Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 10-7-26

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for October 7, 2026

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

We start with local news…

Culleoka Man Charged (MSM)

A Culleoka man is facing two counts of statutory rape by an authority figure after police allege he had sex with the underage daughter of his then-girlfriend at her Portland home.

According to court records, the Portland Police Department received a complaint in late June 2026 from a woman who allegedly claimed that her 14-year-old daughter had admitted to having sex with James Conners, 34, of Culleoka, in the fall of 2025.

The victim’s mother reportedly told police that she had been in a relationship with Conners at the time and that he would watch the daughter while the mother was at work.

Police conducted a forensic interview with the minor, who reportedly recounted multiple instances of sexual activity between the two. The minor also allegedly said that Conners had taken pictures of her exposed body and in one instance had recorded a video of the two together.

In August 2026, police completed a controlled call between the juvenile and Conners, with the mother present. During the call, Conners allegedly admitted to sexual contact with, as well as possessing photos of, the juvenile.

Conners was arrested on Sept. 6 and booked into the Sumner County Jail on two counts of statutory rape by an authority figure. Bond was set at $600,000 and he was scheduled to appear in general sessions court on Sept. 30.

Hickman to be Honored with Naming Ceremony (Press Release)

Maury County Public Schools will honor the late Columbia Central High School principal, and Maury County Public Schools superintendent, Edward A. Hickman, in a ceremony to officially rename the Columbia Central High School Event Center in his memory.

 The ceremony will also include the dedication of a commemorative plaque honoring Mr. Hickman and his enduring contributions to Maury County Public Schools. The plaque was graciously funded by the Columbia Breakfast Rotary Club in recognition of Hickman’s lasting impact on the community.

When: Friday, October 9, 7:00 a.m.

Where: Columbia Central High School

                  921 Lion Parkway

                  Columbia, Tennessee 38401

Mayoral Forum (MSM)

The five official candidates for mayor of Columbia appeared together for the first time at a Maury Alliance forum Sept. 22. Candidates Timothy Johnson, Jai Lipscomb, Stewart Parker, Eric Previti and Ashley Townsend laid out their plans and positions to voters on a number of pressing policy questions.

The candidates were unified in their concern to manage recent “growth.”

“Growth is not the enemy, irresponsible growth is the enemy,” said Lipscomb, a realtor who runs the nonprofit All Hands on Deck. “I just believe that we need to manage it intentionally.”

To keep growth “responsible,” she suggested giving CPWS personnel a “seat at the table” when discussing the feasibility and approval of major developments and their infrastructure needs.

“Existing residents should not be left carrying the cost of new development… [and] growth shouldn’t erase Columbia.”

“We need to use our land not [merely for] economic dollars or cents, but [we need to] understand that Columbia is not a business, it is a place for [sustainable family formation],” said Timothy Johnson, the pastor of a local church. “We may be doing too much, and we may need to slow down a little bit.”

“Many persons have come to me and said that their life is not better because of this growth,” said Previti, a former county commissioner of 12 years. “Where are the new stores to support these neighborhoods, complexes and apartments? I think we need to work on that infrastructure.”

Most of the candidates named “better relationships” as one of the keys to attracting and managing “good growth.” Parker, a businessman and chair of the county Industrial Development Board, emphasized staying close to state officials in order to capture appropriations and grants from them.

“If we want to make sure our infrastructure is keeping up… and we’re not paying for it ourselves, we need to improve our relationship with the state. They’ve got all the money,” he said.

“The city mayor can’t just snap his fingers and order everybody to slow it down,” Previti reminded everyone.

He pointed to the city charter which prescribes a government run by the city manager and his staff, with a “weak mayor” who mostly leads the city council and can’t infringe on the city staff’s prerogatives.

Townsend, a legal assistant with Barnes Law, opined that the city has the right to declare a development moratorium if they determine that current city services and tax base simply can’t help support another subdivision’s worth of houses.

“How do we stabilize what is happening now, with the households and incomes that they have?” she asked rhetorically. “If we don’t have the roads in place… the proper water and sewer systems… [and] emergency response teams, then we do need, most certainly, a moratorium or something to that effect on our residential development, before our citizens… go without [services].”

The candidates acknowledged the current difficulty of finding and building affordable houses and suggested what to do for the increasingly visible homeless population.

“If our city workers, our teachers, our city workers, our firemen, our police officers… are having a hard time affording homes here, then what does that do for everybody else[‘s safety]?” Lipscomb asked. “I think we need to… diversify the homes that we’re building.”

