Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 7-3-25

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for July 3, 2025

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

We start with local news…

County Passes Budget (CDH)

The Maury County Commission approved its 2025-2026 fiscal budget in June, fixed its property tax rate to include no new increases since last year and OK'd budgets for Maury County Public Schools.

The commission at its June 16 meeting passed $55,387,002 in the general fund to fund county services, with a total expenditure budget of $292,742,691.

The county's tax rate will remain at $1.91 per $100 of assessed value of taxable property.

The 2025-2026 fiscal budget also shows no new debt, as well as $13.8 million in capital expenditures, with $37 million in borrowing capacity, if the need were to arise.

County reserves are also being used to offset any deficit budgets, according to the Maury County Finance Department.

Maury County Public Schools' general fund totaled $160,935,331 with nearly $3 million allotted to road capital projects.

MCPS teachers are set to receive a $3,800 raise, plus a 1.6% step raise meeting the $50,000 minimum salary requirement for teachers but will be for one year only.

Non-teaching staff will also receive a 3% step raise plus a 1% cost of living raise.

County employees will also receive a 3% cost of living and 2% merit raise. Elected officials will also receive a 3% cost of living increase.

The 2025-2026 fiscal budget also includes funds for 18 new county positions, as well as 28 new positions for the school district.

Prior to the June 16 commission vote, Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt offered comments regarding the budgeting process, calling it "never an easy task" for anyone involved.

"It is a grueling process, and it is for everybody involved," Butt said. "We know that we can't do everything, and we have to pray for wisdom and try to make the best decisions for the people of Maury County. I don't think there is a commissioner here who doesn't want to do that."

"We hear mostly what everybody needs, which we would like to give," Butt said. " I am proud of this county commission trying to do things right, trying not to raise taxes, and I think we have worked very well together. I appreciate every one of [the commissioners], every one of the department heads for bringing your needs to us. We are all in this together."

Butt also encouraged public communication among citizens and leaders not just when something is needed but to provide support.

"We hear your complaints all of the time, we understand, and we would like to give you everything," Butt said. "But that being said, when you see a commissioner, who is serving well and trying to do their job, I wish you would give them a compliment every now and again, because we don't hear a lot of the compliments."

Prior to the commission's vote, District 5 Commissioner Scott Sumners said one of the hardest parts of organizing an annual budget is compromise.

"It's not easy to say 'No' to people, but we didn't say 'no' a lot this time around," Sumners said. "We have got a big budget here."

Sumners also warned that "it is going to be a tough budget year," and that revenue needs to be a primary focus to regenerate budget funds due to upcoming capital projects.

"We are at a tipping point with revenue, and we are kind of hamstrung with revenues next year because of the reappraisal process," Sumners said. "I would look for us to be having some major discussions on that in the coming months."

Senior Center Discussed by County (MSM)

At special-called Maury County Budget Committee meetings recently, discussion tended to center on one or two big-ticket topics including whether to renovate the Senior Center at Maury County Park, to plan to build a whole new community center there, or to do both at different times.

Several Committee members, Parks Department staff and public commenters were in favor of the renovations. The bathrooms in particular were mention as aging quickly, especially the water pipes, which the Parks and Recreation Department has said they plan to replace entirely, leaving the old pipes in the ground to rust away. Other bathroom problems stated include the stalls being far too small to accommodate wheelchairs or walkers. The 40-year-old Senior Center predates the 1991 Americans with Disabilities Act, and only became subject to it in the last 15 years.

“ADA only became applicable to parks in 2010, and everyone has been playing catch-up,” said Al Ray, Director of Maury County Parks and Recreation.

Public commenters like Candace Whorley and Kathy Hasse also noted that there isn’t enough space to do activities like line-dancing, playing pool and card games, and that the broken air-conditioning units have forced people to bring personal fans to mitigate the inside temperature, which they claim reaches over 80 degrees.

Some county commissioners strongly challenged the $440,000-$610,000 quote given by Bell Construction to renovate the bathrooms and fix the HVAC units, and they demanded that the number be taken off the budget since the county hadn’t even started the open bidding process.

