Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 12-15-25

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for December 15, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Water Rates to Increase (CDH)

The need for long-term water solutions in Maury County could be hitting Columbia Power & Water Systems customers' wallets with a new five-year proposed plan to fund new infrastructure.

Columbia City Council approved the proposed plan's first of two readings Dec. 11, with the second and final vote to take place in January. CPWS is also proposing to raise impact fees to new developments, which council members also approved in the first of two readings.

Pending the second reading's passing, the ordinance could enact up to 20% water rate increases annually over the next five years, which could equate to nearly 149% more than what customers are being charged today.

Though that would be "worst case scenario," CPWS President Jonathan Hardin said.

"It is not 149% this year, just 20%, and we will be looking at the actual cost of services to adjust what the rate is accordingly," Hardin said. "It can be up to 20% each year, and that's all it is. It sets a ceiling."

Hardin said the goal is to fund a $505 million project to relocate CPWS' downstream intake from the Duck River, as well as expanding its water treatment plant.

"The relocation of our intake would be accompanied by a treatment plant expansion that would take advantage of CPWS being below all major inflows to the Duck River, and 27 river miles below the clean water discharge from the city's treatment plant currently being expanded," Hardin said.

Hardin added that CPWS' rates are also lower than other similarly-sized utility districts.

"Our bills are at a very low position right now, and we have data that shows we are in the bottom quartile of water utilities right now," Hardin said. "So, we are starting at a very low place with respect to all of our peers."

More information on the Community H20 project and the proposal to raise water rates can be found on CPWS' website, www.communityh2o.org/rate-information.

"We are putting that together for the purposes of customers, anybody in the media, and it will have information on there to help educate and inform," Hardin said. "We saw a lot of misinformation in the last couple of weeks.

The proposed water rate increase, however, has been met with backlash from citizens and elected officials, with the first reading passing by a narrow 4-3 vote.

Concerns have ranged from how the increase would affect families on fixed incomes, small businesses and future generations. Others questioned if a $505 million project should be approved without considering other possible solutions.

"We at the state level have some concerns about this, if this is the best use for half a billion dollars, especially in state and federal money you will be borrowing," State Rep. Scott Cepicky said. "And are you going to be able to repay it?"

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, who voted against the water rate increase along with council members Charlie Huffman and Carl McCullen, said the issue ultimately comes down to two things, long-term water solutions or better cost of living.

"At the end of the day, for me, the rate increase is not one I can support this evening, as currently proposed by CPWS," Molder said.

"This is a difficult decision, because it's an important decision, and because tonight there is a solution offered to a decades-long problem. For me personally, I cannot justify voting on an increase such as this at this time. Regardless of the outcome, I urge our local state and federal partners to continue conversations to help fund this project in ways that will limit the financial burden on our citizens."

Vice Mayor Randy McBroom, who voted in support alongside council members Cheryl Secrest, Kenny Marshall and Brian McKelvy, argued that, although prior planning could have prevented this situation, something has to be done now.

"We are voting on what we think is right for the area to have water in 10-15 years, and we have not heard of a reasonable one that can be done yet," McBroom said. "This is the only one that has been fully vetted."

District 8 Commissioner Gabe Howard shared how he had been an advocate for addressing Maury County's water needs for years, and that elected officials should have acted sooner.

"Tonight, we are here because that warning was not heeded, and now the solution being placed before the people is a 150% rate increase on current rate payers, many of whom had no voice in creating this situation and they still have no seat at this table," Howard said.

"I support responsible infrastructure investment, support planning for growth and support protecting the Duck River, but growth has to pay for growth…and not be placed on the backs of the longtime residents, families and small business who are already stretched thin."

At the council's Dec. 4 study session, Hardin shared that the need for a new downstream intake dates back to 2001 when Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) identified water needs in the area.

"In 2011, the Duck River Agency completed an extensive report regarding water needs in the Duck River Basin, and it also highlighted a downstream intake as one of the items that could benefit our long-term water issues," Hardin said. "Another item in that report was to raise the Columbia Dam."

In addition, in 2015 CPWS determined what relocating its downstream intake would require, and that the need would only increase given factors such as population growth, as well as the Riverside Drive dam's more than 100 years of age.

"As this process evolved, not only has the need for additional water become apparent, but the need to move the CPWS intake to another location was apparent for other reasons, and those reasons benefit rate payers and partners of CPWS," Hardin said.

