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Daily News from MuleTown to Music City and beyond. Listen to Tom Price read the news of the day from Kennedy Broadcasting, WKOM & WKRM Radio.
WKOM/WKRM Radio
Southern Middle Tennessee Today
News Copy for October 31, 2024
All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
Vandalism Arrest Made in Spring Hill (MauryCountySource)
Eight juveniles were arrested Tuesday following a vandalism incident related to the upcoming Summit/Independence high school football game, which takes place on Friday.
According to Spring Hill Police, a large mortar-style firework was lobbed at a house and exploded very close to the home. Bushes had also been covered in toilet paper which caught fire. The owner was able to extinguish the fire with a garden hose.
Another home and vehicles in the driveway were pelted with a large amount of eggs causing a felony amount of vandalism damages.
Eight juveniles were transported to the Williamson County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with vandalism. The others who were involved who were of legal adult age have arrest warrants pending.
SHPD is reminding citizens to not go overboard with any “activities” related to this upcoming football game.
Early Voter Turnout High (CDH)
Early voting is scheduled to end Thursday for the Nov. 5 General Election, which so far has resulted in a significant increase in voter turnout compared to 2020.
By end of day Tuesday, the Maury County Election Commission reported more than 31,000 votes have so far been cast during the early voting process, totaling nearly 45% of the approximate 70,000 registered Maury County voters.
Historically, General Elections typically generate between 70%-75% total voter turnout.
There has also been a steady increase every four years compared to the previous election, such as 46,000 voters in 2020 compared to 35,000 in 2016.
Chris Mackinlay, Maury County's Administrator of Elections, cites the increase as not only an indicator of growth within the county, but also how the 2024 election has become such a polarizing and media-driven event.
"Everyone knew about this election, because it's all over YouTube, Facebook, all the news stations and the billboards around Maury County," Mackinlay said. "Even people who live under rocks knew this election was going on. All we've done this time is focus on our execution, the speed in which a voter can get through here balanced with the accuracy."
Anyone wishing to catch the final day for early voting Thursday, Oct. 31 may do so anytime between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Maury County Election Commission, 1207 Tradewinds Drive. Voters opting to wait until Election Day Nov. 5 will have to do so at their assigned precinct.
To view the Nov. 5 sample ballot, visit www.MauryCounty-TN.gov/227/Election-Commission.
In addition to votes cast at the commission, this year's early voting cycle also included a second voting station at the Spring Hill Public Library, which Mackinlay said netted about 8,500 votes over three days last weekend.
"We had 200 people in line every day we opened the door," Mackinlay said.
Mackinlay said one of the more important aspects of running an election, in addition to having more than 200 poll workers trained and ready, is through practicing the utmost transparency, which can present its own share of difficulties at times.
For example, if a voting machine were to become faulty, it's not as simple as taking out the old model and bringing in a new one. It involves a highly detailed and carefully monitored process from start to finish, while also keeping the steady flow of voters from becoming backed up.
"Whenever there is an issue, we solve it slow. We know what to do, but we have a couple of poll watchers here, who are the eyes and ears of the voter," Mackinlay said. "It takes a little more doing than simply replacing a machine.
"We have to make sure the new machine coming out has good seals on it and is not tampered with in any way. And with the machine we put away, there is a whole other closing down process that takes place, just to be sure we record the total vote count for the day, and that we seal up the ballots with the highest level of secrecy that we reasonably can."
This year's ballot will also appear in different forms depending on the ward and/or district the voter is registered, such as races for the Tennessee State House in Districts 64 and 71. This can present its own set of challenges when issuing things like paper ballots.
"We have north of 90 unique ballots when you factor in all of the property rights voters," Mackinlay said. "So, the question is how do we store 90 ballots and make sure the correct ballot goes to the right person?"
While running an election is never easy, it involves much detailed work and lots of volunteer hours, the fact the turnout has been so big for early voting makes it worth it, Mackinlay said.
"This is the most politically charged race ever in the history of mankind. I say that kind of tongue-and-cheek, but people are finding reasons to flock to their side," Mackinlay said.
"Though something I've been super proud of is that we've been able to erase party lines while we are here so we can work together towards a greater vision, and that's getting half of Maury County to vote before we close on the 31st of the month."
