Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 2-11-26

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for February 11, 2026

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

Juveniles Detained in Spring Hill (MauryCountySource)

On Monday, February 9, at approximately 1:20 p.m., officers with the Spring Hill Police Department (SHPD) attempted to detain three individuals seated inside a Toyota Camry in a parking lot located in the 1000 block of Crossings Boulevard. The individuals were being detained in connection with an alleged shoplifting investigation involving the Ulta retail store.

Despite repeated verbal commands from officers, the occupants refused to exit the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the Toyota Camry fled the scene after striking an unoccupied vehicle parked nearby. The suspect vehicle exited the parking lot onto Main Street and continued toward Saturn Parkway.

A SHPD officer observed the vehicle traveling on Saturn Parkway near Port Royal Road and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle failed to comply and continued northbound onto Interstate 65. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) joined the pursuit near Peytonsville Road.

The vehicle continued northbound on Interstate 65, exited at McEwen Drive, and later re-entered Interstate 65 northbound at Cool Springs Boulevard. SHPD terminated its involvement in the pursuit just prior to Moore’s Lane. The WCSO continued the pursuit until the vehicle crashed on Interstate 65 near Old Hickory Boulevard.

Following the crash, all three occupants fled the vehicle on foot. Two passengers, ages 16 and 17, were apprehended a short time later. The driver was not apprehended and remains at large.

The Spring Hill Police Department would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance during this incident: the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, including Air One; the Brentwood Police Department; the Franklin Police Department; and the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Molder Gets Backing From Former Rep. Cooper (Tennessean)

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper is endorsing Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder for Congress in the 5th District, as he seeks to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, who previously served as Maury County Mayor.

In a statement released Feb. 9, Cooper said he is “incredibly proud” to endorse Molder’s bid. It's a significant achievement for Molder's campaign, which has steadily been building momentum in recent months.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has set its sights on unseating Ogles, targeting the 5th District as a top flip opportunity in 2026. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently shifted its rating of the race from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican” — a move heralded by Democrats.

“Through his time as Mayor of Columbia, Chaz has focused on bringing people together to bring real solutions to Middle Tennessee families,” Cooper said. “We deserve a representative who will put this district first, who cares about the issues we face here at home, and who can get the job done — I have full faith and confidence that Chaz Molder is that person and look forward to him bringing real representation back to TN-05.”

Cooper served 16 terms in Congress, beginning in 1983, but retired when gerrymandering by the Republican supermajority in 2021 divided Nashville into three congressional districts. Republican leaders added swaths of rural, heavily Republican counties to the historically safe Democrat 5th District.

Ever since, the district has been represented by U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, who was mayor of Maury County concurrently with Molder for four years beginning in 2018. Ogles won the seat by 13 percentage points in 2022, and was reelected by 17 percentage points in 2024.

Cooper has been relatively quiet in the political scene since retiring from Congress after his district was redrawn. He endorsed Tennessee Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, who ran against now-U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles when he was first elected in 2022. He also supported Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, in the 2023 Nashville mayor’s race.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Congressman Jim Cooper,” Molder said. “Congressman Cooper is a dedicated public servant whom I’ve admired for years. Through his decades-long service on behalf of Middle Tennesseans, he set the example for delivering bipartisan results. I hope to live up to his legacy in Congress.”

Both Molder and Ogles’ Republican challenger, former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, have out-fundraised Ogles this cycle, according to Federal Election Commission filings made last week. 

Molder raised $412,000 in the last quarter of 2025, bringing his total contributions to $1.2 million since September. Molder has $978,000 cash on hand. Among Molder’s donors are former Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, former Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper, former Nashville Mayor John Cooper, musician Drew Holcomb and Nashville Soccer Club owner John Ingram. 

Hatcher has raised about $411,000 since entering the race in September, earning the support of former Gov. Bill Haslam and his family, as well as former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. He has about $174,000 cash on hand. 

