Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 10-17-24

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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 October 17, 2024

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
VEC, Inc. Opens in Spring Hill (CDH)
National industrial contractor VEC, Inc. has opened its newest regional facility in Spring Hill, according to an announcement Monday by the Ohio-based company.
The Spring Hill office, located at the Northfield Workforce Development Facility at 5000 Northfield Lane, will serve current and future clients in the Southeastern United States.
VEC, Inc. was unable to disclose its investment, but the new facility will employ five full-time staff members and 25 tradesmen.
Founded in 1965, VEC is a privately held construction company specializing in electrical and mechanical construction. This includes process piping, structural, electrical and mechanical fabrication and industrial piping. The company also primarily operates within the automotive, chemicals, manufacturing, mission critical and pipeline industries.
While Monday's announcement is in regard to the new Spring Hill facility, VEC is no stranger to the area.
"We are so excited to be a part of Greater Nashville and the surrounding community,” said Bruno Frate, Vice President of Manufacturing and Industrial Construction. “We’ve worked here for the past two years, helping to construct the Ultium Cells 2 EV Battery Plant, so we’re thrilled to have a permanent location down here."
VEC continues its work to complete the Spring Hill Ultium plant and was recently awarded work at the Ford Blue Oval Battery Park in Memphis.
"The new office in Spring Hill is part of VEC’s plan for strategic growth. We’re focusing on several different types of projects in the Southeastern United States from this office and we’re looking forward to forming strategic partnerships with local businesses and vendors,” said Jeff Barber, Executive Vice President of Projects at VEC.
“We’ve had the good fortune to work with several local unions at the Ultium Cells 2 Battery Plant and we look forward to continuing to employ these great individuals for the foreseeable future.”

Early Voting (WKOM Audio 2:28)
Yesterday saw the beginning of early voting for the November 5th State and Federal General Elections. WKOM/WKRM’s Delk Kennedy stopped by the Maury County Election Commission and spoke to Administrator of Elections Chris Mackinley to see how the first day of voting went…

Save the Duck Rally (MSM)
Columbia State Community College hosted a “Save the Duck River” rally by the Duck River Conservancy on Thursday night. The intent of the rally was to prevent the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation from approving a set of withdrawal permits for eight utility districts.
The current withdrawal permits allow for about 54 million gallons per day; this set of approvals would raise it to a maximum of 73 million. State officials have denied that all utility districts would ever draw that much water at the same time, but opponents say the increased withdrawals still pose a threat to the Duck River’s imperiled ecosystem and the water supply of hundreds of thousands of people, especially in times of drought.
George Nolan, director for the Tennessee Office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, spoke for the bulk of the evening. Nolan, appropriately a native of Bon Aqua, is a lawyer who has spent his 30-year career advocating for the quality and integrity of water sources. He talked about the Duck’s course and features and ecosystem first. The river runs through seven counties and drains from the watersheds of 12; it supports 151 species of fish (triple that of other Tennessee Rivers) and 56 species of freshwater mussels. The mussels, Nolan and the other speakers explained, are “indicator species” for the health of the river.
“They’re some the first to go when the river is under stress, and they’re the last to come back,” he said.
Most of the endangered species on a list that Nolan showed were mussels.
The river, which supports a $6 million recreational economy and drinking water for 150,000 people in 2018 (now much increased), has suffered droughts in the recent past. Nolan reminded the audience of the 2007-08 drought, which set water officials up and down the state in a panic. Rain saved the Duck that year before its ecosystem had a “meltdown,” but the recovery time for any given drought can’t be known from the future. The Duck’s water level dipped low this fall before hurricane rains raised it again.
The population of Tennessee has also shot up since the pandemic: over 50,000 people moved to the state in 2021, over 80,000 in 2022, and over 60,000 in 2023. The Southeast, Nolan showed with a graph, is the only region of the USA that’s experienced net population growth over the last few years.
“People are coming here from other landscapes, other parts of the county, that are already built out,” he pointed out. “Where the chainsaws and the bulldozers have already done their thing.”
This creates what he called an incentive for construction companies to build out the “pristine landscapes” of Tennessee.
“Our organization is not anti-development or anti-growth, but we do subscribe to the principle that… growth needs to be managed wisely,” said Nolan. “And we have to respect the carrying capacity of our watersheds as we grow.”