Spring Hill Ponders Park Upgrades (MSM)
Spring Hill’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen held discussion on how to best use a Local Parks & Recreation Fund grant from the state during its Oct. 21 meeting.
Parks & Recreation Director Kayce Williams said that based on previous direction from the BOMA, the overall grant award had been bid into four separate projects: the Walnut Street Skate Park restrooms and parking lot, Walnut Street pickleball court and sidewalks, the Fischer Park, cornhole, trike track and parking lot and Fischer Park field renovation, lighting and irrigation.
In all, the city has received $802,786.25 to spend on park upgrades, with half of that coming from the state and the other half being a city match. As presented, the lowest bids from all four projects come to just over $813,000.
“What we are here for tonight is to get some direction from you on how you would like to proceed,” Williams said. “If you want to proceed with the grant, with certain sections of the grant… any overage over that $802,000 would be borne solely by the city.”
Williams noted that the grant has a completion deadline of Aug. 1, 2025.
“I think my greater concern is actually getting this completed by Aug. 1,” Alderman Matt Fitterer said. “I think anything involving the restroom and the sewer is very unlikely to get done on time… My question to staff would be which of these options do we realistically think can get done by Aug. 1.”
Alderman Trent Linville agreed that he was “skeptical” of the ability to complete the entire project by the August deadline.
Williams said the city had already spent some of the grant funds on the design process and that if the BOMA chose to walk away from the grant, Spring Hill would have to repay about $40,000 to the state. She also noted that if the city chose to just take its match portion of the grant, Spring Hill could do any of the proposed projects without worry about an artificial deadline.
Mayor Jim Hagaman said he was in favor of moving forward with any portions of the grant that could be ready by the August deadline, saying it appeared that all but the Walnut Street restrooms could meet that criteria.
Ultimately, the BOMA took no action since the discussions were held in the work session part of the meeting. Williams was asked to check with the state if the grant could be modified to only some of the four projects and then communicate that to city officials.
County To Purchase Tornado Sirens (MSM)
At its Oct. 21 meeting, the Maury County Commission discussed purchasing tornado sirens for the rural parts of the county.
The Commission had originally planned to purchase three sirens and have the Emergency Department install them at the Yanahli, Chickasaw Trace and Maury County Parks, at a cost of $135,000. The sirens, which are connected to a much larger network, are meant to be heard out of doors within a one-mile radius, alerting people in remote places to take shelter.
“We looked at areas where people are least protected, outside,” explained Emergency Management Director Jeff Hardy. “There is no quick or easy place for those people to seek shelter, so we felt it was [the] best use of tax dollars to do that first with the limited funds… we were asking for.”
Several commissioners had been strong advocates for the sirens at previous County Commission and committee meetings, and that night Commissioner Eric Previti suggested purchasing four more sirens for Culleoka, Mount Pleasant, Hampshire and Santa Fe, bringing the total up to seven.
“I think that if we’re gonna spend taxpayer dollars, let’s protect the taxpayers,” Previti said. Commissioners Tommy Wolaver, Jerry Bridenbaugh, and Gary Stovall agreed.
Commissioner Scott Sumners, however, suggested that the Commission slow down, voting through its planned three sirens and deciding about others the next month. He reminded them that the lowered siren price (from $55,000 apiece) would last the whole fiscal year thanks to a TIPS bidding process.
“I don’t think we’re in any hurry to rush and get these things right now,” he said.
Commissioner Gabe Howard insisted that the Commission practice fiscal responsibility and not buy too many sirens just because they would come at a discount.
“We came in tonight [planning to buy] three, and somehow we’re up to [seven],” he reminded the Commission. “In this room, we live in this fear of missing out on an opportunity, and this is another one of those perfect examples of that.” He agreed with Sumners and suggested moving the other possible sirens to the next year’s capital projects budget.
The other commissioners, however, saw the need for rural sirens as too urgent to neglect. Commissioner Gary Stovall introduced Previti’s idea as a motion, and reminded the Commission that Middle Tennessee has a secondary tornado season in November and December. The County Commission passed the amended version of the bill 19-2, agreeing to purchase seven sirens.