One of the reasons was to have an ample water supply during drought conditions. Hardin cited a drought which occurred in the U.S. in 1988, which he described as "the worst drought since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s."

"The Riverside Drive impoundment is nearing the end of its useful life," Hardin said.

"Given the population of Maury County has more than doubled in the last 40 years, since the late '80s, we know we cannot provide water service to our customers should the Riverside Drive impoundment fail, or a drought of 1988 or 2007-2008 intensity and duration were to occur again. Heaven forbid we have something more profound than those two events."

Previti Launches Mayoral Campaign (CDH)

Maury County Commissioner Eric Previti, District 2, has announced he will not be seeking another term on the board because he wishes to seek the office of Columbia Mayor in 2026.

However, Previti emphasized he is not finished serving citizens of Maury County.

Previti announced his upcoming candidacy outside Columbia City Hall on Friday, Dec. 12.

"I am a rich man because of my friends, and I am a poor man because of taxes and thieves," Previti said. "I am doing this for everybody's grandkids and great grandkids. We are saddled with an astronomical amount of debt that's going to be passed onto them."

Previti cited Columbia City Council's Dec. 11 approval of an ordinance, which would raise Columbia Power & Water customers' water rates up to 20% in 2026, as one of the main reasons he decided to seek the mayor's seat.

"I don't agree with a lot that has transpired here at the city of Columbia, and with that said, the question is, 'What are we doing moving forward?" Previti said. "What do we leave our kids, our grandkids? What will people 100 years from now say about us?"

Previti's campaign will also focus on strengthening city and county relations, which he said there has been some, but should be more.

"My campaign promise to everybody is to look forward, talk about this unity and practice it, rather than just talk about it," Previti said. "We have got to have cooperation between the county and city."

In addition to serving since 2014 as county commissioner, including two years as chairman, Previti has served eight years on the county's Building Committee and Administration Committee.

Previti has also served as president of Columbia Noon Rotary Club, president of First United Methodist Church's admin council and board member of Boys & Girls Club, as well as the president of the Maury County Historical Society.

"It's time for a change, and I am asking the city of Columbia to send me to the mayor's office to help instigate that change and to foster a better relationship with the county and other jurisdictions," Previti said. "We are all in it together, and I am asking for your support."

Current Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder announced in September his run for the United States Congress representing the 5th Congressional District, where he will face incumbent and former Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles.

Columbia State Graduation (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College celebrated 162 degree and certificate candidates as they crossed the stage during the fall commencement ceremonies in the Webster Athletic Center on Saturday, December 13. In total, 478 students are anticipated to graduate in Fall 2025.

Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president, opened the ceremony by welcoming degree and certificate candidates, faculty, staff and guests.

“Today is a special day for several reasons,” Smith said. “First and foremost, it is a day of celebration of accomplishments. It is a day of recognition that these soon to be graduates set a goal and accomplished it.”

 Smith introduced Robert Rogers as the guest speaker for the fall commencement ceremony. Rogers, a Columbia native, attended Columbia State before transferring to Middle Tennessee State University, where he graduated cum laude in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a major in marketing.

He currently serves as the dealer principal for Parks Motor Sales, continuing the dealership’s seven-decade-long legacy of being in the Columbia community.

Rogers serves on the Columbia State Foundation Board. His previous service includes the board of directors for the Maury Alliance, chairman of the Frontier District of the Boy Scouts of America — where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout — and has an active membership in the Columbia Kiwanis Club.

He began his speech by saying he was going to share details of three stories and experiences that impacted him, and that he hoped would impact the graduates as well.

The first story was one that Rogers had heard from a preacher years ago, around the term “skylarking.” Skylarking, defined literally as to run up and down the rigging of a ship in sport, is used by the U.S. Navy to describe sailors having fun, both on and especially off the boat when docking somewhere. That was the preacher’s advice in the speech, “Go do a little skylarking.”

“And I still think that is the coolest way to describe this chapter of your life. So, I’ll pass on the same advice to all of you: With this new freedom you’re stepping into, with all these possibilities in front of you, ‘Go do a little skylarking,’” Rogers said.

