Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 9-22-25

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for September 22, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Police Looking for Hit and Run Offender (MSM)

Columbia police are seeking the public’s help in finding the vehicle and driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run collision.

Just before 5 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, the Columbia Police Department responded to Tom J. Hitch Parkway, where they found a pedestrian in the road near the River Highlands Apartments. Upon arrival, officers found Teresa Nelson, 63, deceased at the scene. The driver of the vehicle involved had apparently fled, leaving Nelson in the roadway.

Detectives determined that Nelson was last seen at her residence at approximately 4:30 a.m. Emergency services were notified of the incident at 4:50 a.m., establishing a narrow window of time in which the fatal collision and the driver’s flight took place.

The Columbia Police Department, with assistance from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, is actively investigating this case, and detectives urge anyone with information to contact Columbia Police. They released dash cam footage to the media, showing a white station wagon or truck that might have been the one that struck Mrs. Nelson, in the hope that it might lead to new information.

The Columbia Police Department extends its deepest sympathies to Teresa Nelson’s family and loved ones, as well as to all those affected by this tragedy.

Community members with information are asked to contact the Columbia Police Department at (931) 388-2727, by email at safetips@columbiatn.gov or through direct message on the department’s official Facebook page at facebook.com/columbiapdtn.

Pipeline to Cost Billions (TNLookout)

A pipeline supplying water from the Cumberland River to the fast-growing Maury and Williamson counties is feasible, but it could cost up to $1.9 billion in 2025 dollars, according to a feasibility study released this week by the Mallory Valley Utility District.

The study examined the projected costs, needs and construction timeline for approximately 30 miles of pipeline that would connect the Harpeth Valley Utilities District, which draws its water from the Cumberland, to the water utility in Columbia by 2033.

The pipeline is one of several pathways under consideration to provide reliable, long-term water supply for southern Middle Tennessee. More than 250,000 residents in the area are currently served by water withdrawn from the Duck River, the most biologically diverse freshwater river in North America. Recent bouts of drought paired with growing water needs for an expanding population and industrial developments are ramping up pressure on the Duck and the dozens of species it supports.

Gov. Bill Lee issued an executive order in November creating the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership — a panel of state and local officials, utility representatives, and conservation group leaders — to explore ways to balance the river’s preservation and drought management with the region’s increasing water needs.

The partnership met Thursday and is expected to meet again on Nov. 4 before releasing its first interim report on Nov. 20. The partnership’s final report and recommendations are expected in December 2026.

The feasibility study began in March and was funded by the Mallory Valley Utility District, Maury County Water System, City of Mt. Pleasant Water Department, Columbia Power and Water Systems, and the City of Spring Hill.

The study presents estimates for two alternatives: one 54-inch steel pipeline or two 42-inch steel pipelines (which, though more expensive, builds in redundancy in the case of interruptions). The pipeline would require two pump stations capable of moving up to 60 million gallons of water per day.

The pipeline would be built either within or near existing Tennessee Valley Authority property easements. While it would impact around 200 properties, no residents or businesses would be displaced, the study states.

The total estimated cost for the new infrastructure is between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, according to the study. 

The study did not provide specific estimates for the cost of the pipeline to ratepayers. The Harpeth Valley Utilities District, which would treat and deliver water to the pipeline, reported that it was not able to estimate its service charges until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes its study of the Cumberland River Basin in 2026. 

Operation and maintenance of the pipeline would cost an estimated $6.2 million for the first year of operation if the pipeline initially provided 35 million gallons of water per day. The pipeline would be designed to serve up to 60 million gallons of water per day. 

Depreciation costs, or the amount charged per year to amass funds for eventual replacement, would run between $11.2 million and $17.2 million per year, depending on the pipeline option selected and assumed lifespans of 80 versus 100 years.

The estimated costs, which would be covered by each of the utilities in proportion to their demand, could be decreased if the project’s stakeholders seek state or federal grants.

The study estimates a total cost per thousand gallons at $12.08 “for illustrative purposes only,” assuming that the project costs $2 billion (with a 30-year bond at 3% financing and no state or federal support), serves 35 million gallons each day, and the Harpeth Valley Utilities District’s charges were consistent with their current rates.

