Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 9-8-25

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for September 8, 2025

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

We start with local news…

Two Dead in Columbia Hotel (MSM)

Police responded to the Super 8 Motel in Columbia on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 4, near the intersection of Interstate 65 and Bear Creek Pike, after two people were found dead in one of the rooms.

CPD has not yet released the identities of the deceased individuals and would not comment on the scene, citing the ongoing investigation.

Oppenents To Dam Speak Out (NewsChannel5)

For the first time, state agencies and an influential hunting group are weighing in on the debate over the future of the Duck River, and a potential new dam in Maury County. "We think it’s a bad idea," said Mike Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation.

"This will equate to lost wildlife habitat and public access for hunting and outdoor recreation," says a spokesperson for TWRA.

With such rapid growth in Maury County, utility providers are worried there will come a day when you turn on the faucet and no water comes out. There are controversial ideas about how to help with the water supply, including resurrecting the Columbia Dam project on the Duck River or a system of pipelines in order to bring additional drinking water into the area from other communities.

Building a dam in Columbia, on the Duck River, isn't a new idea. Back in the 1970s, the Tennessee Valley Authority actually started construction. But controversially, that included the federal government seizing nearly 13,000 acres of privately owned land, largely through eminent domain, to make way for a new lake. Work continued until an environmental lawsuit, contending the dam would threaten several freshwater mussel species, halted all construction work.

Eventually, TVA decided to abandon the project and dismantle what they had built. TVA also couldn't return the land to the original home, farm, and business owners, so instead, they gave nearly 13,000 acres to the state of Tennessee. The state, in turn, created the Yanahli Wildlife Management area, a free place for hunters and anglers to enjoy the outdoors.

NewsChannel 5 reached out to several state agencies to see if they had taken public stances on how to solve Maury County's water woes. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) took the most forceful stance. They stated:

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is aware of the growing conversation around water resources in the Duck River Watershed and the competing proposals to address it.

The Agency supports Governor Bill Lee’s Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership, which was established in November 2024 through Executive Order 108 with the goal of balancing economic growth with the need to conserve natural resources.

TWRA is a member of the planning partnership and is the agency responsible for managing and protecting the numerous species that inhabit North America’s most biologically diverse freshwater river. Notably, the Duck River watershed historically harbored 75 species of mussels, including 15 currently listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Agency is committed to the conservation of these, and other species found in the area and will continue to be actively engaged in collaborative discussions among stakeholders on how best to manage water resources.

Additionally, TWRA manages 12,800 acres of public land at Yanahli Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The WMA features cedar glades and oak-hickory hardwood forests, mixed with some cropland. A good mix of edge and forest provides for diverse flora and fauna. Early successional bird species include Northern Bobwhite, American Kestrel, and Prairie Warbler, all of which are local nesting birds uncommon elsewhere in Middle Tennessee. Forest birds include Summer and Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, and Red-headed Woodpecker. Wild Turkey are common year-round.

One proposal to address water resources challenges is to dam the Duck River. While this proposal potentially could require action at both the federal and state level, if this proposal was implemented - and depending on pool elevation - upwards of 9,000 acres of the WMA could be inundated. This will equate to lost wildlife habitat and public access for hunting and outdoor recreation.

Because of the potential for loss of lands to the sportsmen and women of Tennessee, TWRA supports a thorough and diligent review process, with all stakeholders at the table, to balance all the competing interests. We believe in the work of Governor Lee’s Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership, and look forward to working with all stakeholders to determine the best path forward for wildlife conservation as well as Tennesseans,” said Emily Buck, Director of Public Relations for TWRA

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) stated that they also support the Governor's task force studying a pipeline project.

"TDEC is committed to the ongoing work of the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership to identify and study solutions that balance economic growth, water resource management, and conservation. The partnership is reviewing current data, assessing best practices, and evaluating a range of viable alternatives to make recommendations for the benefit of the Duck River that can also be used as a model for statewide water management and other watersheds in Tennessee," said Jennifer Donnals, Senior Communications Advisor for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) also backs the pipeline study and raised major concerns about proposals to bring back the Columbia Dam. Mike Butler, CEO of the TWF, says constructing a lake will eliminate thousands of public hunting lands out at the Yanahli Wildlife Management Area. "If you want to small game hunt, if you want to turkey hunt, if you want to deer hunt, if you want to go fish, where are you going to find a 12,000-acre block of land?" he asked. "It’s big enough that you can get lost, and that’s hard to do in Middle Tennessee."