Ogles has raised $309,000. Ogles’ campaign reported $70,000 in outstanding debt and $62,000 cash on hand. President Donald Trump endorsed Ogles’ reelection bid last year, calling him a “conservative warrior.” Ogles' donors include SpaceX owner Elon Musk, former CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger, Club for Growth PAC and U.S. Israel PAC. Ogles has received more than $300,000 in contributions from political action committees this cycle.

Mersen Layoffs (CDH)

Workers from the International Union of Electrical Workers/Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA) held an informational picket Friday, Feb. 6, at the Mersen advanced materials manufacturing plant in Columbia. Approximately 30 of the 50 workers at the plant reportedly attended the picket, which protested the company’s third attempt to move jobs out of Columbia since the workers voted to unionize in October 2024.

Union representative Orvin Caraballo charged Mersen’s management with making thinly disguised attempts to bust the union: trying to cut or relocate jobs, negotiating in bad faith, limiting the window for collective bargaining and making “unilateral changes” to workplace policy. The company first moved ISO department jobs out of state around Christmas 2024, and only another union protest succeeded at stopping a layoff the next year.

“These are all workers who have been fighting since 2024 to make their jobs safer and better, and to get Mersen to give them safety and dignity in the workplace,” Caraballo complained. “Every turn they can, they use every tactic to union-bust… that has been seen across the United States.”

He challenged Mersen’s claim that they’re planning to move the Columbia jobs to St. Mary’s, Pa., because of hardship. The billion-dollar company just scored a $10 million federal defense contract and reported that 2025 was a “stable” calendar year for them fiscally. They also founded their Maury County operation in 2019 with taxpayer help, making a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with the county and accepting a $505,000 state grant to build the factory’s wastewater infrastructure, in exchange for investing $65 million in the county and creating 101 jobs.

“Anytime you go into the news, you can see that this is one of the industries that’s really booming,” Caraballo told Main Street Maury. “[The claim of hardship] is dumbfounding… After taking taxpayer money and promising long-term growth in this community, turning around and cutting these jobs is a slap in the face to every resident of Maury County.”

“Columbia residents deserve to know why their tax dollars are supporting a company that is actively eliminating local livelihoods,” said Mersen process operator Rickey Frierson. “We’re fighting to protect Tennessee jobs for us and future generations and to hold this company to the promises it made when it took our public money.”

New Morning Pointe Assisted Living Facility Planned (CDH)

Developers of a property consisting of about nine acres is seeking approval for two assisted living facilities off Trotwood Avenue in Columbia.

A proposed Morning Pointe Senior Living project, was brought before Columbia City Council earlier this month and will be up for a vote Feb. 12.

Columbia Director of Development Services Paul Keltner said this property, formerly part of the Rutherford Lane Westfield Park development, has existed as a planned unit development (PUD) for years, but a project simply wasn't finalized.

"It's a PUD that was done many, many years ago, but just hasn't come to development, and so this is a request to revise that plan," Keltner said.

Keltner added that the two structures would consist of a 150-bed assisted living and memory care facility.

The applicant is also requesting more parking than is typically required, 150 total versus 51 standard spaces, according to city code requiring one space per three beds.

Vice Mayor Randy McBroom acknowledged how, given the property is designated as a PUD, open to a wide variety of uses, what is being pursued, an assisted living facility, can be considered the least impactful on traffic on city roads.

"It could be a mall, a strip center or apartments," McBroom said. "This right here, you hope for sure that this would have the least impact on traffic or anything in this area."

Keltner said the anticipated traffic for the project was considered "under threshold" for what would typically indicate a need for a traffic impact study.

The Columbia Planning Commission approved a recommendation for the project at its Jan. 14 meeting.

"It's my understanding that one of these buildings will be general care and one of the buildings would be dementia care," City Planner Austin Brass said at the Jan. 14 meeting.

The Jan. 14 meeting also drew concerns from citizens, primarily creating traffic within a school zone.

"Trotwood is already flooded with school traffic every morning,” Chris Hibbard, a Columbia citizen, said at the Jan. 14 meeting. "That road is very busy, and then you have Region Homes building a subdivision across the street, which isn't helping."

City Engineer Glenn Harper addressed the concern, saying that the fact the site did not warrant a traffic study should alleviate any concerns it would create any undue hindrance.

