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

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for June 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…

Murder Recap (CDH)

Maury County Court records show a violent scene unfolding May 31, leaving two people dead and two injured when a man apparently shot and killed two of his neighbors on Somerset Lane in North Columbia.

Suspect Byron Childers, 41, is being held at the Maury County Jail without bond. His court date is set for June 18 at 3 p.m.

According to arrest documents in Maury County General Sessions Court, Childers was seen walking down the 3000 block of Somerset Lane in the Grove Park neighborhood carrying a rifle, later shooting John Martin Bidle and calling him "a demon" and later shooting neighbor Stacie L. Wright, 51.

Both died.

"Byron then stood over John and shot him several more times along with striking John several times with the rifle while yelling he got the 'demon from Hell' and 'it was safe now,'" the documents say.

After the shooting occurred, Bidle's wife, Amy Bidle, observed her husband lying injured on the road, the documents say.

"As Amy went to John's location, Byron grabbed Amy dragging her across the concrete, causing scrapes to her knees and elbows," the documents say. "Byron pinned Amy down on the ground where he grabbed her around the neck restricting her airway. Byron then shoved a Vape Pen down Amy's throat while he was telling her to calm down."

A GoFundMe page for The Bidle Family launched Tuesday with a goal of raising $8,000 to assist in funeral expenses.

Another victim Stacie L. Wright, 51, a nearby neighbor, heard the gun shots and opened the front door of her residence, also on the 3000 block of Somerset Lane, according to court documents.

"Byron then went towards Stacie's residence shooting towards the front doorway of her house, striking Stacie several times," court documents said.

Wright later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Documents say Childers later jumped into a nearby vehicle being driven by an off-duty Metro Nashville police officer, who was inspecting the area after hearing gunfire, court documents state.

He then punched the officer in the face and grabbed the vehicle's steering wheel in an attempt to take control of the vehicle, documents say. The officer later grabbed his service handgun as Childers ran away from the vehicle.

According to documents, during the incident, Mandu Johnson, while in his ice cream truck, saw the suspect on Somerset armed with an "AR-style rifle and pistol with both firearms, having suppressors on them."

Johnson then heard gunshots and was shot in his hip. He was transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center for medical treatment.

Columbia Police officers soon arrived at the scene and took Childers into custody, where he remains without bond on charges of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of assault, firearm use in association with a dangerous felony and carjacking.

The incident was witnessed by several people and recorded on home security cameras, court documents say.

The neighborhood is located in the Battle Creek school communities where an elementary, middle and high school are located.

Battle Creek Middle School, 121 Battle Creek Way, began offering counselors, support staff and additional resources Tuesday. The school will continue to offer services June 5 to anyone from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Maury County Public Schools offers its deepest sympathy to the families impacted by this senseless act of violence,” said Maury County Public Schools Superintendent, Lisa Ventura. “Now is the time to come together, and love and support one another. It is my hope that anyone that needs support will take advantage of our staff at Battle Creek Middle School.”

Mayor Chaz Molder also addressed the tragedy on Facebook May 31.

"Praying for the families impacted by today's tragic shooting in north Columbia," Molder said. "Keep everyone, especially the loss of life, in your prayers. And let's show the world this is not who we are as a community. And no isolated incident like today will change that."

Sandrell Promoted to Mt. Pleasant Elementary Principal (Press Release)

Maury County Public Schools Superintendent, Lisa Ventura, announced the promotion of Laura Sandrell to Principal of Mt. Pleasant Elementary School. Sandrell previously served as the Assistant Principal of Mt. Pleasant Elementary School since 2016. She assumes the role previously filled by Julie Tidwell, who retired earlier this year.

“Laura is a natural fit for this position,” said Maury County Public Schools Superintendent, Lisa Ventura. “Laura’s experience and familiarity with Mt. Pleasant Elementary School gives me great confidence that she will continue the tradition of excellence we expect.”

Ms. Sandrell began her educational career as a teacher at Randolph Howell Elementary School teaching 1st grade in 2002. In 2007, she taught 1st-4th grades at Mt. Pleasant Elementary. She later stepped into a Title Teacher role, which led to many learning opportunities with intervening and enriching students throughout the school year. In 2014, she served as the Academic Facilitator and Title Facilitator. In 2016, Sandrell was promoted to Assistant Principal of Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, where she provided instructional leadership to staff, assisted in day-to-day building operations, and ensured the safety and welfare of students, staff, volunteers, and activities.

