WKOM/WKRM Radio
Southern Middle Tennessee Today
News Copy for October 28, 2024
All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
Suspect Apprehended (MauryCountySource)
On Friday, authorities apprehended 23-year-old Colin Harless following an extensive search near Maury Hill Street and Spring Hill Elementary School. Harless, who was wanted for violating an order of protection, was believed to be armed with a .45 caliber handgun and possibly hiding in the wooded area surrounding the school.
The search began Thursday, prompting a warning for residents and parents to avoid the area around Evans Park and Spring Hill Elementary.
Law enforcement officials deployed a drone to assist in locating Harless. Police urged the public not to approach Harless if spotted, citing safety concerns.
The situation concluded without incident as Harless was taken into custody shortly thereafter. The handgun he was believed to be carrying was located and secured by officers.
Former Fire Chief Files Federal Suit Against City (MSM)
Former Columbia Fire Chief Ty Cobb has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit contesting his termination, claiming whistleblower status and retaliation on the city’s part.
The lawsuit was filed in Tennessee Middle District Court on Oct. 23 and no hearing date has been set.
In the filing, Cobb claims he was retaliated against by City Manager Tony Massey after reporting what he believed to be illegal activity in the response to the May 2023 shooting hoax at Columbia Central High School. Former firefighter Roy Brooks was charged with carrying a weapon on school property after responding with an AR-15 rifle to the scene, despite not being a member of any law enforcement team. The charge against Brooks was later dismissed.
The lawsuit claims that Cobb’s firing was retaliatory in nature for having “engaged in constitutionally protected speech” and that the “protected speech was a motivating factor in defendants’ adverse employment actions.”
Cobb was terminated as chief of Columbia Fire & Rescue on March 12, 2024, by Massey. In the letter of termination, Massey stated allegations that included “a message falsely accusing the chief of police of being involved in an attempted break-in at the apartment of the person who sent the text” and “a message offering to pay for favorable news stories which would benefit your interest.”
Cobb, who had previously served a 30-day suspension in late 2023, won an order in Chancery Court in August for a hearing before Columbia’s Civil Service Board after originally being denied such a hearing. That hearing has yet to take place.
The lawsuit requests back pay, damages for loss of benefits, unspecified punitive damages for “stress and anxiety” and that Cobb be reinstated to his former position.
Cobb’s attorney, Robert Bigelow of Nashville, stated that reinstatement was Cobb’s ultimate goal.
“Mr. Cobb ultimately hopes that this will lead to him getting his job back. He very much misses what he has done for so long and what he loved doing. He hopes he can get back to it,” Bigelow said.
Officials with the City of Columbia declined comment, citing pending litigation.
Hampshire Pike Closed for RR Repairs (MSM)
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will be conducting a full closure of Hampshire Pike (US 412/SR 99) in Maury County.
Crews with Queen City Railroad Construction, Inc. will close Hampshire Pike to through traffic from near Zion Road to near US 43 now until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Detour signage will be in place. The closure is needed to make repairs to the Tennessee Southern Railroad/Patriot Rail crossing in this area.
All work is weather-dependent. As always, drivers are reminded to allow additional time, slow down, and move over when traveling through a work zone. The Move Over Law was passed in 2006. The penalty for violating the law in Tennessee carries the possibility of up to 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of up to $500.
Get the latest construction activity traffic updates from the TDOT SmartWay map (smartway.tn.gov). Travelers can also call 511 for travel information.
Water Waste Improved in Mt. Pleasant (Press Release)
The City of Mount Pleasant, in coordination with its Mt. Pleasant Gas and Water System and with the assistance and collaboration of Columbia Power and Water Systems (CPWS), has recently announced that its system has identified over 400,000 gallons of daily water leakage, which has now been remedied.
During the most recent winter storm, CPWS provided significant emergency water supply through the master meter connection to ensure the integrity of Mount Pleasant’s water service while operational issues were resolved. This process involved restarting and running the treatment plant, identifying and fixing distribution system issues. During this work, CPWS and Mount Pleasant Water discovered significant leaks that, once repaired, resulted in the noted water loss savings. This return of 400,000 gallons per day to the available supply has saved an estimated $5 million in capital investment for treatment plant expansion, as current construction costs for treatment capacity build-out run between $10-$12 per gallon. Additionally, this avoidance of treatment plant expansion reduces future operating and maintenance expenses for the infrastructure.
