Flood waters recede as cleanup begins in Maury County

As flood waters receded Monday, the residents of the Sandy Hook community in southern Maury County began the slow and grueling process of cleaning up what was left after a flash flood swept though their homes over the weekend.

Jennifer Rodriguez left her home on Sunday afternoon in waist-deep water carrying a backpack and her two dogs. By Monday evening, the flood waters were gone, leaving the floors of her newly purchased, recently renovated home covered in mud and trash.

A recent transplant from Southern California, Rodriguez purchased the three-bedroom home located on Sandy Hook Road in January, and had only just finished renovating it.

She was still in the process of acquiring flood insurance when Sunday’s heavy rainfall led to the banks of the nearby Big Bigby Creek rose filling the interior of her single-story home in at least three feet of water.

Her neighbor's home was irreparably damaged.

“We barely made it out,” Rodriguez told The Daily Herald as she continued the slow process of cleaning.

Radar estimates from the National Weather Service estimate that six inches of rain fell on the region within a matter of hours, a Nashville-based meteorologist told The Daily Herald.

The drenching led to flash flooding in low-lying areas like the unincorporated community, and led local emergency responders to dispatch their swift water rescue teams to float more than 20 residents of the unincorporated community to higher ground.

“I don’t think it was going to be this bad,” Rodriguez said. "I don’t know how I am going to get the mud out."

She said that what hurts her the most is the loss of her garden.

"The house I could care less about," she said. "I lost my chickens. They drowned. You put your heart and soul into something, and it is washed out in one day."

Rodriguez said she initially did not plan on leaving on Sunday, until the rising waters began to rush up from both sides of her property, a lot built on a curve of the winding road that fallows the nearby creek.

“The water broke in through the laundry room,” Rodriguez said. “It happened really fast. It all came in at the same time.”

When attempting to leave, she was swept away, but banged to grab hold of a nearby telephone pole.

“Everything was floating about three feet above the ground,” Rodriguez said.

When she returned early on Monday morning, her newly-purchased refrigerator lay on its back on the kitchen floor after being moved by the rising floodwaters. A goat drowned from the the rising water, now lying dead in her front yard.

“This is traumatic,” Rodriguez said “It is just nuts. I am going to clean it up, then I am going to probably stay here — I don't know."

Her property, which previously flooded a decade earlier by the same rains that led to devastating flooding in the greater Nashville metropolitan area, is not considered a flood plain, although it lies almost within sight of the nearby creek. 

“The people in this area have been trying for years, but FEMA won’t make it a flood zone,” Rodriguez said.  “There was no disclosure that this house has flooded before. It’s shocking.”

As Rodriguez continued to clean out her home with plans to spend the night in her own bedroom, across the street, Jessica Parham and her family were settling in for the night.

Parham left her rented property as the rains began to fall on Sunday, but returned to a home unscathed. However, a shed from a neighboring property was swept into her front yard.

“I was lucky, and I am thankful,” Parham said. “To be honest, I feel a little guilty, because I am over here and I still have everything.”

Down the street from the two neighbors, Sharon Johnson and her family were busy working to repair their air conditioner, which would not restart after floodwaters encroached on the home.

Thier barn, filled with precious collectors items, was flooded. An antique child’s rollmop desk was among their belongings that are now covered in mud and water-logged.

They worked into the night attempting to repair the the air conditioner. As the sun set, they brought out a set of flashlights to continued the work.

“All of this was underwater,” Johnson said of her yard, which borders the edge of Big Bigby Creek.

“It usually just comes up a little bit, but this time, it stopped right at our back poach,” Johnson continued. “It just kept coming quickly."

The rising floodwaters swept away a staircase to their back porch. In its place, the Johnsons placed a picnic table.

It was just so unbelievable,” she said. “It just kept coming and coming. It was very quick.”

The Johnsons said they remained on the property until they were evacuated by boat.

"Everything is just caked in mud, but we just keep telling ourselves it could have been worse," Johnson said.

Her daughter, Cali Johnson, spent the day at home from her high school to help with the cleanup process.

"I didn't think it was going to happen," she said. "I was pretty freaked out."

Travis Jones, a fellow neighbor who lives atop a nearby hill overlooking the creek, climbed down a nearby bridge to inspect a car that was swept under the concrete structure and caught in a mix of fallen trees, branches and grass.

His two daughters watched with eyes ajar as he navigated the debris to check the car that lay partial submerged on its side under the bridge over Big Bigby Creek.

"You paid your health insurance, right?" his wife, Molly Jones, asked as her husband stood on the driver's side of the partially-submerged maroon sedan.

As the floodwaters rose, Jones and another neighbor launched his flat-bottom boat and began bringing neighbors trapped by the waters to dry land. 

"Everybody that is up through here is like family to us," Jones said. "Don't make us out to be heroes or anything. We just wanted to make sure we could help. We are just glad to be able to help. That is what we are doing today."

"This is a good little tight-knit community," Mrs. Jones continued. "We slept in our beds last night, [but] there are a lot of us who didn't. It is sad."

Will Craft, a training chief with the Maury County Fire Department who spent part of Monday escorting members of the American Red Cross through the community, said a water line as high as four feet was recorded inside the flooded homes.

As the local volunteer firefighters arrived on the scene on Sunday, Craft said the responders watched the community rally together and help one another.

"Even with all the bad stuff that happened, there is a lot of good," Craft said. "We saw the community come out and help each other. We saw the surrounding communities come out and help each other. Nobody was seriously hurt, and we are thankful for that."

Craft said the recovery effort will be a long and difficult road.

"There is going to be a lot of work in helping these people get cleaned up and back on their feet," Craft said. "But, they love their community here."

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said he helped a man whose truck was trapped in rising water on Sunday as the rising waters began to wrap around his own vehicle.

"It was a crazy afternoon and I want to thank all the first responders," Ogles said. "There were a lot of resources and a lot of folks."

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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Tornado relief: Tennessee lives up to its name as the Volunteer State

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Mar 7, 2020 at 12:01 PM

NASHVILLE — With thousands signing up for relief efforts after tornadoes tore through parts of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, the state is living up to its nickname as the Volunteer State.

More than 22,000 have signed up to help with Hands On Nashville, a grassroots organization that is directly working with the City of Nashville and the Office of Emergency Management to safely deploy volunteers to areas in need of help.

On Saturday, the organization said it was canceling several scheduled cleanup projects due to an overwhelming amount of community turnout. Volunteers are also urged by public officials not to block city streets as some response vehicles were having difficulty entering areas of need.

“They just keep coming,” a spokesperson for the group, Lindsey Turner, said. “We are seeing again an outpouring of totally overwhelming support of people who want to help.”

In Mt. Juliet, more than 3,000 people signed up to volunteer on the city’s website by the middle of the week.

“I am proud of the response that has been made,” Gov. Bill Lee said of the state’s first responders. “We are working together on this coordinated effort. I have visited with folks who are working to help their neighbors left and right all across this state. Under the worst of circumstances, the best in people comes out, and that is what we are seeing here in Tennessee. It is as we would expect.”

Lee described the situation as simultaneously tragic and hopeful.

“The response has been great,” Lee said of the region’s first responders carrying out a coordinated effort. “There is a tremendous coordinated effort and we have been encouraged by that.”

Just a day after the tornado hit the state, about 2,500 volunteers were ready to help in Putnam County, where at least 18 of the more than 20 victims were killed by the violent storms.

“Please if you want to volunteer, sign-up on the Putnam County website and you will be contacted when we need you to go in and work,” Mayor Randy Porter told news outlets.

In the north Nashville neighborhoods of Elizabeth Park and Osage/North Fisk, volunteers flocked to the region on Thursday and Friday using their own chainsaws to cut down and clear away trees and brush uprooted by the tornado.

Piles of branches and tree-stumps rose beyond the height of the average person as volunteers carried the trees and branches from backyards to sidewalks where the city’s public works department began collecting the debris from the more than 600 Nashville homes and bushiness that were damaged in the storms.

From Maury County, Columbia Fire and Rescue and Columbia Public Works teamed up to provide assistance to Mt. Juliet and surrounding areas on Wednesday. The crew traveled to north of Nashville to clear debris from some of the most heavily impacted areas.

“We are honored to be able to assist our neighboring communities as they begin to rebuild,” the departments said in a joint statement on social media.

A day earlier, just hours after the tornadoes touched down, Spring Hill Fire Chief Terry Hood said his department’s chaplain, Mike Bryant, was dispatched to Division Street in Nashville, where he arrived on scene with a department truck hauling a mobile bathroom funded by the Tennessee Fire Chaplains Association.

Hood said Bryant was dispatched at the request of Tennessee Emergency Management Association through an inter-local agreement shared by departments across the state.

“It is our responsibility to respond to the event,” Hood said.

The City of Spring Hill also sent a public works crew to the City of Lebanon in Wilson County to assist with the clean-up efforts there.

According to Nashville Mayor John Cooper, 25 brush trucks were out picking up tree limbs and construction and demolition debris. The vehicles were evenly distributed across East Nashville, North Nashville and Donelson.

In the coming days, the city expects to have a private contractor come in “that has much larger equipment than we have at Public Works, and the volume of what we will be able to do will be greater and we can work faster,” Nashville Public Works director Mark Sturtevant said Thursday.

With a plan to remove all of the debris from the storm in the next 30 days, the city tells its volunteers that materials must be separated into three categories: appliances and metals; construction and demolition debris including lumber and windows; and vegetation, including brush limbs and all other yard waste.

In the north Nashville neighborhood, school teachers, UBS wealth management specialists and songwriters worked side-by-side clearing branches and tree stumps from the years of homes, some relatively unscathed by the extreme winds and others a complete loss.

City blocks were cleared of brush within a matter of hours as a steady flow of volunteers continued to flood the area.

The damage is expected to total between $1.5 and $2 billion, AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers said Friday.

The damage at the city’s John C. Tune Airport is estimated at nearly $100 million alone, excluding the more than 90 aircraft that were destroyed or damaged when a tornado swept through early Tuesday morning.

As some worked to clear away the rubble, others were busy canvasing the neighborhood delivering meals door-to-door and asking residents what they needed most.

The Elephant, an art gallery and studio space on Buchanan Street, was transformed into a neighborhood hub distributing supplies and water.

Just a few blocks west, Minerva Avenue, a local bar, was transformed into a relief center packed with toiletries, bagged lunches and household supplies to those who remained without electricity days after the tornado swept through the neighborhood.

Tables were set up in the establishment’s parking lot, covered with donated clothing ready to be taken by those in need.

Next door at The Roll Out, a late night food joint, even more supplies were neatly organized ready to be distributed.

A short walk away, a group of volunteers were assembling masks to be used by residents and health care providers.

Local restaurants also pulled up with their own food trucks, giving away warm plates to both volunteers and those gathering belongings from their own homes.

“I am so encouraged to see Nashvillians out doing what they do best, which is to help each other,” said Cooper.

In the first hours after the tornadoes stuck more than $300,000 in donations were made to the Community Foundation.

“What a testament to our city and our solidarity,” Cooper said. “We are resilient, and we are going to rebuild.”

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Mary Hance and Jessica Bliss from The Tennessean, a sister newspaper of The Daily Herald, contributed to this report.

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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Unapproved dump site discovered on land owned by Columbia developer

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 7, 2019 at 12:01 AM

Maury County’s Building and Zoning Office is investigating an unapproved dump located on a property owned by the developer behind the multi-million project to build a hotel and conference center in Columbia.

Building Director Robert Caldiraro visited the site located on the 800 block of Smith Hollow Road on Thursday and found trees and other trash dumped there.

The building director said he also saw piles of asphalt on the property.

Caldiraro said he investigated the site after receiving a tip from a former department leader and an inquiry from The Daily Herald.

“It looks like somebody was using it as a dumping site for a tree-cutting service,” Caldiraro said. “There was an extensive amount of trees, stumps and some piles that I would classify as construction materials. There was wood and siding, but the bulk of it was tree trimmings and stumps.

“If we can get the developer to clean it up, that is all we need. We don’t want to be detrimental to something that will be a benefit to the county.”

Caldiraro later said that what he thought was construction materials was likely other materials dumped by another party.

“If people see a dump, they are going to start putting trash there,” Caldiraro said.

The property is zoned for A2 Rural Residential on the county’s zoning map, and the Register of Deeds office lists Jackson-based developer David Hunt as the owner of the property. Hunt purchased the 30-acre plot in August for $102,000, according to county records.

The Daily Herald attempted to interview Hunt on Thursday and Friday. The newspaper left messages with personnel at his office in Jackson, and the calls were not returned.

The developer, who operates Hunt Services, Inc., closed a $5 million deal in January with Columbia’s Clay Neal of JRN, Inc., the previous owner of the 14-acre site where the Polk Motel stood along with a liquor store and two other businesses.

The deal followed an August 2018 decision by the Maury County Commission to approve a tax exemption on the project estimated at a total of more than $18 million.

Plans for the project include a hotel and conference center along with a 20,000-square-foot retail center and four restaurants.

In November, demolition began at the Polk Motel, with workers removing debris and trees, knocking down the walls of the motel and grading the land.

Remains from the demolished hotel are still on the property but trees removed surrounding the hotel are no longer at the construction site.

After the discovery Thursday morning, Caldiraro said the department is drafting a cease and desist letter that will be mailed to Hunt.

The site is also being reported to the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation.

Caldiraro said the department is also in contact with the developer’s construction manager.

Following procedure, Hunt will have 10 days to respond after receiving the letter before the department will send another letter from the county attorney.

“You can’t just start doing a landfill,” Caldiraro said. “It is a violation of our zoning resolution. Individuals cannot go out there and start doing that to their property. We don’t want there to be a determinant to the surrounding properties and their values.”

Caldiraro said the county has investigated two similar unapproved sites within recent months.

“Is this the first time this has happened? No,” Caldiraro said. “We try to compel them and stay out of the legal aspects of it, but that is where the enforcement lies. My concern is that someone is using it for something other than it is zoned for.”

Hunt previously said the construction site at the development, more than 20 miles north of the rural property where the materials were found, will be substantial and require coordination with the state and city.

“We will be working all winter,” Hunt said in November. “We will start our retail center pad first, then you’ll see movement on the hotel. We’re 95% finished with the design of it. I think construction will start in March or April on the Courtyard.”

Hunt said part of the property will be sold to other outside businesses and nine of the 13 acres of the property that sits along Bear Creek Pike and Nashville Highway appear suitable for development.

“It’s a three-step process,” Hunt said. “We have to get the site ready. The second is getting my development (the retail center and hotel) done. The third is getting the remainder of the property sold for outside businesses.”

After receiving approval earlier this year, Hunt said the project ran into several delays including weather issues and scheduling since receiving government approval for the project in 2018.

“Sometimes on a project, you do not have a lot of control, particularly the weather,” Hunt said. “Last year [in 2018] was the worst weather we ever had as a company. It was extremely wet. It put us behind on multiple projects were committed to finishing before this one in Columbia. I am not going to bail on somebody. I am going to finish up with what I say I am going to do.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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Commission votes down landfill expansion at Chickasaw Trace Park

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Nov 19, 2019 at 12:07 PM

The Maury County Commission has chosen not to pursue an effort to expand the closed landfill next to Chickasaw Trace Park, although some still consider the site a viable option.

The motion to rescind a 2018 decision to close the landfill, and continue pursuit of a more than 20-acre expansion of the dump into the county park, failed Monday during the commission's monthly meeting.

Eighteen commissioners voted against the proposal. Four voted in favor of the continued consideration of the expansion.

“It is time to end this,” Commissioner Sue Stephenson said before the vote Monday. “We have been through this back and forth.”

Since voting to close the landfill in May 2018, the county has paid an estimated $1.5 million to ship waste to neighboring Marshall County, with little movement or discussion of potential replacement sites.

“I am tired of this being held over our heads,” Commission Scott Sumners said before the vote was made Monday.

The motion was offered by Sumners and approved by the Maury County Health and Environment Committee earlier this month.

The Tom Primm Commission Meeting Room was packed to capacity as members of the public asked commissioners to stop considering the expansion into the local park.

