Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 12-11-24

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Southern Middle Tennessee Today
News Copy for December 11, 2024

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
City Receives Block Grant (Press Release)
The City of Columbia is pleased to announce the approval of a $420,000 grant through the 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Imminent Threat Program. This critical funding, administered in partnership with the South Central Tennessee Development District (SCTDD), will support the installation of a state-of-the-art siren emergency notification system to enhance public safety throughout the city.
Mayor Chaz Molder said, “This is a banner day for our community and our efforts to improving and enhancing public safety for all residents. This is a project that I have heard from several folks across many different platforms over the years, so I am proud this project addresses direct citizen concerns and is a result of their input. Most of all, this project represents an important step in strengthening our emergency response capabilities and ensuring our community is well-prepared for all potential threats that may arise. We learned a lot during the tragic tornadoes that came through in May of this year. We learned that we have a well prepared and coordinated emergency response, and we also learned we can never be overly prepared. These sirens will ensure our community is as prepared as ever, and our citizens are safer than ever. We are grateful for the state’s support and for the South Central Tennessee Development District’s partnership in making this project a reality.”
The project will include the installation of 12 strategically placed sirens citywide. The system will feature three electrical sirens equipped with both audible alarms and voice capabilities, as well as nine mechanical sirens designed to deliver audible alarms. Once completed, the system will serve as a vital tool for mass notification.
City Manager Tony Massey expressed the importance of the grant in improving emergency readiness: “This system will be a vital resource for protecting our community. It reflects our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and ensure effective communication during critical situations.”
By implementing this state-of-the-art siren system, Columbia is taking proactive steps to ensure our community is well-prepared for future tornadoes or other natural disasters.
Fire Chief Chris Cummins emphasized the life-saving potential of the system: “A reliable warning system is crucial during severe weather or other emergencies. This initiative will enable us to reach more residents quickly and efficiently, improving overall preparedness and response efforts.”
The City of Columbia extends its gratitude to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for their continued investment in local communities and to the South Central Tennessee Development District for their ongoing partnership in this endeavor. Updates on the project’s progress will be shared as work advances.

Bomb Group Honors Project Recover (MSM)
The 307th Bombardment Group Association held an event on Nov. 9, organized by Morley Levine of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1140, at the Reserve Nursing Home in Spring Hill. There, the Association gave a presentation on the attempts of Project Recover to repatriate the remains of servicemen from downed warplanes.
The 307th Association is a veteran reunion group that fosters camaraderie and friendships among veterans of all wars and their families.
“I’ve been bringing them together like this for over 25 years now,” said Jim Walsh, the president of the 307th, who lives in Spring Hill.
“We recruit as many as we can to come to our reunions,” he said, and encouraged both veterans and their relatives to join. “Even if they’re not in a war or anything like that, or [they’re] family members, they’re welcome to come and join.”
The 307th holds events across the United States; Walsh has plans for another one in June in Kansas City.
The 307th Bombardment Group, after which the Association is named, was a Navy air bombardment group that served with distinction in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“The 307th Bomb Group never received the press, fame and accolades that we piled on the bomb groups in Europe, due to their remote theatre of operation and the fact that many of their missions were controlled by the Navy,” Walsh said in his presentation. “The website (www.307bg.net) has been created to preserve and document the history of the 307th Bomb Group.”
Its most famous alumnus is Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who got shot down, survived on a life raft for 47 days, and endured torture until the end of WWII at the hands of his Japanese captors. The 307th Association introduced Zamperini to Laura Hillenbrand, who wrote the book “Unbroken” about his struggle to survive. In 2016 the book was adapted into the movie of the same title by the Coen brothers and Angelina Jolie, again with the help of the Association.
Walsh’s presentation was about Project Recover, a nonprofit which works with the DPAA to find downed aircraft from America’s last century’s worth of wars. Using modern technology, they look for missing and downed planes that haven’t been retrieved, whether in oceans, deep jungles, and old POW camps, then focus on finding and identifying the remains of servicemen there.
“We find them and… repatriate them back home,” said Walsh proudly.
Project Recover developed out of Project BentProp, another warplane-recovery NGO, which operated from 1999 to 2016.

