Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 8-28-24

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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 August 28, 2024

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
Man Sentenced in Vehicular Homicide Case (Press Release)
On Friday, August 23, a sentencing hearing was held in Maury County Circuit Court following the guilty plea of Clark Daniel to Reckless Vehicular Homicide.

Around 4 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2022, at the intersection of Highway 43 and Williamsport Pike, Reserve Deputy Brad Miller was working security, in a construction zone, in a marked patrol unit, when he was rear-ended by 27 year old Daniel. Deputy Miller died as a result of his injuries.

After hearing testimony from the victim's family, the defendant's family, and a THP Accident Reconstruction expert, Circuit Judge Russ Parkes sentenced Daniel to 4 years probation, with numerous conditions, including no alcohol consumption, counseling, and loss of driver's license for 4 years. Reckless Vehicular Homicide is a Class C felony, carrying a sentence of 3 to 6 years.

Assistant District Attorney Ross Boudreaux prosecuted the case for the state. The crash was investigated by THP Critical Incident Response Trooper Paul Sanders.

Juveniles Arrested for Burglary (MauryCountySource)
Two juveniles – a 17-year-old with a Spring Hill address and a 15-year-old with a Shelbyville address – have been charged with vehicle burglary in Maury County juvenile court in connection with several vehicle burglaries that occurred early Saturday morning, August 24.
On Saturday morning, officers received reports of vehicle burglaries in the Port Royal Road/Commonwealth Drive area. Officers located possible suspects, and gave chase on foot. Police also used a drone to help locate the suspects. A ski mask and a handgun were recovered were recovered in a field (near Commonwealth Drive) where the suspects were seen running.
If you have information regarding this crime or the other vehicle burglaries that occurred early Saturday morning, you may submit an anonymous tip here: https://www.springhilltn.org

Spring Hill Opens Search for Manager (TheNewsTN)
Spring Hill is looking for a new city administrator following the retirement announcement of current City Administrator Pam Caskie earlier this month.
"With the Board of Mayor and Aldermen's approval, I will continue in my current role until a new administrator is appointed," Caskie said in part during the August Spring Hill Board of Commissioners meeting. "This will allow me to complete the work I began three-and-a-half years ago and give me the chance to hand off significant projects with some history to the new administrator."
On Monday, BOMA unanimously approved both a $59,530.58 retirement payment for Caskie, and the beginning of the search for a new city administrator.

