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Southern Middle Tennessee Today
News Copy for February 6, 2025
All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
City Engages Community on East Side (MSM)
Columbia’s Planning Department hosted a forum at the Dr. Christa Martin Community Center in Fairview Park, where they registered people’s ideas about how to make the city’s east side more “walkable” and healthier, as well as how to stimulate social interaction and the local economy. The forum was funded by the South Central Tennessee Development District, which gave the city a $50,000 “Healthy Built Environments” grant with which to begin brainstorming and to hire an engineer to draft a plan. More funds will have to be found in the future, once the city has settled on which improvements to make.
Some of the most popular ideas for making the east side healthier and more communal included: putting up distance signs, exercise stations and challenges along the walking paths; building more things at Fairview Park, including a splash pad and play equipment for toddlers and kids with special needs; special programming for teenagers, adults and the elderly at the Martin Community Center; enclosing facilities like a walking track, a sports court, or even a pool or skating rink; hiring black staffers to represent the interests of the mostly racial minority east side; and building and maintaining trails for pedestrians and bicycles.
City Planner Kevin McCarthy and city councilman Danny Coleman wrote the grant application before they both left their positions in December. Coleman, who now works for the state’s Development District, said that the East Columbia Redevelopment Project has been in the works since 2011, when the city recognized that its different areas needed specially tailored development plans. At that time, it yielded updates to Fairview Park and new neighborhood walking paths and streetlights, but the Redevelopment Project got put on the back burner until last year.
“This will be a new, more updated plan,” Coleman promised.
He especially favored the original plan to tie the east side together with a footpath which would lead not only from the downtown to Fairview Park but continue along Iron Bridge Road to Yanahli Park.
“If the county will work with the city, then we can go a little further and connect Yanahli to Fairview,” he proposed. “I’d like to… get that connection going, so that people can get on their bikes and [ride or walk] all across town.”
County Commissioner Gary Stovall, who represents east Columbia (District 3) alongside Talvin Barner, attended the forum. He wanted the city to consider installing sidewalks, repaving the streets, widening the Iron Bridge and encouraging the building of affordable housing.
Glenn Harper was at the forum, presenting the city engineering department’s plan to put in a new Iron Bridge. The Iron Bridge itself, for which the road is named, is a little more than one lane wide, and has been repaved so many times that the road level is visibly raised. The city hopes to remove the old bridge and install a replacement that will feature two lanes, stronger railings, and a side lane for the walking path.
“At the end of the day, we’ll have a nice structure that’s safe and will handle all the traffic that it meets,” Harper said.
The city plans to start working on the new bridge, which will last six to nine months to finish, in the summer or early fall, hopefully when work is finished on the Tom J. Hitch bridge just north of it.
Mt. Pleasant Celebrates Clean Audit (MSM)
At its January meeting, the Mount Pleasant City Commission heard and celebrated the exemplary results of its annual financial audit, which were presented by City Financial Director Shiphrah Cox.
“Y’all are going to like what you hear,” said Mayor Bill White before Director Cox spoke. “We are at [a] 5.02 debt-service ratio. In the real world, 1.25 is the gold number… There are entities that would kill for that [rating].“
Cox explained that years’ worth of smart borrowing practices, like thorough record-keeping and maintaining cash reserves, had kept Mt. Pleasant on a strong financial footing.
“When a grant says, ‘We need you to match 20%,’ they want to sometimes see that you have that 20% sitting in the bank,” she explained. “We are a good investment for banks… for bonds, and for USDA as well, because they know we’ll make that payment. [And] we do get lower [interest] rates because of that rating [and] our books.”
Mayor White credited Cox, City Manager Philip Grooms and many other people with years of work to get to this point.
“This did not happen overnight. This has taken us a number of years,” he told the Commission.
The Commission approved the audit results so they could be sent to the state comptroller’s office. 2024 was the city’s first and only audit by Putnam & Hancock, who decided to get out of the business of municipal taxes because of increasing regulation.
City Attorney Kori Jones, prompted by Cox’s report that all property taxes should come into the city treasury in February, also asked everyone present to tell any friends and relatives with delinquent tax returns to submit them, before 2023 returns get handed over to the chancery court in March and the 2022 returns get sold to debt collectors. Once they’re in the legal process, she warned, people will start to feel the long arm of the law.
“You would be surprised how many people actually wait a full year to pay,” she said.
