Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 12-5-25

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for December 5, 2025

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

We start with local news…

MCPS Achieves Advancing Public School Designation (Press Release)

Maury County Public Schools has earned an Advancing School District designation from the Tennessee Department of Education for the first time.

The achievement is the first in the school district’s history, according to a Dec. 2 district media release.

The district has lingered in the state's bottom 5% in achievement for several years in the past, drawing an In Need of Improvement designation, before bumping up to Satisfactory in recent years.

The designations are determined via the state’s accountability system, which evaluates school districts on multiple indicators, such as student academic growth, achievement, grade-band success rates, chronic absenteeism, English language proficiency progress and graduation rates.

The recognition follows several years of steady districtwide improvement, highlighted by rising achievement scores and stronger outcomes across grade levels, according to state officials.

“This accomplishment reflects the hard work happening in every classroom across Maury County,” said Lisa Ventura, Superintendent of Maury County Public Schools. “Our students are learning and growing, and our teachers and staff are dedicated to ensuring every child succeeds. Achieving Advancing School District status for the first time in our history is a milestone that belongs to our entire community, and we are incredibly proud.”

Ventura highlighted the steady increase in achievement and growth scores from 2021 to 2025 based on TCAP scores at the Maury Alliance State of Education Lunch in November.

In English and Language Arts (reading), 2025 TCAP scores show that 34.1% of students in grades 3-5 met or exceeded proficiency compared to the state's overall 39% ELA rate.

The data shows marked progress compared to 2021, when ELA results showed 28% proficiency at the third-grade level, lagging behind the state's 32% at the time.

However, ELA overall proficiency for grades 3-5 dipped slightly in 2025 compared to 2024 when 36.3% of students met or exceeded expectations.

"We've got a little way to go, but we are so much better than we were, and I am super proud of that," Ventura said.

The state identifies districts across five accountability levels: Exemplary, Advancing, Satisfactory, Marginal and In Need of Improvement.

MCPS previously held a Satisfactory designation.

"Moving into the Advancing School District category demonstrates measurable gains in student achievement, effective district-level support, and the impact of strategic investments by the Maury County Public Schools Board of Education," the press release states.

The Advancing School District announcement comes shortly after the TDE designated Highland Park Elementary School, J.E. Woodard Elementary School and Mt. Pleasant High School as Tennessee Reward Schools.

The Reward School designation is also based on the state's accountability system, where schools have showcased academic performance and student growth, as well as reducing achievement gaps among student groups.

"This recognition is a testament to the hard work happening every day in our classrooms," Ventura said at the time of the Reward School designations.

"Our students continue to rise to high expectations, and our teachers and leaders at Highland Park Elementary School, J.E. Woodard Elementary School, and Mt. Pleasant High School, have shown extraordinary dedication helping every child grow. Our entire school district celebrates with them on this outstanding achievement."

Doris’ Florist Over 50 Years Old (MSM)

A local flower shop that opened in 1969 has paved the way for florists in Tennessee, becoming a cornerstone for innovation, creativity and service for the community. 

For more than five decades, Doris’ Flowers and Gifts has maintained through family, community support and deep rooted faith, allowing the legacy to stay alive. 

Harrell and Doris Hargrove first opened their shop on July 5, 1969, in the Maury County Shopping Center – now known as Neely’s Mill Shopping Center. Known then as Doris’ Florists, the shop became a go-to destination for timeless floral designs and relics. 

With the help of family and their four daughters, customers could purchase heirlooms, handmade ornaments, and fresh floral arrangements crafted for every occasion. 

Brenda Blackburn, Doris’s daughter and current General Manager/ Lead Floral Designer, reflects on growing up in the shop, recalling the hectic Black Friday crowds and holiday seasons, and how drastically they’ve changed over time. 

In 1974, Harrell Hargrove passed away, initiating a pivotal moment for Doris. Taking on a new level of leadership, she grew her business and established a name for herself as a respected leader in the floral industry. 

Doris served in numerous roles within floral organizations, including the Tennessee State Florist’s Association (TSFA), the Central Tennessee Professional Florist’s Association (CTPFA), and the Society of American Florists. Hargrove served as director of TSFA, president of CTPFA, and of the Tennessee Teleflora Unit. Her service and involvement allowed her to reach new heights as she was inducted into the TFSA Hall of Fame, TFSA Florist of the Year in 1986, and received a lifetime Achievement Award and Living Legend Award. 

