laughing in disbelief and bringing his hands to his head as the children signed the “Happy Birthday” song. Anthony has worked for the Coffee County school system since 1991 and is hearing-impaired, but he can read lips. The children learned the song with the help of a teacher, teacher’s aide and...

The first of two Tennessee young sportsman deer hunts for the 2018-19 season will be held the weekend of Oct. 27-28. Youth ages 6-16 years of age may participate. Participating youth can use gun, muzzleloader, and archery equipment. Young sportsmen must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 21 or older who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device. The adult must also comply with the fluorescent orange regulations as specified for legal hunters. Multiple youths may be accompanied by a single qualifying adult. The annual Coffee County Young Sportsman Deer Rally will be held...

The Grundy County football team is back in news, but this time the news involves another team. A Facebook video posted by GCTV, a local cable channel on the mountain, shows the coin toss before a game. According to WTVC-TV in Chattanooga, during the coin toss, players for Sequatchie County’s football team can be seen holding up two jerseys. According to the Grundy County Athletic Director Leon Woodlee, the numbers on the jerseys are of former Grundy County football players charged in last year’s attempted aggravated rape case. The football players allegedly tried to assault a freshman in the...

It is that time of year again to start thinking about how you are going to decorate your float or vehicle for the City of Manchester’s Christmas Parade. The theme this year is “The Joy of Giving”. The parade will be held on Saturday, November 24, 2018. Entries must register by Nov. 12th. Parade lineup starts at 5:00 pm. For more info call A.J. Fox at 931-728-0273 or e-mail at ajfox@cityofmanchestertn.com. The downtown Christmas Tree lighting will take place at 7:30pm. To go along with the theme of “The Joy of Giving.” The Manchester Rec Center has partnered with...

Gov. Bill Haslam has unveiled new changes to improve the state’s problem-plagued elementary and secondary school online testing process. Haslam announced Wednesday that TNReady will now produce faster test results, provide teachers with more resources to prepare their students for the test and offer schools more affordable technology devices. The changes come at a time when Haslam is preparing to leave office and hand off the troubled test administration to a new governor – where both Democrat Karl Dean and Republican Bill Lee vying for the office have advocated for a total reset of the system. Haslam says the...

A report out this week ranks Tennessee as the third-most difficult state to cast a vote. According to The Washington Post, people in the Volunteer State face more inconveniences on the way to the ballot box than most other states. Despite the poll, Coffee Countians have been voting heavy during early voting for the Nov. 6, 2018 election. Over 5,000 voters have cast ballots. Early voting goes through Nov. 1. The study looked at election laws and scrutinized the time and effort it takes to vote in each state. It also studied registration deadlines, what you need to bring...

WHO: Coffee County Schools Department of Career & Technical Education Manchester Chamber of Commerce WHAT: The Coffee County Career Exploration Fair is designed to connect seventh, eighth and ninth grade students with industry professionals who will share insight into their educational and career backgrounds. Information presented will help guide students in selecting future coursework at the high school level. WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 25 Students will rotate through sessions that take place during the following times: 8-9:15 a.m. 10-11:15 a.m. 1-2:15 p.m. WHERE: First Baptist Church 1006 Hillsboro Boulevard,...