For the project to be viable, it would need to obtain authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to withdraw water from the Cumberland River. It would also need to secure permitting approval from the Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, USACE, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

The pipeline proposal is one of several regionalization options under scrutiny. Others include raising the Normandy Dam, increasing intake from the Duck River, or creating a system of reservoirs.

At a Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting on Monday, Spring Hill Water General Manager and Assistant City Administrator Dan Allen cautioned city leaders that many conversations will happen in the next few months, and the city’s posture should be one of collaboration to find “environmentally responsible as well as fiscally sustainable solutions.”

 “It certainly appears to be a feasible project in terms of technical feasibility … the challenge that we see is primarily a funding discussion,” Allen said.

Spring Hill, which contributed funding for the feasibility study, would take about 40% to 45% of the water available in the pipeline, and could thus be responsible for the same proportion of costs, he added.

“Even at $1.7 billion, a 40-45% amount of that … I don’t believe is feasible for our ratepayers. This is where you have to start having a conversation about state assistance as well as federal assistance,” Allen said.

Jason Gilliam, one of the leaders of Columbia Dam Now, a group supporting the reconstruction of the dam on the Duck River, called the pipeline project “ridiculous” at the group’s most recent meeting on Tuesday. The cost, he said, would be too high.

The group reported in July that it is working with U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles to secure congressional funding to fast-track a feasibility study for rebuilding the dam. The initial effort to build the dam that started in the 1960s ran into multiple snags ranging from environmental concerns to ballooning costs to permitting issues and a flawed cost-benefit analysis, according to a Congressional report published in 1980. The dam was eventually dismantled.

It’s not clear what the construction of a similar dam would cost in today’s dollars.

In a statement on Thursday, Gilliam wrote that while the process is slow, there is a “concerted effort” to secure congressional funding for a Columbia Dam feasibility study by the end of the year.

Tourism Strong in Maury County (MSM)

Visitors to Maury County generated $137,395,158 in spending in 2024, representing a 0.39 percent increase from 2023, according to newly released data from Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. Maury is part of the South Central Tennessee Tourism Association, a 13-county region which saw $545,964,900 in direct economic impact.

“Maury County is proud to be recognized among Tennessee’s top tourism destinations. Visitors are drawn to our authentic experiences and vibrant communities, from Columbia to Mount Pleasant and beyond,” said Erin Jaggers, Director of Maury County Tourism. “Tourism not only boosts local businesses, but also enriches quality of life for residents, reflecting the welcoming spirit that makes Maury County a special place to visit.”

According to the data, direct visitor spending in Maury County generated $7,793,095 in state tax revenue and $6,182,500 in local tax revenue. If it were not for state and local taxes generated by tourism, each household in Maury County would pay $339 more in state and local taxes.

“Maury County continues to rank among the top 20 tourism destinations in Tennessee, with the 2024 economic impact report showing $137 million in visitor spending,” SCTTA Executive Director Ryan French said. “It is important to note that Nashville visitation, while a strong driver for Maury County, does not count toward this report, as trips within 50 miles are not classified as visitor spending.

“Across the county, momentum remains strong with significant capital investment in both Spring Hill and Columbia. The completion of the new Main Street renovations will further elevate Columbia’s appeal as a visitor destination. Maury County is clearly a popular choice for travelers, supported by strong local vision and leadership that continue to drive growth in the tourism industry.”

Statewide, Tennessee’s tourism industry broke records for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, generating $31.66 billion in direct visitor spending and welcoming 147 million visitors.

“I’m so grateful to our amazing tourism and hospitality industry for these remarkable results,” said Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. “The Tennessee Tourism team has been able to leverage bigger tourism budgets to help grow visitor spending over 36 percent in these last six years. We are leading the nation as one of just a few states that are aggressively growing tax revenue from non-Tennessee residents to benefit all seven million Tennesseans.”

Mt. Pleasant Revitalization (MSM)

With the ink still wet on their accreditation from the national Main Street organization, the Visit Mount Pleasant nonprofit is working quietly behind the scenes to bring new life to the city’s downtown strip.