TCAP Scores Improve (MSM)
At its Aug. 20 meeting, which was held at Santa Fe Unit School, the Maury County school board watched Superintendent Lisa Ventura present the district’s TCAP scores for the 2023-24 school year. The scores covered all the schools in Maury County from grades 3-10.
The meeting was held at Santa Fe to allow board members to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school’s new auxiliary gymnasium.
The entire school district tended to show proficiency ranging from 25 to 50 percent in any given subject, and each grade across schools typically improved by half a percent to four percent over the previous year’s class, with a few decreases. The best schools consistently had 45 to 65 percent of students showing subject proficiency. The schools which ranked at the top of their grade levels most consistently were Spring Hill High and Middle Schools, Marvin Wright Elementary, and the unit schools. The lowest-achieving schools lingered between five to 15 percent proficient, with the schools that turned in the greatest number of these lowest-in-category scores being Riverside Elementary and E.A. Cox Middle.
Ventura prompted the board to consider the “growth scores,” the progress of a single class from year to year.
“Remember that every percentage point that you see represents almost a thousand children,” she said, without clarifying the sample size. “So it may look like a 3.4 percent increase when you’re talking [about grades] 3-8 scores, but that’s 3,000 kids doing better,” she explained. “I’ll take 42.7 percent proficient in English [in] 2024, compared to the 42.5 we had last year.”
Board member Wayne Lindsey agreed that these looked more promising.
“When you compare [the current and previous years’ score] columns, that’s what it tells me, that we are moving kids in the right direction,” he said. “We might not be at the finish line, but we’re moving there.”
The superintendent attributed the general trend of slight county-wide improvement to an organized push for better instruction.
“I have to say in defense of all the teachers… and all the school leadership, [that] we do have a laser focus on instruction right now,” she declared. “I have a great team in front of me, I have a great team behind me.”
The district’s new elementary-school phonics program has been showing successes since it was instituted last year.
“The phonics program… does my heart good,” Ventura stated. “[A] number of elementary teachers that [spoke] to me… are so excited that they got to keep the phonics program. If you ever have a chance to visit our elementary schools, please ask to see the literacy bloc. You will see kids sounding out words, tapping out syllables, singing fun songs.”
The superintendent acknowledged that the highest, lowest and typical scores are objectively disappointing.
“The hard, heavy lifting is going to be there for a long time,” she admitted. “We are turning an aircraft carrier around. 26 buildings and 13,000 kids is a daunting task, one that I cherish and enjoy… Moving a percentage point is a big deal.”
E.A. Cox, though rated as a “school in crisis,” is receiving great human and material resources, thanks to a School Improvement Grant (SIG) that has brought in coaches to train both students and teachers. The main struggle is to find and keep certified middle-school teachers. The school has trouble with teacher retention even after two better years, owing to frequent leadership changes, a notorious student culture and the availability of preferable teaching posts in school districts to the north and west. The district is considering giving longevity or signing bonuses for teachers there.
Part of the problem comes from the number of uncertified teachers in its population. Cox has the highest proportion of them, followed by Whitthorne Middle School and Columbia Central High, two other schools with low proficiency rates. But at Cox the School Improvement Grant coaches are instructing new teachers in education and classroom management, and the grant has sponsored material improvements.
“There is a lot going into E.A. Cox as far as instructional materials and supplies,” Ventura said. “If you have not been to E.A. Cox in a while, you need to see the library… They have all new furniture, all new books, all new bookshelves.”
Vice Chairman Jackson Carter asked what it would take to reduce class sizes. Maury County classrooms are much fuller than those of other counties in the mostly rural South Central District. Most have 21 to 25 students, while those in Giles or Lawrence or Lewis County average 16 to 20. As of day 10 of the new school year, Woodard, Battle Creek and Baker Elementary Schools are overcrowded: RTI is being taught in halls, elective teachers are pushing carts from class to class, and core subjects are being taught in trailers.
Some students will withdraw or transfer to other schools, Ventura said, but others have just started coming to class because their families didn’t know school started so early. Board member Wayne Lindsey wished that the County Commission had voted to fund the proposed new elementary school.
Not much school revenue is coming in, given the time of year, from property or sales taxes. The district faces a budget deficit of $11 million this year, according to County Finance Director Doug Lukonen, but expects to ease the shortfall with a fund surplus totaling $7.7 million.

Maury County Fair (CDH)
The Maury County Fair is set to kick off a fun-filled Labor Day weekend of rides, events and more at Maury County Park.
This year's fair events are scheduled to run from Thursday through Monday.
Traditionally, the Maury County Fair arrives as the summer comes to an end, with the event growing more popular each year. Whether it is attending nightly main events, loading up on carnival food or riding the rides and playing games for prizes, the fair provides a wide variety of activities to enjoy.
Several Maury County Fair staples will be returning this year, starting with Thursday's rodeo main event.
Other events will include the Fairest of the Fair, a tractor pull, beef and goat shows, as well as motocross on Saturday night.
Senior citizens ages 55 and older can also receive free admission (not including rides) Friday during Senior Day.
The 2024 fair will also bring back My Day from 9:30 a.m. to noon Friday, providing free access to rides and a lunch to the community's special needs children, adults and students. Last year's My Day set a new record with nearly 1,000 in attendance.
For more information about The Maury County Fair, visit www.MauryCountyFair.com.