"This site did not meet the triggers for a traffic study based on the trip journal that we use for traffic," City Engineer Glenn Harper said. "This type of use does not generate many peak hour trips."

Columbia City Council will vote on the first of two readings regarding the Morning Pointe project at its regular meeting scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 at City Hall, 700 N. Garden St.

Maury Regional Offers Pavers as Fundraiser (MSM)

As Maury Regional Medical Center continues its expansion and renovation, the Maury Regional Health Care Foundation invites the public to be a part of this historic moment by purchasing a custom engraved paver to be installed around the iconic front lawn fountain.

“Maury Regional Health has served our region for more than 70 years and touched countless lives,” said Foundation Executive Director Rita Thompson. “This is a special opportunity to honor those who helped shape the organization as it evolved from a 50-bed hospital to a health system with more than 500 providers across 60 clinical specialties.”

Pavers may be purchased to honor a variety of individuals, including administrative leaders, physicians, employees, retirees and supporting businesses. Quantities are limited and available in two sizes. The large 12-by-12-inch pavers are available for $300 and can accommodate five lines of type, 20 characters per line. The smaller 8-by-4-inch paver provides three lines of type, 13 characters per line, at a cost of $150. Installation is projected to begin in late spring.

“This project is an excellent way to honor our history while embracing our future,” said Maury Regional Health CEO Martin Chaney, MD. “These pavers will acknowledge those who paved the way for our success while creating a modern new outdoor space for our patients, visitors and colleagues.”

To purchase a paver, visit MauryRegional.com/PaveTheWay or contact the Foundation at 931.380.4075 or email MRHFoundation@MauryRegional.com.

Mt. Pleasant Mulls Community Grant (MSM)

The city of Mount Pleasant sought public input on which major project to tackle next, with the help of a Community Development Block Grant for up to $1 million.

As work winds down on their most recent grant-funded project, an improvement to their water-rehabilitation system, the city becomes eligible once again for a block grant from the South Central Tennessee Development District, for which they’d need to match funds to only 16 percent of the project total. The county has applied for grants on Mount Pleasant’s behalf in the past, but this year the city can ask in its own name once again. They’ll be competing with other municipalities for the pot of money in the block-grant program.

Since the grant is set aside to “improve the health and safety of moderate-income people,” the city solicited the public’s opinions on what to fund with it. During a public-comment session in the afternoon on Feb. 3, public commenters and city officials volunteered ideas for what to fix. These included improving the stormwater system, paving streets, refurbishing the Sheepneck pump station, providing sewer service to households on Tulip Street and advancing the self-sufficiency of the city’s water system.

Mount Pleasant Mayor Bill White supported using the money to make the city water-independent, and others in attendance agreed in light of the rate increases and uncertainty associated with CPWS’s current water-supply project. White also pointed out that drilling through rock to give sewer service to Tulip Street would be difficult, and wouldn’t serve as many people as other projects would.

“I think that we need to look at the most people we can help for the least amount of money,” he said. “[We] need to continue to work as hard as we have… and are going to continue to work, to become self-sufficient on our own water sources.”

Mount Pleasant City Manager Philip Grooms said he would prefer to refurbish the Sheepneck pump station, which needs $1-1.5 million worth of repairs to bring sufficient water pressure back to the 300 Mount Pleasant Water customers that it serves. He explained that some projects suggested by the public, like overhauling Haylong Avenue or creating a stormwater utility, are more long-term and are already on the city’s radar.

Lorie Fisher of the Development District pointed out that the grant money wouldn’t go far if they chose to pave city streets with it. She also said that the city should survey their utility customers outside the city too (of whom there are about 1,000), if they were to apply for money to improve the utilities that serve them.

The staff in attendance recorded four final ideas on a list, some of them already accounted for: extending sewer service to Tulip Street, fixing up the Sheepneck pump station, stormwater improvements and putting up a sign at the Community Center, for which the city has already approved a bid of approximately $50,000.

The city commission will pick the final project at its March meetings and send the application to the state for consideration before March 20.

