Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 6-25-26

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for June 25, 2026

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

Maury Young Republican Mailer Controversy (CDH)

After a recruitment mailer for the Maury County Young Republicans called on conservatives to “stop the Great Replacement” of White Americans by non-White "invaders," and to "Ban Islam and Hinduism," the statewide Tennessee Young Republicans Federation says the local group did not have permission to use its logo on the message.

“It’s time for the Republican Party to face the reality of race,” wrote Maury County Young Republicans President Austin Lee in a social media post sharing images of a mailer apparently sent to thousands of county residents.

“Nonwhite foreigners have invaded our country and are replacing White Americans. Efforts at mass deportations have failed. No one is coming to save us; we must solve this problem ourselves,” Lee wrote on the mailer, alongside the Tennessee Young Republicans logo. “If you love America like I do, please join me in this struggle.”

Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden said the language of the mailer is "absolutely abhorrent and does not reflect the values of Republicans."

"The Tennessee Young Republican Federation is a separate organization and has their own bylaws and elections for leadership," Golden said, adding that the state party does not have any jurisdiction over the actions of the Maury County Young Republicans chapter. "TYRF is conducting a review of the situation and I expect that they will make the right decision regarding leadership to ensure we elect good Republican candidates this August and November."

Tennessee Young Republicans Federation said the use of its name and logo was “not authorized.” Statewide leadership is now “reviewing” how the name and logo were used on the mailer.

“The communications using TYRF’s name and logo were not reviewed, approved or authorized by TYRF, its officers, or its Executive Committee,” the group said in a statement released June 23. “Accordingly, the views expressed therein DO NOT constitute the views or an official position of the TYRF."

The mailers do not contain any indication of who paid for their creation, printing or postage, nor do they contain any legally required disclosure for political mailers.

Maury County Republicans also condemned the mailer.

"We do not condone the hate conveyed in the mailer that was sent out to young men in our community," said county GOP President Jason Gilliam. "The MCGOP will support any effort assuring that these people are held accountable for such disgusting behavior."

In previous social media posts, Lee has said Islam should be banned in the United States. Lee has described Indian Americans as “perhaps the only race with no redeeming qualities,” called conservatives “delusional” if they believe “American blacks can be made not to hate whites,” and decried interracial marriage, saying White Americans who convert to Judaism “have to be excised from the political right.”

“Your descendents will pay the price for the security afforded by your inaction,” Lee wrote on the mailer. 

Claims have circulated on social media that there is no active Young Republicans chapter in Maury County. The group has an Instagram presence that includes posts from 2023.

During a Maury County GOP meeting on June 22, Lee confronted state Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, according to videos circulated of the event by the progressive media outlet the Tennessee Holler. During the meeting, Cepicky disclosed that he is the descendent of an Ashkenazi Jewish family that fled Eastern Europe during the rise of the Nazi Party. Cepicky is co-founder of the legislative Tennessee-Israel Caucus.

“We the people. It doesn’t say ‘we the White people’ or ‘we the Christians’ or ‘we the Jews.’ It says ‘we the people,’” Cepicky said during the meeting. “85 million people died to get rid of this stuff, and now it’s rearing its ugly head in our country, in our state, in our county and in our community. You’ve got to stand up and beat it back. Are you going to defend ‘we the people’ or not?” 

Cepicky said he has turned mailers over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Attorney General’s Office for investigation.

“We are going to pursue the law on these individuals to the nth degree,” Cepicky said during the meeting.

Tennessee Young Democrats challenged the statewide Young Republicans group to fully condemn Lee’s statements. 

“Democrats and Republicans should debate policy, not fundamental rights and dignity of others,” Young Democrats said in a statement. 

The group asked Young Republicans to see that the offending posts be removed and take “appropriate action.” 

“We are not afraid to say that racism, sexism, xenophobia, antisemitism, Islamaphobia and violent threats have no place in our communities or our political discourse,” Young Democrats leadership said. 

The statewide federation declined to comment on other events Tennessee Young Republican chapters have held this year where policies of remigration and Christian nationalism were espoused.

"Because that review remains ongoing, and due to the seriousness of the matter, the TYRF will not comment further regarding specific individuals, facts, allegations or potential actions until the investigation has been completed," TNYR Communications Director Meredith Ophelia Miller told The Tennessean.

County Commission Nixes Development (MSM)

The Maury County Commission voted unanimously against rezoning 1,339 acres of the old 5,000-acre Monsanto property in Santa Fe, blocking the mixed-use Crosswaters Reserve development proposed for the site.

