Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 5-12-26

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for May 12, 2026

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

Redistricting Divides Maury (MSM)

A special session of the state legislature last week passed a new map of U.S. Congressional districts for the state of Tennessee, which Gov. Bill Lee signed into law.

On the new map, Maury County has been divided into two redrawn Congressional districts.

At the state level, the new District 5 includes the western border strip and northwestern border counties of Tennessee. The new District 9 includes all of the southern border counties (except for part of Fayette and most of Shelby) in the lower western half of the state.

The dividing line through Maury County runs jaggedly on the west side of I-65 to Bear Creek Pike, where it projects out to put most of the central, eastern and southern parts of the city of Columbia in District 9, and it travels south to the county line east of Pulaski Pike, seemingly on top of the line that separates Maury County’s internal Districts 8 and 10.

The new map followed quickly upon the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision, in Louisiana v. Callais, to exclude racial demographics from unconditional consideration during the drawing of federal electoral districts. President Donald Trump soon reported having “a very good conversation” with Gov. Lee about “correct[ing]” the Congressional map of his state, which was redrawn and passed the week after the Louisiana decision.

Republican State Sen. John Stevens said in session that the new map was meant to reflect the prevalence of Republicans in the state, while the map’s opponents argued that the new districting was meant to nullify the political power of Memphis, the only major city with a black majority in Tennessee, as well as its only remaining Democratic seat in Congress. In the new districting, each half of Maury County will share a U.S. Congressional Representative with a part of the city of Memphis.

“Our state reacted rightfully [to the Supreme Court verdict] in its decision to redraw our district lines in a manner that more correctly represented our population,” said Jason Gilliam, Chairman of the Maury County Republican Party, in a statement. “I am thankful that Gov. Lee, our state senators, and our state representatives acted swiftly in this matter to ensure that our upcoming election represents the will of the people in Tennessee… I wish them all the best of luck. God bless Tennessee and the United States of America.”

Gilliam pointed out that this isn’t the first time Maury County has been represented by more than one member of Congress, and he and other commentators saw this arrangement as offering its own benefits. He also pointed out that the map will make new political candidacies possible: the day it passed, District 31 State Sen. Brent Taylor announced his campaign for the new Ninth District, and was endorsed by both of the sitting U.S. Senators for Tennessee.

“I would like to think that having representation from two congressmen in Washington could be a benefit, having two advocates instead of just one,” he said. “It will be interesting to see which candidates in the Fifth and Ninth Congressional Districts will remain, and if any new candidates will emerge to represent us in Washington… We’ll make the best of it, and I think Maury County would be represented well, no matter which congressional candidates win in the Fifth and Ninth Districts.”

“I believe it will provide better opportunity for Maury to have a greater voice in Washington… [When Maury County was last] represented by two Congressmen[,] Green and DesJarlais… [we] were able to secure grants and programs for our county,” District 64 Rep. Scott Cepicky told Main Street Maury. “I look forward to working with both new Congressmen as we move forward, continuing to keep them abreast of the needs of our district. I was not part of the drawing of the map, but let House leadership know the concerns I had [with] splitting Maury County [between] more than two congressmen.”

“I believe it [will be] bad for our representation in Nashville and Washington, D.C.,” countered James Dallas, the chairman of the county Democratic Party and a candidate to be District 4 Maury County Commissioner. “Splitting [Maury County] in two will result in two legislators representing us part-time, rather than one representing us full-time, and I think that will likely result in a lower quality of representation… [And] Memphis has unique issues, and may now be represented by people hundreds of miles away who don’t understand their issues.”

“The other districts seem to be geographically correct… [but Congressional Districts 5 and 9] are just so out of whack,” said District 9 County Commissioner Jerry Bridenbaugh. “How one individual can represent the interests of Middle Tennessee and a small segment of counties down the Mississippi River, is beyond my comprehension… and the same goes for representing [eastern Maury County], the [rural and sparsely populated] counties down the southern border, and [urban, affluent] eastern Shelby County.”

Bridenbaugh and District 8 Commissioner Gabe Howard also pointed out that the candidates for both races would now have to campaign at the opposite ends of their new 200-mile-wide districts, trying to reach voters who may have never even heard of them, less than four months before the August primary elections.

“I never liked these political games with redistricting… and now it’s just obvious,” he said. “I think doing it this close to the August primary election was bad timing. It shouldn’t have been done.”

