Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 2-27-26

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for February 27, 2026

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

Barn Fire in Hampshire (MauryCountySource)

Fire crews responded early Wednesday morning to a fully involved barn fire in the Hampshire community of Maury County.

According to the Maury County Fire Department, units were dispatched at approximately 7:15 a.m. to Southpoint Ridge Road. Engines 21 and 22, Tankers 21, 22, 28 and 30, Brush 24, Safety 20, District 31 and Deputy 20 responded to the scene.

Firefighters arrived to find the barn fully involved and already collapsed. The structure contained several vehicles and an RV that was occupied at the time of the fire. Officials said the occupant was able to escape safely.

Crews remained on scene for about two hours working to extinguish the fire. The cause has not been released.

Documotion Expands in Maury County (Press Release)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Deputy Gov. and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and Documotion Research Inc. officials announced today the company is expanding its manufacturing operations in Maury County.

Documotion Research will create 48 new jobs and invest $9.1 million in Columbia as the company expands by adding approximately 40,000 square feet of space for manufacturing and maintenance operations.

Founded in Santa Ana, California, in 1998, Documotion Research expanded to Maury County in 2020 where the company produces and distributes StickyPOS® liner-less labels to over 50,000 locations a day. StickyPOS® is a liner-less label product for point-of-sales systems and restaurants that was first introduced in 2014 and has sold more than 50 billion labels worldwide.

Quotes

“Tennessee is leading the nation as the best state to do business because of our low-tax environment and highly skilled workforce. I’m grateful to announce Documotion Research’s expansion, which is a direct result of the strong statewide ecosystem we’ve built, and I look forward to seeing the success that follows.” – Gov. Bill Lee

“When a company chooses to expand here, it’s not only a testament to our state but also to the community that company calls home. I thank Documotion Research for tis continued investment in Tennessee and commitment to Columbia and Maury County.” – Deputy Gov. and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter

“Expanding our operations to Maury County in 2020 was one of the best decisions our company has ever made. We have been extremely happy with the help and support from the county and state as we have grown, which is the main reason why we decided to expand our operation here instead of opening another facility in a different region. We are truly thankful for the welcome that we were given when we first arrived in Tennessee and the continued support we have been provided.” – Joel Van Boom, President, Documotion Research

“Since its announcement in 2021, Documotion Research has been an especially good fit for the community, as its operations have created local diversification of industry, high-quality job opportunities and limited impact on local utilities. Additionally, it is extra exciting to celebrate an existing member of Team Maury as it reinvests in Maury County. I congratulate Documotion Research on their expansion announcement and look forward to their continued success.” – Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt

Mt. Pleasant Gets Clean Audit (MSM)

The city of Mount Pleasant was given a clean audit by the accounting firm Mauldin & Jenkins. CPA Allison Hightower, who’s handling the audit, presented the results to the City Commission at its Feb. 17 meeting.

Hightower praised Shiphrah Cox and her city finance department for their cooperation and honesty. Mauldin & Jenkins didn’t have to substantially revise the accounting of the city’s in-house professionals, though they double-checked some of their numbers and helped reallocate some funds to the correct buckets. Hightower also noted that the unassigned fund balance, which the city can use to cover emergency or nontraditional expenses, has grown in recent years. She ended by telling the city officials that her firm was available to help them with accounting all year, not only during audit season.

“No money missing, we’ve got an increase in our fund balance which is good to see, and we haven’t had to raise taxes, water rates, sewer rates to balance it out,” said Mayor Bill White, declaring the audit and the city’s financial year a success.

Cox reported that the city is getting paid back in installments by TDOT for the downtown revitalization. So far the city has been able to pay the revitalization contractor $600,000 of the $1.05 million they owe, but the state government has fallen behind on installments of the $4 million it promised to reimburse the city for the project. After Cox confirmed a plan with their representative at the state comptroller’s office, the city commission voted at the February meeting to issue $450,000 in bonds, to pay the difference to the contractor in the meantime before the state’s full reimbursement.