“What I am asking for tonight is that you all vote to do something virtuous,” said Greg Martin, speaking in support of the local park. “Do something that is going to take responsibility for a decision that is going to have long-term effects for this community. Something that is going to be rewarding to Maury County. Something that will be consequential, and it will be liberating for everybody involved.”

Commissioners Eric Previti, Craig Harris, Gwynne Evans and Tommy Wolver voted in favor of the continued consideration of the expansion.

Before the vote, Harris stressed that the expansion remains a viable option, and discussion of the potential expansion continued as commissioners considered implementing a new private act, giving the county's park board additional control over all of the government's parks.

“We have some very viable alternatives,” Harris said. “The option still remains a viable alternative. No matter what we vote tonight. It is meaningless. We will be given this as a viable alternative.”

Harris, backed by the county mayor, emphasized that a pursuit of the Chickasaw Trace site would not impede on the county's ability to remain eligible for state funding and that previous concern for funding to Maury County's Yanahli Park.

“It is a little bit discouraging but I am assuming with an 18 to four vote, the remaining four will let go of it,” Gale Moore, a leading opponent of the expansion, told The Daily Herald.

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Additional power transferred to parks board

During the Monday meeting, the commission approved the new private act in a 16-6 vote. Commissioner Previti, Harris, Evans, Linda Whiteside, Wayne Patterson and Tommy Wolaver cast the dissenting votes.

The commission previously voted in approval of the act, which was sent to the state legislature for approval supported by Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Columbia, on behalf of the commission.

Now, any changes to the park system's land, including a potential landfill expansion into Chickasaw Trace Park, would require approval from the park board.

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Landfill closure moves forward, options available

In compliance with regulations set by the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation, the commission also voted to approve funding for a fence to surround the landfill which was covered with soil in recent months.

A series of makers and flags now sit at the site to indicate where a fence will be constructed to surround the closed landfill.

The covered landfill will eventually be returned to the county parks department for recreational use.

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said Monday that the county and TDEC identified two potential sites for a new landfill, and a third, when considering the proposed location at Chickasaw Trace Park.

“We had a lot of good support from the commissioners and the fact that Mayor Ogles has some alternatives, that really changes things,” Moore said. “We look forward to those sites becoming a reality. We know that this is a tough process and we recognize that. It is just that any place in the world is better to put a landfill.”

During the Monday meeting, the mayor continued to voice his opinion that the county should not pursue a project at the park, but must consider all options to best use taxpayer's funds.

“It has been an issue that has come up for several times,” said Don Morrow, the commission chair. “We have put it on hold to see what we can do with our garbage. We are ultimately in charge of the garage in Maury County. We need to be creative.”

Ideally, Morrow said the county should find a 100-acre site zone the land for a 100-acre landfill.

An operation of that size would have an expected lifespan of about 30 years and the additional land would provide a buffer zone for neighbors along with a safety net for any leaks.

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A contentious topic

In the past decade, the park has become the home of the annual 15K trail race and Jailbreak Triathlon put on by the Columbia Cycling Club. The park is also the home of Knob Creek, which runs through the park and lies less than a quarter of a mile from the proposed expansion many of whom make up a vocal group that opposes the expansion.

A Class III/IV landfill designated for construction/demolition wastes, shredded tires along with landscaping, land clearing and farming waste, has remained a contentious topic in the county with opponents to the site continually sharing images of unapproved materials being dumped at the site, including mattresses and other household products.

Stephenson says the 340-acre county property, which contains both a public park and the landfill, was originally acquired by the county from the Tennessee Valley Authority for $250,000 in 1987 and designated under the stipulation that it be used for outdoor public recreation as well as a site to dump brush and chips only.

A year later, the county commission voted to rezone the land for industrial use.

“What happened in this area of Chickasaw was not meant to happen,” Stephenson said. “We violated our agreement with the United States government. This was never meant to be a landfill. It was meant to be an area of recreation with a smaller area for wood chip and brush collection. This does not demonstrate a wood chip and brush collection.”

Maury County Attorney Daniel Murphy says the property was already in use as a waste collection site before the county acquired it from the federally owned corporation.

Both Stephenson and members of the public have continually stressed that continuing operations at the current site remains in violation of one of the commission's own resolutions not to place a waste deposit within two miles of the Duck River. The landfill rests less than a mile away from the Duck River, the primary source of water for the entire region of more than 2 million inhabitants according to a 20-year-old census.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation previously sent a notice of violation to the county because the landfill had exposed waste and leachate. Leachate is any liquid that, in the course of passing through matter, extracts a component of the material contaminating the surrounding area.

Although there is runoff from the dump, recent studies of the river indicate the water remains clean.

Commissioners previously said about a third of the state's landfills are leaking leachate at any given time.

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Middle Tennessee's trash problem

The Greater Nashville Regional Council, which consists of the Metropolitan Nashville and the surrounding counties, including Maury, continues to draft a master plan for the region's waste management as a whole.

The Marshall County landfill is expected to reach capacity in eight years, and the Rutherford County landfill is expected to reach capacity in six.

“We have a regional problem, and there is an opportunity to have a landfill in Middle Tennessee that addresses these problems,” Ogles said in May. “Let's get a final solution that will last in Middle Tennessee for 50 to 70 years instead of a Band-Aid approach and a reactionary approach.”

Maury County could eventually be considered to host a facility that would be used by the entire region.

Under the right circumstances, Ogles said that he would consider having such a facility in the county, as such a project is expected to create about $2 million in annual revenue. He also promised to serve as an advocate to avoid any establishment of a mega-dump or radioactive waste center anywhere in Middle Tennessee. He said the study strictly considers the region's surrounding counties and no out-of-state waste.

“You have to look at all your options before you make a decision so that when you make that decision it is well informed,” Ogles previously told The Daily Herald. “I will get the best information I can, from the state, on this issue. I will give you that information and you will make the decision on what is best for this county.”

A June 2019 brochure of the study does not name any potential sites, but it calls to establish an online centralized source of information, increase marketing and public education campaigns on recycling and encourage recycling or waste reduction through financial incentives or by reforming fee structures or billing practices.

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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Columbia’s Taekwondo champion takes nationals

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 10, 2018 at 12:01 AM

Just a few short months ago, Columbia’s Danielle Gibson was named one of the 10 best Taekwondo fighters in the world.

Now, the 16-year-old Maury County native has earned her spot as the best in the nation.

At the Choong Sil Taekwondo Federation National Championship in Clarksville, Gibson earned the top spots in sparring and fighting, automatically winning the title of national champion.

“I don’t really believe it,” Gibson told The Daily Herald, between teaching lessons at Columbia Taekwondo.

She now wears her prized jacket, which has the words “National Champion” stitched into the back of her dobok, a traditional white uniform worn while fighting, training and teaching.

After qualifying to compete in the national championships for three years, this year marked her first victory at the competition, despite being placed in a class with competitors twice the size of the fighter, just over 5 feet tall.

“It is surreal,” she continued. “It is just nice. I have worked hard for three years, and it makes me feel really good.”

Gibson first began training as a shy 4-year-old. By the time she was 8, she had earned her first-degree black belt.

She is now a second-degree black belt who is working to become a full-fledged teacher, with the long-term goal of owning her own dojang.

With complete dedication to the growing sport, Gibson decided to be homeschooled in order to concentrate on her fighting.

Nearing the end of her high school career, she is starting to receive letters of interest from universities and colleges, including Vanderbilt, Belmont and MTSU.

“My hard work is just paying off, and I need to work harder now,” the young national champion said.

Columbia Taekwondo owner Tyler Russ trains with Gibson at least two hours every day. He says Gibson’s proficiency likely will make her one of the youngest masters in the organization.

“It shows that we are on the right track,” Russ said of the recent victory.

Russ himself has earned five national championship jackets and expressed his enthusiasm for the legacy to continue through Columbia Taekwondo.

“It solidified the fact that we are doing the right thing,” Russ said. “We just need to keep moving forward and keep training.”
He called his student’s performance at the national competition “flawless.”

“When she stepped on the mat, she did what she intended to do,” he said.

This is not the first time the young fighter has made a significant splash in the word of martial arts. In July, Gibson traveled to Birmingham, England, where she represented the U.S. and her home state at the Taekwondo International World Championships.

The equivalent of the Olympics for Gibson’s chosen discipline of Chong Sil Kwan, she returned from the United Kingdom with the gold in team sparring with fellow fighters Alex Hampton and Victoria Walton.

Chong Sil Kwan is a traditional form of the Korean fighting style of Taekwondo. The style was created with the intention of developing an individual’s mental and physical well-being through a highly stylized and deliberate method of rigorous martial arts training.

Founded by Grand Master Robert H. Hardin in 1984, the Mid-American Taekwondo Centers, later becoming the Choong Sil Taekwondo Federation is based on the style developed by Hardin.

There are more than 20 dajans practicing Choong Sil Taekwondo in Tennessee. The discipline is practiced in 15 states across the country, from Pennsylvania to California.

From student to mentor

Gibson first began training as a shy 4-year-old. By the time she was 8, she had earned her first-degree black belt. She is now a second-degree black belt working toward obtaining her teaching certificates.

“I used to be really shy,” Gibson said. “My dad used to come out on the mat with me.”Just a few short years later, as a teenager who can drive herself to the dojang located on Trotwood Avenue, Gibson works as an assistant trainer, teaching the school’s more than 100 students.

“The older black belts, I bonded with them. Now I try to do the same with the younger students,” Gibson said.

Russ, 28, says, when you do the math, he only has two additional years of experience over her.

“The potential she has for the future is way higher than what mine will ever be,” he said. “She does a great job, she loves to teach and she is very mature for her age.”

Along with her daily training regiment, Gibson spends much of her time working as an assistant trainer at Columbia Taekwondo.

Coming toward the end of her high school career, Gibson is starting to receive letters from universities and colleges including Vanderbilt, Belmont and MTSU.

Her primary goal will to someday own her own dojang.

“It has always been a part of my life,” she said.

Fight like a girl

As a young woman, Gibson is proud to say that some of the toughest and most dedicated athletes in the sport are female.

“Every year at nationals, a crowd gathers around us,” Gibson said. “We can get violent with it. People are dumbfounded when I tell them I am a second-degree black belt. I like it. I am different and I life being different from the crowd.”

While she is busy concentrating on giving her opponents a run for their money and stunning spectators in their tracks, Gibson has her very own cheer squad in the form of her very proud father.

Charles Gibson calls his daughter the most disciplined, courageous athlete and person he knows.

“She is a skilled athlete and she is as sharp as a knife,” he said. “She has grown up with the sport and it’s an adrenaline rush to watch her compete. It is amazing how a girl can represent her martial arts school and the state of Tennesee in another country.”

When his daughter won her first match in the Arena Birmingham, his cheers could be heard from across the 15,000-seat stadium.

“It amazes me to watch a young kid to grow up and do what she always wanted to do, Gibson said. “I don’t have a gun, my daughter is my gun, and she can be meaner than hell.”

Gibson’s name sits on the top 10 positions of major international standings, and she remains listed at the top for her local region.

“She has made a lot of accomplishments in the past year,” Russ told The Daily Herald.

In January, she competed in the 2018 AKA Warrior Cup in Chicago, where she won several medals and trophies.

No matter where Gibson competes, her father Charles Gibson is there to cheer her on.

“She really kicked some butt,” he said after she earned the title of national champion. “It makes me proud to know that she’s a champion. It also makes me very proud to know that she believes in setting a goal and never quitting until she achieves it.”

“Year after year, she set her heart to her goal,” he continued. “That is the type of person that she has become.”

In May 2017, she competed in her first international competition in Alberta, Canada, where she brought home the gold medal in patterns.

In the coming year, Gibson plans to attend the 2019 AKA Warrior Cup, where she will have a chance to join a kickboxing team competing on the international level.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.

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Former GM employee shares troubled work history at Tennessee plant

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Jan 27, 2019 at 12:01 AM

For the first time in his life, 59-year-old Darren Fish is struggling to support himself and his family.

The longtime General Motors employee was let go from his position at the auto manufacturer’s Spring Hill Plant on March 27, 2018, after 39 years of working for the company in facilities from New Jersey to Texas and struggling with health issues he says were caused by working on the line.

Now, months after losing his job, the ongoing battle has taken a toll.

“I am in a hole,” Fish told The Daily Herald. “I have never had to pawn anything before.”

The longtime worker is struggling to make rent. In recent days he was handed an eviction notice. Before the start of the new year, his black Chevrolet Suburban was towed away from his Spring Hill condominium after missing a car payment.

Fish says he has used up all his savings to stay in Spring Hill and oppose the termination while simultaneously taking care of his family in North Carolina.

Fish says he has used up all his savings to stay in Spring Hill and oppose the termination while simultaneously taking care of his family in North Carolina.

“I am in a situation where I have no more resources for anything,” Fish said. “I am going through emotional stress right now. I know I am a strong man, but this is seeping in. My family is taking it hard and I am a family man.”

Fish says his termination at the plant is the result of the facility’s inability to cope with his health issues — a compressed spine — and claims there is a systemic prejudice toward aging employees at the plant.

“Detroit needs to get down here and see what is going on,” he said. “How can you destroy a man who has put in 20-plus years? This is a wrongful termination.”

Fish, a native of New Jersey, moved to the Spring Hill plant in December of 2016, after working in Texas, Georgia and his home state.

The former autoworker first began feeling pain in his back while working at the Georgia plant in the mid-2000s, installing jack plates on GM minivans. His bosses at the plant then sent him to a doctor who diagnosed him with spinal cord compression, which has since hindered his ability to walk, bend over and lift heavy objects.

He then moved to a plant in Texas in January of 2007 and underwent surgery. After the procedure, he took on multiple jobs and then found a position that did not hinder his health.

At the Spring Hill plant, employees rotate positions, many Fish says he could not take on in his condition.

“Every job they put me on, I was trying,” Fish said. “I was trying hard and they kept calling it. They knew the job they were putting me on were things that I was not supposed to be doing.”

He says that despite being aware of his condition, and having previous recommendations from physicians on file, those at the plant still required him to do tasks on the assembly line that doctors recommended he not do.

After being discharged from the plant, Fish says he was offered a last-chance deal to surrender his grievances and return to a position he previously held at the Texas plant.

The former employee says he declined the offer with the intention of making a change in the way the local plant operates and works with its employees.

“I would like for General Motors to investigate this and other wrongful activities at the plant,” Fish explained. “I think it is wrong how this plant has treated me and others,” he said.

The former GM employee says he has filed complaints with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission along with grievances at the local chapter of the United Auto Workers Union which are being reviewed in Detroit.

Local UAW Chairman Mike Herron said the union could not comment on the case as it remains under deliberation.

GM has also declined to comment on the matter.

Fish says he plans to file a lawsuit against GM after recently learning the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission upheld his case.

The autoworker with more than 30 years of experience with the company says he is not the only one who has had similar experiences with the plant.

Diamond Harris, a 15-year employee of GM who transferred in to the Spring Hill plant in late 2017, stands by his former co-worker.

“I have worked five different facilities and Tennessee, by far, is one of the most interesting places I have worked.”

Harris, a second-generation GM employee from Michigan, says he has witnessed and personally experienced acts of racism at the plant and has watched aging employees systematically removed from their positions.

“It is just a really sad situation,” Harris said. “They are targeting people. That is literally what is happening. There are people here who are frustrated.”

He says those workers from out-of-state appear to be targeted most, after expansion at the plant in 2017 and 2018 gave job priorities to Tennessee workers with leadership positions going to younger local workers.

Harris says he was fired from the plant after receiving a single write-up after weeks of requesting a transfer to the night shift to take care of his newborn son and three other children during the day.

After a year of fighting the dismissal with a complaint and union grievances, he was again working in the plant with a last-chance offer from GM.

Harris says the ongoing issues have inhibited the plant’s productivity in the time he has worked at the site.

“I don’t have a problem talking about General Motors if it can help General Motors,” Harris said. “I have worked at a lot of facilities and maybe this will help them see what is going on.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald.