“This leakage was not only putting a strain on our system, but remedying it has essentially added back an additional 400,000 gallons of water on a daily basis for our community, and I couldn’t be more proud of this outcome,” said Mount Pleasant Mayor Bill White.
The Mt. Pleasant Water System and CPWS have long worked together on water consumption and resources, which have served both communities well. The Mt. Pleasant Water System, which currently utilizes an average of 1.4 million gallons of water per day, receives between 100,000 and 200,000 gallons per day, on average, from CPWS. These utilities continue to work toward finding better efficiencies and utilizing best practices regarding water consumption and conservation.
Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder echoed Mayor White's sentiments, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between local governments, here the cities of Mt. Pleasant and Columbia. "When municipalities and local governments work together, with communication, cooperation, and a level of respect among their entities, everyone benefits,” Mayor Molder said. “We all know that we must do everything we can to preserve our most precious resource, and every little bit helps. This significant reduction in leakage will allow the City of Mt. Pleasant to be the best stewards of our greatest natural resource and will ultimately benefit the over 250,000 residents who rely on the Duck River for daily water consumption."
The City of Columbia has likewise worked to reduce its leakage and currently enjoys a leakage rate that is among the lowest in its recorded history. “We know firsthand that leakage is a problem that, when addressed, is among the most practical and effective ways to maintain our water capacities at adequate levels, and we look forward to continuing to work on leakage reduction in our service area, along with our local partners,” Jonathan Hardin, CPWS CEO, said.
This latest action represents the commitment of both CPWS and Mount Pleasant Gas and Water to prioritize water conservation, improve infrastructure, and protect the region’s most important natural resource, the Duck River, at a time when the Duck River is receiving attention from many different concerned entities. “This latest effort evidences cooperation at its best, and our entire region should be proud,” stated Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder.
The City of Columbia looks forward to further collaborations with neighboring communities and organizations as it continues to work toward sustainable solutions for the region.
School Board Addresses Ambitious Goals (MSM)
At its Oct. 15 work session, the Maury County School Board spent the bulk of its time discussing the state-determined Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) goals for the school district. The goals seemed ambitious, and many school board members inquired into how they were set and whether they were realistic for Maury County.
Assistant Superintendent Keith Stacey read off the district goals given by the state, which were as follows:
To have 70% of third-graders proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) by the 2029-2030 school year;
50% of all students proficient in ELA by 2027-28;
44.5% of all students proficient in Math by 2027-28;
50.8% of high-school graduates as “ready graduates” (prepared for either college or employment) by 2027-28.
Stacey explained that the goals are based on the results of last year’s TCAP tests, which get plugged into the state’s Annual Measurable Objective calculator to determine achievable improvements for the next five years.
“When you look at how this is codified in state law… it is not, ‘Here’s a template, tell us what your wild, exciting goals are,'” explained Superintendent Lisa Ventura. “It is very prescriptive in what our goals must be, and then how we back into that measurable objective.”
School Board members wanted to know how the district would achieve these goals. Last year’s TCAP scores were generally disappointing: proficiency rates for math and English ranged between 25-50% among typical elementary, middle and high schools, with the better-performing schools turning in 45-65% proficiency.
New School Board member Brendan Babcock asked whether the high-quality curriculum and learning materials procured by the district would actually lead to learning and better scores.
“Some of the plans just seemed (to end with)… getting these high-quality instructional materials, and I don’t know that that’s gonna bring the results that we want,” he said. “I’m glad [proficiency] went up, but 1.6% isn’t 5%… and we’re hoping to be at 10%. What are the root causes… of why we’re not improving as quickly as we’d like to?”
Ventura replied that the school district is still getting up to speed as teachers master the curriculum and software. Before her time as superintendent, the district cut costs by purchasing partial curriculums and leaving schools to drum up their own supplies and technology. State-level educational reform is also slow in coming, with multiple governing bodies being responsible for the curriculum. Finally, the district constantly improves the curriculum with teacher input and tries new classroom software and technology.
“If there were a silver bullet, we’d all have it by now. Even poor Maury County,” Ventura said.
New Board member Susan Stephenson had heard from some teachers about the slow speed of training and implementation.
“They [the experienced, trained teachers] are really hoping that training is gonna be super-emphasized,” she said. “Because there are teachers who are not trained to use the software, and in some cases who don’t want to learn to use the software, which is super-problematic and is totally unacceptable.”
Other board members doubted the utility of the goals at all.