City Manager Philip Grooms reported that at last count, the winter storm had cost the city $32,595 in public-works preparations and emergency-response payroll. The city spent most of it on renting backup generators to power the water plant and service station, but they ended up not needing them. At last report, the city is working with the county Office of Emergency Management to calculate how much reimbursement from FEMA they’d be eligible for.

White announced that the airport authority had asked him to serve on an advisory board temporarily, alongside one representative apiece from the City of Columbia and the Maury County government. As the county takes over responsibility for the airport’s finances, the airport authority decided they wanted someone with a strong accounting mind to help manage the transition, and airport board member Greg Martin and chairman Tom Apker strongly recommended that they bring in White, a career banker. City Attorney Kori Jones explained that there wasn’t necessarily a conflict of interest in having an elected official serve in this capacity, though normally an unelected city official does so.

In official business, the city signed a contract with Collier Engineering to serve as engineers for the resurfacing of Polk Lane, and issued $6 million in bonds to allow Mount Pleasant Power to build a new electrical delivery substation, which would serve Summertown and the rural communities to the south.

Teresa Davis, an administrative assistant to the city manager, was recognized with a proclamation as she retired after 47 years of service to the City of Mount Pleasant. The mayor read the proclamation and declared Feb. 17, 2026 a day in her honor.

Officer Carson McDougal was sworn into the Mount Pleasant Police Department at the beginning of the meeting. The city appointed Brandy Pinkerton to the Housing Board and Merilee Meschefske to the Communications Committee.

Judge to Rule on Landfill Near Duck River (CDH)

A Nashville judge is weighing what to do with a proposal to expand a landfill on a former Monsanto chemical plant near the Duck River in Maury County.

The Marshall/Maury Municipal Solid Waste Planning Region Board denied Louisiana-based Trinity Business Group's application to reopen and expand the old Monsanto landfill on April 10, 2023, after fierce community pushback. The proposed landfill would lie less than two miles from North America's most biologically diverse freshwater river and take in 1,000 tons of waste per day, most of which would come from outside the region, according to Lisa Helton, an attorney representing the board.

The judge, Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea Myles, could affirm the board's decision to deny Trinity Business Group's application, reverse the decision and provide preliminary approval for the landfill, or send the application back to the board to hold another vote. Myles did not indicate at a hearing Feb. 20 when she might rule.

A reversal of the board's vote would not be an immediate green light for the landfill to be built. Katherine Barnes Cohn, an attorney representing Trinity Business Group, said the process is "almost comically complicated" and that it would take years to get final approval from the appropriate agencies.

Barnes Cohn said sending the issue back to the Marshall/Maury Municipal Solid Waste Planning Region Board would likely result in the application getting voted down again. But Myles questioned how she could reverse the board's vote.

"The court has a limited jurisdiction," Myles said. "I can't substitute my judgment for that of the board."

Barnes Cohn indicated that Trinity Business Group may change course if the board's vote is not reversed.

"It's become a business decision for Remedial Holdings on how to proceed," Barnes Cohn said, referring to the local subsidiary of Trinity Business Group. "We're just not sure that where we go from here is the same as where we've been."

Stephanie Sparks-Newland, who attended the Feb. 20 hearing and is secretary for the community group Friends of the Duck River, said "it's sad we have to fight so hard to save the environment." Sparks-Newland said she sees the landfill proposal as a money-making operation that is opposed to the community's interests.

"This is our yard, but you want to bring everybody else's garbage to us," Sparks-Newland said.

Monsanto once made fertilizers and chemical weapons at the Maury County site. It had one landfill that was used solely for Monsanto waste, Helton said. When the company stopped operating in 1989, it left Columbia with four Superfund sites, areas designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as particularly hazardous and contaminated.

Trinity Business Group's proposed landfill facility would include one 305-acre site for household waste and a 79-acre site for construction waste, Helton said.

Community members protested in outrage at the proposal at the Marshall/Maury Municipal Solid Waste Planning Region Board meeting in April 2023, Sparks-Newland said. Community members voiced concerns over the landfill's potential impact on drinking water, including on a new water intake downstream of the proposed landfill. Board members voted down the application 7-1.