“I am honored to serve as Principal of Mt. Pleasant Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year, where kids come first every day,” said Sandrell. “One of my favorite quotes I live by comes from John C. Maxwell, who once said, “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  

Sandrell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education grades 1-8 from Middle Tennessee State University. She also earned a master’s degree in administration and supervision Pre-K-12 from Tennessee State University. She earned 30 additional hours of instruction and curriculum from Cumberland University.

In other Maury County School news…

Maury County Public Schools is offering free summer meals (Breakfast and lunch) to students ages 18 and under, Monday-Thursday, from June 2nd-June 30th. Adults can purchase meals (Breakfast $3.50, lunch $5.00). Cash only will be accepted, and exact change is required. Meals will be distributed at the following locations from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CST:

Spring Hill High School

1Raider Lane

Columbia, Tennessee 38401

Mt. Pleasant Middle School 

410 Gray Lane

Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee 38474

Columbia Central High School

921 Lion Parkway

Columbia, Tennessee 38401

No registration or sign-up is required.

Finally in school news…E.A. Cox Middle School is home to Maury County’s newest, “Little Free Library!” Free and open to all, the “Little Free Library,” offers access to a wide variety of books, with hopes of inspiring readers. In addition, various toiletries are available for the community to take advantage of.

The project stemmed after an EF-3 tornado ravaged parts of Maury County in 2024. David Goloversic, Art and Computer Science teacher at E.A. Cox Middle School, challenged his art club to give back to the community.

“Our community continues to face significant challenges, ranging from property damage, displacement and emotional distress,” said Goloversic. “The Little Free Library addresses these challenges by providing comforting and enriching resources for residents, especially children and families, who are rebuilding their lives. I am so proud of the art club’s desire to help their fellow residents in their time of need. This Little Free Library is dedicated to residents affected by the tornado, honoring their resilience and spirit.”

The Little Free Library-style book-sharing initiative offered students a broad range of educational, artistic, and leadership opportunities. Through planning, building, and managing the boxes, students developed project management, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. They engaged with the community, fostering empathy and social responsibility, while learning practical skills like budgeting, carpentry, data tracking, and promotional writing. The design and decoration of the boxes enhanced artistic creativity and visual expression. By addressing challenges and considering sustainability, students also gained STEM-related knowledge and experience.

The first Little Free Library book-sharing box was built in 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin. There are now more than 200,000 registered, volunteer-led Little Free Libraries worldwide. That includes one in every U.S. state and 128 countries. To date, more than 400 million books have been shared. 

Summer Fun in Maury County (CDH)

June is here and the summer continues to heat up, as does opportunities to make the most of this time of year with live events, shopping local and annual summertime traditions.

Popular monthly events like First Fridays and Strolling on 6th will continue to attract crowds to gather for live music, vendor markets, food trucks and more in historic downtown Columbia.

In addition, June and July will be packed with plenty of fun, and often free, events for all ages to enjoy.

As an agriculturally thriving community, Maury County is also home to many farmers markets to shop locally grown produce, homemade crafts and natural products.

Columbia's Farmers Market takes place from 8 a.m. to noon every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Riverwalk Park pavilion, 102 Riverside Drive.

In Spring Hill, Hidden Gem Farmers Market, 863 Old Military Road, operates its market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through October.

Take a drive out to Hohenwald for its Farmers Market, which takes place from 8-11 a.m. every Saturday through October at the city's historic Courthouse Square, 110 N. Park St.

Summertime is also a time for classic car enthusiasts to show off their rides with fellow motorists.

Columbia Cars & Coffee occurs from 8-11 a.m. every third Saturday at the corner of East 7th and Woodland Streets, commonly known as Columbia Motor Alley.

On every second Friday, Columbia United Farm & Home Co-op, 975 Riverview Lane, will host Cruisin' the Co-op from 5-8 p.m. In addition to classic cars, the event features live music, activities for kids, special sales and more.

On Saturday, July 26, the Co-op will host its 4th annual Rebel Rouse Cruise-In starting at 9 a.m.

