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Southern Middle Tennessee Today
News Copy for August 1, 2024
All news stories are aggregated from various sources and modified for time and content. Original sources are cited.
We start with local news…
Spring Hill Holds Candidate Forum (MSM)
The Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce held a candidate forum on Monday, July 22, featuring candidates for the Tennessee House and Senate.
The forum was held in the patio area between Martin’s BBQ and Salvo’s and featured candidates from both parties for three House seats and one Senate seat. Republican incumbents Reps. Scott Cepicky (District 64), Kip Capley (District 71) and Todd Warner (District 92), along with Sen. Joey Hensley (District 28) were in attendance, as was fellow Republican Ray Jeter, who is challenging Cepicky for the Republican nomination. For the Democratic side, James Dallas (Senate District 28), Teri Mai (District 92), Alex Pierce (District 64) and Eileen Longstreet (District 64) were on hand to speak to voters.
Each candidate answered questions provided by the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce. The event was brisk and informational to voters across Maury and Williamson Counties, with four districts were represented in this Spring Hill Chamber event.
Each candidate was asked first by the Chamber, “What is the biggest challenge your district faces?”
Cepicky stated that “unchecked growth” is the biggest challenge that the district faces. “We have city commissions and county commissions that continue to approve more and more projects, which causes more and more problems… Sen. Hensley and I worked with our builders and realtors to get an impact fee for Maury County.”
Hensley echoed his Republican colleague in the statement about the unchecked growth in southern Middle Tennessee, saying, “Infrastructure, growth is one of the biggest things we face… That’s so important for Maury County, facing building three or four new schools in the next few years… We at the state need to allow the local governments to do more things.”
Dallas stated, “Growth almost feels like a bit of a cheat answer because it encompasses every other issue, but I think the most important thing that the legislature needs to do is just to make it a focus. We’ve had so many divisive issues in the past couple of sessions of the General Assembly, that we just need to have a very boring session where we talk about growth.”
Mai answered with calls for a livable minimum wage so that people can afford housing in the county, stating, “I believe growth is an important issue that needs to be addressed, but in my opinion from the people I’ve talked to is the ability to live in in the county.” Mai claimed that housing costs have gone up so high that she could not afford to buy the house she currently lives in, having just moved to Maury County three years ago.
Warner used the question to talk about water in his district and brought up a failed dam project in Columbia in the 1970s that failed due to various forms of red tape from the federal and local governments. “In my opinion, we should drink water before we worry about some species in that river,” he said, referring to the Duck River.
Jeter took the conversation to water as well, saying, “Water is a major problem for this region and the state’s got to get involved. It’s not a Maury County problem, it’s not a Spring Hill problem, it is a regional problem and the state of Tennessee has got to get involved.”
Jeter also mentioned that he wants to impose a cap on property taxes for elderly property owners.
Pierce brought up the need for better sidewalks along Bear Creek Pike due to the amount of people using the shoulders of the road to exercise as well as push their children in strollers. He also spoke on the homeless population in Maury County, saying, “There’s three of us up here that live in Columbia, and we can probably all attest to this. We go to the local Kroger, we see someone new on the corner every day, someone new with a dog.”
Longstreet tackled the growth question by addressing the need to expand U.S. Highway 31, as well as the difference in quality of schools between Maury County and Williamson County.
“Why was 31 on the list to get expanded and then fell off the list? We (have) all these two or three lanes north and south of us and what do we do? We got the same size streets now basically that we have in our neighborhoods. You can’t let all this growth occur and have 31 with parallel lines going behind it, which makes it hard for those businesses to even be recognized, much less make money. 31 has to be expanded.”
The full forum, including the candidates’ closing statements, can be viewed on Main Street Maury’s Facebook page, as well as on Main Street Media’s YouTube page.
BOMA Committee Appointment Debate (MSM)
After much discussion about whether or not committees should recommend their own member applicants or not, the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen chose to defer appointments for the Town Center Redevelopment Committee.
During the board’s regular meeting July 15, members questioned if everyone who wanted to be considered for the committee was submitted to the board for that consideration.
“Mr. Mayor, I think it’s bad practice if we’re allowing committees to select their own nominees,” Alderman Matt Fitterer said.
The board heard one applicant had withdrawn, leaving only one, but there seemed to be a few other applicants who had expressed interest.
