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Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 10-30-26

Ben Carter
22 minutes ago
14 min read

# Southern Middle Tennessee Today - Friday, October 30, 2026 - Ben Carter (filling in for Tom Price)


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Welcome to Southern Middle Tennessee Today on WKOM and WKRM Radio, your hometown news broadcasting from the Debbie Matthews Nashville Realty Newsroom in Columbia, Tennessee. I'm Ben Carter, filling in for Tom Price. Today is Friday, October 30th, and we start with local news.


[SECTION: LOCAL NEWS]

Maury County residents will get another chance next month to help shape where growth goes in the county. The Duck River Sentinel reports the county will hold a public meeting on its new Comprehensive Land Use Plan on Tuesday, November 10th, at the Memorial Building, 308 West 7th Street in Columbia. The county's public notice lists a six-thirty start, while the online calendar says five o'clock, so call the Maury County Building and Zoning Office at 931-375-3003 to confirm. The plan is a long-range guide for land use, housing, transportation, and infrastructure in unincorporated Maury County, outside city limits. The county's last comprehensive plan dates to 2011.


The county and its planning consultant, McBride Dale Clarion, have been gathering public input since this spring, with earlier sessions in Culleoka, Santa Fe, Hampshire, and at Battle Creek High School in Spring Hill. The November meeting is part of the final phase, drafting, review, and adoption. Once a final draft is done, the County Commission would endorse it, and the Planning Commission would vote to adopt it. The adopted plan would then guide zoning reviews and which projects get priority. If you need a disability accommodation for the meeting, call the County Mayor's Office at 931-375-1001 at least three working days ahead.


Early voting is over, and the numbers show Tennessee voters turned out in bigger numbers than four years ago. Fox 17 reports that through Wednesday, with one day still to go, more than one million, one hundred thirty thousand Tennesseans had voted early or by absentee ballot. That is up more than forty-six percent from the same point in 2022, and every county in the state was ahead of its 2022 pace. Lawrence County was up more than sixty-two percent. Compared to the 2018 midterms, though, the statewide total was down about ten percent. Secretary of State Tre Hargett says competitive races drive turnout, and he is encouraging voters to read their sample ballots before they go, especially the three constitutional amendments, which he says are kind of lengthy.


Halloween is tomorrow, and if you are taking the kids trick-or-treating, plan around the weather. The National Weather Service says showers are likely after seven o'clock Saturday evening, so earlier may be better. Drivers, please slow down in neighborhoods tomorrow evening, and watch for little ones crossing the street in dark costumes. Parents, consider adding a flashlight or something reflective to your child's costume, and check all the treats before they are eaten.


And remember, you get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Daylight saving time ends at two o'clock Sunday morning, November 1st, so set your clocks back one hour before bed Saturday night. It is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Daylight saving time will start again on March 14th, 2027. Congress has talked about doing away with the time change altogether, but it did not act before this weekend.


Holiday shopping season is coming to Spring Hill. The Duck River Sentinel reports the fifth annual Holiday at the Lodge market will bring more than forty vendors selling artisan crafts, gifts, and home decor to the Southern Springs Del Webb community, 2000 Southern Springs Parkway, on Saturday, November 14th, from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon. New this year is a Holiday Cafe, with food to eat there or take home. The venue sits just off Kedron Parkway.


It is never too early to plan for the holidays in Columbia. Maury County Source reports A Worthy Clause Christmas 5K and One-Mile Fun Run will be held Saturday, December 12th, at Riverwalk Park on Riverside Drive in Columbia. Runners and walkers are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite festive outfits, and seventy-five percent of race proceeds will go to local nonprofits. Registration is open now through the race website.


The YMCA Foundation of Middle Tennessee has presented its highest honor for giving. Maury County Source reports the H. G. Hill Junior Philanthropic Award went to David and Cindy Wilds, for decades of support and volunteer leadership. David Wilds has been a Y member for more than fifty years, and served as treasurer of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee board. The couple has also paid for camp scholarships for the children of Special Forces and Night Stalker service members. The foundation also marked five years since philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's eighteen million dollar gift to the Y, the largest in its history.