“It’s frustrating that the state’s forcing us to set goals that our staff, teachers, even students think, ‘There’s no way we can get there.’ And I’m not saying we can’t,” said new Board member David Moore. “It’s frustrating that we’re not even allowed the latitude to set realistic goals for ourselves… we have to follow a formula, check a box.”
Stacey restated what Ventura had at the score-reveal meeting in August, that a shift of even a single percentage point in Maury County means that 1,200 to 1,300 students are doing better or worse. He also emphasized the difficulty and unpredictability of working with people, and the unreasonability of absolutely comparing the scores of the class of 2023 to that of 2024, when they’re entirely different groups of children.
“I often say that in education, both our raw material and our product are human beings,” Stacey said. “The state wants us to be at 70% by 2029-30, but… I don’t know the class of third graders in 29-30… We want to incrementally increase with a different group of kids every year. It’s a tough thing to do, it’s hard to predict how a group of kids is going to come in, what level of preparation they have when they show up.”
Stacey ended by reaffirming his belief in following the state plan.
“We can only make our goals based on how the state has outlined for us to make these goals,” he said. “We have to make 70%, and we’ve got to create increments between now and then to get there.”
Ventura agreed: “All of those things matter. As long as they continue to happen, I have great faith that we can continue to get there.”
Stephenson agreed about the state’s district goal plan, saying, “I think this is probably one of the most important documents we need to focus on: not just tonight but for the rest of the year and for the years to come.”
Play Ground Named for Late Councilman Wiles (CDH)
The city has dedicated the playground at Woodland Park in memory of former Councilman Ken Wiles, whose contributions to Columbia will now be known by visitors for generations to come.
Members of Columbia City Council, which included former Ward 4 Councilman Mike Greene, joined Mayor Chaz Molder and others Thursday to unveil a new marker and share words in dedication to Wiles, his service as an educator and city official, as well as his long history and passion for Maury County citizens.
Molder described Wiles as "a man of such great integrity."
"Ken Wiles was a man who was just such a community servant," Molder said. "He turned out to be one of our most-valued members of our city council during his time and service, and not just because of his decision making, but because of the high moral and ethical standards that he adhered to. It was his willingness to study the issues and make the tough decisions based upon what he felt was in the best interest of the city, which is what you want in any good city council member."
According to a press release, the dedication holds significance as the playground at Woodland Park was a place he frequently enjoyed with family and friends, as well as his love of educating the community's youth.
"Ken Wiles’ dedication to our city and to public service has left an indelible mark, and his contributions will be remembered for years to come," City Manager Tony Massey said.
Wiles, who passed away July 31, 2022, had served on the council starting in 2019 following the death of fellow Ward 3 Councilman Steve Boshers. He was re-elected the following year.
However, Wiles was likely more known for his work outside of City Hall as an educator, as well as a musician often seen picking his guitar on the downtown Columbia square during events like First Fridays.
Wiles moved to Columbia in 1969, where he began teaching at Carver Smith High School. He would continue to serve in various roles at Highland Park Elementary, Columbia Academy and Santa Fe Unit School. He retired in 2010 while serving as principal of Riverside Elementary School.
In addition to his work in the classroom, Wiles served on the planning committee for the Columbia Riverwalk, was a member of the Board of Directors for Maury County Water System and participated in Leadership Maury.
His years as a council member also included serving on the city's planning commission.
Wiles' wife, Deborah Wiles, was later appointed to fill her late husband's vacant seat, which will expire in 2025, though she is running for re-election on the upcoming Nov. 5 ballot.
The two met after Wiles moved to Columbia and marrying in 1974.
"The Wiles family sincerely appreciates the dedication of the playground at Woodland Park and the marker, which will forever commemorate my late husband's contributions to this community," Deborah Wiles said.
Progress on Fire Station #1 (MSM)
Columbia’s Fire Station 1 is in the process of receiving significant upgrades. City leadership, along with Brindley Construction, LLC and Nuber Architecture, recently conducted a walkthrough to assess the ongoing remodel and expansion of this vital facility.
Originally constructed in 1978, Columbia Fire & Rescue Station 1 is being transformed with improved and expanded separate sleeping quarters for male and female firefighters, additional administrative spaces, a large conference and training area, and an emergency operations command center.
Following the remodel, this centrally located station will be well equipped to continue to serve the community for many years to come.
New Neurologist at MRMC (Press Release)
Heather Horton, MD, a specialist in Neurology, has joined the medical staff at Maury Regional Medical Center as a neurologic hospital physician and is associated with the Maury Regional Medical Group Hospital Medicine Program.