Parker proposed making the city’s development requirements less burdensome.

“We have to look at our current development requirements. Have we made it so difficult that a local builder cannot build a reasonably priced house here, or… buy an existing home and not increase the price because… of the restrictions within the city?” he asked.

“The city of Columbia needs to formally recognize that there’s a homeless problem,” Previti said.

He and other candidates praised the work of Room at the Inn, Habitat for Humanity, the Friend Foundation, the Columbia Cares network and other nonprofits that work with the homeless, and urged the public to volunteer with them.

Lipscomb again asked people to think about remediating the causes of homelessness, like mental illness and domestic violence.

Townsend promised to seek government benefits like grants, “tiny houses” and first-time homebuyer aid, and to lean on local financial institutions to fulfill their Community Reinvestment Act obligations by putting money towards solving local problems.

Previti and Parker agreed that the city should investigate both the local causes of homelessness and how homeless people from elsewhere end up here, and to coordinate nonprofit homeless aid, like the Friend Foundation’s Bethany Torino has been asking local governments to do.

“We have to determine where they’re coming from, because… somehow they got here,” Parker said, “and from there… to engage local 501(c)3 nonprofits and Columbia Police Department to have a round-table meeting and… find a solution to this.”

On the subject of public safety, the candidates praised the job that city officials are now doing while suggesting areas for improvement. Parker applauded the police department’s recent crackdown on illegal gambling and internet sex crimes, and their competitive increases in officers’ wages.

“I’m confident in the leadership that we have at CPD… [which is] fully staffed, [though] we’ve had a tough time keeping our people here in the past,” he said.

“We have the best people in the world serving here with us,” Previti said of the fire department, with its ISO 1 rating and mutual aid agreements between county and cities. He also praised the police department and their wage hikes.

Townsend announced that she had commissioned a professional analysis of the city’s functions, and determined that it needs to hire more emergency responders and start applying aggressively for grants that would get the city’s federal tax dollars back.

Lipscomb suggested attacking threats to public safety before they become real problems, like getting more fire coverage in north Columbia. She suggested that counseling youth and creating more community centers and recreational opportunities to help keep them out of trouble.

“Public safety is not just talking about roads… it’s also talking about the people and how we can help [them],” she said.

Johnson encouraged the local growing and production of life’s essentials, in light of how the COVID shutdowns exposed the fragility of long corporate supply chains.

All candidates promised to cultivate and improve relations with non-government entities and with other governments: the state, the county and the other municipalities.

Previti offered to meet every week with County Mayor Sheila Butt, with whom he’s worked for four years, and touted his and his colleagues’ advocacy in the state house to pass the Financial Management Act of 2018, Duck River protections and new impact fees. He also named coordination as key to finding a long-term water source for the Duck River watershed.

“The Duck River will never, ever put out more water than it does now,” he said. “We need a coalition of the entire Middle Tennessee area to come up with [a permanent water source], either… the dam or a pipeline to the Tennessee or the Cumberland, and it doesn’t need to be Maury County paying for it, it needs to be the entire… region.”

“My personal relationships are the ones that are finding solutions,” said Townsend, who claimed friendship with officials at all levels of government and outside of it too. “Having that communication open is 100 percent vital and necessary if you plan on being an elected official.”

“Our residents don’t care at the end of the day if a problem is [the responsibility of] the city or the county,” said Lipscomb.

When she announced her run for mayor, she recalled, her friends in the state government joked that they already thought she was a city official, because of how much time she spent at their offices advocating for Columbia.

“They care if someone resolves it.”

Conclusions

“I don’t look at this race as an opportunity to change Columbia, I see it as an opportunity to shape what comes next,” said Parker. “As everyone else said, it’s not about a title or one person, it’s about Columbia.”

“It gives my heart great joy to see how many people care… I am here to help,” Townsend told the forum audience.

She cast herself as an advocate for people’s interests, like the legal clients who bought her a coffee mug inscribed with “Ashley Saves the Day.”

“Columbia is authentic, it is Columbia,” said Johnson. “I do not want us to lose our identity and become engulfed in this trend… and invest in dead ends [where] the burden is now on the taxpayer.”

“Right now we have the greatest opportunity because we have so many eyes on Columbia: you have developers wanting to come here, you have families… [and] businesses coming here,” Lipscomb said.

