Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 10-8-26

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for October 8, 2026

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

We start with local news…

Spring Hill Fire (MauryCountySource)

Spring Hill firefighters handled a busy evening Monday, responding to a small apartment fire and an elevator rescue among several calls.

At Grand Reserve Apartments, Engine 64 was dispatched for a fire alarm when a second caller reported a sprinkler had activated on an apartment balcony, prompting the call to be upgraded to a possible structure fire.

Crews arrived and found a small fire burning in a flowerpot. The fire was caused by an improperly discarded cigarette, but the apartment’s sprinkler system quickly put it out before it could spread.

Around the same time, firefighters were called to the Tru Hotel on JW Parkway after a person became trapped in an elevator. Crews safely got the person out, and no injuries were reported in either incident.

The Spring Hill Fire Department shared the calls as a reminder of the importance of fire safety, especially during Fire Prevention Month.

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.

5th Congressional Race Tight According to Poll (CDH)

With four weeks to go until Election Day, a new poll shows the race for Tennessee’s 5th District within 5 points — with Republican nominee Charlie Hatcher holding 46% of voter support, and Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder closing the gap with 41%.

In the race for Tennessee's newly drawn District 5, former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a stunning upset in the August primary.

Now in the general — in a district redrawn by Republicans to give the GOP a political advantage — Hatcher has a built-in lead over his Democratic rival Molder.

Hatcher's lead has slimmed slightly since an August poll commissioned by the Molder campaign, which found Hatcher ahead with 48% to Molder’s 40%. 

Hatcher remains ahead overall, with 11% of voters undecided as of Oct. 6 in the new poll also commissioned by the Molder campaign. Among voters who said they are very motivated to vote, the race is split with 44% supporting Molder and 44% supporting Hatcher.

Impact Research conducted the poll, which surveyed 552 likely general election voters in the 5th District via phone and text-to-web interviews. It has a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points. 

“We’ve been putting in the miles across all 17 counties, listening to people and earning their support,” Molder said. “Voters are ready for change and a new generation of leadership that will end this war, reverse the tariffs and bring prices down. I won’t be a rubber stamp for failed policies.”

President Donald Trump is set to stop in Middle Tennessee this weekend on his national campaign to drum up support for Republicans ahead of the midterms.

Most voters in the 5th District have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to the new poll. 51% of voters said they disapproved of the president, and 47% classified their view as “very unfavorable.” 

While Hatcher has said he’ll be loyal to the president — and has earned Trump’s endorsement — he's been nuanced in his approach to Trump’s policies.

Hatcher debuted a general election TV ad on Oct. 6, highlighting his business and leadership experience. 

“Too many in Congress do too little,” the ad states. “Charlie knows hard work, from sun up to long after sun down. … Want a congressman to get things done and a work ethic to make Tennessee proud? Hire the farmer.” 

Hatcher has a name recognition advantage, particularly in rural areas of the district where farmers were already familiar with him from his years as state veterinarian and agriculture chief. But the poll shows that could be waning. 

The Impact Research poll found Molder’s name recognition has risen from 41% to 46% since August. 

Molder has earned some big endorsements, including from the Blue Dog Democrats coalition, and former U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen and Jim Cooper, and he’s drawn significant financial backing and organizational support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 

Molder has launched a new wave of TV and radio ads to carry the race toward early voting, touting his stance against building new data centers. 

Hatcher and Molder have both said they are willing to debate, but Molder said Hatcher’s team has not agreed to a time or location.

“Charlie Hatcher agreed to a debate and now we can’t get him to confirm time, date or location," Molder said. "He says he’s a hard worker and shows up. Now is his chance to prove that, and to prove that he does what he says he will do. Show up and explain why voters should send you to Washington to defend policies that have made life harder here at home."

June Lake and More to Be Widened (MSM)

On Sept. 30, the Transportation Project Board (TPB) of the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) of municipal mayors voted to update the state’s Transportation Improvement Plan. The plan now includes funding to widen Interstate 65 between the I-840 interchange south of Franklin and the SR-396 to south Spring Hill.