“Human nature is to pick or recommend the people that you already know, and so when you do that, it’s always the same people end up being involved in the committee,” City Attorney Patrick Carter said. “And as the legislation was written, I think the thought was that BOMA would be doing their own vetting, so they would get all the applications.
“And apparently that hasn’t happened on this item, and it needs to happen.”
Motion was made to defer the appointment of members to the Town Center Redevelopment Committee to the board’s Aug. 19 meeting.
Wired Mastermind Pitch Winners (Press Release)
Last week, Maury Alliance teamed up with the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce to host the second annual WIRED Pitch Contest! Local entrepreneurs had the chance to present their innovative ideas, with the WIRED Mastermind Group awarding $10,000 to help accelerate their businesses. After impressive presentations and careful deliberation, the group selected Christine Cole of Cammellia Chocolates and Donna Parker of Blondy's Baked Goods the winners. Each of the businesses received a prize of $5,000!
In 2021, Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance and Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce launched WIRED – A Mastermind Group for local entrepreneurs and CEOs. WIRED Mastermind is designed to foster growth and development through the sharing of experiences, lessons-learned, and game-changing moments. The 2023-2024 Wired Mastermind Group is comprised of five local Entrepreneurs and CEO’s that were selected through an application process. Each year, the group hosts an annual Pitch Contest for early businesses poised for growth in Maury County.
Learn more about the initiative at www.mauryalliance.com/wired.
Voting Machine Certification (MSM)
Last week, the Maury County Election Commission underwent a process to review a randomly selected voting machine to make sure there were no issues and that the machine was giving accurate results.
Administrator of Elections Chris Mackinlay said that if the machine were to fail the test and give inaccurate readings, it would be replaced by a different machine that was accurate.
“If they don’t match, we’ll do it again,” Mackinlay said. “If they still don’t match, we just get rid of that machine. The human touch supersedes the machine.”
West End, the machine that was inspected, passed the test without any errors. It has paper ballots to go along with the thumb drive that has the results on it as well.
It was noted that in doing the checks the issue of wrong votes had not been seen by the team inspecting them.
“If we lose all the ballots, we have the stick,” Mackinlay said. “If we lose the stick, we still have the ballots.”
Each machine has a checklist that must be passed before the votes from it can even be looked at, including different stickers around the machine to ensure no one can tamper with the machine and passwords that only select people have access to, Mackinlay said.
When the machine is turned off, it prints a piece of paper showing votes for each candidate that can then be verified by the physical ballots as well, he said.
West End passed the test and will be ready to go when the elections take place Thursday, Aug. 1.
Trotwood Development (MSM)
Columbia residents spoke against a master plan and preliminary plat approval that was ultimately approved during the Columbia Municipal Planning Commission meeting on July 10.
There was much discussion concerning the request from T-Square Engineering for the final planned unit development master plan and preliminary plat approval for Old Zion Subdivision, consisting of 765 lots off Trotwood Avenue.
It was explained that this development near Ridley Park was approved in the summer of 2023 and was one of the final large developments approved under the previous zoning ordinance.
“The preliminary planned unit development established the general layout of the development and how it would function, the density, intensity development, the layout of streets, the civic space that buffers the protection or compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods, off-site improvements, a lot of commitments from the developer,” Columbia City Planner Kevin McCarthy said. “This stage is the final Planned Unit Development master plan, where they’re showing you some greater detail and fixing in place those entitlements.
“It’s also the preliminary plat, which will allow them to move forward with preparation of the site, grading, installation of infrastructure, etc., that will later they’ll come in in phases for the final plat, the actual creation of the lots.”
It was discussed that the commission would need to decide if the final Planned Unit Development master plan is in compliance with the preliminary and if the plat matches the master plan and complies with the subdivision regulations.
McCarthy said that changes included the elimination of a cul-de-sac, shifting of some lots and some units being sprinkled.
“Staff recommendation is that any condition, any approval, be conditioned on the amenities being in place by the time of the 300th certificate of occupancy,” McCarthy said, adding that other suggestions included “the buffer moving ahead of the development” [and] “the traffic improvements need to match everything that was in the preliminary Planned Unit Development master plan approval, which the applicant has agreed to.”
Columbia resident Robert Graham said that community leaders have estimated 14,000 new homes will be built in Maury County and Columbia in the next few years, only increasing concerns.
“And while we can’t halt growth, it’s essential we take some steps to management, and I’m going to take the emotion out of it and just give you numbers,” Graham said, adding that “with an average of two children under 18 per family, 14,000 new homes would translate to approximately 27,160 children,” saying additional schools would be needed.
