The president of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing said earlier this year that his company was going to donate a REC7 AR 15 rifle to every Tennessee sheriff’s office or department. Barrett Firearms President Chris Barrett made the announcement at the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association Annual Conference and Exhibition in Sevierville. Barrett’s headquarters are located in Murfreesboro, and their M52 was recently designated as the state’s gun. Barrett said in a news release “We believe that the sheriffs can use these rifles as they enforce the laws around this great state.” Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves received his department’s gun over the...

A one-vehicle crash on Interstate 24 Saturday afternoon around 12:30pm resulted in fatalities. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the wreck happened at mile marker 107 in Coffee County. The THP says that multiple people lost their lives near Manchester. The Tennessee Highway Patrol Chattanooga District has yet to report how many people actually died in the crash or what led to the accident. Traffic was backed up many miles for several hours as crews worked at the scene. The roadway was cleared by 4:15 p.m. No other details have been released at this time, but we will continue to...

Investigators are looking for two people who ransacked a Grundy County pharmacy. The Grundy County Sheriff’s department says two people broke into Palmer Drugs early Thanksgiving morning. They can be seen on surveillance video smashing out the front door and then heading for the stock behind the counter. One of the burglars trips and falls on his way to the back. They take something and then leave through the same door they came in. The whole crime lasted just a couple minutes. If you have any information on this crime, call the Grundy County Sheriff’s office at 931-692-3860. (Story...

On Tuesday afternoon there was a structure fire at 4291 McMinnville Hwy. Coffee County deputies were first respond to the scene. A detached garage on the property was on fire. All volunteer fire departments were summoned to scene along with Manchester Fire & Rescue. The fire caused an estimated $11-15,000 in damage and the garage was a total loss. The home next to the garage was also damaged, causing around $5,000 in...

Fire crews from all over Rutherford County began working a brush fire on Wednesday morning. About an hour after the fire was reported volunteer fire departments from Coffee County and Manchester Fire & Rescue were called to assist in the firefighting effort along Highway 41 just outside Coffee County. Authorities confirmed at least 15 structures were in danger. Highway 41 had to be closed for period of time while firemen worked the scene. However, authorities added they had the fire under...

The new overtime law set to take effect next week has been put on hold. Several states had asked a judge for an injunction. The injunction put a temporary hold on the overtime rule until the total legality is made clear. The new law could have affected as many as 4-million workers nationwide. The new overtime rule would have allowed people who make $47,500 or less eligible for overtime if they worked more than 40 hours during a week. As the current rules work, companies can avoid paying overtime to full-time salaried employees making $23,660 by classifying them as...

Every month, hundreds of veterans transition out of military service in Tennessee, with 400 joining civilian life at Fort Campbell alone. That transition isn’t always easy for veterans entering the job market. A new program by WorkForce Essentials, called “101 Jobs for the 101st,” was launched this year, and there’s been significant demand. Currently the job coaching program helps Fort Campbell personnel. But Charlie Koon, director of workforce and economic development for WorkForce Essentials, said they’re hoping to expand the program because of the overwhelming response. “Recruiting those soldiers that have the talents: they’re trained, they’re disciplined, they know...