Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 4-8-25

WKOM/WKRM Radio

Southern Middle Tennessee Today

News Copy for April 8, 2025

All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.

We start with local news…

Fatal Crash (MauryCountySource)

A serious crash in Maury County claimed one life Thursday afternoon after a pickup truck collided with a tree along Campbellsville Pike.

The Maury County Fire Department responded to the scene in the 5000 block of Campbellsville Pike at 4:51 p.m. on April 3. Crews arrived to find a single vehicle wrecked with two people trapped inside.

Emergency responders quickly removed both doors of the truck in an effort to reach the occupants. Despite their efforts, one person was pronounced dead at the scene. The second occupant’s condition has not been released.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.

8th Street Roundabout (CDH)

Columbia City Council will vote Thursday to approve a new roundabout installation at the intersection of South Main and East 8th Streets, also the site of a future Thurgood Marshall statue.

The item, which will appear on the council's consent agenda this Thursday, is to approve a $701,276.50 bid award to Nickell Contracting.

The project's history dates back to 2021, when the council initially approved a $106,841 agreement for engineering services with Nee-Schaffer to provide more efficient traffic flow to the area, while also improving the street's aesthetic appeal.

City Engineer Glenn Harper said the roundabout will be similar to the one currently north of downtown Columbia at North Main and East 6th Streets.

"It took a while to get the design done, but it's at the construction phase now," Harper said. "It will have a concrete truck apron, a center raised island and the same kind of stacked stone in the area for the statue in the middle. There will be areas for crosswalks, striping and repaving."

There will also be road closures during its construction period.

"This project is scheduled for 120 days, and so the intersection will be closed for 120 days," Harper said. "We will set a time with the contractor, but we are ready to get going soon."

In November of 2023, the council approved the Columbia Peace & Justice Initiative's request to erect a statue commemorating the historic 1946 Uprising in Columbia, with Marshall chosen to represent the event.

In July of 2024, the CPJI chose artist David Alan Clark to sculpt the statue.

City Manager Tony Massey said the timing of the roundabout and the statue's installation should align at around the same time of completion.

"The manufacturer of the statue is cranking pretty closely to this six-month period," Massey said. "The timing of the statue to be finished, ready and delivered should be around the same time."

Mule Day Recap (CDH)

The sun was out as Mule Day rolled, or perhaps trotted, along into the weekend, with competitions, live events as well as large crowds showing up to experience Columbia's flagship festival.

The gates opened promptly at 10 a.m. Friday following yet another touch-and-go day of inclement weather Thursday, which at one point forced Maury County Park to evacuate twice, Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Alsup stated Thursday evening.

Every year, Mule Day brings visitors from far and wide, ranging from national competitors to farmers and those who return year after year as an annual tradition.

Dale Moreland of Dexter, Missouri, for instance, said 2025 would be his 37th visit to Mule Day, this year bringing along two of his show mules, Jill and Sally.

"It was pretty hectic with the weather back and forth, but last night was good and today is good. It's just beautiful today," Moreland said. "I like to buy mules and show them, and I've got six mules total but just brought the two with me this time."

Moreland added that he keeps coming back to Mule Day mainly for the people, as well as a chance to participate in the parade.

"There are just so many good people here, and it's always a good show," Moreland said. "This is one of the best shows I go to. I just love it down here."

Another charm of attending Mule Day are the ones experiencing all the festivities for the first time.

As Mountain Mule Packer Ranch of North Carolina's first Mule Day, this included leading its largest attended event, Saturday's Mule Day Parade, as the 2025 Grand Marshal.

Mountain Mule Packer Ranch co-founder Michele Toberer, who along with her husband, Mike Toberer, started the program in 2011 to train the U.S. Military and Special Forces in how to pack and use mules overseas in places like Afghanistan.

"It has been really nice being here and meeting people, some of which we had already talked with on the phone or those who have sent notes saying they wanted to meet us in person," Michele said. "So many people have been just so kind with their words."

When Hurricane Helene hit the East Coast in September of 2024, many families in rural parts of Tennessee and North Carolina were left displaced, some in areas unreachable by traditional vehicles or even horses.

As a tried and true animal for traversing difficult terrain, the mule was turned to for help, with Mountain Mule Packer Ranch lending a helping hand, or rather hoofs. These mules assisted in rescue efforts, delivered supplies and were, in some cases, a stranded victim's only link to receiving any kind of aid.

