The United Way of Highway 55 has teamed up with The Salvation Army and First Baptist Church of Tullahoma to spearhead a Mother’s Day Diaper and Wipes Drive. The drive is set up to benefit families in need in the Tullahoma area. You can drop off diapers and wipes through May 8 at the First Baptist church of Tullahoma – 108 E. Grundy Street. Drop off hours are 9am to 3 p.m. Monday through...

Bedford County Sheriff’s Department is alerting the public of a scam in the area that involves a caller telling the intended victim that a family member is in jail. The caller goes on to say that there is a fine involved and that a fine must be paid in order for their family member to be released from jail. This scam goes a step further than previous ones we have reported. This scam attempt also involves the scammer actually coming to the intended victims’ residence after the initial call to then request money. If someone attempts this on you,...

Three bills the Tennessee Republicans say will increase oversight and transparency of educational materials in Tennessee public schools advanced through subcommittees this week.  House Bill 2154, also known as the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022, would require local education agencies and public charter schools to adopt a policy for developing and reviewing school library collections that include factors such as the age and maturity of students. The legislation would also require a procedure to receive and evaluate feedback about materials in the library as well as periodically review materials in the collection. A current list of materials in each...

Citing problems with staffing, the Coffee County Health Department building located on Parks St. will likely be closing by the end of March while operations consolidate to the health department location in Tullahoma (615 Wilson Ave.). The full county commission will need to approve the move at its March meeting. Authorities say the state is willing to provide money to build a larger, consolidated health department in the joint industrial park, but that will require the county to contribute about $1 million. Selling the two current locations in Tullahoma and Manchester could help offset the cost to the county....

Legislation to improve sentencing transparency in Tennessee advanced out of the Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee last week. House Bill 2657, also known as the Transparency in Sentencing for Victims Act, is designed to better inform crime victims and their families about the lengths of sentences offenders will serve when a sentence is announced by a judge or jury. It now moves to the House Criminal Justice Committee for additional discussion and debate. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, partnered with State Rep. Michael G. Curcio, R-Dickson, the co-prime sponsor of the bill. House Bill 2657 would require all Tennessee...

February marks National Children’s Dental Health Month and Tennessee health officials want to raise awareness about the importance of good oral hygiene in kids. In collaboration with state Medicaid program TennCare, the Tennessee Department of Health offers sealants, a thin coating to protect teeth from cavities, in schools where 50% or more of the students receive free and reduced-price lunch. Dr. Suzanne Hayes, interim state dental director of the Tennessee Department of Health, said there is a misconception among many parents baby teeth are not important because kids eventually lose them. She said in the long-term, poor dental health can affect a...

H&R Block Student of the Week Taley Hardin, center, with New Union teacher Tori Adams (left) and Rosalyn Partin with H&R Block. Join us at Thunder Radio and Rosalyn Partin of the Manchester H&R Block and congratulate our student of the week – Taley Hardin Taley is a 5th grader at New Union Elementary School. She was nominated by her teachers and administrators.  Taley is the daughter of Tim Hardin and Kelley Hardin. Her favorite subject is math. In her free time, Taley enjoys hunting, fishing and crafting. She also enjoys cheerleading and volleyball. When she grows up, she...

SCHOOL PATROL – Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 PRESENTED BY THE BREAD AND MILK EXPERTS AT SPRING STREET MARKET, 801 S. SPRING ST IN MANCHESTER. *Coffee Co School System – TWO HOUR...