Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 10-10-24

What is Front Porch Radio - Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price?

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 10, 2024

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
Mersen Workers Join Union (Press Release)
In a decisive vote, workers at Mersen’s Columbia, Tennessee plant—part of the French multinational conglomerate specializing in electrical power and advanced materials—have overwhelmingly chosen to join the Industrial Division of the Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA). The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election concluded with a 39-13 vote in favor of unionization late on Monday evening, while four additional ballots remain contested. This win represents a critical moment for the 60 full-time employees, who aim to address low wages, safety concerns, and a lack of job progression at the facility.

"We are proud of what we've accomplished by standing together to form a union," said Tracy Jones, a worker involved in the organizing process. "We look forward to working with Mersen to create a safer and more structured workplace and to secure fair wages for everyone."

Workers at the Columbia facility raised concerns about the lack of a clear pay structure, highlighting the need for more equitable compensation that reflects the varying levels of skill and responsibility across different roles. Additionally, there are no formal pathways for temporary workers, which the company heavily relies on, to become full-time employees, a situation that has led to frustration among the workforce. Safety issues have also been a major driver of the union effort, with employees reporting frequent incidents and injuries due to the demanding nature of the work, which often involves exposure to high temperatures and employees working far apart in isolation of each other.

Mersen has experienced significant growth, particularly in the U.S. market. In 2023, the company reported record global sales of €1.21 billion (approximately $1.27 billion USD), with North America contributing €463 million (roughly $486 million USD), driven by strong performance in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and semiconductors. Much of this growth has been supported by U.S. government initiatives like the CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act, which have boosted demand for the advanced materials Mersen supplies.

The success of the Columbia workers follows a growing trend of unionization in the advanced materials manufacturing sector. IUE-CWA has recently organized workers at several other facilities, including MPP in Campbellsburg, Ind., and another Mersen facility in St. Mary’s, Pa., and has seen increased interest from workers across the country in the advanced materials sector.

“Mersen’s strong financial performance and expansion in high-growth sectors like semiconductors and renewable energy make this moment particularly significant,” said Orvin Caraballo, an IUE-CWA organizer who helped the Mersen workers organize. “As more workers in these industries organize, we are building greater density, which will translate into more worker power and better conditions across the sector.”

Mersen’s Columbia workers are eager to negotiate a fair contract that addresses these concerns, and they look forward to collaborating with the company to build a safer and more equitable workplace.

Spring Hill Manager Resigns (TheNewsTN)
On Monday, Oct. 7, the city of Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) voted to accept the resignation of City Administrator Pamela Caskie.
Her resignation will take effect immediately.
Human Resources Director Chris Clausi has been appointed as the interim city administrator. Clausi will carry out the duties of the office as the nationwide search for a new city administrator takes place.
On Aug. 19, BOMA passed Resolution 24-209, creating a Request for Proposal (RFP) to compile bids for search firms to begin the process of hiring a new city administrator. This process began following Caskie’s announcement of her intent to retire at the Aug. 5 meeting.
While there is no timetable for when a new city administrator will be chosen, BOMA and city staff are aware of the importance in filling this position with a top-level talent.
In the city of Spring Hill’s form of government, BOMA appoints a city administrator to carry out the policies and programs approved by BOMA. The city administrator also provides organizational leadership to all city departments and staff.
Further updates about the search for a new city administrator will be made at upcoming BOMA meetings and on the city of Spring Hill website and social media channels.