Short Term Rentals In Columbia (MSM)
At its December meeting, Columbia’s Planning Commission introduced its Zoning Text Amendment plan, which would allow the city to make suggestions and revisions to the city’s zoning ordinance at the end of each year. They also discussed several proposed amendments to the ordinance, touching on important topics.
Foremost among these was their recommendation that the city open up most of its zoning to app-based short-term rentals. After what City Planner Kevin McCarthy called a “robust conversation” with the people of Columbia and the owners of STRs (many of whom live outside of the community), the city revisited its laws about them and brought the resulting amendment to the Planning Commission meeting.
The Commission voted to allow STRs in urban and light-industrial areas with only a simple permit, and with conditional approval in residential zones. The city has created an online zoning map (www.columbiatn.maps.arcgis.com) that displays the STR districting. They also require each STR to have a local emergency contact and opened up accessory dwelling units (e.g., mother-in-law’s quarters) and non-owner-occupied spaces for use as STRs.
There was plenty of comment, especially from private citizens, about the approval process. Many thought that sending applicants through the Board of Zoning Appeals, a process which can take 24 days (which is fast for the city), would take too long. They also disputed the fairness of a $300 annual permit fee, which the city agreed to lower to $150 for STRs in green zones only. Mayor Chaz Molder was sympathetic and suggested cutting out the Board of Zoning Appeals review and hiring another city employee to review STR applications instead.
Jimmy Dugger of the Board of Zoning Appeals asked what would happen to existing STRs in the time before Feb. 13, 2025, when they could open once again for business. (The BZA will start hearing STR applicants on Feb. 13, 2025, since the zoning revisions wouldn’t be passed until the January meeting of the city council. After that, STR owners have to apply by Jan. 21 to be considered at the next month’s BZA meeting.)
Director of Development Services Paul Keltner replied that they would have to wait for their permits like any other business, but enforcement has been pretty hands-off so far.
“We’re not going to go out and put padlocks on people’s doors,” he said.
The councilors admitted that if the app companies hadn’t been sending in their hotel taxes every year, the city wouldn’t even know that it had about 90-100 app-based STRs. As for non-app, off-the-books STRs, no one knows how many are in Columbia.
Autumn Potter of the Historic Zoning Commission, among her other topics of discussion, raised the possibility that historic buildings could be “renovated” into oblivion as their owners tried to turn them into STRs. Molder suggested requiring historic STRs to pass muster with Potter’s commission before getting approved.
Potter also brought up the documented negative effects that come with even upscale app-based STRs, including the pricing-out of poorer residents and a direct correlation with crime. Researchers at Northeastern University, looking at this correlation, hypothesized that the presence of STRs “pokes holes in the social fabric of a neighborhood,” not that the guests commit crimes.
Public commenter Rachel Lantz retorted that what actually attracts crime to neighborhoods are long-term rentals and unregistered short-term rentals: spare rooms and beds advertised by shady landlords, which house desperate people who can’t afford an Airbnb or a VRBO. Several people murmured agreement, with anecdotes told of a drive-by shooting at an off-the-books STR and a long-term rental house used to deal drugs. Molder agreed with the anecdote-tellers based on his own experience.
Lantz contrasted these stories with the reputation and reviews of tidy Airbnbs and their upper-middle-class owners.
“It almost moderates itself,” she said. “As the host, you are kept up to accountability.”
The Planning Commission also weighed amendments to a proposed zoning amendment, in order to make the Arts District more hospitable to new bars and taverns. The amendment would make it illegal to start a new bar, tavern or nightclub within 500 feet of schools, parks and churches, but it lowered the required distance between bars and housing. Molder suggested making the distance 200 feet.
James Shannon, a former police officer who worked with the Beer Board at times, favored a 500-foot separation.
“Five hundred feet sounds like a great distance, but when you actually get out there and start measuring… it’s not that big,” he said.
Outgoing Councilman Danny Coleman suggested making an exception to the law for the Arts District, like the exception that the square has. The back-to-back residential street and houses along South Garden Street currently prevent new drinking establishments all up and down the street, which rather cramps the style of the mixed-use District. The city envisioned it as a place where businesses without much starting capital could get off the ground, and squeezing out bars and taverns a priori seemed contrary to that concept.
“I’m just wondering, how can we allow the Arts District to have a little more flexibility,” Coleman said, “to safely create a… small bar concept… [that] blend[s] in well.”
Other commissioners pointed out that less restrictive zoning would still hem new bars into the southern half of the street, especially since new alcoholic establishments are prohibited in all the rest of the town except for the square. Even an institutional neighborhood bar like the Rebel Grill couldn’t be opened nowadays, and the non-disruptive cigar bar Brierworks, two blocks north of the square, had to be rezoned in order to serve liquor.
Ultimately the commissioners wanted to “protect residences” from the noise and adult connotations of bars, and prevent the southern blocks of South Garden Street from becoming a cluster of them. They left the task of determining an acceptable zoning distance in the Arts District to City Planner Kevin McCarthy.
The Planning Commission also instituted a permit system for “home occupations,” i.e., businesses run out of one’s home in a residential zone. In almost all districts, they agreed to allow “minor home occupations” (businesses which require no major changes to the home itself, and cause little if any traffic or disruption to the neighborhood) with only a permit, while “major home occupations” (which involve major installations/renovations, vehicles, visitors, noise, and to-and-fro traffic) would require approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
City Planner Kevin McCarthy stressed that for home businesses, “denial [of a permit] is rare,” even by the BZA. Permit applications go through a quasi-judicial hearing process, and denial would require evidence and expert testimony that the home business would cause harms that couldn’t be mitigated. Complaints from neighbors anxious to keep their street absolutely silent would not be admitted as expert testimony.