In 2008, the shop moved to its current location on Pillow Drive, across from Chick-fil-A. 

Over the years, the business navigated through technological advancements, societal shifts and major challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Online ordering helped the business, but also increased competition from larger companies. Trends evolve and keeping track is critical for the business. 

Emmarynthe Blackburn, Doris’s granddaughter and the shop’s marketing director and delivery foreman, helps the business stay updated with the trends by monitoring trends and providing designs that meet the needs of different demographics. 

“Another thing is staying on top of trends,” Blackburn said. “ We’ve been around for 56 years, and things have changed a lot, but we still stay on top of everything and provide what people want now so that we can serve everybody.”

Innovation and tradition have coincided seamlessly, while still honoring Doris’s signature style. The shop continues to serve the community with custom designs, modern color palettes and arrangements that reflect today’s trends and the shop’s rich history. 

Just before the pandemic, after 50 years, Doris retired – yet has still remained involved and navigated the shop during the pandemic. Although the shutdown orders temporarily closed their doors, the business survived through prayer, perseverance and adapting to life after COVID. 

Today, the shop remains open as a symbol of faith-driven service, family legacy and community loyalty. 

“It’s how we show our love of God, and it’s our way of showing God’s beauty the best we can,” said Doris’s daughter and Office Manager Honey Hargrove. “It’s our ministry.” 

Doris’ Flowers and Gifts has been voted Best Florist in Maury County in both 2024 and 2025 by the Main Street Awards, as a testament to decades of quality and care. 

Par 4 Virtual Golf Grand Opening (WKOM Audio 2:45)

Yesterday, Par 4 Virtual Golf opened their doors on West 7th Street in Columbia. Front Porch Radio’s James Dickinson attended the ribbon cutting and spoke to proprietor James Shannon to learn about how the new business works…

Development Changes Go To County Commission (MSM)

The Maury County Regional Planning Commission voted to recommend two important measures last Monday: a moratorium on building new “major subdivisions” and a revision of the allowance for “administrative splits.”

Both will require approval of the Maury County Commission.

The moratorium halts the construction of subdivisions which feature sub-five-acre lots and more than five lots. Permitting and review will still go on for development applications, whether new or already submitted.

Building and Zoning Director Robert Caldiraro stated that the county had approved an average of 200 permits per year (for individual buildings, not whole developments) since 2020.

“The developments that we’re seeing are a lot larger,” Caldiraro explained. “Five [or] six years ago, we had never seen a 300-lot subdivision; [now] we are seeing them consistently, and we’ve got one in the pipeline that may move forward that is quite a bit larger than that.”

Teresa Sparks, an organizer for the group “Stop the Sprawl, Y’all,” explained to the planning commission that surrounding counties have issued moratoriums to re-evaluate the patterns and allowances for growth in recent years.

“We’re working with some outdated information, and… we’re just saying give us a chance to catch up,” she said. “We need to align our zoning with our infrastructure and capacity, and make sure future development is planned, not reactive.”

Planning Commissioner Peder Jensen announced that he would abstain from voting. He thought that 200 buildings per year was a healthy rate and didn’t require a moratorium.

“I don’t see how that’s not smart growth… I think this commission has done a very good job putting together some very specific changes to our zoning,” he said. “I don’t see how this moratorium is going to do much for this county, in any way but to take away the property rights of the landowners.”

Administrative split

Under a former county law, an owner could perform an “administrative split” on a property, subdividing it into two or more lots in one fell swoop, which could be even smaller than five acres, when the county only intended that they be able to carve off one parcel each year from a parent property. Caldiraro explained that the new language passed by the planning commission closes the loophole.

The law became a target for activists after a developer performed an administrative split on an 80-acre property on East Sheepneck Road in Culleoka, dividing it into 16 residential lots, some of them less than five acres.

“Subdivisions of five-acre and larger tracts… without planning commission review… [have] been happening across the county, creating 15–20 new driveway connections on rural roads never designed for this level of traffic,” said “Stop the Sprawl, Y’all,” a local group opposed to overgrowth in the rural county, in an email update. “This new requirement adds transparency and gives the public a voice in these decisions.”