Funds Being Raised for Yanahli Shelter (MSM)

The family and friends of Kyle Harris, with the help of the Columbia Breakfast Rotary Club and the Maury County Parks Department, are raising $200,000 to build an outdoor shelter in his memory at Yanahli Park in east Columbia.

Harris, who died at age 33 in a rock-climbing accident in 2021, worked as the minister at Berea Church of Christ in Franklin and with his father Kerry at Keller Williams Realty. He served as a missionary in the Republic of Georgia, Turkey and parts of the Middle East, and travelled on his own time to many other countries. He was also an avid outdoorsman, with hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, scuba diving and other activities under his belt. He attended the opening of Yanahli in 2019 and appreciated the “uniqueness” of the park at the time.

“Kyle’s love of outdoors and his support of the park on opening day make the location of this shelter extra special!” said Drew Love, a friend of Kyle’s and one of the main organizers of the fundraising drive.

The shelter would stand next to the roundabout at the Yanahli parking lot. Kyle’s parents Kerry and Leisa Harris, his friend Drew Love, and the Breakfast Rotary Club of Columbia are trying to raise the donations needed to build the shelter. The $85,000 concrete pad for the shelter has already been poured, and the fundraisers need another $200,000 to build the shelter itself. Several large individual and corporate donors have already supported the project, but more funds are needed before it can move forward; the ribbon-cutting could happen anytime between late spring and fall 2026.

“This shelter is meant to be a place of gathering, reflection, and connection for years to come, and we hope you’ll join us in bringing it fully to life,” Love said. “Thank you for helping honor Kyle’s memory and for supporting a space that will serve our community for generations.”

For updates, follow the “Kyle Harris Memorial Shelter” Facebook page. Sponsors hoping to donate $5,000 or more should message the page or text (931) 797-4951.

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

Joan Kirk Brown Aydelotte, 93, resident of Columbia, died February 7, 2026 at Maury Regional Transitional Care.

A private graveside service will take place at a later date at Rose Hill Cemetery. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

Now, news from around the state…

John Rose Campaign (Tennessean)

U.S. Rep. John Rose, a Republican candidate for governor, has spent the last year or so getting to know voters, listening to their concerns and attempting to prove to them he's the best person to work on their behalf.

Rose, an eighth-generation Tennessean and family farmer, is setting himself apart through his connections to voters and his fundraising — 92% of the contributions have come from Tennesseans, according to a release from the campaign.

Rose ran for Congress in 2018 to represent Cookeville because he was inspired by President Donald Trump's agenda. Before his election to Congress, he served as the state commissioner of agriculture and is the owner of IT training business Boson Software.

Now, he wants to flex his "point person" muscles as the state's top executive.

"I know what it's like to be responsible for the outcome, not just having an opinion on it or assigning that task onto someone else," Rose told Knox News.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, whom Rose described as his top opponent, has spent the seven months she's been in the race securing the endorsements of high-profile Republicans. Rose told Knox News he isn't phased by their support for Blackburn because he frames himself as a conservative outsider. Their other opponent in the Aug. 6 primary election is state Rep. Monty Fritts.

“I have learned some very important things that I think would help me be better and do a better job of advancing those issues and concerns that Tennesseans have. The top issues that I hear are education, infrastructure, access to health care, access to energy and economic development. Then there are some issues I wouldn't put in the top five necessarily, but children's services, how we care for the most vulnerable in our society. How we treat the incarcerated.

Tennesseans are very concerned about having a governor who will listen to them, who will sit down and listen to their concerns, who won't just talk at them, but take into account what their concerns are.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Dinosaurs are coming to Nashville! Nashville Zoo’s Jurassic adventure, DinoTrek, returns Friday, March 6, and will run through Sunday, July 26. DinoTrek is a prehistoric educational exhibit featuring nearly 50 dinosaurs. Guests will have the opportunity to step back in time and venture through a wooded forest alongside life-size animatronic dinosaurs up to 23 feet tall! Admission to DinoTrek is $5 per person in addition to general admission and can be purchased on the Zoo’s website at www.nashvillezoo.org/attractions.