A traffic stop last week by the Tennessee Highway Patrol on I-24 near Manchester, Tn., has led to smuggling charges against Jesus Andres Lujan Jr. During the traffic stop it was discovered that the man had 16 Hispanic people in a 2004 Chevrolet Express van that authorities said were being smuggled into the U.S. According to the Chattanoogan online paper, Lujan said he believed all 16 individuals were in the U.S. illegally. He said he was being paid $50 each to transport them from Houston, TX and was taking them to Doraville, Ga. or possibly Charlotte, N.C. Three of...

The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance on the federal marketplace begins today (Nov. 1, 2017), and consumer advocates want to make sure Tennesseans understand the importance having coverage. This year, the federal government has cut funding for the health navigator program as well as payments to states to offset the cost of premiums. But Kinika Young, director of children’s health at the Tennessee Justice Center, said it’s still important to make sure you and your family are protected. “I think it’s important to remember that you want to make sure that you’re covered in the event of...

Mayor Lane Curlee and the Tullahoma Board of Aldermen are pleased to announce that US Air Force Colonel Scott Cain, commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) at Arnold Air Force Base will be the featured speaker at the City of Tullahoma’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony. Veterans and the public are invited to attend the Veterans Day Ceremony to be held on Friday, November 10 at the South Jackson Civic Center at 404 South Jackson Street at 10:45 am. At this time, the City of Tullahoma will pause to honor America’s veterans and celebrate their contributions to our...

Last week the Manchester Police Department and the Coffee County Rescue Squad conducted a search for a missing man. Anthony Lee Mathis, age 54 of Manchester, had been missing since Sunday, October 22. As Manchester Police continued to search for Mathis on Monday, they located a deceased male body near Century and Spring St. The body was found in a deep ravine close to the railroad tracks. The body was determined to be that of Anthony Lee Mathis. Investigator Brandon Tomberlin said police believe that no foul play was involved in the...

Walgreens recently announced plans to close almost 600 stores as part of a deal with Rite Aid. Most of the stores will be Rite Aid locations. According to the Associated Press the company did not disclose which locations will be closed. According to the report, the vast majority being closed are within one mile of another drugstore that they will own after the deal that is expected to be completed in the spring. Walgreens has one store in Manchester and another in Tullahoma. The Manchester location is within a few hundred yards from a Rite Aid...

Tennessee is moving in the right direction when it comes to eliminating racial disparities for children and their families. That’s according to an index included in a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the “2017 Race for Results.” White children still have better outcomes in education and family income than children of color, and Linda O’Neal with the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth says specific solutions exist to continue closing that gap. “We know in Tennessee we can improve outcomes over the long term, if we provide evidence-based programs like home visiting, such as quality early childhood...

Officials say tnAchieves, the organization that administers the Tennessee Promise program, is in need of some 4,000 more mentors. Coffee County has a goal of 84 mentors for 2018. Each Tennessee Promise applicant is paired with a mentor who helps the student in navigating the student process. Tennessee Promise enables high school graduates to attend a Tennessee Community College or College of Applied Technology tuition-free. The deadline to apply to be a mentor is December 1st. You can find an application online at tnachieves.org...