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

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for September 25, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Kuzawinski Named Commissioner (MSM)

Eighteen of the sitting members of the Maury County Commission selected Mike Kuzawinski, a local businessman and former commissioner, as its newest member last week, representing District 4.

County Commissioner Carl McCullen held the seat until Sept. 2, when he resigned to serve as Ward 1 city councilman for Columbia.

Kuzawinski served previously as District 5 commissioner for about eight months in 2014-15, and in 2024 ran unsuccessfully for the city seat to which McCullen was just appointed. The only other candidate for this District 4 seat was Joe Foster, a former chairman of the county school board.

The county commission also elected commissioners Kathey Grodi, Kenny Morrow and Pam Huffman to its Audit Committee, and commissioners Huffman and Cindy Hestla to its Ethics Board. They also reappointed David Horwath to the Regional Planning Commission.

The commission voted to hire a security guard for $85,000 a year at the Maury County Library on West Eighth Street in Columbia, a decision which elicited some discussion at an earlier meeting, and to give the Library Board $18,200 to design a new building for Mt. Pleasant. They also spent $34,000 on a fuel truck and $50,000 on a pull tractor for the Solid Waste department, $52,600 on an animal shelter vehicle, one and a quarter million dollars on new ambulances, and donated $1.666 million to the Miracle League field at Maury County Park.

County Mayor Sheila Butt relayed news from the state house, saying the state official she talked to was unfavorable to Starlink Enterprises’ offer to donate the old Arrow Mines property for use as a state park. The one remaining major clean-up project, the draining, dredging and re-filling of Arrow Lake, is projected to cost a prohibitive $17 million. Butt relayed that Rep. William Lamberth also told her that the bill to give counties a say in property annexations failed, but that he could help them to pass the real-estate transfer tax bill.

Mt. Pleasant Highschool Gets Robotics Grant (Press Release)

Mt. Pleasant High School has been awarded a $5,000 robotics grant by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as part of its new Robotics Award Program. $655,000 was awarded to 179 schools and non-profit organizations that serve youth across TVA’s seven-state region.

 The TVA Robotics Award Program, which complements TVA’s existing STEM classroom awards, is intended for official robotics programs and designed to enhance hands-on learning, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills among students.

 “Skills in robotics are already required for many careers today, and we want to equip our future workforce with the tools they need to step into and excel in those fields,” said TVA President and CEO, Don Moul.

 TVA, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Inc., launched the Robotics Award Program to invest in youth interested in robotics. According to TVA, the awards are available to eligible robotics teams to offset costs associated with team setup, materials and competition participation.

 “The engineering program at Mt. Pleasant High School is honored to receive the robotics grant from TVA and Bi-Centennial Volunteers, Inc.,” said Seth Woodard, STEM Instructor at Mt. Pleasant High School. “This grant will be used to provide cutting edge robotics equipment and supplies crucial for providing our students with experience in the many facets of robotics. Relationships with corporate stakeholders such as TVA and Bi-Centennial Volunteers, Inc. are vital in preparing our students for success in new and emerging fields related to robotics.” 

Republican Group Honors Charlie Kirk (CDH)

Maury County's tribute to the life of Charlie Kirk continued Sept. 22 as the Conservative Republicans of Maury County lit candles and prayed in his honor at its monthly meeting.

Monday's meeting, which the group holds the fourth Monday of every month, featured guest speakers including District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District Brent Cooper, as well as BLEXIT of Tennessee Director Paul Nix.

Debbie Matthews, the group's founder, also paid tribute to Kirk by sporting his iconic "Freedom" T-shirt, which he also wore on the day of his Sept. 10 death.

"It has been a hard two weeks," Matthews said.

Matthews added that one of Kirk's greatest missions was his emphasis on speaking to young people, not just to instill values, but to secure a strong future for the country.

"Charlie knew that we were on the precipice that if we did not get the youth involved, give them courage on their college campuses, that everything was for naught, and our country is gone," Matthews said. "We are at war with Marxist ideation, and it's working overtime. And Charlie knew that when people stopped talking, that's when things get really bad."

