Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 2-6-26

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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.

County Commission apprised of possible legislation impacts (MSM)

At its January meeting, the Maury County Commission received a legislative update from its state-level lobbyist, James Dunn, about the coming session of the Tennessee General Assembly.

The 2026 General Assembly began Jan. 6 and accepted bills Jan. 31. Several thousand bills get introduced in each two-year cycle of the General Assembly, and in an even-numbered “Year Two” like 2026, last year’s bills are also going through the legislative process.

Among the important bills, Dunn named State Sen. Joey Hensley’s SB2002, which would cap property tax increases at two percent per year and require a local referendum to raise them further.

“Our position has been that this would take away the autonomy of our local governments and be problematic,” Dunn told the commission. “We’ll be advocating that the state respect the local government[‘s]… ability to fiscally do what it needs to do on behalf of the citizenry, given its mandates.”

If a local government were to find itself unable to fund its mandated services because of this tax-increase cap, he said, the state comptroller would have to step in and run the municipality’s finances, which is a situation that neither party wants.

Dunn also highlighted HB1720/SB1771, which would impose county development standards on non-annexed properties, even those inside cities’ urban growth boundaries. County Mayor Sheila Butt agreed that this was a good development and possibly a stepping-stone to counties having a “seat at the table” in annexations, though cities and developers tend to oppose this prospect when it’s brought up outright.

Finally, the General Assembly has also been presented with a bill and a resolution on the Duck River. Rep. Pat Marsh’s HB1510/SB1590 would expand the mileage of Duck River sections considered “scenic,” to include parts of the river in Marshall and Hickman counties. Meanwhile Rep. Todd Warner’s House Joint Resolution 726 would endorse rebuilding the Columbia Dam, calling it “a critical priority to establish an adequate water supply system for sustained growth, economic development, and recreational use.”

Commissioner Gabe Howard asked if Dunn could persuade Warner, who represents Marshall County, to let a legislator representing Maury County to sponsor the resolution instead. Dunn advised waiting until Gov. Bill Lee’s State of the State address, in which he would address Duck River Watershed issues.

County Commissioner Scott Sumners asked Dunn if the General Assembly could be persuaded to amend Maury County’s Private Act, to direct more wheel-tax revenue towards the roads, where it’s needed, instead of to the jail fund where 50 percent of it currently goes. Dunn agreed that it is a plausible request, since TDOT is now asking for more skin-in-the-game from local governments who want their highways fixed. Still, Butt recommended waiting until after an election year.

Semiquincentennial celebration
County Historian Joann McClellan told the Commission how her Commemoration Committee plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Attending a conference of the Tennessee Association of Museums convinced her that the committee ought to bring out the important interconnections between Maury County’s history and that of the state and the nation at large.

“My hope in sharing these stories would generate a greater interest and appreciation of Maury County’s history,” McClellan said. “Unless you’ve studied Maury County’s history and compared it to histories of other counties, you just don’t know how rich our history is.”

The Commemoration Committee includes members of the County Historical Society, the Spring Hill Historical and Genealogical Society, the African-American Heritage Society, staff at the County Archives, and the head of the History Department at Columbia State. They hope to reach both locals and visitors with July 4 attractions including a lecture series featuring MTSU professors, a genealogy workshop, a quilting workshop, brochure-led tours, and a scavenger hunt leading to about 150 historic sites.

“Our goal is to share the diverse history of this county, to engage the community in an inclusive, multi-generational celebration of the 250th year,” McClellan said.

Maury Alliance report
Maury Alliance CEO Wil Evans presented his organization’s most recent quarterly report. Maury Alliance, now in year two of their “Enhance Maury” strategy, have 22 possible businesses in the pipeline, which could bring up to 658 jobs and $467 million in capital investment, though Evans expects that these numbers will go down as they “cull” inactive projects. These projects check Maury Alliance’s three “boxes” for new developments, which are diversified industry, high wages, and minimal infrastructural impact. Maury Alliance plans to discuss workforce development with their stakeholders at the third Industry Council meeting in 2026.

One of Maury Alliance’s biggest tasks, Evans said, is to create a “cohesive community vision” that they can convince both stakeholders and the average Maury County citizen to buy into. They hope to publish their “vision” documents within this year.

