Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 7-30-25

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for July 30, 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 Touts Economic Growth (MSM)

The Maury County Commission received a report showing positive quarterly economic growth indicators at its recent monthly meeting.

Travis Groth, the vice president of Maury Alliance, recapped the most promising numbers from his organization’s most recent quarterly report on local economic conditions. Some of the most flattering Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Maury County include:

• Median household income rose 36.7% in the last five years;

• Retail sales are up 85.3% over the last 10 years;

• Civilian labor force growth since 2020 was four times greater than the national average;

• Maury County outperformed Nashville and the state (by percentage) in the following metrics: population growth, increase in average annual income, increase in median household income, real GDP growth, and civilian labor force growth.

One of the most recent investors is Xxentria, a Taiwanese manufacturer of truck and trailer panels, whose new factory in Cherry Glen is expected to create 85 jobs and add $45 million in capital investment to Maury County. Xxentria also made a generous donation of $10,000 to Mt. Pleasant Elementary School.

General Motors and Ultium Cells will also scale up production by 2027, with GM planning to build the gas-powered Chevy Blazer in the Spring Hill factory. Maury Alliance even greeted Shinji Watanabe, the Japanese Consul-General in Nashville, when he visited the Japanese-owned local businesses Pernovo and Fuel Total Systems.

Travis Groth explained that the 8 percent vacancy rate for industrial property is a transitional number, between recent near-zero and expected future growth.

“A lot of speculative product came online at the same time,” he said. “[What’s empty] is being absorbed very quickly.”

County Mayor Sheila Butt praised Maury Alliance for listening the county’s requests over the years to bring in well-remunerated employment that wouldn’t burden infrastructure and services. Commissioner Gabe Howard, however, asked whether the statistical increase in household income was actually benefiting locals.

“My guess is that’s not actually Maury Countians increasing in salary,” he said, “that’s someone in Williamson County moving to Maury County.”

Groth replied that the data indicates both, but didn’t break down how much each contributed to the change.

Stewart Parker of the Industrial Development Board of Maury County indicated that locals’ improved job options are a big part of the increase. He pointed to “Project Mustang,” soon to come online, which offers an average salary of $80,000, and to the promise of high car-manufacturing wages which he said was finally being realized at Ultium and General Motors.

Parker also notified the commission that the county would have to clean up a small diesel-contaminated “brownfield” site (measuring 15’x30′) discovered at the Innovation Campus. TDEC quoted the Maury County IDB $212,000 for the full clean-up, which they negotiated down $50,000 for a less thorough job.

“We want the Chevrolet price, not the Cadillac price,” Parker told the commissioners, indicating, however, that some kind of remediation has to happen. It was noted that abandoning the contaminated plot would condemn the whole 330-acre Innovation Campus to the same “brownfield” designation.

Commission Chairman Kevin Markham asked if the county would make back the price of the clean-up in the sale of the Campus, which Parker confirmed.

Columbia Fire Gets Emotional Support Dog (MSM)

An emotional-support animal for city firefighters was accepted by the Columbia City Council last week.

The “Golden Doodle” named Darby, valued at $5,000, was donated by Courtney Cummins Powell, and was accepted by the city on behalf of the Fire Department. Darby will live at Fire State No. 3, just off Bear Creek Pike.

“Every day, firefighters are exposed to devastating scenes—tragic accidents, loss of life, and moments of unimaginable grief. Over time, these experiences can lead to post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression,” said the city’s press release. “To help firefighters cope with the intense stress, trauma, and emotional toll of emergency response, Columbia Fire & Rescue has introduced a new mental health resource: a trained peer support service dog… Peer-support service dogs like Darby are specially trained to provide comfort after traumatic calls, help reduce anxiety, and assist first responders in processing the emotional weight of their job. Her presence offers day-to-day support in ways traditional tools sometimes cannot.”

“Darby brings a sense of calm that you can feel the moment she walks into the room,” said Deja Dixon, a firefighter who led the effort to bring in Darby. “We deal with things that most people never see. Having her at the station gives us a source of peace and support during the toughest moments.”

“Darby is more than a station companion — she’s an important part of our department’s mental wellness strategy,” said Columbia Fire Chief Chris Cummins. “She’s already made an impact, and we’re proud to have her as part of the Columbia Fire & Rescue family.”

