Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 10-26-26

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for October 26, 2026

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.

We start with local news…

Former Columbia First Responder Indicted (WKRN.com)

 A longtime Maury County first responder is now in jail, accused of multiple counts of sex crimes against children.

On Thursday, a Maury County Grand Jury indicted Patrick Edward Ryan, 42, on eight counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Ryan is a former police officer, a former volunteer firefighter, a former corrections officer, and is currently a constable in District 7 in Maury County.

According to Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland, Ryan was a corrections officer at the Maury County Jail for a little more than a year. The sheriff confirmed he terminated Ryan on Thursday, the day he was indicted and then processed at the Maury County Jail.

According to Mount Pleasant Police Department, Ryan was an officer in the Maury County law enforcement agency from January 2013 until October 2015.

Police officials in Spring Hill told News 2 Ryan started with the Spring Hill Police Department in 2019 and was fired in 2023, when he was a K-9 officer.

According to an internal investigation from SHPD obtained by News 2, Ryan was terminated for “conduct unbecoming an officer, honesty and truthfulness issues, as well as false and inaccurate reporting.”

It all stems from an investigation in 2023, when K-9 Officer Ryan was questioned about his investigative techniques involving a drug case in the parking lot of a Home Depot.

“After watching Officer Ryan’s videos, I concluded that Officer Ryan is using Canine Narco to violate the rights of citizens of Spring Hill. Officer Ryan has had plenty of canine training. He was a canine handler for the Mt. Pleasant Police Department and is currently a canine handler for the Spring Hill Police Department,” the report concluded.

The internal report leading to Ryan’s termination also looked closely at other investigations and traffic stops made by the K-9 officer while employed by the department.

Ryan also spent years as a volunteer firefighter for the Maury County Fire Department. According to MCFD command staff, Ryan was fired Sept. 16, 2026, for failure to fulfill his duties.

According to the 16-count indictment, around January of 2024, Ryan “possessed and distributed multiple images depicting a child engaged in a sexual act.”

According to the district attorney’s office, if convicted of all 16 felony counts, Ryan could get between three and 80 years in prison.

The Maury County Jail confirmed to News 2 Ryan posted a $100,000 bond. He is due in court Nov. 3.

5th Congressional Candidates Answer MSM (MSM)

Fifth Congressional District candidates Charlie Hatcher and Chaz Molder answered a series of questions submitted to them from Main Street Media of Tennessee ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. 

The candidates were first asked what would be their top priority at the start of their terms? 

Hatcher stated making life more affordable for Tennessee families while protecting the economic opportunities that allow our communities to thrive.

“As a farmer, veterinarian and small-business owner, I understand what rising costs, government regulations and economic uncertainty mean to working families and businesses. We need to get federal spending under control, reduce unnecessary regulations, support American agriculture and create an environment where businesses can grow and families can prosper.

I’ve spent my career working to solve problems, not just talking about them. That’s the approach I’ll take to Washington.”

To the same question, Chaz Molder said lowering the cost of living. “Everybody running for office says that these days, but unless you’re willing to change the policies that got us here, it doesn’t mean much. I would work to reverse blanket tariffs, end an open-ended war that is driving up prices and make healthcare more affordable. 

We also need a government that puts those priorities ahead of politicians’ financial interests. On Day One, I will introduce anti-corruption legislation to ban congressional stock trading, impose term limits and strengthen restrictions on lobbying after leaving office. People deserve confidence that their representatives are working for them. “

Next, The candidates were asked what one of the biggest challenges families in the 5th district are facing right now, and what can Congress realistically do about it? 

Hatcher said affordability is one of the biggest concerns.

“Families are paying more for groceries, housing, utilities, insurance and healthcare. Too many hardworking Tennesseans feel like they’re falling behind even when they’re doing everything right.

Congress cannot simply pass a law that makes everything cheaper, but it can make decisions that help reduce the cost of living.

We can control federal spending, encourage domestic energy production, reduce unnecessary regulations that increase consumer prices and support policies that strengthen American manufacturing and agriculture. I believe Washington needs to start thinking more like the families and small businesses that have to balance their budgets every day.”

Mayor Molder agreed that the cost of living is the number one concern. “I recently spoke with a single mother at a grocery store in Columbia who was actively choosing between filling prescriptions for her children and putting dinner on the table that night. That conversation has stuck with me. Families are working as hard as ever, and these days, they’re finding that the basics are beyond their reach. 

