Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 4-15-26

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for April 15, 2026

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

Columbia Approves Pipeline Bond (MSM)

The Columbia City Council took several more steps last week towards realizing its new water-intake pipeline project.

On top of waiving $1.3 million in fees for the construction of the new water-treatment plant, they also agreed CPWS would borrow from the federal government’s WIFIA fund for the project and approved the sale of $285 million in bonds.

CPWS Chief Financial Officer Ashley Maddux explained that the utility wishes to lock in a low rate ceiling now, since interest rates are going down but could go up because of uncertainty in the world. While CPWS is authorized to take out $285 million in bonds, they won’t start borrowing from that until August at the earliest. Councilman Brian McKelvy likened the agreement to the Letter of Intent that a prospective home buyer signs without actually purchasing the house.

Maddux and other CPWS officials explained that they’ll also spend first from the remaining $48 million in borrowing capacity previously authorized by the city council, and only after exhausting that would they proceed to borrow from the $285 million that the city council authorized on April 9.

Mayor Chaz Molder asked whether it would be in CPWS’s best interest to close its old $48 million line of credit, but bond lawyer Jeff Oldham explained that the terms of the new loans would be easier if they spent the old ones first.

“The only way to get to a new ‘clean’ resolution… is to discharge that old debt… in order to provide the flexibility that you really need,” he told the council.

Currently, CPWS holds a little more than $3 million in debt from bonds taken out in 2014, but those debts are scheduled to be completely discharged with a new master bond resolution.

Public commenters at both the study and voting sessions expressed their reservations again with the cost and scale of the whole project. They asked the city council to defer working on it or taking further steps until the state’s Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership (DRWPP) delivers its recommendations for regional water sources and projects in the fall.

“The comptroller’s office has serious concerns about the SRF funding needed,” said Jason Gilliam, a board member for the Maury County Water System, who quoted a figure of $35 million in annual repayments that was later confirmed by CPWS CEO Jonathan Hardin. “It has now ballooned [from $135 million] to $155 million in just a few short months. What happens if CPWS cannot pay that… [or] could not get that SRF funding?”

Molder and City Councilman Charlie Huffman concurred with them in part: Molder reiterated his opinion that the pipeline is “the right project at the wrong time,” and Huffman questioned both the financial modeling and the project’s ability to serve the city’s future water needs.

CPWS officials told Huffman that they expected their models to be accurate, barring any sudden and drastic increases in demand from heavy-industry customers. Water availability is determined by the number of additional homes, businesses and industries added at the approval of the city. 

Huffman also said that his concerns, which he said were confirmed by an unnamed official at the state comptroller’s office, that city taxpayers would be on the hook for CPWS’s loans if they were to fail to repay it.

Oldham responded that CPWS’s debts would be paid from their revenues, not the city, which was confirmed by resolution 9.3’s statement that “the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the bonds shall be payable solely and secured solely by a pledge of the income and revenues of the system.”

CPWS also agreed in resolution 9.4 to verify each year that revenues will be at least 1.2 times their debt service payments, and the whole project gets scrapped if they end up needing to issue more than $560 million in bonds for it.

According to bond documents the WIFIA loan will have a fixed interest rate of .01 percent above the public debt market rate at the time the bond is executed.

“We re-run rate studies. We’re making sure it still works. You are correct, it’s $35 million a year of debt service at the highest… but we have way more than $31 million worth of revenue coming in,” Hardin responded to Gilliam. “That’s not our average bill, because you have commercial, industrial [customers, impact fees] and all the others that add into that… We have tried to break the model several times just to be sure that in any scenario we still meet our bond covenants… [and] debt service policy, and we continue to make these payments.”

Outside revenue sources such as state or federal grants, leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds and/or money remaining unspent by the governor’s partnership could be applied to the project to reduce the burden on ratepayers, according to information from CPWS.

“If we get outside revenues from the state [based on DRWPP approval]… that reduces the amount of indebtedness that has to occur… and what would otherwise have to be a higher rate increase[, right]?” asked the mayor.

Oldham confirmed that financial assistance from higher levels of the government would offset the amount of money that CPWS would have to borrow or charge its customers.

Molder also got Hardin to confirm that the DRWPP has seriously considered the prospect of extending the pipeline from the Williamsport intake to the Tennessee River, to bring water back to multiple utility districts that currently draw from the Duck River Watershed. When Hardin confirmed that this was a live option for regional water supply, the mayor asked him to advocate strongly for the Tennessee River extension in his capacity as a voting member of the Partnership.