In other City of Columbia news, an amendment of an agreement with TDOT to improve the intersection of the Nashville Highway and Bear Creek Pike was passed. The overall project will include widening Bear Creek to six lanes —  from Highway 31 to Tom J. Hitch Parkway — adding right turn lanes around the intersection, and “geometric and signal phasing [and other] improvements.” The entire intersection is projected to cost about $11.3 million but is subject to amendment.

The city also amended an agreement for TDOT to replace the Iron Bridge over Lytle Creek, at a projected cost of about $3.2 million, and moved forward with the purchase of 12 tornado sirens for $525,860, and agreed to invest another $25,000 to make them solar-powered and cellular-operated, which would eventually save money.

New Doc at MRMC (Press Release)

Maury Regional Medical Group (MRMG) is pleased to announce the addition of Alyssa Dickerson, DO, to Maury Regional Medical Group Primary Care in Columbia.

 Dr. Dickerson received her medical degree from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She completed her residency at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky. 

 Dr. Dickerson acquired experience in numerous areas, including family medicine and outpatient care for both pediatric and adult patients. She is board certified in family medicine.

 MRMG Primary Care in Columbia offers expansive services that include adult and pediatric medicine, chronic disease management, diabetic retinopathy screenings, immunizations, minor surgical procedures, on-site X-ray and lab, palliative medicine, physical and wellness exams, treatment of acute illnesses and women’s health.

 Dr. Dickerson joins Doctors Ben Gardner, MD, Kelsey King-Hook, MD; John Roberts, DO; Physician Assistant Brian Lovely, PA-C and Family Nurse Practitioner Kristen Montgomery, FNP-BC.

MRMG Primary Care is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. They are located at 854 West James Campbell Blvd., Suite 403 in Columbia. For more information, call 931.380.0075 or visit MauryRegional.com/PC403.

Columbia 101 (Press Release)

The City of Columbia is excited to announce the return of Columbia 101, an interactive program designed to connect residents with local government and community services. Following a successful inaugural session in the Fall of 2024 and a well-received spring session, Columbia 101 is now accepting applications for its third installment taking place on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

Developed to strengthen transparency between citizens and their city, Columbia 101 offers participants a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at how municipal departments serve the community. Over the course of two consecutive days, participants will start each morning at City Hall before engaging with all 12 city departments and touring select municipal facilities, such as the Police and Public Works Departments.

“Columbia 101 plays an important role in building trust, transparency, and collaboration between the city and the public,” said Mayor Chaz Molder. “By opening our doors and sharing our processes, we aim to create a more informed and engaged citizenry that can actively contribute to Columbia’s continued success. The strong participation and positive feedback from our first two sessions confirm the value of this program, and we’re thrilled to offer it again this fall.”

A Spring 2025 participant shared their experience, saying, “This course will give you even more reason to love living in Columbia, Tennessee. You will be delighted to see how much the City of Columbia employees are eager to come to work every day, how they do so much while staying within their budgets, how they innovate improvements in each department, and are encouraged to do so! All around, this is such a worthwhile expenditure of your time!”

Applications for Columbia 101 are available now and will close on Friday, August 22nd at 4:00 PM. The program is open to all City of Columbia and Maury County residents and is held twice per year. There is a $25 program fee for all accepted applicants to cover program costs, including food and transportation.

“Educating the public about city operations encourages meaningful civic participation,” said City Manager Tony Massey. “This program provides residents with direct access to the work being done on their behalf every day and strengthens the shared commitment we have to our community.”

Lexi Dearborn, Program Director, added, “We look forward to welcoming a new class of participants this fall. Columbia 101 offers a valuable opportunity to foster awareness, build relationships, and promote active involvement in the future of our city.”

Columbia 101 applications are available at www.ColumbiaTN.gov or at the reception desk on the 3rd floor of City Hall. Follow the City of Columbia on Facebook and Instagram at “CityofColumbiaTN” for updates. For questions, please contact Lexi Dearborn at LDearborn@ColumbiaTN.gov.

County Votes Down Social Media Gag Rule (MSM)

The Maury County Commission did not bring to a vote last week a proposed rule to stop commissioners from using social media to make negative comments about each other.

Rule 8.3 would prohibit commissioners from making inflammatory comments on social media. The rule was drafted in response to a running online argument over the budgeting process, between county Commissioners Gabe Howard and Eric Previti.

