Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 8-18-25

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for August 18, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Miracle League (Press Release)

The Miracle League of Columbia at Maury County Park is excited to announce its partnership with the Maury County Parks and Recreation Department and the City of Columbia to develop a $2.6 million all-inclusive baseball field in Maury County Park.

The project, designed by TKC Architecture and Heritage Civil and presented by Hewlett Spencer, was officially approved by the Maury County Commission in July. The new field will be built on the former site of the Babe Ruth Field, a longtime fixture of youth baseball in the community for over 40 years. Hewlett Spencer holds the county contract, and Bell Construction Company has been selected to oversee construction.

“We are thrilled to finally break ground on a project that has been years in the making,” said Robin Estep, Founding Member of The Miracle League of Columbia. “This partnership with the County provides a sustainable path to support our mission for years to come and will serve so many in our community. We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from County Mayor Sheila Butt, the County Commission, the City of Columbia and the Parks and Recreation Department. It is truly a group effort that has brought us to this point.”

The Miracle League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds and operates fully accessible, custom-designed baseball fields for children and adults with disabilities. With over 350 locations nationwide, Miracle League fields feature rubberized turf surfaces that accommodate wheelchairs and assistive devices—removing physical barriers and helping prevent injuries.

The Miracle League of Columbia at Maury County Park was founded in 2021 by a group of Columbia natives with a shared dream of bringing an all-inclusive Miracle League field and playground to their hometown. Among the founding members were brothers Mike and Daniel Uggla, alongside Robin Estep. Daniel, a former Major League Baseball player, got his start in Columbia, and the Miracle League provides a meaningful way for him to give back to the community that helped shape his baseball journey.

The Babe Ruth Field, now the future home of the Miracle League, holds deep personal significance for the Uggla and Estep families and countless others in the area. For decades, it served as a hub for youth baseball and played a major role in Daniel’s early love for the game. Revitalizing this space into an inclusive community hub honors that legacy while creating new opportunities for connection and play.

“This is one of those projects that’s easy to get behind and lead a team on,” said Jamie Spencer of Hewlett Spencer. “It’s a unique build, incorporating a specialized surface for accessibility, but otherwise, it aligns closely with other athletic complexes we’ve delivered across the state. What’s made it especially rewarding is the overwhelming support from Maury County, the City of Columbia, and local professionals who’ve stepped up to bring this vision to life.”

The Maury County Parks Department will maintain the facility, while The Miracle League of Columbia will manage league operations.

“We’ve been waiting for the right project to breathe life back into this space,” said Al Ray, Director of Maury County Parks and Recreation. “Nothing felt quite right until City Mayor Chaz Molder introduced me to Robin and Mike. They shared the Miracle League vision, and a partnership was forged. This field is full of memories, and it’s exciting to see it reimagined as something that will benefit the entire community.”

In addition to the baseball field, plans are underway for a nearby all-inclusive playground, a joint initiative between The Miracle League and Maury County Parks, further enhancing accessibility and inclusivity for families throughout the region.

An official groundbreaking will take place on Wednesday, August 20th at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.columbiamiracleleague.com.

CSCC Receives TrioSSS Grant (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College recently received grant funding to continue supporting its TRIO Student Support Services through the U.S. Department of Education, with funding beginning Sept. 1.

With the $1.3 million in grant funding over a five-year period, TRIO SSS will support more than 145 students each academic year from 2025-2030 in the eight rural counties of Columbia State's service area, including Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Marshall, Maury, Perry and Wayne counties.

“TRIO Student Support Services is an incredibly impactful program for rural, underserved students at Columbia State,” said Patrick McElhiney, Columbia State director of grants. “I am thrilled that the program, and the important support it provides to these students, helps them overcome unique barriers and will continue for five more years.”

The goal of TRIO is to increase the retention and graduation rates of participating students. Columbia State’s TRIO SSS program has provided instructional and student support to approximately 2,700 eligible rural, disadvantaged, low-income, first-generation and disabled students since the program’s inception.

“We are excited about the renewal of our grant for the 2025–2026 cycle,” said Wynn Gooch, Columbia State director of TRIO Student Support Services. “I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand the many successes our TRIO students achieve, and I am incredibly proud of each student who becomes part of the Columbia State TRIO family.”

