Thunder Radio

Tullahoma city leaders want the Tennessee Legislature to change state law so municipally owned broadband systems can expand beyond their service areas, but getting it accomplished is easier said than done. Tullahoma’s Rep. Judd Matheny and Sen. Eric Stewart, have each introduced nearly identical bills in their respective General Assembly branches to change the law. Tullahoma is pushing for the change as a way to promote economic development in the Coffee County Joint Industrial Park, located between Manchester and Tullahoma. Similar efforts fell in 2009. Mayor Lane Curlee said more jobs mean more residents, more paychecks, and more students in the school system, and overall, Tullahoma will be better off and prosper.

The Tullahoma Fire Department’s quick response to a potentially dangerous situation at a local apartment complex narrowly averted disaster for the apartment dwellers at the complex. The Fire Department received an alert to a smoke situation at Continental Apartments on Cedar Lane at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Upon entering the apartment, the first responders discovered that food on the stove was left unattended with the burner’s eye on. The firemen were able to prevent any further damage and rescue the pet trapped inside.
Fire Chief Richard Shasteen reminds all residents to be especially vigilant when leaving home, especially making sure all burners, ovens, irons, curling irons, other electrical appliances and candles are turned off, unplugged or extinguished.

Deputies in Bedford County said a man walked into their office early Thursday morning and confessed to killing a person in White County.
James Lackey walked into the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office around 2:30 a.m. and confessed to killing a man at a home on Franks Ferry Road near Sparta.
The motive for the homicide is unclear, but the sheriff said it’s possible the slaying happened as a result of self defense.
Lackey led deputies to the scene using Google Earth. Deputies in White County later found the victim fatally shot.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the case.

Proposed legislation that would have prevented the Tennessee Lottery from advertising outside of where tickets are sold, such as on television, radio or billboards, was handed a legislative defeat in the legislature Tuesday.
In a Senate State and Local Government committee meeting, after introduction by Senator Jim Summerville (R-Dickson County), the sponsor of the bill, the legislation failed to receive a “second” from any member and will be held “in committee,” which is essentially the death notice for this session.
The bills sought to make it illegal to advertise lottery sales on television, radio or billboards and would have only allowed the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation to place advertisements next to the register where the tickets are sold.
The General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee estimated the bill, if passed, would have cost Tennessee nearly $23 million lost revenue.
According to the Fiscal Review Committee, the lottery gains approximately ten dollars in revenue for every dollar they spend on advertising.

The U.S. Postal Service says it is closing three mail processing operations in Tennessee. The agency announced on Thursday it would shut down processing centers in Chattanooga, Jackson, and Johnson City. Work from Chattanooga will be moved to the processing and distribution centers in Nashville and Atlanta. Mail now handled in Jackson will flow to the Memphis center. The Johnson City work will move to Knoxville.
Nashville will process mail for Coffee County now done in Chattanooga.
Specific dates for the transitions haven’t been decided. The Postal Service says first-class mail volume has declined 25% since 2006. The agency relies on the sale of postage, postal product and services for all of its income.

The Coffee County Schools Department of Health Services is sponsoring a Blood Assurance blood drive at Deerfield Elementary, Thursday, March 1st, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. Most of this blood can only come from volunteer donors. Currently only 3 out of every 100 people in America donate blood. It takes over 400 donations every day to meet the need for blood in our area. The average adult has 10 pints of blood that makes up about 7% of your body’s weight. Blood donors can give blood every 56 days or 8 weeks. One pint of blood can help as many as 3 patients. Someone needs blood every six seconds in our area alone. If you would like to donate and give the gift of life please contact School Nurse Donna Trail at Deerfield Elementary 570-2656. You can BE A HERO and SAVE A LIFE!