Latest Headlines
State Unemployment Unchanged from December
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips have announced that unemployment across Tennessee remained low at the start of 2018. Data released revealed the preliminary statewide unemployment rate for January 2018 was 3.3 percent, which matched the revised rate for December 2017. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January was 1.2 percent lower than the rate for the same month one year ago and has remained 3.3 percent since September 2017. Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate has been below 4 percent since May 2017. “More than 3.1 million Tennesseans are currently working, but the statistics...
New Director Named for Area 13 Special Olympics
Suzanne Foster, of Tullahoma, has been named director of Area 13 Special Olympics. With former director stepping down last year and no director for several months, the organization has had to cancel several events, and the upcoming Area 13 Summer Special Olympics events were in jeopardy. With Foster accepting the voluntary position, the upcoming Summer Olympics for Area 13 will be held. The event is set for April 26 at the Tullahoma High School. Area 13 serves Coffee, Bedford, Franklin, Lincoln and Moore...
Manchester Man Facing Drug Charges
A Manchester man was arrested March 6 for drug possession. Austin D. Florence, 20, of Big Falls Circle, Manchester was arrested by Manchester Police Officer Derek Bowles on charges of manufacturing/delivering/selling/possession of a controlled substance, tampering with or fabricating/destruction of evidence and unlawful drug uses and activities. According to warrants obtained by the officer, police were called to Rivendell Apartments on Expressway Drive in Manchester to a person unresponsive. When the officer arrived, he found a person on the ground and unresponsive. Officers administered Narcan to the man and he became responsive. According to the police report, witnesses advised...
Citizens Receiving Questionable Calls
Attention Coffee County residents: Phone calls are being made to people in our area from Police Officers Support Alliance asking for donations to help support police officers. Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves wants to let the citizens of the county know that his department is in no way associated with this company. The caller has actually called at least two employees of the department asking for a donation. Sheriff Graves and others at the department have researched the Police Officers Support Alliance and at last report their mailing address was shown to be a mailbox inside a UPS store...
Legislation Introduced to Improve School Safety
A group of 13 senators have introduced legislation to allow 100,000 public schools to improve school safety by using federal dollars for school counselors, alarm systems, security cameras and crisis intervention training. The School Safety & Mental Health Services Improvement Act was introduced by Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee along with other leaders. Senator Alexander said, “We have drafted this legislation to help states and communities keep schools safe. Safe schools are for the most part a local responsibility, but in this case, the federal government can and should help. One way to do this is...
New Motlow President Recommended
The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) will meet in a special session Tuesday, March 13, to consider and act on the recommendation for the next president of Motlow State Community College. Following national searches by two separate search committees and visits to the campuses by finalists, TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings is recommending Dr. Michael L. Torrence to become the new president of Motlow State Community College. Torrence is currently assistant vice president of academic affairs at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin,...
H&R Block Student of the Week
Congratulations to Student of the Week -Carlee Sullivan!!! Carlee, the daughter of Josh and Amanda Sullivan, is a tenth grader at Coffee County Central High school. Carlee was nominated because “she shows school spirit, is involved in many school activities, is always smiling and is a kind and loving young lady” said Principal, Joey Vaughn. Carlee is a cheerleader, is involved with HOSA and Spanish club. When not at school, Carlee enjoys singing, playing acoustic guitar, riding four wheelers and hunting. Carlee wants to become an oncology nurse. When her grandfather was sick, she says that she was inspired...
CORRECTION! Schools Making Plans for Walkout Day and other Related Days
This month, some Tennessee students will join other activists to stand up for student safety. The National Student Walkout is March 14, and the March for Our Lives is March 24. The Network for Public Education has also declared April 20 a National Day of Action on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Three schools (high school, 9th grade acad., and middle school) in the Coffee County system are making plans to participate in various events to bring awareness about student safety. In NO way is this being done to say that students or school system...