“With all of these developments going on, particularly on my road, I can’t haul hay [past] 14 or 15 new driveways,” said Chris Gramling, a livestock farmer on East Sheepneck, who claimed that his work truck almost collided with a developer’s speeding car one day. “The rural roads are not big thoroughfares. We all know each other on these roads… and we know, ‘Slow down at that particular area.'”

“Your vote tonight is a strong and necessary step,” Sparks said. “It introduces long-overdue regulation for five-acre and larger lots, and creates a foundation that the county can improve on [in] the Comprehensive Land-Use Plan.”

Glen Alexander, a surveyor in Culleoka, spoke on behalf of some of his clients, who had been at work for two years on projects that depend on the administrative splitting of their property. Though they ultimately got permission to proceed, since they had submitted their application before the split privilege was revoked, he and his clients had worried about it ending.

“My clients are very concerned about things moving under their feet… I will say, this has come mighty fast, and it’s gonna put [the plans of] some of my people I’ve been working for… in danger,” he told the planning commission. “These are just Tennessee landowners, not developers… All I’m asking [is to] just consider [giving them] a little time… and leeway.”

Spring Hill Calls for Third EMS Team (MauryCountySource)

Spring Hill leaders are moving forward with plans to add a third dedicated EMS unit to better meet the city’s growing emergency response needs.

Mayor Matt Fitterer said the newly opened Mitchell Earwood Fire Station 4 was built with extra space and bunk rooms specifically to house an additional EMS unit. Spring Hill is currently served by two units, but call volume and population growth show a clear need for a third.

The City of Spring Hill, TN Board of Mayor and Aldermen will pass a resolution formally requesting that a third EMS unit be dedicated to the city and based at the Earwood station. Final approval must come from the Williamson County Commission and Williamson Health.

City officials are asking residents to contact county commissioners in Districts 1, 2, 3, and 9 to voice support for the additional unit. Leaders say adding an EMS unit in Spring Hill would also improve coverage in nearby areas like Thompsons Station and Bethesda.

The board is also continuing work on major wastewater infrastructure projects, including new decentralized systems, lift station upgrades, and advanced purification planning.

Columbia Christmas Parade (Press Release)

Columbia Main Street, in partnership with the City of Columbia, is thrilled to announce a record-breaking year for the 39th Annual Columbia Christmas Parade, taking place Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 6:00 PM. More than 140 parade entries will roll through downtown Columbia, marking the highest participation in the event’s history.

The free holiday celebration will follow the traditional route down West 7th Street and into Columbia’s historic downtown. The first float will feature the parade sponsor, Stan McNabb of Columbia, chauffeuring our Grand Marshals, Austin and Colin, and the final float will showcase Santa and Mrs. Claus on their brand-new sleigh. In between those floats, attendees will see a showcase of creative floats, marching bands, tractors, local businesses, churches, civic groups, and holiday characters.

Pre-parade festivities will begin at 5:30 PM with Kaliente Conway Glenn leading interactive holiday fun, and Junior Main Street Volunteers distributing glow sticks to the first 500 children along the route.

For those who can’t attend in person, the parade will be streamed live on the Columbia Main Street and City of Columbia YouTube channels, with links posted on Facebook. A rain date is set for Saturday, December 13, at 6:00 PM.

The Columbia Christmas Parade is just one of many holiday happenings taking place throughout the season. From downtown markets and extended shopping hours to Santa sightings and community celebrations, there’s something for everyone in Muletown. A full list of Christmas events can be found online at ItsChristmasInColumbia.com.

Join us as we celebrate the most magical and most attended Columbia Christmas Parade in history—because it’s officially Christmas in Columbia!

For more information, visit columbiamainstreet.com or contact Columbia Main Street at 931-560-1507.

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

Mrs. Janet Marie (White) Rogers, age 93, passed away peacefully November 28, 2025 at

Birmingham, Alabama. Funeral services will be conducted December 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM, at Columbia First United Methodist Church. Interment will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends at the church for 2 hours prior to the service. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Mr. James Wilbur “Jimmy” Rodgers, 76, lifelong resident of Columbia, died Monday, November 17, 2025 at his residence. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Columbia Elks Lodge with a Masonic Service at 5:00 PM and with military honors provided by the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19

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.

Now, news from around the state…

Comptroller Sees Tough Fiscal Year Ahead (TNLookout)

In the wake of business tax cuts and dried-up federal stimulus funds, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower is predicting a tough budget for fiscal year 2026-27.