Columbia Area Rezoned for Development (MSM)
Columbia’s City Council approved on first reading at its Oct. 10 meeting a rezoning of five properties on Carmack Boulevard, Cemetery Avenue and Pencil Alley from SD-LI (light industrial special district) to CD-5 (urban center character district).
The applicant’s concept has a mixed development of three three-story buildings and a parking garage and was recommended for approval by the city’s Municipal Planning Commission.
Paul Keltner, Director of Development Services for the city, said, “You can anticipate a much more advanced architectural building in a CD-5 vs. an LI, but the setbacks inside the CD-5 will be less.”
Mayor Chaz Molder noted that the current zoning could allow “something far more extensive than what’s been proposed.”
Three nearby residents spoke against the proposed rezoning during a public hearing. A second reading will come at the council’s November meeting.
Robert Scribner said, “I’ve been there since 1973, it’s been the same private street corner. I’d like for it to stay the same.”
Dollie Shipp noted she had lived in the Pencil Avenue area since 1968 and said, “Traffic is already terrible on Cemetery Avenue and the light at Carmack… Anything built right there behind us, there’s no privacy, it could look right into my house.”
In other business, a change to the city’s building and lot size standards received approval on first reading. The changes include an increased lot width of 600 feet (currently 180 feet) for Large Scale Commercial buildings, reducing the minimum frontage buildout from 90% to 60% and eliminating the two-story minimum for buildings in a mixed use PUD in Planned Unit Development Residential zoning, and explicitly permitting structures in Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial zoning to be oriented toward driveways and frontages other than thoroughfares.

Late State Attorney General to be Honored (MSM)
The Clement Railroad Hotel Museum in Dickson will hold its eighth annual Legacy Event on Thursday, Oct. 24, honoring the achievements of a number of Tennesseans, including former State Attorney General and Judge Bill Leech. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30.
Before and after his years as Attorney General, Leech practiced law in Columbia. From 1967-70, he was District Attorney of the 11th Judicial District; then from 1970-74 he was a municipal judge in Columbia. In 1978 he was appointed Attorney General for the State of Tennessee, and he reoriented the office towards advocacy for citizen welfare, founding executive-style legal agencies for the protection of consumers and the environment. In 1984 he returned to Columbia and continued to practice law privately, as a senior partner with Waller, Lansden, Dortch and Davis, until his death in 1996.
Leech is fondly remembered by all who knew him at the local and state levels, and governors and state legislators sought his advice. His last law firm now offers a scholarship in his honor to law students at the University of Tennessee.
The Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, a historic building in Dickson, showcases the Volunteer State’s vibrant history in its exhibits and programs. Tickets for the event are priced at $100 and can be purchased through the museum’s website (www.clementrailroadmuseum.org) or at the front desk. Proceeds from the Legacy Event support the Clement Museum’s ongoing efforts to preserve state and local history, enhance educational programs and grow the museum’s endowment fund to preserve the site for future generations.

Maury Animal Shelter Looks to Expand (MSM)
The director of Maury County’s animal shelter presented a $650,000 request for renovation and expansion of the facility to the Health & Environment Committee during its Oct. 7 meeting.
A motion by Commissioner Patti Hollinsworth to recommend approval was advanced to the Building Committee. That committee opted to move a $150,000 request on to the Budget Committee and postpone a decision on the remaining $500,000 until November, after the bid opening.
Among the issues Kim Rattauf cited were safety concerns with outdated cages at the facility. Drainage issues would also be addressed as part of the renovation, she said. Bids are scheduled to be opened later this week, she said.
“We have drilled clips on these kennels to hold them closed. If we don’t put the clips on, they don’t stay closed,” Rattauf said. “The doors are bent… the screens are broke. They have done well for their lifetime, but they’re old and they’re worn out.”
Rattauf said she had been working for months on coming up with a design, after becoming director early in 2024. She said the design was similar to other kennels she had visited in Tennessee. She also suggested selling sponsorships for kennels in an effort to save taxpayer money, noting that a $140,000 amount placed in the current budget was not close to being enough. The extra $500,000 would be in addition to the already budgeted amount, for a total of $640,000. Rattauf said at the Building Committee that around $20,000 to $25,000 of that initial funding had been spent on shelter planning in order to provide a plan to commissioners.
Rattauf said the shelter took in 235 animals during the previous month and that the shelter was on pace to set an all-time high in animals collected, having taken in 1,858 so far during 2024 as of the end of September.
Commissioner Gabe Howard said he liked the renovation plan but that “we’ve got to get Columbia on board. This is not just a Maury County problem.”
“This is another essential service that the citizens of Columbia want,” Howard added.
Commissioner Eric Previti said he felt that Columbia needed to contribute, saying the city was responsible for nearly half of the animals taken in at the shelter.
“They need to ante up, otherwise it’s on the county,” he said. “Columbia has got to come to the table.”
Rattauf said she regularly attends Columbia City Council meetings, and felt the council was not aware of the extent of the problem because of a lack of communication from the county.
Committee chairman Gary Stovall said the Maury County Commission needed to worry about handling its own business, regardless of whether or not Columbia contributes.
Brandon Priddy, an architect with 906 Studio Architects, told commissioners the $500,000, if approved, would be an “efficient” renovation with block walls and epoxy floor.
“We want this facility to look in 20 years not dissimilar to what it’s going to look like now,” he said. “You’re essentially tearing out all the slab to fix the drainage issues… we want to make it as simple but functional as possible.”
Commissioner Jerry Strahan said the current facility was “worse than what you’re seeing” in photos presented to the committee by Rattauf.
“We need a place where people can come in, visit and look at the animals in an environment that’s conducive to adoption… (Animals) are coming in in droves, it’s inhumane. God asks us to take care of these animals,” Strahan said.
Strahan encouraged every commissioner, along with the public, to tour the facility if they had any doubts as to whether a renovation was necessary.