Trinity Business Group's local subsidiary Remedial Holdings sued the board a month later. The case finally had its final hearing Feb. 20, where arguments centered around whether the board complied with the Tennessee Open Meetings Act when it voted against the application.

After hearing public comment, board members immediately voted down the application without deliberation, Barnes Cohn said. She argued the Tennessee Open Meetings Act requires board members to deliberate and discuss their reasons for voting against an application.

On April 22, 2023, Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a bill designating the Duck a Class II scenic river. This classification prohibits the development of a landfill within two miles of the river.

Columbia 101 (Press Release)

The City of Columbia announces the return of Columbia 101, an interactive civic engagement program designed to give residents an inside look at how local government operates. After three successful installments, the city is now accepting applications for the next Columbia 101 session, scheduled for Tuesday, April 28th and Wednesday, April 29th. 

Developed to strengthen transparency between citizens and their city, Columbia 101 offers participants a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at how municipal departments serve the community. Over the course of two consecutive days, participants will begin each morning at City Hall before engaging with all 12 city departments and touring select municipal facilities, such as the Police and Public Works Departments. 

“An informed community is essential to a strong city. Columbia 101 helps residents gain a deeper understanding of city operations, encourages civic participation, and supports continued progress through shared knowledge and engagement,” said Mayor Chaz Molder. 

A Fall 2025 participant shared their experience, saying, “The Columbia 101 class was a great way to learn about how the city government works and also to be able to meet some of the key people who make things happen. I have a much better understanding and appreciation for all of the things that the city does to make Columbia a good place to live. I highly recommend this class.”

Applications for Columbia 101 are available now and will close on Friday, March 20th at 4:00 PM. The program is open to all City of Columbia and Maury County residents and is held twice per year. There is a $25 program fee for all accepted applicants to cover program costs, including food and transportation. 

“Columbia 101 provides residents with a structured overview of how city departments operate and collaborate to deliver essential services,” City Manager Tony Massey stated. “It is a valuable opportunity for participants to learn more about the planning, resources, and coordination required to serve a growing community.”

Lexi Dearborn, Program Director, added, “We’re excited to welcome a new group of participants this spring. Columbia 101 offers a meaningful way for residents to learn more about the city they call home and become more involved in its future.”

Columbia 101 applications are available at www.ColumbiaTN.gov or at the reception desk on the 3rd floor of City Hall. Follow the City of Columbia on Facebook and Instagram at “CityofColumbiaTN” for updates. For questions, please contact Lexi Dearborn at LDearborn@ColumbiaTN.gov.

Blood Needed (Press Release)

Blood Assurance wants to remind citizens in Southern Middle Tennessee that there is a real need for blood donations now. We’re facing a critical shortage of several blood types. It’s been a difficult few weeks. It started with the ice storm that affected many of Blood Assurance’s locations in Middle Tennessee near the end of January. We’ve also been hit by cold and flu season, so we have had a lot of cancellations because of illness.

All donors will receive a $25 eGift card through Saturday to encourage participation!

Visit www.bloodassurance.org. Don’t forget you one donation will save three lives.

Maury Alliance Legislative Breakfast (Press Release)

Join Maury Alliance and Breakfast Rotary for their Annual State Legislative Breakfast. The event will take place on Friday, February 27th from 6:45-8:00am at the Memorial Building located at 308 West 7th Street in Columbia. Senator Joey Hensley, Rep. Scott Cepicky, and Rep. Kip Capley will be on hand to update the public and answer their questions related to legislation that affects us.

Admission is $25 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members.

*If you are a member of Breakfast Rotary you do not need to purchase a ticket for this event.*

For more information, visit www.mauryalliance.com.

Night of Hope for The Well Outreach (Press Release)

The Well Outreach is excited to share that Night of Hope 2026 will take place at Worldwide Stages on Saturday, February 28th at 6:00 PM. This year’s event will feature a catered dinner, a live auction, and a concert by Christian artist and Dove award winner Big Daddy Weave.  It promises to be an unforgettable evening of celebration, generosity, and community. 