“Maury County should not be treated like a chess piece on a political board,” said Howard. “Changing the lines less than 90 days before Election Day may be politics as usual, but that does not make it right.”

All Congressional candidates have been given a deadline, at noon on May 15, to announce their electoral intentions: whether to join a race, drop out, or stay the course. Dallas told Main Street Maury that the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that candidates need not live in the district they’re running for, so the redistricting hasn’t forced anyone to move house or else drop out.

One of the local politicians most affected by the redistricting is Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, who has been campaigning to become the Fifth District Congressman.

“I am extremely disappointed in the results of the recent re-districting and Maury County citizens are among its biggest losers. Not only did Maury County get split into separate congressional districts, even the city of Columbia is now divided. Columbia State is now in a different district than Maury Regional Hospital. Ridley Park and Woodland Park are no longer in the same congressional district,” Molder told Main Street Maury. “This will dilute our influence in Washington and our ability to obtain necessary federal funding to assist with important infrastructure projects. Our taxpayers, our citizens, and anyone paying attention should also be disappointed.”

The new Congressional districts don’t change anything about the electoral politics of state and local representation in Maury County. However, several previously unified state and local districts are now divided between two U.S. Representatives, including the 28th State Senate District, Maury County Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9, and Wards 2, 4 and 5 of the City of Columbia. The split between Congressional districts does visually resemble that between State House Districts 64 and 71, which runs through Maury County in a similar if not identical way.

“I’m disappointed that… my constituents in county commission District 5 may now be voting for candidates that they may not even know,” said Commissioner Scott Sumners. “Most of Maury’s issues will remain at the local and state level, but having U.S. Districts 5 and 9 so spread out… could affect the way Maury Countians are represented at the federal level. This redistricting will not alter my commitment to District 5 and Maury County.”

“I’m not happy that Maury County has been divided,” said District 2 County Commissioner Eric Previti. “If they had to do so, I wish they would have done it along the interstate or Highway 31. I don’t like the fact that neighborhoods [like mine] were split up, but this is the hand we are dealt.”

“[Though] the line pretty much split the Fourth District of the county in half… this rezoning does nothing to change my commitment to serve Maury County, especially those in the Fourth District,” said District 4 County Commissioner Mike Kuzawinski. “Some of you will now be in the Ninth Congressional District, and some will remain in the Fifth, but we are all Maury Countians. I don’t think we need to let the rezoning divide, distract or impede our drive to make Maury County the best it can be.”

“City-wise, it doesn’t affect me… [or] the city wards at all,” said Columbia City Councilman Brian McKelvy, whose Fifth Ward is slightly divided by the line.

“I think many residents are concerned that dividing Maury County [congressionally]… could weaken the county’s unified voice on multiple issues… Communities function best when people feel their needs are understood as part of a whole community, rather than as fragments of a broader political strategy,” said local leader Bethany Torino, whose work to aid the homeless and housing-insecure depends to a great extent on federal funding. “I hope our elected officials remain focused on practical collaboration, and representing the real needs of the people who live here, over national political theater.”

The Secretary of State’s website has an ARC-GIS map which shows the user their new Congressional district when they type in their address. Gilliam encouraged voters to look up their residential addresses in the map to see which district they’d been sorted into.

Commission Talvin Barner (MSM)

District 3 County Commissioner Talvin Barner passed away on April 29.

Barner was born in Columbia in 1950, graduated from Carver-Smith High School and married his wife DeVora in 1974. He worked for the L&N Railroad for 20 years, then as pastor of Bethel Chapel AME Church for another 15 years until he retired in 2010.

Barner reportedly volunteered for the betterment of his community throughout his life, especially in the latter half. He coached baseball all his adult life and was one of three founders of the county Boys and Girls Club in 1995. He served two terms on the county Board of Education from 2002-10, then four terms on the Maury County Commission from 2010-26, and was respected by his colleagues.

“Talvin Barner was well aware of his constituency and the needs of Maury County, and he always tried to represent his district well… [He] was always willing to listen and to weigh the legislation,” Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt said. “He was well-loved by everyone on the county commission. He truly had a servant’s heart.”

“We were friends and youngsters and teenagers together… We grew up in the same neighborhood… We even traveled together to a broadcasting school in San Francisco in 1970, when neither of us had been on a plane before,” said Commissioner Gary Stovall, Barner’s colleague representing District 3. “Being able to serve is a privilege, it’s not something we took lightly. Commissioner Barner was about serving the people.”

