The federal government has pushed back the date for a test of President Donald Trump’s emergency text alert system. On October 3, most cell phone users will get a non-political, emergency test message from the president. It’s a part of FEMA’s system to warn citizens in cases of national emergencies. The text will have a header reading “presidential alert.” The test was originally supposed to take place on September 20. The wireless emergency alert system was launched in 2012 but has yet to be...

Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says that Tennessee is set to receive $30.8 million to combat the opioid crisis. This funding will help health centers in Tennessee, from Chattanooga to Memphis, hire more staff and ensure they are equipped to fight the crisis; provide more medication-assisted treatment to patients; help our rural communities tackle opioid addiction; and support programs that prevent more Tennesseans from becoming addicted to opioids. These grants are funded by appropriations legislation passed by Congress in March. On Monday, the Senate passed 99-1 the Opioid Crisis Response Act, which Alexander has been the lead...

The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation this week is urging people in Tennessee to take a picture of themselves reading. Tennessee’s Imagination Library Week is celebrating the program first piloted by singer Dolly Parton almost 30 years ago. Now with programs in 49 states and several countries, the campaign to send children from birth to age five a new book once a month is changing lives, according to Dean Hoskins, vice president of the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation. “Just by the virtue of having books in the home, children are more likely to succeed, not just as they...

Many local golfers and business people in Coffee County remember a young man named, Spencer Wayne. The young man, fresh out of college came to Manchester around 10 years ago to manage Willowbrook Golf Course. A few years later Wayne left Willowbrook, owned by his friend David Burris to manage and later become co-owner the Western Sizzlin restaurant in Jasper, TN. Wayne grew up in Marion County, so it was natural fit. On Monday the sad news broke and Spencer’s many friends in Coffee County began to learn that Wayne had died at the age of 33. The one...

Trevor Sanders who graduated from Grundy County High School has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office and county school system, claiming his right to free speech was violated. Sanders says he was arrested and put in jail for asking questions about Grundy High School’s Valedictorian policy. Trevor asked questions when it was announced a student who was graduating after only three years – not 4 – would be Valedictorian. When Sanders began to ask why, he was told he needed to meet with school administrators to talk about him speaking out. In that meeting...

Tennessee has the fifth highest rate of women murdered by men in the country with a rate of 1.91 per 100,000, according to a new study. The Violence Policy Center released their study, When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2016 Homicide Data, Tuesday. The VPC used data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Report to determine where each state would rank. The study looks into homicides involving one female victim and one male suspect. Across the United States, the study found that more than 1,800 women were murdered by men in 2016. 93 percent of those women were killed...

After a series of problems this spring, Governor Bill Haslam says he’s being urged not to “re-invent the wheel” for student testing. WKRN-TV reports that this comes as the governor wrapped his final stop Tuesday on the statewide listening tour for the assessment test called TNReady. There was plenty wrong with TNReady student testing this past April. Those issues prompted Haslam to go on his statewide listening tour. The governor says he has been impressed with practical solutions being offered about the tests that are a key part of student, teacher and school evaluations, but says there could be...

The Coffee County Fair continues at the fairgrounds in Manchester. Activities on Wednesday include Nick’s Kids Show at 5, 7 and 8:30 pm. On the grandstand stage at 7pm will be the music group, Refuge followed by, By Faith. Also, Wednesday night all the carnival rides are only $1 per ride. Attention veterans: the Manchester Recreation Center wants to recognize all veterans individually for their service to our country at the Coffee County Fair on Wednesday morning, September 19. Senior Day activities begin at 9am. The past Saturday (Sept. 15) the Fairest of the Fair pageant was held with...