“I think we can all agree, we’ve seen a lot of movement over the last 10 years in the community,” Evans told the commission. “We feel that there’s been a lot of positive impacts… but it’s also presented an absolutely new set of challenges… We understand that we must be more strategic in our work, in order to maintain a community that is desirable as we move forward. We are striving to make things better, not just bigger… We don’t want to sit in a silo [where] our organization just [does] what we think will move the community forward, we want to gain community input, and we feel we’re in a really good position to do that.”

Other business
Stewart Parker of the Industrial Development Board announced that remediation of diesel pollution at a brownfield site on the Innovation Campus cost just under $162,000.

The commission appointed Bill White to the Industrial Development Board, Bradley Woolridge to the Regional Planning Commission, and Greg Martin and Drew Parker to the Hospital Board.

Sumners “applauded” the Maury County Clerk’s decision to install a car-tag renewal kiosk at the Wal-Mart in Columbia.

Commission Chairman Danny Grooms, who represents southwest Maury County, told people in the rural community of Mount Joy that they hadn’t been forgotten, and the state would be snowplowing and salting Rockdale Hill Road.

Finally, the commission passed a resolution asking TDOT to name a bridge on Carter’s Creek Pike after Col. Joe Roberson. Roberson was a resident of Carter’s Creek and a career military officer, who earned the Bronze Star, Vietnam Campaign and Service Medals and other awards in his 30 years in the service.

He taught high-school Spanish in Murfreesboro and Columbia and served as a translator on Central American missions of the Graymere Church of Christ. He also served for 12 years on the county commission, volunteered with the “Tuesday Crew” at Columbia Academy, and wrote a genealogical book about the long-standing families of Carter’s Creek.

Neighbors help neighbors on new ‘Taskquatch’ app (MSM)

The new neighbor-assistance app Taskquatch saw a surge in users in Maury County during the recent snowstorm. The app pairs off people who need services with those willing to perform them for a small fee.

“As most of you probably already know, a snowstorm is expected this coming weekend. In moments like these, we often find ourselves asking who can help us for half an hour. Not a long job, not a big company, just someone nearby who can help prepare a home for the storm ahead. This is exactly where the Taskquatch app comes in,” said Itay Cherkesky, one of the developers. “Taskquatch connects neighbors who want to help with neighbors who need help with everyday tasks. The pricing is fair for both sides, secure and the app is simple and easy to use.”

Salting or shoveling walkways, setting faucets to drip, car rides and other piecework in the “Storm Recovery” menu of services promised to be very handy during the winter storm. The Cherkeskys pitched the app and these services to elderly or immobile people who couldn’t do these tasks for themselves (even creating a nonprofit arm called the “Taskquatch Task Force” for the purpose), or to the owners or real-estate agents of vacant houses. During the storm they asked for volunteers and donors to help those in need.

“This is truly about neighbors helping neighbors and making sure everyone gets through the storm safely,” the developers said. “If you want to help, know someone who needs help, or have supplies to donate, this is a great way for our community to come together.”

Taskquatch is based in Nashville and hasn’t yet officially launched a branch for Maury County, but even so, demand for services spiked here during the winter storm. So many people signed up that many were unable to find other users who had the time or ability to render the services they wanted.

“We have begun to see growing organic interest and signups from Maury County residents,” noted Itay’s brother Guy Cherkesky. “That momentum increased noticeably during the recent winter storm, reinforcing our belief that there is real local demand.”

They heard one particularly inspiring story from Maury County. The out-of-state children of an elderly couple here were concerned about their parents in the storm, especially the risks from ice build-up.

“Through Taskquatch, they were able to quickly connect with a nearby Taskquatcher who came by to spread salt on the front porch and entryways,” Guy told Main Street Maury. “It was a small act, but it made a meaningful difference, offering both safety for the couple and peace of mind for their family, knowing someone local was able to step in and help.”

The Taskquatch team have been hoping to build out their user base in the region; as Guy put it, they’re “intentionally building Taskquatch as a local, community-driven platform that expands neighborhood by neighborhood.”

“What matters most to us is building trust and momentum locally. The growing interest we’re seeing in Maury County points to a real need for a practical, community-first solution, and we are definitely seeing continued growth,” he explained.