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The up and up: Maury County’s economic growth in 2018

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 30, 2018 at 12:01 AM

It was a big year for Maury County and its most overarching narrative — new business.

This year saw win after win when it came to economic expansion for the county and the trend is likely far from over, with much of that news revolving around the county’s once quiet Cherry Glen Industrial Park just north of Mt. Pleasant.

The Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance, a key economic development point of contact for the county, reports the creation of 381 new local jobs in the past 12 months, a total of $135.9 million in capital investment and a $14 million increase in local payroll, diversifying the county’s workforce into new industries and bolstering those that are already in the region.

“It has been a very exciting year,” said Wil Evans, president of the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance. “Looking at this year, while we did see two automotive announcements, related to GM and Toyota, we also saw new industries in food and ceramics.”

In total, the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance made six major announcements this year, as opposed to three major projects in 2017, with unemployment still below the national average and nearing some of the best numbers in the state.

With the latest unemployment numbers at 2.9 percent, this year has seen an average unemployment in the county between 2.5 and 3 percent, below the most recent national unemployment rate of 3.7 percent. The local numbers near that of the state’s lowest unemployment rate of 2.5 percent in Williamson County.

“As we look ahead, we look to continue to grow the workforce,” Evans said.

This year, The Tennessee Department of Labor named Maury County the top county in the state for manufacturing job growth and the 20th in the nation.

“With these recent announcements, our pipeline remains full for 2019,” Evans said. “We are now looking at 21 projects for the county, a total of $3 billion in capital investment and just under 6,000 jobs.”

In February, The Doug Jeffords Company, a family-owned Williamson County manufacturer of seasoning and spices, announced it would relocate its operations to the Cherry Glen Industrial Park, taking over an existing 77,000-square foot facility, previously home to ASCO Numatics, which closed its Mt. Pleasant location and moved 110 jobs to South Carolina in March 2017.

The move brought 35 positions to the county and $4 million in investment.

In May, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Smalticeram USA, Inc. officials announced that the company planned to establish new operations in Cherry Glen.

The ceramic and tile ink, glaze and pigment producer and distributor said it will invest $4 million and create 26 new jobs for the county, moving into a 50,000-square-foot facility constructed by the county to attract companies to the park in Mt. Pleasant.

A $1,325,000 joint venture between Maury County, the Mt. Pleasant Power System, the City of Mt. Pleasant and the Tennessee Valley Authority, the building was constructed using taxpayer dollars with the intention of selling the structures to a manufacturer or large industrial company, with construction beginning in 2016.

“Smalticeram has been in business for almost 50 years in the sector of industrial ceramic. With the opening of a branch in Mt. Pleasant, it will take us a step further in the program of internationalization,” President of Smalticeram Carlo Alberto Ovi said. “Today, the market of North America has become strategic for our group and it offers us excellent opportunities. We are sure Tennessee will reflect at best all of our needs and we will do anything to make our finest contribution for the growth of the Mt. Pleasant.”

To the north, auto components manufacture Faurecia Interior Systems broke ground on a new Spring Hill facility in August, bringing 143 new jobs in a $30 million investment to southern Middle Tennessee.

Formerly known as Project Field of Dreams, the new plant expands the region’s auto manufacturing base including General Motors, Comprehensive Logists and Magna seating, giving employees an average salary of $42,206.

“We are excited to expand our presence in North America to the Spring Hill community of Tennessee,” said Donald Hampton Jr., Faurecia’s president. “Exceptional partnerships with community leadership, and the highly motivated and skilled workforce in this state, made this opportunity possible. I know that together we will continue to deliver the best in high-quality products to our customers.”

The 145,000-square-foot facility, which encompasses phase one of the project at 3555 Cleburne Road, is estimated to be complete sometime next year, and will focus on manufacturing door panel assemblies. Phase two will expand the building to almost double the initial size.

Also in August, the Maury County Commission approved an agreement that will bring a 110-room Courtyard Marriott to the corner of Bear Creek Pike and Nashville Highway by 2020 and provide tax breaks to developer Hunt Properties in order to incentivize the construction.

The $18.5 million project will replace the vacant Polk Motel, a liquor store, doughnut shop, and title-loan business at the busy intersection.

“It is great for us to become a part of this community,” Developer David Hunt of Jackson said following the unanimous vote. “Columbia is a tremendous market. This community is growing and doing amazingly well because of leadership like yours and the leadership we have in the city.”

Organizers say the complex will host more than 150 events throughout the year.

Four hotels have built locations near the Bear Creek exit of Interstate 65 since 2010. A fifth is under construction behind Stan’s restaurant. The Courtyard by Marriott will be closer to downtown for tourists headed to the Ridley Sports Complex and the city’s refurbished, vibrant downtown.

“There is opportunity to live and work in the same community, and we are seeing the economic and retail growth,” Evans said.

Although the new hotel is not a Maury Alliance project, Evans said the office did consult with the city on the deal.

“That is a big boom that we are seeing along with the main industrial sector,” Evans said.

This year, the local chamber has seen a 5 percent growth in membership numbers, many of which are new local small businesses, Evans said.

In October, the Solvay Group announced it would invest $22 million in its existing Mt. Pleasant facility over the next five years.

The company, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium with around 26,800 employees in 61 countries, makes specialty products and chemicals used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction.

The Mt. Pleasant facility on Mt. Joy Road produces specialty products for the copper mining industry.

An advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges, Solvay innovates and partners with customers worldwide in many diverse end markets. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.

The site has 108 employees producing products for specialty applications.

Mt. Pleasant also saw a new anonymous project confirmed, Evans said. Known as Project Window, the secretive new business which wishes to remain anonymous due to its competitors, created 27 jobs and $9.5 million in investment in the region.

On Halloween, Japanese auto components maker Fuel Total Systems made another major splash to the local economy announcing it would create 150 new jobs and invest approximately $60.9 million at a new 110,000-square-foot facility in the Cherry Glen Industrial Park.

The news was shared like no other local project this year as Toyota of North America Vice President Noby Tanaka celebrated the new plant singing Queen’s “We Are The Champions.”

FTS is a manufacturer of automotive plastic fuel tank systems and related automotive components. The company focuses on the development, design, manufacturing, and sale of fuel tanks, appurtenant parts, as well as engine and hybrid components. The manufacturer is based in Japan and also has an operation in Kentucky.

The new 110,000-square-foot facility in the Cherry Glen Industrial Park, set to complete its first phase of construction in August 2019, will supply a new Toyota/Mazda plant 90 minutes away in Huntsville, Alabama, which is planned to begin production in 2021.

At the announcement, now-former Mt. Pleasant Mayor Jim Bailey referred to the park as a waking giant.

“Cherry Glen Park has been a sleeping giant for years,” said Bailey, who also previously served as county mayor from 2002 until 2014. “One of my greatest disappointments as county mayor was that we did not put this park up in the time that we should have,” he continued. “But today, I am so pleased that FTS has acquired this property.”

The expansive, more than 500-acre property just north of Mt. Pleasant on Highway 43, was acquired by the county in the early 2000s from a farming family.

“Mt. Pleasant is about having a ready workforce,” said Rolfe during the project’s reveal. “They (FTS) looked across the state and they picked your community, and at the end of the day, it was simply the feel of this community. That speaks volumes about Mt. Pleasant, the Columbia area and Maury County, Tennessee.”

After a long stint of inactivity and the groundbreaking of the 2016 spec building, the county-owned industrial park did not see much movement except for the departure of SCO Numatics in 2017.

“These recent announcements are a sign of things to come,” Evans said.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.

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Maury County Commission anticipates growth ahead

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 29, 2018 at 12:01 AM

As Maury County’s leadership enters a new year, Don Morrow, the county’s newly appointed commission chairman, says the region must prepare for one thing above all others — growth.

“I have seen a lot of changes,” Morrow said. “I see progress coming in. It’s here, and it is something we have to address.”

Morrow has watched a building, once home to a dress shop his mother owned, torn down. He has seen the structure that once housed his family’s local grocery store disappear.

“We are going to grow with or without the leadership,” Morrow told The Daily Herald. “We are here to prepare and act as economically supportive to the people of Maury County as we can. I am humbled to be entering my fourth term with the county, with all the growth and everything we are seeing hopefully my experience will help.”

Estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau named Maury County one of the state’s 10 fastest-growing communities with a growth rate of 2.9 percent in 2017.

The census shows the Nashville metropolitan area continues to see its population grow faster than the rest of the state. But central Davidson County saw more residents leaving, likely moving to the surrounding areas.

Lewisburg, just south of Columbia, was reported to have the sixth-fastest population growth among the nation’s micropolitan statistical areas at 3 percent.

In 2017, Maury County was identified as one of the top counties for purchasing power in Tennessee by New York finance technology company SmartAsset.

The top 10 spots, which included Maury County at the end of the list, are all in relatively proximity to the state’s metropolitan centers.

With an average annual cost of living of $31,045 and a median annual income of $47,692, SmartAsset said Maury County has a purchasing power index of 69.56.

As the county continued the process of implementing the Financial Management Act of 2018, consolidating all of the local government’s finances under a single roof in an effort to remedy a series of recent audit findings, the chairman says Maury County is off to a good start.

Morrow, who has served as a representative of the county for 12 years, says the board will act proactively, to try and keep the county’s residents from having to pay for the increasing needs of the growing community.

“Growth brings kids for schools, more traffic, more crime and need for services, it brings more garbage,” Morrow said. “The growth encompasses a lot of issues to town. It encompasses all the departments of the county and we have to stay on top of it the best we can.”

He says it is going to be a tough task for the county.

“I think our biggest hurdle is going to be the schools,” Morrow said. “For every thousand people who move here, if they have one kid, that’s another elementary school. We need to keep our education system where it needs to be so we can continue to draw business to the area.”

With an estimated population of more than 92,000 residents, the county has grown by more than 25,000 in the past 20 years making it the 16th-largest county in the state.

“People want to come to an area that is growing but has good schools and good roads,” Morrow continued. “We have got to make sure we do it right.”

The chairman says safety will remain a top priority for the county, making sure the region has safe roads to travel and schools for students to learn in.

“I will always encourage passion, and I want for each member to fight for those in their district and stick to their guns,” Morrow said. “But at the end of the day, it is about our respect for one another and our desire to work as a whole. The main thing for all of us is to do what is best for the taxpayers and the citizens of the county.”

Heading into a new year, he says the county’s leadership is working with the interest of Maury County’s residents in mind.

“I like what I am seeing from the county commission, they all have new ideas, and that is what we need,” Morrow said. “Everybody needs to be organized and objective. Maury County can move forward with the right kind of leadership and it’s time to see what we can do.”

Former chairman shares thoughts on term, future of county

The new chairman was unanimously elected to the seat after the August election and the departure of former chair Michael Fulbright, who pursued an open seat for state representative.

“There are many things that I will miss about being on the County Commission,” Fulbright told The Daily Herald. “I was a part of a great team that accomplished great things. That teamwork and camaraderie is unlike anything else I have experienced.”

Fulbright says his proudest moment on the commission was the completion of Columbia Central High School, a $46.4 million project, which first opened in August 2016 at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year with the completion of its first structure that houses classrooms and administrative offices, the first step in a now completed three-phase project.

“It is a testament to the emphasis that our county places on education, and preparing for a stronger community in the future,” Fulbright said. “Helping create an atmosphere of accomplishment and growth within the county commission is another thing I am very proud to have been a part of. We had a group focused on improving our community instead of personal agendas and personal glory.”

As chairman from 2016-2018, Fulbright spearheaded the commission that approved the implementation of a new financial management system, two new schools in Spring Hill, a decision to close the county landfill located directly next to Chickasaw Trace Park and the approval of a new courthouse in Mt. Pleasant.

“I felt as if I could help keep our group of commissioners focused on the goal of moving our county forward, and not become distracted by egos and political games,” Fulbright said. “I have always looked for common ground and never put myself as the focal point. I feel like this was a quality that allowed the county commission to accomplish great things with few distractions.”

As the commission moves forward, Fulbright says the board must look to the county seat and find a way to restore the Maury County Courthouse in downtown Columbia and other aging public structures.

“The next commission will have to address the challenges presented by an aging courthouse with many safety issues,” Fulbright said. “There are numerous ideas on how to correct this situation, but it will take strategic planning and consensus in order to bring about solutions. The next commission will be wise to address the Maury County Public Library. This too is an aging structure in need of upgrades. Whether is it renovating the existing building, or building a new library, our community is in need of upgrading our existing library in order to make it a hub of community learning and intellectual growth.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald.

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Youth riders kick up the mud in opening race at Chickasaw

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Sep 23, 201 at 3:59 PM

Youth riders had a muddy start to the season as they competed at Maury County’s Chickasaw Trace Park for the Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League Race Series.

More than 400 young bikers peddled through showers that put the region on a flash flood watch and shut down the Pilgrimage Music Festival to the north.

The National Weather Service reported the region saw between 1 and 2 inches of rain by Sunday afternoon and expected to see an additional 1 to 3 inches in the coming day.

The rains briefly stopped as middle school and 8th-grade riders traversed the 12-mile track located near the banks of the Duck River.

The conditions made for a tough and draining ride as mud stuck to the rider’s tire treads. Many riders pushed their bikes at some of the steepest and slipperiest segments of the course.

“I would rather it have kept raining,” said Landon Coe of the Harpeth Youth Cycling Club.

Maury Regional EMS said there were no major injuries at the race, just scrapes and bruises.

Independent rider Grace Pendleton finished the leading spot for varsity girls and Hunter Connell peddling for Knoxville’s Smoky Mountain Bears did so for the boys.

In junior varsity, Presleigh Jennings of Marshall County High School took the lead with Watt Hackney of Christ Presbyterian Academy leading the boys.

Camilla Willbanks of the Williamson County Composite Team took the lead in the sophomore girls category and Will Stacey of Harpeth Youth Cycling took the lead in the sophomore boys division.

In freshman girls, Natalie Norwood of Marshall County High School took the lead and Bond Alman of the Smoky Mountain Bears did so for the boys.

In middle school girls, Libby Neubau of St. Andrews-Sewanee School took the lead.

Chase Binkley of Marshall County High School led the 8th-grade boys.

Andrew Stacey of Harpeth Youth Cycling Club led the 7th-grade boys and Braden Dean of the Smoky Mountain Bears took first for 6th-grade boys.

The league will go on to compete at Bakers Creek Preserve in Knoxville on Oct. 7 and Shelby Farms in Memphis on Oct. 21 followed by the state championship at St. Andrews-Sewanee on Nov. 11.

“A lot of these kids are brand new to the sport but they are growing with it and enjoying it,” said Cooper Magli, assistant coach for Christ Presbyterian Academy. “We will race rain or shine. This is what separates the sport from a lot of others. We embrace it and just try to have fun.”

Five months earlier, the Maury County Commission debated to close the park and expand the landfill adjacent to the track. Instead, the commission voted 16-6 to close the landfill. The commission is now creating a plan to ship waste out of the county as they search for a new location.

If they did not take any action, the county would have faced losing grant funding from TDEC which includes projects in Hampshire and at Yanahli Wildlife Management Area, located east of Columbia.

“Chickasaw is one of the most established mountain bike parks in Middle Tennessee,” Magli said. “We have been coming here for years and years. It is crucial. Without Chickasaw here, we wouldn’t know what to do. Of the four races in the year this is probably the best venue.”

The park is home of the Columbia Cycling Club and nine miles of trails managed by the organization. Each mile of trail is valued at $10,000. The property is also frequently used by Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops.

Proponents of the space say Chickasaw Trace has gained a reputation as one of Middle Tennessee’s premier venues for triathlons, mountain bike and trail running races, which bring events with upward of 250 visitors and participants.

The Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League was organized in 2012 with support from partners and sponsors.

The league operates with the goal of providing high-quality and safe mountain biking programs for student-athletes in grades 6 to 12.

The Tennessee program operates under the direction of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Founded in 2009, NICA develops interscholastic mountain biking programs for student-athletes across the United States. It provides leadership, services and governance for regional leagues to host mountain bike competitions with the mission of supporting student-athletes in their pursuit of scholastic and athletic excellence.