To demonstrate her own commitment to that community spirit, she told the story of a trip downtown when a number of friendly encounters prompted her son to roll his eyes and ask her, “Mom, do you know everybody here?”

“It’s the heart of the people that people love here… [That] is why folks have eyes on Columbia… Folks from California, Texas love our community because… [of] the people.”

Caldirero Appointed to Zoning Commission (MSM)

The Maury County Commission voted 16-6 on Sept. 21 to appoint Robert Caldiraro to the Regional Planning Commission, despite public criticism of his review of a rural subdivision and of his decision to leave the Building & Zoning directorship earlier this month.

Residents of East Sheepneck Road asked the county last fall to review the Ridgeline Reserve subdivision on their road, but Caldiraro’s department declined because subdivisions of property into lots of five or more acres don’t come before the planning commission.

The residents then discovered that TCA § 13-3-401(4)(i-ii) requires subdivisions with infrastructure improvements to come before the Regional Planning Commission. When Building & Zoning learned that the developer, Cedar Grove Partners, had submitted design plans to the state to serve Ridgeline Reserve with water from Columbia Power & Water Systems, the residents’ counselor Dustin Kittle submitted a legal opinion to Building & Zoning attorney Kristi Ransom arguing that Ridgeline Reserve was due for planning commission review. Ransom concurred with Kittle and Caldiraro’s department ordered the developer to appear before the planning commission.

“There’s a presumption that I had a call in divisions of land over five acres,” Caldiraro said. “[But] the subdivision of land… was something I knew nothing about until July last year… [and] I had no material evidence to act on… until the following November, when I actually heard from Columbia Power & Water [that a water line was in planning].”

Kittle announced at the meeting that he’s driving around the county, documenting other subdivisions that he believes may have escaped proper review while Caldiraro led Building & Zoning.

“A lot of these subdivisions have been built without going through the proper process,” he claimed, and further argued that as a planning commissioner, Caldiraro would be motivated to defend his own work with developers and justify his judgment calls. “There are subdivisions that did not go before the planning commission that should have.”

“From what I see the fact pattern has been repeated over and over again,” said Chris Gramling, one of the residents, who cited a long list of subdivisions he believes may be noncompliant with development law. “The public deserves an explanation of what happened in these cases.”

“I honestly would not treat [Ridgeline Reserve] any differently if I had to do it over again,” Caldiraro later told Main Street Maury. “Once we had the facts other than hearsay, we reacted.”

Public commenters also faulted Caldiraro’s decision to take a job at General Motors right before the county finalizes and publishes its new comprehensive land-use plan.

“If I had an employee under me quit in the middle of an extensive project… and then I turned around and hired him in another role, they would fire me, because it’s not something that people in the private sector respect,” said public commenter Katie Martin, citing her own experience in human resources.

16 members of the newly installed county commission, however, decided to give Caldiraro the appointment because of his long experience in county development and his immersion in the zoning codes.

“[Robert] knows [the zoning ordinance] backwards and forwards, and he could certainly recuse himself if he thought that’s what he needed to do, and I trust him to do that,” said County Mayor Sheila Butt. “So I will stand behind my nomination.”

Commissioner Gary Stovall said that someone of Caldiraro’s experience should be given at least a chance to contribute to the planning commission, and he reminded his colleagues that the former director would cast only one of nine votes.

“He may have made mistakes, nobody that’s done anything hasn’t made mistakes, but he has a wealth of knowledge, and I’ve attended enough planning commission meetings to know that that kind of knowledge is thin on the ground,” said Commissioner Kenny Morrow. He added that to his knowledge, Caldiraro had made no disqualifying ethical choices during his tenure.

“Mr. Caldiraro took a job that he has wanted for a long time, paying better,” said Commissioner Missy Phillips, Caldiraro’s sister-in-law. “He’s been looking and hoping for that job for a long time, so it’s not like he just quit in the middle of this program.”

Maury Regional Foundation to Host Survivor Lunch (Press Release)

The Maury Regional Health Care Foundation invites breast cancer survivors and community members to come together for a special luncheon celebrating survivorship, connection and hope on October 30 presented by Maury Regional Medical Group (MRMG) OB-GYN and Plastic Surgery.

The luncheon will be open starting at 11 a.m. at Antrim Celebrations, located at 2759 Pulaski Highway in Columbia with the program beginning at 11:30. The featured speaker, Brenda Frierson, is a 21-year breast cancer survivor who will share her personal journey of hope and survivorship.