Taskquatch expects big donations of supplies in the next several days, and they need volunteers from all corners of the county, to make sure they reach the vulnerable members of the community. Anyone interested in helping the work along, whether through hands-on help or by giving their time, is encouraged to join Taskquatch and opt in as a volunteer for the nonprofit arm, Taskquatch Task Force.

Fast Stop Markets parent company rebrands (Release)

Highland Corporation announced last week that it will officially begin doing business as Highland Energy.

This name and branding change reflect both the company’s history and vision for the future, said CEO Seth Blanks.

Rooted in Hohenwald, Tenn., the Highland name represents a commitment to integrity, strength of character and everyday excellence. As a multi-generation, family-owned company offering comprehensive expertise in the fuel and energy space, this name change aligns with a people-first philosophy and the belief that lasting success is built through relationships, reliability and generosity.

“Highland Energy isn’t a new direction—it’s a clearer reflection of who we’ve always been and where we’re going,” Blanks said. “This name honors the hard work and integrity that built the foundation we’re proud to stand on today. It aligns our identity with the values that have always defined us. We’re grateful for the trust of our customers, and we look forward to investing in the future while continuing to serve our customers and communities in the right way.”

The name change also comes at a time of strategic growth and success for the company, Blanks said. Over the past five years, Highland has seen growth due to the expansion of the Fast Stop Markets convenience store chain, along with Fuel Transport and wholesale fuel business. More than 120 new jobs have been added in the middle and west Tennessee service areas.

In 2026 and the years to come, Highland employees, customers, business partners and neighbors can expect the same commitment to excellence that has fueled this growth. Responsible community stewardship is a top priority, said Blanks.

“We know what the Highland name represents in the communities we serve,” Blanks said. “We’ll continue to represent the name Highland with a commitment to relationships first, serving others with excellence and conducting business based on trust.”

With the name change, business will operate as normal with no disruption to services, Blanks added. All existing contracts, locations and contact information will remain unchanged during the transition.

“While our name is evolving, our mission remains the same: to serve our customers and communities with consistency, care and integrity for generations to come,” Blanks said. “The Highland values of Family, Integrity, Respect, Excellence and Service will never change.”

For more information about Highland Energy, go to HighlandEnergy.com. For questions, call 800-924-8514
or email [e-mail].

And now we take a look at your hometown memorials, brought to you by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…

Steven James Heier, 75, resident of Columbia, died January 31, 2026 at Maury Regional Medical Center. A funeral mass will be conducted Friday, February 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM at St. Catherine Catholic Church with Rev. Regimon Augustine officiating. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Thursday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

James Michael “Mike” Stroud, 80, retired educator and former resident of Columbia, died Monday, February 2, 2026 at The Harpeth at Harmony Hills in Franklin. The family will visit with friends Friday, February 6, from 12:00 noon until 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. A graveside gathering will take place at 2:30 PM at Worley Cemetery in Hampshire, TN.

Mr. Michael Udo Stephens, 49, died Thursday, January 29 at his residence in Columbia. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, February 7 at 11:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Friday from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home

Mr. John William Reischman, 55, resident of Columbia, died January 28 at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro. A celebration of Life will be conducted Saturday, February 7, at 5:00 PM at First Family Baptist Church. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at First Family Baptist Church.

Governor Bill Lee proposes $57.9B budget in his final State of the State Address

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivered his final State of the State Address on Monday night, a speech met with applause inside of the House chamber at the Tennessee State Capitol and the echoes of protestors demonstrating outside its doors.

Lee’s proposed 2027 Fiscal Year Budget totals $57.9 billion, including $477.6 million for higher education, $425 million allocated to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for addressing infrastructure needs, $402 million for public schools, $230 million to TennCare, $117 million for nuclear energy, $83 million for the Tennessee Department of the Military’s construction of a new Army Aviation Support Facility in Rutherford County and $81.6 million for the creation of three new state parks.

The proposed budget also includes a $155 million allocation to Education Freedom Scholarships, which would bring the total number of scholarships provided to 40,000.

Lee’s remarks lasted for approximately 45 minutes and surrounded education, Winter Storm Fern, economic development, rural healthcare and nuclear power. Lee was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Tennessee’s term limit laws prevent him for running for a third term.

