Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 9-20-24

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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 September 20, 2024

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
Spring Hill Considering Purchasing Ferguson Hall (CDH)
Discussions related to the city's potential purchase of one of Spring Hill's beloved historic structures, as well as its future use was brought before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen this month.
Ferguson Hall has stood as somewhat of a fixture upon entering the city from the south side of U.S. Highway 31, dating back to the mid-1800s. Over the years, it has served many purposes from a private residence to multiple schools, churches and even a one-time headquarters for the U.S. Army during the Battle of Spring Hill.
Most recently, the property served as part of the Tennessee Children's Home up until the nonprofit relocated to its new campus off Dr. Robertson Road in October of 2021.
Since then, plans have been in place to redevelop the former Children's Home property into Kedron Square, a mixed-use community of residential homes, retail, restaurants and a hotel.
Yet, what to do with Ferguson Hall, as well as its potential if it were purchased by the city, remained uncertain.
Monday's presentation was led by Battle of Frankin Trust CEO Eric Jacobson, who was joined by Spring Hill Public Library Director Dana Juriew and Spring Hill Historical Commission Chair Alicia Fitts.
As a town with a rich history, Spring Hill's continued growth has created more obstacles when it comes to preserving its remaining historic properties.
"There's not much left of what was once Spring Hill, and I think everyone knows that," Jacobson said. "Right now, there are two conversations at play. One is a discussion with the developer to see what might be done there, and the other is the historical component."
Fitts added the importance of its founder and former owner Martin Cheairs, brother of Nathaniel Cheairs the original owner of Rippavilla Plantation, among others.
"That property is well documented in terms of its importance to the Cheairs family in this community. What may not be as well documented is that family is connected to six other historic structures in this town," Fitts said.
"It's pretty much part of the story and doesn't just stand alone. Having the opportunity to share that story, and the resilience of that particular structure is pretty important to sharing the resilience of Spring Hill. That's the historic piece."
There is also the fact that historic land has become scarce, and the kind of commodity that cannot be reproduced.
"That property is, in many ways, the heart and soul of old Spring Hill," Fitts said. "There are a lot of uses for that building. Of course, you all need to do your due diligence. It is an old house, but I can also say that it's a really unique opportunity that we are not going to get again."
While historic preservation of historic Ferguson Hall is a top priority, another aspect of a potential purchase is how it can be utilized, as it had so many times in the past.
Juriew presented one potential use that could fulfill one of the library's many needs for expansion.
This includes creating a space to store and preserve many of the library's artifacts and historic documents, a project dating back nearly 50 years.
"We've been building this archive since 1975," Juriew said. "We currently have about 70 artifacts, with many of them in storage because we don't have a place to put them now. If you've seen my office, many of them are in there."
It can also be a space that can utilize Spring Hill's unique placement across two counties.
"We think Ferguson Hall is an ideal place where we can grow an archive that supports the county archives both in Williamson and Maury in a way that compliments them but focuses solely on Spring Hill," Juriew said.
And above all, it can be a place people can trust to donate artifacts that will be properly looked after for generations to come.
"People are ready to leave their legacies to us," Juriew said. "They need a place where they know their legacies will be preserved and that they can trust us."
Jacobson commented on the changing landscape of the area with Kedron Square, and that Ferguson Hall could serve as a beacon for community events like the Spring Hill Christmas Parade.
"I would love to see a Christmas tree lighting right there at Ferguson Hall," Jacobson said. "This town is changing, and that area will become much more of a walkable community, and that building, that house and little tract of ground adjacent to the historical presbyterian church is, was and can long be a part of the city's future."
No votes were cast related to the Ferguson Hall property, nor did BOMA members provide comment during the presentation.