Breast cancer survivors in attendance will also receive special recognition as the event celebrates their individual milestones and the community of support surrounding them.

“This event is about celebrating the courage, strength and resilience of breast cancer survivors, as well as the support networks that have stood by them through their journey,” said Foundation Executive Director Rita Thompson. “We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for making this celebration possible and, through their generosity, helping to provide vital support to more individuals facing a breast cancer diagnosis.”

Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the Maury Regional Health Care Foundation’s Breast Center Fund, which provides resources and support for women during and after breast cancer treatment. The fund helps provide comfort items, such as wigs, head coverings, camisoles and lymphedema garments, as well as educational resources and programs designed to enhance care and quality of life.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 4.3 million women in the United States were living with a history of breast cancer as of January 2025. By 2035, that number is projected to grow by approximately 1 million — the largest increase among the 10 most prevalent cancers.

Individual tickets are $40 per person, and sponsorship opportunities are available. To purchase tickets, learn more about sponsorships or support the Breast Center Fund, visit MauryRegional.com/SurvivorLunch or contact the Maury Regional Health Care Foundation at 931.380.4075. R.S.V.P. by October 16.

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

Mr. Roger Lee Chapman, 77, a resident of Culleoka, died Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Funeral services will be conducted Friday October 9, at 2:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Wilkes Cemetery in Culleoka. The family will visit with friends Friday from 11:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

Mr. Ryan VanAmburg Elliott, 43, a resident of Columbia, died Thursday, September 24. The family will visit with friends Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 10:00 A.M. until 12:00 noon at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home

And now, news from around the state…

Tennessee National Nuke Leader (Tennessean)

Tennessee is winning a national race to nuclear energy dominance, according to a panel of nuclear experts facilitated by U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty at the Imagine IF summit at Belmont University on Oct. 5.

“We are the nuclear center of the universe,” said Hash Hashemian, CEO of Knoxville-based nuclear engineering firm AMS Corporation, of Tennessee’s nuclear innovation corridor around Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

While 10 states are pursuing similar paths, Tennessee has come out as the leading nuclear energy producer in the country, Hashemian said.

Hagerty spoke with Hashemian and National Nuclear Security Administration Director Brandon Williams at the Imagine IF summit, a two-day conference exploring where AI, energy infrastructure, Bitcoin and open-source technology intersect.

Their conversation ranged from the global artificial intelligence arms race to nuclear energy production and alternative energy sources. 

Last week, Hagerty said, he spoke with Jensen Huang of AI giant Nvidia about implementing safety guardrails for artificial intelligence. 

“Some are concerned that AI is evolving so rapidly that it could get in front of us,” Hagerty said. “Jensen articulated very clearly that slowing it down is not an option because of the competitive dynamic that exists between ourselves and China.”

He said proposals like those from Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to put a moratorium on AI is a "fringe position."

"I think there is a strong bipartisan realization we need to do something," Hagerty said.

Whether for AI development or Bitcoin, progress will require new, innovative energy sources.

“Power is going to be key to the future," Hagerty said. "And everybody knows that nuclear is going to be the way to lead the future in terms of reliable baseload."

Hagerty touted his work on permitting reform. In 2022, he worked with colleagues to secure a provision in the Chips and Science Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, to streamline the permitting process for nuclear reactor sites. 

Hagerty said he is hopeful that after the midterm elections, there will be more bipartisan cooperation on AI. 

"I'm optimistic about it because I think AI has pushed so many of my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to the realization that they can't sit back and play politics with their policies," Hagerty said. "It's become too critical to development of our competitive advantage as a nation."

Williams and Hashemian noted that Gov. Bill Lee’s administration made efforts to develop a skilled workforce and economic infrastructure around Tennessee’s nuclear corridor. 

“We’re moving into another age,” Hagerty said. “And making sure that America remains at the forefront of this with our innovators, with our technology capacity, I think it would be a huge mistake to let that pass us by. And my colleagues realize that too."

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Two-time GRAMMY Award winner and multi-platinum artist Lauren Daigle will celebrate the holiday season this December with the 10th annual Behold Christmas Tour, including two performances at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Daigle will perform at the Ryman on Thursday, Dec. 3, and Friday, Dec. 4. The tour will feature seasonal favorites from her best-selling holiday album, Behold: A Christmas Collection.

Daigle will also continue the tour’s tradition of giving back to local communities through her foundation, The Price Fund.

Tickets on sale at LaurenDaigle.com/tour.