I hear the same frustration from farmers paying more for diesel, fertilizer and equipment while worrying about whether they will have a dependable market for their crops and beef. Congress can change policies that are contributing to those pressures. They can reverse blanket tariffs, restore cheaper health insurance premiums and negotiate lower prescription prices. Those are concrete policy decisions that would leave families with more money to live on.”

Next, the candidates were asked that as data centers expand across the country, what should Congress do, if anything, to ensure costs aren’t offset onto local residents? 

Candidate Hatcher stated that is was both a local issue, but one that had national security implications. “This should be a local decision and data centers should be put in places that make sense; however, this is also a national security issue. We cannot let China win the AI race.

Technology and data centers can bring investment and economic development to Tennessee, but local families and small businesses should not be stuck paying the bill for someone else’s expansion. Large data center operators should be responsible for the additional infrastructure and electricity costs directly attributable to their operations, rather than passing those costs along to residential customers. Congress should work with state regulators and utility providers to ensure transparency, protect existing ratepayers and maintain reliable electricity service.

Molder stated that his experience helps inform his answer on the topic. “Congress should require data centers to pay their own way and leave decisions about where they belong in local hands. I’m a mayor, so I have a front row seat to major corporations bringing big developments to town. The people who live with a project’s consequences deserve a meaningful say, including the ability to turn it down. 

TVA took a good step by approving a separate rate structure intended to keep other customers from subsidizing data centers. Developers should cover the full cost of the electricity, water and infrastructure they require. Congress should also repeal the tax breaks benefiting data centers in the Big Beautiful Bill, which my opponent has vocally supported.

I supported a data center moratorium in Memphis and brought a similar proposal forward in Columbia. Communities need time to establish enforceable protections, and they should not be rushed because a tech company wants to build.”

Next, the candidates were asked What should Congress do to support Tennessee farmers? 

Hatcher, a lifelong farmer stated, “Food security is national security. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot remain truly independent.

Our farmers are facing increasing production costs, uncertain markets, labor shortages, and regulatory burdens. Congress needs to protect the farm safety net, maintain strong crop insurance programs, expand opportunities for agricultural exports and make certain our farmers can compete fairly in domestic and international markets.

We also need to invest in agricultural research, strengthen animal disease prevention and support the next generation of farmers.

Many of the principles of Make America Healthy Again I support, including healthier food, better nutrition and greater transparency in our food system. We can improve America’s health while supporting the farmers who produce our food.

We must never take American agriculture for granted.”

Molder also has a plan. He stated, “Start by reversing the blanket tariffs and ending the war in Iran that are making it harder to earn a living. Farmers are paying more for fuel and other inputs while trade disputes put their markets at risk. 

A farmer in Weakley County just the other day told me farmers don’t want a government handout; they want the ability to compete and receive a fair price. Congress ought to listen to that. 

There are other practical things we can do. I support a federal right-to-repair law so farmers can fix their own equipment or choose an independent mechanic without unnecessary restrictions and delays. Congress also needs to finish a new Farm Bill that gives farmers dependable support, strong crop insurance and the certainty to plan beyond the next season.”

Columbia Approves Wastewater Agreement with Spring Hill (MSM)

The Columbia City Council passed a 30-year agreement Oct. 8 to accept up to 1.5 million gallons of wastewater daily from Spring Hill and collect between $21 million and $62 million in the first decade.

Spring Hill will pay Columbia up to $12 million to build a five-mile pipeline, from Spring Hill’s treatment plant to Columbia’s gravity sewer main at Rutherford Creek, and upgrade the pump station at Carter’s Creek Pike. The infrastructure will belong to Columbia when it is finished.

City Manager Tony Massey called the agreement “historic.”

“This is going to be the most financially significant partnership deal in the history of the city of Columbia,” he said.

Spring Hill sought the deal in December when City Administrator Carter Napier and other officials met with Columbia to divert wastewater to Columbia’s new plant. Spring Hill needed additional sewer capacity while working on its Pure Water Spring Hill water-recycling project. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation imposed a moratorium on new sewer connections in mid-2025 after Spring Hill’s wastewater system became overloaded and noncompliant.

“I appreciate this opportunity to partner with you. I think it’s neat that we get to blaze a trail [with] a partnership that is as rich as this,” Napier said at the city’s study session the previous week. “Having been in this business 30 years, I can’t think of a more productive… win-win for both parties.”

The pipeline could convey 500,000 to 1.5 million gallons of Spring Hill’s wastewater per day to Columbia’s new treatment plant, which could process 17 million gallons per day (MGD) when complete. Each day Columbia will collect either a minimum fee for 500,000 gallons or the corresponding charge for an amount between 500,000 and 1.5 million gallons, at the sewer rate per 1,000 gallons that Spring Hill charges its own customers.