He said that there are “an average of 2.2 cars per household in Tennessee, and an influx of 14,000 homes would add 30,800 more vehicles to our already congested one-lane and two-lane highways.”
“We already have 110,000 vehicles in Maury County,” Graham said.
He also discussed the concerns of water usage and strain on Duck River.
Other comments from those who spoke included traffic concerns and opposition of the reduction of the buffer area between the new development and the existing one.
Commission chairman Charlie Goatz asked McCarthy to clarify points on the previous approval.
“Just to make sure I understand this right, this preliminary Planned Unit Development was previously approved, so there’s certain rights associated with it,” Goatz said. “Our job here tonight is making sure that the final Planned Unit Development that they’re presenting here conforms to the preliminary and in a material manner,” he asked.
“Yes, sir, substantial compliance,” McCarthy said, adding that that was the “term in the zoning ordinance.”
The motion to approve the plan, subject to the removal of the nine lots that encroach the buffer and conditioned on the timing of the traffic, along with all of staff’s conditions, passed.
New Exhibit From TSM and AAHSMC (Press Release)
The African American Heritage of Maury County (AAHSMC) presents Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, a new traveling exhibition, on display August 2, 2024, through September 13, 2024, at the Maury County Public Library. Created by the Tennessee State Museum in partnership with The John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library at Fisk University, the exhibition traces the history of education for Black Tennesseans from the Reconstruction period, through the development of the Rosenwald program, and into the present day.
“The Rosenwald Schools served African American students in Rural Maury County for more than 40 years. In addition to the traveling exhibition from the Tennessee State Museum, the AAHSMC’s companion exhibition will include photos of teachers, students, and the 15 Maury County Rosenwald Schools. Also, the AAHSMC is hosting “In Conversation: Former Rosenwald School Students.” Former students will share their educational experiences on August 10, 2024, 2:00pm - 3:00pm, at the Maury County Public Library,” said Jo Ann McClellan, AAHSMC President.
What are commonly referred to as Rosenwald Schools were the result of an initial partnership between Sears, Roebuck, and Co. president Julius Rosenwald, Tuskegee Institute president Booker T. Washington, and Black Communities throughout the South. Between 1912-1937, that partnership resulted in the construction of almost 5,000 schools for Black children across 15 southern states, including 354 in Tennessee. Rosenwald schools drove improvement in Black educational attainment and helped educate the generation who became leaders of the Civil Rights movement. The traveling exhibition on display at the Maury County Public Library consists of five two-sided panels and includes the engaging stories of alumni and community members from 16 different Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee.
“TSM and Fisk wanted to build a more diverse and inclusive space for all Tennesseans to learn about and honor the history and legacy of Black education in the state,” said Debbie Shaw, Senior Curator of Archaeology at the Tennessee State Museum. “The resilience and perseverance of these Black communities as they strived for equal access to education is highlighted through their work with the Rosenwald School program. The legacy continues today as members from these same groups work toward the preservation of these schools and communities.”
“Our teams at the Fisk University John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library and the Forging Future Pathways Forward: Building a Portal to Rosenwald Collections for all at Fisk University project were thrilled to partner and collaborate with Tennessee State Museum,” said DeLisa M. Harris, Director of Library Services at Fisk University. “This exhibit is the first major showcase of the impact and legacy of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Rural School program in Tennessee.”
This traveling exhibit is an expansion of Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee, an initiative that included a 4,000 square foot temporary exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum and a two-day symposium. The project won a 2024 American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) Leadership in History Award of Excellence and the 2024 Tennessee Association of Museums President’s Award. For more information visit www.tnmuseum.org.
Applications Open (Press Release)
Applications for the 2024-25 Columbia Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) term will open on August 1st. The CMYC is open to all high school students located within Maury County, including those attending public, private, and home schools. The 2024-25 term will begin in September 2024 and conclude in May 2025.
Mayor Chaz Molder stated, “The Columbia Mayor’s Youth Council is an excellent opportunity for our young people to gain firsthand experience in local government and develop their leadership skills. By participating in CMYC, students will not only learn about the inner workings of our city but also have the chance to make a real impact on their community. I strongly encourage all eligible students to apply and be part of this incredible educational experience.”