New MRMC Hires (Press Release)
Haley Wright, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Pratitioner Daniel Patterson, have joined the hospital medicine program at Maury Regional Medical Center.
Wright received her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of North Alabama, Florence, AL. She obtained her Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL.
Patterson received his bachelor’s degree in nursing from American Sentinel University, Denver, CO. He obtained his Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL.
Maury Regional Medical Group, an affiliate of Maury Regional Health, provides Maury Regional’s hospital medicine program professionals. These providers are specialists who devote their time and expertise to adult and pediatric patients exclusively within the hospital setting.
Spring Hill Considers State Grant (CDH)
Spring Hill leaders continue to seek solutions to the city's water concerns, this time in the form of $35 million in state funding for multiple water and sewer projects.
Assistant City Administrator Dan Allen, who has been overseeing the city's pursuit in solving a potential water crisis due to rapid growth, presented the idea of a State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) application Monday to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
"Now that we've gone through a pretty significant replanning exercise, the capacity study has a whole package of projects," Allen said. "Outside of plant expansions and big stuff there is a lot of small stuff that needs to be done as well."
The application would be made to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), which has awarded Spring Hill similar loans in the past, most recently with the city's previous sewer expansion, which concluded in 2014, Allen added.
The $35 million would not be received all at once, but as part of a recurring payment over a period of five years, which Allen said is the kind of application TDEC has shown interest in.
"They are looking for cities to put some programs together with them more along the lines of allocating some recurring funding," Allen said. "There is a lot of money available, and these funds are coming typically in the form of very favorable terms, from interest rate as well as payback terms and things of that nature. Obviously, we have lots of projects with lots of funding needs, so there's not going to be a shortage to pull from our list."
Some of these potential projects include updating facility plans for both Spring Hill water and sewer plants to include advanced purification concepts, which Allen said were finalized by the city in 2019.
"There are some pretty significant components to those plans that need to be updated, particularly membrane filtration at our water plant," Allen said.
"The Grassy Branch 30-inch parallel trunk sewer line, that's a significant project if you want to talk providing long-term sewer service to the east side of I-65 in Williamson County. That's what opens things up and you've got to get sewer up there, and to do that you have to upgrade the sewer line all the way down through the city."
Another project city staff is considering is applying for funding to create a true long-term stormwater master plan, Allen added.
"There have been a number of issues over the last few years with floodplain modeling," Allen said. "That is oftentimes a very long-process and, in many instances, has added over a year or two to timelines of people just trying to do routine stuff."
The item appeared Monday as part of the BOMA's work session discussion and did not go to a vote. However, Mayor Jim Hagaman said he expects the item to appear as a resolution at the BOMA's next meeting in two weeks.
Once a resolution is approved, the process would include submitting applications to the state over the next month, which will then be ranked by the state. Allen said the state is estimated to release its priority list in the fall, which would include the cities chosen to receive funding.
"It's not a terribly fast process, but we've got to start now," Allen said.
Spring Hill Boy Pens Veteran Book (MSM)
Sixteen-year-old Benny Jett, who runs a blog called the Ancestor Detector, has published “Spring Hill, Tennessee Veterans,” a book containing information on military veterans who have lived in his hometown. With information from the community, the history group at the town library and his own research, he collected photographs and historical records on 952 service members from Spring Hill’s 217-year history.
Young Jett first became aware of politics and history during the presidential election of 2016. He was only six years old, but the election fired his natural curiosity.
“I soon learned each president’s name in order,” he said. “That simple curiosity started my love of history.”
Within the next few years, his research revealed that he had kinfolk in almost every county in Middle Tennessee. Benny found he was a distant cousin to William Storke Jett, an accomplice of John Wilkes Booth; seven-times-great-nephew to James Robertson, the founder of Nashville; and six-times-great-grandson to Robertson’s sister Ann Robertston Johnston Cockrill, a pioneer and independent landowner whose daughters inherited the land that now makes up parts of Maury and Williamson Counties.
His blog, on which he’s published a series of historical profiles of Spring Hill residents, got its name from a comment by his mother, Carolyn Jett. When a woman started a conversation with Benny because he was reading a book about her ancestors, Mrs. Jett said, “It’s like you detect ancestors in people.” The slant rhyme was only a step away.