Their story soon went viral, with viewers around the world tuning in and falling in love with the mules and their work in providing aid when no other options were available.

It also led to the foundation of the Mission Mules nonprofit, which continues to provide disaster response via the packing mule to this day.

"We were just in West Virginia to help with the flooding helping people," Bob Howitz, who assists the Toberers with Mountain Packer Mule Ranch said. "We had state troopers and other people help lead us around to homes where people needed supplies, and it was freezing cold. And these people are poor, living in shacks."

As their first Mule Day, Michele said the whole experience brings back memories of their former California home, where the Toberers often competed.

"It's nice to be around mule people," Michele said. "Being from California, we used to go to Bishop Mule Days out there on Memorial Day weekend every year. It was a big part of what we did every year, and when we moved out to North Carolina, we really missed it. It's funny we had never been here until they invited us, but it's brought back that same feel, which is pretty cool."

CSCC Hosts PTK Conference (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College recently hosted the Tennessee Regional Convention for the international honor society, Phi Theta Kappa.

For the first time, the four-day event was held on Columbia State’s Williamson Campus. It has been 10 years since the regional convention was held on any of Columbia State’s campuses.

Regional conventions offer a networking opportunity for neighboring chapters of PTK, as well as a space to highlight the achievements of outstanding students and advisors.

The Tennessee Region of PTK serves over 10 chapters throughout the state.

The regional convention concluded with an awards ceremony featuring distinctions for community colleges across Tennessee. PTK advisors and members were present from 10 two-year colleges including:

Columbia State Community College

Chattanooga State Community College

Dyersburg State Community College

Jackson State Community College

Motlow State Community College

Nashville State Community College

Northeast State Community College

Roane State Community College

Volunteer State Community College

Walters State Community College

“After the recent opening of the Williamson Campus’ new Arts and Technology building, we jumped at the opportunity to host the Tennessee Regional PTK Convention this year!” said Dr. Kristin Jernigan, Columbia State associate professor of biology and Williamson Campus PTK advisor. “Over 70 PTK members and advisors representing 10 PTK chapters from 10 community colleges in Tennessee traveled from around the state to attend this event on our Williamson Campus. We received incredible support from our administration and staff here at Columbia State, as well as our own PTK students and advisors. This support was made evident by the many compliments I received on our facilities and the convention, as a whole, by those attending! I have never been prouder to be a member of the Columbia State family!”

Columbia State’s chapter of PTK received awards including the Five Star Chapter Award and first place for Distinguished Honors I Action Theme, Theme 4: Preserving Stories. Greg Mewbourn, Columbia State associate professor of history and Lawrence Campus PTK advisor, received second place for the Distinguished Advisor Award.

“I was very surprised to hear my name called for second place in the Distinguished Advisor category at the PTK Regional Convention,” Mewbourn said. “I am profoundly grateful to my fellow advisors and all those who played a part in my nomination. It is truly an honor to receive this award. PTK has brought, and continues to bring, great benefits to our students and campus communities. I am humbled by the opportunity to advise our students and consider myself privileged to be associated with this prestigious organization.”

PTK is regarded as the first honor society to recognize the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges. PTK’s membership is estimated at 4.4 million worldwide.

Columbia State’s chapter of PTK, Beta Kappa Theta, was chartered in 2000 and has since achieved Five Star status many times. Membership in PTK is limited to roughly the top 10% of students based on academic achievements.

Maury Regional Airport Breaks Ground (MSM)

People assembled at the Maury County Airport outside of Mount Pleasant on Thursday, March 28, for the groundbreaking ceremony on its new terminal, which the airport authorities hope to finish by the end of 2025. The firm James Lowen & Associates will provide architectural services and Garver Construction will build the $3.9 million terminal and grounds.

The county airport was built in the late 1950s on the old Wheeler Farm, which the city of Mount Pleasant donated to the project. City of Columbia and the Maury County Governments each contributed $27,000 to the airport. Its terminal will look familiar to anyone who’s driven past Maury Regional Medical Center, because it was built out of the pale beige bricks that were left over from the construction of the hospital that same decade.

