Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 12-8-25

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for December 8, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Farm to Table Popular Locally (CDH)

A staple of the holiday season is when families gather together to share a meal, and many are choosing to source their foods from local farms to obtain fresh, high-quality items.

The farm-to-table experience is becoming a popular approach to serving families during the holidays.

“At the holidays, people want to recreate cherished family recipes or special meals,” said Haverly Pennington, co-owner of 1822 Farms in Hampshire. “There’s a shift happening — families want to know where their food comes from, they want higher-quality beef, and they want to support the farmers who live right here in their community.”

The holidays is a time when local farmers like 1822 Farms present special cuts and roasts, not just to provide top-notch quality of meats, but to save families time and hassle in food prep for a crowd.

The farm will offer its Holiday Beef Boxes, an all-in-one holiday meal package, at the Holiday Farmers Market at Riverwalk Park on Saturdays throughout December

The Holiday Farmers Market will feature at least 20 other local farms and vendors offering unique gifts, handmade goods and produce, as well as other Christmas-inspired activities, including a face painting station, letters to Santa and holiday music to set the scene.

Pig and Leaf, Farm and Fiddle and Prevail Bakery will be in attendance just to name a few.

The Farmer's Market is now offered year-round at Riverwalk Park Pavilion, and farmers will be selling holiday-themed items throughout December.

The trend of locally sourced products also extends beyond the kitchen. In addition to its Holiday Beef Boxes, vendors like 1822 Farms will also offer its handcrafted tallow soaps and other natural skincare products, all made in small batches using traditional methods.

“Tallow skincare has become a modern beauty trend rooted in old-fashioned wisdom,” Haverly said. “People are excited to give gifts that are natural, handcrafted, and made right here in Middle Tennessee.”

To make special orders outside market hours, visit https://1822farms.com/. The farm holds Friday pickups until 11 a.m.

The farming industry in Tennessee continues to face its share of uphill battles, though its beef industry appears to be thriving despite the struggles.

Lee Maddox, Tennessee Farm Bureau's Director of Communications, cites a number of factors that have led to a difficult year for farmers, and that the industry continues to be less affordable to maintain.

"Here in Tennessee, our No. 1 driver of the economy is agriculture, that and forestry, without a doubt," Maddox said.

"Beef cattle farmers are getting a lot better prices than they have ever gotten, but they are still paying expensive prices for input items they are using, the fertilizer, equipment and labor. All of those things are at a near record high cost to them. While they are getting better prices for beef farming, that margin of profit is very, very narrow."

Maddox added that population growth has been another factor, that while Tennessee has become an increasingly popular place for people to live, it comes at a cost, much of which is paid by farmers and farmland owners.

"It's a Catch 22, because where are they going to live?" Maddox said. "When farmers can't make ends meet and don't have younger people coming up behind them to carry on that legacy, they end up selling off the farm, cities annex the property and valuable farmland. That's so much of why we are the position we are in, that we are losing farmland, gaining people and prices aren't where they need to be."

While the future of the farming industry continues to face its share of uphill battles, Maddox said there is a strong camaraderie among Tennessee farmers and industry partners.

"We are blessed and have a great partnership with all of the different ag associations, better than anybody, I think," Maddox said.

"Everyone is kind of working toward that same goal of protecting our farmers, our farmland and our farm income. That is so important for our state's overall economy, because when the rural economies are doing good, then the overall state's economy is doing good."

Larry Church of Church Family Farm, 4077 Rippey Lake Road in Mt. Pleasant, home to The Beef Barn, echoed Maddox's comments, that as a beef farmer, it has been a successful year herding, processing and selling to customers.

In the end, he said, it all comes down to quality, and the holidays are a pretty good time of year for it when it comes to what goes into the family meal.

"People seemingly now are more about family and more about quality," Church said. "People don't seem to mind paying a little more for the quality, which is just out of this world. That's just the way it is, and we try to accommodate any way we can, and have done very well this year."

Church also provides special cuts during the holidays for customers, which he said "all gets sold this time of year."

"The biggest holiday thing for me is whole tenderloins and the prime rib roast," Church said. "I had someone come out and buy every last roast I had. People are looking for value, but at the same time they aren't culling the quality."