“We couldn’t be any more fair to our neighbors up north than to charge the same rate they charge to their customers,” Massey said.

Critics raised concerns that Columbia’s current plant cannot handle the new load or that it would raise sewer rates for Columbia customers.

Columbia citizen Joshua Moore pointed out online that Columbia’s Wastewater Department received Notices of Violation from TDEC between winter 2025 and summer 2026. On several occasions, TDEC found that Columbia Wastewater had released treated wastewater into the Duck River that contained more of certain substances than their permit allows for: suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen, treatment byproducts, and in one case E. coli bacteria.

“Columbia cannot handle its own capacity, yet is planning to take on Spring Hill’s,” Moore objected.

“Columbia ratepayers are NOT Spring Hill’s bailout plan!” posted former County Commissioner Gabe Howard. “Spring Hill approved the growth without planning for it. Columbia residents got the rate increases, and now we’re helping clean up their mess.”

At the city council’s study session the week before the vote, Massey and Columbia Wastewater head Donnie Boshers assured the city council that Spring Hill’s wastewater would never overwhelm Columbia’s treatment capacity. Massey told the city council that the pipeline’s “service commencement date” is the day that Columbia Wastewater confirms in writing that both their treatment plant and the pipeline are ready for service. The new Columbia treatment plant will also be much larger than the old one.

“We can handle twice the city of Columbia’s current capacity [of 7MGD] and still treat Spring Hill’s load,” he calculated.

“It could possibly be two years… before we would see any flow from Spring Hill,” said Boshers. “We should be operating our new facility [in summer 2027], at least one year before we accept any of their material… It looks like July ’28 is the date that they anticipate [starting up the Spring Hill pipeline].”

Though TDEC won’t review the interlocal agreements that Columbia and Spring Hill just signed, they will have to sign off on the design plans when they’re ready. TDEC’s permit writers, Boshers said, were relieved to learn that the pipeline wouldn’t move any wastewater until the new treatment plant was done. They also proposed that the scheme, which is similar but not identical to existing interlocal agreements, could serve as an exemplar for future work.

“When [Columbia Wastewater engineers] told them we would accept no new material from Spring Hill until our new plant was finished, you could see the angst [melt off of their faces],” he chuckled. He also dismissed the recent effluent violations as “mechanical failures, not a capacity issue.”

The Spring Hill load would even help the treatment of Columbia’s wastewater, by giving the treatment microbes more waste to digest and more water to live in, Boshers said.

“That flow is really going to help us. Those oxidation ditches [in our new plant] are big,” he said. “[Extra wastewater] helps during low-flow times like this, and during high-flow times… the new plant will be more than able to handle that.”

Massey said Columbia won’t lose money or raise sewer rates because of the interlocal line. He projected that the minimum daily fees could bring the city of Columbia between $21 million and $62 million in the first decade alone, depending on how much wastewater Spring Hill sends.

“It could very well prevent a sewer rate increase due to the extra revenue… It’s going to allow us to do a lot of infrastructure improvements… and maybe even pay the debt service down.”

Spring Hill Receives Grant for Slave Cabin (WKRN.com)

The City of Spring Hill has received an $87,025 grant from the Tennessee State Museum for the restoration of a former slave cabin.

The cabin sits on the property of Rippavilla, a plantation built on enslaved labor. The site is now a museum managed by The Battle of Franklin Trust.

Following the Civil War, a small Black community called Cheairs Quarters lived on the property until the 20th century, according to the American Battlefield Trust. The Franklin Trust believes there were once as many as 15 cabins, but this is the only one that remains.

Rippavilla also received a $100,000 grant for this project from the State of Tennessee last October. With those funds, the cabin’s chimney and fireplace were reconstructed, and new limestone steps were installed. Photos below depict the cabin prior to recent renovations.

“We are grateful to the Tennessee State Museum for their Capital Improvement Grant which helped fund this worthy project and to Midwest Maintenance who carefully and capably executed the work,” the Franklin Trust wrote in a July 13 Facebook post.

According to the Franklin Trust, the next step is to address the wood elements to make the space safe for staff and guests to step inside for tours about slavery and the enslaved in Middle Tennessee.

118 Acre Property Could Set Sale Price Record (MauryCountySource)

A 118-acre luxury estate in Maury County has hit the market for $19.995 million, with the potential to become the county’s largest residential real estate transaction.