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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Spring Hill High School mourns late coach

By MIKE CHRISTEN / mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Sep 8, 2018 at 11:33 AM

SPRING HILL — As Spring Hill High School hosted its first home football game of the season Friday night, the Raiders and their fans paid tribute to one of their own.

Will Fisher, a third-year teacher and assistant football coach, died suddenly Sunday morning after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 33 years old.

“It was a tough week,” head coach Ben Martin said after the game. “There were a lot of reasons for us not to come out here, but I think tonight culminated everything. Obviously everyone was hurting but I applaud the guys for coming out.”

Following the game, the Raiders released 33 orange and star-shaped balloons to recognize Fisher’s 33 years of life and his approaching birthday later this month.

The release was preceded by a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” performed by the Spring Hill High School Marching band and arranged in Fisher’s memory.

“We wanted to do it in honor of Will,” Martin said. “He was a great coach and even better person. He has left a huge void here and we are going to have to try to find a way to move forward.”

To the team, Martin said the night was about more than football.

Following the tears and the deeply locked embrace between the team, members, coaches and the Fisher family, the night ended on a note of positive remembrance as the band played a final song — “Rocky Top” — under Martin’s recommendation, in recognition to Fisher’s devotion to Tennessee football.

Fans honored the beloved educator, wearing newly printed T-shirts carrying Fisher’s initials and pinning black ribbons to their clothing while cheering for their team.

Jennifer Lamb, an art teacher at the school, helped the students carry out the printing of the shirts.

All proceeds from the T-shirts sold at the event will go toward a scholarship fund in Fisher’s honor.

“We are a school but we are a family first,” Lamb said. “The minute that the kids heard they called me on the phone with ideas. The spirit is just amazing.”

Lamb, who also oversees the pep team, said Fisher was adored by the students.

Throughout the game, the students cheered for their team with chants and homemade drums made of broomsticks and trash cans. Many drew the same symbol found on the T-shirts onto their skin and stood in the stands behind a banner that read “Do it for Fish.”

One of the seniors at the head of the group, Caleb Church, spoke with great respect for the educator.

“He would always say something to us in the hallway and respected everybody,” Church said. “He was just always a positive person and he taught us to stay positive.”

The offensive line coach and social studies teacher was given the nickname King Fish by his students.

“He was a great teacher and really passionate about football,” Acelyn Turner said. “He made sure that even when they lost he wanted the team to feel like they accomplished something.”

A member of the school’s press corps, Turner spent the 2017 football season traveling with the team in the bus assigned to Fisher.

A native of Jackson, Tenn., Fisher graduated from Huntingdon High School in 2002 and then Middle Tennessee State University in 2007.

He student-taught and coached at Riverdale while completing his graduation requirements at MTSU. He began his career coaching at Lewis County and Camden before becoming offensive coordinator at West Carroll in Atwood in 2015. A year later, he joined the Raider staff under newly named coach Jay Emmons.

Fisher’s memorial service was held Thursday and attended by the Raiders, dressed in their game jerseys.

Chris Marczak, superintendent of Maury County Public Schools, said Fisher was a celebrated educator who passed before his time.

“It is a tragic loss, not only for the Fisher family, but for the students and teachers at Spring Hill High School and all of Maury County’s public schools,” he said.

Fisher is survived by his parents, Susan and Keith Fisher, and sisters Lindsey Johnson and Paige Fisher.

Donations for the Coach Will Fisher Scholarship fund are being accepted at Carroll Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 889, Huntingdon, Tenn., 38344. For more information, call (731) 986-4401.

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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MCPS school board: McDowell will not be dismantled

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Sep 25, 2018 at 12:56 PM

After discussion of a potential closure, the doors of McDowell Elementary School will remain open as plans for a replacement school take shape.

Maury County Public Schools voted 7-4 this week to approve the design of a replacement for the aging facility, which has been in use for 125 years.

The motion, made by Nathan Adkison with a second by Chad Howell, saw votes of approval from Kristin Parker, Bettye Kinser, James Pennings, Adkison, Natasha Hopkins, Howell and Will Sims. Board members David Moore, Denny Beaver, Tommy Dudley and Donna Morency cast the dissenting votes.

The vote followed a failed motion to table the topic for a later meeting.

During the same meeting, the board also voted 7-4 to approve the design of an addition to Spring Hill High School. Board members Parker, Kinser, Pennings, Beaver, Hopkins, Howell, and Sims approved the contract, while Moore, Adkison, Dudley and Morency voted against it.

The board has seen parents, teachers and community members push for renovations to each school for more than a year.

In February, members from the community spoke of poor conditions, ranging from water damage, overcrowding and mold at Spring Hill High School, to an infestation of bats at the aging McDowell Elementary School.

On Monday, there was no discussion of bats or concerns for the aging structure. Instead, those who spoke before the board shared a fear for the loss of community the school’s closure would bring.

“This is about 125 years of educating children in Columbia who have gone on to become teachers, nurses, pro-football players, pilots and more,” said Lee Jones, a parent of fourth-generation McDowell students.

She said McDowell is a major part of Columbia’s history. It was the first school in the county to become desegregated in 1964.

McDowell opened as a one-room, one-teacher school in 1883. The original structure was lost in the county’s most destructive tornado on November 20, 1900. The school was then moved into the building that still stands today.

“Our love for the history of this school runs deep,” Jones said. “Downtown Columbia is growing. What are we showing them if you don’t support our own community school.”

If they chose to do so, she invited each of the board members to tell the more than 300 students at McDowell why their school would no longer exist.

“Please do not shut down our school,” Jones said.

Fourth-grader Lilly Kovach, a new student at McDowell and the daughter of the school’s behavior specialist Whitney Kovach, spoke before the board.

“My family and I moved to Maury County within the past month,” Kovach said. “I have made many friends and grown so much since I have been at McDowell. So far, I have been in a traditional setting, but at McDowell it is more student-centered. I have gained leadership skills that will not only help me today, but allow me to serve my community in the future.”

Kovach said the potential closing of McDowell scares many families who have seen success in the non-traditional approach the school takes.

“I ask you to consider not closing McDowell and help students in need a school of this kind,” Kovach said. “McDowell is a school that I am proud to go to, and I want future kids to say the same.”

McDowell fourth-grader Kylee Martin and her father James Martin were the last to speak on behalf of the school.

“McDowell has opened so many doors and so many futures for me,” Kylee Martin told The Daily Herald.

James Martin said the potential mid-year closure of the school would bring nothing good to the county’s students.

“I understand budgets and where the need is, but we cannot destroy this piece of our history,” said Martin, a former executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Maury County. “There are good people there on that board and I know they can do this.”

In January, more than a dozen students, parents, teachers and community representatives confronted the Maury County School Board, encouraging the district’s leaders to take steps forward on an expansion to Spring Hill High School.

The students shared stories of overcrowding in the school’s auditorium, leaving the space difficult to manage as it is used for both drama productions and band performances. They told the board members of hour-long lines in the cafeteria, sometimes never getting a chance to sit down and eat during their lunch break.

The board submitted a $40 million proposal for new McDowell Elementary School and renovations to Spring Hill High School to the Maury County Commission, which was brought before the county commission twice, and failed each time.

The proposal consisted of $18 million for renovations at Spring Hill High School and another $18 million to rebuild McDowell Elementary School. The remaining $3.3 million would go toward the district’s prioritized list of repairs across its 22 campuses.

The commissioners said they did not approve the plan, as no details or architectural plans were presented for either school.

Commissioner Craig Harris said the school board will need to present a detailed, budgeted plan to potentially receive approval.

“This is not a game,” Harris said in May. “Somebody is not getting it. This tossing back and forth, that is accomplishing nothing. It is ridiculous and it is getting nowhere. It just does not make sense to the people who are paying taxes.”

Former commission chair Michael Fulbright recommended returning the request to the school board with direction — $23 million for Spring Hill or McDowell and $6 million for designs or other improvements. He then pulled the recommendation from the floor.

“We need to be aware that this is not an us-versus-them thing,” Fulbright said. “This is us not being able to put our heads together.”

A total of 130 infrastructural improvements have been carried out by the school district since the improvement project began.

“We are a long way from being finished, or even close to caught up,” Breeden said.

The 2015 study conducted by consultant EMG indicated that the school district was in need of $29 million worth of repairs to its facilities.

Since then, a total of $16 million has been approved to carry out those repairs, moving a portion of that funding to the more than $5 million expansion of 10 classrooms to Marvin Wright Elementary School in Spring Hill.

Originally published in The Daily Herald
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Cuts for a cause: Locals donate hair in honor of Columbia girl

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Jul 22, 2018 at 3:30 PM

More than 10 feet of hair has been donated for those in need in honor of a Maury County girl diagnosed with cancer.

Held at Columbia’s Rustic Roots Salon located at 2510 Trotwood Ave., supporters volunteered to donate at least 8 inches of hair in support of 7-year-old Olivia Anderson.

Donations for the haircuts, $10 minimum, went to St. Baldrick’s Organization, a not-for-profit organization with the aim of raising funds to help find cures for children with cancer.

With smiling faces, visitors donated their hair and received new styles from the staff of the salon.

“I have a daughter of my own, and I would want them to do the same thing for me,” said Cayla Sims, the owner of Rusted Roots Salon. “You never know who it could be.”

Sims has owned and operated the shop since 2016.

One of the first to donate their locks Sunday was Olivia’s school teacher and home-bound instructor after the surgery, Natalie L. Bone.

“I just wanted to do something to raise awareness and bring the community closer together,” Bone said. “That is one of the great things about being, born, bred and raised in Maury County; there are always people willing to do things to help out.”

It was Bone who decided to put on the event.

She and more than 25 others made a donation or got their haircut in honor of Olivia.

Naomie Scarberry, 9, a lifelong friend of Olivia’s, donated her curly red hair.

“I have too much hair, and I want to give it to a good cause,” Scarberry said. “It is going to people who can use it.”

After her ponytail was cut off by stylist Ashelee Potts, Scarberry said she felt great about making the donation.

Just eight months ago, Highland Park Elementary School student Anderson was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, after doctors doctors discovered a tumor the size of an egg resting on her brain stem.

She was admitted to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt at midnight Dec. 20, where underwent surgery two days later.

The doctors were not able to fully remove the tumor, and Olivia is now planning to undergo chemotherapy until spring 2019.

The surgery left Olivia motionless, unable to control her body from the neck down. After months of physical therapy, she can now roll herself around in a wheelchair and speak.

“There is still a long road ahead,” her mother, Diana Anderson said. “It can just really change their personality and who they are.”

In the days after the surgery, Olivia was also diagnosed with posterior fossa syndrome. The condition involves a variety of signs and symptoms including mutism or speech disturbances, dysphagia, decreased motor movement, cranial nerve palsies and emotional liability.

Anderson says she is working to make sure her daughter can continue having Bone as her home-bound teacher.

“We are really hoping they get to stay with each other,” Anderson said. “Olivia feels much more comfortable with those who knew her before the surgery.”

She says the school district initially said Olivia would have a new teacher for the coming school year.

Anderson says she and her family are not alone and the drive helps shed a light on childhood cancer, a disease she says has been overlooked for far too long.

“There are just so many cases, it is unreal,” Anderson said. “Vanderbilt’s floor is always full; it is just heartbreaking being up there.”

The Anderson family thanks all who have made a donation.

The family’s friends, along with Olivia’s teachers and classmates at Highland Park Elementary, have pitched in to help any way they can, such as creating a GoFundMe account, www.gofundme.com/olivias-hope-fund, to help with things like gas for traveling to Nashville, medical expenses, groceries and utility bills.

Supporters also may contribute by purchasing #OliviaStrong T-shirts or yellow Olivia Strong! bracelets for $3, which can be bought through the #OliviaStrong Facebook page or by contacting Ashley Yates at (931) 797-4034. There is also a First Tennessee Bank account in Olivia’s name. Donations may be made at any branch.

Originally published in The Daily Herald

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Good faith gardening

By MIKE CHRISTEN / mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted June 12, 2017 at 11:41 PM

Columbia’s Trinity Lutheran Church is dedicated to sharing its bountiful harvest with the people of Maury County.

All summer long, the church is giving away fresh vegetables grown in its newly established garden packed with corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.

With a relatively small congregation of about 150, a group of 25 members have been working faithfully preparing the garden, planting the seeds and building the fence that surrounds the 120 by 30-foot space.

Together, they diligently harvest the vegetables.

“People from the neighborhood and people who are in desperate need come to us,” Pastor Bill Wagner said. “We want to help the people who desperately need help and we wanted to meet our neighbors and show them we are just like everybody else.”

The church will be giving away the produce from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at its campus located at 5001 Trotwood Ave., Columbia.

“I think it has been a blessing,” volunteer Kathie Wilson said. “We meet a lot of people.”

Other churchgoers dedicated to the project are husband and wife duo John and Sue Brawders along with Bev Brown.

When the volunteers opened the stand earlier this week, they saw a consistent flow of visitors happy to take home some of the fleshly picked produce grown on the church’s 5-acre property in western Columbia.

Excess produce from the bi-weekly distribution is sent with the children who attend TLC Child Care Ministries, the church’s long-standing daycare.

The child care center has served Columbia’s families for more than 30 years.

“We are a small congregation but we have big hearts and we love working together,” Wagner said. “We love Columbia and we see there is a lot of need and its always been in our DNA to help out as much as we can and this was a no-brainer because God has given us such a marvelous property and it was just sitting there. We hope the community will join us.”

For assistance with the project, the church consulted with Dill Hughes from the Maury County Extension of the University of Tennessee.

The Maury County office oversees local 4-H programs and lessons on consumer sciences in addition to assisting growers and livestock raisers with producing the best possible yields.

“We are the blessed ones because we are excited and thinking about enlarging next year,” Wagner said. “This is a show of Christ’s love to our community and God has been blessing our efforts.”

Wagner said the program gives the church an opportunity to introduce itself and its practices to the greater community.

Trinity Lutheran Church was founded more than 50 years ago in rural Maury County before moving to its current location on Trotwood Avenue in Columbia.

The church is affiliated with roughly 6,000 other Lutheran churches in America and some 30 groupings of Lutheran churches internationally.

Originally published in The Daily Herald

http://bit.ly/2xKMCWK

Seeking closure: Widow of man shot by Mt. Pleasant police wants answers

By MIKE CHRISTEN / mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted May 15, 2017 at 12:50 PM

When Kourtney Nelson’s husband was buried in February, she laid him to rest without his own wedding ring.

Instead, she gave 35-year-old Bradley Ross Nelson her ring before he was interred at Simpson Cemetery in Bedford County.

Bradley Nelson’s ring was still in the custody of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, evidence in the Feb. 7 shooting involving a Mt. Pleasant police officer, who allegedly shot and killed her husband.

Following its procedure, the TBI has not revealed the name of the officer. 

Now, four months after the incident, Nelson said the investigation is left incomplete, and she is asking the TBI and the district attorney’s office to help her find closure.

She wants to read the officer’s account and watch the footage from the policeman’s body camera.

“I just want to know what happened,” Nelson told The Daily Herald. “I just want answers. Even if they picked up the phone to call and say that they haven’t forgotten about me. I am doing all of the calling, and I am fighting a battle all by myself. Please just have some understanding and keep me in the loop.”

Now, Nelson might have that chance.

Last week, the TBI Public Information Officer Susan Niland responded.

Niland said investigators have concluded their analysis of the case.

“We have completed our investigation into that incident and have made the completed case file available to the DA for his office’s review,” Niland said in an email Thursday.

The district attorney’s office said it could not confirm that it had received the case, as 22nd Judicial District Attorney Brent Cooper, who oversees Maury, Lawrence, Giles, and Wayne Counties, was out of the office for several days.

Nelson said she received a call from the TBI on Thursday afternoon, and that a meeting will be scheduled between her and Cooper.

The call indicated that the TBI would contact her Friday to schedule a meeting, but Nelson said she did not receive any calls from the bureau.

Wednesday, the day before she was told she would be meeting with Cooper, Nelson said she received a call from a TBI victim’s care coordinator who said the case was still under investigation.