Kiwanians Honored (Press Release)

The Kiwanis Club of Columbia honored two former Club Presidents, Nick Beck and Brenda Hogan, with the George F. Hixson Fellowship.

The George F. Hixson Fellowship was established by the Kiwanis Children’s Fund in 1983. It is named for the first President of Kiwanis International and is one of the highest honors given by Kiwanis. It recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to Kiwanis’ history of generosity and for their dedicated service to their Kiwanis Club and community.

Nick Beck became a member of the Kiwanis Club in 2010 and served as the 98th President during the 2018-2019 club year. The Columbia Kiwanis Club was named a Distinguished Club for Beck’s term as President by the Kiwanis Kentucky-Tennessee District.

Beck is a graduate of Columbia Central High School and The University of Tennessee Haslam School of Business with a degree in Finance. He is an Edward Jones Financial Advisor and earned his Certified Financial Planner designation in 2023.

Beck is very active in the Columbia American Little League where Beck serves on the Board of Directors and sponsors and coaches both of his sons’ baseball teams.

Brenda Hogan became a member of the Kiwanis club in 2013 and served as the 99th President of the club during the 2019-2020 Kiwanis year. She will be remembered as the President during the COVID pandemic where weekly meetings were conducted online. Through her leadership the club continued to serve the Maury County area and successfully raised funds for the club’s 100th Anniversary projects.

Hogan has an Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Columbia State Community College, BS degree in Health Arts from the University of St. Francis and MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University. Since 2016, she has served as an adjunct professor at Trevecca Nazarene University where she assists in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Hogan serves as President of the Spring Hill Library Foundation and Vice Chair of Spring Hill’s Industrial Development Board.

Lineman Apprentice Program (Press Release)

The Columbia State Community College Office of Workforce and Continuing Education recently hosted a Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Academy Mini-Rodeo that allowed students to demonstrate the skills they learned during the seven-week program.

In the overall rodeo, Shadon Peery from Columbia came in first place, Jeremiah Roan from Mount Pleasant came in second place and Benjamin Hongsermeier from Dickson came in third place.

“This program stands out because of our incredible instructors and the strong partnerships we have with local utilities and municipalities,” said Tiffany Odom, Columbia State Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education coordinator. “I want to sincerely thank all our partners who make this program possible — whether through equipment donations, providing facility access, maintaining the pole yard or volunteering for mock interviews. Their support is essential to the success of both the program and its participants.”

Upon completion of the program, the students received a Tennessee Valley Public Power Association climbing certification, first aid and CPR certifications, OSHA 10 with ET&D certification and NSC flagger certification. In addition, the students are prepared to sit for a commercial driver’s license.

During the mini-rodeo, students competed in different activities including the 80-foot pole climb, bell change and switch transfer.

In the first activity, students climb up and down an 80-foot pole, which is a necessary part of the TVPPA Climbing Lab Certification. In this activity, Travis Garza from Columbia came in first place, Jeremiah Ragsdale from Culleoka came in second place and Gabriel Trujillo from Thompson’s Station came in third place.

The bell change and switch transfer are activities linemen would do in the field because of lightning, loose connections or replacement of aging materials to maintain electricity for those in the service area.

In the bell change, students climb a 40-foot pole and change out the bell that holds the line to the pole. In this activity, Jeremiah Roan from Mount Pleasant came in first place, Jeremiah Ragsdale from Culleoka came in second place and Shadon Peery from Columbia came in third place.

In the switch transfer, students climb a 40-foot pole to change out the switch attached to the cross-arm of the pole. In this activity, Shadon Peery from Columbia came in first place, Brecken Inch from Spring Hill came in second place and Jeremiah Roan from Mount Pleasant came in third place.

In addition to his performance in the rodeo, Jeremiah Roan from Mount Pleasant was presented with the Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Academy Outstanding Student Award.

10 scholarships were awarded through grants from the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI).

MSI was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to provide workforce opportunities for students interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying careers in fields and positions. Columbia State is the first community college in Tennessee to receive an MSI grant.

In addition to the Metallica scholarships, several local scholarships were also awarded to students in the cohort.

Brock Anderson from Lewisburg was awarded the Dr. B.I. Naddy Support for Veterans Grant through Columbia State. This grant was established by Dr. B.I. Naddy, a retired Columbia State chemistry professor, in recognition for veterans’ service and their right to pursue higher education.