Concert Set to Benefit Shelter (CDH)
For the past eight years, Rev. Jeff Kane of Westminster Presbyterian Church and Room in The Inn ministry have worked tirelessly to provide shelter, food and a future for those in need.
And while his Room in The Inn ministry has remained steadfast throughout the years, it has constantly faced the challenge of providing enough for its clients, especially what is needed most — emergency housing.
With some setbacks and much prayer, the ultimate goal from the beginning was for Room in The Inn to open its own temporary shelter, which is in the home stretch of becoming a reality.
Though the home is a well-accomplished feat, Kane says there are more out there to serve.
"I get at least two phone calls a day, plus emails from people needing emergency housing," Kane said. "I could fill one of these 10 times over. It has been the highlight of my 38-year career to be able to provide a place like Grace House."
According to Kane, whose ministry previously provided payment for hotel rooms at Columbia Inn, he said the ministry served up to 200 needy families and individuals a year in Maury County looking for shelter.
"Through Grace House, we believe we can better serve the whole family by helping them gain permanent housing and employment to create a better life in the long-term in a safe, supportive space of love and acceptance," he said.
To celebrate, as well as raise funds to cover remaining costs, Room in The Inn is partnering with Southern Roots Radio and The Mulehouse for an evening of music, celebration and fellowship, benefitting Grace House currently under construction that will eventually house four families.
Swanky Southern Nights is an upcoming concert event at The Mulehouse which will benefit Room in The Inn's new Grace House shelter in Columbia.
The show begins with a 5:30 p.m. cocktail hour at The Mulehouse lounge featuring music from jazz duo A Tale of Two with Stephanie Adlington and guitarist Aaron Lessard. Showtime on the main stage will start promptly at 7 p.m. hosted by Southern Roots Radio co-founders Makky Kaylor, Brenda Lynn Allen and Jack "J.P." Plant.
"We hope to get more people and more visibility for what they are doing over at Room in The Inn. I am always impressed with people who really put their hands and feet with their words, and these folks are out there doing some really good things," Kaylor said.
"It's going to be a great presentation. It's going to be like a nuevo twist on the golden age of radio, with a live radio vibe to it and a lot of energy. It's going to be good and we are looking forward to be presenting this, especially here at home."
This is also the first major event at The Mulehouse since coming under new ownership.
The evening's featured guest will be Marty Raybon, lead singer of the group Shenandoah, who will perform an acoustic set along with many other special guests, singers and speakers sprinkled in throughout the night.
Kaylor will also perform with his Swanky South Players band, which will include a performance of his recently adopted Tennessee state song, "Tennessee, In My Dreams." It will also be the first time Kaylor has performed the song live with a band in Columbia since receiving its renowned state song status.
"We're also going to be visiting with one of the guests Room in The Inn has helped, which is going to be really special," Allen said. "It's been really unique how we've been able to collaborate on this."
Tickets for Swanky Southern Nights are available at www.EventBrite.com.
Ticket prices start at $25 for general admission, with additional upgrades and VIP pricing for priority seating, such as $40 for seats in the first four rows, $200 for tables for four at the front of the stage or $1,000 for the Presidential Balcony, which includes your own personal server.
Columbia's Room in The Inn has been dedicated to addressing the local unhoused and displaced families for eight years.
Since its foundation, one of Room in The Inn's goals, other than providing things like food, shelter and a sense of fellowship to its clients, was to open its own shelter in Columbia. Grace House, which sits at 1131 Mapleash Ave., is nearing its final stages of completion.
Kane said The Mulehouse had hosted a similar concert benefit in 2023, and plans were all set to bring it back in time for Grace House's opening this year. However, The Mulehouse underwent a change of ownership during that time, while some of the bands that were booked also began dropping out.
Therefore, the idea of a benefit concert in 2024 seemed less likely to happen. That is, until Kane was visited by Allen two days after the Easter holiday, where the idea of putting on the Swanky Southern Nights event was initially pitched.
"Since this whole thing started, it's been nothing but a miracle, and you could call this an Easter miracle," Kane said. "Makky and Brenda Lynn have been so gracious in being able to jump in and plan it, organize it and oversee the publicity."
Kane added that Southern Roots Radio and The Mulehouse join a very long list of community supporters wishing to see Room in The Inn meet its goal, as well as continuing its ministry of serving local individuals and families with the greatest needs.
"It's been incredible, and the community I can say again and again has been so supportive, so prayerful in helping us get across that goal line," Kane said. "It's contagious, because it's human beings you are touching. While some people might make beds or serve food, with this you really are touching people. You feel like you are making a difference, a real impact, which is why I and others like me keep going."
Kane said he hopes Room in The Inn's Grace House will become fully functional by the end of the year, with most of the construction complete.
The only hangups at the moment are in regard to certain codes and standards needing to be approved by the city.
Kane said he is excited to brainstorm ideas of what Room in The Inn's next major project could be.
"It would be great to do something like get some land and build a bunch of tiny homes, because the need is there," Kane said. "We are still praying, still trying to be patient and trusting. We are going to get there, and with this concert let's sing our way there to celebrate, a great night of singing and praying."