According to board chairwoman Caroline Rash, Visit Mount Pleasant plans to foster the downtown with regular festivals or block parties. The first, Motors on Main, will take place from 2-5 p.m. on Sept. 24. Sponsored by Wire Masters, Inc., the event will line Main Street with classic cars, food trucks, a kids’ zone, live music, a beer garden, and family-friendly fun.

Outside of their monthly meetings, the board of eight leave the week-to-week work to Mrs. Rash: finances, event planning, business support, business solicitation.

“There’s a lot of spending power in Maury County,” Rash said, according to numbers she’s seen on economic and population growth. The industrial employment that comes into Mount Pleasant adds disposable income to the town, but on top of that they still need tourists and events to really add value. People in Maury County are already willing to travel for tourism and shopping, so that they’ll spend a whole day in a well-cultivated “destination” downtown, like Leipers Fork or downtown Franklin.

“Every business that comes in, I would like them to add at least 15 minutes to someone’s time here, so that once you add it all up you’ve got a whole afternoon in Mount Pleasant,” Rash explained, modeling her approach on those and other successful downtowns, and traveling to thriving towns and Main Street conferences to find new strategies. “Right now I’m spending time looking for new businesses to come here, encouraging people to come here, giving them the ‘why.'”

Visit Mount Pleasant is courting a couple local coffee shops that want to expand, both to-go and sit-down restaurants, a wine bar and retail. They’re having the most success recruiting the last.

“It’s been difficult to achieve a good business mix, and I think that that’s everything,” she explained.

Visit Mount Pleasant wants to cater to the many types of customers who live in and beyond Maury County, and to meet the needs of the business owners on the street, since the real and perceived “health” of their businesses on the street drive foot traffic. She thinks Mount Pleasant already has a lot in its favor right now.

“To be totally frank, lease prices here, compared to lease prices in Columbia or Spring Hill or Franklin, are way more in-reach for a family,” she explained. “We’re in a good spot right now as far as being accessible for real people… [who run] small businesses.”

Her family, which has lived in Mount Pleasant for 10 years, is putting its own money behind this potential. Her husband Charlie recently decided to open Golden Boy, a store on the Main Street selling men’s clothing, guns and outdoor goods.

“We started looking at that property much earlier this year, while the construction and revitalization was going on, because we just felt like it was the perfect time to come along and bring some new life to Mount Pleasant,” she said. “We just started looking around and seeing the improvements that were being made. And we were also feeling like the fog was lifting after all the construction, you could just feel the potential in the air.”

Maury County Investments and the Barrier Group, two legal entities which own 25 buildings between them on and around Mount Pleasant’s Main Street, are participating in the revitalization from which they stand to benefit.

“I have been developing a good relationship with them. They’re really invested in Mount Pleasant,” Rash told Main Street Maury. “They’ve previously spent money on strategic plans for Mount Pleasant, [and] they really care about the health of their buildings, they’re constantly working on… and renovating their buildings.”

Visit Mount Pleasant also has a great relationship with the city, and is working on its public outreach.

“They’re very encouraging of any plans that my board and I make,” she testified of the City Commission and staff. “We have definitely had a lot of discussions about strengthening the public’s relationship with Mt. Pleasant on the whole, building community pride.”

On Visit Mount Pleasant’s social media, Rash publishes a video series called “Pleasantries” which highlights local businesses and their owners. She also moderates her page by engaging rationally with complaining people and defusing the anger it’s easy to stir up over local developments.

“On social media, I’m responding to people and trying to lay out as many facts as possible and communicate clearly with our community… I remind people that we’re all neighbors and to keep it neighborly… And I won’t tolerate baseless claims,” she said. “I do feel it’s been very effective. We don’t get a lot of nastiness on my page at this point… I’ve been trying to put a positive angle on everything, and I think people really appreciate it.”

Kids’ Place (Press Release)

With Kid’s Place, very number they share has a child’s story behind it.

In 2024, 150 children in Maury County walked through their doors for a forensic interview after a report was made of severe child abuse. That meant impactful, brave conversations in a safe space — and it came at a cost of $90,000 to provide.