The CMYC aims to educate students about local government, foster leadership skills, and encourage community involvement among Columbia’s diverse high school population. The CMYC is composed of Maury County high school students who value academic excellence, community involvement, and leadership. Selected students will have an opportunity to actively participate in various activities and programs, addressing issues affecting youth and the community, leading and volunteering in community projects, and learning about city departments.
The CMYC selection committee will review all completed applications to select this year’s youth council members. Applications will be open from August 1st through August 23rd, and applicants will be notified of their acceptance by September 3rd. CMYC meetings will be held monthly, in addition to community and volunteer projects.
CMYC applications can be found on the City of Columbia’s website at columbiatn.gov or at your high school’s administrative office. Follow the Columbia Mayor’s Youth Council on Facebook and Instagram at @cmyctn. For questions, please contact Hanna Miller at hmiller@columbiatn.gov or (931) 560-1512.
And now, Your Hometown Memorials, Sponsored by Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home…
Martha Matthews, 100, retired secretary of Joseph Brown Elementary School and resident of Scott Hollow Road, died at home Sunday, July 28, 2024.
Funeral services will be at noon on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home in Columbia. Visitation with the family will be two hours prior to the service. Burial will be at Polk Memorial Gardens in Columbia.
Martha Jane “Janie” McCormack Sanders, 71, trauma nurse for Skyline Medical Center, died Saturday, July 27, 2024 at her residence in Nashville. Funeral services will be conducted Friday, August 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Thursday, August 1, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Online condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com.
Now, news from around the state…
Ft. Campbell Soldier Accused of Selling Secrets Pleads (Tennessean)
Korbein Schultz, the Fort Campbell sergeant accused of selling U.S. military secrets to China, has decided to plead guilty, a newly filed court document shows.
Schultz' attorney, federal public defender Mary Kathryn Harcombe, filed a motion to set a hearing for him to change his plea, writing that Schultz "has decided to change his plea of not guilty to a plea of guilty pursuant to an agreement with the government."
Schultz' case was set for trial on Aug. 13. Harcombe asked U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger to allow Schultz to enter his guilty plea that day.
The document does not indicate the terms of the plea agreement. The Tennessean sent emails to Harcombe and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee on Friday morning seeking more information.
A six-count indictment against Schultz, 25, was unsealed on March 6. Schultz, who was an Army intelligence analyst with the First Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, was charged with three counts of unlawful export of defense articles to China and one count of conspiracy to do the same, conspiracy to unlawfully communicate defense information and bribery of a public official. He pleaded not guilty March 8.
Prosecutors say Schultz had been selling sensitive U.S. military information to someone in Hong Kong who worked for a geopolitical consulting firm from June 2022 until he was arrested in March.
The indictment states Schultz shared information about advanced military helicopters, high-mobility artillery rocket systems, defensive missile systems and Chinese military tactics, as well as the tactics, techniques and procedures manuals for the F-22A fighter jet and intercontinental missiles. He received $42,000 in exchange, according to the indictment.
The co-conspirator baited Schultz with promises of perks and leveraged his apparent love of auto racing and desire for wealth, based on the indictment. Schultz once told the co-conspirator he "wished he could be 'Jason Bourne,'" the indictment states.
Just two months later, a different Fort Campbell officer was charged with felonies. Lt. Col. Frank Ross Talbert in U.S. Army Explosives Ordnance Disposal was indicted on 21 counts accusing him of unlawfully importing weapons from foreign countries in early May.
Talbert, 40, is accused of unlawfully importing firearms parts from Russia and other countries, dealing firearms without a license and committing several other firearms violations related to the possession of machine guns, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Talbert has surrendered his weapons to be stored at either Fort Campbell or a locked gun cabinet held by a family member who is prohibited from sharing the location of the key to the cabinet with Talbert. A judge in June ordered Talbert to participate in a mental health treatment program, court records show.
Talbert's trial is set for January 2025.
Final Story of the Day (Maury County Source)
The Maury County Fair will return on Thursday, August 29th and run until Monday, September 2nd, 2024.
All the family fun and entertainment you love will soon be back!
This year, the fair festivities begins with a Rodeo, taking place on Thursday of Fair Week. Several other popular events will be happening like the junk car jump and run and the Saturday motocross races.
In addition to the back arena fun, all your favorite animal shows and exhibitor competitions are back this year too! The kids zone will see a variety of live, exotic animals and science shows that will amaze kids of every age.
The Maury County Fair & Exposition will take place at 1018 Maury County Park Dr. in Columbia.
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