Mumpower, who chairs the funding board that sets the budget growth rate each year based on economic forecasts, told the Lookout he believes it will be “the tightest budget year the Lee administration has experienced” in nearly eight years.

“There’s so many demands for money and resources,” said Mumpower, a former Republican lawmaker. “Prioritization is going to be the word of the year.”

Yet Republican lawmakers are pushing for an increase in funding for the state’s new private-school voucher program, which cost $144 million this year. 

Gov. Bill Lee also wants to add to the 20,000 students receiving $7,300 to attend private schools. The state has declined to say how many of recipients were enrolled in private school already, though 66% were expected to come from private schools.

With a difficult budget year looming, Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson urged department heads to trim their budget plans by 1% as they made presentations to the governor’s staff in November. Lee, though, told reporters he didn’t know anything about Bryson’s request.

Nearly every department requested funding increases.

The Department of Safety and Homeland Security is seeking an $84 million increase in its budget for next year, including more than $43 million to hire Tennessee Highway Patrol officers. The Department of Correction is seeking an $85 million increase, which includes $13 million more to pay CoreCivic, a private company that runs four state prisons.

Two years after dialing back the economy’s growth rate to reflect negative growth, the funding board recently set the figure for fiscal 2026-27 to fall between 2.25% and 2.35%, which would bring the state $450 million more in revenue.

Mumpower described the state’s economy as “very resilient” but noted the federal stimulus funds are gone and projected growth is below the 3% inflation rate. 

“Obviously, our purchasing power is impaired by that inflation rate,” he said.

Rep. John Ray Clemmons of Nashville said Democrats have been warning of a coming financial crisis for years and accused Republicans of running the state “off the fiscal cliff.”

“Reckless spending programs, endless corporate handouts and rampant fiscal mismanagement, combined with irresponsible revenue cuts that made our state even more reliant on fluctuating sales tax revenues, have resulted in an impending budget crisis,” Clemmons said.

Republican lawmakers approved two straight years of business tax reductions and a three-year tax rebate in 2024 that initially cost the state $1.5 billion initially, $7.4 billion over the next few years. 

Changes came after the Department of Revenue said the state could run into “significant legal risk” because of challenges to the property measure in the state’s franchise tax. State officials never identified any litigation, and some lawmakers said the move was simply good policy.

Tennessee has a AAA bond rating with Moody’s Analytics, a financial company in New York, Yet a Moody’s analyst described Tennessee’s economy as “treading water”, mainly because of tariff increases and federal job cuts. Sixteen states have economies that are expanding, according to the report, while 22 are in a recession or facing “high risk” for a recession.

House finance committee Chairman Gary Hicks said he met with Moody’s Analytics in October and its representatives never mentioned that the state was “treading water.”

Hicks said revenues are starting to “normalize” after two years of federal stimulus injections during the pandemic era.

“Which means we’re going to have to be more efficient in how we run government,” Hicks said. “I’m not real worried about that just yet. The economy’s always changing and it always will.”

Moody’s asked about the state’s business tax reductions, but Hicks said the state showed how it went about the business tax cuts “deliberately.” He said the state put itself in a good position by using “recurring” dollars, revenue projected to come in every year, for “non-recurring” expenditures, items that won’t have to be funded each year.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Come check out the Christmas Event of the season for the seventh year in a row at the  Pancakes and Pictures with Santa Event at The Blue Barn Venue (2697 Bristow Rd, Columbia, TN 38401). Dates for this event are December 5th, 6th, and 7th.

Tickets are $45 per child and allow the child to enter Santa’s Snow Shop to participate in an hour of fun. All ticket activities are for children only, but parents may accompany their child throughout the duration of the class.

This year, on Friday only, there will be cookie classes. On Saturday and Sunday, the event will have freshly cooked pancakes for children to top with various yummy toppings.

Train rides are also back! Children will be making a simple craft to take home with them. Also, included in your child’s ticket will be a letter to Santa. This ticket will also include entry to a pavilion where your child will be able to enjoy the bounce houses!

Oh, and don’t forget, pictures with the main man himself, Santa Claus! Each ticket will include ONLY ONE digital photo of your child that you will receive via an online gallery.

More information go to the Pancakes and Pictures w/Santa Facebook Page.