“I am happy that they are giving me closure, but why did it take all the fighting?” Nelson said. “It took all of this for them to even remotely talk to me. I have a funny feeling that I will have to be calling next week to know what is going on.

“I have asked myself 1,000 questions every night. I just don’t know, and that is worse. They think I am looking for something to blame on the cop, but I am looking for something to blame on my husband, so I can somehow deal with this. He was a good man who made bad decisions that night.”

According to a press release from the TBI, published shortly after the incident occurred, her husband allegedly did not pull over when the Mt. Pleasant police officer suspected him of driving under the influence.

He led the officer on a brief pursuit to an intersection near the city’s southern end, near the intersection of North Main Street and Mt. Joy Road, the report stated.

There, her husband allegedly exited his vehicle and “brandished a weapon.” The situation then escalated and resulted in the officer firing his weapon and striking him in the chest, according to the report.

He was transported by EMS personnel to Maury Regional Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

“It was like time stood still,” said one city police officer, recalling the scene after the shots were fired.

No law enforcement officers were injured that night.

“It was a horrible death,” Nelson said. “The shot that killed him, hit him in the shoulder piercing his lungs, cracking his ribs and an artery. The report said he suffocated to death. I have to spend the rest of my life, every anniversary, every Christmas, every birthday visiting a headstone.”

The TBI began an investigation at the request of Cooper, following standard protocol.

Nelson was notified approximately two hours later, inside their Lawrenceburg home, by members of the local police department.

“I just remember screaming, and here we are today,” she said. “There are days and hours that I don’t remember. It is literally like autopilot. God has got control and you are wherever. It hurts. No matter what bad he done, that was still my husband and my best friend.”

Their relationship first blossomed while the two were attending Unionville Community High School in Bedford County. After some time apart, the two reconnected and were married on Dec. 27, 2010.

Shortly before his death, the two purchased property in Lawrenceburg and were preparing to build a home of their own.

“Nobody will tell me anything and things are just not adding up,” Nelson said the day before being notified that the district attorney was willing to meet with her. “I don’t understand why the investigation is taking as long as it is.”

She said a TBI report sent to her indicated that her husband pulled a gun on the officer, while a report from the state medical examiner said that her husband told the officer he had a gun.

Nelson said she received a text message from a TBI investigator on March 14, saying they had given the case to the District Attorney’s office, but when she called the office to confirm, they said they had not yet received the case.

She said some of his belongings were returned to her, including his wedding band.

She found bullet fragments in a clear air-sealed bag labeled “Bullet fragments from left pant leg collected 2/8/17” contained in a bag of returned clothing he was wearing that night, including his bloodstained T-shirt.

“How can you properly investigate anything?” Nelson said. “They (the bullets) fell out of my husband’s jeans.”

Nelson said she received a call from the TBI on Thursday saying the slug may have been mislabeled by the coroner.

On Friday morning, an agent from the TBI retrieved the piece of evidence, Nelson said.

In the message sent to The Daily Herald, Niland said, “Since the TBI case files are confidential per the statute, we can’t address the specific question about the belongings that were returned. But I can confirm that all the evidence that was collected at the scene that was relevant to the investigation has been accounted for by the forensics lab.”

Nelson said she believes there are some inconsistencies in the state medical examiner’s report, given to her for confirmation by her husband’s life insurance policy.

The medical report indicated that a bullet grazed his right leg, but there is no evidence of the bullet grazing on the jeans returned to Nelson.

She said the district attorney’s office hung up on her three times when she initially requested to be contacted by Cooper.

“I woke up in a nightmare that does not end,” Nelson said. “I want to tell them to stop being ugly and remember that everybody is not just a case. Be respectful of the families left behind. Give every case the same attention. They need to update the family daily. If they can post my husband’s name, why not the officer? They are worried about police retaliation. What about victim retaliation?”

Nelson said that her husband struggled with alcoholism, and after battling the disease, the loss of a job months earlier led him to begin drinking again.

“Was my husband perfect? No,” Nelson said. “Was he innocent? No. My husband got in a car, he drank, and he drove, and I take full responsibility for that. I want to know if he said anything before he died.”

The same day Nelson was informed the district attorney would be meeting with her, Nashville police internal affairs investigators announced that Officer Joshua Lippert, who fatally shot 31-year-old Jocques S. Clemmons in an East Nashville public housing complex three days after her husband’s death, should be exonerated.

Like Nelson for her husband, friends, family and the Nashville NAACP demanded answers for Clemmons’ death.

“It is funny how two people in different counties were complaining about the same thing,” Nelson said.

Originally published in The Daily Herald
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Columbia’s donations arrive in Pigeon Forge

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 4, 2016 at 8:04 PM

PIGEON FORGE — Members from Columbia’s Pleasant Heights Baptist Church made a delivery of donated supplies Saturday to those displaced by the wildfires that swept through parts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge last week.

Officials here in Sevier County, including Maury County’s own Office of Emergency Management Director Mark Blackwood, reported 1,331 homes destroyed, 166 damaged, 21 businesses a complete loss and another 13 charred but still standing.

The blaze, first reported as a 3-acre fire south of both communities near the summit of Chimney Tops 2 on Nov. 23, spread to more than 18,000 acres. More than 6,200 acres were outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Emergency personnel said at least 13 residents perished in the flames and 85 others were treated for fire-related injuries, some of whom remain hospitalized.

The mission team of eight congregation members led by Joshua Taylor, dropped off the supplies donated by the people of Columbia at a makeshift relief center, a vacant, five-story 112,620 square-foot red barn. It sits by the foot of the Smokies and once housed a superstore for the Boyds Bear Company and then served as an entertainment venue for Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand.”

Together, the team, joined by volunteers, unloaded hundreds of water bottles and boxes of snacks, toiletries and clothing, all packed into a rented 20-foot moving truck.

“We found a list of things on the internet that we could bring, so we told people to gather that stuff, and it just spiraled from there,” Taylor said.“We just wanted to be a help and let the people from Middle Tennessee, people from Maury County, have a chance to gather things because not everybody can just drive up and go to East Tennessee.”

Taylor and his team, including his wife, Mary, along with Michael and Candace Benefield, were already scheduled to make the church’s annual trip to Dandridge to participate in Coats for the Cold, a regional program delivering donated jackets, blankets, scarves and gloves for those in need. That’s when they saw the news and decided to make the extra trip to the foothills of Smoky Mountains National Park.

Fellow churchgoers Christy Langford, Caroline Langford, Randy Stanfill and Jeremy Zummer made the journey as well.

After sharing their plans on social media and with The Daily Herald earlier this week, Taylor said the church's conference room was packed Thursday with packaged snack foods, bottled drinks, wrapped undergarments and toiletries donated by members of the community and congregation.

The team signed up to volunteer at the center, where they sorted items and helped displaced families find what they needed after delivering the donations from Columbia.

As they worked, the group navigated through the large building’s wood-paneled interior, bustling with volunteers and victims, who were either searching for supplies or restocking the many tables covered in clothing, children’s toys, toothpaste and much more.

A young man joined by another strummed on a donated guitar in the rear of the building.

“It is a very humbling experience to see so many different communities come together to help all these people who have gone through this tragedy,” Mary Taylor said. “It’s not just the people who are in this area, it’s people from all across the state, Middle Tennessee, Alabama. Different places have come up and just pulled together to help people and it’s just great to see a community come together instead of having every man for himself.”

East Tennesseans Steve Tilson and Jason Sutphin spent the day unloading packages of water bottles and energy drinks at the relief center’s loading dock.

They joked and laughed as they assisted the group from Columbia unload the supplies.

“It’s pretty cool just to see all the people that have come together,” Tilson said. “It’s awesome.”

The two were asked to volunteer by their managers at a Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Jonesborough.

“Everybody is really motivated,” Sutphin said. “You can just see it in everybody. The effort that everybody is willing to put in and the way they are working is just amazing. The people who are dropping stuff off they are immediately turning around and signing up to be volunteers. It is great to see the outpouring of what everybody is doing for this place.”

Country music superstar Dolly Parton, a native to the region and whose famous resort was also at risk of burning, started the My People Fund and pledged to donate $1,000 a month for six months to families who lost their homes through the Dollywood Foundation.

On Sunday, it was announced by one of Parton’s representatives that she would be hosting a telethon to raise funds, which is set to take place in Nashville on Dec. 13.

“It is a great feeling to know that we live in a state that comes together like this whenever a disaster happens," Congregation member Candace Benefield said. "That little bit that we are able to help is great and our little town showed up and showed out for us. It was amazing how much stuff just kept coming in and kept coming in and we are just so blessed and so thankful for everybody who did help.”

After eight firefighters from the Spring Hill Fire Department returned home Friday, Columbia Fire Department’s Captain Tommy Henley, a trained specialist in search and rescue, was dispatched to the scene along with Blackwood.

The two assisted with command and control Saturday and Sunday nights, overseeing the continued battle with spot fires and following up on tasks that were not able to be completed by emergency during the day. They worked from the central emergency command post inside the Gatlinburg Community Center just east of the most damaged portion of the city.

On Saturday night, Blackwood said it will take months or years before the city will able to fully recover with fires still burning in nearby areas.

He said Gatlinburg’s infrastructure was hit the hardest with three of the city’s water pumps down and miles of power cables and fiber optics scorched.

Blackwood said the Gatlinburg Sky Lift was also damaged in the flames, and the famous ski lift’s cable could potentially snap causing damage to surrounding structures.

Because the wildfires burnt the surrounding vegetation, the city is now at greater risk for mudslides and landslides with rains and thunderstorms expected throughout the week. The conditions also create a higher risk of road collapse, Blackwood said.

There are a huge amount of things you don’t think about,” he continued.

About a third of an inch of rain fell on the region Saturday night and early Sunday morning bringing some relief to 700 firefighters that continue to fight the blaze inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

With relief centers currently inundated with supplies, Blackwood recommends those who wish to contribute make a financial donation.

The state recommends donations be made through the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org/donate, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and Tennessee Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster have set up a call center for information about donating goods and volunteering to help survivors of the wildfires. The center’s number is (866) 586-4483. It is staffed from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Pleasant Heights Baptist Church will continue to collect supplies donated by the community for another trip to East Tennessee.

The church’s Interim Youth Director Scott Tilghman said those supplies are planned to be sent off with other relief groups traveling to the area but the congregation plans to host a mission trip bringing additional hands to Sevier County in the near future.

Donations can be dropped off at Pleasant Heights Baptist Church, located at 2712 Trotwood Ave., Columbia. Office hours for drop-off are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday.

Originally published in The Daily Herald
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Home sweet home: Spring Hill firefighters return after battling East Tennessee wildfire

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM

Members of the Spring Hill Fire Department received a warm welcome Friday as they returned home from being called upon to fight the historic wildfire that swept through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge earlier this week.

The welcome party included residents and city officials who cheered for the firefighters as they pulled into Spring Hill Fire Department Station 3.

The team of eight — consisting of Fire Chief Terry Hood, Battalion Chief Kevin Glenn, Battalion Chief Brian Garza, Lt. Colby Flint, Engineer Kyle Watson, Firefighter Robert LeGaspi, Firefighter Tony Lee and Firefighter Jeff Sharp — were deployed to Pigeon Forge on Tuesday morning by The Tennessee Fire Marshall’s Association and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Armed with a fire engine and the chief’s truck, the team joined other firefighters from Franklin, Brentwood and Williamson County before departing for the Smoky Mountains.

At the scene, the firefighters were assigned to a task force with the Arrington Volunteer Fire Department and the College Grove Fire Department. They were immediately sent to extinguish brush fires in Pigeon Forge.

“We were all over Pigeon Forge that night,” Hood said. “We went from one call to the next.”

After completing a call, Hood said the team would have ten minutes of downtime at the most before being sent out again.

The firefighters’ work continued into the early morning Wednesday.

Shortly after 2:00 a.m., the task force was sweeping a recently extinguished brush fire when they came across a bear with her cubs.

“We heard growls, and we took off running,” Hood said.

He said the meeting served as a reminder that the firefighters were far from their usual surroundings in Middle Tennessee.

After a short rest, the firefighters were again on call at dawn.

Despite rainfall, fires continued to spread in small pockets around Pigeon Forge on Wednesday and the group continued their work extinguishing the flames.

Thursday, the team was sent into Gatlinburg where they assisted the Federal Emergency Management Agency, searching damaged homes and automobiles for victims.

According to reports made by the region’s officials, more than 1,000 structures in Sevier County were destroyed by the fires that spread over almost 18,000 acres, including more than 6,200 acres outside the park.

“Luckily, in all the structures, we found no bodies,” Hood said.

For the firefighters who had all spent time vacationing in the popular resort town, driving down Gatlinburg's central parkway devoid of tourists was a surreal sight for the team, Hood said.

“It was a ghost town,” he continued. “There was an eerie silence except for the smoke alarms.”

For the millions who have visited Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains, Hood said there is no doubt that this disaster shook them.

As the firefighters worked to protect the region, running on nights with only three hours of sleep, their efforts did not go unnoticed by the community in Sevier County.

The team was rewarded with warm meals, donated supplies and signs of gratitude from those they passed.

On the journeys to and from East Tennessee, the firefighters said they were rewarded with thumbs-up and words of thanks at stoplights.

“You could see their excitement,” Hood said. “It was so amazing to see the outpouring of support from the community."

After a long day of firefighting, the team was rewarded with a batch of gumbo made by a New Orleans native who was evacuated from his home in Gatlinburg.

The man, who did not introduce himself by name, sat with the firefighters as they ate, listening to their stories.

“It was a very humbling experience,” Hood said.

Upon their return, Hood said the the mixed experience levels of those dispatched will allow the department to be more prepared for situations at home.

He said the firefighters will discuss what they learned and share their newfound knowledge with the rest of the department.

The firefighters thank Spring Hill’s officials for supporting their efforts to help those in need as well as their fellow firefighters and family who sacrificed their own time and resources to make last minute changes so the team could be dispatched.

“It takes a village to move a mountain,” Hood said.

Originally published in The Daily Herald. 
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Tad Cummins to appear in California court following capture

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Apr 20, 2017 at 5:20 PM

After the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s press conference Thursday afternoon, five words resonated inside the agency training room — “Tad Cummins is in custody.”

His arrest marked the end of a six-week search for the 50-year-old former Maury County Public Schools educator and Elizabeth Thomas, the 15-year-old Culleoka Unit School freshman he allegedly kidnapped.

Earlier Thursday morning, Cummins and Thomas were found by authorities in a remote cabin located inside a secluded community in California’s Siskiyou County. The fired teacher now faces an arraignment at 10 a.m. Friday in Yreka, Calif.

The two were identified after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation received a tip from an individual who said he may have encountered the duo and that they might be living in a cabin in Cecilville, Calif., TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine said.

When the VIN number of Cummins’ Nissan Rogue was confirmed at the scene, law enforcement moved in and made the arrest.

In California, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey confirmed Thursday afternoon that Cummins was cooperative with law enforcement. He was transported to the Siskiyou County Jail in Yreka and booked in on a Maury County fugitive arrest warrant for aggravated kidnapping.

Because reports indicated that Cummins may be armed, the department’s special response team was dispatched.

Authorities said two loaded handguns were recovered in the cabin, along with various personal items belonging to both Cummins and Thomas.

“Today, their hard work paid off,” District Attorney Brent Cooper told the many reporters and cameras in attendance. “We can’t go to work until the officers have done their work, and thankfully, in this case, returned everyone safely. I am grateful to say now I can get busy as a prosecutor, doing my job and hopefully bringing justice to this case.”

Cooper said Thomas is in healthy physical condition, but her mental health remains unknown. She will be flown back to Tennessee by the TBI.

“We couldn’t be happier to tell you she will soon be on her way back home to Tennessee,” TBI Director Mark Gwyn said. “Tad is facing a set of charges that can keep him behind bars for many years. To the public, we can’t say how thankful we are for all the tips and concern. Your support has made the difference in this six-week search. This is yet another example of the value of the public helping us find a kidnapping victim.”

Gwyn said TBI agents were en route to meet Thomas and bring her home soon.

