Members of the Coffee County Budget and Finance committee have been preparing for the full county commission meeting that will be held on Tuesday night (June 27, 2017). Recently, General Manager of the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center (MCCCC) Rebecca French, presented the budget request to the committee members. She asked for about $280,000 to cover projected losses during next fiscal year, which would be an improvement compared to this year’s losses, amounting to over $400,000. Coffee County and the City of Manchester equally cover the costs for operating the center. Member Mark Kelly abstained, and Steven Jones voted against...

AAA forecasts more Americans will travel this Independence Day than ever before. A record-breaking 44.2 million Americans (872,000 Tennesseans) will take to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways; an increase of 1.3 million Americans (34,000 Tennesseans) from last year’s holiday. “This Independence Day will be historic,” said Vicky Evans, Assistant Vice President, Travel Sales Development, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Traveler numbers are up and prices are down, adding to what has already been a bustling summer travel season. Travel bookings at The Auto Club Group are up by almost 4 percent (3.8%) in Tennessee, compared to...

A national warning was issued by the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday, warning people of card skimmers. Skimmers are devices illegally placed on things like gas pumps and ATMs that “skim” a credit or debit card’s information, giving criminals access to your bank accounts. The criminals then use the data to make online purchases or clone cards for use in person. “You won’t know your information has been stolen until you get your statement or an overdraft notice,” the Federal Trade Commission said. While skimmers aren’t new, the commission warns advancements in technology has made them smaller and harder...

An investigation is underway after the Tullahoma Fire Department battled a blaze at a church Wednesday morning around 11:00am. It happened at the Pleroma Bible Church on Cedar Lane. Fire Chief Richard Shasteen said that when crews arrived flames were already coming from the building’s attic area. He added that the church was about a 50 percent total loss. A portion of Cedar Lane and the city pool had to be closed for a period of time. According to Tullahoma Police Investigator Tyler Hatfield, an electric meter had been stolen from the building. The Tullahoma Utility Board was installing...

Tennessee’s sales tax holiday has been set for July 28th through 30th this year. The tax-free weekend was created several years ago as a way to ease the financial burden on parents who much purchase back-to-school supplies and clothes. The holiday weekend begins just after midnight on Friday, July 28th and continues through midnight on Sunday, the 30th. During the tax-free weekend, shoppers will not have to pay any state or local sales tax on clothing and school supplies totaling $100 or less, or computers totaling $1,500 or...

Parts of Tennessee continue to recover from the millions of dollars in damage done by last year’s wildfires – but new scientific research indicates the damage to the state’s air quality may be even worse than the EPA estimates. Two new studies from the Georgia Institute of Technology indicate particulates created by wildfire can have a long-lasting impact on climate. Smoke samples weren’t specific to the Tennessee fires, but Professor Greg Huey with Georgia Tech says they found a list of chemicals you’d expect from an oil refinery – methanol, benzene, other noxious emissions – which pose significant risks...

Broken Bow Records artist and Tullahoma native Dustin Lynch proved unbeatable in a December episode of Spike TV’s LIP SYNC BATTLE, taking on fellow country star Cassadee Pope. Hosted by LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen, LIP SYNC BATTLE pits celebrities in a head-to-head fight to see who can deliver the most outrageous and entertaining lip-synched performance. Lynch wowed the crowd earning himself the LSB championship belt and $10,000 for a charity. Lynch decided to donate the money the Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center. He gave recently gave the money to the center. The Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center...