The terminal was fitting for a small county airport used for hobby and occasional business flights, but Maury County has outgrown the out-dated midcentury building and its pre-ADA facilities. At its size the airport is one of the 20 busiest general-aviation terminals in the state, with its 6,000-foot runway (one of the longest in the state) allowing it to land planes up to the size of a Boeing 737.

“If you live here in town, you can look up at night and all you ever see are aircraft flying over,” Mount Pleasant Mayor Bill White said.

The airport sells a quarter-million gallons of fuel each year to clients including General Motors, Walmart, Love’s, Jimmy John’s and Springer Mountain Farms, whose corporate executives fly in on private planes, and every year it adds $23.2 million in value to the community, $14 million of it directly enriching the county and citizens.

Local leaders argued that when people with that much money and power visit Maury County, it’s important to spruce up the first local building that they’ll see and enter. State Senator Joey Hensley, a private pilot himself, praised the “beautiful” facility.

“Airports are so important, not just for recreational pilots, but… [for] access to our communities,” he said. “Businesses look at airports when they’re looking to come to communities, [so]… the state funds… 73 airports… This is certainly one of the best.”

“The airport recognizes that we’re the front door to Maury County for investors, and that first impression… is really important in terms of what the county symbolizes and where we’re going,” said Tom Apker, chair of the airport authority. “By upgrading and modernizing our facility, [we can] reflect the growth… going on.”

The new terminal will include amenities like a round central “Gathering Hall” with historical displays, a small park outside, an events space, a pilots’ lounge and a raised mezzanine from which people can watch planes take off and land.

The Federal Aviation Administration also recognizes the airport’s importance by sending it several million dollars in operational grants every year, and the county airport authority is on good terms with the statewide FAA office in Memphis. In 2023, $8 million in federal funding helped to resurface the tarmac runway, install LED runway lights, and upgrade the tarmac electronics. Greg Martin, Columbia liaison to the airport board, praised former Mount Pleasant mayor Jim Bailey for using his contacts to get them the FAA’s money, guidance and approval on the facility. Major Randall Parker also said the Civil Air Patrol is creating a branch for the airport.

Martin thanked Mount Pleasant’s Codes & Building department, for being “a blessing to work with,” and county finance director Doug Lukonen for helping them budget the project.

“Some other places, you might spend months or years getting a project like this approved,” Martin said.

Mayor White praised airport general manager Paul Turner, whom the state recently honored as the airport manager of the year.

“That was well deserved,” White said.

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder brought up the memory of Harry Napier, the mayor of Columbia at the time who supported the airport building in 1962. He emphasized that the project was a partnership between the county and its cities.

“When I think about partnerships… to solve problems instead of talking about problems, and to understand that we’re a family, I think this building is probably one of the biggest testaments to what can be done when we work together,” he told the crowd.

Road Closure (Press Release)

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will close a portion of Carters Creek Pike (SR 246).

Currently underway, crews with Eubank will fully close SR 246 from mile marker 0 to Les Robinson Road (SR 247) until 2:30 p.m. daily through Wednesday, April 9, and a detour will be in place, routing traffic to Dr. Robinson Road and Beechcroft Road. Additionally, intermittent lane closures will occur daily on SR 246 from mile marker 0 to mile marker 9.67. These closures are necessary for milling and paving operations.

As always, drivers are reminded to slow down, allow for extra time for travel, and move over when traveling through a work zone. The Move Over Law was passed in 2006. The penalty for violating the law in Tennessee can be up to 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of up to $500.

CSCC Performance Series (Press Release)

Columbia State Community College welcomes Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to the Cherry Theater on April 10 as part of the Performance Series sponsored by First Farmers and Merchants Bank.

Together for more than 30 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy — famously named after an autograph by blues legend Albert Collins — has appeared in concert venues across the world, sold millions of records and had their music appear in hundreds of movies and television shows. With sold-out concerts from the Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center, appearances with many of the country's finest symphony orchestras, and television appearances ranging from Dancing with the Stars to Superbowl XXXIII, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy continues its decades-long mission to celebrate and revitalize jazz and swing music — America's original musical art form — and bring joy to audiences around the world.

“Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the swing genre, experiencing Big Bad Voodoo Daddy live is like stepping into a roaring jazz club where every note brims with excitement and soul!” said Tammy Rosson, Columbia State director of events and alumni relations. “Enjoy world-class swing music in a beautiful theater with free parking and affordable tickets — all without the drive to Nashville.”