In contrast, the district attorney confirmed that it may take weeks before her captor is transported back to Tennessee.

Cooper said that once he is returned, Cummins’ case will go through the regular channel, first the local court system in Maury County and then through the state’s court system.

It was previously said that if Cummins let Thomas go and turned himself in, it could help him in court. However, that will not be so for the former health sciences teacher, who faces charges from both the state and the federal government.

“Mr. Cummins chose not to do so, and we had to hunt them down to the other side of the country, so that is off the table,” Cooper said.

Cummins' employment was officially terminated with Maury County Public Schools on March 14, when an Amber Alert was sent out for Thomas and he was charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual exploitation of a minor.

In January, the two had been found kissing inside the school.

Cummins was allowed to return to school, following the allegations. Records show he was in school for two weeks following the incident.

According to Cummins’ personnel file with the district, Culleoka Unit School principal Penny Love reprimanded the former health sciences teacher on Feb. 3 for allowing a 15-year-old freshman to come into his classroom after he was ordered to keep her out.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the State of Tennessee Jeff Smith said Cummins has also been charged with transportation of a minor across state lines for the purpose of having sexual intercourse, facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

“We will work together on this investigation to make sure justice is done,” Smith said.

Locally, Cummins faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, a Class B felony that carries a sentence of eight to 12 years, and sexual contact with a minor by an authority figure, a misdemeanor with a minimum sentence of 29 days and a maximum penalty of nine months in jail.

“We are going to work together, whether it be in state court, federal court, or both, that justice is served,” Cooper said. “It has been a long road and when my phone rang at 6:30 this morning and I saw it was TBI, it was my first thought that they found her. Of course, at that time they were still in the process of staking out the location and making contact, so then it is just a process of hoping and praying that everything goes well. As far as we can tell, everything went as well or better than we could have ever hoped.”

Maury County Chief Deputy Ray Jeter spoke on behalf of the county’s law enforcement at the conference.

“It is a good day,” Jeter said. “Sheriff Bucky Rowland and the Maury County Sheriff’s Department partnered with the TBI and the FBI very early in this case and it has been a group effort. To that end, we would like to thank the TBI, the FBI and all the local agencies who gave us nearly 1,500 tips in this process. Ultimately, it took a tip from the public to see this resolution, and to the public I say thank you.”

The chief deputy also thanked those working to find Cummins from their own home in Maury County.

“Our own people put in the dedication and the countless hours to see this resolution,” Jeter said. “We thank you as the sheriff’s department.”

Jeter said the department will continue to work with the partnering agencies during the ongoing investigation.

In Columbia, Maury County Superintendent of Schools Chris Marczak said he was thrilled to hear that Thomas will soon return home.

“I am overjoyed that she has been found safely and will return safely to Maury County,” Marczak said.

He praised those from far and wide who have kept the search for Thomas alive.

“I think it’s extremely powerful that we have been able to continue to stay vigilant and keep the hope alive,” Marczak said. “There are so many who have contributed to that. We are lucky and we are grateful that she will be returning home, (we are) looking forward to having her back in the county.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald. 
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Maury Schools’ task force meets for first time following alleged kidnapping

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Apr 8, 2017 at 12:01 AM

A special task force met for the first time Friday to review Maury County Public Schools’ procedures following the suspected kidnapping of 15-year-old Culleoka Unit School freshman Elizabeth Thomas by 50-year-old former health sciences teacher Tad Cummins.

The private meeting at Horace O. Porter School lasted less than 30 minutes and served as a review of the school district’s current standards, particularly surrounding those related to parental notification with incidents involving both students and faculty.

Before allegedly kidnapping the freshman, Cummins was allowed to return to school earlier this year, following allegations that he had been seen kissing Thomas in January.

Records show he was in school for two weeks following the incident.

According to Cummins’ personnel file with the district, Culleoka Unit School principal Penny Love reprimanded the former health sciences teacher on Feb. 3 for allowing Thomas to visit his classroom after he was ordered to keep her out.

His employment was officially terminated with Maury County Public Schools on March 14, when an Amber Alert was distributed for Thomas and Cummins was charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual exploitation of a minor.

The group, which is expected to hold at least three meetings, consists of Santa Fe Principal Leigh Anne Willey, Spring Hill Middle School teacher Stephanie Sparks-Newland, Supervisor of Counseling and Mental Health Robert Killen, Supervisor of Transportation and Safety Eric Perryman, School Resource Officer Mike Barnes, Maury County School Board member Denny Beaver and parent Heather Smith, who was unable to attend Friday’s meeting.

Director of Pupil Services Dr. Ron Woodard and Cox Middle School assistant principal Dr. Shavoncia Watts attended the meeting and were announced as members of the group.

“At the end of these meetings we want to produce a written procedure that all administrators can use if there is any kind of allegation,” said Amanda Hargrove, MCPS chief of staff and task force chairman. “It will provide consistency throughout the district. We have 21 principals at 22 locations and we want consistency.”

She told the task force the school district currently does not have procedures in writing.

“We want to make those procedures and practices better,” Hargrove said.

The topics under discussion included, student-staff relationships, what is deemed appropriate by the institution and how students are educated on what the line between appropriate and inappropriate behavior with educators.

The task force also reviewed the laws from Tennessee Codes Annotated on the suspension of teachers along with the school’s own policies which mirror those of the state.

In addition, the group analyzed the process of suspending an educator.

Currently, tenured teachers may not be dismissed without a ruling from an impartial hearing officer but those educators without tenure may be.

Educators put on suspension are done so without pay.

“Next we will start formulating the procedures,” Hargrove said at the end of the meeting.

Those changes in procedure will not require approval from the district’s board of education, MCPS Communications Specialist and Grants Coordinator Kim Doddridge said.

“I think it was a good first step,” Beaver, the only school board member on the task force, said. “For something like this we are not prepared for it. We hope this never happens again, but if it does we have got something.”

Beaver said he volunteered for the group and expressed his enthusiasm and the need to make changes.

“I want to make sure the kids are first,” Beaver said. “I am mainly interested in putting kids first. They are the number one priority. In the past, it has been about ‘I want to protect the teacher’s rights.”

Superintendent Dr. Chris Marczak also participated in the meeting and read a statement to the news organizations present following its adjournment.

“With the complexities of an organization this large, solutions can never be simple to changes that are extremely complex,” Marczak told reporters. “There is no quick fix. In this case, the serious issue at hand is always making sure that appropriate professional distance is always maintained in a healthy manner in every single student-teacher or student-staff relationship.”

He said the task force will not only review procedures but look at ways to expand outreach, training and awareness for faculty, patrons, students and the community.

Following the statement, Marczak and Hargrove spoke exclusively with The Daily Herald.

“When you get people around the table that gives you more voices and an even better opportunity to be better,” Marczak said. “The next step is to continuously use this group and their talents and their ideas to tell us things that we didn’t even think about. We are developing something that an administrator can go to when a situation arises that is not of the norm. It just gives them more tools in their toolbox to be that much more prepared for a situation or an incident.”

Hargrove said the task force will review, re-evaluate and rewrite the schools’ procures to create a unified process throughout the district.

“We are starting from scratch on these procedures and practices,” Hargrove said.

Maury County Public Schools is the third largest employer in the county with more than 1,600 faculty and staff and more than 12,500 students.

Hargrove said that at least three meetings will be held over a six to eight-week period to complete the entire process and create the new procedures. The task force’s next meeting will be held on April 21 starting at 1 p.m. at Horace O. Porter School.

“We won’t walk away until we have something rock-solid that we can put in our administrators’ hands,” Marczak said. “That is the least we can do.”

“We need to feel empowered to take action if we see something that isn’t right,” Marczak said. “These are our children in our community. I can’t thank the task force enough for their time.”

The superintendent urged anyone with information about Thomas and Cummins to come forward and contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1 800-TBI-FIND.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Service dog brings relief to Marshall County family

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.com

Posted May 31, 2017 at 12:01 AM

LEWISBURG — The Orr family just got a little bit bigger, following the arrival of a specially trained service dog to help their youngest son with a mysterious condition.

Five-year-old Ayden Orr suffers from a rare form of epilepsy that continues to puzzle healthcare professionals across the country.

Before a seizure begins, Ayden’s body stops breathing, causing his oxygen levels to rapidly decline as his brain’s electrical activity to skyrocket.

Unlike the most common forms of the condition, his body does not convulse during an episode. Instead, he lies still and unconscious, making it difficult to identify when an attack occurs, especially late at night.

Without constant supervision and monitoring, the young boy’s life is perpetually in jeopardy.

Kadi, a Golden Retriever pup from military service and disability dog trainer Arizona Goldens LLC, will now be there for him 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Because the family’s health insurance would not cover the $39,000 to purchase the dog and finance its training, the result of what the family called a clause in the Affordable Care Act directing funds to pay for personnel nurses instead, they began sharing their story with the community and their church.

Through the efforts of Life Song Church, Pastor Mike Lee and students at Marshall County High School, the Orrs were able to raise enough money to purchase Kadi in 11 days.

The drive marked a record in fundraising for a service dog from Arizona Goldens.

“It has blessed our family tremendously,” Ayden’s mother, Maree Orr, said. “People we didn’t even know were raising money. You feel like there is no help out there, but there really is. It was very humbling. It sounds cliche, but it is humbling to know that there is still good in the world, that there are people that actually care about each other. It makes me want to pay it forward.”

One anonymous individual donated $20,000 to the family through the church.

“We just want to thank all of the people who helped us and those who are praying for him,” Maree Orr said.

Kadi continues to be trained by the Orrs to never leave Ayden’s side and watch him at all times, monitoring his breathing and level of brain activity.

Now the family has had the dog for more than a month and she is passing tests with flying colors, including a recent trip to the amusement parks in Orlando, Fla., through the Make a Wish Foundation.

“We are so much more at peace now,” Ayden’s father, Will Orr, said. “We are not even concerned with any of the monitoring devices anymore, because we know Kadi will warn us before any of that.”

Before the dog’s arrival, the Orrs outfitted their home with a variety of monitoring systems for Ayden. However, the technology was unreliable, continually losing connection between a watch-like device on Ayden’s wrist, a central hub and a router to send out a distress call to local emergency services.

Kadi’s trainers say when Ayden’s brain levels increase to dangerous levels, he gives off a scent that the dog can easily identify.

She will then try calm the boy down, sitting in his lap or placing her paws on his hands, but when things become more dangerous, Kadi can call for nearby help and signal emergency services, using a button designed specifically for her.

“She makes me feel safe,” Ayden told The Daily Herald after meeting the dog and her trainer, Arizona Goldens Founder & CEO Brian Daugherty, during a March visit to see if the two were compatible.

Without any training, Kadi sensed when Ayden’s breathing would slow, sniffing and nudging him when he did so. She also tried to keep him calm when he was putting too much strain on his body while running outside.

The two are beginning a relationship that will give Ayden the freedom to spend more time outside and visit friends’ homes without his parents always being there.

“As he gets older, they are going to have a bond that is unbreakable,” Will Orr said. “They are going to be best friends.”

Ayden’s mother agrees. She said she feels the dog will allow Ayden to have the healthy space and independence that any child deserves from their parents as they grow up, but still remain safe.

“She is just perfect for our family,” Maree Orr said. “I think the stress level has gone down for everyone since she got here.”

The pup has arrived just in time, as Ayden prepares to undergo a drastic surgery.

One of the young boy’s ribs is filling with fluid and swelling over his heart.

Doctors are planning to remove the bone in the coming weeks.

His mother said Kadi will be the perfect support for him, lying in bed before the surgery and providing comfort as he recovers.

Ayden also suffers from chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, or ITP, a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. The bleeding results from unusually low levels of platelets — the cells that help clot blood. 

An average child has a platelet count of about 150,000, while Ayden has never had a count of more than 123,000, leaving his immune system weak and unable to defend itself against contagious illnesses.

This second condition, which cannot be treated simultaneously with his epilepsy, leaves the young boy even further isolated from the world.

Now, Ayden has formed a strong attachment and companionship with Kadi, telling her when he has a headache or when he feels bad, something he has leaned away from doing with his parents, because telling them about those pains might lead bring additional trip to the hospital.

After his first recorded episodes more than three years ago, Ayden’s nervous system has seemingly flip-flopped, leaving his body and mind in miscommunication with one another.

Before the incidents, he was left-handed. Now he uses his right hand to draw and write, indicating a switch to a dominance in the left side of his brain.

He attends physical therapy sessions to help reorient his body and mind and struggles with memory. He recently has had trouble remembering the names of his two sisters, Baylee, 16, and Ashley, 18.

But following the arrival of Kadi, Ayden spends more time outside with his new companion.

Now, with more color in his cheeks, the Orrs said they know Ayden has brighter future ahead.

“I think she is going to be a great companion for him and great for the other kids,” Will Orr said. “She is always right behind Ayden, following him and checking up on him.”

When in public with her vest on, Kadi is all business, keeping an eye on Ayden at all times. But at home, she is ready to play with everyone who walks through the front door, with permission, of course.

In the Orr household, many afternoons come to a close with the family piled on the floor, playing with their newest member.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Maury County commission moves to rename Negro Creek Road

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Dec 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM

Maury County’s safety committee has taken steps forward to rename Negro Creek and the road that runs over it.

As proposed, the new name would instead pay tribute to Violet Hardison, a woman born a slave, who is said to have lived on the route for more than a century.

A motion to begin the process of changing the name of Negro Creek was accepted unanimously by the committee earlier this week after listening to public comments from members of the Stand Together Fellowship, an organization that was formed with the goal of promoting racial harmony in Maury County after the tragic June, 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, S.C.

Fellowship members Rev. Trent Ogilvie, Rev. Kenny Anderson and Pastor Mike Dawson spoke before the commission, proposing it change the name of the nearby Negro Creek Road in honor of Hardison.

“I think this is a chance that we, as a governing body, can show our community that we take into consideration that everybody needs to be against racism, and this is one step toward moving that way for our citizens,” Maury County Mayor and Stand Together Fellowship member Charlie Norman said, introducing the subject to the committee.

The 2.5-mile-long road East of Columbia runs north of the Duck River between Sowell Mill Pike and Fred White Road and crosses the creek of the same name. Located in the county’s District 8, 38 properties sit on the road.

The Rock Springs Community, which the road passes through, was settled in the early 1800s and was home to a large population of African-Americans between 1870 and 1940.

It was home to a Baptist church, a cemetery and Rock Springs Colored School, which closed in 1928 when the region’s residents petitioned the Maury County School Board to build a school in the community.

One local story suggests the creek it passes over was named in remembrance of a child or a group of African-American children who drowned in its water, but a recent investigation supported by the Stand Together Fellowship, searching local newspapers from 1789 to 1922, showed no evidence of such an incident.

Ogilvie called the road’s proposed change to Violet Hardison Road an opportunity to move forward.

“As a citizen and knowing how hard all of us work to bridge the gap and keep down differences that may exist between us and things that may be happening in other places, this is a step in the right direction,” Ogilvie said.

He said the organization’s investigation has found no other road in the county to identify a group of individuals by race.

“It gives us as a county the opportunity to say that we can’t go back and change the past, but we can make a step forward and change the future here in Maury County,” Ogilvie said.

Violet Hardison was born a slave, and she received her last name from her owners. She spent her entire life in Rock Springs, living on Negro Creek Road before she passed away in 1910 and was buried in Rock Springs Cemetery.

Passing at an unconfirmed age of 113 years old, she would be one of the oldest people to have lived in Tennessee. 

Ogilvie said her obituary was published locally, an uncommon tradition at the time for an African-American woman.

“We know she was respected. We know that she was valued,” Ogilvie said. “When we see so much division and we see so many divides, this is an opportunity to recognize someone who made contributions to her society at the time.”

Maury County Archives Director Bob Duncan told The Daily Herald he had heard stories that Hardison had lived to the age of 125, but due to a lack of documentation, her real age will likely never be confirmed.

Dawson said during the Stand Together Fellowship’s initial meeting, the first item discussed was the potential renaming of Negro Creek Road.