Local Church Helps Needy in East TN (CDH)
Several East Tennessee communities remain among the many affected by Hurricane Helene's storms late last month, whose path of devastation was reported to have stretched hundreds of miles from the eastern border.
Massive flooding, with historic water levels, has left a swath of areas without the proper resources to provide emergency aid.
Columbia couple Randy and Melissa Jones, who spearhead a greater ministry of volunteers at South Gate Church of Christ in Columbia, deployed to Newport, Tennessee with a food trailer to assist in providing warm meals to those affected.
The church ministry deploys to areas in need during times of tragedy to offer communities in need anything from prayers to warm meals. Pitching in during times of natural disasters has become a big part of the ministry's calling, the Randy Jones said.
While many of the state's first responders have answered the call to provide assistance, there remains the need for food, clean water and medical supplies. The need has prompted many local community groups, churches like South Gate Church of Christ, and volunteers to pitch in by delivering donations and supplies to the victims.
Immediately following last week's storms, the Joneses joined a group of about 10 volunteers, who visited the disaster area in Newport, Tennessee. During that time, the church group was able to serve more than 1,700 meals over a three-day period, while also providing supplies they collected via donations to families in need.
Randy Jones described the state of Newport from the group's observations.
"The community has really been supportive with what we are trying to do," Randy Jones said. "There is such a broad scope of work that needs to be done out there, and we're just trying to do a little bit at a time, do what we can to chip away at this.
"But this is different than anything I have ever seen in scope, probably about 200 miles wide and 500 miles long. You can pick any spot, go there and they need you."
"We served every meal we had, and this was a really needed effort. This was a small community, maybe about 6,000-7,000 people, and they are devastated, no water, no electricity," Jones said.
"You can flush a commode, but that's it because the water's contaminated with all kinds of bacteria. We don't know how long until they can get drinking water back ... and folks are going 5-6 days without a shower and no hot meals. It's a mess."
In some cases, the moisture caused by the rainfall forced some residents who still have standing homes to seek shelter elsewhere.
"We saw this super nice log cabin that was out on the river, maybe 2-3 years old, and there is now a tent out front where they've had to move out and camp in their front yard," Jones said. "There was just so much mold in the house you couldn't stand to be in it, and this was somebody's house, their dream home that they built.
"It's kind of humbling in a way, because we get to come home to a warm bed and a shower, and we can do what we want to do. These people can't."
At the same time, witnessing the number of volunteers giving up their time, money and resources to help out has been just as equally overwhelming, if not inspiring.
"It doesn't matter who you are. If somebody needed help, they'd get it," Jones said.
"It strips away everything except for the need, and some people would come through two or three times a day. We'd ask them what their housing situation was like, what they needed and if we could pray for them. Almost everyone asked us to pray, which I thought was really neat and that we were able to do, and then they'd come back the next day and ask us to pray again."
Jones said this will certainly not be the last trip the ministry will take, and there are still many ways people can donate.
To directly mail donations, send to South Gate Church of Christ at 2700 Pulaski Pike, or visit www.SouthGateChurchofChrist.org and clicking the blue "Give" icon.
"It's automatic and pretty easy where you can donate one time or set it up to do it every week," Jones said. "I'm not computer savvy, but it's pretty simple."
Jones added that South Gate is also one of many cleanup efforts people can take part in.
The important thing, he said, is that the community's response has been one of hope, even during the bleakest of times when hope seems out of reach.
"Even though these people had lost everything, hadn't had a hot meal or a shower in almost a week, they are still looking for the bright side," Jones said. "It's really good to see humanity during its most trying of times coming together and looking for something bigger and better, and it's just good to be there for them to be able to do that."

Maury Regional Breast Cancer Seminar (Press Release)
On Sunday, Oct. 27, Maury Regional Health will host a free seminar led by surgeon Amy Vertrees, MD, about the advanced technology used to detect and treat breast cancer followed by a health fair dedicated to breast cancer resources.
The seminar, titled “What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer,” will begin at 3 p.m. in the Maury Regional Annex located at 1223 Trotwood Avenue in Columbia (across from the hospital). RSVP is required at MauryRegional.com/BreastSeminar or by calling 931.490.7011.
“I often hear in my clinics, ‘I wish I knew that about breast cancer,’” said Dr. Vertrees. “I want to share what I know before you need to hear it.”
Dr. Vertrees is a board-certified surgeon specializing in surgery, breast surgery and robotic surgery. Dr. Vertrees served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army for 17 years, with three war deployments, including Iraq and Afghanistan. She received her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and completed an internship and residency at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. She has been on the medical staff at Maury Regional Health for the past seven years and is associated with Columbia Surgical Partners, which she co-founded.
Before and after Dr. Vertrees’ presentation, representatives from community organizations will be on site to discuss resources for women and breast cancer patients. These groups include:

Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program (Tennessee Department of Health)
Maury Regional Women’s Center
Maury Regional Physical Therapy
Maury Regional Health Care Foundation
Maury Regional Medical Group Primary Care | Columbia