Reed Martz, the attorney for Crosswaters, LLC, defended the project as he has at previous meetings of the county commission and Maury County Regional Planning Commission. He denied public commenters’ claims that Agent Orange or arsenic were produced, released or buried at the old Monsanto facility. He also advised the development would be separated by the Duck River from the acreage of the actual Monsanto plant, which was never on the infamous Superfund list, and repeated that none of Barge Design’s tests detected harmful levels of any toxic substances on the Crosswaters site.

“This site is not the [elemental phosphorus] processing facility… [in fact it’s] a mile, mile and a half north of the Monsanto plant (site),” he said. “Washed dirt was moved to [the reservoir on the Crosswaters site] from… south of the river.”

On the topic of zoning and land use, Martz pitched the project as a fulfillment of the county commission’s stated goals. He pointed out that it’s already surrounded by rural residential zoning; would preserve at least 277 acres of rural forest and the old 325-acre tailings pond for character and recreational use; would add diverse, affordable housing units and taxable businesses that would employ locals; and might even supply its own water from the tailings pond and dispose of its own wastewater via STEP systems.

“Doing nothing with this property is not a viable option… If not [this], then what do you want to do with it?” he asked the commission rhetorically. “Is [heavy industrial use] what you want to see? If not, what would you suggest?”

“The political environment is such that this project likely will not receive a fair consideration, and certainly not a favorable vote,” predicted Bruce Peden, an attorney who made the only pro-Crosswaters public comment. “People are moving here… [and] there is not a single public report of any tests… which demonstrate the presence of any contaminant or toxic substance at any unsafe level… [Furthermore] there is not a single reported instance of any pollution or contamination of the Duck River or any groundwater from this site.”

Most public commenters insisted the site for the development was contaminated by Monsanto operations and even kicking up the dust would pose a hazard to public health.

“There are contaminated railroad cars, tools, trucks, chemicals, chemical containers… buried in the land or dumped in the ponds. The supervisor told me that was the directive… Just get rid of it, bury it, dump it… and don’t keep any record of what you bury… or where. They didn’t want… a paper trail,” said Sue Stephenson, a former county commissioner who interviewed ex-Monsanto workers for a 2020 report. “They never took their clothing or their boots home for fear of fire. They didn’t ride in there in their own automobiles or trucks, they rode in… and left there on a bus. They said they would never eat any of the fish in those ponds, and they would never build a home on that property.”

“I have seen cattle across all the Monsanto sites that come out with three legs, four ears, deformed in every way possible. The hay that’s fed off of this site is extremely toxic,” said Trevor Pennington, who farms his beef herd in nearby Williamsport, who also predicted developers would violate environmental restrictions as a matter of course. “No construction site is contained or mitigated the way that SWPP or TDEC calls for these days. As a former homebuilder and developer, I have seen [that] those practices… are never followed by developers or homebuilders.”

“This is not something that fits with the rural character of Maury County… This is Franklin, this is Brentwood, this is Williamson County,” said Jordan Rouden, a candidate to represent District 9 on the county commission.

Rouden pointed out the neighborhood covenants of Crosswaters would ban down-home activities including yard sales, repairing cars and open-carrying guns, and that it would add at least 3,000 permanent residents to the historically rural area.

“It’s essentially a small town being dropped in [Santa Fe],” he said. “The scale of it will leave us paying for this mismatch for generations, despite the $5 billion in economic growth, in ways that can’t pay for.”

Ahead of the public hearing and vote, Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt urged the commissioners to focus on facts.

“I know some things are very emotional, but I want you to understand that our words here tonight have ramifications,” she warned. “What matters are the facts and consistency. Listen and consider your vote. The planning commission made their recommendation on the facts, and we want to make sure, when we’ve listened to both sides, that we make our recommendation on the facts as well.”

The county commissioners leaned toward reasoning like Rouden’s in their unanimous vote against the project, citing the planning commission’s recommendation against it; its incompatibility with the Santa Fe’s rural character and the county’s land-use plan; and the fact that a new county land-use plan is still being drafted.

County Budget to be Finalized Monday (MSM)

It’s budget season, and the Maury County budget committee’s next move is a special called meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 29 to finalize the budget for fiscal year 2027. The full Maury County Commission will then consider the budget at 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Sheila Butt reported that the county is making progress on securing ambulance services and getting fair reimbursement from municipalities. She said that the findings of a long Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) study on ambulance cost-sharing would be reviewed starting June 18, with recommendations to follow.

