Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 11-12-25

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for November 12, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Veteran’s Day Parade (CDH)

Columbia celebrated its third annual Veterans Day Parade Tuesday, honoring local service men and women in downtown.

And as is tradition, the parade kicked off at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month.

The parade was created initially by former Columbia Mayor Dean Dickey, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean War.

"This is something that Mayor Dickey wanted before he stopped being the mayor," Vice Mayor Randy McBroom said. "He wanted to have this day designated for veterans, because he believed in the service they gave to our community."

And while the turnout isn't necessarily on par with the thousands of spectators at events like the Mule Day Parade, McBroom said the city will continue to support its Veterans Day Parade and its potential for growth.

"We want to figure out a way to make it bigger, and the people who come out enjoy it," McBroom said. "And when you are here, you enjoy it. It is a good vibe, and something we need."

The Well Sees Spike in Needy (CDH)

Multiple hardships have led to a sharp increase in need at The Well food pantry in Spring Hill, including the prolonged government shutdown, recent General Motors and Ultium Cells furloughs, plus a growing population in Maury County.

Shelly Sassen, The Well Ministries Spring Hill CEO, said the culmination of the events has led to "a perfect storm," affecting families and the pantry, even compared to COVID furloughs and layoffs.

The pantry has seen an 80% increase during the first week of November, Sassen said.

Because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds paused in November, leaving many vulnerable.

According to the Tennessee Department of Human Services, 7,226 individuals in Maury County received SNAP benefits in September.

General Motors announced in October it would be temporarily laying off 700 employees at the Ultium Cell battery plant in Spring Hill starting in January. This is due to the automaker's plans to temporarily readjust its production facility away from electronic vehicles.

"If we have that, plus the furloughed workers and these other workers who are going to be laid off at GM and Ultium, it is like the perfect storm for The Well," Sassen said. "It's kind of like COVID all over again, but it's worse because it just happened at full force."

In October, The Well serviced 2,300 families, and is now serving an estimated 3,500 in November, if not higher, Sassen said.

For people like Jeff and Jennifer Swing of Beechcraft, located near Manchester, Tennessee, SNAP benefits were a necessity to ensure they would get enough food for the month.

Jennifer faces multiple health issues, including kidney failure and an irregular heartbeat, which require a specialist. Her health has kept her from working. After losing their SNAP benefits, which they said totaled $106 per month, the Swings had no other choice but to seek help from others.

"I am the only one in the household that gets an income, and she has kidney failure and can't work," Jeff said. "We got insurance through Obamacare, but her deductibles are so high that it's still hard for her to get to the specialist she needs to go to."

Jeff added that the rising cost of groceries has also impacted their monthly budget.

"We went from having less than $200 worth of groceries to last me and her all month to now costing us between $350-$400, just for the same things we've always been getting," Jeff said. "It's hard to find help, and we don't really know how to ask because we've never had to.

"We hope someone can finally figure it all out for us. That's all we can pray for."

With the influx of new clients and more to be expected as the weeks continue into November, The Well is focused on meeting each individual's and family's needs.

Though that doesn't mean the nonprofit couldn't use a little help itself. Sassen said she's thankful for the increase in donations but is concerned about the continued need to stock the pantry.

"Food, funding and volunteers are the three things," Sassen said. "Food is always important, and funding because we can buy three times the amount of food if they donate to us versus if they give us food. We buy from a food bank and can get it 30 cents on the dollar."

On Nov. 13-14, The Well will partner with WKOM/WKRM for a two-day radio Hope for the Hungry Thanksgiving Radiothon fundraiser, with a goal to raise $75,000.

"The first day will be an eight-hour broadcast from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to have people call in to help feed our families during November," Sassen said. "Then on Friday the 14th, we will be doing a remote broadcast at Kroger off Port Royal. Families can stop by and donate food from Kroger, donate funding by walking up to the radio station, or call in and donate online."