For his next story, Rogers recounted learning about a race called the Last Annual Vol State 500K, where runners compete to see who can make it the 300 miles from the Tennessee-Missouri border to the Tennessee-Georgia border. However, the race and its test of endurance wasn’t the message; the volunteers, called “road angels,” who offer food, water and other support during the race were.

“These angels aren’t winning the race,” Rogers said. “They aren’t getting medals. They aren’t getting their name in the paper. They’re just showing up for people they’ve never met. We’re so obsessed these days with achievement, accomplishment, success, résumés, titles — being the runner. But what if more of us chose to be the angel instead?”

His final story centered around a retelling of a demonstration with 100 pennies. The pennies symbolize a person’s life and doing the most with the time (pennies) you have.

“You’re not promised tomorrow,” Rogers said. “Don’t waste a minute. What you’ve got left on the table — that’s your time. Invest that time. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t take any relationships for granted. Don’t waste that time being mean, or being ugly, or doing anything ill. Do well with that time. Make your pennies count. And even better — make them count in a way that affects the world after you’re out of pennies.”

He ended his speech with a challenge for each graduate to change the world, one day at a time.

“Every single one of us has the ability — and the responsibility — to change our world,” Rogers said. “One act of kindness. One act of empathy. One moment where you choose connection instead of being right. One time finding common or neutral ground with someone who isn’t like you. Making one smiley face where there wasn’t going to be one today. And when you spend them making smiley faces — when you stop looking at people as transactions and start seeing them as human beings, you can impact — your little world gets better. And when your world gets better, the people in your world make their world better.” 

Closing the ceremony, the alumni induction of new graduates was presented by Dr. Amy Spears-Bridges, Columbia State executive director of communications and Columbia State alum, and Kiara Simerly, Columbia State one stop customer service representative for Enrollment Services and Fall 2025 graduate.

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President’s Leadership Society graduates were also honored with a medallion at the commencement ceremony.

“The establishment of this society was based on the belief that leadership is inherent to our lives and that we all have leadership roles,” Smith said. “The President’s Leadership Society is open to all students at Columbia State and requires only their commitment to involvement for learning, participation and helping others.”

Formed in spring 2011, PLS is a free leadership training program focused on developing a student’s unique leadership skills from their first semester through graduation. The program focuses on participation in college-sponsored programs that promote educational attainment, career choices, volunteerism and civic responsibility.

During the course of the program, students attend a leadership retreat, enjoy exposure to the arts, participate in workshops and campus life, develop civic understanding and give back to the community through volunteerism.

Riverside Elementary and Central Receive TVA Grants (Press Release)

Maury County Public Schools is excited to announce that Riverside Elementary School and Columbia Central High School are each recipients of $5,000 STEM grants from The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Inc., a TVA retiree organization. The STEM grant program is designed to help K–12 schools deliver engaging STEM learning by funding projects that incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math, with preference given to proposals that align with TVA’s priority areas — environment, energy, economic and career development, and community problem solving.

“Inspiring young people to pursue careers in STEM fields is so important,” said TVA President and CEO, Don Moul. “A workforce with specialized skills means more economic opportunities for people across our seven-state region and more opportunities for our students to achieve high-paying jobs that will support their families and make their communities a better place to live when they grow up.”

The competitive STEM classroom award program is operated in partnership with the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, managed by the Battelle organization. The program received 528 applications, and 339 were selected for funding. Since 2018, TVA/BVI has provided over $9 million in STEM grants supporting over 845,000 students.

“TVA’s STEM Awards give our teachers the ability to bring real-world, hands-on science and technology experiences to the classroom,” said Lisa Ventura, Superintendent of Maury County Public Schools. “We are thrilled that both Riverside Elementary School and Columbia Central High School have secured grants, which will directly benefit our students and help prepare them for future STEM opportunities.”

Riverside Elementary School will use funding to acquire the hand2mind STEM 3D Coding and Robotics Cart, a comprehensive, mobile solution designed to bring hands-on STEM learning directly into the classroom and beyond. This all-in-one cart will serve as a dynamic learning hub for students in PreK through 4th grade, offering access to advanced coding tools, robotics kits, and a 3D printing system.

“I absolutely love teaching STEM, while watching every student explore, learn and create things,” said Romannita Smith, teacher at Riverside Elementary. “Technology is the future and being able to give access to a high-quality, hands-on, STEM learning environment, brings me great joy,” said Smith.