“$600,000 is a lot of money to put in a building that you wouldn’t pay $200,000 for,” Commissioner Kevin Markham said. “[Air conditioning and bathrooms] ain’t going to cost $600,000. If it does, I’ll take that contract!”

Ray said his department is aware of the condition of the front row of buildings at Maury County Park, and they’ve been proceeding with maintenance and renovations according to a 2015 master plan. He added that the Parks and Recreation Board has instructed him to refrain from maintaining the old buildings except when it’s strictly necessary.

Commissioner Gabe Howard favored keeping “the bones of the building, [which are] probably good,” and advised the other commissioners not to underestimate either construction costs or the benefits of spending the money. He also suggested re-envisioning the Senior Center as part of a larger community-center complex at Maury County Park, though he admitted such an idea wasn’t in the cards for the near future.

“I would love to see a $18-25 million-dollar community center that’s got pools and a bigger senior center, but it’s just not realistic,” he said. “Kudos to Columbia — I’m glad they protected [the former Muletown Rec Center by buying and renovating it] for our community.”

Howard also asked whether the Budget Committee could put the high estimate for senior-center renovations in its budget, then bid it out to contractors to get a lower cost and keep the budget surplus. County Finance Director Doug Lukonen said that such a course had been taken recently with another budget item, but the county’s appropriations rules would have to be revisited to make it standard practice.

Whatever the county decides to do for the Senior Center or a community center, Ray advised the committee to make a plan first — Parks and Recreation have paid for making “knee-jerk” decisions in the recent past, he said. But he was broadly in favor of the renovations.

“We’ve been talking about this for a long time, and now we have a fund that could help service some of the cost,” Ray said. “I think it’s realistic.”

Fourth of July Celebrations (CDH)

The skies will light up as Maury County celebrates another festive Independence Day from firework shows, parades, vendor marketplaces and more on the 4th.

As is tradition, fireworks at Maury County Park, 108 Maury County Park Drive, will start at 9 p.m. Friday. Come early and grab a spot, and be sure to bring blankets, chairs and plenty of snacks. Tune in to WKRM 87.9 FM for synchronized music to accompany the show.

Remember, personal fireworks are not allowed at the park.

In downtown Columbia, First Fridays will be in full swing, but with a patriotic twist.

Partnering with Columbia Noon Rotary, Columbia Breakfast Rotary and the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, First Fridays will run from 5-8 p.m., where the streets will be closed down for pedestrians, along with food trucks, vendors and live music to be enjoyed.

A Children's Patriotic Bike Parade will kick off at 5:30 p.m., which is open to any participant ready to decorate their bikes and wagons in red, white and blue. The parade will be followed by a small ceremony commemorating the holiday.

Stop by Grinder's Switch Winery, 510 N. Garden St., for a block party just a few blocks from the downtown square, which will feature music by Kiersi Joli.

If loud fireworks and large crowds isn't your thing, spend your 4th of July with a laid-back and relaxing evening of jazz presented by Cord Martin at The Mulehouse.

Witness Columbia's local saxophonist and Whitthorne Middle School Band Director as he takes the stage with his band, setting the scene with a set of beloved jazz classics, as well as a few of Martin's own original compositions from his latest release, "Cord Progressions."

The show is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Tickets are $25-$30 and are available at www.SeeTickets.us.

Strap on your best running shoes for The Well Outreach's July 4th Run for Hunger 5K at Summit High School, 2830 Twin Lakes Drive in Spring Hill.

The event, sponsored by Nissan of Columbia, kicks off at 7 a.m. Friday, will include a timed 5K race, as well as a color "foam run" and a children's bicycle parade.

Each race is $45 for adults to participate and $25 for children, with all proceeds benefiting The Well. There is also a $30 "sleep-in" donation available, which comes with a T-shirt, as well as a $20 option with no shirt.

For more information, visit www.TheWellOutreach.org.

Maury County will have several other July 4 fireworks displays throughout the weekend, especially for those living outside of Columbia looking to celebrate the big day with a bang.