DUI Checkpoint (Press Release)
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting sobriety roadside safety checkpoints during the weekend of October 18th on the 0 Mile Marker of State Rt. 50 in Maury County starting at 10:00PM .
Impaired driving is a serious crime that kills more than 16,000 people and injures 305,000 people every year in the United States. Troopers will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. Troopers will target those who operate a vehicle while impaired and take corrective actions for other violations observed while ensuring the protection of all motorists.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol recognizes that sobriety checkpoints are highly visible and effective tools in the battle against impaired driving.

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Duralee Gail Sharpton Thomason Thornburg, 76, former owner and operator of Santa Fe Diner, died Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at her residence in the Glendale Community surrounded by her family.
Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM at the funeral home.

Carl Smith Leland, 86, long time resident of Westover Park in Columbia, died Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at Maury Regional Medical Center.
Honoring Carl’s request there will be no services. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com. Memorials may be made to Pleasant Heights Baptist Church Disaster Fund 2712 Trotwood Avenue Columbia, TN 38401; Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home 1310 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027; or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org.

Joseph “Joe” John Pfieffer, 76, lifelong resident of Columbia died Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at Poplar Estates Retirement Center.
A graveside memorial service will be conducted Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Morton Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org. Online condolences may be extended at www.oakesandnichols.com.

And now, news from around the state…
Republicans Hold Sway in TN (Tennessean)
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and former President Donald Trump continue to maintain comfortable leads among Tennessee voters in the last days before early voting begins, a new poll from the conservative Beacon Center of Tennessee finds.
The poll of 1,200 likely Tennessee voters was conducted Sept. 27 to Oct. 8 also found diminished support for publicly funded private school vouchers, distrust of both local and national media among Republicans, and bipartisan discomfort with driverless car services.
The survey has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.77 percentage points.
Blackburn's lead over challenger Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, has doubled since the spring. Blackburn now holds a comfortable 23-point lead over Johnson. That's up from a 20-point lead reported by ActiVote in September, a 16-point lead in Beacon's April poll, and an 11-point lead in Vanderbilt University's spring poll.
Of 954 likely voters polled by Beacon in the Senate race, 54% said they would vote for Blackburn, while 31% said they would support Johnson. Independent candidate Pamela Moses earned 5% support.
Regardless of who voters said they supported in the race, 30% of likely voters say Blackburn is “too conservative,” while 36% say Johnson is “too liberal.” Of those, 15% of Republicans described Blackburn as “too conservative,” while 21% said she is “not conservative enough.” Meanwhile, 15% of Democrats described Johnson as “too liberal or progressive,” while 14% called her “not liberal or progressive enough.
Former President Donald Trump holds a 21-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the first Beacon poll since Harris became the Democratic nominee.
Of 971 likely voters surveyed in the presidential race in Tennessee, 56% said they would vote for Trump, and 35% said they would support Harris. Harris outperforms President Joe Biden in a matchup against Trump, with only 28% of respondents saying they’d support Biden for a second term. Twenty percent of Tennessee Democrats said that if Biden was still in the race, they would vote for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump, or someone else.
Trump significantly outperforms Harris among independent Tennessee voters, drawing 52% of independents, compared to Harris’ 24%.

Gas Prices (MSM)
Gas prices across the state reversed course and surged 12 cents higher over last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.85 which is 10 cents more expensive than one month ago but 30 cents less than one year ago.
“We’re likely seeing the effects of crude oil prices wobbling higher in the form of gas price increases across the state,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “However, even with the increases we saw over last week, we’re still seeing prices 30 cents less expensive than we were at this time last year.”
Tennessee is 10th least-expensive state in nation for gas prices

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Columbia Police Department and F.O.P. Lodge 26 are hosting a Shop With a Cop fundraiser. You can contribute to the fundraiser in several ways – you can purchase a pancake breakfast ticket for $10 or you can donate via Venmo and Cashapp.
The pancake breakfast will take place on Saturday, November 30th from 9am – 12pm at the Maury County War Memorial Building, located at 308 W. 7th St, Columbia. You can get pancake breakfast tickets from officers or come by the Columbia Police Department.
All proceeds from ticket sales and donations go to the Columbia Police Department’s Shop with a Cop event, where local underprivileged children are taken out for a day of shopping, pizza and a movie.