JOHN COFFELTEditor

Coffee County held a ground breaking ceremony Thursday, Dec. 7 at the location of the new $1.5 million Coffee County Animal Services, that will be built on three acres located at 3292 Hillsboro Highway.

The construction is estimated to be complete by this time next year.

County Mayor Judd Matheny said at the ceremony that the physical location of the shelter will put animal services front and center in the public’s mind.

“We are going to continue to reach out to the community as we grow,” he said.

Matheny announced that St. John Engineering has been awarded the architectural contract. The selection was approved at a special called Capital Outlay meeting on Dec. 5, with all members voting yes, except for Jimmy Hollandsworth who abstained.

Chairman of Capital Outlay, Commissioner Dennis Hunt called the project a long time coming.

He told those gathered how he was working at the site when it was being sold about two years ago.

Hunt said he asked David Reed about the new owner’s plans for the property and suggested that the county needed a place to build an animal shelter.

“That was over two years ago. To say that it was a long time coming is an understatement,” Hunt said.

Present for the ground breaking were Tom and Karen Rice who donated the property that was appraised at $290,000.

Tom Rice said that the family feels really blessed to be able to make the donation.

“(The shelter) will be beautiful when it’s completed,” he said.

“We have quite a few animals ourselves,” he said. “We want to contribute to the county. It’s been brilliant for us to be here. We started in ’89, and the way it’s grown, the type of people that live in Coffee County who’ve worked with us.”

“It’s extraordinary,” Rice said. “I’ve been to a lot of counties. This is not a normal county.”

Karen Rice mirrored her husband’s feelings about the county.

“We’re hoping to be a blessing,” she said.

The Rice’s are moving toward retirement.

“This is an opportunity to make some donations to whether it our church, the county or whoever,” Tom Rice said.

Coffee County Humane Society Co-president Hazel Fanning said that her group has been very supportive of the project.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.