Chapel Hill will kick off its annual 4th of July Celebration starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Lions Club Field, 111 NE Maple St. in Chapel Hill. The free event will include lots of vendors selling crafts, funnel cakes and games, all ending in a spectacular fireworks show.

Summertown Baptist Church, 20 Ball Park Road in Summertown, will host fireworks show starting at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

In Lewisburg, Countryside Healthcare, 3051 Buffalo Road, will host fireworks starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Operation Stand Down (Press Release)

Mark your calendars for September 11th to attend the Operation Stand Down Columbia Heroes Breakfast sponsored by Maury Alliance and Tennessee Veterans Services.

The event will take place at the Mulehouse, located at 812 S. High Street in Columbia, where you will hear the story of retired Command Sergeant Major Mario G. Vigil, bronze star recipient and Deputy Director of Special Programs with the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security.

Registration and networking begin at 7:30am and the breakfast program begins at 8:00am. The cost is $60 for individual tickets and $500 for a table.

Operation Stand Down Tennessee engages, equips, and empowers military Veterans and their families through crisis, career, connection, and community services.

For more information email development@osdtn.org.

Columbia Arts Council to Participate in First Fridays (MSM)

There’s a new player on the Square for First Fridays this year: the Columbia Arts Council (CAC).  

The group, founded in 2014, has long supported the arts community in Columbia and Maury County, but this year they’ve embarked on a new strategy to raise the visibility of the artists and creators they champion.

“As they say, ‘you must be present to win,’” CAC Vice Chair Angie Jones said. “We want to help our artists, makers and creators connect with the broader community, so being part of First Friday’s was a natural choice.”

Every month, including Friday, July 4, the CAC will feature a local artist or two at its tent. 

This week’s featured artist at First Fridays is Brad Blackman, an internationally collected artist working primarily in acrylic on canvas. He uses foggy, misty, liminal landscapes as a metaphor for the psyche, creating personal experiences on canvas. Blackman has shown his work in places as diverse as his native Nashville, Boston and Florence, Italy. He received his BFA degree from Harding University and lives outside of Nashville. Check him out at bradblackman.com.

The CAC has also launched a new collaboration with Creekside Trading on First Fridays. It’s called “Art Mezz,” where 3-5 artists will be showcased on Creekside Trading’s mezzanine on West Seventh Street. 

This month’s Art Mezz featured artist is Jennie Schut, an award-winning artist and teacher in oils and encaustics, a wax-based medium, in her home studio. She is founder of Fly Forward, an organization that aids creative and spiritual formation, awakening and flourishing through a coaching/spiritual direction practice, small groups, retreats, workshops, individual art instruction and creative direction. She holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Middle Tennessee State University, a Spiritual Direction Certificate from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation and is an Enneagram Certified Professional.

In addition to partnering and piggybacking onto existing events like First Fridays, the CAC is planning an artists’ Studio Tour later this year, where people can visit the workspaces of local creators. And the CAC will continue its popular Artist Meetups every month, where makers, creators and artists share ideas and hatch collaborations.

Learn more about the CAC at facebook.com/arts4Columbia.

Blood Needed (MSM)

With the Fourth of July approaching and trauma cases expected to rise, Blood Assurance is urging donors to step up now. 

The weeks surrounding Independence Day is one of the most challenging times for maintaining a stable blood supply. Donation rates drop as people travel, but the demand for blood surges — especially following traumatic accidents, which often increase during the holiday celebrations.

“People are traveling, schools are out, and routine blood drives slow down, but emergencies don’t take a vacation,” said Garry Allison, Senior Vice President of Operations at Blood Assurance. “We typically see more trauma cases during the summer, particularly around the Fourth. We need the community to act now to ensure blood is available when patients need it most.”

Blood Assurance has multiple donation drives scheduled across Columbia over the next week. Those donation drives include:

• Friday, July 4, at First Fridays in Downtown Columbia, 700 N. Garden St., Columbia,  3:30 – 8 p.m.

• Tuesday, July 8, at Columbia Foodland, 427 W. Seventh St., 2 – 5 p.m.