[SECTION: SPORTS]

Now to sports, and a big Senior Night for the Columbia Central Lions. Central shut out Tullahoma thirty-one to nothing last night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, to close the regular season at nine and one. Columbia Daily Herald sports writer Harrison Campbell reports it is the Lions' best regular season in fifteen years.


Central led ten to nothing after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Ha'Son Baugh powered his way into the end zone. Here's how it sounded on the Front Porch Sports Network.

[CLIP: FPSN play-by-play - Ha'Son Baugh touchdown run]


Lee Holloway made a terrific one-handed catch in the first half on a throw from quarterback Jackson Parker. In the third quarter, Eli Raymer kicked field goals of twenty-four and thirty-three yards, and J'Mari Hall added a safety. Then, late in the fourth quarter, Jamari Brown put the exclamation point on Senior Night, picking off a pass and returning it nearly a hundred yards for a touchdown. Here's the call.

[CLIP: FPSN play-by-play - Jamari Brown pick-six]


Brown finished with two total touchdowns. The Lions finish unbeaten in region play, and up next is the playoffs. Columbia Central will host Soddy Daisy in the first round, and you can hear that game, like every Lions game for seventy-nine years now, on the Front Porch Sports Network, on 1340 AM and 103.7 WKRM. Congratulations to the Lions seniors.


Mount Pleasant also closed its regular season in style, shutting out Loretto thirty-six to nothing at home. The Tigers led just six to nothing at halftime, then pulled away in the second half. Quarterback Kale Scott threw two touchdown passes to Jakai Amos, including a thirty-one yarder across the middle in the third quarter. Here's the call from the Front Porch Sports Network.

[CLIP: FPSN play-by-play - Kale Scott 31-yard TD pass to Jakai Amos]


And later, Hunter Holt added a touchdown run around the left end.

[CLIP: FPSN play-by-play - Hunter Holt TD run]


The Tigers finish the regular season at six and four, and are expected to be in the playoffs.


Around the area last night, Friday Night Thunder reports Richland beat Moore County forty-one to twenty-seven, Cornersville won at Huntland thirty-five to twenty, and Fayetteville won at Eagleville twenty-seven to ten. In Central's region, Lincoln County rolled past Franklin County sixty-two to nineteen, and Lawrence County fell at James Lawson thirty-eight to thirty-one.


Tonight, on the final night of the regular season, the Front Porch Sports Network has Montgomery Central at Spring Hill, and Battle Creek at Hickman County, both at seven o'clock.


In college football, Middle Tennessee State fell to Kennesaw State forty-four to twenty-eight Wednesday night at Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro. The Blue Raiders scored on their first two drives, on a one-yard run by quarterback Roman Gagliano and a seven-yard score by Antonio Martin Junior, and led fourteen to seven in the second quarter. But the Owls outscored Middle Tennessee twenty-five to three after halftime. There was one bright spot late: Santana Fleming returned a kickoff one hundred yards for a touchdown, the longest kick return in M T S U history. The Blue Raiders are now four and four.


And in the N F L, the Tennessee Titans made a stunning trade yesterday. The Titans sent defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears, in exchange for the Bears' first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, and a fourth-round pick in 2027. The Bears also get a 2028 fifth-round pick. Simmons was the Titans' first-round pick in 2019, and he made four Pro Bowls and was a five-time team captain in Nashville. Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk thanked Simmons, saying his presence on the field was surpassed only by what he did off it, through his Give 'Em A Reason Foundation. Just a day earlier, Simmons told reporters he tries to be where his feet are, and that as far as he knew, he was going to be in Nashville. The Titans play Sunday at Cincinnati.


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And now, Your Hometown Memorials, sponsored by Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home.