Commissioner Gabe Howard raised his concern that Williamson County might not continue to send ambulances to the Maury County side of Spring Hill in six months, which he learned that morning from Spring Hill Mayor Matt Fitterer. Butt replied that she had taken part in the negotiations that guaranteed the next six months of ambulance service to south Spring Hill, and that the TACIR study will help determine the correct balance of service and reimbursement among the two counties.

“It will be determined by what’s best for the people in Spring Hill. If [continued Williamson County service] will [save lives], then Williamson will work with us on that,” the mayor reassured her listeners. “There are just a lot of things to be said and done in the next few months with that. So, we certainly are working… for the safety of those citizens. That’s what matters.”

The county approved the Maury County Regional Planning Commission-recommended rezonings of the 89-acre Metz property on Dowell Branch Road and the 63.5-acre Sullivan property on Lick Creek Road in Primm Springs. They also endorsed Maury County Water System’s standing application to TDEC for a 3MGD intake in the Duck River and gave the Maury County Animal Shelter permission to shorten its minimum animal-holding period from 10 days to five.

The county commission took Mark Dobies off of interim status and made him the permanent county attorney.

“It’s been a challenge, I’m not going to lie… but this is my new home now,” Dobies said. “I’m grateful to be here.”

The commission also approved a three-percent raise for county employees and acknowledged that four terms are expiring on the County Board of Equalization, which hears property reassessment claims.

Finally, the commission voted to rename its meeting chamber the Barner-Primm Commission Room, in honor of recently deceased District 3 Commissioner Talvin Barner. The name will follow the commission to the second floor of the renovated courthouse when their meetings move there.

CASA Fundraiser (MSM)

The Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Maury County will raffle off a children’s playhouse on July 3 to fund their work in the foster system.

CASA is a nonprofit made up of volunteers appointed by the county juvenile court to advocate for foster kids. Maury County’s chapter was created in 2005.

“Our entire mission is to find permanency for the foster children, whether that’s a return back to their parents, a kinship home… or they age out or are adopted,” said CASA’s Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Ballard Barkett, since permanency offers kids a much greater chance of a successful childhood and adulthood.

The organization has about 65 chapters throughout the state, most or all of which raffle off a playhouse and sometimes other goods once a year. Ballard recalled that the Maury chapter has auctioned off a playhouse every year since 2006.

This year’s playhouse was designed by the local firm TKC Architecture & Engineering and built by the local Truitt Home Builders; both firms donated their services. TriStar Bank’s “platinum donation” of $5,000 or more earned their logo a place above the playhouse’s doorway; “gold sponsors” get to park the playhouse outside their businesses for periods of time.

“They’ve just been fabulous to work with,” said Ballard. Builders are already lined up for CASA’s next two years’ worth of playhouses.

CASA hopes to raise $15,000 from tickets sales and sponsorships at this year’s raffle, money which Ballard says “fills in the gaps” between the state and federal grants that fund most of its nonprofit work. The raffle proceeds will help to buy the foster children life supplies like luggage, games and goodie bags, or opportunities like taking a second SAT.

To donate to or learn more about CASA’s work, visit https://casaofmaurycounty.org/.

Spring Hill Man Receives Carnegie Medal (MSM)

A Spring Hill man has received a Carnegie Medal for rescuing his son from a house fire last August.

According to a Carnegie Foundation news release, Brandon Rorer, a 36-year-old treasury analyst, saw a fire break out on the back deck of his home on Aug. 25. As the fire spread and black smoke filled the home, his son, Silas, 7, was at the doorway of his second-floor bedroom.

Rorer had re-entered the home on the basement level after attempting to put out the fire when he learned that Silas had not escaped with his mother and sister.

Rorer ran up two flights of stairs and followed his son’s voice but was unable to reach him through the thick smoke and tremendous heat from the fire. On his fourth attempt, he found Silas, picked him up, and ran down the stairs and out of the house.

Silas was hospitalized for two days and treated for minor burns on his face, ear and arm. He also had smoke inhalation injuries, but he has recovered, according to the news release.

Rorer was taken to the hospital in critical condition, suffering second-degree thermal burns to his head, chest, and arm, as well as a serious smoke inhalation injury. He was hospitalized for three weeks and is still recovering, according to the news release.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission awarded medals to 18 individuals this year, including four who died during their act of heroism. Among those saved by this quarter’s Carnegie Medal recipients were six children.

The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. The Carnegie Medal has been awarded to 10,581 individuals since the inception of the Pittsburgh-based Fund in 1904.

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

Norman Bentlee Potts, 17, a resident of Williamsport, TN, passed away unexpectedly on June 20, 2026, in Bedford County, TN, doing what he loved.