Since the county commission would need to take two procedural months to appoint a replacement commissioner for Barner, county officials decided not to do so prior to the August election. Poetically, his seat will remain empty until August. The current candidates for the two District 3 seats on the county commission are incumbent Gary Stovall (independent), Jennifer Garrard (R) and Winston Harlan (D).

KDS Kids Help Secure $200,000 Grant (CDH)

Students at The King’s Daughters’ School helped secure a $210,000 energy-efficiency grant for their campus by cutting power use and reducing waste.

The KDS school earned a top-tier Building Energy Upgrade grant through the Tennessee Valley Authority’s School Uplift program, according to a Friday, May 9 news release by Columbia Power & Water Systems.

“Seeing everyone come together to work toward a common goal is always special,” said KDS Operations Director Robyn Graham.

The grant will fund major upgrades to make the campus more efficient, healthy and comfortable.

Students participated in a year-long energy management training program designed to cut waste and lower utility costs. They turned the project into a creative competition, complete with an "energy hero" and his nemesis, a video on how to save energy and plenty of reminders to "turn off the lights."

For many schools, aging infrastructure often forces a choice between funding educational programs or repairing facilities. The School Uplift grant aims to bridge that gap.

“School Uplift is another way we’ve partnered with TVA to invest in our community,” said Columbia Power & Water Systems CEO Jonathan Hardin. “The faculty, staff, and students committed to prioritizing energy efficiency over the last school year, and this grant is a direct result of their hard work.”

Since 2021, TVA has invested $13 million in School Uplift grants across the region. On average, participating schools save nearly 10% on their annual energy bills through behavior changes alone.

“Every dollar invested helps schools allocate resources to what truly matters — providing quality education for our children,” said TVA Senior Director of Demand Management Ray Knotts.

For KDS, the program has been a win-win.

“Our students are so proud of the fact that KDS received an award and that they were part of making that happen,” Graham added. “I would recommend the School Uplift program to any school.”

Columbia State and UT Southern Collaborate (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College and the University of Tennessee Southern recently signed co-admission and transfer agreements that will help to strengthen the pathway for Columbia State students who are looking to pursue their bachelor’s degree at UT Southern.

The agreement, while still maintaining the entrance qualifications for UT Southern and the graduation requirements for Columbia State, will offer expanded opportunities to students who complete their two-year associate degree programs with intentions to seek baccalaureate programs.

“Today is an exciting day, not just for our institutions, but for communities and workforce in southern Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama, but most importantly, it's an amazing day for our students,” said Cissy Holt, Columbia State vice president for Student Affairs. “Today, we formalize a long-standing relationship of respect and student support that began with Martin Methodist College and will now provide even more opportunities to strengthen our region. Yes, it's an exciting day for higher education in our region as we formally affirm the already strong collaboration and conversations that we've been having.”

Students who participate in the co-admission program are guaranteed admission to UT Southern after completing their degree from Columbia State. 

“Co-admission sends a clear message to students; you are not starting over when you transfer,” said Dr. Prentice Chandler, UT Southern provost. “You are continuing forward on a pathway designed for your success. As I often say, anybody can say things and talk about things, but it's the doing of the things that matters. A clearer pathway for our students. And it's about saying to students at Columbia State, your degree is not the end of the road. It can be the beginning of the next step. And of course, we want that next step to be at UT Southern.”

As part of the transfer agreement, students will benefit from coordinated advising from both institutions and priority registration at UT Southern during the semester they graduate from Columbia State. 

In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to host professional development opportunities for employees of both institutions. The MOU also provides two scholarship opportunities for Columbia State employees to earn a degree from UT Southern. The First Flight Scholarship offers any full-time employee at Columbia State three free credit hours for their first semester at UT Southern while pursuing any undergraduate or graduate degree program. The University Partnership Scholarship offers 25% off tuition for Columbia State employees.

“Through this partnership, our faculty and staff are gaining real, tangible opportunities to grow,” said Dr. Denise Carr, Columbia State vice president for Academic Affairs. “Through training and executive education led by UT Southern faculty, our employees will have access to high-quality professional development designed to strengthen skills, expand leadership capacity and support career advancement. We're proud to stand alongside UT Southern in this effort and excited about the opportunities it will create for our people and ultimately for the students and communities that we serve.”

The signing also marks an increase in faculty and staff collaborations for both institutions by increasing professional development activities. 