“[We] allocated $150,000,000 to adding lanes to I-65 between Saturn Parkway and I-840,” announced Spring Hill Mayor Matt Fitterer, a member of the Transportation Project Board. “The project is now fully funded through construction.”

At the request of TDOT, the TPB appropriated $150 million of state money to add “additional through-lanes and auxiliary lanes” to the designated stretch of I-65, which has become notorious for the rush-hour traffic at its major interchanges. The TDOT plan promises “at least one additional lane in each direction.” Engineering and design is slated to start this year, and construction in 2028.

Maury County Library to Reopen (MSM)

The Maury County Library will cut the ribbon on its renovated main floor at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, celebrating a remodeling project that has been ongoing since October 2025.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett will speak at the ceremony, along with County Mayor Sheila Butt, County Commission Chairman Danny Grooms and Library Director Meghan Cyr.

“We are excited for the Columbia community to join us in seeing the wonderful updates to our library,” said Cyr. “Thanks to a grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development facilitated through South Central Tennessee Development District and matching funds from the County Commission, we have been able to make these much-needed updates to our facility.”

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett will speak at the ceremony, as will County Mayor Sheila Butt, County Commission Chairman Danny Grooms, Library Director Meghan Cyr and other local dignitaries.

The existing library building at 211 West 8th Street was built in 1968, and during a 1994 renovation the Children’s Library was added in the basement. The 2026 renovations to the main level gave the library state-of-the-art technology and new facilities for patrons’ use: a teen center, study rooms, a new classroom, a demonstration kitchen, technology for telehealth appointments, adult education and workforce development classes, and two areas that will accommodate small groups.

The public library grew out of the oldest literary club in Tennessee, which was formed in 1896. Over time the literary club became the Students’ Club and continued to grow, moving from the old Memorial Building to the old Post Office building (the current Memorial Building) to two rooms in the old Columbia Institute.

In 1951, largely through the efforts of the Students’ Club, the library was accredited and became affiliated with the State of Tennessee Library System. Mrs. May Evelyn Bell Stevenson became full-time librarian and Miss Elizabeth Caperton, who had been Students’ Club librarian before the accreditation, served as assistant librarian to the new Maury County Public Library.

Spring Hill Reviews Medacta Building Plan (MSM)

The Spring Hill Planning Commission reviewed site plans for Medacta and Enterprise Rent-A-Car during its Sept. 28 non-voting work session, with one proposal involving design changes to an approved headquarters and the other seeking to relocate an existing business to North Old Port Royal Road.

Medacta submitted a design modification for its headquarters, known as Project Blue, at 3446 Jim Warren Road.

The proposed changes would modify the elevations of an approximately 184,239-square-foot industrial building that was previously approved in June 2026. The updated plans would add approximately 1,148 square feet to the building’s eastern face.

The project is expected to use 15,204 gallons per day of sewer capacity from its 20,000-gallon-per-day allocation, leaving 4,796 GPD remaining.

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

Rise TN Mentoring (MSM)

For the last school year and a half, Rise TN Mentoring has brought adults into Whitthorne Middle School after class every Wednesday to mentor middle-school students in need of one-on-one guidance.

“We’ve seen really good benefits. We had 30 kids go through the program last year, and kids are doing better with self-esteem, grades, behavior, everything,” said Ralph Roller, the program’s founder.

Every Wednesday from 3-4 p.m., Rise TN’s mentors talk one-on-one with their assigned student to mentor. The students are nominated by the school and brought in with their parents’ or guardians’ consent.

“We recruit local people who have a little flexibility in their schedule and can come mentor,” Roller explained. “The school selects kids they think would benefit from mentoring… It’s not anything in particular, not behavior issues [or] grades, it can be whatever.”