A land swap?

Butler argues, sacrificing Yanahli Wildlife Management Area comes with steep financial penalties, too, thanks to a Tennessee law that requires the state to replace any public hunting land it gets rid of. "We wrote a lot of that provision ourselves," Butler says.

Sure enough, Tenn. Code Ann. 70-5-101(f)(7) says in part that "When lands owned by the agency are closed to hunting or fishing, the agency shall mitigate the closure by opening new lands to be used for the same purpose, within twelve (12) months of closure."

The statute also stipulates it must be "at least equal to the acreage of lands closed by the agency" and "located in the same grand division of the state."

Butler thinks all of these factors would come into play if TWRA decided to deed Yanahli WMA back to TVA to build the Columbia Dam, which would force the state to find replacement hunting grounds in Middle Tennessee. "That’s not a cheap endeavor, especially in Middle Tennessee with the land prices we have," said Butler.

Butler has other concerns about the dam, too, like how much water the lake would actually hold year-round. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has pointed to a Congressional Report from 1980 that includes concerns that much of the lake would be the equivalent of mudflats during the winter months, when water levels were lowered. "It’s not going to be this resort lake that we think people are being sold at this point," said Butler.

Butler acknowledges that a pipeline project presents its own complications and expenses, but supports Governor Bill Lee's task force studying the idea. "That's what the partnership is about, it’s finding what is the most efficient and effective way to do it," he said.

He says he is convinced that the Columbia Dam is not the direction the state should take. "We keep coming back to the fact -- it just doesn’t make sense," said Butler.

In a statement, TVA insisted there are no current plans to move forward with the Columbia Dam Project. "TVA has no plans at this time to build a new dam or reservoir in our seven-state region," wrote Scott Brooks, a spokesperson for TVA. "TVA will continue to work with federal, state and local partners to help ensure there is sufficient water supply for communities along the Duck River."

According to public records, the last dam TVA completed was the Tellico Dam in East Tennessee back in 1979.

Columbia Damn Now, a group of citizens pushing for a new dam, sent a statement. It reads:

Columbia Dam Now is the grassroots organization that has made tremendous strides in the effort to rebuild the Columbia Dam and we are not trying to work against or circumvent the duck river watershed planning partnership or any agency involved. What Columbia Dam Now is doing, is pushing for all those involved in solving the long-term water solution for those in the duck River basin is to assure that the dam is one of the long-term options being considered for a myriad of reasons. First and foremost, the reservoir is the only long-term solution that would provide affordable water to the rate payers utilizing that water. Secondly, the reservoir would help protect the level and flow of the duck river even during dry seasons. Thirdly, the reservoir is the only option that would provide a tremendous economic impact to Maury and surrounding counties. The reservoir would also prevent flooding downstream in Hickman and counties further west. It would create an environment where many species would grow and thrive. There are almost too many benefits to list that the Columbia Dam would bring to the Duck River Watershed and the Dam should have never been torn down.  And for the betterment of those who are affected by our future water needs the Columbia Dam should be rebuilt.

Columbia Dam Now fully believes the best solution to solve the need for water in the Duck River is to first raise the Normandy Lake Water Level which has been recommended by several agencies doing studies over the past 20 years and that will give some relief for water while the construction of the Columbia Dam is completed which is the 100 year solution for our water needs in the Duck River Basin.  All other proposals so far will be in the billions to finish and raise consumers water bills by $200.00 dollars

We think the best use right now of the 65 million dollars allocated by Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly is to contact with TVA to raise Normandy Lake and use those funds to pay for it.

To our knowledge the TWRA according to the Director has always had a NEUTRAL POSITION to all solutions being offered to increase the amount of water in the Duck River Basin.

Molder to Run for Congress (WilliamsonScene)

Chaz Molder packed Hattie Jane’s Creamery on Thursday morning in Columbia to officially launch his campaign for Congress. Flanked by his family — including his father-in-law, longtime Democratic state Rep. Craig Fitzhugh — Molder, who grew up blocks from the Columbia town square, emphasized his small-town bona fides and took swipes at incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles. 

“Being a mayor provides a front-row perspective to the needs and challenges our communities face," Molder told the room. "I think Congressman Ogles, in a lot of ways, forgot who sent him there. I think he’s more interested in chasing national headlines for the wrong reasons instead of local headlines for the right reasons.” 