This is the last performance in the 2024-2025 First Farmers Performance Series.

Tickets for each performance are priced at $35 and include all fees. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ColumbiaState.edu/PerformanceSeries.

Individuals may also contact the Performance Series ticket line at 931.540.2879, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On performance nights, the box office opens at 6 p.m. in the Kenneth and Ramona Cherry Theater, located in the Waymon L. Hickman Building on the Columbia Campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and all shows begin at 7 p.m. The Columbia Campus is located at 1665 Hampshire Pike in Columbia.

For more information, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/PerformanceSeries.  

And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…

Mr. Donald B. ‘Don B’ Harmon passed away on April 05 peacefully at his home. A visitation for will be held Wednesday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home with a celebration of life at 2:00 PM, burial will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens.

Mr. Garry Lewis Farris, 71, resident of Nashville, died Saturday, March 29 at TriStar Skyline Medical Center. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Entombment will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 12:00 PM till 2:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home.

And now, news from around the state…

Vandy Hosts Security Summit (Tennessean)

Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and fentanyl poisoning will be among key topics discussed during Vanderbilt University's fourth annual national security Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats this week.

OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman, whose company developed chatbot ChatGPT, will kick off the summit on Thursday morning. The moderated discussion with Altman will be hosted by General Paul Nakasone, the founding director of Vanderbilt's new Institute of National Security and a retired four-star U.S. Army general who served as commander of the U.S. Cyber Command.

"This is the future in which we live," Nakasone said about the threats and opportunities that come along with the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, which claims over 400 million weekly users as of late March.

Vanderbilt's 2025 Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats will take place Thursday and Friday at various locations on and around the school's campus.

Vanderbilt's summit and related programming is now housed under the university's institute, demonstrating the school's greater emphasis on building notoriety in the field of U.S. national security. Nakasone said there are major indications Vanderbilt could be at the forefront of the next generation of national security leaders and policies, in part due to the institution's commitment to political neutrality.

"Nashville, Tennessee is 634 miles from Washington, D.C., and that's really important," he said. "You have the opportunity to talk about issues a little bit differently, think a little differently, be able to engage more robustly."

President Donald Trump said he plans to move more federal government operations outside of the Washington D.C. area, though he hasn't released specific plans involving Tennessee.

Other speakers slated to appear at the summit include Chris Miller, author of the book "Chip War: The Fight For The World's Most Critical Technology" and Ethan Jackson, the senior director of strategic missions and technologies for Microsoft.

In the policy and government world, summit presenters include Emily Goldman of the National Security Council, Lakshmi Raman of the CIA, Congressman Mark Green and Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn.

Vanderbilt's Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats came before the university established its Institute of National Security in September. The Institute now offers an undergraduate minor in national security, fellowships for professionals working in the field, and it supports ongoing university research through direct partnerships with the U.S. military.

Nakasone spent 37 years in the military and served as the director of the National Security Agency. His team has notably put together a summit packed with powerful presenters, from tech industry leaders to intelligence workers.

"The national security picture has changed dramatically," he said. "When I think about the change it means the rise of China, two ongoing conflicts; it means a series of borderless challenges like cybersecurity, a global pandemic, fentanyl poisoning. These are things that are now starting to shape what is the national security status of the United States."

Gas Prices (MSM)

Gas prices across the state held relatively steady for most areas over last week, with the state gas price average rising only a penny. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.79 which is nine cents more expensive than one month ago but 42 cents less than one year ago.  

“After jumping 10 cents heading into last week, gas price movement is relatively slow for now for gas prices across the state,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Late last week we saw oil prices plunge lower due to market concerns surrounding tariffs and the potential for a global economic shutdown. The price of crude oil accounts for about half of the price that drivers pay at the gas pump. This could mean more drops at the pump are in store this week for drivers.”

Tennessee is third least-expensive state in nation for gas prices.

Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)

Eric Church once again offers a unique live experience with an exclusive pair of shows set for May 23 and 24 at Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Pinnacle, in celebration of the release of his highly anticipated May 2 album, Evangeline vs. The Machine. Pre-order/pre-save the album at EricChurch.com.