“Commissioners should refrain from specifying any one commissioner’s comments or actions in a negative light,” read the central text of the rule, “and should maintain professional conduct when making comments regarding county business.”

“[We’re] just trying to document something that is expected of people: to not attack another commissioner, and treat each other with decorum,” said Commissioner Kathey Grodi.

Most commissioners preferred to enforce decorum by shame instead of formal censure, and more than two-thirds of them voted to strike the rule from the agenda. Commissioner Scott Sumners had voted for the rule to progress past his Admin Committee, but after thinking it over, he changed his mind and introduced the motion to remove it.

“This is common-sense, to me, and I don’t know that we need to be putting this in our rules… We can police ourselves… We’re all adults,” he said. “[And] all of our [other] rules are about when we come together and meet, not how we conduct ourselves… outside of this meeting.”

“If we had… and used common sense, [we] would’ve never brought it up,” replied Commission Chair Kevin Markham. “[But] we tend to not use common sense.”

County Attorney Daniel Murphy pointed out that as it’s written, the rule doesn’t have “teeth” with which to penalize out-of-order commissioners, and that greater decorum would help the county’s public image. Murphy raised the possibility that other municipalities and counties, which are competing with Maury County for outside investment, might show investors the unflattering social media posts or filmed behavior of Maury County officials, to make the county look “bad for business.”

“Our competitors in the industrial world… [are] looking at our commission, how you act. They’ll pull clips out of context and use them against you,” he warned the commissioners.

“The one word that covers all of [decorum] is ‘germane’… If you’re attacking somebody’s character, that is not germane to the topic [in a meeting],” said Commissioner Gwynne Evans , who claimed to have studied parliamentary procedure since 1975. “I have yet to see a motion that says, ‘Commissioner So-and-So is an idiot, let’s discuss it.'”

He opposed instituting a rule, since he could find no precedent in Robert’s Rules of Order for regulating personal conduct outside of meetings, but Evans found it “sad” that it was even on the table.

County Mayor Sheila Butt warned the commissioners that in the last two or three years alone, she had seen the quality of discourse deteriorate badly in the state General Assembly, and she didn’t want to see the same happen in Maury County. She also warned that public disputes opened the commission to further ridicule, especially by social-media users, who already confidently disparage elected officials and repeat or invent narratives that aren’t based on facts.

“Every one of us should be able to [talk to] another person… but take it off of Facebook. You [all] know how many times you look at [social media], and [see] people talking about things they have no clue about!” she said. “Let’s be professional and let’s be colleagues, who care about Maury County more than we care about [advertising] our own opinion.”

Vet Tech Gets $20k Scholarship (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College veterinary technology student, Kayla DuBois, a Williamson County resident, was recently named the sole recipient of a $20,000 scholarship through the Rob R. and Christel Adams Veterinary Technology Scholarship Fund. 

This marks the largest scholarship awarded to a vet tech student in Columbia State's history.

In addition to tuition and fees, the award covers expenses such as textbooks, transportation, lodging and supplies, as well as other costs associated with attending college.

“When I received the email informing me that I had been selected as a scholarship recipient, I was genuinely astonished,” DuBois said. “It was an incredibly humbling moment, and I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. This scholarship is a profound blessing and will play a crucial role in helping me achieve my academic and professional goals.”

The scholarship fund is part of the academic support offered by the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta. Started in 1951, CFGA is Georgia’s second-largest foundation and is a top 20 community foundation by asset size among 800 nationally.

“Columbia State is thrilled Kayla has been selected for this generous scholarship through CFGA,” said Dr. Kae Fleming, Columbia State dean of the Health Sciences Division. “The option for annual renewal will also ease the financial burden of continued education and degree advancement after Kayla graduates with her Associate of Applied Science in May 2026!”  

DuBois said she originally chose Columbia State because of how close-knit and welcoming the people and campus felt. And she says since being at the college, she has only felt a sense of support from her instructors.

“The faculty and staff have gone above and beyond to create an environment where students are not only challenged academically but are also nurtured personally and professionally,” DuBois said.

After graduating from Columbia State, she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology at the University of Tennessee, Martin, with the goal of earning a specialty license in equine nursing.

DuBois' instructors and professors say this scholarship demonstrates her hard work and effort during her time at Columbia State. 