“Now is a great time,” Dawson told members of the safety committee and the commission. “Maybe it is a late time, but it is a great time that would say publicly that we want to create a sense of harmony and do away with a name like that.”

Although many commissioners expressed their support for changing the road’s name, they also saw the need to hear from those residents who might have issues with changing their address.

Last year, when the road was a topic of discussion, residents shared their concerns that changing it would be a burden, as some owned small businesses whose addresses would need to be altered, letterheads changed and bank accounts updated.

Concerns were also shared about elderly residents who no longer drive and the difficulties they might have with making the change, unable to easily leave their home.

Martha Tomlin owns five parcels of land along Negro Creek Road with her husband, James. She told The Daily Herald that she was concerned the deeds to her property might become mixed up in the change.

“It’s a big hassle,” Tomlin said. “Every time you go to the courthouse and have something changed and have your deed changed, there is a cost. Plus all of your doctors, your dentist, your magazines, your bank, whoever billed you, has to have your new address because the post office doesn’t change that. You have to.”

Tomlin also considered the name as a misinterpreted sign of respect, derived from the story where she said two African-American boys drowned at the mouth of the creek which flows into the Duck River and sits less than a mile south of her home.

“It wasn’t a slang to the black people," she said. "It was meant as an honor."

Duncan confirmed that a local newspaper published information that matches the story in the early 1800s, but the children were not identified by name.

Tomlin has lived in her home on Negro Creek Road for the past 38 years. She inherited the house from her father, who purchased the property and lived there for 60 years prior.

James Tomlin said he was concerned the change would bring about confusion with emergency services during time-sensitive situations.

“They said it would almost take an act of Congress to change the road with the emergency system, GPS and everything,” Tomlin said.

If the road’s name would be changed, it would not be the first time, unofficially.

Tomlin said that when he and his wife first moved into the home, the road had a sign that called it by its more offensive synonym.

“I would not have a problem changing it, other than it would go through so much aggravation with having to change everything,” he said.

Duncan confirmed that at the time the sign was there, the road’s name was still Negro Creek Road on the county’s official maps. He said road signs were not tended to by the government until the establishment of a standardized 911 system across the county years later. Duncan surmised the sign was likely posted by a resident.

Today, the official sign for Negro Creek Road sits high atop a telephone pole at its intersection with Sowell Mill Pike to avoid theft.

During the meeting, Dawson said he and other members of the Stand Together Fellowship would commit themselves to help residents with the change.

“Everything good, everything holy and everything right almost always takes struggles,” Dawson said.

District 8 Commissioners Debbie Turner and Terry Potts agreed that they would contact and meet with the residents of the road to discuss the potential change.

“I don’t want this to be turned into something ugly and mean, because it is not,” Turner said. “We are changing an offensive name and we are going to honor somebody, Maury County’s oldest citizen, who happens to be Violet Hardison, who happened to live on Negro Creek Road. I have faith in these people, that we can talk to them and everything can be on the up and up. I just want us to sit down and let this be peaceful.”

The commissioner did, however, recognize that it is the elected body’s responsibility to do what it feels is best for the county as a whole.

“When you get right down to it, we are the governing body, and if it is a decision that we feel that this is the best thing that we need to do for the county and for the people, that is what we are charged to do,” Turner said.

As the two commissioners begin the dialogue between the property owners and the residents, under unanimous approval from the committee, Norman and County Attorney Daniel Murphy will begin the process of working with the United States Geological Survey to officially change the name of Negro Creek.

“I am really excited to see that this group is doing what it takes to keep Maury County moving forward and not being stuck in the past,” Commission Chairman Michael Fulbright said during the commission’s discussion on Tuesday. “I am really thankful that you guys are here tonight, and I was hoping the safety committee takes note that there is a passion and an excitement within our community to make Maury County better for the future.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald. 
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Fire leaves Hickman County couple without a home

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Apr 22, 2017 at 3:40 PM

DUCK RIVER — A family was left out in the cold Saturday after a fire swept through their home on Falls Branch Road destroying all of their belongings and burning the structure to the ground.

Lighting struck the Hickman County home of Gayle and Jewells Sheldon shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday, causing a fire that gave them little time to escape with the clothes on their backs and nothing else.

Jewells Sheldon woke up coughing after the lighting supposedly hit the home. He opened the door leading out of his bedroom and discovered a wall of smoke.

“The smoke just hit him right in the face, up and down just about,” Gayle Sheldon said of her husband who has emphysema.

The two ran out of the home but both fell and suffered minor injuries while escaping.

Two family dogs were lost to the fire.

“I lost my babies,” Gayle Sheldon said.

The Sheldons lived in the home for more than 30 years, raising their children there who now have families of their own.

“I am just thankful to the Lord that we got out,” she said.

Hickman County Rescue Squad Chief Toby Warren said that even though it was raining that morning, the fire swept through the house quickly leaving it unable to be saved.

Warren confirmed that the home was not covered by any insurance agency and that everything they owned from clothes to personal effects, toys for their grandchildren, food, photographs, and electronics were all lost.

He said the American Red Cross has been notified and was able to give the two preliminary relief.

The Sheldons are now staying at a relative’s home.

Members of the Sheldon family sifted through the remnants of the home later that afternoon to try and find the key to Gayle and Jewells’ car.

The family was able to locate the key, however the chip was damaged and the engine would not start.

Meanwhile, members of the Sheldon’s church family at Hampshire First Baptist Church have begun to spread awareness of the fire and are asking for contributions.

Fellow congregant Michelle Lamont has established a crowdfunding account for the Sheldons at https://www.youcaring.com/gayleshelden-806986.

Those who wish to send in or hand-deliver a contribution can do so to First Baptist Church, 4063 Hampshire Pike, Hampshire, Tenn. 38461 and write Gayle Sheldon in the memo or notation.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Freon leak ends day early for Brown Elementary

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted May 2, 2017 at 3:32 PM

Students at Joseph Brown Elementary ended the day early Tuesday after a walk-in refrigerator leaked coolant in the school's kitchen.

The Columbia Fire Department was dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of smoke coming from the kitchen at approximately 2:25 p.m., less than an hour before the students’ regular dismissal.

Assistant Chief Tim Holt told The Daily Herald firefighters soon identified the leaking Freon line running to the room-sized cooler and were able to quickly stop the breach.

Firefighters could not confirm what caused the break in the line.

“Now we need to get all that chemical vapor out of there," Holt said. "We are working with fans to vent the building. We’re just monitoring the air, blowing it all out until we are 100 percent sure that it is all gone.”

Holt confirmed that no one was injured by the leak, and Lt. Brian Jones with the Columbia Police Department confirmed that all students were evacuated from the building.

“It was all like a fog, so we are using big fans to push it all out,” Holt said. “We are glad it wasn’t a fire, it wasn’t smoke. There are no injures and no child has complained of anything; no injuries, sickness, nothing.”

During dismissal, members of the Maury County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department and Columbia Fire Department and EMS services were all at the scene.

“We are working to get the students back to their parents or on the buses, making sure every child is accounted for,” Interim Columbia Fire Chief Ty Cobb said. “That is why a member of every agency is here.”

Dismissal was delayed by 15 to 30 minutes following the incident and school is expected to continue as scheduled.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Fallen deputy receives a hero’s farewell

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted May 9, 2017 at 5:45 PM

Hundreds of friends, family and members of law enforcement gathered at South Gate Church of Christ on Tuesday to say one final farewell to Maury County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Jimmy Tennyson.

“Sixty-four years, four months and nine days. It might sound like a long time, but it is a whisper,” former Maury County Sheriff Enoch George said of his longtime friend inside the packed church bathed with afternoon light.

“Many people were touched by Jim Tennyson,” George said. “He was a stand-up guy. My best friend for a long, long time. Wherever I was, and whatever I needed, he was there for me.”

Tennyson died early Saturday morning from injuries he sustained in a single-vehicle accident on his commute to work.

He served more than 25 years with the Maury County Sheriff’s Department. From 2009 to 2014, he held the rank of captain.

After passing away at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville his rank of captain was reinstated.

Tennyson was known for his commitment to law enforcement, joining the Maury County Sheriff’s Department in 1994 after working in the auto repair business.

His fist job on the force was in the dispatch office.

George encouraged Tennyson to go to the police academy, and after graduating, he climbed the ranks and ran for sheriff in 2014. 

It was George who originally hired Tennyson at the department after he served for five years as a volunteer reserve officer.

“He was a man who cared, whether he was taking care of the poor or rich, he treated them all the same,” George said. “You could be having the worst day of your life and then see Jim Tennyson and he would make you laugh.”

Most recently, Tennyson served as a school resource officer at McDowell Elementary School, Culleoka Unit School and Hampshire Unit School.

The students called him a friend with a great smile who always looked best in his uniform.

″‘He made me smile because he played with me and talked to me,’” Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland said, quoting one student. ”‘He was my friend.’”

Rowland said Tennyson was a member of three families: his own loved ones, the church and the Maury County Sheriff’s Department.

“Capt. Tennyson is a leader in this community who will be greatly missed,” Rowland said. “He lived with a smile, he lived with sternness, he lived with compassion.”

The single-vehicle accident occurred on Iron Bridge Road at 7:30 a.m. Friday. A medical helicopter was called to the scene, but the flight crew could not respond due to foggy weather conditions. He was first taken to Maury Regional Hospital before being transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by ambulance.

Interstate 65 was closed as Tennyson was transported to Nashville, George said.

After the accident, Tennyson’s brain became dangerously inflamed and he was put on life support.

The next morning, when it was clear that irreparable damage had been done and he would never wake out of the coma, he was taken off the machine.

“I’ll ask you to always honor his name,” Rowland said. “You can rest assured that he is in paradise.”

Tennyson is survived by his wife, Dee, of 11 years; children Stephanie Pagan of Columbia; April Redd of Columbia; Lauren Hyatt of Columbia; Evan Bearden of Murfreesboro; grandchildren: Jazmin Pagan, Lexie Pagan, Briley Redd, Rylan Redd; half brother: Mark Tennyson of Columbia; and half-sisters: Lisa McMahan of Columbia and Tracy Baker of Columbia.

Tennyson’s widow was presented with a flag, honoring her late husband’s service, given to her at the request of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.

“He brought happiness to those who were around him,” Rowland told those in attendance. “He worked hard, he built a good name, and you all can be proud of that.”

More than 500 vehicles — most of them from agencies across Middle Tennessee — escorted Tennyson’s remains on Pulaski Highway, across James Campbell Boulevard and through downtown Columbia to his final resting place at Maury Memorial Gardens.

The procession was followed in the air by a WSMV-TV helicopter, which broadcast the event live across the state.

Retired Maury County Training Chief Randy Fox, Tennyson’s longtime neighbor, was the last to share memories of his friend.

Every day, the two would take early morning walks together.

Fox called Tennyson a proud father and a proud grandfather.

“We know the days ahead are long and tough,” Fox said in prayer. “Lord, we ask you to be with him. Be with his brothers and sisters that wear the badge. We know his spirit is with you and that he rests in a place that none of us can ever imagine until we are there in that place.”

Memorial donations in honor of Tennyson may be made to the FOP James K. Polk Lodge #26 P.O. Box 891, Columbia, TN 38401.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Commission agrees Mt. Pleasant court needs upgrade for safety’s sake

MT. PLEASANT — Maury County’s General Sessions Court II is located at 115 North Main St. in a building that has stood for 117 years.

Its floors are uneven and corridors tight, forcing victims and suspects into close proximity of one another.

The building’s electrical wiring is aging rapidly, and employees struggle with blown fuses and power cuts.

Documents are held in the building’s unfinished, damp and moldy basement, which is prone to flooding after a rain shower.

On the second floor, more records are kept, but engineers warn employees of walking on the aging wood floor.

Maury County commissioners visited General Sessions Court II this week, reviewing the building’s condition and meeting with Judge Lee Bailey and his staff to consider potential improvements.

During the special called building committee meeting inside Bailey’s courtroom, the judge and Mt. Pleasant’s officials discussed major safety concerns for the structure. Collectively the group agreed on a need for more safety and security.

“Safety is the No. 1 concern and the No. 1 priority,” Bailey said. “A lot of people come through this court. We need to make sure that whoever comes through here — if it is a person paying a speeding ticket, a person charged with a very serious crime or here to be support — that everyone is safe and that no one comes here with a fear of being harmed.”

Bailey emphasized the need for the court to follow standards used to keep the public, the court’s employees and those in custody safe and secure.

“Those who are in jail are the minority,” Bailey said. “There are a lot of good people who come in here for various things. When they walk in, they need to be in a place, where if something were to happen, they are protected by armed officers and that they can focus on what they are here for.”

Speaking with The Daily Herald after the meeting, Building Committee Chairman Eric Previti expressed the need for change. He said his hope was the county will move forward, no matter what direction his fellow commissioners agree upon.

“This is something the commission has been talking about for years, and being elected to the building committee chair this year, I wanted to try something different,” Previti said. “The meeting was a complete success, and now we know where we are going and can make a decision.”

The lack of a metal detector stands as a top priority for the judge and his office.

“There is no telling what has come through here as far as guns knives or any other weapons,” Bailey said.

Preveti said revenue from the court system’s litigation tax will be used to finance the commission’s decision.

Previous discussions on the topic have considered renovating and redesigning the current building, constructing a new court in the area or moving it to Columbia and building a large unified justice center for the entire county.

Those three options were again brought into consideration this week.

Next Wednesday, the building committee will be presented with formal proposals on how to move forward.

These plans, which come recommended by Mt. Pleasant’s leaders including it’s commission and city manger, recommend the construction of a new building near the city’s downtown at the intersection of Bluegrass Avenue and Olive Street, or near its middle school on South Cross Bridges Road.

Both properties are owned by the city.

Renovations of the current building are deemed to be too costly and ineffective by Maury County’s owner-advocate Steve Hewlett of Hewlett Spencer, LLC.

Needed renovations also include a holding cell for incarcerated defendants along with separate bathrooms for them.

Cigarettes and sharp objects have been found inside the bathroom in attempts to smuggle items into the Maury County Jail, deputies said.

Other additions would include an elevator andramps in accordance to the American Disabilities Act.

“This building would not be suitable to try and create a safe environment,” Hewlett told the commissioners Wednesday.

“We need to start alleviating the issues we have now,” Commissioner Talvin Barner said.

During the meeting, Mt. Pleasant City Manager Kate Collier proposed the court be temporarily moved to City Hall until a proper solution is agreed upon.

Bailey said it would not be a feasible option, because of the need to move paperwork between the two buildings quickly.

County Commissioner Don Marrow recommended a new location be leased in Mt. Pleasant while a solution is developed.

“It’s not in good shape, and I think everyone is in agreement,” Bailey said. “It is just a matter of what do we do from this point on.”

He and other commissioners considered the economic benefits of keeping the court within city limits, stating visitors were bound to stop and get gas or something to eat within the city.

Commissioner William “Tot” Roddy recommended constructing a new building at Cherry Glen Industrial Park, allowing more room for business in the city’s downtown.

“There is nothing beneficial about this,” Roddy said. “Let’s build these people a new building.”

According to the judge, a Mt. Pleasant native, General Sessions II has resided in Mt. Pleasant since the 1940s, at the height of the city’s booming phosphate mining and processing industry.

It was located several blocks from the town square and then relocated to City Hall before it was moved to its current location inside the Edward T. Workman Building.

The building once stood as a grocery store owned by the Sims family. Safes from the business still sit in the structure’s basement, and a sign showing the price of groceries hangs on a rafter.

Because General Sessions II was founded under a private act, Previti said that act would have to be altered with a referendum if a change in location were to be agreed upon by the commission.

General Sessions II court is held Mondays and Wednesdays. It sees criminal, civil, juvenile and traffic cases on a rotating schedule.

Cases at General Sessions II come from across the county, but many of those incidents are from Mt. Pleasant, Spring Hill and Culleoka.

“He hears the same thing here in this court as Judge Lovell or Judge Sands in the Columbia court,” Chief Deputy Clerk Debbie Brewer said. “There is just not enough security. Hundreds come through here every day. I just think, for this building, it is service time.”