Nationwide, TRIO Student Support Services participants are 47% more likely to complete an associate degree and 18% more likely to earn a bachelor's degree than similar non-participants. At least two-thirds of all TRIO students are both low-income and first-generation students, meaning neither parent has earned a four-year degree. Convenient

“The impact of TRIO Student Support Services has been more than just the data regarding graduates; it's about supporting students through relationships and experiences within TRIO in order to improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Cissy Holt, Columbia State vice president for Student Affairs. “We are so excited to be able to continue that support for our students and communities, and we look forward to meeting even more of these amazing students in this grant cycle.”

Columbia State's comprehensive approach mirrors successful evidence-based practices and includes:

• Academic tutoring, advisement and assistance in postsecondary course selection

• Individual Success Plans developed with each participant

• Summer Academic Bridge Program for college readiness

• Financial literacy education and federal financial aid application support

• Career exploration and campus visits with transfer assistance to four-year institutions

• Peer mentoring program with trained student mentors

• Personal counseling and soft skills development

• Cultural activities and academic enrichment opportunities

Students interested in learning more about TRIO eligibility and services can visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/trio.

Local Recovery Group Grows Despite Cuts (CDH)

Fresh Start Church in Columbia has strengthened its efforts to help as many people as possible in recovery from addiction, despite recent funding cuts.

And it’s their local leadership team that is keeping hope alive for recovery services in Maury County.

Fresh Start Church, helps people in a variety of ways to rebuild their lives, primarily those needing recovery from a life of addiction.

Funding cuts at federal and state levels have caused Fresh Start to lose more than $5,000 a month already, with more cuts possible, according to Dedra Campbell, FSC executive director and associate pastor at Columbia First United Methodist Church.

She says the funding losses have impacted everything they do.

Locally, funds for groups like FSC cover everything from housing and groceries to supplies and transportation, among other necessary uses.

Fresh Start, which operates halfway houses for those in recovery and many previously incarcerated, utilizes grant funds that offer 40 beds for men and women, intensive outpatient therapy programming, spiritual support groups and church services among other programs.

In Tennessee alone, all mental health and recovery services have lost $3 million as of early summer, Campbell said.

In a proposed U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) budget for 2026, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services organization (SAMHSA) that was created by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 would be dismantled and restructured.

The new proposal would restructure dozens of mental health and substance abuse services, placing them under one umbrella into a new entity called Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), created by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, according to an HHS Budget in Brief document for the 2026 FY.

"For too long, all these agencies have worked in competition with each other, not in complementary or coordinated ways," the HHS brief document says. "Instead of having duplicative functions amongst a variety of operating divisions, AHA will streamline key health priorities into one unified agency. This means, fewer program and information silos and less redundant activities."

Due to the reorganization, funding could be redistributed to mental health and recovery agencies.

Recently bringing in former Fresh Start leader, Cynthia McGowan as board chair, the hope is that leadership can find help to continue navigating their programs, no matter what happens with federal funding in the budget.

“We were already running on a tight, tight budget,” McGowan said. “We’re going to have to figure out how we fill in gaps now.”

Growing its leadership team with McGowan, FSC will remain a haven for people to start over, according to the leadership team.

The team is comprised of those in long-term recovery, who were once sitting in the pews themselves in the earliest days of Fresh Start’s Celebrate Recovery services.

They are the leaders who now guide people through the programs offered.

Now they are pastors: Campbell at Columbia First UMC, McGowan, senior pastor at Craft Memorial Methodist and Bobby Lambert, newly installed pastor at Burwood United Methodist Church.

Intensive outpatient services are led by Kakeisha Brown with Fresh Start partners, Delta Recovery and APEX. Brown has also served as an advocate for many who face legal issues as a result of their struggles with addiction.

Jonathan Cox, program manager for FSC, is also a former graduate of the program.

In her first year as board chair, McGowan took over the chair position for the former pastor at St. Luke’s Methodist Church, Don Terry.

“I support Dedra in all she does,” McGowan said, “I am the go between for her and the board, which is a supporting entity that helps guide the mission.”

That mission is the same now as it was when Campbell, McGowan and Lambert first attended – all at different times.