This month will also mark the city's ninth annual Juneteenth starting at noon Saturday, June 21 at Riverwalk Park, 102 Riverside Drive, which will include food, local vendors and outdoor activities for all ages.

In Lawrenceburg, Juneteenth Fest will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the West Gaines School Community Center, 410 W. Gaines St., with fish plates, hamburgers, hot dogs, bounce houses and a silent auction.

A key aspect of summer events is experiencing music in an outdoor setting, especially when it showcases local talent.

Mt. Pleasant's Music on the Porch series, which kicked off in May, offers the chance to experience local music at various historical locations every month through October.

The next Music on the Porch will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at Manor Hall, 216 Pleasant Street, with Kiersi Joli and the Golden Soul Revue. Cocina food truck will also be serving food starting at 5:30 p.m.

July's Music on the Porch will take place Saturday, July 26.

Festival season will be in full swing starting this month across the region, with many free activities for all ages to enjoy.

In Hohenwald, the 2nd Annual Oak Grove Lavender Farm Festival will delight guests with lavender permeating the air, crafts, vendors, food and rows of lavender for picking. The fest will be June 7 and 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On the scenic property, 4060 Buffalo Rd., guests can browse the vendor market, enjoy live music, eat, create their own lavender and cut-flower bouquet and watch lavender distillation demonstrations.

Admission is free. Visit https://oakgrovelavender.com/events.

In Spring Hill, Hill Fest at Fischer Park will take place from 2-7 p.m. June 7 at Fisher Park, 4285 Port Royal Road. The event will feature 20 inflatables, food trucks, music and a daytime firework show. There will also be games like axe throwing, soccer darts and a wipeout challenge.

In downtown Pulaski, the annual Sundrop Festival will take place starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 14. The event will include local vendors, music on two stages and several regional food trucks, not to mention all of the Sundrop a person can want.

The Whiskey, Wine, Sweets & Smokes Festival will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Historic Elm Springs, 2357 Park Plus Drive. Presented by Center of Hope, guests will spend the evening enjoying sweet treats, such as charcuterie cups, a chocolate fountain, as well as boozy milkshakes and wine slushies.

Highland Realm Blueberry Farm, 4443 Hampshire Pike, will host its seventh annual Highland Realm Blueberry Festival from 3-8 p.m. Saturday, June 14. The event will include live music from Yonder Grove, food trucks, local beer and a baking contest. There will also be craft vendors, creek wading, horse riding and the chance to pick your own bushel of fresh locally sourced blueberries.

Leadership Maury (Press Release)

Leadership Maury is a countywide personal development program designed to motivate participants to develop and enhance the quality of their leadership in addressing pertinent community needs. The program is open to people who live, work, or make a significant contribution to Maury County through volunteer work. Class members meet with local decision-makers in several sectors of the community, such as business, government, health, public services and agriculture. Participants will visit places all over the county to hear speakers and participate in activities to help them learn about Maury County and how to positively impact where they live, learn, work and play. 

Applications are available now!

Visit www.mauryalliance.com to apply.

Deadline to apply is July 15, 2025.

The purpose of the Leadership Maury program is TO:

• Help leaders prepare for volunteer responsibility in the community.

• Provide these leaders with a practical and sophisticated understanding of major problems and opportunities facing Maury County.

• Facilitate access between emerging leaders and the current leadership of the community.

• Improve the communications network among leaders with diverse backgrounds and interests.

• Create a setting for persons of demonstrated commitment to the community to meet and exchange ideas.

• Stimulate increased community participation and commitment.

Mt. Pleasant Touch-A-Truck Event (Press Release)

The Mount Pleasant Main Street is excited to announce its upcoming Touch-A-Truck event, taking place on Friday, June 7th at 10:00 AM at the library grounds at 200 Hay Long Ave Mount Pleasant, TN. This fun, family-friendly event invites children of all ages to get an up-close look at a wide variety of vehicles — from emergency response units and construction equipment to service trucks and more!

Kids will have the chance to meet the people who operate these vehicles, learn about how they work, and even climb aboard for a hands-on experience. It’s a fantastic way to spark curiosity and learning through play and exploration.

“We’re thrilled to offer a day of discovery and fun for the families in our community,” said Mount Pleasant Library Director April White. “Touch-A-Truck events are always a big hit with children, and we’re grateful for the support that makes it possible.”