“When this project becomes somehow officially endorsed by that partnership, which it seems to be en route to do, then hopefully some funding will come from the state level that will mitigate the need for borrowing and… rate increases,” the mayor speculated.

Other business

The city also agreed to adopt the Maury County Basic Emergency Operations Plan; to make good on the state’s pledge of up to $75 in property-tax relief for elderly low-income homeowners; and to buy a new armored SWAT truck and 70 tasers for under $610,000, and a burn box to dispose of brush and trees for approximately $214,000.

Auctioneers Competition (WKOM Audio 4:16)

As part of the Muleday festivities last weekend, the auctioneers contest attracted large crowds from all over the country. Front Porch Radio’s Drake Pugh stopped by the event to speak to some of the participants…

RN Recruitment at MRMC (Press Release)

Maury Regional Health invites registered nurses (RNs) to explore career paths within a nationally recognized not-for-profit health system during Discover Maury: An RN Career Event on April 28 and 30.

This recruitment event offers two convenient dates and times for prospective nurses to attend: April 28 from 8 a.m. to noon and April 30 from 3 to 7 p.m. Both sessions will take place in the Auxiliary Conference Room at Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the hospital and its nursing units, meet with clinical leadership and learn about the comprehensive benefits package offered by the organization. On-site interviews will also be available for qualified candidates.

“At Maury Regional Health, we believe nursing is a calling, and we are committed to providing a supportive and rewarding environment where our nurses can truly excel,” said Chief Nursing Officer Cathy Malone, MMHC, BSN, RN. “We strive to foster a purpose-driven culture that prioritizes both exceptional care for our patients and the professional development of our team. We invite nurses to join us for these recruitment and open houses events to discover the endless opportunities available to grow their careers in one of the region’s largest not-for-profit health systems.”

As a Magnet®-designated hospital for nursing excellence, the system’s flagship hospital Maury Regional Medical Center is part of an elite group representing less than 10% of health care organizations nationwide. This designation serves as a national benchmark for quality care and reflects a commitment to a shared governance model, which provides nursing staff with a direct voice in clinical practice and decision-making. To support professional growth, the health system also offers an RN residency program for first-year nurses, specialty certification programs and ongoing educational resources designed to enhance patient care and nursing leadership.

Maury Regional Health — which has been recognized as a Great Place to Work® for three consecutive years and earned recognition by Forbes in 2025 as a best-in-state employer and a best employer for health care professionals — is currently offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus for qualified night-shift RNs hired to the following units: Critical Care, Med-Surg, Progressive Care and Short Stay/Cardiovascular Specialty.

Maury Regional Medical Center is located at 1224 Trotwood Avenue in Columbia. Discover Maury: An RN Career Event will take place in the hospital’s Auxiliary Conference Room, which is most easily accessed by entering through the main entrance (Building A, entrance A-1) and following the directional signage. While an RSVP is not required to attend, it is appreciated. Interested candidates may RSVP at MauryRegional.com/DiscoverMaury.

For more information about nursing careers and benefits at Maury Regional Health, visit MauryRegional.com/Careers or call 931.380.4017 to speak with a recruiter.

Grace United Church Event (WKOM Audio 3:59)

An autism walk-a-thon will be held this weekend at Fairview Park hosted by Grace United Church and Martiqua’s Land of Hope. With more is our own Delk Kennedy who spoke to organizer Tia Alderson…

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

Pamela Ann McKee Smith, age 77, passed away on April 11, 2026 following a brief illness.

Funeral services will be conducted Friday, April 17, 2026 at 3:00 pm at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:00 pm.

Mr. Raymond Eugene “Gene” Holt, 80, retired plant manager and farmer, and resident of Columbia, passed away at his residence on April 10. Memorial services will be conducted Sunday, April 19 at 2:00 PM at Riverside Methodist Church. The family will visit with friends on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Church. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with arrangements.

Mrs. Karin Lynn Kula (nee Larkin), age 55, passed away on Thursday, April 9, after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Visitation will be held at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 17 with the Memorial Mass to follow at noon.

Dennis Michael LeMay, 60, resident of Columbia, passed away on April 11, 2026 at Magnolia Healthcare and Rehabilitation.