“I think about the transformed lives, the worship services,” McGowan said. “When I got involved again I hadn’t been there for a while … . I go back and find that fire and spark you can see.

“It’s good for anyone, when we see God working so powerfully on people.”

McGowan was there helping to lead Fresh Start at the very beginning, when the women’s recovery residence, Discipleship House in Mt. Pleasant was helping women to stay clean and sober.

The Fresh Start mission reads: “dedicated to providing a welcoming and non-judgmental space where individuals from all walks of life can find solace, support, and the transformative power of faith.”

McGowan said Fresh Start is in need of funding to fulfill its mission.

“Funding is an issue we are struggling with now,” McGowan said. “But I believe in the mission’s value and all the transformed lives and how it’s affected all of us.”

Both Campbell and McGowan believe and agree "God will provide" a way where there is uncertainty, Campbell said.

“There is no doubt in my mind that God will provide, just like all the times before,” Campbell said. “God is good all the time.”

The proposed HHS bill for 2026 reveals cuts of up to $1 billion in SAMHSA funding, including mergers of block grants that fund essential mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

In total, all mental health and recovery services in the U.S. could see a reduction in assistance of almost 30%, according to HHS budget calculations.

Consolidation of certain grants means that many groups similar to Fresh Start could continue to lose needed funding to operate.

“The Budget requests to consolidate the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant; the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; and the State Opioid Response grant program into a new Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant to provide states with increased flexibility to address their local needs,” the HHS document states.

Last year, SAMHSA operated with a budget of approximately $7.5 billion, according to the HHS budget brief.

In the budget proposal for next year, under RFK Jr.’s new AHA, the budget estimates only $5.8 billion allowable in the coming year.

Still, the leadership team growth is vibrant even as funds dwindle, McGowan said.

“It was a great honor to be asked to be the chair,” McGowan said. “Recovery is my passion and my heart, and when I think about what God is doing in Columbia, I think about Fresh Start.”

McGowan and Campbell both want to assure the public that Fresh Start is not going anywhere, especially with a need so great.

“We help with brokenness on so many levels, not just alcohol and drugs,” Executive Director, Campbell said.

“Life is hard on a good day,” she said. “So we are all in need of recovery from something.”

The numbers speak for themselves, as Fresh Start Church has helped approximately 1,200 clients in Maury County since it began in 2018.

Bobby Lambert helped to found Fresh Start.

A lay leader with the group, Lambert, graduated from the 22nd District Recovery Court Program last year and has inspired many to keep on their path of recovery.

By the dozen or so, “graduates” complete this program with the help of Fresh Start.

The Recovery Court Program enlists the full support of district judges to facilitate the completion of a successful recovery path following drug-related charges that led to probation or jail time.

Lambert, who has been helping men with day-to-day ministry and recovery, has taken charge of his own congregation.

“Fresh Start is truly making disciples in the recovery communities,” Lambert said. “My aim is to please God and help others not just recover but to truly know God in ways they never knew possible.”

Now with 40 beds, multiple houses and nearly 28,000 hours of instruction, education, therapeutic services and people like Lambert and Brown giving their time to help others, Fresh Start is confident in why its work is so important.

In helping others, McGowan said the hope is to continue building up leaders to help more people in recovery.

“Fresh Start is such a wonderful leadership development program,” McGowan said. “When people get into recovery and begin to see who they truly are, they start to see their potential. We have the opportunity to lift them up.”

SH Safe Exchange Zone (MauryCountySource)

The Spring Hill Police Department is reminding residents about its Safe Exchange Zone, located at department headquarters at 800 Hathaway Boulevard.

The zone offers a secure, well-lit area for people to meet when completing legal transactions, such as buying or selling items from online marketplaces. By using the Safe Exchange Zone, residents can reduce the risks often associated with meeting strangers in unfamiliar locations.

Police encourage the community to take advantage of the service as an added layer of safety and peace of mind.

Street Resurfacing (MauryCountySource)

The City of Columbia will resurface Public Square along with sections of South Main Street, North Main Street, East 7th Street, and West 7th Street from Sunday, August 24, through Thursday, August 28. All work will take place overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to reduce daytime traffic disruptions.