Cooper touched on several topics in his speech, saying he was "shocked" after hearing news of Kirk's death.

"I have been a Charlie Kirk fan for a long time, loved watching his videos and loved the fact he was not confrontational or demeaning to the people he speaks to," Cooper said. "And because he is a representative of Christ, he is very effective in what he did. His effectiveness is apparent tonight, as we have candles on our tables tonight just to demonstrate the effectiveness of Charlie."

Cooper later recounted watching Kirk's funeral, and how it was a moment politicians and leaders were more open about their personal faith, something he believes should be practiced more.

"I was kind of timid about sharing my faith, not embarrassed by it, just afraid that if I shared it what the reaction might be from the person I was sharing it with," Cooper said. "I'm proud to be a Christian, proud to be a conservative and proud to be an American, and I like the fact that, as tragic as it was, this is a 'turning point' that our country needed to reach and start going in the right direction."

Nix, who described his nonprofit BLEXIT as a "movement to restore traditional American values in the urban community," opened his speech by saying, "My heart is very heavy right now."

"How can you see someone get killed in front of his family, in front of all of those people ... for engaging in our First Amendment rights in the Declaration of Independence that are God given," Nix said.

Nix added that his initial reaction to Kirk's death was to get angry, but to also remember the lessons of his Christian faith and conservative values.

"As a Christian, the Bible tells me to be angry, but sin not," Nix said. "That's hard to do, right? That is why we see the difference in the conservative response to these kinds of evil, because on the other side we have people tearing up buildings, protesting in the streets and acting like animals, for lack of a better word."

The group is also powered by Kirk's Turning Point USA (TPUSA) nonprofit, which advocates bringing conservative politics to high schools, colleges and universities. Nix concluded his speech by sharing a message from Kirk about Turning Point's mission since its June of 2012 foundation.

"Our mission was to create a powerful conservative grassroots activist network on campus and identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets and limited government," Nix read. "That's what we have, and we have to promote as Christians. That's what he did, and we still hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men were created equal."

Kirk's death has also inspired Columbia State Community College to establish its own TPUSA chapter, which will be led by faculty advisor Michael Fulbright.

"They definitely want to continue on with Charlie Kirk's message through Turning Point USA, treat every person as a child of God, with respect and dignity regardless of whether they agree with us or not," Fulbright said. "People who disagree are not enemies, but rather children of the same heavenly father."

Fulbright added that the Columbia State group, while still in the early stages, is already considering expanding to other campuses.

"They have quite an extensive group going and are already talking about chapters at the other Columbia States in Marshall County, Lawrence County and wherever else they have them," Fulbright said.

Spring Hill Development Plan (CDH)

As the city grapples with ways to ensure proper development, the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen are now discussing a multi-layered, five-year planning program.

The proposed plan, which includes four major projects, was presented at BOMA's Sept. 15 regular meeting.

The first of these projects would include a significant update to the city's Spring Hill Rising: 2040 comprehensive plan.

And a big part of that update, as with all projects in the proposed plan, is generating lots of public input. Director of Development Services Dara Sanders said this is because the public played a big role in the original plan's 2015 adoption, which contributed to its consistency over the past decade.

"We have not really updated our long-range plans in a meaningful way in about 10 years," Sanders said.

"A lot of communities that adopt a comprehensive plan with as much specificity as Spring Hill Rising typically see a lot of amendments requested by the community or private property owners through the course of a five to 10-year process. We have had very few requests to amend this plan, which I am proud of because that means we listened to the community, responded to their needs and for the most part got it pretty darn right."

However, generating a large amount of public input has, historically, had its challenges, Sanders added. Therefore, the city's planning staff is proposing to hire a consultant to manage a five-year community engagement program to "maximize that public involvement," which would require BOMA approval.

The second project discussed is creating a comprehensive update to Spring Hill's Major Thoroughfare Plan, or as Sanders described, "literally our roadmap for roadways."

The plan's updates would include tackling a detail-oriented overhaul to what defines certain roads, where they can be in accordance with residential neighborhoods versus commercial, as well as the increased roadway construction that has occurred in the last 10 years.