A visitation for Bentlee will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

Mrs. Monnette Fulcher Bruner, 62, passed away Thursday, June 4 at Camden General Hospital. Memorial services will be conducted on Sunday, June 28 at 4:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. The family will visit with friends on Sunday from 2:00 PM till the time of service at the funeral home.

Mrs. Helen Marie Jones Coble, 60, a resident of Santa Fe, TN, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, June 9. A Celebration of Life will be conducted on Sunday, June 28 at 2:00 PM at Santa Fe Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The family will visit with friends on Sunday from 12:00 PM until the time of the service at the Church.

And now, news from around the state…

TCAP Scores Increase State-wide (Press Release)

Today, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released the 2025-26 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) state–level results, showing growth in academic proficiency among students statewide. Third grade student achievement reached its highest level since at least 2017 in English Language Arts (ELA), and fourth graders also made substantial proficiency gains in mathematics.  

These statewide results include exams in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, and social studies, but do not include science, which is in a standard-setting year. View the state-level overview and find the full 2025-26 TCAP assessment data on TDOE's Data Downloads webpage in the State Assessments section under the Assessment Files tab. 

“Tennessee’s strategic investments in education have led to promising progress for students in multiple subjects and grade levels," said Governor Bill Lee. "As we advance our efforts to ready students for success both in school and in life, Tennessee remains dedicated to supporting teachers and empowering families through diverse pathways to achievement, ensuring every student has an opportunity to succeed." 

2025-26 State Level TCAP Highlights 

English Language Arts (ELA) 

• 3.2 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency rate for third grade 

• 2.7 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency rate for eighth grade 

• 3.8 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency rate in English II 

Math 

• 3.6 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for fourth grade 

• 5.6 percentage point increase from last year’s Geometry proficiency for high school 

Social Studies 

• 11.4 percentage point increase statewide since 2019 

• 3.4 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for sixth grade 

• 3.0 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for seventh grade 

• 3.8 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for U.S. History 

In July, individual student data will be available in the TCAP Family Portal. Families can use the portal to obtain additional information to better understand their students' individual score reports and the next steps for supporting their students' academic progress. View TDOE's assessment webpage for more information.  

Sustaining Student Success 

During a special legislative session in 2021, Governor Bill Lee and the General Assembly enacted the Tennessee Literacy Success Act and the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act, which ensured that students would recover from post-pandemic learning loss. Tennessee students have surpassed prior TCAP proficiency rates across content areas as schools continue to focus on learning acceleration. 

Tennessee has invested in strong student supports, such as early literacy training, summer learning camps, and high-dosage tutoring, along with ongoing professional learning opportunities for educators, all of which have supported year-over-year gains in student proficiency. The upward trajectory in proficiency has been evident not only in the early grades but also in recent improvements in achievement and sustained momentum across content areas in middle school. 

Looking Ahead 

TDOE values the investments made by the Tennessee General Assembly to support effective strategies that lead to improved student outcomes. Ongoing professional development for school leaders and educators through CORE regional supports, learning networks, and training opportunities, along with sustained funding for direct student supports, all contribute to the year-over-year gains in proficiency. 

“I am very proud of our gains in student achievement, highlighting our success in implementing strategies that elevate learning across all grades and subjects. This continued progress ensures every Tennessee student has the opportunity to succeed,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “We sincerely thank our educators and districts for their unwavering dedication to helping students succeed every day, ensuring that high-quality instruction and data-driven support continue to accelerate learning for all.” 

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Priscilla Presley is bringing a special evening of storytelling and reflection to The Mulehouse in Columbia on August 15.

The entertainment icon will share a rare look into her personal life and career through private film footage, including wedding films, home movies and memorable moments from her work in film and television. The evening will also feature clips from Dallas, where Presley was a leading cast member for five seasons.

During the event, Presley will reflect on her life, career and her years with Elvis Presley. As the only woman to have married Elvis, she offers a personal perspective on their relationship, sharing stories about how they met, the bond they shared and the experiences that shaped her place in one of music’s most iconic stories.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Priscilla Presley to The Mulehouse,” said Amy Fish, Director of Concerts & Private Events in a release. “Hosting this special signature event is a tremendous privilege, and we look forward to sharing an unforgettable evening with our community and guests from across the region.”

Audiences across the country have praised the event for its intimate, personal feel, with many describing it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The event takes place on August 15 at The Mulehouse in Columbia. Learn more at www.themulehouse.com.

 The Mulehouse is located at 812 S High St, Columbia.