Shaq Gives Back (Press Release)
Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal has partnered with The Beignet Bar to bring joy and encouragement to the youth at Tennessee Children's Home with a heartfelt donation and an inspiring message. O'Neal, known for his philanthropic efforts and dedication to empowering young people, will deliver a special message to the at-risk youth at the Home, urging them to stay focused, work hard, and never give up on their dreams.
In addition to his motivational words, O'Neal will generously donate 100 backpacks to accompany the Shaq-themed gifts donated by The Beignet Bar.
The Beignet Bar, a minority-owned small business based in Nashville known for its array of beignet flavors and benevolence toward community causes, has continued to step up its contribution to the youth at Tennessee Children's Home. As part of this collaborative effort, The Beignet Bar will donate basketballs to the children, giving them the opportunity to engage in sports and build valuable skills both on and off the court.
The Tennessee Children’s Home, with four campuses across the state, serves as a place of refuge for at-risk youth and provides a safe environment where they can grow, learn, and heal. The donation of backpacks, basketballs, and O’Neal’s personal message is a reminder of the impact of community support and the importance of uplifting youth in need.
Tennessee Children’s Home expresses their gratitude for this generous contribution: “We are deeply thankful for the support from Shaquille O'Neal, The Beignet Bar, and all involved in this effort. The gifts and encouragement mean so much to the children we serve and will undoubtedly make a positive difference in their lives.”
Shaquille O'Neal is a Hall of Fame basketball player, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to giving back to the community, with a focus on youth empowerment, education, and wellness. O'Neal’s charitable work extends beyond basketball, and he continues to inspire millions through his positive actions and community-focused initiatives.

Columbia Expands National Historic Registry (CDH)
A recent architectural historic inventory survey of Columbia's historic districts has found three properties eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The survey, which included 542 land parcels, was conducted by Chronicle Heritage, a global resource consulting agency based in Arizona, beginning in May. It spanned five locally designated districts, including areas of West 7th and 6th Streets, Columbia Commercial (downtown), the Athenaeum and Barrow Court.
National Register of Historic Places status doesn't automatically ensure protection, but studies like this are important because it reminds the community about the importance of preservation, and that much like historic documents, photographs and other local artifacts, buildings and architecture hold many stories to tell as well.
The three properties found to be NRHP eligible per the survey include:
West Seventh Church of Christ - 504 W. 7th St.
The Middle Tennessee Bank - 700 N. Garden St.
City Gas Works Retort House - 600-602 N. Main St.
The current West Seventh Church of Christ building first opened Nov. 29, 1925, although the congregation's roots date back more than 100 years prior.
Prior to its West 7th Street location, the congregation had formerly gathered on the corner of South Main and 9th Streets before later moving to a larger brick building on South High Street in 1882. This building now serves as the Polk Presidential Hall adjacent to the James K. Polk Home & Museum.
In 1909, the congregation was also pivotal in the establishment of the Tennessee Orphan Home.
Though not much history could be uncovered as far as the history of the former Middle Tennessee Bank, its address is the current City Hall building at 700 N. Garden St.
The former City Gas Works & Retort House at 600-602 is currently being used as storage.
Other recommendations include expanding the boundaries located within certain historical districts.
In the downtown Commercial District, expansions are recommended along East 8th and South Main Streets to East 9th, South Garden and West 8th Streets.
The report also notes that a separate East 8th Street Historic District survey has not yet been completed to determine if the expansion of the historically black commercial area will also be recommended.
"I definitely support all history being preserved, and all of the structures," said Eric Previti, President of the Maury County Historical Society.
While the MCHS was not involved in the city's inventory survey, Previti said the organization will seek grant funding to place historical markers at some of the sites.
"That's definitely something that'll be coming in the new year," Previti said.
A recommended West 8th Street expansion would also include the South Central Bell Telephone Exchange at 904 S. High St. in the Athenaeum District.
The West End Historic District runs along West 7th Street with boundaries at Frierson Street to the east and the L&N Railroad to the west. Its recommended expansion would include multiple properties between Walker Street and Trotwood Avenue, as well as areas in the north end of the Athenaeum District on Athenaeum, School and Walker Streets.
The West 6th Street and Mayes Place Historic District recommends expansions at Armstrong and Dunnington Streets.
Additional boundary expansions include the West 9th and South High Historic District, such as West 8th Street near Rally Hill, the south side of West 11th Street and Galloway Street at West 9th Street.