Columbia Academy Lecture (Press Release)
Columbia Academy will host an event detailing the history and architecture of the Columbia Arsenal and details found from the recently discovered blueprints housed at the National Archives in College Park, Md.
The presentation will consist of a panel including: architect Justin Lowe of Centric Architecture, Columbia Academy President Dr. James A. Thomas, and me, County Archivist Tom Price.
Built in 1890 by the United States Government, the 67-acre campus was an active military installation known as the Columbia Arsenal and originally consisted of 10 buildings, six of which remain today. The arsenal closed shortly after the Spanish-American War in 1901 and transitioned into Columbia Military Academy in 1904. In 1979, the academy was turned over to a board from local Churches of Christ as they established Columbia Academy, a now PreK-12th grade private Christian school.
The lecture will take place in the Polk Hall (Upper School) Auditorium on Thursday, September 5th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. This free event is open to the public, and no tickets are necessary for admittance.

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Gwendolyn Marie Montgomery Creager, age 69 of Estill Springs passed away August 24th.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Santa Fe Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Wednesday from 4:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home. 

Bethany Carol Hickman Brothers, 66, resident of Antioch, died Sunday, August 25, 2024 at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital. 
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 4:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. The family will visit with friends from 2:00 - 4:00 P.M. until the time of service at the funeral home Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. 

And now, news from around the state…
More Federal Money for Rural Broadband (TNLookout)
Tennessee is set to receive $813 million in federal funds to expand high-speed broadband internet into rural communities.
The funds were approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration as part of a national effort to extend broadband to underserved communities throughout the United States. 
The funding will be distributed in the form of grants to companies already authorized to provide broadband in Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development said.
The state plans to open the program for applications in November. 
Nearly five percent of the state has no access to broadband, increasingly essential access for school and work.
Over the past five years, Tennessee has distributed $715 million in state and federal funding to broaden internet access.
Under the administration of former Gov. Bill Haslam, the state enacted the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act aimed at increasing access to unserved citizens in 2017. At the time, 34 percent of Tennessee residents lacked access to basic services.

Gas Prices (MSM)
The decrease in pump prices picked up momentum last week, with pump prices across the state falling nine cents, on average. Tennessee pump prices also fell below $3 per gallon last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.93 which is 15 cents less expensive than one month ago and 48 cents less than one year ago.  
Labor Day gas prices are likely to be the least expensive in three years for Tennessee. Today’s state gas price average is 48 cents cheaper that what drivers paid on Labor Day last year and only two cents more expensive than what drivers paid in 2021 ($2.91/gallon). 
“We’re seeing more significant drops at the pump heading into Labor Day weekend, which is great news for those planning a holiday road trip,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Tennessee has also moved into the third least expensive state gas price average in the country and all but one of our major metro areas have metro averages below $3 per gallon.” 

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers), Al Anderson, Liz Rose, Dan Penn and Victoria Shaw will soon become the newest members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF), according to an announcement made by Rich Hallworth, chair of the organization’s board of directors, and Mark Ford, its executive director, at a luncheon held in Nashville’s historic Columbia Studio A, part of Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
Ford introduced each member of the new class. Bellamy was elected in the veteran songwriter/artist category, Anderson and Rose were elected in the contemporary songwriter category with Penn and Shaw in the veteran songwriter category. The top vote getter in the contemporary songwriter/artist category, Brad Paisley, is unable to attend this year’s ceremony due to a scheduling conflict and will be officially inducted next year as a member of the Hall’s Class of 2025.
This year’s five electees will join the 241 previously inducted members of the elite organization when they are formally inducted during the 54th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, November 6, at the Music City Center.