Education

Progress in education was one of the key talking points of Lee’s address, with emphasis on increased math and reading scores that the governor linked to investments in public schools, raising the starting pay for teachers from $35,000 in 2019 to $50,000 in 2027, the Education Freedom Scholarship program (which has received 54,000 applications this year for 20,000 spots) and a new kindergarten through third grade literacy strategy.

“We know that kids have to learn to read by the third grade, so that in fourth grade, they can read to learn,” Lee said. “This simple truth has guided our kindergarten through third grade literacy strategy, and the work’s paid off. Today, only six states in the country have fourth graders who read significantly better than ours.”

Lee said that the state has invested more than $2.5 billion into its public schools and plans to include an additional $340 million allocation for public schools in the upcoming fiscal year budget.

Winter Storm Fern

In his opening remarks, Lee addressed Winter Storm Fern, which as of Monday night had taken the lives of 25 Tennessee residents.

“Let me start off by saying, this is an unusual week,” Lee said. “Many in our state have experienced real challenges in the past week due to Winter Storm Fern. There are Tennesseans tonight that are still without power, some who are in this room tonight and there are Tennessee families who lost a loved one in this storm.”

Lee paused for a moment to pray for families who had lost someone due to the storm and to thank power line workers, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee National Guard, TDOT crews, state employees and residents who helped their neighbors.

Rural healthcare

Lee called for updates to certificate of need laws, which he said have turned away $1.5 billion in healthcare investment in the state since 2000, and led to rural Tennessee communities with “few or even zero choices.”

“You’ve heard me say that what happens in rural Tennessee matters to every Tennessean, and together, we have acted on that belief, from my very first executive order for rural counties to investing hundreds of millions of TennCare Shared Savings dollars to strengthen rural healthcare,” Lee said.

Lee said that funding released a month ago from the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund will provide $1 billion over the next five years to aid improvements to healthcare in rural areas.

“This Rural Health Transformation Fund has given us an opportunity that we have to make certain that we do not miss,” Lee said. “In order to be eligible for these federal dollars, Tennessee must take legislative action to make it easier for medical professionals to practice and easier for rural healthcare facilities to operate.”

Nuclear power

Three years after establishing the Nuclear Energy Fund, Lee proposed investing $25 million into the fund this year.

“Tennessee’s Nuclear Fund that you helped to create has already recruited $8 billion in investment from leading nuclear companies around the world, creating thousands of new jobs, and more are on the way,” Lee said.

Democrats’ response

After Lee’s address, Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Rachel Campbell released the following response:

“After 15 years of complete Republican control, Tennessee families are literally paying the price. Housing, groceries, electricity, and childcare are at or near record highs, nearly half of Tennessee families cannot afford the basic cost of living, wages and investment for our public schools remain among the lowest in the nation.

“Yet Republicans have built a system where billionaires and corporations are put above the real needs of working families. Instead of taking meaningful action, Governor Lee has tried to paint a pretty picture. Tennesseans see right through this. We are living the real State of our State each and every day. Democrats believe the government should lower costs, protect our communities, and fight for working people.”

Hattie Jane’s Creamery to Celebrate National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (Maury County Source)

Hattie Jane’s Creamery is once again celebrating the most delicious holiday of the year: National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Participating locations (including East Nashville, Donelson, Columbia and Murfreesboro) will open early at 9 a.m. for this festive, family-friendly celebration. To sweeten the fun, all guests who wear pajamas will receive a 15 percent discount from 9 a.m. to noon.

In addition to Hattie Jane’s signature small-batch ice creams, guests can enjoy breakfast-inspired specials, including a Waffle Sundae (Belgian waffle topped with a scoop of ice cream of choice, finished with whipped cream and housemade berry syrup) and $2 off their Cold Brew Floats (Frothy Monkey cold brew paired with a scoop of ice cream of choice) for the perfect morning pick-me-up.

Hattie Jane’s full menu of signature scoops, as well as seasonal flavor specials such as Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa Cake, Big Rock Candy Mountain and dairy-free Smokey’s Dr. Pepper will also be available for purchase.

National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day has become a beloved annual tradition at Hattie Jane’s, inviting guests of all ages to embrace a little indulgence and start the day on a sweet note. For more information about Hattie Jane’s Creamery, visit www.hattiejanescreamery.com.