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

Mrs. Kathryne Sue Burris, 65, resident of Columbia passed away, June 1 at her residence. A Memorial Service will be conducted Saturday, June 7 at 12:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

Mrs. Nancy Kennedy Page, 94, beloved wife and mother, passed away peacefully May 28 in Katy, TX. A graveside service will take place Saturday, June 7th at 2:00 PM at Kittrell Cemetery in Hampshire, TN. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

And now, news from around the state…

Speaker Asks Nashville Mayor to Rescind Order (TNLookout)

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has publicly called on Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell to rescind an executive order that requires city emergency personnel to report interactions with immigration officials within 24 hours.

“While Metro has refused to assist federal agents with ICE; they decided to escalate it by forcing all employees to act as big brother,” Sexton posted Thursday to the social media platform X.

“The time is now to rescind the big brother executive order and return to normal communications with state and federal authorities,” Sexton’s post read. Sexton tagged Tennessee Congressman Mark Green, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathon Skrmetti and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in his post.

Sexton’s post is the latest in a series of public criticisms in recent weeks targeting O’Connell, a Democrat who leads Tennessee’s most populous city, which also serves as the seat of the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

Last week, Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles accused the mayor of obstructing the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, citing O’Connell’s public statements criticizing mass enforcement activities that swept up nearly 200 people in the heart of the city’s immigrant neighborhoods in early May.

Ogles’ Memorial Day press conference excoriating O’Connell was followed in short order by Trump Administration officials’ appearances on conservative television programs to denounce the mayor. 

White House “border czar” Tom Homan appeared on Fox News and threatened to “flood the zone” with immigration enforcement efforts in retaliation for O’Connell’s comments about the joint enforcement action between the Tennessee Highway Patrol and agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Then, Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs, accused O’Connell of “harboring” immigrants without legal status and “doxxing” immigration enforcement agents, in video of her appearance on Newsmax that was posted on the agency’s official X account. 

Last Thursday, two Republican-led U.S. House committees launched an inquiry into the response by Nashville’s mayor to federal immigration enforcement activities. 

A letter sent Thursday by the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees demanded a series of documents from O’Connell by June 12. The letter accused the mayor of actions that  “threaten to chill immigration enforcement in the City of Nashville and Davidson County.”

The accusations against O’Connell center on the mayor’s public statements condemning the Nashville immigration sweeps – and a longstanding executive order requiring city departments to report interactions with immigration officials within three days.

“What’s clear today is that people who do not share our values of safety and community have the authority to cause deep community harm,” O’Connell said at the time. 

“Their approach is not our understanding of what a Nashville for all of us looks like, and we’re grateful to our community partners who make all of our residents feel welcome,” he said.

O’Connell also issued a revision to the existing executive order in early May, amid mass immigrant detainments in the city’s largely immigrant neighborhood of South Nashville, to require the reporting of interactions between city personnel and federal immigration officials take place within 24 hours. 

The order requires all emergency and some non-emergency city agencies and officials to report these interactions to the Mayor’s Office of New and Indigenous Americans, a department created to foster civic participation.

That department posted a spreadsheet with summaries of the interactions on its website. 

The initial public posts identified three federal immigration officials by their full names, and one by her first name, posts that were inadvertent, the mayor’s office later said. 

“It is not the normal practice to include the names of individuals in EO30 (the executive order) reporting. Any names mistakenly included have been removed,” a statement from the mayor’s office last week said.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Kick off the weekend in a big way with another Columbia First Fridays downtown, with this month's edition expanding far beyond the downtown district.

This month's First Fridays theme will be "Culture Quest."

First Fridays events will run from 5-8 p.m. in the downtown square, where streets will be shut down to allow safer pedestrian traffic, with food trucks, live music, vendors and more.

Stop by Gallery 48, 107 W. 7th St., for a special meet-and-greet with pottery artist Crystal Waller, the gallery's June featured artist. Refreshments will be served.

In addition, Strolling on 6th will also return Friday just a block off the square with more live music, business pop-ups, prize giveaways and more.

This month's First Fridays will also be trying something new Columbia Art Crawl, taking place at the shopping center at 119 Nashville Highway, featuring multiple local artists at various businesses like Butler's Stationary, Ronin Tattoo, Game Knight and Salazar Barber Shop.