The much talked about murder trial being conducted at the Marshall County courthouse, Judge Robert Crigler presiding, came to a conclusion Wednesday afternoon. 19 year old, Jerron Braden, who was charged with killing Penny Blackwell Coyle on the night of November 21, 2011, was found guilty of facilitation of first degree murder. This is a Class A Felony offense which carries a 15-25 year sentence. Braden is waiting to be sentence.  

Marvin’s Building Materials and Home Centers today announced plans to open a new store in Lewisburg, Tennessee.  The store is currently under construction at the former Food Lion in the Parkway Shoppes Plaza at the intersection of Highway 431 and US31A/TN11. The store will feature a 30,000 square foot home center in addition to an attached lawn and garden center and drive through lumberyard.  The store will offer a complete line of building materials, electrical, plumbing, paint, millwork, hardware, tools, and lawn and garden products.  Marvin’s is known for its friendly, neighborhood stores that make home improvement projects easy and affordable.  “Making our customers’ lives easier with affordable, quality solutions is what Marvin’s is all about.  We have been looking for a site in the Lewisburg and Marshall County for years, just as we did in Fayetteville.  We were very fortunate to locate in one of the most convenient intersections for shoppers in the area.” said Darrin Gilliam, CEO. The store is expected to open in June of 2013.  Marvin’s owner, Michael Cohn, commented “It is great to be on our way to becoming part of the Lewisburg and Marshall county communities. We are counting down the days until our friendly and knowledgeable associates welcome customers to our newest store.” 

“Just as we’ve found in many of our new stores, feedback from our meetings with the city indicates we will capture a great deal of sales that are currently being served outside of the city and county.  We would like to thank the Economic Development Director Greg Lowe, the city council, Mayor Barbara Woods, and the entire city administration for their support of this project,” said Gilliam.  

Marvin’s will hire approximately 25 associates to work in the new store.  “We like to hire friendly people from the community.  All of our stores have a ‘hometown’ feel,” said Gilliam.  The Marshall County Chamber of Commerce is collecting employment applications for all open positions.  People who are interested may pick up and turn in their application Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm at the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce located at 227 2^nd Avenue North, Lewisburg, Tennessee 37091 or at the Fayetteville store.  Available positions range from management to part-time associates.  Job descriptions and more information about Marvin’s can be found on our website at www.marvins.com. 

The Lewisburg location will be the second Marvin’s store in Tennessee after opening in Fayetteville in 2012.  The company was founded in 1945 by Marvin Cohn in Gadsden, Alabama and expanded into a multi-chain home center by his son, Alfred.  It is currently operated by third generation owners Michael and Daniel Cohn.  Marvin’s has 27 stores in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee.  Marvin’s was named the 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year by the Lumber and Building Material Journal and was awarded the 2010 Retailer of the Year by the Home Channel News. 

For more information please contact:

Paul Comeau, Chief Administrative Officer

paul.comeau@marvins.com

205-702-7230

An investigation that was initiated by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and the Cornersville Police Department on Monday (March 11, 2013) night of this week led to the seizure of approximately an ounce of marijuana from a Cornersville resident, according to Sheriff Norman Dalton. That investigation began when Captain Bart Fagan of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and Officer Mark Chandler of the Cornersville Police Department conducted a “knock and talk,” with a resident of Cornersville. The resident allowed them to enter his home and turned over approximately an ounce of marijuana. As that investigation continued, law enforcement officers from those agencies along with agents of the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force stopped a vehicle being operated by Earl Anderson who resides at 3116 Rich Drive in Lewisburg. At the time that Anderson’s vehicle was stopped, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana emitting from Anderson’s vehicle. A subsequent search of that vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 2 ounces of high grade marijuana, according to Director Tim Lane of the 17th Drug Task Force. Anderson was arrested at the scene of the stop and agents of the 17th Drug Task Foerce secured a search warrant for Anderson’s residence. The search warrant was executed by officers and deputies from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, the Cornersville Police Department, the Lewisburg Police Department, and agents of the 17th Drug Task Force. That search resulted in an elaborate marijuana grow operation being found in the garage area of the residence and twenty plants. There were also three large Ziploc bags found in the residence that contained approximately 1.1 pounds of processed marijuana along with approximately 7 pounds of unprocessed marijuana. All of this was seized and the grow operation was completely dismantled by the officers. Anderson was charged with Possession of Schedule VI Drug for Resale and was incarcerated in the Marshall County Jail on a $3000 Bond. This is another example of law enforcement agencies working towards a common goal of removing illegal drugs from the streets of our county, according to Sheriff Dalton. This investigation continues by law enforcement and additional arrest(s) are anticipated.

 Report Details Suicide Trends Across State; TSPN Response 

The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) has published its Status of Suicide in Tennessee 2013 report, detailing suicide trends and prevention efforts in Tennessee.  The current report includes a summary of suicide trends within Tennessee, both overall and for various subgroups.

In 2011, the latest year for which state-specific figures are available, Tennessee’s age-adjusted suicide rate was 14.6 per 100,000 people, translating into 938 reported suicide deaths. This rate and number are down from previous years but are still above the national average of 12.4 per 100,000 as reported for the year 2010 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Rates among teens and older adults, both groups traditionally at high suicide risk, remain stable.  White males aged 35-64 account for the largest share of suicide deaths, and suicide rates are higher for white males across the lifespan. 

Attention is also given to the nature of non-fatal versus fatal attempts and common suicide methods—almost two-thirds of all suicides in Tennessee involve a firearm.

All over the state, TSPN offers presentations and training sessions for schools, churches, and civic groups and partnerships with state departments and other non-profits. TSPN also networks with and faith-based groups to implement suicide prevention strategies; debriefs schools and other institutions affected by suicide death; and promotes awareness and educational events across the state of Tennessee.

 “We hope that the Status of Suicide in Tennessee 2013 report will inspire everyone to join us in the ongoing effort to make zero suicides not just an objective, but a reality for the people of our state.”

Status of Suicide in Tennessee 2013 will be published online via the TSPN website (www.tspn.org). TTY line: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) For non-emergency information on suicide prevention, contact the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network at (615) 297-1077 or tspn@tspn.org.

Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation positively identified the female murder victim found shot and burned in Coffee County as Connie Lou Brown (DOB 02/18/1962) of McMinnville. She has no fixed street address. At this time, no arrests have been made in the case. We appreciate the media’s help in this case. 

At approximately 12:35 p.m. on Saturday (March 9, 2013) the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a body being discovered near the Summitville Cave. Deputies discovered a white female who had been badly burned and believed to have been murdered and her body dumped.