44 children sat with Kid’s Place therapists for trauma-focused mental health therapy, beginning the hard journey of healing. Those sessions totaled $39,600.

And 186 families leaned on their advocates for guidance, support, and resources as they navigated some of the hardest days of their lives — a service valued at $67,000.

In 2024, providing these essential services to Maury County families came at a cost of $196,600. Yet for the children they serve, the Hope, Help, and Healing they receive is truly priceless. Because of community support, every service at Kid’s Place is offered at no cost to children and families. By joining us on October 2nd, for their fundraiser, Chords for a Cause, a songwriter’s night, you ensure that no child in Maury County has to face abuse alone.

Join A Kid’s Place: October 2nd, 2025 at The Mulehouse, located at 812 S. High Street in Columbia for Live music • Community impact • Hope for children

Find tickets at www.themulehouse.com.

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

Mr. Michael Wayne “Mike” Hubbell, 71, resident of Columbia, died Thursday at Alive Hospice in Nashville. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday at 11:00 AM at South Gate Church of Christ. Burial will follow in Friendship Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Monday from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the church. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with arrangements.

Alana Jaye Ingram Minor, 72, a lifelong resident of Columbia, died Saturday, September 13, 2025 at NHC HealthCare Columbia.

A memorial service will be conducted Saturday, October 4, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. A private inurnment will be at Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM at the funeral home.

Now, news from around the state…

Education Freedom Scholarship (Press Release)

Today, the Tennessee Department of Education announced remarkable results from the  Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program’s inaugural year. Tennessee’s first-ever universal school choice program has experienced tremendous interest from families across the state, empowering parents with the ability to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs, regardless of income level or zip code.

In the 2025-26 school year, all 20,000 available scholarships were reserved, with 10,000 scholarships reserved for eligible students in a household with a qualified income, and 10,000 universal scholarships available to eligible students regardless of income. Scholarships may be used at more than 240 participating Category I, II, and III non-public schools across the state.

“Thank you to all the families, schools, and partners who engaged throughout the launch and implementation of the program,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “The Education Freedom Scholarship Program provides Tennessee families with additional options to find a learning environment that best fits their student’s unique needs. I am thrilled with the success and demand demonstrated in the first year.”

The high demand for the program was apparent within hours of the launch and continued to increase in the following days, resulting in a total of 42,827 applications submitted. Key highlights of program implementation include:

• Families applied for the Qualified and Universal scholarships at a nearly equal rate, demonstrating broad demand for school choice, regardless of income level and demographics.

◦ 21,164 applications applied for qualified scholarships

◦ 21,663 applications applied for universal scholarships

• Applications were received from families in 94 of 95 counties, highlighting strong interest across the state.

• In accordance with Tennessee law, the department reviewed applications in the order in which they were received. The 20,000 scholarships represent students from 86 counties, with enrollments at 220 out of 241 participating schools, spanning all grade levels.

During the Tennessee General Assembly's extraordinary legislative session in January 2025, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act, Chapter 7 of the Public Acts of 2025, 1st Extraordinary Session, and Governor Bill Lee signed the landmark legislation on February 12, 2025, to establish Tennessee’s universal school choice program into law. The Tennessee EFS Program is also guided by the State Board of Education Rule 0520-01-24.

To learn more about the EFS Program and access additional resources, visit the EFS webpage.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Ed Sheeran announces the North American leg of his LOOP Tour with a stop at Nissan Stadium on June 20th. Sheeran previously performed at Nissan Stadium in July 2023.

Sheeran also shared about the tour on social media, “Coming back to North America for the Loop tour. New stage, new setlist, new tricks. I LOVE touring North America, I’ve always felt so much love there since the first gig I did in LA and Toronto back in 2010. Can’t wait to be back, see you all there from spring 2026.”

Fans can register now at EdSheeran.com for early access to tickets, with presale registrations powered by Seated. Registered fans will receive a unique one-time code before the Artist Presale begins on Tuesday, September 23 at 9am local time. Registration is free, but it does not guarantee tickets.