Columbia Short Term Rental Forum (MSM)
Columbia’s forum on short-term rentals on Oct. 23 fostered a lively discussion, with a range of people offering their views and ideas. City officials emphasized that they wanted to take people’s advice seriously, and both the enforcement of the laws and the forum were meant to bring people into the conversation. They set up a whiteboard and marked votes next to possible solutions as people spoke.
Most of the Airbnb operators advocated for allowing short-term rentals in all places (by abolishing the current zoning restrictions), though many expressed support for instituting a permit system.
“It seems to me that the easiest way to administer this would be to basically allow people to use their home and their property as they choose,” said a realtor from Mt. Pleasant, summing up a popular position.
They agreed first of all that STRs generally improve their neighborhoods.
“It really transformed the street,” said one woman of an Airbnb on her block.
Bobby and Ruth McIver said their Airbnb helps them conserve the history and sightliness of their 175-acre family farm. Renting out a cottage near their house helps keep the farm financially solvent, so they won’t have to sell any of it to developers.
“[It’s one of the] other ways to use your farm, so a small farmer can stay in business,” said Mr. McIver.
Owners also touted the superiority of STRs over Columbia’s hotels, whether the chain hotels on Bear Creek Pike, which some opined, had no character and were too far from downtown, or those on the Nashville Highway which many thought disreputable. Suzanne Roberts, a Franklin resident who owns a triplex in Riverside, brought up the three-star average rating of hotels in Columbia, and compared that to its Airbnbs’ average of 4.8 stars.
Others brought up how short-term rentals (app-based or not) filled a market niche that neither hotels nor long-term rentals can.
“This has been going on for decades in Columbia, week-to-week rentals, because [with] these big landlords, if you don’t have a 700 credit score you can’t get qualified,” said one speaker who didn’t give his name. “For some of our short-term rentals, we have single moms come and stay for 10 days, 15 days, so they can get back on their feet because they lost their job, because there’s no good furnished housing opportunities anywhere else. And guess what? They don’t have to pass a credit check, they don’t have to pass an eviction check.”
The speaker said he heard all the time from non-transient working people, who were looking to stop bleeding money in a hotel and get into one of his STRs.
Others in attendance, however, spoke out about the problems that short-term rentals cause in the real-estate markets of other cities. Alex Pierce talked about how STRs take up housing and drive up rents, and recommended restricting them to owner-occupied spaces near the downtown.
“Allow it in areas that make sense, like right here near the square… and shopping centers,” he stated. “But I see no reason for short-term rentals to be allowed in Sunnyside [for example].”
An Airbnb owner agreed with Pierce, saying that big investment firms were vacuuming up properties to turn into STRs. Another asked the city officials if they could ban such companies from operating Airbnbs.
“I think that’s something to consider: Are you an individual owner, maybe a small LLC, maybe a medium sized business? But not some business in New York,” he said to applause.
But City Planner Kevin McCarthy replied that they couldn’t disapprove a STR based on the owner, only because of the zoning and other laws.
Stan Alderson, now a resident of Riverside said he watched Airbnbs destroy his old neighborhood in East Nashville. He ended by advocating banning STRs entirely in town.
“Two of the three people that have spoken for short-term rentals here, don’t live in Columbia,” he pointed out early in the meeting, and neither did several owners who spoke after him, though most did. “It’s capital manipulating our housing inventory… [which] has been manipulated… enough already.”
Bernard Chikowski, a resident of the Independence development in Carters Station, complained of the disruption caused by STRs in his neighborhood.
“You buy into a neighborhood like Independence and you’re told these are single-family homes, and then you find out that Poulty is selling to investors for rentals, they’re selling to other people that are… short-term renting to the battery plant,” he said. “The business is run next door to you, and then you have to deal with the traffic and the different people that come in and out… The owners of these Airbnbs aren’t the ones that have to deal with that, it’s the homeowners who invested in these properties.”
Susan Doerr, a Montana resident who owns a Columbia Airbnb, pointed out that developers and hotel owners didn’t seem to be held to the same standards as STR owners.
“I don’t think anyone’s telling them what to do with their homes,” she said of neighborhood builders.
Steve Napier, who owns a house in Riverside and a commercial property along Trotwood Avenue, proposed allowing more mixed use of properties in general: to allow for STRs not only in houses, but in commercial spaces as well.