"This exercise will help us do a deeper dive into contextually appropriate roadway design," Sanders said. "At the time [of the plan's adoption], we really had to do broad brush strokes of east of I-65. There really wasn't a whole lot going on out there 10 years ago, and there's a lot of interest east of I-65 now."

On the historic preservation side, the third project in the five-year plan would include the city's Town Center redevelopment efforts.

The city's Town Center Plan, presented in 2024 by a special Town Center Committee, was a way to identify culturally significant properties and a long-term vision for the district, which stretches along Main Street north of The Crossings and Saturn Parkway.

"It will identify properties that are maybe eligible for infill, identify the cultural and historically significant properties that we should protect and respect," Sanders said. "It will include a series of {Unified Development Code] recommendations to help stimulate private investment in a neighborhood that is often considered to be, and referred to as, the Heart of Spring Hill."

The fourth and final project in the long-term plan doesn't involve updating an existing plan but creating a new one.

Similar to the city's Major Thoroughfare Plan, this one would focus solely on Spring Hill's major roadways, such as U.S. Highway 31.

"Here, we would be building on the major thoroughfare plan efforts, evaluating access management," Sanders said. "What happens to properties along Main Street once Main Street widens? This will help give some direction and provide expectations for redevelopment, new development and additions to existing development along our major corridors."

Once the five-year plan is completed, it will then provide a significant amount of information when assessing growth needs in 2030-2031, Sanders concluded.

In other Spring Hill news, the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen last week discussed feasibility studies, rezoning requests and grant funding as part of ongoing efforts to support Spring Hill’s growth. 

The Stone Creek property, now designated as a reservoir site, was rezoned to Institutional Campus to support the city’s Advanced Purification Project PILOT. 

With the purchasing of the Stone Creek property, discussion for a feasibility study and efforts for the Advanced Purification Project are underway. 

The study will determine the best locations and depths for the reservoir, along with other key design factors. 

Assistant City Administrator Dan Allen said this project could be more than infrastructure. Over the last three years, community engagement discussions have been in the works for the site. 

Allen added that one goal is to develop the site into a space that could include walking and biking trails, parks, open spaces and other amenities that the community can utilize. 

“Not only can we address water supply and drought resilience, but we also can create a new public space as well that people can enjoy,” Allen said. 

The Spring Hill Police Department is set to receive $10,000 in grant funding from Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to support Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC). 

The ICAC Task Force was established to reduce child exploitation online, including child pornography and predator activity targeting minors. Metro Nashville Police distribute sub-grant funding across Middle Tennessee agencies, and Spring Hill has two detectives assigned to ICAC cases. The grant will cover equipment, training, and travel expenses for the detectives. 

Also considered during last week’s meeting were performance bonds for Kedron Road and School Street, as progress has reportedly lacked on the projects. Both bonds were passed in 2021, but School Street remains closed and Kedron Road is incomplete. 

During public comment, School Street property owner Alicia Fitts voiced frustration, saying that the project, initially 30-days, has lasted a year. Fitts expressed that the delay has negatively impacted businesses, clients and services like waste management that are re-routed through Main Street. 

Developer Peter Ripley requested the board defer the action until Oct. 18, saying the project discussion and requirements are not clarified. The bonds will be called if the work is not completed by Oct 14. 

In other business, BOMA approved the west side of Hurt Road, north of Duplex Road property, rezoning from agricultural to Institutional Campus (IC) for future development.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen will hold a special meeting Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.

Mitchell Earwood Scholarship (Press Release)

The Columbia State Community College Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of a scholarship in honor of Mitchell Earwood, a firefighter, father and Spring Hill community member.

Earwood, who tragically lost his life during a severe storm in 2020 at his family’s farm in Bethesda, Tennessee, had been a dedicated member of the Spring Hill Fire Department since 2008.

Mike Pinkerton, a training captain at the SHFD, working with Mitchell’s family, helped lead the effort to establish this scholarship at Columbia State.

“Mitch was important to so many of us and demonstrated in his life and work qualities that make a department strong in service to its community,” Pinkerton said. “Coworkers, family, friends and even those who didn’t personally know him have come together to establish this scholarship in his honor and memory. It pleases us that it will help students at Columbia State who are studying to go into emergency services. We want to grow this scholarship and keep it going in his memory.”