Graveside services will be conducted at Pisgah Cemetery at a later date. 

And now, news from around the state…

Medical Marijuana Tougher In TN (Tennessean)

As federal officials work to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, Tennessee Republicans voted on April 13 to overrule an automatic state review that would have been triggered by the federal action and could have legalized cannabis for medical use.

Tennessee is one of 10 states where marijuana remains illegal for both medical and recreational purposes.

In December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order expediting the reclassification of marijuana as a less dangerous drug and recognizing its medical benefits.

Reclassification by the Drug Enforcement Administration would move marijuana out of the Schedule I category with heroin and LSD and into Schedule III, alongside drugs like ketamine.

The change would allow new medical research. It would not make marijuana legal for medical or recreational use nationwide.

By state law, when a drug is federally rescheduled, it triggers a review by Tennessee's commissioners of health and mental health. The officials meet and determine whether to change the drug's state-level restrictions in alignment with the federal government.

House and Senate Republicans approved House Bill 1972, making it so that even if the federal government loosens restrictions on marijuana, state agencies would be barred from making changes unless the legislature passes new bills.

“We don’t want the Wild West out here. We want the General Assembly deciding how we decide and deal with things,” said sponsor Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin.

The bill now goes to Gov. Bill Lee's desk.

Polling has shown that more than 81% of Tennesseans support legalizing medical marijuana. At least 63% of Tennesseans support legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a Vanderbilt Poll. 

Lawmakers have debated changing the state’s criminal policies on marijuana dozens of times over the last decade, with no substantive change.

Sen. Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield, voted against the bill, saying he has no confidence that the legislature “will ever do anything.” 

“We haven’t done anything for years,” Roberts said. “So if the feds make a decision to reschedule, delete, or redesignate, I just don’t have any confidence that we’ll ever do anything.”

“This takes this decision out of the hands of the commissioner of health and commissioner of mental health,” Roberts said. “It means that we have to do something, and we haven’t been able to agree on what to do for at least since I’ve been here.”

More than 38 states have adopted medical cannabis programs. 

Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, who voted with Roberts opposing the bill, argued that because states have created a patchwork of regulations, what’s needed now is federal-level change. 

“At this point, since Pandora’s box has been opened, we need federal legislation that legalizes it and then regulates it and controls it in the way that we control alcohol,” Campbell said.

Because it remains illegal, Campbell said, Tennessee’s lack of regulation has led to a robust black market and no universal standards of potency.

“I think it is the Wild West right now, and the only way that we’re going to get a handle on this is by legalizing it on a federal level and regulating it,” she said. 

In the House, Rep. Andrew Farmer, R-Sevierville, told members that the bill was based on a recommendation from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. 

“Before any department or agency could do anything with it they’d have to have legislation from this body,” Farmer said.

House Republicans universally supported the restriction.

Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, voted for the bill cementing restrictions on cannabis despite telling reporters last month that he sees cannabis as something that “the Lord created” that “has a good use.”

“I look forward to the day in Tennessee that we’ve set up a framework where people aren’t just getting high, but there are some very sick people who don’t want to be on opiates or something that comes across from a prescription from the pharmacist,” Faison said.

“It’s going to happen soon. The federal government has realized that they’ve been in the way for a long time, and I would say within the next two or three years, you’ll see a framework set up here in Tennessee,” Faison added. 

House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, also voted for the bill, but recently indicated federal changes are an overture to significant reform in Tennessee. 

“My biggest objections are being resolved by the federal government right now in rescheduling cannabis, rescheduling specifically marijuana, and allowing the doctors to take over and make a determination on how and if these substances could be helpful,” Lamberth told reporters last month. 

Six Republican senators opposed the bill, including Sens. Janice Bowling, R-Manchester, Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, Bill Powers, R-Clarksville, Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield, and Page Walley, R-Boliver.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Nashville Zoo's Sips for Species, returns for its fourth year on Friday, April 24, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sips for Species is an after-hours, adults only event benefiting endangered species and habitats around the world. The event features up-close animal encounters, and keeper talks that educate guests about Nashville Zoo’s efforts in species and environmental protection. In the last three years, this event has raised more than $56,479 for the Zoo’s conservation efforts, helping the Zoo make significant strides in saving species from extinction.

For more information and to register, please visit www.nashvillezoo.org/sips.