The students and mentors spend that hour together over snacks, bottled water and board games, talking about the students’ lives, struggles, interests and achievements. Students ask questions, from how to deal with bullying to the nature of the mentor’s job. Mentors are given guiding questions to ask if conversation slows, but often the student has something on his or her mind.

“I have to go back and remember who I was at that stage and age… to give someone the help that I didn’t receive at that age,” said Chris Cribbs, the dean of students at Columbia State and a Whitthorne mentor.

His mentorship drastically reduced the frequency of his first student’s trips to the principal’s office, and since then he’s mentored both a football player and a very cerebral student. “I’ve enjoyed my time, I really have,” Cribbs said.

“It is very rewarding to be part of. I have witnessed our relationship unfold,” said Dawn Speruta, the mentor of a seventh-grade girl. “At first she was very apprehensive and unsure why I was there and why I kept coming back. Now, we look forward to our weekly meetings and the hour once a week doesn’t feel like enough.”

“It’s literally a conversation one-on-one, and the kids are super receptive [and] well-behaved,” Roller said. “[A mentor’s] time is a focused hour with that kid every week, consistent investment in them.”

Dr. Cara Skaggs, the principal, also invited Roller to come to lunch at Whitthorne and become a familiar presence to the kids who for whatever reason aren’t in the program. He now goes to the cafeteria three days per week, staying visible and counseling the students with no mentor.

Rise TN Mentoring also brings in public figures as motivational speakers including former Tennessee Titan wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who earned his doctorate in education and became a school principal after leaving the NFL.

The students also heard from Jimmy John Liautaud, the founder and former president of Jimmy John’s sandwich stores. Liautaud landed his helicopter on the Columbia State Community College track field and drove down Hampshire Pike to tell the Whitthorne students how a franchise billionaire could start life as an awkward, low-achieving child.

Roller and his wife came to Columbia from Illinois following their three adult daughters, all of whom settled in Maury County after attending Trevecca Nazarene University.

“When I moved here, I fell in love with this area. I’m passionate about the next generation and I love Columbia and Maury County… [and] I just kept hearing stories, from my daughter as a teacher and some of her colleagues, about kids that just needed some encouragement,” Roller said, “I felt like I was supposed to do something, but wasn’t sure what it was… [and eventually] it felt like God said, ‘Hey, I want you to start a program down here.'”

Roller arranged with Maury County Public Schools and the CrossBridge nonprofit in Nashville to start a mentoring program at Whitthorne Middle. When he launched the organization (then called Choose Power) in April 2025, CrossBridge asked him to step in and run it full-time.

“[They asked,] ‘Are you in?… We want you to do it full-time, because nobody’s going to do it [unless] you do’… I was like, ‘Ooh, I don’t know if I want to go taking pay cuts again and moving backwards,'” Roller recalled. “[But] that weekend, the pastor at the church we go to literally [asked in a sermon], ‘What would you do if you weren’t getting paid?’ I sat down with my wife that Sunday and said, ‘Okay, I guess we’re going to [do something] crazy.'”

After a pilot year, CrossBridge decided the program was successful enough to back it themselves. The program was rebranded as Rise TN Mentoring and incorporated as a 501(c)(3).

Cribbs recalled meeting Roller at Whitthorne when Cribbs was a substitute teacher.

“I would see [Ralph] walk around the cafeteria at Whitthorne,” Cribbs said. “He said, ‘You’re the only substitute teacher I’ve seen to spend their lunchtime with the students.'”

Future Plans

Roller plans to expand Rise TN Mentoring to other middle schools, starting with E.A. Cox, when they have enough mentors. Three other principals have asked Rise TN to open in their schools, one of them in Williamson County, but Roller plans to build a solid base of operations at all five of Maury County’s middle schools — Whitthorne, E.A. Cox, Battle Creek, Spring Hill and Mount Pleasant — before branching out.

“Our hope is to go beyond Whitthorne… to get as many kids in the program as we can,” he said, “[but] that’s probably going to take 150-200 mentors, so that could be 2-3 years down the road… We’re not going to sacrifice quality and consistency to ‘do more.'”