• Tuesday, July 8, at Parker Filtration Innovation Center, 2203 Oakland Pkwy., Columbia, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

• Friday, July 11, at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 312 E. Eighth Street, Columbia, 2 – 6 p.m.

Additionally, the Columbia Blood Assurance donor center at 1412 Trotwood Ave, #69, Columbia, is open each week Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood — for surgery, cancer treatment, chronic illness or a traumatic injury. Blood can’t be manufactured, so it must come from volunteer donors. A single donation can save up to three lives, but only about 3 percent of eligible Americans actually donate.

Blood Assurance serves as the primary provider for most hospitals in Middle Tennessee including Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia. The nonprofit must collect around 540 donations every day to meet demand.

To thank donors who step up during this critical time, Blood Assurance is offering:

• A $20 e-gift card for all donors with a valid email address on file.

• O-negative and AB plasma donors will get a $25 e-gift card.

• An extra $50 e-gift card for O donors who join the Hero Club and either: Donate double red cells once or Donate whole blood twice by Aug. 31. (Note: To qualify with whole blood, the first donation must occur by July 6)

All blood types are needed. Eligible donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more, and be in good health. Eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of water before donating.

To make an appointment visit bloodassurance.org/schedule, call 800-962-0628 or text BAGIVE to 999777. Walk-ins are welcome at any Blood Assurance donor center or mobile drive.

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

William Lloyd Brooks (“Bill”), retired attorney and judge, passed away peacefully at his home in Nashville, TN, at age eighty-three. 

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8, at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Road, in Nashville. The family will receive visitors beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the church prior to the service. A private interment for the family will be held at St. John’s Churchyard at Ashwood, Columbia, TN.

And now, news from around the state…

AI Legislation (WilliamsonScene)

A provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” that would have seen a 10-year moratorium on states regulating artificial intelligence was removed on Tuesday morning, just hours before the bill passed the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) joined other Republicans and Democrats in speaking out against the provision last month, and early Tuesday morning, she sponsored an amendment to the “Big Beautiful Bill” that removed the AI provision.

Hours earlier, she agreed to a compromise that would have reduced the provision to a five-year moratorium before reversing course and pushing for full removal in an amendment which was adopted 99-1.

“This body has proven that they cannot legislate on emerging technology, it's frustrating,” Blackburn said on the Senate floor on Tuesday. “We have not passed online privacy, we have not passed the No Fakes Act, the Copied Act — there are all these pieces of legislation dealing with AI that we haven’t passed, but you know who has passed it — it is our states,” Blackburn said.

“They are the ones that are protecting children in the virtual space, they’re the ones who are out here protecting our entertainers’ name, image [and] likeness, of broadcasters, podcasters, authors, and it is appropriate that we approach this issue with the seriousness that it deserves.”

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti also issued a statement on Tuesday in which he said, “the incredible promise of AI has to be paired with accountability to the law,” adding, “I am grateful to Senator Blackburn for her unwavering commitment to the role of the states as checks on what may well be the most powerful corporations in human history.”

Blackburn, along with fellow U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), voted “yes” on the amended bill, helping to pass the legislation in the Senate. The bill will now have to be reconciled with the version from the House of Representatives and voted on again in the House.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

The Courtyard Jazz and Cigars: An Evening with Jazz Trumpeter Michael Fair takes place at The Mulehouse (812 S High St, Columbia, TN, 38401) on July 12th from 3pm – 6pm.

Known for his soulful sound and impeccable talent, Michael has shared the stage with legends like Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Larry Carlton, Olivia Newton-John, Leon Russell, Gregg Allman, John Hiatt, Sam Moore and more.

Set in the vibrant courtyard of The Mulehouse, this event offers more than just world-class jazz.

Guests can enjoy premium cigars curated by Battleground South Cigar Lounge and handcrafted cocktails from The Mulehouse bar.

Whether you’re a jazz aficionado, a cigar enthusiast, or simply looking for a unique night out, this event promises to be an unforgettable experience.

Mark your calendar for July 12, 2025, 3-6pm — and prepare to unwind, indulge, and be inspired.

Learn more at www.themulehouse.com.