CSCC Gets Metallica Grant Again (CDH)
Columbia State Community College, a Year 5 grantee, was invited back for a second year of participation in the Metallica Scholars Initiative and received $50,000 in new funding. 
In the 2023-2024 academic year, Columbia State impacted more than 100 students with MSI funding through scholarships for its Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Academy, dual enrollment Emergency Medical Technician program at East Hickman and Fairview high schools, and Nursing program graduates.
Columbia State is the first and only community college in Tennessee to receive an MSI grant in the six years of the Initiative.
“With limited funding options for short-term credential programs like our Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Academy, the Metallica Scholars Initiative grant has been a game-changer,” said Melody Murphy, Columbia State Workforce and Continuing Education director. “This funding has enabled us to offer partial scholarships, significantly reducing up-front costs for participants. As a result, they can fully engage with the program without the burden of financial stress, paving the way for a more successful and focused learning experience.”
All Within My Hands (AWMH), the non-profit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, recently announced the largest expansion of its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) and its largest grant to date. With the launch of year six, 18 new colleges join the roster of existing MSI community colleges, with each new college receiving $75,000 to enhance the student experience within career and technical education programs. The Metallica Scholars Initiative now has a presence in 60 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam.
“We use our Metallica Scholars Initiative funding for programs that do not have access to the same financial aid students in traditional programs have,” said Patrick McElhiney, director of grants at Columbia State. “The Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Academy participants are not eligible for Pell funding. With the EMT program, while Tennessee does offer high school students a generous dual enrollment grant, it does not cover all program tuition and other out-of-pocket expenses. We were also able to provide scholarships to cover the cost of the NCLEX exam for all Nursing program graduates this spring. Because they have graduated and are no longer considered students, there is no state or federal funding to assist with this certification exam’s expense, which is necessary to start their careers.”
Lineworker and dual enrollment EMT scholarships will continue to be Columbia State’s focus with the 2024-2025 MSI funding. In addition to East Hickman and Fairview high schools, this year the EMT program is expanding to Creek Wood High School.    
“When we launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, it really spoke to me. A collective goal of breaking the stigma of trade skills. Trade skills are vital to society, and what’s even more important is to support the many folks who are trying to create a career by learning and using these skills. I am so proud - we all are - to see how this program is changing lives by providing much-needed resources to empower students, and it’s great that we’re able to make our biggest grant yet to support these students and the future workforce. We are reaching even further for year six of the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This year, our program will be in 60 schools in all 50 states! All thanks to your support,” said Metallica lead man James Hetfield
Launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), MSI began with 10 colleges and primarily manufacturing programs. With steady development by creative and dedicated leadership, MSI offers diverse workforce opportunities for students interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying careers. Additional curricula will include construction, healthcare, and engineering, contributing to more than 25 fields of study offered within the Initiative. To date, AWMH has invested over $10.5M in the American workforce, reaffirming a commitment to career and technical education at the local level.

Tillis Jewelry Estate Sale (WKOM Audio 1:16)
This weekend, Tillis Jewelry in Columbia will be holding their annual jewelry estate sale. With more on the event is our own Delk Kennedy who got to speak to Tillis Jewelry Proprietor Rick Tillis…

Fall Fest (CDH)
Organizers and fall enthusiasts are prepping to kick off the city's second annual Fall Fest later this month as temperatures begin to dip, signifying the first celebration ahead of a slew of holiday events in Maury County.
After embarking upon bringing a brand-new community event to downtown in 2023, Columbia Main Street and Kiwanis Club of Columbia will bring back their Fall Fest and Chili Cook-off from 2-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28.
This year's festival promises to be even bigger and better, including closing down the entire downtown Columbia square to open up more space for the Chili Cook-off, more pedestrians, more food trucks and more activities.
"I'm excited that Fall Fest is back in town because it provides more space for the community to come down, to be together and to hang out while enjoying so many local things, whether that's businesses, interacting with nonprofits or shopping," Columbia Main Street Director Kelli Johnson said. "It's just that time of year when people want to get out and about and enjoy life together as a community."
Visit www.VisitColumbiaTN.com for more information, such as entry forms for Miss Fall Fest and the Kiwanis Chili Cook-off.
To newcomers or anyone unfamiliar with Fall Fest, Johnson describes it as "kind of like First Fridays, but on steroids."
This includes constructing a main stage for live music, as well as a "Fun Zone" and the annual Columbia Kiwanis Chili Cook-off. With October and the Halloween season just around the corner, this year's Fall Fest will also feature a pumpkin decorating contest for downtown small businesses with the theme "Falling in Love with Columbia."
"The contest gives these businesses the opportunity to be at the event in a different way," Johnson said. "They can paint, carve, decorate with accessories and bring it to Fall Fest, where attendees get to vote on their favorite. Everything we did this year was in how we can touch all of the local organizations in town, and so it looks like a true community event."
For the kids, Fall Fest will also have about 300 mini pumpkins to decorate provided by sponsor Wire Masters. Tri-Green will also provide a tractor photo booth.
Live music will be sponsored by Atmos Energy and feature performances by Catapult, The Exotics and headliner Deondra & 46 Story.
Another new change this year will be the Miss Fall Fest Pageant sponsored by Britt's of Columbia, which last year took place prior to the Fall Fest event. This year's pageant will be featured at the festival and is open to anyone up to age 18.
"I'm excited to see the pageant take place at the actual event, because that's going to bring it all together full circle under one roof," Johnson said. "It'll be exciting to see everyone from 0 to 18 years all dressed up and hanging out."
Whether it's ax throwing, snow cone eating or plunging a person in a dunk tank, one of the big highlights of fall fest is what can be discovered in the event's Fun Zone.
This year's Fun Zone is sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Columbia, which promises there will be something for everyone, and for all ages, this year. Much like the festival itself, it will also be bigger.
"I'm thrilled for the community to have Fall Fest, and we have wonderful sponsors who have sponsored not only Fall Fest, but also Kiwanis," Columbia Main Street Chair Suzanne Ganser said. "They made it so we could fund the Fun Zone, which this year included McDonald's of Columbia, Tenn Pin Alley and Caledonian Financial. We couldn't have done it without them."
After making quite the splash last year, the Fall Fest dunk tank returns once again, this year featuring representatives from various local nonprofits raising money per pitch.
The Kiwanis Chili Cook-off will also return, this year boasting a record 20 entries and lots of spices, with one space still available.
"This year's event will be on the entire square, as opposed to last year when we only had half. So that has given us some more room and could allow for more teams," Ganser, who also chairs the cook-off, said. "Our primary beneficiary this year will be Maury County Schools through the Youth Education Foundation."
Putting on a festival in a place like downtown Columbia involves a lot of work and a lot of manpower, but the work has drawn a fall enthusiast crowd of all ages organizers say.
Johnson said the response to last year's inaugural Fall Fest has been nothing but encouraging, especially in the weeks leading up to the Sept. 28 event. It has also inspired organizers to come up with new ideas to make Fall Fest even better than before.
"We've had so many people want to be part of this event because they know this will be a huge event," Johnson said. "That's the exciting part, because we are baby-stepping this event.
"We are going to keep changing and transforming the event each year in a way that makes sense for the community. For example, this year we are opening the back side of the square, which was an easy next step because more people can be at the event."
Johnson is also making extra sure the event will fall on a nice, comfortable day for attendees to get into the fall mood together.
"I've also ordered perfect weather for this year," Johnson said. "I'm really excited for Fall Fest, and I think the community is excited for it. Just be sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes, because you'll be doing a lot of walking."