Kathleen Gemmell, 82, of Columbia, passed away Thursday, October 29th, at N H C Maury Regional Transitional Care Center. She was born May 22nd, 1944, in the Duck River Community of Hickman County. In April of 1963, she married William "Bill" Herman Gemmell, who preceded her in death in 2018. Kathleen worked as a sales clerk for several major retail stores, before retiring to spend more time with her family. She was a member of the Lelia Anderson Circle of the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons, and a faithful member of First Baptist Church of Columbia. Above all, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and her family was the center of her life. The family will receive friends this evening, Friday, from five until seven, at Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home. The funeral will be tomorrow, Saturday, at ten in the morning at Oakes and Nichols, with Brother Jody Gamble and John Osborne officiating, and burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens.


For service times and arrangements for all the families Oakes and Nichols is serving, visit oakesandnichols.com.


Hometown Memorials is sponsored by Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home, serving with dignity and consideration for over 150 years.

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And now, your Southern Middle Tennessee weather, brought to you by Workout Anytime Columbia. The National Weather Service says watch for patchy fog early this morning, mainly before eight. Then it's sunny and warm today, with a high near eighty-two in Columbia and light winds. Tonight, for Friday night football, mostly cloudy, with a low around fifty-six. Saturday, Halloween, will be cloudy, with a high near seventy-nine. Rain showers are likely after seven Saturday evening, with a seventy percent chance, and a low around fifty-four. Sunday brings rain showers, an eighty percent chance, with a high near sixty-six and gusts up to twenty miles an hour. We need every drop. An update on the drought: W S M V reports Middle Tennessee is now in extreme drought, the second-highest level, and this weekend's rain will help but will not end it.


Your Southern Middle Tennessee weather is sponsored by Workout Anytime Columbia. Learn about the gym and join at workoutanytime.com/columbia, or at the gym located at 125 Bear Creek Pike.


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Let's take a break. When we come back, we'll cover state and national news that affect you. You're listening to Southern Middle Tennessee Today.

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[SECTION: STATE NEWS]

Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee Today on WKOM 101.7 and WKRM 103.7, your hometown source for news and information. And now, news from around the state.


An update on the search for escaped inmate Jacob Morley. Fox 17 reports the reward for information leading to his capture has gone up to seventeen thousand five hundred dollars. Morley is serving a life sentence for murder and is considered dangerous. Do not approach him. Call 1-800-TBI-FIND or 911.


The Tennessee Department of Health says there is no measles exposure in Tennessee, after a child with measles was treated at Monroe Carell Junior Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Fox 17 reports the child has been discharged. The health department says the child does not live in Tennessee, and was not exposed to measles in Tennessee. Measles is highly contagious, and the C D C says the virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves. If you think you or your child has been exposed, call your doctor right away.


Nashville is in the running for another major sporting event. Fox 17 reports the N C A A has named Nashville a finalist to host the men's basketball Final Four sometime between 2032 and 2036. That would come a few years after Nashville hosts the Super Bowl at the new Nissan Stadium in February of 2030. Visit Music City is leading the bid, and next comes an N C A A site visit and a final presentation. The group's leader says Nashville's walkable downtown and its track record of hosting big events make it a strong choice.


A new court filing is raising questions about how Tennessee prepares for executions. Fox 17 reports attorneys for several death row prisoners have filed a deposition from Riverbend Maximum Security Institution Warden Kenneth Nelsen, in their lawsuit challenging the state's lethal injection protocol. In the deposition, taken in November of last year, Nelsen said the Correction Commissioner directed the execution team not to insert I V lines during practice sessions, and that the team does not practice what to do if it has trouble getting I V access. The prisoners' attorneys point to the failed execution attempts of Tony Carruthers in May and Christa Pike in September. A hearing is set for November 6th in Davidson County Chancery Court. The Department of Correction says it cannot comment because of pending litigation.