The court sees an average of 10,000 cases per year, but the number of people who visit is likely more than three times that according to Maury County Circuit Court Clerk Sandy McClain.

In 2014, it saw a total of 12,000 cases.

Brewer also agreed the court is in desperate need of safety precautions for those visiting and the staff.

Fewer than 10 incidents have occurred in the 19 years Bailey has served as judge, he said, but there have been occasions when deputies and court marshals had to hold people apart in the narrow courtroom.

“We are just sitting ducks,” McClain said.

County Commissioner Donna Cook said the situation puts a toll on the victims of sexual assault, as they are forced to sit only a few feet from their alleged attacker.

“I would love to stay here in Mt. Pleasant,” said Bailey, son of the city’s mayor and former county mayor Jim Bailey. “This court has been here for many years, and I believe that it should stay here. However, if the commission decided it would be better to have the court in Columbia inside a new justice center, as long as it is in a safe place, I will do what they agree on.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Welcome back, Maliyah

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Aug 28, 2016 at 6:22 PM

McDowell Elementary School welcomed home one of its own last week after a life-altering accident.

Eight-year-old Maliyah Sparkman was in a car crash July 1. The only passenger in the vehicle wearing a seat belt when it collided with a tree, Sparkman suffered injuries that have left her paralyzed from the waist down.

The driver and fellow passengers suffered minor injuries from the crash.

Friday, after receiving extensive care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and at medical facilities in Atlanta, Sparkman joined her peers for morning assembly, where she was surprised with an American Girl doll and more than $1,500 to help her family through the difficult time.

The unique doll, donated by physical education instructor Jason Hull, was presented to Sparkman in her very own wheelchair wearing a McDowell Elementary T-shirt, just like Sparkman herself.

The $1,500 check was the result of a combined effort among the school’s students to help their friend.

Under the guidance of education assistant Angel Hall, students found ways to raise funds for Sparkman.

At the school, ice cream sales dwindled as students saved their money for the drive. At home, they opened small businesses selling lemonade and baked goods to their neighbors.

With the drive only halfway through, students continue to find ways to help their classmate and her family.

“I thank everybody for doing that for me, but I didn’t think I really needed it because I am special, and they are special to me, too,” Sparkman said after the assembly.

But, as she spent the day in Christina Whitehead’s third-grade class, Sparkman was more concentrated on seeing her fellow classmates again.

“It feels great being with my friends,” she said after working on the computer with her cousin and classmate Kayci Crawford, 8, and writing a paragraph about the day with her friend Sarah Turrnetine, 8.

Whitehead said both Sparkman and her classmates had a great day on Friday.

“The students don’t look at her differently,” Whitehead said. “She was the star, surrounded on the playground.”

Before regularly returning back to school for several days out of the week, Sparkman must first return to Atlanta for six more weeks of physical therapy. Her mother Lexus Cash, says Sparkman is expected to return as a full-time student by the start of next school year.

In the meantime, she will receive a combination of home-bound and in-school lessons.

A dedicated student with a fancy for multiplication, Sparkman previously specifically requested homework from Whitehead so she would not fall behind.

“When you think what you learn is not fun, it turns out to be fun if you do all your work,” Sparkman said.

Although the difficult journey is just beginning, Sparkman and her family know they have a community standing behind them.

“It has been rough but we got through it,” Cash said of the past two months. “We thank everybody for their help and support. They didn’t have to do anything but they did it out of the kindness of their hearts and we appreciate it all. People are coming from everywhere, doing everything they possibly can to help. Everybody is going out of their way to show us they are supporting her, even if it’s just to talk.”

Cash said she plans to use the donated funds to help find and purchase a more wheelchair-accessible home for Sparkman and her younger brother Jordan Cash, 5, who also attends McDowell as a kindergartener.

“Her mind is really good about it,” Barbara Crutcher said of her granddaughter’s situation. “We thank everybody for what they have done. It goes from here to Nashville to Williamson County and surrounding counties, everybody has done a whole bunch for us and we appreciate everything.”

McDowell Principal Jerry McNeece watched as his students and faculty worked to make a day brighter for one girl and her family, actions all can learn from.

“Our kids, they just have big hearts," McNeece said "They have gone over and beyond and we are just very proud. It gives you a great feeling to be a part of a school and a community such as this. If all adults had the hearts of these children the world would be a much better place.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Culleoka principal, students welcome furry friend

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Jan 22, 2017 at 12:01 AM

Culleoka Unit School has welcomed a new four-legged visitor into its halls. Her name is Kaitlyn, and she is training to become a guide dog.

The school’s principal, Penny Love, a longtime animal lover, has volunteered to help train Kaitlyn over the next 14 months for Southeastern Guide Dogs. The Florida-based nonprofit organization provides guide dogs to people with visual impairments at little or no cost to the recipient.

The two first met at Nashville International Airport earlier this month, where the puppy was handed off to Love, coincidentally, on her mother’s birthday.

Since then, the two have been inseparable, visiting Columbia State Community College, Columbia Car Wash, Cracker Barrel, Franklin’s Factory and other locations, always practicing for Kaitlyn’s future as a working dog.

She even has her own Twitter and Instagram accounts, @KaitlynLab and @kaitlyn_lab_se, respectively.

In their short few weeks together, the 14-week-old pup has already received a coat for showing her outstanding abilities and good behavior at a recent regional meeting of trainers and dogs.

Currently, more than a dozen people from the greater Nashville area are training dogs for Southeastern Guide Dogs, the organization said.

But most of Kaitlyn’s experiences will be gained walking the busy halls of Culleoka Unit School in her blue harness.

“It’s great for her to be around the children,” Love said. “Walking around the halls can be chaotic, it can be fun, but it’s a good experience to learn good manners, and it’s good for the kids as they learn how to interact with a dog.”

Love says practically every student who attends her school has a dog. But for many, this is the first time they have seen a guide dog. The principal said Kaitlyn’s presence also opens the door for students to learn about disabilities.

Thursday marked a big step for the young pup, who walked through the halls at dismissal, likely the busiest and rowdiest time of the day.

Kaitlyn passed with flying colors as students of all ages crowded the elementary school wing to pet their new unofficial mascot.

“This is awesome,” 10-year-old Dena Roop said as she stopped to pet Kaitlyn on her way home.

One student who has a fear of dogs decided to pet her. She first very hesitantly patted Kaitlyn’s coat, but soon let her hand rest on the puppy.

“She interacts well with my students, she interacts well with my special-needs students,” Love said. “She is just an all around good girl.”

When walking through the schools halls with Kaitlyn, Love says she feels more approachable to the students.

"They see me as a teacher and less of an authoritative person in charge,” Love said. “She brings out the best in them, and we are excited for everybody to follow her journey.”

As Kaitlyn grows, Love will teach her basic obedience, along with a special list of commands, including how to close doors, setting a strong basis for when she is returned to Southeastern Guide Dogs for her harness training within the next 14 months.

Kaitlyn will continue her training there, and if she is deemed to suitable to serve as a guide dog, she will be paired with a visually impaired individual.

Although Kaitlyn is under Love’s care, she makes sure to tell those interested that the puppy is not hers.

“She belongs to Southeastern Guide Dogs, and I am training her,” Love tells those who stop to ask.

Nonetheless, Love said she certainly has a deep affection for the little pup with an important future ahead of her.

“She is a really special dog,” Love said. “She is really smart, and she is destined for someone. It has to be liberating for those people. I think it is beautiful thing to be able to put that much trust in an animal and get your freedom back like that. My dogs are really special to me; they offer me comfort Joy, serenity and peace.

“Whatever she is chosen to do she will be good for that person or that occupation. I am not saying it won’t be hard (when she goes), but she is a real love bug, and she serves a higher purpose than just being a big lap dog.”

Even if Kaitlyn is not selected to serve as a guide dog, her job opportunities will remain prosperous with the potential to serve as a bomb detector, arson investigator or a companion to a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder.

For Love, training a dog to help others is a long-time dream. She first heard of the organization in the 1990s, but with young children, she didn’t feel like it was the right time. With her children growing and a recent loss in her life, the time has come.

After receiving Maury County Superintendent Chris Marczak’s blessing, Love began her own training program and months later Kaityn now walks the halls of Culleoka Unit School at her side.

“Dogs mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” Love said. “I think they can read our minds you can look in their eyes and see lots of wisdom there. It’s a good way to give back and combine what I love to do.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Columbia State graduates first Tennessee Promise students in record numbers

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted May 7, 2017 at 11:40 AM

Graduates at Columbia State Community College walked across the stage inside the Webster Athletic Center on Saturday and then out of the gymnasium’s front doors with the prospects of a brighter future.

“Today is a special day,” Columbia State President Janet F. Smith told those in attendance during the commencement ceremony. “It is a day of recognition. These graduates set a goal and accomplished it – a day we honor the culmination of your work as a Columbia State student, which gives rise to your future. ”

A total of 323 students walked in the two commencement ceremonies held Saturday, the largest in the college’s history, Smith said.

Including students who did not walk at graduation, and pending the posting of final grades, 409 are expected to be graduating this spring.

Because the gymnasium could not fit the entire class and their families all under the same roof, the graduates were divided into two separate ceremonies.

This graduation marked an especially significant moment in both the history of the school and the state, as this year is the first with graduating students attending college on the Tennessee Promise Scholarship.

Tennessee Promise provides eligible students with two years of tuition-free post-secondary education at any Tennessee College of Applied Technology, one of the state’s 13 community colleges or a participating private institution with a corresponding two-year program.

This year at Columbia State, 130 students are graduating with the assistance of the scholarship, 115 of those students are high school graduates from 2015 and 15 of those from the class of 2016.

Smith said the large number of graduating students was a combination of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship as well as the college’s own initiatives in encouraging students, working to improve the institution’s completion rate.

“Tennessee Promise has impacted the enrollment growth,” Smith said. “We have seen more and more graduates every year.”

According to Complete Tennessee’s “Room to Grow” report, released in November 2016, less than 45 percent of students at Tennessee’s public colleges complete their degrees.

The nonprofit organization says students who don’t complete their college degrees are more likely to incur debt, have lower salaries and a lower quality of life in comparison to those who complete their degrees.

Smith said the Tennessee Promise and the college’s own efforts will continue to keep students in school and on a path toward graduation.

“We have implemented a lot of student engagement activities in areas where students are more involved with faculty and staff,” the president said. “I think it is a combination of those two, but the graduation rate has been growing every year which is very pleasing.”

The boost in graduates just might serve as a sign of Tennessee’s changing education system.

With two separate ceremonies, two students were selected to give the commencement addresses.

In the morning, Maury County native, Caitlyn McNabb, took to the stage for students earning Associate of Applied Science degrees and technical speeches.

McNabb commended graduates on their excellence and congratulated them on their academic achievements. Encouraging the graduates to recognize that education is a privilege, McNabb challenged each graduate to learn something new every day.

“We all work together in this world,” McNabb said. “We all have something to offer. Every one of you has a purpose, and if you have not found yours yet, do not fret.”

In the afternoon, Destiny Seaton, also a Maury County native, gave the commencement address for students earning Associate of Arts, Associate of Fine Arts, Associate of Science in Teaching and Associate of Science degrees.

Seaton encouraged graduates to achieve their goals and to help others along the way.

“In order for our generation to truly be successful, we must live with a purpose of ensuring that once we reach our highest peaks in life, others can do so as well,” Seaton said.

She spoke of her past and how she overcame a whirlwind of challenges. She urged the graduates to overcome their shortcomings and avoid the easy path through life.

Before conferring degrees, Smith recognized the 16 President’s Leadership Society graduates for their participation in the program that focuses on helping students develop and apply their unique leadership skills.

“We established the President’s Leadership Society in the spring of 2011, based on the belief that leadership is inherent to our lives and that we all have leadership roles,” Smith said. “PLS is open to all students at Columbia State and requires only their commitment to involvement for learning, participation and helping others.”

During the course of the program, students attend retreats, enjoy exposure to the arts, participate in workshops and campus life, develop civic understanding and give back to the community through public service projects.

Today, there are more than 200 PLS graduates from Columbia State.

“We have such wonderful students here and all of our students work very hard to obtain their goals and accomplishments,” Smith said. “We are very proud of those students and we know they are going to do extremely well wherever they go. They have a good foundation and we could’t be more proud of our students. They are just exceptional kids and we have a fantastic facility and staff to help them reach those goals.”

Originally published in The Daily Herald.
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Santa Fe barn exposes local values

By MIKE CHRISTEN mchristen@c-dh.net

Posted Jan 29, 2017 at 5:21 PM

For more than 70 years, the Woody family barn has stood in Maury County’s northwestern corner.

During those seven decades, it has rested undisturbed at the foot of a hill just off Santa Fe Pike, but now that is going to change.

Countless drivers have glimpsed at the structure as they drove in and out of town.

The weather-worn, raised-roof barn, was once a shelter for mules, the farm’s most valuable tool of the time, and hundreds of other livestock that would pay for the family’s meals every year.

It’s second floor, now home to hundreds of vacated wasp nests, once was used to dry hundreds of pounds of hay and tobacco grown on the farm’s 100 acres of land.

Now, James Walker Woody, 86, still owns the majority of the land he once helped his father work. He still lives just across a field from the barn and the home he was born in, built by his father, J.C. Woody, and his mother, Virgie McKey, in the 1940s.

“This is an old home place, this land through here,” Woody said as he drove his red Chevy pickup across his fields to where the barn and the little white farmhouse stand. “Daddy was an old-time farmer, that’s all he did.”

It was on his father’s land where he first learned how to drive tractors, an interest that eventually led him to ride and fix up old motorcycles, a passion he continues to this day, riding regularly through Maury County’s rural roads on a modified three-wheeled Honda cruiser.

Every morning, Woody wakes up and takes a look across the field to the old barn.

For Woody, it is a place of many memories, where he has spent spent hours taking care of his family’s animals.

It is where he’d spend his evenings hiding from the world in its loft surrounded by those same plants set to dry in the natural furnace. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he wouldn’t be alone.

Despite an infinite number of memories, the years have taken a toll on the structure and its once cleanly painted sides have weathered, begun to deteriorate and rot away.

“It has little value to me, Woody said. “But every time I walked out there and seen all that weatherboarding falling off, it just made me sick.”

He said he is doing his best to keep the structure standing.

“I am preserving it, or what I can afford,” Woody said. “I just want to look up there and see a pretty barn like I used to. I wanted to preserve it and keep it just like it was, but I’m stingy,” he added, laughing at his words.

So instead of replacing the old wood with new cuts, Woody has decided to instead install new long-lasting aluminum siding that will change the barns appearance drastically. However, a sight that is not uncommon in Maury County’s rural landscape.

Now the barn, rests at the foot of the hill, nude, allowing those passing by to peer into its interior.

The laborious, time-consuming work of removing each plank was done by contractors Alton Kannady and Chris Craig, who worked through mornings with temperatures hovering above freezing.

“We are going to church her up,” Kannady said as he took a break warming his hands, blocking them from the wind shear.

This isn’t their first rodeo, just a few months earlier the two did the same to another barn a few miles down the road. Then the heat from an extended Tennessee summer made it difficult to work.

But soon an overcast morning led to a sunny midday and the work became easier on their hands.

As they continued, the barn continued in its transformation.

For Woody, his family’s farm has always been a place of refuge.

“I lived in Nashville and every place, but I would always come home on the weekends,” he said. “We’d have the car packed and we’d hit the road for Santa Fe.”

After several years, he returned home with his high school sweetheart, took a job at Union Carbides’ facility in Columbia, started a family and worked his way up from the position of general laborer.

His attention never strayed too far from those 100 or so acres in Santa Fe.

The land which once grew crops and was grazed by cattle now sits divided into smaller properties, each a plot of land owned by a son, a daughter and a granddaughter.

Although appearances may have changed over the years, the land remains the same, tended by the same hands, and inspected and traveled by the same feet. Mules and livestock may have been replaced by horses but there is still a need for what was first built more than a century ago showing that despite the slow creep of a growing metropolitan area, traditional values and ways of life continue to flourish.

Originally published in The Daily Herald.

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