Legislation that seeks to protect the anonymity of citizens related to firearm ownership is moving through the Tennessee House committee system. Similar to the protections guaranteed by the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), House Bill 1171, also known as the Firearm Information Privacy Protection Act (FIPPA), will protect Tennesseans who are exercising their right to own and purchase firearms. This legislation will create a Class A misdemeanor for any public personnel that intentionally discloses information about an owner of a firearm, for the purpose of compiling a federal firearms registry or confiscation of firearms. The bill will...

The Tennessee Department of Health is acting upon recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Our vaccine supply continues to surpass demand and we do not anticipate this shift will impact our efforts to vaccinate as many Tennesseans as possible. We continue to monitor the situation closely. While the reports of serious adverse events after the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are rare, six cases out of nearly 7 million doses administered, TDH is taking necessary...

Anyone still looking to receive the COVID-19 vaccine – there will be vaccines next week at the fairgounds with no appointment needed. Currently, the vaccine is available to people ages 16 and older. The health department will be administering the vaccine at the Coffee County Fairgrounds  next week with no appointment required at the following times: Monday, April 12 from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday – Thursday, April 13-15, from 1-3 p.m. Friday, April 16, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Appointments for vaccines are also still available and can be booked at...

The Director of United Way of Highway 55, Ashley Abraham, is reminding non profits that this is the time to apply for allocations from the organization. United Way of Highway 55 allocations process has begun. Each year, United Way of Highway 5 strives to reach and receive more applications in all 3 counties served – Coffee, Moore and Warren. Last year, there were 22 applicants. Any non profits wishing to apply should email Ashley Abraham directly at director@highway55unitedway.org. United Way prides itself on being a safe, effective outlet for donors to make a difference in their community. We raise...

The Tennessee General Assembly last week unanimously passed legislation that aims to curb thefts of catalytic converters in Tennessee.  In partnership with local and state law enforcement agencies, House Bill 1155 targets those who steal catalytic converters from cars. The bill requires any entity engaged in buying these unattached parts to notify law enforcement of these purchases. This will support the creation of a registry which will help suppress criminal activity in Tennessee.  House Bill 1155 heads to the governor’s desk for his...

Tennessee businesses will be eligible to receive more pandemic assistance through a bill that will exempt relief funds from state taxes. Tennessee lawmakers  last Monday night successfully guided unanimous passage of House Bill 776 which exempts Covid-19 relief payments received between March 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2021 from the state’s excise taxes. This legislation provides an excise tax deduction for Tennessee business and entities that have received or will receive such relief payments in 2020 and 2021. Businesses that received funds from the following programs are eligible for the deduction: Tennessee Business Relief Program; Tennessee Supplemental Employer Recovery...

For the second time this year, the Tennessee Gas Price average saw a week over week decrease – down a penny compared to last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.68 which is 4 cents more than one month ago and $1.05 more than one year ago. The average price in Coffee County is $2.65 per gallon of regular unleaded, which is 3 cents below the state average. The national average is $2.86. “After a wild March, Americans are seeing a little stability at the pump. On the week, 40 states’ averages either increased or decreased by...

Saturday, April 24 from 8:00 am until 11:00am volunteers are asked to help spring clean Tullahoma in the Community Beautification Day. Volunteers can report to Public Works for tools, safety vests and assignments between 8:00 and 9:00 am. Citizens are also encouraged to do their own cleaning without Public Works if they do not need to report service hours. “Getting litter picked-up is critical to the vibrancy of our City,” said Director of Public Works, Butch Taylor. “We ask residents to not litter. With your help, we can go a long way in keeping Tullahoma clean and beautiful. It...