Two workers were hurt yesterday morning at a Franklin manufacturing plant. W S M V reports Franklin firefighters were called to the Lasko fan plant on Confederate Drive just after ten, for a report of a structure fire. Fire Marshal Andy King says a vacuum pump motor near the roof overheated and filled the building with smoke. Employees used a fire extinguisher on the motor and began evacuating. Two employees were taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation. There was no active fire when crews arrived, and the plant closed for the rest of the day for repairs.


Also in Williamson County, Franklin leaders are weighing three ways to ease traffic on Franklin Road, between Mack Hatcher Parkway and Mallory Station Road. Fox 17 reports the smallest option would add a second northbound lane, and would cost less and take less property, but it would not include a sidewalk or trail. A middle option would add a southbound lane on part of the route, with changes at some intersections. The largest would build five lanes, two each way with a center turn lane, which would add the most capacity but require the most property and utility work. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen asked city staff to come back with more information, including possible grant money. No construction schedule has been set.


In Nashville, residents of an Antioch apartment building and six nearby townhomes have been cleared to go home, after days of gas monitoring. Fox 17 reports the Nashville Fire Department says the latest readings showed no detectable carbon monoxide, and methane levels that no longer call for protective action. The evacuated homes include Building H at Crest at Burkitt Ridge. The department says trenching to improve ventilation helped bring the readings down. The source of the gas has not been determined, and the fire department notes its clearance does not certify the buildings' structure or utility systems.


And a salute to a Middle Tennessee veteran who spends his days helping other veterans. Fox 17 has named Donald May its Tennessee Hero. May is the Director of Supportive Services at Operation Stand Down Tennessee in Nashville. A retired veteran himself, he went to work at Operation Stand Down right after his service, and now leads the team there. Co-workers say he always shows up with a smile, and leads with kindness and patience every day.


And for music fans, Noah Kahan is bringing his 2027 stadium tour to Nashville's new Nissan Stadium. Fox 17 reports the Grammy-nominated singer's Last of the Bugs World Tour includes thirty-one stadium stops, and starts April 24th in Athens, Georgia. The new stadium is set to be finished in February of 2027. Presale tickets start November 10th at noon, with the general sale on November 12th.


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In national news, with Election Day just days away, this year's midterms have set a record for political advertising. W S M V reports the ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimates eleven point two one billion dollars has been spent or reserved for political ads this cycle, slightly more than the entire 2024 presidential cycle, and about two point three billion dollars more than the 2022 midterms. Texas now holds the record for the most expensive non-presidential race in U.S. history, at more than five hundred sixty million dollars, and Ohio's Senate race has passed five hundred million. AdImpact says Republicans have spent about five point one eight billion dollars this cycle, and Democrats about four point seven seven billion. A George Washington University professor says it is very expensive to advertise this late in a campaign, but going dark at the end could cost a candidate in a close race.


The midterms are also historic for the number of women on the ballot. The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University says a record number of women are running for the U.S. House, and a record number are running for governor. Women now make up about twenty-eight percent of Congress. Researchers say this year, affordability is the top concern for women voters, just as it is for men.


And the Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated seven hundred sixty million dollars for tomorrow night's drawing, after no one matched all six numbers on Wednesday. Maury County Source reports the cash option is worth about three hundred twenty-six million dollars before taxes. Tickets are two dollars, and the drawing is Saturday night at nine fifty-nine Central time.


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Let's take one last break. When we come back, we'll cover the final story of the day. You're listening to Southern Middle Tennessee Today.

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Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee Today, and now, our final story.


Some of the tiniest Halloween costumes in Middle Tennessee are hanging around the nursery at Williamson Health. Fox 17 reports the hospital's newborns have been bundled up as little bats, in handmade crocheted outfits made by Debi Reynolds, a member of the hospital's E M S team. The babies were photographed by Kristie Lloyd Photography, wrapped up in their black wings and tiny bat ears. The hospital says they are too cute to spook, and ready to spread their wings and steal a few hearts along the way. So whatever costume you are wearing tomorrow, it will be hard to top a newborn bat. Happy Halloween.