Columbia Central High School (CHS) plans to expand students’ knowledge of virtual reality by highlighting Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes to middle school students who may not be aware of the possibilities in the field.

“This grant empowers programs we offer by continuing to foster thinking, innovation, and real-world problem-solving,” said John Orman, media teacher at Columbia Central High School. “Emerging technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality can be challenging to articulate to potential sponsors. We appreciate TVA’s commitment to supporting STEM initiatives that cultivate 21st-century skills.”

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

Gale Frances Coble Pace, 83, a long time resident of Columbia, passed away Friday, December 12, 2025 at Maury Regional Hospital. A private family graveside service will be held at Memory Gardens in Centerville, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to enhance the playground at Joseph Brown Elementary, 301 Cord Drive, Columbia, Tennessee, 38401 where she worked for over 35 years and was one of the original teachers when it opened.

Mrs. Clara Durand Ledbetter, 89, passed away on Thursday, November 27, 2025 at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care Center surrounded by her loving family. A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Visitation will precede the service, beginning at 10:00 AM.

Opioid Abatement in Tennessee (Tennessean)

Tennessee is set to receive a windfall of more than $1.2 billion over two decades from national settlements with companies that sold prescription painkillers, fueling a generation addicted to opioids. But experts fear much of the funds so far aren't reaching people who need it the most.

Between 2023 and 2025, Tennessee’s 95 counties received a combined $86.8 million in opioid abatement funds meant for treatment, prevention and recovery. 

But the state so far has struggled to track how local governments are actually spending the money, and their rollouts have been slow and uneven. Two years in, counties have spent only about half the funds, said Dr. Stephen Loyd, who chairs the state’s Opioid Abatement Council, which is charged with allocating and tracking the funds. 

The reporting process has been so confusing for counties that the council paused its semiannual reports this year to develop a new format, with public reporting expected to resume next spring.

Loyd, an addiction expert who is himself in recovery from opioid use, said he’s frustrated with the rollout.

“The frustration is not knowing what the money's being spent on and how it fits into the ecosystem that we're trying to build across the state,” he said. “We're not meeting our mark, and that's the part that scares me.”

After record spikes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation is finally seeing a meaningful drop in overdose deaths.

Tennessee logged a projected 32% decrease last year, but the battle is far from over. In 2023, the state had the third highest overdose death rate in the country, behind only West Virginia and Delaware, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tennessee now is in what experts call the “fourth wave” of the epidemic, as fentanyl is appearing in other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine, sparking clusters of deadly overdoses.

Nationwide, more than $50 billion in settlement money is expected to flow to thousands of states and local governments that sued companies like Purdue Pharma, and its owners, the Sackler family, for flooding the market with opioids.

States are all handling the funds differently. 

Tennessee uses a three-bucket approach: 15% is distributed as direct payments to local governments, 15% goes to the state’s general fund and 70% goes into the Opioid Abatement Fund controlled by the abatement council that funnels it to counties and organizations in competitive grants. Local policymakers can decide how to spend their share of direct payments and abatement funds as long as it fits within an approved list of uses for remediation and abatement.

The county abatement payments began flowing in 2023, but oversight has proven difficult for the state’s 15-member Opioid Abatement Council. By late last year, almost one third of counties had reported not yet spending any of the funds, and with the state halting public reporting, it’s even harder to know how much they’re spending today.

Opioid Abatement Council Executive Director Mary Shelton said counties are struggling to report accurate spending and are uncertain about what uses are legally permitted. The result has been math mistakes and mounting confusion.

“There’s no blame on the counties. We need to regroup and figure out the best way to report,” she said. “More than anything they need education and consulting.”

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Current multi-Grammy® Award nominee Jelly Roll was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry during a surprise moment on his interview, which aired on The Joe Rogan Experience, the #1 podcast in the world across all platforms. Rogan surprised Jelly Roll with a video message from his mentor and friend – Opry member Craig Morgan – inviting him to join the Opry family. An official induction date will be announced soon.

Jelly Roll made his Opry debut on November 9, 2021, and has become an Opry fan favorite and beloved by not only the fans but many of its members over the years. Jelly Roll has dedicated his time to playing the show numerous times, mentoring many artists through the Opry NextStage program, and serving as host of Opry NextStage Live shows in Texas.