For more information about The Well Outreach, its two locations in Spring Hill and Mt. Pleasant or to donate online, visit www.TheWellOutReach.org

New Physicians in MRMC Lawrence (MSM)

Maury Regional Health is expanding to serve Lawrence County with the addition of Lawrence Health Center, which will offer a comprehensive spectrum of outpatient services when it opens in spring 2026. Until the facility is complete, Lawrence Health Center’s new primary and pediatric care teams are welcoming patients in nearby Mount Pleasant.

Thomas Bernhoffer, MD, and Alana Brown, MD, will provide primary care and pediatric services, respectively for Maury Regional Medical Group (MRMG) at Lawrence Health Center. They will be joined by Martha Kristin Woodside, FNP, a primary care nurse practitioner already with MRMG. The trio are now welcoming adult and pediatric patients at MRMG Primary Care in Mount Pleasant until Lawrence Health Center opens in spring 2026.

“We are ecstatic about the new Lawrence Health Center opening next spring, but we don’t want the community to have to wait to establish their care,” said MRMG President Nathan Miller. “By scheduling with our team now at their temporary home in Mount Pleasant, patients can begin establishing their new care team without delay, supporting a seamless transition and continuous care for when we officially open the doors of our new medical office building in Lawrenceburg.”

Bernhoffer is a board-certified specialist in family medicine who earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed his residency at the Toledo Hospital Family Residency Program in Toledo, Ohio.

Brown is a specialist in pediatrics who earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Cupecoy, Saint Maarten. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the University School of Medicine in Wichita, Kansas.

Woodside is an advanced practice provider who joined Maury Regional Medical Group in 2023 after previously serving as a registered nurse at Maury Regional Medical Center. She received her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from American Sentinel University in Denver, Col, and an associate degree in nursing from Columbia State Community College.

To schedule with Brown, Bernhoffer or Woodside, call MRMG Primary Care in Mount Pleasant at 931.244.6090 or visit MauryRegional.com/MountPleasant.

The three-story, 60,000-square-foot Lawrence Health Center, expected to be completed in spring 2026, will be home to:

• Primary, pediatric and specialty care from Maury Regional Medical Group for continuous, coordinated care throughout all life’s chapters.

• Convenient diagnostics to minimize the need for travel, including outpatient imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, CT, mammography and bone densitometry), pulmonary function testing and a sleep medicine center.

• Comprehensive rehabilitation services for adults and children, including physical and occupational therapy as well as speech-language pathology.

• Accessible support services, such as an outpatient pharmacy, occupational health center and specialty care through the facility’s leasing partners.

“As our region continues to grow, we are committed to delivering exceptional care close to home,” said Maury Regional Health CEO Martin Chaney, MD. “This state-of-the-art facility will offer a wide array of outpatient services — including primary, pediatric and specialty care — to provide Lawrence County residents of all ages with the trusted Maury Regional Health care they know and rely on without the need to travel to Columbia.”

Lawrence Health Center is just one of many expansion projects underway or in the planning phases at Maury Regional Health.

Improvements at the Maury Regional Medical Center campus in Columbia include the development of an Orthopedic Surgical Institute to accommodate the growing number of joint replacements, renovation of the emergency department, expansion of the heart center, parking and thoroughfare improvements, additional childbirth beds and expansion of the front entry to relocate key patient and visitor services toward the main entrance.

To learn more about Maury Regional Health’s strategic plan for the future, visit MauryRegional.com/StrategicPlan.

Maury Teachers Get State Appointments (MSM)

Two Maury County educators have been appointed as members of the Civic Education and Engagement Advisory Committee by Secretary of State Tre Hargett.

“Our office created the advisory committee to build a more engaged citizenry in Tennessee. We appreciate each member’s dedication to serving the students of our great state,” Hargett said. “I am grateful for these experienced educators and their willingness to serve our state,  and I look forward to their contributions to the civic health of our state.” 

Dr. Brooke Binkley of Battle Creek Elementary School and Angie McLanahan of Mt. Pleasant Middle School joined 12 other educators from nine other counties as appointees to the committee.

Visit sos.tn.gov/civics for more information on civic engagement initiatives, including the annual  civics essay contest, Tennessee Student Mock Election, and lesson plans. 