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Mrs. Ruby Jean Owens, 84, office manager for Smith Constructors Inc. passed away on Tuesday at NHC Maury Regional Transitional Care following a brief illness. Funeral services for Mrs. Owens will be conducted Friday at 2:30 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Friday from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM at the funeral home.

And now, news from around the state…
No Trash November Results (Press Release)
Nearly 70,000 pounds of litter was removed from communities throughout Tennessee as part of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) 4th Annual No Trash November, a month-long initiative to ensure the state’s roadways and waterways are safe from the harmful effects of litter. Spearheaded by TDOT’s Nobody Trashes Tennessee campaign, No Trash November brings together Keep Tennessee Beautiful affiliates, TDOT Grantees, Adopt-A-Highway groups, youth groups, water groups, and individuals who are working together to end littering. All told, 2,412 volunteers participated in 175 cleanups, collecting 3,207 bags of litter, weighing 69,776 pounds.
More than an eyesore, litter on our public roads and waterways has detrimental impacts on safety, the environment, and the economy. At any given time, there are 88 million pieces of litter on the state’s roadways. TDOT spends more than $23 million annually on litter pickup and prevention education, which is funded through dedicated revenue from Tennessee’s Soft Drink and Malt Beverage industries.
“We are grateful to the more than 2,400 Tennesseans that came together in November to help us in our mission to prevent and reduce litter,” said Michael McClanahan, TDOT Beautification Office. “Community cleanups and individual actions taken last month showcase what we can achieve when we work together to preserve our state’s beauty. We encourage all residents to be a part of the solution to end littering. Even small, simple actions can help, from reducing single-use plastics to recognizing that food waste is litter, every effort counts.”
 
The 4th Annual No Trash November recognizes the following groups for the most pounds collected in four categories: Keep Tennessee Beautiful Affiliate, Adopt-A-Highway Group, Youth Group, and Water Group. The winners include Keep Knoxville Beautiful for collecting 11,865 pounds, Donnie E Horton Post 254 for collecting 2,095 pounds, Conservation Kid in Hamilton County for collecting 315 pounds, and TN Delta Alliance for collecting 6,110 pounds.
New to Nobody Trashes Tennessee and No Trash November is the Trash Masters Rewards program. Participants earn points for various activities like taking a litter quiz, attending cleanup events, and spreading awareness. Points may be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including discounts at local businesses and exclusive Nobody Trashes Tennessee swag. “More than 1,600 people have signed up since we launched the program in October. It's a fun and engaging way for individuals to contribute to a litter-free Tennessee while being recognized for their commitment to the environment,” said McClanahan.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
Get into the holiday spirit at the City of Columbia’s Holiday Farmers Market on Saturday, December 14th from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Riverwalk Park Farmers Market Pavilion!
Shop local vendors offering unique gifts, handmade goods, fresh produce, and more. Plus, enjoy holiday face painting, a Letter to Santa station, and meet special guests like Olaf!
Come for the shopping, stay for the holiday fun! See you there!