“Breast cancer is a journey — from diagnosis to treatment,” said Administrative Director of Oncology Dana Salters, MBA, R.T.(R)(M). “Our patients don’t have to navigate that journey alone. There are a number of resources available to assist women in our community as they seek the vital care they need, and we are thrilled to have them join us for this afternoon dedicated to women’s health and wellness.”
To register for this free seminar, visit MauryRegional.com/BreastSeminar or call 931.490.7011.
Maury Regional Health offers mammography services at locations throughout southern Middle Tennessee, including the Maury Regional Women’s Center in Columbia, Lewis Health Center in Hohenwald, Marshall Medical Center in Lewisburg, Wayne Medical Center in Waynesboro and Spring Hill Imaging Center in Spring Hill. To schedule a mammogram at any Maury Regional Health location, call 931.380.4044. To learn more, visit MauryRegional.com/Mammogram.

Save the Duck Rally (MSM)
The Duck River Conservancy will hold a “Save the Duck River” rally at 6:30pm on Thursday, October 10th in the Ledbetter Auditorium at Columbia State Community College.
The Duck River is the third-most biodiverse river in the world and the most diverse in North America, supporting 22 species of aquatic snails, 56 mussel species, and 151 kinds of fish. It serves as the only water source for 250,000 Tennesseans, and Maury County locals and visitors enjoy recreation on its waters every summer.
The Conservancy says, however, that the Duck’s water level and delicate ecosystem are in danger, as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) approves more and more withdrawals (like the Ultium plant’s 1.4 million-gallon daily intake). The American River Association named it the third-most-threatened river in North America, by development and overconsumption.
TDEC is weighing eight pending withdrawal requests from utility districts across the state, which would total 73 million gallons per day at a maximum. Columbia Power and Water Services (CPWS) alone seeks 32 million gallons of that total. The intent of the rally is to petition TDEC reduce the amounts allowed for the withdrawal requests.
Doug Murphy, head of the Duck River Agency, said that 73 million gallons sums up the eight districts’ peak hypothetical demands, and that it’s impossible for all of them to pull that much water at once. The Southern Environmental Law Center claims that one-eighth of the water drawn by CPWS leaks and goes to waste.
Developing a conservation plan is even more important in light of summer 2024’s low rainfall, which put parts of Maury County in a moderate-to-severe drought. Leaders in Maury and Williamson Counties implemented drought-control measures, and the Duck River’s water level dipped visibly before recent heavy rains raised it again. Duck River Conservancy head Doug Jones says that TDEC promised to draw up a drought plan in 2007, but didn’t come up with one until 2016.
“The Columbia Power and Water’s permit to withdraw 32 million gallons of water from the Duck will destroy this fragile river, period,” said Jones. “The Duck River Agency and Columbia Power view the river as an infinite resource that will support more heavy industries and many new subdivisions… That viewpoint will literally drain the river.”
Jones claims that TDEC’s current plan to draw from the Normandy Reservoir, proposed by the utility-funded Duck River Development Agency, won’t yield enough water. He advocates installing a pipeline from either the Cumberland or Tennessee River to feed the Duck.

Mt. Pleasant Candidate Forum (MSM)
Last Thursday the Maury Alliance hosted and streamed a candidate forum for the Mount Pleasant City Commission. There are three open seats on the Commission and five candidates, who do not run for separate “wards” as in Columbia; instead, the three candidates who get the most votes win the seats.
The incumbent candidates were optimistic about the future of the city and advocated staying the course. Mayor Bill White and Commissioner Willie Alderson praised the current administration’s work, especially the budget reform that convinced the state to lift a building moratorium on the city. They touted the award Mount Pleasant received on Wednesday from the state comptroller’s office, which applauded the city’s now-exemplary budgeting.
White also advertised his administration’s work to “revitalize” Gardenia Park, to build the fire station and new sewage treatment plant and to repair Mount Pleasant’s water lines, which he said currently saves up to 300,000 gallons of water daily.
The candidates all agreed about the need for growth management, road and sidewalk repair, sewer and water updates, and preservation of Mount Pleasant’s small-town feel. Vice Mayor Jacqueline Grandberry and candidate Loree Knowles took a cautious line on growth, advising voters and officials to make sure all expansions of the town are underwritten by solid infrastructure.
Grandberry reminded the audience that sewer and water needed to be addressed before the roads on top of them, and Alderson proposed to fund infrastructure updates by ending tax breaks for once-new businesses. Knowles promised to fully review budgets, relocate funds to “much-needed areas,” and seek grants to make up for deficits.
Mayor White laid out more specific plans for economic development than the other candidates, recommending that the town cultivate a diverse portfolio of businesses.
“We have a very, very varied workforce here,” White said. “We’re making sure, as we bring industry into our community, that it fits our community and it’s sustainable.”
Knowles promised to focus upon bringing back retail businesses to Mount Pleasant’s Main Street. He rejected the prospect of relying only on car manufacturing, warning the audience, “We’ve seen what that can do to communities.” He spoke well of the manufacturing he had brought to Mount Pleasant, which he said had created about 130 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in industry.
Candidate Lonnie Thomason, a lifelong resident and accomplished businessman, a former Planning Commission member on his third run for the City Commission, sounded a more cautious note about growth. He worried that Columbia’s development plans would “ruin” the Mt. Pleasant Pike, a concern also raised by Columbia City Council candidate Ron Plageman at the Monday candidate forum.
“Mount Pleasant, at this time, is at a good point,” said Thomason. But on the topic of growth management and essential infrastructure, he added, “I want to see some things start happening in town… I’ve talked to a lot of people, and they’re not happy with what they’re seeing.”