By 11 a.m., Molder was juggling media engagements. By 1:30 p.m., he popped up on voters’ phone screens in a purple tie asking for $5 to help him “hold Andy Ogles accountable” and flip Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. 

Molder was first elected Columbia mayor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He launched his campaign with help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which sees Ogles as a vulnerable Republican incumbent in 2026 largely due to ongoing campaign finance issues, campaign debt and Ogles’ perceived suffering reputation in Middle Tennessee. Madison Andrus, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee communications director, flew from D.C. to join Molder for the announcement. 

“ I'm a husband, a father and a mayor who's been twice elected in this community,” Molder stated at Muletown Coffee Roasters between sips of iced coffee. “Our campaign is focused on bringing people together to build new coalitions and bring voters from all across the political spectrum. I'm not going to be an embarrassment. I’m going to be present and I’m not going to let people down.”

Molder also pledged to secure the country’s Southern border from illegal immigration (“a failure of both parties,” he says) and criticized the GOP’s recent “One Big Beautiful Bill” for providing tax cuts for billionaires, cutting Tennesseans' health care access and increasing the national debt. He steers the conversation toward broadly popular candidate attributes like fiscal responsibility, pointing to his track record running Columbia, and his character, promising to be an available, communicative and responsible member of Congress — an implicit dig at Ogles’ conspicuous chronic absence. Molder already expressed an aversion to certain wedge issues, like transgender rights, which, he argues, fall with state lawmakers and therefore outside the scope of his campaign. 

As Molder tries to bring a winning Democratic message in a largely conservative district, he appears ready to tap into the ample reserves of charisma and retail politicking that helped him win the mayor’s office. Steps from city hall, Molder easily navigated his way around the Historic Downtown Columbia Public Square on Thursday, trading banter with business owners and residents.

Ogles first won the seat by 13 percentage points over state Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Democrat, in 2022 — the first election after state Republicans drew Davidson County into three different congressional seats. Nashville Democrat Jim Cooper, who represented the 5th District for decades, declined to run after Republicans gerrymandered his seat, calling it unwinnable for a Democrat.

After surviving a primary challenge from Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston, Ogles expanded his margin of victory in his 2024 re-election over Democrat Maryam Abolfazli. Still, Molder avoids calling the race an uphill battle, sketching out a theoretical victory path that draws heavily from population centers in Wilson, Davidson and Williamson counties.

“ Nashville is, in my opinion, the most important city in the entire state," said Molder. "I will have a congressional office in Nashville, and my plan is to be a voice for all of Nashville, despite the divide that resulted from gerrymandering.  Our challenge here will be getting our message, which is a winning message, out to as many people as possible.”

Layne Family Recovery (MSM)

The Layne family and their supporters, especially organizers Ben Johnson and Tonya Street, will throw a yard sale and bake sale at 1490 Gravel Road in Columbia from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sept. 6 and 7. They hope to raise funds to support the family and help pay for their baby, London, who is recovering after being struck by a stray bullet.

In the middle of the night on June 6, the Layne family’s world was shattered when two teenagers began shooting at one another outside their house in Spring Hill. One of the 15 bullets they fired passed into the room of the Laynes’ year-old baby London and struck her in the skull. A handful of miraculous coincidences saved London’s life: a heavy bar of her crib slowed down the bullet, and the wound’s location vented the blood from her skull, instead of trapping it to build pressure on her brain. The doctors at Vanderbilt worked hard to stabilize her condition and sent her home with her family soon after.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Layne family has faced a long road to recovery. London is undergoing physical and cognitive therapy, and has experienced night terrors; her father was “let go” in August by his employer; and the family have lost the sense of the security they once felt in their house. But through it all, says London’s mother Leslie Layne, God’s goodness has shone through in the way their community has rallied around them. She especially gave credit to Ben Johnson, a firefighter who responded to the initial crime and has continued to check on little London’s recovery, and his sister Tonya Street.

“[Ben] has continued to walk alongside London and our family through every step of this journey. Together, he and Tonya have led the charge in organizing support,” Layne said. “Their dedication is a powerful example of love in action… This is a story of how good God is despite the circumstances, and how love can truly rise from tragedy.”

If you would like to contribute, you can find a venmo link at mainstreetmaury’s website.