Known as Elham Valley, the multigenerational estate features a 5,574-square-foot main residence, guest cottage, guest house, and casita, plus a variety of amenities for entertaining, recreation, and outdoor living.

The property includes a car barn, music studio, outdoor pavilion, and swimming pool. The expansive grounds feature spring-fed creeks, natural springs, stocked ponds and walking trails. Elham Valley also operates as a working farm with a large garden and climate-controlled animal barn.

Dan McEwen of McEwen Group, a brokerage specializing in recreational, luxury, and agricultural properties, and Hannah Hayden of Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty co-list the estate.

“Elham Valley is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a place that naturally invites people to gather,” said McEwen, owner and broker at McEwen Group. “You can enjoy the property quietly with family, pursue your passions, entertain guests or simply spend the day outside. It’s a truly special piece of Tennessee that offers the next owner a chance to create a legacy property for generations to come.”

In addition to serving as a private residence, Elham Valley offers potential income opportunities through an on-site luxury wedding and event venue.

The property has received special exception use approval to host up to 30 events annually, provided certain conditions are met. The venue includes dedicated bridal and groom suites in the guest cottage and casita, along with spaces for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

If sold at its asking price, the nearly $20 million property could set a new residential real estate sales record for Maury County.

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…

Deborah “Dee” Dunn, 71, of Summertown, Tennessee, died Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Maury Regional Medical Center.

A memorial service will be conducted Friday, October 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. The family will visit with friends from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

Shelby Campbell Thomas, 79, resident of Columbia, passed away Thursday, October 22, 2026, at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care Center.

A memorial service will be conducted at a later date. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

Mrs. Shirley Geneva Wright Clanton, 88, resident of Pulaski, passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee.

Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. on November 7, 2026 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in Pulaski, TN

John “Ray” Flowers, 66, passed away at his home in Fayetteville, TN, on October 22.

Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Tuesday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the funeral home. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

And now, news from around the state…

Poll Watchers Organize (Tennessean)

Tennesseans are organizing ahead of the November midterm elections to train as poll observers in an effort to ensure voter fairness is not an issue voters need to think about ahead of Nov. 3, according to Organize Tennessee, a nonpartisan, nonprofit election integrity group.

“Our whole mission is to make sure that all eligible voters have a safe, free and very simple day to go vote on Election Day,” said Adam Altendorf, organizing director at Organize Tennessee. “We're working really hard in Tennessee to make sure that we're not just educating voters on their rights, but also to put poll observers in place to monitor and report issues.”

Among many initiatives, the group trains Tennessee residents to become poll observers who attend polling locations on election night to monitor for and report machine disruptions, voter intimidation and illegal activity that would discourage people from voting.

Tennessee law allows each political party to appoint two poll observers per location, and two poll observers representing a citizen group, like Organize Tennessee.

During the August primary election, the group trained 353 observers and reported mobilizing 117 nonpartisan poll observers across 186 locations in 15 counties.

The numbers represent the largest single mobilization the organization has undertaken for an August election, underscoring the urgency many voters feel regarding the upcoming midterm elections.

“I think people really want to do this work this year,” Altendorf said. “Not everyone's going to knock on a door or do a phone bank or all that other stuff, but this is a way for them to continue to fight back.”

In data provided by the group, observations reported by poll observers from the August primary election included instances of polling locations closing early, law enforcement officers entering polling locations — something largely prohibited by state law — and some voters being told by campaign volunteers that “machines were down” when machines were fine.

Instances of voter disruption like this would not be flagged without observers.

Altendorf said the goal of the organization is to prepare poll observers to not just make the day seamless for voters, but to also know how to respond if the government “doesn’t follow the rules.”

“We have to ask ourselves that question,” he said. “What happens if they decide to seize ballots in Memphis, or if they decide to do like a sobriety check or an ICE enforcement point right next to a polling location? What happens if the governor delays certification of the election because they found inconsistencies (in the ballots)? What happens when there's not enough time for the courts to intervene? We have to be prepared to mobilize really, really quickly.”

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Matchbox Twenty is celebrating 30 years of music with a massive North American tour that will include a stop at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Tuesday, May 18, 2027, with special guests The All-American Rejects.

The anniversary tour celebrates three decades of hits from the Rob Thomas-fronted band, known for songs including “Push,” “3AM,” “Bent,” “Unwell,” “If You’re Gone” and “How Far We’ve Come.”

Tickets for the Nashville concert are on sale now.

For tickets and more information, visit matchboxtwenty.com.