The scholarship funds will be available for degree-seeking or certificate-seeking students enrolled in an emergency service-related program of study.

“We are pleased to have this scholarship as a resource for students wanting to prepare themselves for service in times of greatest need,” said Bethany Lay, Columbia State vice president for advancement and executive director of the Columbia State Foundation. “We thank everyone involved for their efforts and generosity.”

The city of Spring Hill will be honoring Mitchell Earwood with the opening of a new fire station on Duplex Road by the end of 2025.

The Columbia State Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports and partners with the college to positively impact student success and the communities in which it serves. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Foundation.

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

Yvonne LaNelle Burge Roberts, 69, resident of Columbia, and former longtime resident of Lewisburg, TN died Monday, September 22, 2025 at Maury Regional Medical Center.

Per Yvonne’s request, no services will be conducted. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

Dee Clinton “D.C.” Uzzell, 82, a lifelong resident of Columbia, died Monday, September 22, 2025 at his residence.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Brother Alan Hughes officiating and military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Friday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Saturday from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. A private family inurnment will be held at a later date at Philadelphia Cemetery.

Now, news from around the state…

Casada Sentenced to Three Years (CDH)

Glen Casada, once one of the most influential men in Tennessee politics, could soon find himself behind bars.

Casada, 66, was sentenced to three years in prison at the Fred Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building on Sept. 23. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and repay $4,600 he earned through criminal conduct.

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson determined the sentence after arguments by prosecutors and defense attorneys, and after Casada's wife, daughter and Sunday school teacher took the stand and testified in his support.

Casada was allowed to leave the courthouse free. Richardson ordered him to self report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Nov. 21, but his attorneys plan to file a motion to allow him to remain out of prison on bail while his forthcoming appeal is pending.

A federal jury in May found Casada guilty of 17 public corruption charges related to his role in what prosecutors describe as an unlawful scheme to take advantage of a state allowance for lawmakers to send informational mailers. Richardson acquitted him of three of those charges before sentencing.

Along with former Rep. Robin Smith, Casada pressured state bureacrats to approve payments for mailers to a shadowy political consulting company called Phoenix Solutions. He encouraged his fellow lawmakers to hire Phoenix Solutions while concealing his former chief of staff Cade Cothren's involvement in it.

He also routed money to Phoenix Solutions through his own consulting company, Right Way Consulting, which served as the basis for the multiple money laundering counts Casada was convicted of.

“The defendants abused their power as government officials and defrauded taxpayers for their own enrichment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the U.S. Justice Department's Criminal Division in a news release.

Joe Carrico, FBI special agent in charge of the Nashville Field Office, said in a statement, "The sentences imposed today should serve as a wake-up call to other public officials who believe there are no consequences for betraying the public trust.”

Before he handed down the sentence, Richardson said, "There is no question that what happened here was crummy and way below the standard of a public official."

One of Casada’s attorneys, Jonathan Farmer, said he was disappointed in the three-year sentence but “optimistic” of the chances of a positive outcome in the appeals court. He said in court earlier in the day that Casada had the least significant role in the scheme between him, Cothren and Smith. Despite this, he was lined up to receive the harshest sentence.

"That's not justice," Farmer said. " That doesn't make any sense."

Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a prison sentence between 6.5 and 8 years for Casada based on the crimes he was convicted of and several other factors, including that Casada was an elected public official at the time of the offenses. Those guidelines also recommended a 1-3 year term of supervised release following his prison sentence and a fine between $25,000-250,000.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

The Columbia Comic Book & Toy Expo takes place on Saturday, September 27, 2025, from 10 AM-5 PM at the National Guard Armory (844 N James Campbell Blvd, Columbia, Tennessee).

It is a family-friendly event for anyone who likes comic books and toys.

Comic books 1940-present, toys, Pokémon, horror items, Funko Pops, and a whole lot more.

Tickets $5 at the door.

For more information visit the Columbia Comic Book & Toy Expo Facebook page.