Columbia Fall Fest (MauryCountySource)

Columbia Main Street is proud to present Fall Fest 2025, returning to the Public Square on Saturday, October 11th, 2025, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM for an unforgettable autumn celebration in the heart of downtown Columbia.

This free, family-friendly event brings together residents, visitors, and small businesses for an evening filled with live music, local flavor, and festive fun.

Fall Fest has become one of the most anticipated community events of the season. This year’s celebration will feature:

Kiwanis Chili Cook-Off – Sample and vote for your favorite chili recipes in this ticketed tasting event supporting Kiwanis of Columbia and their local initiatives.

Live Entertainment – Enjoy performances throughout the day from talented local bands, including high-energy headliner, Deandra & 46 Story, bringing danceable classics and R&B favorites to close out the night.

Miss Fall Fest Pageant – Hosted by Britts, this beloved tradition returns to the stage, celebrating charm, confidence, and community spirit. Early registration is available now.

Columbia’s Fruit Tea Throwdown – Local restaurants will compete to claim the title of Best Fruit Tea in Town—and your votes will decide the winner!

Kid Zone Fun – Families will love the expanded children’s area, featuring inflatables, face painting, games, and balloon artists, all located safely within the closed downtown square.

Local Vendors & Food Trucks – Discover unique handmade goods from regional artisans and enjoy delicious bites from a curated lineup of food trucks and local favorites.

Photo Ops Galore – Don’t miss festive displays and photo stations, including the return of the Tri-Green Tractor Booth, perfect for family memories.

Fall Fest 2025 is made possible by generous sponsors, and Columbia Main Street is currently seeking partners who want to be part of this impactful event. Sponsorship opportunities are now open and offer businesses premium exposure and meaningful community engagement.

For sponsorship inquiries, vendor registration, or full event details, visit columbiamainstreet.com or contact:

Kelli Johnson

Columbia Main Street Manager

kjohnson@columbiatn.gov

Now, news from around the state…

Lees Honor Vol Kids (Tennessean)

Gov. Bill Lee and first lady Maria Lee celebrated the seventh annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge by hosting a children’s carnival Sept. 6, recognizing kids who uplifted the community during the summer.

More than 700 children participated in a two-month initiative that challenged the youth to devote time out of their summer to volunteer and serve the less fortunate.

“To see all these kids come here and be all excited about what they did this summer, it encouraged us,” Maria Lee told The Tennessean. “It encourages us that the parents take serving others seriously and prioritize that in their child’s life.”

The carnival, held at the Tennessee Residence, celebrated the top performers in the first lady’s summerlong effort. The carnival included games, snacks, bounce houses and team mascots. 

Lasting from June 1 to Aug. 1, the initiative — open to children in kindergarten to sixth grade — aimed to instill “a heart for service,” according to the website. 

“We really started this so that young Tennesseans would get in the habit of serving others, thinking of others,” Maria Lee said. 

Emphasizing creativity, Maria Lee said kids chose a variety of ways to serve from lemonade stands contributing to Texas flood victims, flower deliveries to elderly shut-ins, park cleanups and adding flags to headstones at veterans cemeteries. 

Danielle Johnson, a parent of a first-year challenge finisher, is a strong proponent of the challenge as it strengthens community from a positive lens. 

“I really do think that it helps build community within our state because that is something for our kids to be involved with, and then they can come together, they can be with other kids that are serving,” Johnson said. 

As Gov. Lee’s term winds down, the seventh annual challenge is the penultimate rendition hosted by Maria Lee, but she wants the challenge to remain for years to come. 

“Well, we’re hoping that we leave behind a legacy and that someone will pick up the mantle and keep it going,” she said. 

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Nashville Zoo is pleased to announce the arrival of two rarely seen aardwolf pups. The brother-sister pair are 14-weeks old and were born at the Safari Wild Animal Park and Preserve (SWAP&P) in Como, Mississippi. Nashville Zoo is one of just a few zoological institutions caring for this elusive species. The public can view these animals starting at the Zoo’s HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center where they will be raised. The two pups join a growing group of baby animals at the Zoo’s nursery including a newborn spotted fanaloka pup and the recently announced three clouded leopard cubs.

Aardwolves have historically been difficult to breed and raise with only a few existing in the United States. Nashville Zoo has successfully hand reared scores of carnivore species, most notably, clouded leopards, celebrating 45 births in 30 years.

For more information on Nashville Zoo’s animal care, visit www.nashvillezoo.org/veterinary-center.