“We want Columbia State faculty and staff to know that if finishing or starting a degree is part of your personal or professional goal, we are here to help,” said Dr. Melinda Arnold, UT Southern chancellor. “This is just one more way that our partnership goes beyond paperwork. It's an investment in people, in professional growth and the shared strength of our institutions. Today is more than a ceremony, it's a statement about who we are and what we value: opportunity, partnership and student success. We're proud to partner with Columbia State, and we are excited for what this agreement will make possible, one student, one degree and one bright future at a time. Together, we build communities, we expand opportunity and we change lives.”

This agreement was a shared initiative and mission by members of both institutions after months of work to make sure the agreements helped to streamline students' ease of achieving their educational goals. 

“What we're doing today is giving guidance, giving a direction but also providing an option,” said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. “And then it goes for both our students, as well as our faculty and staff, who are taking advantage of the development opportunities, which is absolutely fantastic, because we all want to continue to grow. And we want our people to grow as well, because this world is changing every day, and as it changes, we too must change. I am particularly proud of this partnership. We are focused on how we can work together to be better for our students as well as our faculty, for our communities. It is through higher education that we change our world.”

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

Mary Jane Scott Sparkman, 66, a lifelong resident of Columbia, passed away peacefully at her residence on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with David Morris officiating. The family will visit with friends on Thursday from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

Archie Lee Farris, 88, longtime employee of Middle Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic and resident of Columbia, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM with Dr. Barry Farris officiating. Burial will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends and loved ones on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the funeral home. Condolences may be extended online at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

And now, news from around the state…

Freedom Scholarship Expansion (Press Release)

The Tennessee Department of Education celebrated the expansion of the Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program and announced remarkable results from the second year of implementation. Tennessee’s first-ever universal school choice program once again drew tremendous interest from families across the state, with a 99 percent renewal rate after the program’s inaugural year. In the 2026-27 school year, Governor Bill Lee and the General Assembly are empowering more Tennessee parents to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs by expanding the program by 15,000 seats. The Governor signed the legislation into law today, May 7, 2026. 

In the 2026-27 school year, all 35,000 available scholarships are reserved and awaiting acceptance from families, with 81 percent of new scholarships awarded to applicants demonstrating eligibility under income requirements or the Individualized Education Account (IEA) and Education Savings Account (ESA) Programs. Families have until June 30, 2026, to verify enrollment in an EFS- registered school for the upcoming school year. Scholarships may be used at nearly 300 participating Category I, II, and III non-public schools across the state. 

“Thank you to all the families who applied and to the participating schools for your continued partnership,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “I am proud of the successful application cycle for the 2026-27 school year and the state’s commitment to providing Tennessee families with more choices for a learning environment that best fits their student’s needs." 

The high demand for the program was evident, resulting in a total of 56,440 applications, a 31.8 percent increase from last year’s submissions. Continuing last year’s trend of strong interest across the state, applications were received from families in 93 of 95 counties. A total of 35,000 scholarships were reserved, broken down by Priority groups as follows: 

• Priority 1: 18,553 

• Priority 2: 3,970  

• Priority 3: 9,360 

• Priority 4: 3,117 

In addition to the counts above, 17,735 applications remain on a waitlist for processing as seats may become available, demonstrating the overwhelming demand for the EFS Program. 

In accordance with Tennessee law, the Department reviewed all applications by priority category and in the order in which they were received. Priority 1 were renewal applicants who received a scholarship in the 2025-26 school year. Priorities 2 and 3 demonstrated income-based eligibility or eligibility for the Individualized Education Account (IEA) Program or Education Savings Account (ESA) Program; Priority 4 demonstrated enrollment in a Tennessee public school at the time of application or are entering Kindergarten in the 2026-27 school year. Priority 5 chose not to demonstrate eligibility for other priorities.   

To learn more about the EFS Program, visit https://www.tn.gov/education/efs.html.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Acclaimed singer-songwriters Dylan Gossett and Charles Wesley Godwin announce their 2026 co-headline U.S. tour, bringing two standout voices in modern country and Americana together for a run of highly anticipated dates this fall. The co-headline tour promises to deliver unforgettable shows spotlighting two of the genres’ most compelling songwriters and in-demand live performers.

Kicking off August 28, in Texas, they will hit Nashville’s The Pinnacle on September 26th. Find tickets at www.thepinnaclenashville.com.