Two people were killed in a three-vehicle crash on Wattendorf Memorial Highway near Grady Finney Rd in Coffee County Sunday evening. According to a report from Tennessee Highway Patrol provided to Thunder Radio, at approximately 6:45 p.m. Sunday, March 6, 2022, James Shaw was driving a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck northbound on AEDC Rd. when his vehicle struck the rear of a 2009 Honda Odyssey, driven by James Pha of Murfreesboro. At this time, Shaw’s Dodge truck swerved into the opposite lane and struck a 2011 Chevrolet HHR, operated by Dorothy Scott, head on. Shaw, age 62 of...

Shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday night (March 6, 2022) much of Manchester and the northeastern part of Coffee County went dark. According to Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, about 7,000 customers were without power for a little less than an hour. Most all of the city limits of Manchester lost power, and most all business and residence east of Highway 53 and North of highway 41 lost juice. Rumors were rampant as to the cause of the outage. But Duck River confirms to us that a substation went down due to “animal contact.” Crews worked vigorously and most power...

By Rosalyn Partin, Manchester H&R Block Contributions to retirement accounts can be a great way to reduce your taxable income and thereby reduce your tax. Contributions to Individual Retirement Accounts for 2021 can be made up until the filing deadline of April 18, 2022. The 2021 contribution limit for IRAs is $6,000 per taxpayer with an additional $1,000 allowed for taxpayers age 50 and over. You can claim an IRA contribution deduction even if you use the standard deduction. Deductible contributions to a Traditional IRA can not only reduce your taxable income and save you tax, but in some...

The state of Tennessee recorded another drop in statewide unemployment at the start of 2022, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). January is the latest month the rate has decreased, or remained steady, since April 2020. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2022 is 3.5%, which is 0.1 of a percentage point lower than the revised December 2021 rate of 3.6%. This is the lowest the state’s unemployment rate has been since November 2019. In a year-to-year comparison, Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate dropped by 1.7 percentage points. Tennessee employers created...

On March 4, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Matt Perry welcomed the newest graduating classes of Tennessee State Troopers. The department simultaneously instructed a regular 16-week trooper cadet class and a 10-week lateral trooper cadet class. The lateral class returned from their district assignments for the graduation ceremony that took place at the Hermitage Hills Baptist Church on Lebanon Road in Nashville. To view highlights of the class during their academy, click here<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfPDsTEpfdM&feature=youtu.be>. The 46 graduates of Trooper Cadet Class 1021 included five prior law enforcement officers, 14...

AAA is providing fuel-saving tips as it appears the pain at the pump has intensified. The Tennessee Gas Price average (is now $3.81 which is an 25 cent increase over the weekend and 44 cents more expensive than one week ago. Six metro areas in the state also saw double-digit increases in their metro averages overnight.  In Coffee County, the average price per gallon is $3.83, which is 2 cents above the state average and 17 cents below the national average, which has now hit $4 per gallon. “The Russia-Ukraine conflict has intensified what was already a global oil market that was...

Sharing resources that will help farmers and ranchers keep safety top-of-mind through the Agricultural Safety Awareness Program is a priority of county and state Farm Bureau leaders across the nation. As part of this year’s ASAP commemoration, March 7-11 has been designated as Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers will join Farm Bureau in promoting the week with its theme “Prepare. Prevent. Protect.” A different safety focus will be highlighted by Coffee County Farm Bureau and U.S. Ag Centers each dayof the week:Monday, March 7 – Livestock Tuesday, March 8 – Cost of Safety-Finances Wednesday,...