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That's all for this edition of Southern Middle Tennessee Today on Kennedy Broadcasting, WKOM WKRM Radio. I'll be back tomorrow to update you with the latest news. I'm Ben Carter, thanks for listening, be safe and have a great day.

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=== SOURCES ===

All stories aggregated from the sources below and rewritten for time; facts only as reported.


LOCAL (lead)

- Maury County Comprehensive Land Use Plan public meeting Nov. 10 (Duck River Sentinel): https://theduckriversentinel.com/articles/maury-county-sets-nov-10-meeting-on-land-use-plan-mvr2rymp

- Holiday at the Lodge market, Spring Hill, Nov. 14 (Duck River Sentinel): https://theduckriversentinel.com/articles/spring-hill-s-holiday-at-the-lodge-market-returns-nov-14-mvsqbckv


SPORTS

- Play-by-play clips and Mt. Pleasant 36, Loretto 0 final: Front Porch Sports Network broadcasts (Tullahoma at Columbia; Mt. Pleasant vs. Loretto), Oct. 29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M9jniwtAQg ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpI3IgnDkxU

- Columbia Central 31, Tullahoma 0 (final; 9-1, best regular season in 15 years; hosts Soddy Daisy in playoff opener; Jamari Brown 2 total TDs): Harrison Campbell, Columbia Daily Herald, on X, Oct. 29: https://x.com/hccamp/status/2115993699260006678

- Scoring plays (Baugh 1-yd run; Raymer 24 & 33 FG; safety; Brown 98-yd INT return; Raymer XP) and halftime scores incl. Mt. Pleasant 6, Loretto 0: Maurice Patton on X, Oct. 29: https://x.com/mopatton_sports/status/2115993070864887919 ; https://x.com/mopatton_sports/status/2115975641254294007 ; https://x.com/mopatton_sports/status/2115967646097080392 ; https://x.com/mopatton_sports/status/2115982846523556033 ; https://x.com/mopatton_sports/status/2115979339472777403 ; https://x.com/mopatton_sports/status/2115980876060438738

- Lee Holloway first-half catch: https://x.com/hccamp/status/2115973166526861377

- Final confirmed by Friday Night Thunder: https://x.com/FriNightThunder/status/2115993829669237105

- Area finals (Richland 41-27 Moore Co; Cornersville 35-20 at Huntland; Fayetteville 27-10 at Eagleville; Lincoln Co 62-19 at Franklin Co; James Lawson 38-31 Lawrence Co): Friday Night Thunder on X: https://x.com/FriNightThunder

- Tonight's FPSN games (Montgomery Central at Spring Hill; Battle Creek at Hickman Co.; others): Columbia Daily Herald Week 11 preview: https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2026/10/28/tennessee-high-school-football-columbia-predictions-tssaa-week-11/92403797007/ ; Front Porch Sports Network coverage (station)

- MTSU falls 44-28 to Kennesaw State (Maury County Source / MTSU Athletics): https://maurycountysource.com/mtsu-falls-44-28-to-kennesaw-state/

- Titans trade Jeffery Simmons to Bears (Maury County Source): https://maurycountysource.com/titans-trade-dt-jeffery-simmons-to-the-chicago-bears/


LOCAL

- A Worthy Clause Christmas 5K, Riverwalk Park Dec. 12 (Maury County Source): https://maurycountysource.com/deck-the-trails-a-worthy-clause-christmas-5k-fun-run-returns-to-riverwalk-park/

- YMCA Foundation H.G. Hill Jr. Philanthropic Award (Maury County Source): https://maurycountysource.com/ymca-of-middle-tennessee-presents-highest-philanthropic-honor/


MEMORIALS (Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home)


WEATHER

- National Weather Service forecast, Columbia (updated Oct. 29): https://api.weather.gov/gridpoints/OHX/42,32/forecast


STATE


NATIONAL

- Record number of women candidates (WSMV / Gray DC): https://www.wsmv.com/2026/10/29/record-number-female-candidates-2026-midterms/


FINAL STORY

 
 
 

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