Hawlers Insurance (WKOM Audio 1:18)

Yesterday afternoon, Haulers Insurance held a grand opening at their new building on James Campbell Boulevard in Columbia. Front Porch Radio’s Delk Kennedy attended the ribbon cutting and spoke to Haulers Insurance Proprietor Jay McClellan about what they offer their customers…

Sleep in Heavenly Peace Event (MSM)

The Columbia branch of the Sleep in Heavenly Peace charity held their last bed-building session for the year on Saturday, Nov. 8.

Thirty-five volunteers came together in the Skillington Barn at Maury County Park, where they cut and assembled wood into beds for children who need them. After four hours of work, 20 beds were produced. The beds come with mattresses, pillows and sheets when a family applies successfully for one.

The Maury County branch of Sleep in Heavenly Peace has been active since 2022, when their president Beth Morrill first learned about the organization and the need for children’s beds in Maury County. She and her husband Bill and a few people from their Wellspring Christian Church started attending the work sessions of the Nashville branch of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. They came back to Columbia and built 20 beds during their first local session in September 2022.

“I was shocked when I first learned about this ministry, I had no idea there were children in any community sleeping on the floor,” Morrill told Main Street Maury in 2022.

Now, after a little more than three years, Sleep in Heavenly Peace Columbia has handmade 550 beds, 150 of them this year alone, and delivered 497 to the children of Maury County, with the help of volunteers from all over the community. However, they’ve gotten so good at supplying beds that a new problem has arisen: demand for their work has fallen in Columbia, where they’ve done most of their outreach so far.

“We have noticed a significant slowdown in requests,” Morrill said. “We hope to reach more people in Mt. Pleasant and Culleoka, where we feel there might be needs we have not tapped into.”

Now the organization is casting a wider net for beneficiaries in Mt. Pleasant and the rural communities of Maury County, hoping to find and supply more children who don’t yet have their own beds. They currently have 50 spare beds in storage, and are reaching out for their new owners by advertising on CarePortal of Middle Tennessee, putting up fliers at local libraries and food pantries, and spreading the word via Facebook and personal references.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace volunteers hope the beds from this Saturday will last them until they start building again in February. Any family in need can get one by going to shpbeds.org/chapter/tn-columbia/ and clicking the “Apply” button in the top right of the home page.

“Do you know someone with a child between the ages of 3 and 17 who does not have their own bed to sleep in?” Morrill asks Main Street Maury’s readers. “[Because] our motto is, ‘No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town!'”

Columbia State Performance Series (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College welcomes Scott Mulvahill to the Cherry Theater on November 13 as part of the Performance Series sponsored by First Farmers and Merchants Bank.

Scott Mulvahill doesn’t just play the upright bass—he reinvents it. A genre-blending singer-songwriter, he fuses Americana, folk, jazz and experimental sounds into something truly original.

“Scott Mulvahill has reimagined what the upright bass can do, even pioneering his own DataBass instrument,” said Tammy Rosson, Columbia State director of events and alumni relations. “Joined by his incredible band, he delivers a sound that’s as inventive as it is soulful, and we’re honored to welcome him back to the Cherry Theater stage.”

A former member of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder, Mulvahill struck out on his own with Himalayas and his groundbreaking DataBass project. Encouraged by Bruce Hornsby, he’s since taken the stage on NPR’s Tiny Desk, Mountain Stage, and TEDxNashville, collaborating with Cory Wong, Lauren Daigle, and Keb’ Mo’. Don’t miss this musical innovator live in concert.

“Scott was well-received the first time he performed in the Cherry Theater, and we are delighted to welcome him back to Columbia State,” said Bethany Lay, Columbia State vice president for advancement and executive director of the Columbia State Foundation. “He has continued to hone his craft through reimagining the sounds his instruments can produce; our audience will enjoy the evening!”

Tickets for each performance are priced at $35 and include all fees. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ColumbiaState.edu/PerformanceSeries.

Individuals may also contact the Performance Series ticket line at 931.540.2879, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On performance nights, the box office opens at 6 p.m. in the Kenneth and Ramona Cherry Theater, located in the Waymon L. Hickman Building on the Columbia Campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and all shows begin at 7 p.m. The Columbia Campus is located at 1665 Hampshire Pike in Columbia.