“We are incredibly proud of Kayla and all that she’s accomplished,” said Brie Pruitt, Columbia State veterinary technology instructor and advisor to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in the America Chapter for Veterinary Technician Students. “This scholarship is a reflection of her hard work, leadership and commitment to making a positive impact on our campus, in our profession and beyond. It’s been an honor to support her journey, and we can’t wait to see where she goes from here.”

Since 2022, the CFGA has awarded over $9.7 million in scholarships and has granted over $2.45 billion to non-profits and scholarship funds.

“We are exceptionally proud of Kayla for being the sole recipient of this prestigious and substantial scholarship,” said Dr. Julie Anderson, Columbia State veterinary technology program director and assistant professor of veterinarian technology. “This remarkable achievement reflects her outstanding dedication, talent and character. Kayla is one exceptional student. This award is an inspiration to our entire school community and a powerful reminder of what’s possible through perseverance and excellence.”

DuBois says she is nothing but thankful for the support to both receive this scholarship and throughout her learning at Columbia State.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Columbia State and to the individuals who have had a profound impact on my journey—Ms. Pruitt, Dr. Anderson and our program dean, Dr. Fleming,” she said. “Their dedication and belief in me have made this achievement possible, and I am deeply honored to represent our program as a scholarship recipient.”

As part of Columbia State’s commitment to making higher education achievable to students across southern Middle Tennessee, the college encourages its students to apply for and seek out scholarship opportunities. For more information on current Columbia State scholarship offerings, visit our website https://www.columbiastate.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/fa-scholarships.html.

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

Peggie Anne Wallace England, 80, resident of Columbia, died Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at her residence.

A memorial service will be held Friday, August 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM at The Church at West End.

James Wiley Reedy, 87, retired millwright for Occidental and resident of Columbia, died Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at Maury Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, July 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Wednesday, July 30, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. 

Now, news from around the state…

TCAT Direct Admission (MSM)

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has announced the launch of TN Direct Admissions, a new pilot program that automatically accepts eligible high school seniors into in-state public and private universities, as well as the state’s community and technical colleges (TCAT), using existing academic data.

“The Tennessee Board of Regents and our community and technical colleges are excited to be part of this groundbreaking project for the benefit of students,” said Chancellor Flora W. Tydings of the Tennessee Board of Regents. “We’ve been working for some time on ways to streamline the enrollment process, and automatic admission with the financial aid application makes perfect sense. Making the admissions and financial aid process easier will be good for students and parents, and that’s why all of our institutions are gladly participating in the Direct Admissions Pilot.”

Research shows that the college application and financial aid process often feels too complex, causing many students to give up before completing their applications. One in four students start an application but never finish.

To address these challenges, Tennessee’s Direct Admissions Pilot is the first in the nation to directly connect automatic college admissions with state-supported and merit-based financial aid. The goal is to help students clearly see where they’ve been accepted and how they can afford to enroll, increasing the likelihood they’ll attend college in the fall.

This November, approximately 41,000 high school seniors in the Class of 2026 from a group of randomly selected Tennessee high schools will receive a TN Direct Admissions letter with a list of the in-state colleges and TCAT institutions where they have been automatically accepted — without having to complete traditional college applications. More than 20,000 of these letters will also outline the state and institutional financial aid available to students.

Students only need to complete the Tennessee Promise application by Nov. 1, 2025, to be eligible.

Led by THEC in partnership with the Lumina Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Making Caring Common at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the pilot explores if connecting direct admissions with clear financial aid can help more Tennessee students confidently continue their education after high school. 

This fall, a total of 53 higher education institutions are participating in the TN Direct Admissions program and pilot initiative. The Tennessee Board of Regents is offering direct admissions to the state’s 23 Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) and 13 community colleges. In addition, 17 public and private colleges and universities across Tennessee are participating in the pilot.

General information about TN Direct Admissions will be provided to participating high schools and made available through school counselors. Additional resources, including webinars, videos, flyers and posters, will also be provided and made accessible on CollegeForTN.org to support schools, students and families throughout the process.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

The Spring Hill Police Department invites the community to attend the 2025 National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, August 5. The free event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Fischer Park, located at 4285 Port Royal Road.

Families are encouraged to join for food, kids’ games, K-9 demonstrations, police vehicle tours, and a chance to meet local officers and first responders.

The evening promotes unity and safety, reinforcing the community’s stand against crime.

For more information, see the Spring Hill Police Department Facebook page.