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

Terrylee Allen Ervin, 34, a resident of Columbia, died Monday, October 7, 2024 at Centennial Medical Center.
A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

And now, news from around the state…
TN Colleges Rank (Tennessean)
Vanderbilt University maintained its spot in the top 20 of U.S. News & World Report's national universities rankings, which were released last month.
Four other Tennessee universities also kept their places in the top 250 of the national universities list, which includes 436 schools. Additionally, two Tennessee schools made the top 100 of the best liberal arts colleges rankings, which include 211 schools.
According to U.S. News, it considers schools to be national universities if they offer a full range of undergraduate majors, alongside master's programs, doctoral programs and professional practice doctorates. It also defines them as universities with an emphasis on faculty research. Liberal arts schools are defined by their heavy focus on undergraduate education, with at least 50% of degrees awarded in the arts and sciences.
Last year, a change in methodology led to significant changes in how some schools ranked on the list. For example, Vanderbilt dropped five places last year, while University of Tennessee at Knoxville rose 10 places. Others saw even sharper changes, with some falling or rising dozens of places.
This year, the changes in methodology were minimal, according to U.S. News. Still, questions continue to swirl over the accuracy of the methodology, along with the relevance of college rankings as a whole. A recent survey of college admissions officers by Kaplan, a global education services company, revealed 75% said college rankings have lost their prestige in recent years. Vanderbilt also commissioned an in-depth review of five college ranking systems, including U.S. News, that concluded college rankings are undoubtedly popular but flawed by methodological issues.
Here's a look at where Vanderbilt fell among the top 20 national universities in this year's rankings. While the list includes 20 schools, several of them tied for the same place and are subsequently organized alphabetically.
#1: Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey)
#2: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
#3: Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
#4: Stanford University (Stanford, California)
#5: Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)
#6: California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California)
#6: Duke University (Durham, North Carolina)
#6: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland)
#6: Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)
#10: University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
#11: Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)
#11: University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)
#13: Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island)
#13: Columbia University (New York, New York)
#15: Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire)
#15: University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
#17: University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California)
#18: Rice University (Houston, Texas)
#18: University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana)
#18: Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee)
U.S. News best national universities list this year.
Tennessee schools that made that list include:
#109: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
#209: Union University (Jackson)
#220: Belmont University (Nashville)
#244: Lipscomb University (Nashville)
Two Tennessee schools ranked in the top 100 liberal arts colleges in this year's U.S. News rankings.
#45: The University of the South (Sewanee)
#59: Rhodes College (Memphis)

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Nashville resident and comedian Nate Bargatze announced a “Nashville Christmas” holiday show that will be taped at the Grand Ole Opry on Thursday, November 21st.
Tickets will be available on October 11 at 10am. Find tickets at www.opry.com.
Bargatze hosted SNL on Saturday, October 5th, for a second time. In the closing of the show, he mentioned Vanderbilt University’s football win over Alabama. Vanderbilt shared the clip on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “Our guy Nate Bargatze.”
He currently has a deal with 20th Century Fox to develop his own TV show.