The issue is finding adult mentors who can spare an hour, plus travel time, every Wednesday afternoon during business hours. Roller has solicited mentors from a number of local nonprofits, civic associations and churches, but spreading general knowledge seems to be the best way he finds new mentors.

“There are people that would do it if they knew about it. They just don’t know about it,” Roller said. “I tell our mentors now, ‘If you have a friend who has some flexibility, tell them about it.’ [We want to] find people who can be mentors, so we can serve even more kids.”

Anyone interested in being a mentor should visit risetnmentoring.org and fill out an application.

“If you have a little bit of time [every Wednesday from 3-4 p.m.] and you’re interested at all, I’ll talk to you,” Roller said. “Consistency, man. When you’re with the same person, those relationships [grow].”

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

Mr. Samuel McDaniel, 80, retired from Tennessee Farm Bureau, died Tuesday at his residence in Columbia.  Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 5:00 PM at New Lasea Church of Christ.  The family will visit with friends from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the church prior to the services.  Burial will follow on Monday at Jones Cemetery in Lexington, TN at 2:00 PM.

And now, news from around the state…

Early Voting (Press Release)

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett today is reminding all registered Tennessee voters that the early voting period for the November 3 State and Federal General Election begins next week, on Wednesday, October 14.

“Early voting makes it easy for registered Tennesseans to participate in the electoral process,” said Secretary Hargett. “With early voting beginning next week, now is the time to make a plan to vote. I encourage every eligible voter to take advantage of this convenient opportunity and participate in shaping the future of their communities, state, and nation.”

Early voting runs through Thursday, Oct 29. Registered voters can find polling locations and hours, view sample ballots, check their voter registration status, and much more by downloading the free GoVoteTN app or visiting GoVoteTN.gov.

Those voting early or on Election Day must present a current or expired photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government when you vote in person. College student IDs, non-U.S. Citizen ID’s and IDs issued by local governments or other states are not accepted. To learn more about exemptions and how to get a free photo ID, along with more information about early voting, visit your trusted source for election information, GoVoteTN.gov.

Prior to casting a ballot, Tennessee voters are strongly encouraged to review the three proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the November ballot in order to plan ahead. Each amendment will appear on the ballot as a separate yes-or-no question.

The summaries of the proposed amendments are available to read here: https://sos.tn.gov/elections/announcements/2026-proposed-constitutional-amendments

The summaries, prepared by the Office of the Attorney General pursuant to Tennessee law, are intended to help voters better understand each proposed amendment before Election Day. For more information, visit GoVoteTN.gov, or download the free GoVoteTN app.

Gas Prices (MSM)

Gas prices continued to decline across the state and fell below $4 per gallon last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $3.93 which is 12 cents more expensive than one month ago and $1.18 cents more expensive than one year ago.

“Many drivers across the state are now seeing local pump prices below $4 per gallon, which is a much needed break from the record high gas prices of September,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “If crude oil prices remain low, it’s likely that drivers will continue to see prices move slightly lower at the pump. Drivers can maximize savings at the pump by driving conservatively, staying current on vehicle maintenance, and combining errands when possible.”

Tennessee is currently the seventh least expensive market for gas in the country.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Today, there are more than 4,200 commercial and charity-run haunted house attractions in the United States, however it was not until the opening of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in 1969 that anyone thought of them becoming a for-profit venture. Now they are part of the Halloween industry that is expected to produce $13.5 billion in 2026. 

Here are 13 haunted attractions in Middle Tennessee that are sure to give a rousing Halloween fright. They are all open through the end of October and some into early November.

They include:

Miller’s Thrillers

1431 Carter’s Creek Pike

Columbia, Tennessee

https://www.millersthrillers.net/ 

Creepy Hollow Haunted Woods

2311 Joe Brown Road

Spring Hill, Tennessee

https://www.creepyhollowwoods.com/