Braden Fields from Lawrenceburg and Michael Perkins from Summertown each received a full scholarship from the Tennessee Valley Authority and Lawrenceburg Utility Systems. This scholarship was awarded in memory of Mark Fields, a fallen lineworker from Lawrenceburg Utility Systems.

Jeremiah Roan from Mount Pleasant and Jeremiah Ragsdale from Culleoka were awarded the Mule Day WORKS Scholarship. This scholarship supports Maury County students pursuing career and technical education, as well as vocational training, by helping cover expenses such as tools, supplies, books and required travel.

The Pre-Apprentice Lineworker program is a result of communities from across Middle Tennessee coming together to fill a need in the workforce. After the rodeo, participants will complete their CDL skills training to test for their CDL Class A-57 license and be ready to join the industry as an apprentice lineworker.

For more information about the program, please visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Lineworker. All individuals interested in the program should register through the link to be placed on a contact list for future classes. Scholarships will be available, and interested participants can sign up for the contact list at www.campusce.net/columbiastate/course/course.aspx?catId=6.

Santa Fe Boys Baller Gets Number Retired (MSM)

After wearing number ‘20’ during his middle school basketball exploits, Auden Slaughter decided a change was needed as he headed to the high school level.

Instead, it was number ‘13’ Slaughter wore as he led Santa Fe to back-to-back state tournament appearances, scored the third-most points in Tennessee boys high school history and became Maury County’s first TSSAA Mr. Basketball award winner.

And it’ll be ‘13’ that eventually gets lifted to the rafters of Wayne Walters Gymnasium, following a ceremony to retire the number that took place ahead of the current team’s 66-50 win Friday night over visiting Huntland.

“Going into high school, I felt it was a new identity,” Slaughter said. “Some people think ‘13’ is an unlucky number, but I don’t think it’s ‘luck’ or unlucky. No number can define the person you are.”

The latest honor for Slaughter, currently a freshman at Volunteer State Community College, wasn’t very debatable in Santa Fe principal Randy Hubbell’s mind.

“We’d been talking about it, but once he got Mr. Basketball, that pretty well sealed it,” Hubbell said.

It brought to fruition a verbal jab Slaughter had taken at his cousin early in his high school career.

“He told me he was going to retire it a long time ago,” said Jeremy Slaughter – the Wildcats’ first-year coach, a 1994 Santa Fe graduate who also wore ‘13′ during his playing days and the first cousin of former Santa Fe boys coach Brad Slaughter, Auden’s father. “I told him, ‘I hope you do.’”

With a number of his former teammates, as well as a handful of his current Vol State teammates, on hand, Slaughter expressed gratitude to the community and the people closest to him.

“It’s just a blessing, something to add to everything this school has done for me,” he said. “Starting as a freshman, having my brother (then-senior) Andy to help me, the people above me that helped me become the player I am. It’s something I’ll always remember. It’s a special honor.”

Night to Honor Ceremony (MSM)

22nd Judicial District Attorney Brent Cooper has announced the return of Night to Honor, an annual event dedicated to supporting families who have lost a loved one to homicide in Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties.  

The observance, which is open to the public, will take place in Lawrenceburg at First Baptist Church, 2100 Springer Road, on Monday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. Guests should begin arriving at 5:15 p.m. for registration, with the program beginning at 6 p.m.  

“We hold this event each year with the hope of providing even a small measure of comfort to these families,” Cooper said. “The Christmas season can be an especially difficult time for those experiencing such a profound loss, and our goal is to make the holidays a little brighter for them. We sincerely invite any family member who has lost a loved one to homicide to attend. This night is dedicated to honoring their loved ones and letting them know they are not alone.”

This year’s event will include the testimony of Elizabeth Bargen, the mother of Misty McWhorter, who was a teenager that lost her life as the result of a car crash due to an intoxicated driver on Nov. 26, 2010, in Lawrence County. The driver was convicted and sentenced to a prison term. 

Night to Honor provides an opportunity for families to come together, reflect and receive support from the community and local victim assistance services. The event includes moments of remembrance, words of encouragement and space for families to gather in solidarity.