Dr. Horton completed her medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. She completed her internship and residency at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis, TN. Dr. Horton is board certified in neurology.
Maury Regional Medical Group, an affiliate of Maury Regional Health, is the provider for Maury Regional’s hospital medicine program. These physicians are specialists who devote their time and expertise to adult and pediatric patients exclusively within the hospital setting. The hospital medicine physicians are trained to treat patients ranging from infants to the elderly. Dr. Horton will treat inpatients with suspected and diagnosed neurological conditions.
And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Brenda Charlene Leach, 73, former cake decorator for Publix, and resident of Columbia, died Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at her residence.
Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Entombment will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 11:00 AM until the time of service at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
And now, news from around the state…
Sumatran Tigers Reach One Year at Nashville Zoo (Tennessean)
The three cubs — sisters Kirana and Zara and brother Bulan — and their mother, Anne, bounded down the hill at the back of their enclosure a few minutes before 9 a.m. Sunday morning to find presents waiting for them.
Nashville’s beloved Sumatran tiger cubs had made it to their first birthday party.
They leaped off the rocks onto the heated stone platform near the viewing area of the Nashville Zoo’s Sumatran tiger exhibit and found large frozen cone-shaped treats, which staff had made to look like candy corn, and pumpkins painted with messages made specially for each of them.
While they are just over a year old, in terms of development, the tiger cubs are now comparable to young teenage or pre-teen humans and have started to develop their own personalities, according to the tigers’ primary handlers Sherry Currens and Stephanie Howard. There’s Bulan, the innocent and naïve boy, like a younger version of his dad, Felix; Zara, the princess with a big personality, like her mom; and Kirana, who ended up like a mix of both of her parents and can adapt to whoever she’s around.
As the tigers curiously inspected the pumpkins — the first these cubs had seen since they were born Oct. 20, 2023 — each settled on the one that their zookeepers had painted for them, either by chance or good design.
The cubs pawed and rolled them slowly at first, before one cub’s attention was drawn to the frozen treats, which were made of colored ice, frozen goat’s milk and frozen diluted blood. The cub grabbed the large candy corn-shaped treat between its paws, hugged it and knocked it to its side, breaking it into pieces.
After that, the cubs ran around the grassy enclosures, rolling the pumpkins and pouncing on them. They tried to sink their teeth in its stubborn rinds, rolled on their backs to claw and kick at the pumpkins and play-fought with each other, looking like bigger versions of house cats.
While mother Anne got up and played sometimes, she also found time to sit back on the heated platform and watch the cubs.
“She’s a great mom,” Currens said. “Very protective.”
The cubs are now at about 60% of what their handlers expect to be their mature weight. They will eventually leave the zoo, where they will start families of their own with other Sumatran tigers. Their mates are decided as part of their species survival plan, the handlers said.
Bulan, the male, will be the first to go and will probably leave Nashville when he is about 15-16 months old — early 2025. Currens isn’t sure when the female cubs will leave.
Currens, who along with Howard has been with the cubs throughout their first year to see them lose their teeth, take their first swims and now, start to outgrow some of their toys, said it’s going to be hard to see them leave.
“It makes my heart feel sad,” Currens said. “It’d be like one of my kids.”
It will be a happy moment too, though.
“It’d be nice to see them go and have their own family and their own cubs,” Currens said.
Sumatran tigers are an endangered species. Researchers estimate there are fewer than 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, according to a display at the zoo.
Much of the reason for the massive decline in the worldwide tiger population — now fewer than 3,900 among all species, according to the zoo — is due to deforestation to make way for the production of palm oil, the most widely used vegetable oil on earth. The zoo has given guidance on how to shop sustainably and created a tiger-friendly shopping guide for Halloween candy.
Learn more about the tigers at www.nashvillezoo.org.
Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Kelsea Ballerini released a new album called Patterns on Friday, October 25. Along with the release of the album, the country artist is calling her 30-city, three-month arena tour KELSEA BALLERINI LIVE ON TOUR.
Promoted by AEG Presents, KELSEA BALLERINI LIVE ON TOUR kicks off January 21, 2025, at Grand Rapids and runs through most of America’s rock halls and stops at Bridgestone Arena on January 31, 2025.
Tickets for the artist presale go on sale Tuesday, October 29th, at 12 PM local time. The general on-sale begins Friday, November 1, at 10 AM local time.
Fans can now register to access the KELSEA BALLERINI LIVE ON TOUR presale at kelseaballerini.com.
Comments