When Jett was 12, he bid on and won 10 lots’ worth of genealogy and history books from the Maury County Archives auction, totaling over a thousand books. He gave the duplicates in his haul to the Spring Hill Public Library.
“Because I donated the large amount of books, the Spring Hill Historic Commission awarded me the first-ever Heart for History award,” he said proudly. (The award is now named after Naomi Derryberry, who received it the year after Jett but died in 2024.)
Library director Dana Juriew, recognizing his potential, invited young Jett to be part of the Spring Hill library’s history group. Since then, he’s been working with the group on a pictorial history of Spring Hill, which they hope to publish in 2025.
During work on that book, the group decided that the one planned chapter couldn’t do justice to the number and stories of the military veterans of Spring Hill. Juriew suggested dedicating a separate book to them.
“I said it was a good idea,” Jett recalled humorously, “therefore I was put in charge of the project.”
To start soliciting information about veterans in the town, Jett put out copies of a survey at the library, which people took home and filled out with information about and pictures of the veterans they knew. He used Ancestry.com results to supplement the incomplete surveys and talked to Mike Hoover on the Cemetery Board to find deceased servicemen.
Jett says he was the sole author and primary researcher behind the book of veterans. Among his biggest helpers besides Juriew and Hoover, he credits Naomi Derryberry, Alicia Fitts, Nanette Taylor, Sandra and Charles Buford and Janice and Bill Stanfill with helping gather information, and his parents James and Carolyn Jett with helping him format the book.
The book was finished in November and the first 250 copies published in December, with the lives and photographs of 920 veterans, and copies have already found four homes among public records. Naturally the first is in the Spring Hill library. The second Jett donated to the Maury County Archives at its grand reopening ceremony a few weeks ago. The Williamson County library has accepted a third copy and asked him to give a presentation on the book on May 20, and he wants to give a fourth to the Tennessee State Library and Archives in a few weeks. The remaining 120 copies can be purchased on his website, theancestordetector.com, for $34.99 apiece.
Jett thanked everyone who submitted a form, collected names and photos and supported the work in other ways.
“I wanted all Spring Hill Veterans to be honored, their families to be honored, and their names and stories to be preserved for generations to come,” he explained. “With everyone’s help, I was able to accomplish this goal.”
Jett’s work isn’t finished: he plans to publish appendices or future volumes about more veterans and encourages people to send in even more forms about them. There are no immediate plans to put out an updated version.
“I am going to try to gather as many more veteran names/pictures to add before I print a second edition,” he says.
UT Hosts Equine Field Day in Spring Hill (MSM)
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is planning three in-person field days focused on horse management. Presentations and hands-on educational materials will be of interest for equine owners of all experience levels and useful for all breeds, ages, and types of equids.
Presentations will be provided by faculty from the UT Department of Animal Science, UT Extension and the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. The topics this year will focus on nutrition, reproduction, social license to operate and more. Trending topics in the equine industry will also be discussed with a Q-and-A session.
“There is something for everyone at these events and they are a great opportunity to learn applicable information for equine owners,” says Jennie Ivey, associate professor and equine Extension specialist. “Improving management through best practices is a key component of the Horse Management Field Days.”
One field day will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 5 p.m. CST – Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, 1000 Main Entrance Drive, Spring Hill
The event will include dinner and is open to the public. All ages are welcome to attend.
On-site registration is permitted for $20 per person.
Events will be held indoors and outdoors, weather permitting.
Contact Sawyer Main at smain@tennessee.edu or (865) 974-7294 for questions or for group pricing information.
State Eggs and Issues (Press Release)
Please join us at the Maury County Memorial Building, located at 308 W. 7th Street in Columbia on February 21st for the Annual State Eggs & Issues event, hosted by Maury Alliance and Breakfast Rotary, where you'll have the unique opportunity to hear our state legislators share their legislative priorities for 2025.
This year's event includes an engaging panel discussion with Senator Dr. Joey Hensley, Representative Scott Cepicky, and Representative Kip Capley. Followed by a Q&A. To submit a question or topic in advance for consideration, please email cdavis@mauryalliance.com by February 14th.
And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Edward Perry “Eddie” Spencer, Jr., 76, a lifelong resident of Santa Fe, died Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at Maury Regional Medical Center surrounded by his family.
Graveside service will be conducted Friday, February 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Santa Fe Cemetery with Reverend Jeff Kane officiating. Military honors will be provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Thursday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Friday from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
William House Dale, Jr., 76, lifelong resident of Columbia and local attorney, died Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at Maury Regional Medical Center.
Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, February 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Columbia First Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Saturday, February 8, 2025 from 3:00 PM till 6:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home followed by a celebration of life reception at the nearby Mulehouse.
Brett Stuart Wilson, 42, died Saturday, February 1, 2025 at Maury Regional Hospital of chronic health issues.
Visitation will be Saturday, February 8, 2025 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church from 11:30 am-1 pm, with the funeral service following. The Burial, at St. John’s Ashwood, will follow the funeral.
Sandra Gayle Jones Fly, 86, retired educator, and former longtime resident of Columbia, died Sunday, February 2, 2025 at Williamson Medical Center.
A private family inurnment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to The Boys and Girls Club, 210 West 8th Street, Columbia, TN 38401 or First United Methodist Church, 222 West 7th Street, Columbia, TN 38401. Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com.
And now, news from around the state…
February is CTE Month (Press Release)
This week, the Tennessee Department of Education announced February is Tennessee Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month and will celebrate by amplifying the role CTE has in preparing students for postsecondary success.
To spotlight the state and nationwide celebration of CTE Month, Governor Lee issued a proclamation to recognize how CTE provides Tennessee students with numerous opportunities to improve the quality of their education and increase the skills necessary for career readiness and future success. Using the hashtags #CTEMonth, #InnovativeSchoolModelsTN, and #AcceleratingTN, Tennesseans can engage on social media throughout the month to learn about CTE opportunities.
“CTE Month is an important time to recognize how career and technical education prepares all students for postsecondary success through career exploration, college credit and industry credential courses, work-based learning, and more,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “Thanks to significant investments from Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, our districts, schools, educators, and business partners continue to provide innovative CTE programs to support students in their journey to enter in-demand careers across the state.”
Under Commissioner Reynolds’ leadership, the department’s vision to improve student academic outcomes and prepare them for the workforce or the military is outlined through four pillars:
Alignment to Credentials of Value: The department will work in partnership with other state agencies to support districts in offering industry credentials that lead to in-demands jobs or transition into postsecondary academic programs.
Seamless Transition: All districts will be equipped to support students with enhanced college and career planning tools that help students have strong High School and Beyond Plans (HSBP), which outlines and connects the student’s post-high school goals to the courses or training aligned with their student readiness and career pathway interests.
Individualized Advising: For districts to provide effective career advising, the department will establish a supportive career coach network to offer district and school staff professional development and training.
Work-Based Learning (WBL): In collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, a data dashboard will be accessible to provide districts and the workforce with WBL insights that lead to effective decision-marking. In addition, the department will continue and enhance its employer recognition program, the Tennessee Flagship Industry Partner Award, to celebrate outstanding WBL industry partnerships.
Across the state, districts and schools are implementing and expanding innovative programs to set students up for postsecondary success. Highlights of CTE in Tennessee during the 2023-24 school year include:
For the sixth consecutive year, WBL student enrollment has increased to 22,641 with students earning 41,625 credits statewide.
Of the over 64,100 students earning industry credentials, an increase of over 33 percent from the previous school year, over 12,000 were credentials of the highest value and indicate completion of a program or required licenses for employment in certain industries.
Over 200 courses were revised to include concepts in artificial intelligence, data analysis, problem-based learning, and the engineering design process, realigning with the modernized Career Cluster Framework that was finalized in August 2024.
For more information about Tennessee’s CTE work, visit www.tn.gov/education
Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Nashville’s award-winning country artist Jelly Roll makes his mark on Broadway by opening his new venue, Goodnight Nashville. While doors opened in mid-January, a grand opening celebration will occur on Thursday, February 20. The new four-story venue promises an unforgettable experience for both locals and visitors alike. Created in partnership with Arizona-based Evening Entertainment Group (EEG), Goodnight Nashville stands out as Broadway’s first celebrity-backed concept from a Music City native.
Situated between 2nd and 3rd Ave S in the former home to Trail West Boot Store, Broadway’s newest addition offers a full dining experience, tattoo parlor pop-up and lively nightlife inspired by Jelly Roll’s raw, authentic spirit.
Goodnight Nashville will be open seven days a week with hours varying by floor, ensuring there’s always a place to eat, drink and enjoy the city’s best nightlife. Learn more at goodnightnashville.com.
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