During work hours, affected roads will be closed to through traffic, sidewalks within the work zones will be closed for safety, and parking will be prohibited in the construction area between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted in advance.

Residents and property owners who need access during the closures will be assisted by the on-site contractor. The work will involve milling and paving, which may cause increased noise and dust. Property owners are asked to remove personal items from sidewalks before work begins.

The schedule is weather-dependent and may change. City officials thank the community for their patience as the project aims to improve safety and street quality downtown.

Spring Hill License Kiosk (MauryCountySource)

The Spring Hill Police Department has introduced a new Driver License Self-Service Kiosk in the lobby of its headquarters at 800 Hathaway Blvd. The kiosk is open to all Tennessee residents—regardless of county—and offers a convenient alternative to visiting the DMV.

Available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the kiosk allows users to:

* Renew a driver license

* Obtain a duplicate license or state ID

* Change their address

* Pay reinstatement fees in full

The kiosk does not accept cash or checks; payment must be made using a credit or debit card.

No appointment is necessary. For more information about the service, visit www.tn.gov/content/tn.

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

Douglas Wayne Lentz, 87, retired mechanic with Mt. Pleasant Manufacturing for nearly 40 years, died Saturday, August 16, 2025 at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care Center.

Graveside services will be conducted Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends at the cemetery following the service.

Now, news from around the state…

Alcohol Connected to Hypertension (Tennessean)

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued their first new set of guidelines to help minimize hypertension since 2017.

The new guidelines used by clinicians nationwide recommend that Americans limit the amount of alcohol they consume. While forgoing alcohol consumption altogether is preferable, the groups found that men should limit their intake to no more than two drinks per day, while women should limit their intake to no more than one per day.

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure both increase over time with alcohol intake, according to a report published Aug. 14. The data found that those who avoid drinking alcohol have the lowest risk of hypertension, and that those who reduce their intake by at least 50% experienced healthy blood pressure levels.

The updated guidelines are now instructing doctors to recommend treatment to those with stage 1 hypertension rather than just stage 2.

Hunting Season Update (Tennessean)

Tennessee's squirrel hunting season opens Aug. 23, which coincides with free hunting day, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

The squirrel season goes through March 15. Hunters can harvest up to 10 squirrels a day.

Free hunting day allows Tennesseans to hunt without a hunting license or permits.

Free hunting day participants must pass the hunter education course offered in person or online (find courses and register at license.gooutdoorstennessee.com). Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969, is required to complete a hunter education course.

The first archery-only antlered deer hunt is Aug. 22-24, and is open on private lands and select wildlife management areas as a buck only hunt. It allows hunters to harvest a buck prior to the velvet on the antlers being shed.

The traditional archery deer hunting season is Sept. 27-Oct. 24.

Tennessee’s dove season starts at noon Sept. 1 and ends at sunset. Dove hunting is allowed sunrise to sunset after opening day. Dove hunting season dates are:

• Sept. 1-28

• Oct. 11-Nov. 2

• Dec. 8-Jan. 15.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency has sold about 774,000 resident hunting licenses that include small-game hunting. Just over 363,000 of those licenses include big game hunting as well. The numbers do not reflect lifetime license holders.

For more information about hunting in Tennessee, visit tnwildlife.org.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

The Grand Ole Opry and Grammy-nominated Jelly Roll are partnering to raise money to benefit the Nashville community through one of his charitable missions that is personal and meaningful to him – the Judge Dinkins Educational Center (JDEC). Jelly Roll is scheduled to perform two special Monday night Opry shows on Monday, Sept. 22 with a few of his friends, and every ticket sold will help make a difference in the local community.

Judge Jim Todd, who co-founded JDEC, was the prosecutor in Jelly Roll’s case when he was younger. Since then, they’ve worked side by side to provide resources that enable youth to consider different paths.

“It’s a full-circle moment to be able to partner with Jelly Roll on this center, and the support of the Opry makes it all the more powerful,” added Judge Jim Todd.

The Judge Dinkins Educational Center provides juvenile vocational training in Davidson County for adolescents who might be at risk or engaged with the juvenile or criminal justice system. 

Tickets are available at opry.com