“I have more of a laissez-faire-type approach to it,” he said. “Be more open-minded, to allow additional use in those commercial pockets: for instance, along Riverside Drive, Carters Creek, Trotwood.”
Britt Cox, a professor at Columbia State, suggested moving away from using zoning laws to regulate STRs, and replacing them with individual permits and HOA agreements.
“You’ve had the zoning for two years, and people aren’t following it,” she pointed out.
Permits and HOAs, she said, would also regulate rentals that aren’t on the big apps.
City Planner Kevin McCarthy announced that the City Council and Planning Commission would hold a joint study session on Nov. 6 to draft potential changes to the zoning ordinance. Mayor Chaz Molder said that the zoning ordinance could be changed as early as December.
Vice Mayor Randy McBroom ended by saying that he understood the concerns of all sides. He closed out the meeting by urging the attendees to continue to participate in local government.
“Go to your council member. Talk to them… They’re trying their best,” he said.
And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Sam Jackson Whiteside, 86, lifelong farmer, died Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at his residence in the Dry Fork Community.
Funeral services will be conducted Friday, November 1, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Worley Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Thursday, October 31, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Friday, November 1, 2024 from 1:00 PM until time of the services at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
Betty Sue McCaleb O’Connor, 92, retired secretary for Columbia Office Supply and longtime resident of Columbia, passed away on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at her residence.
Funeral services will be conducted Friday, November 1, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Friday, November 1, 2024 from 10:00 AM until time of the services at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
Brenda Charlene Leach, 73, former cake decorator for Publix, and resident of Columbia, died Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at her residence.
Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Entombment will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 11:00 AM until the time of service at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
Kenneth Eugene Davis, 67, retired self-employed stone mason and resident of Hampshire, passed away Friday, October 25, 2024 at his residence.
Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Davis Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 4:00 PM till 8:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
Virgil Woodard White, 85, retired operator for Texas Eastern and lifelong resident of Columbia, died Monday, October 28, 2024 at Maury Regional Medical Center.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Knob Creek Cemetery with military honors provided by the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19 . The family will visit with friends Friday, November 1, 2024 from 3:00 PM till 8:00 PM, and on Saturday from 9:00 AM till the time of service at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.
And now, news from around the state…
Final Day to Vote Early (Press Release)
Secretary of State Tre Hargett today issued one final reminder that the early voting period in Tennessee officially ends today — Thursday, Oct. 31.
“If you have made your electoral decision go ahead and cast your ballot. Don’t risk not being able to get to the polls on Election Day. Head to the polls today and vote,” said Secretary Hargett.
Through the first 11 days, more than 1.7 million voters have already cast their ballot, including an in-person turnout of more than 1.64 million, which outpaces 2020 in-person numbers.
Those voting early or on Election Day should remember to bring valid photo identification to the polls. A driver's license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government, or the federal government can be used even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.
Tennessee remains number one in the nation in election integrity for the third consecutive year; registered voters can find hours and polling locations, view sample ballots, and more by downloading the Secretary of State’s free GoVoteTN app or by visiting your trusted source for election information, GoVoteTN.gov.
Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Nashville Zoo’s annual Celebrate Reading Days align with this important national holiday and is from Saturday, November 2 to Sunday, November 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
During the first weekend in November, visit Nashville Zoo to hear children’s stories throughout the park. Follow the “Celebrate Reading” passport, as it takes visitors through the Zoo to hear different storybooks read at various reading stops. During the event enjoy activities for young reading enthusiasts and animal encounters throughout the Zoo (weather dependent).
From Saturday, November 2 through Friday, November 8, Nashville Zoo will offer complimentary attraction tickets for anyone donating new or “like new” children’s books. For every 1 book donated they receive 1 attraction ticket (up to 4 per person).
Attraction tickets can be used to ride on the carousel, zip line, or enjoy a viewing at the Chick-fil-A Adventure 4D theater.
All books will be donated to Book’em, a local nonprofit helping economically disadvantaged children discover the joy and value of reading through book ownership. Through their Nashville Kids book distribution program, Book’em has provided more than one million books to children in middle Tennessee. People interested in donating can visit the Zoo giftshop to drop off books then come out and redeem their free ticket.
This event is included with general admission or membership. Reservations are no longer required for Zoo members. To purchase tickets, please visit https://orders.nashvillezoo.org/buy/tickets.