For additional information about this year’s event, call the District Attorney’s office at 931-766-1453 Ext. 6107 or email Kendra Cannon at klcannon@tndagc.org. Anyone attending the ceremony is invited to bring an ornament in remembrance of your loved one that will be placed upon a Remembrance Wreath.

Mt. Pleasant Fire Receives Grant (MSM)

The Mount Pleasant Fire Department recently received a grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which will be used to purchase three state-of-the-art Amkus Rescue Tools, fulfilling a critical need within the department.

The $39,791 grant upgraded battery-operated extrication tools that include a cutter, spreader, ram and extended tips that don’t require the gas engine and hydraulic connections of the old extrication unit.

“[The old setup] process often required one to two people and took two to four minutes before the tool was ready to operate,” firefighter Eric Barnett said. “The new electric tools, powered by DeWalt batteries, eliminate all of that setup. Deployment is now as simple as picking up the tool and pressing the power button — ready to work in seconds instead of minutes.”

Mount Pleasant Fire used the machines in a real-life extrication shortly after receiving them.

“The new Amkus extrication tools are a true game-changer for our department,” said firefighter Caleb Clayton. “With increased power, speed, and precision, these tools make vehicle extrications safer and far more efficient. Their lighter weight reduces physical strain on our crews, helping prevent exhaustion during long or complex rescues.”

“Thank you to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, our local Firehouse Subs restaurant in Columbia, and the generous donors who made this possible!” a statement from the Mount Pleasant Fire Department said.

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.

Karen M. Picard, a dedicated healthcare professional passed away peacefully on December 2, 2025, in Nashville, TN at the age of 80.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home in Columbia, TN.

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…

TSA Gives Option to Real ID (MauryCountySource)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026. 

Travelers will be able to pay $45 to use TSA Confirm.ID for a 10-day travel period. TSA urges travelers who do not have a REAL ID to schedule an appointment at their local DMV to update their ID as soon as possible.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

• REAL ID – compliant driver‘s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)

◦ If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state Department of Motor Vehicles.

◦ A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.

• State-issued Enhanced Driver‘s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)

• U.S. passport

• U.S. passport card

• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)

• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents

• Permanent resident card

• Border crossing card

• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)

• HSPD-12 PIV card

• Foreign government-issued passport

• Canadian provincial driver‘s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card

• Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential

• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

All travelers without an acceptable ID, including those who present a non-REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID, will be referred to the optional TSA Confirm.ID process for identity verification upon TSA check-in and prior to entering the security line. This process will differ airport to airport, and TSA is working with private industry to proactively offer online payment options prior to arrival at the airport.

The REAL ID law was signed more than 20 years ago, but previous presidential administrations failed to properly implement it. Under President Trump’s leadership, the law was finally implemented and enforced by Secretary Kristi Noem as of May 7, 2025.

Currently, more than 94% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of identification. TSA expects increased wait times for passengers who do not provide an acceptable ID. 

“Identity verification is essential to traveler safety, because it keeps terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens out of the skies and other domestic transportation systems such as rail,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl. “The vast majority of travelers present acceptable identification like REAL IDs and passports, but we must ensure everyone who flies is who they say they are. Beginning February 1, travelers who do not present an acceptable form of ID at our security checkpoints and still want to fly can pay a $45 fee and undergo the TSA Confirm.ID process. This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer. The security of the traveling public is our top priority, so we urge all travelers to get a REAL ID or other acceptable form of ID as soon as possible to avoid delays and potentially miss flights.”

TSA urges all travelers who do not have a REAL ID to pay the fee online before traveling. For passengers who arrive at the airport without paying the fee, information about how to pay for the TSA Confirm.ID option will be available at marked locations at or near the checkpoint in most airports. Travelers who undergo TSA Confirm.ID processing at an airport should expect delays.   

TSA’s list of acceptable forms of ID can be found at TSA.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.

For more information on REAL ID, please visit TSA.gov/real-id or text 275-872 (“AskTSA”) or @AskTSA with questions.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records singer/songwriter Megan Moroney announces her forthcoming THE CLOUD 9 TOUR — a 2026 international headline run launching on May 29 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH, and stopping at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on August 21st. All tickets for THE CLOUD 9 TOUR go on sale Friday, December 12, at 10 a.m. local time at meganmoroney.com.