For more information, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/PerformanceSeries.

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

Mr. Christopher Michael Morris, 54, son of Michael J. Morris and Eyvonne Morris, died Sunday at his residence in Columbia. Graveside services will be conducted Thursday at 11:00 AM at Friendship Cemetery in Culleoka. The family will visit with friends at the cemetery following the services. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with arrangements.

Mrs. Norma Jean Pogue Lentz, 91, a native of Maury County and the widow of Frank Lentz, died Saturday in Jackson, TN where she had made her home for many years. Graveside services will be conducted Thursday at 2:00 PM at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends at the cemetery following the services. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with the arrangements.

Mr. Gary Douglas “Herky” Kinser, 89, retired owner of Herky’s Outdoor Sports, died Thursday, November 6th at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care Center. A memorial service will be held Saturday November 15th at 2:00 PM at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The family will visit with friends from 12:00 noon until time of the services at the church. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with the arrangements

Now, news from around the state…

Thompson Station Mall Plans (CDH)

Real estate investment trust Simon has released enhanced plans for Sagefield, a 100-acre luxury mall coming to Thompson's Station in Williamson County next year.

The Nashville-based AJ Capital Partners and Simon collaboration is expected to begin construction in 2026, officials say. The new plans come a little more than 10 months after the project was first announced for Williamson County.

"Tennessee is one of the country's most dynamic, growing markets and our plans are uniquely designed to meet the area's increasing demand," said Mark Silvestri, president of Simon Development, in prepared statements.

The luxury, mixed-used center, at the intersection of Interstates 65 and 840, will feature a mix of restaurants, about 75 stores and a hotel, according to plans. 

"The airport is being expanded. Titans are building a new stadium," Simon’s president, Gary Duncan, told The Tennessean in January, referencing other area development. "I think we look at that Thompson's Station site, and that general area of greater Nashville as something that's underserved, retail-wise."

All of Williamson County is experiencing rapid growth.

Thompson’s Station has almost tripled its population from 3,164 in 2014 to 9,081 in 2024, according to figures from the U.S. Census. 

“This project represents a significant investment in our town and has the potential to enhance local amenities, create jobs and strengthen our economy," said Thompson's Station Mayor Brian Stover in a news release.

Upon its completion, Sagefield will include 325,000-square-foot of space that will be filled with market boutiques and popular brands, officials said. 

It was planned in collaboration with restaurateur and hotelier Sam Fox, through his company Author & Edit Hospitality.

Plans call for the development to include a luxury hotel with signature restaurants, a world-class spa, a sports and social members club and other sophisticated amenities.

This marks the second luxury hotel coming to the Middle Tennessee area with Miami-based luxury hotel Nobu announcing its move to Nashville in early October. 

“This exciting new development will set a new standard for quiet luxury in Metro Nashville and beyond," said Eric Sadi, co-president, North American Real Estate at Simon. "Our vision is Sagefield becomes a destination unlike any other, one that embodies the very best of the region's allure coupled with a thoughtful blend of upscale boutique shopping, exceptional dining, elevated hospitality, and appealing lifestyle offerings."

Sagefield will be the third Simon project for the area.

Simon owns and operates Opry Mills and recently purchased full ownership of the Mall at Green Hills as part of its acquisition of the Taubman Realty Group.

"Once complete, Sagefield will truly be one-of-one, representing the very best of Simon's ingenuity in creating next-gen environments that elevate the region's appeal and quality of life," Silvestri said.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

A new arrival is settling in at the Nashville Zoo’s meerkat habitat, adding to the popular exhibit’s activity and charm.

The zoo introduced Muffuletta, a meerkat that recently arrived from the Memphis Zoo as part of a coordinated species management effort through the AZA’s Meerkat Species Survival Plan. She joins the existing mob following the departure of Harpua and Bioko, which were transferred to Memphis under the same program.

Muffuletta is expected to be a popular sight for visitors, easily recognized as the smallest member of the group. The zoo is encouraging guests to stop by and see the newcomer during their visit.

Learn more by visiting www.nashvillezoo.org.