Get your tickets by visiting www.thewelloutreach.org.

Maury Business Guide (Press Release)

Explore why Maury County is an ideal destination for businesses, professionals, and families in the latest issue of Maury County Business! This annual guide highlights our vibrant community, thriving business scene, and enviable quality of life. Whether you're a prospective resident, entrepreneur, or site selector, this must-read publication offers insights into what makes our region special.

Here’s how you can connect:

• Read Online: Visit [livability.com/maury-county] to explore unique stories about living, working, and thriving here.

• Print Copies: Contact the Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance located at

Join us in celebrating and sharing Maury County’s remarkable qualities, and thank you to our advertising sponsors for making this possible!

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

Byrd Douglas Cain Jr., passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 18th.

The family will receive friends at St. Peter's Episcopal Church at 311 West 7th St. Columbia, TN on Monday, March 2nd at 12:30 PM. The service will begin at 2 PM, also at St. Peters. Friends are invited to join the family following the service to celebrate Byrd’s life at Graymere Country Club at 2100 Country Club Ln, Columbia, TN.

Edward Allen “Toby” Clark, 87, resident of McMinnville, passed on February 15, 2026.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 1:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with military honors provided by the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. Burial will follow at Giles Memory Gardens in Pulaski, TN. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

Judy Marie Miller Carter, 77, of Spring Hill, TN passed away peacefully on February 16th. 

A funeral mass will be conducted Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Catherine Catholic Church.

Mr. Joe Hoover Delk, 89, longtime Columbia pharmacist, died Sunday, February 22, 2026 at Life Care Center of Columbia.

Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, March 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Graymere Church of Christ. Entombment will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 12:00 PM till 2:00 PM at Graymere Church of Christ.

Kay Derryberry Rodgers, 83, a resident of Columbia, TN died Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care.

A Memorial Service will be conducted Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Westminster Presbyterian Church with Rev. Jeff Kane officiating. A private burial will occur at Lone Oak Cemetery in Lewisburg. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 12 PM until the service time at the church. 

James Michael “Mike” Ervin Sr., 70, retired mechanic for LiftOne Nashville, and resident of Columbia, TN died Monday, February 25, 2026 at his residence.

Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with military honors provided by the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Tuesday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. 

Now, news from around the state…

McNally to Retire (Tennessean)

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally announced Thursday morning he will not seek re-election in the legislature this year.

In a heartfelt statement, McNally expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community and highlighted the collaborative efforts that have contributed to Tennessee's success.

McNally emphasized achievements like balanced budgets, tax cuts and strategic investments in education and workforce development.

He also noted efforts to strengthen public safety and maintain low debt, aiming to build a sustainable future for the state.

McNally first started his career in public service in 1978 when he ran for state house and won. The Oak Ridge High School alum was also the chairman of the Senate's Finance, Ways and Means Committee for 10 years.

He now retires after being a legislative leader for almost 40 years.

Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital (Fox17.com)

The East Tennessee Children's Hospital is being renamed the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital.

Parton and the Hospital announced the change on social media Thursday morning.

The hospital says the change is inspired by Dolly's commitment to children and the name change is a promise to "bring hope, healing and world-class care to patients and families across our region."

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Get started on spring cleaning, but instead of tossing out those unwanted, gently-used items, bring them to Columbia Kiwanis' annual Yard Sale.

Whether it is clothes, old TVs, furniture or physical media, the Kiwanis Yard Sale is a place to repurpose those items, or perhaps find a good deal while you are at it.

The Kiwanis Yard Sale will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at The Memorial Building, 308 W. 7th St.

Proceeds from the yard sale will benefit the Maury County Imagination Library.

Anyone wishing to drop off items may do so between 1-4 p.m. Friday. For more information, call Dwaine Beck at (931) 334-3870 or Jan McKeel at (931) 446-4845.