Career Day at Whitthorne (WKOM Audio 1:08)
Yesterday, Whitthorne Middle School held their annual career day. Front Porch Radio’s Delk Kennedy stopped by to learn more about what the event was all about…

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Wanda Faye Crowe Nix, 75, lifelong resident of Columbia, died Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care following an extended illness.
Funeral services will be conducted Friday, September 20, 2024 at 3:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Friday from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the funeral home.

And now, news from around the state…
TDOC Scheme (Tennessean)
Federal prosecutors have levvied criminal charges against the Tennessee Department of Correction's former chief financial officer and a high-ranking health care executive who prosecutors say schemed together to rig the bidding process for a $123 million contract.
Wesley Olan Landers and Jeffrey Scott Wells are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and to commit perjury, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee announced Tuesday. Landers worked as deputy commissioner and CFO for TDOC from 2012 until March 2020 before joining Centurion, the prison health care company where Wells was a vice president.
If convicted, they each face up to five years in federal prison, the attorney's office stated in a news release.
The alleged misconduct first surfaced in discovery in a lawsuit brought by a competing health care company that lost the contract to Centurion.
In 2019, TDOC started taking bids from health care companies for a new contract for providing behavioral health services to inmates. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, between September 2018 and February 2020, Landers shared confidential information about TDOC's bidding process with Wells using his personal email account and the messaging program WhatsApp.
In March 2020, Landers stopped working at TDOC and took a position at Centurion specifically created for him, where he reported to Wells, according to prosecutors. In July 2020, TDOC announced it had chosen Centurion over other candidates. The company had landed a $123 million contract.
Corizon, now known as YesCare, sued Centurion in October 2020, alleging "Centurion was awarded the Contract under terms only Centurion could meet." As the case progressed, Centurion's senior leadership learned that Landers had provided Wells confidential information, according to prosecutors. In February 2021, they were both fired.
Shortly after, according to the attorney's office, they both began deleting their messages to conceal their scheme. A court filing states that the day Corizon served him with a subpoena, Landers created an account on Quora, a question-and-answer website, to visit pages posing questions such as "How do I delete WhatsApp chats permanently?" and "If the police seize my phone can they still recover all of my WhatsApp messages even if I deleted the app?"

Gas Prices (MSM)
The Tennessee state gas price average is now in its fourth week of declines, falling eight cents over last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.74 which is 31 cents less expensive than one month ago and 70 cents less than one year ago.  
“Falling oil prices and gasoline demand continue to push pump prices lower across the state. We’re now seeing the cheapest pump prices since January,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “It’s likely that the momentum at the pump will continue this week, which means more savings for Tennessee drivers.”
Tennessee is fourth least-expensive state in nation for gas prices

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Known for an all-star lineup of country music superstars, NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE: NASHVILLE’S BIG BASH will return to Nashville’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park with award-winning, multi-Platinum recording star Kane Brown and Grammy® Award-nominated artist Jelly Roll.
Both headliners will perform live from downtown Nashville on NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE: NASHVILLE’S BIG BASH, airing Tuesday, Dec. 31. NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE: NASHVILLE’S BIG BASH was the highest-rated country music program of 2023.
Additional performers will be announced at a later date. For more information visit Paramount Press Express and follow CBS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.