Front Porch Radio - Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price
Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 8-16-24
(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOM and WKRM Radio. Your hometown news broadcasting from the Debbie Matthews Nashville Realty Newsroom in Columbia, Tennessee. I'm your host, Tom Price. Today is Friday, August 16th. And we start with local news. Blood Assurance is experiencing a critical shortage of own negative blood with only 10 units available as of August 13th. Own negative blood is the universal blood type, making it vital in emergencies where the patient's blood type is unknown. In addition to own negative, the nonprofit is urgently calling on donors of all blood types to schedule an appointment immediately. Recent months have seen a significant decline in donor turnout, but the need for blood remains constant. As a thank you all donors who give blood this month will receive an exclusive Save Three Lives tote bag, a small token of appreciation for their life-saving contribution. Donors can schedule an appointment by visiting www.bloodassurance.org/schedule by calling 1-800-9620628 or by texting the word BA Give to the number 999-777. A federal grant to assist with restoring waterways damaged by May's tornado was the subject of discussion by Murray County Safety Committee during its August meeting. Murray County Mayor Sheila Bud filed an application in late May for federal assistance under the Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The program is designed to restore damages and impairments and to remove imminent hazards of life and property caused by the tornadic storms to streams, bridges, roads, and culverts. Murray County Director of Emergency Management, Jeff Hardy, said four defined areas had been approved for funding according to a letter received by the mayor's office. A site on Tom Osborne Road has been approved for $116,000, a Kidron Road site for $127,700, a Kathy's Creek site for $50,625, and a Bear Creek Pike site for $627,000. In all, Murray County is eligible for $921,325 under the program. This is the money that would pay to clean up the identified streams and waterways that were affected from the tornado, Hardy told commissioners. The USDA would pay 75% of that, so that would leave about $230,000 that Murray County would be responsible for, he said. Hardy said his office was in the process of getting signatures from landowners, granting permission to access their property. Some owners live out of state, making the process take longer, he said. Hardy noted that the sites will have to go out for bid and that the estimates were just that, adding that the costs could exceed the listed amounts. Commissioners Tommy Wooliver asked if Murray County could receive all the federal money it could expect from FEMA on that project. Hardy said that was the case, but that the county had applied for additional assistance to individual property owners. That application was initially rejected, but is being appealed, Hardy added. "As far as the federal and state dollars so far, yes, we've gotten all that we've been able to get," Hardy said. Commissioner Wooliver asked if FEMA funds might reimburse Murray County for its expenditure on the project, but Hardy said that was not the case. "It's two separate pots of federal money we're dealing with. This pot of money, we have a deadline. It looks like it's close to the end of this calendar year, so we have to spend that money by and they will cover 75% of the cost," Hardy said. Hardy did say highway department or other county personnel could be used to offset some of the cost. Commissioner Kathy Grodai asked if USDA money would be spent first or county money. Hardy replied that the county would fund the entire amount initially, but that the USDA reimbursement would be a quick one. Battle Creek High School, Murray County's newest school in Spring Hill opened its doors last week, and the Grizzlies' athletic programs are well underway. Football, volleyball, girls' soccer and cross country have been practicing, and the teams finally have a place they can call home. The school and athletic facilities were expected to take up to two years to build, but were completed in around 15 months. Here's a look inside the athletic facilities at Battle Creek. The gym will be home to the Grizzlies' volleyball and basketball programs. Volleyball will play its first home game in the new gym on August 28th against Giles County. The gym is two stories with a second level providing a view down onto the main court. The second level holds an additional practice basketball court and bleachers are planned to provide additional seating. The baseball and softball fields are adjacent to each other in each feature full artificial turf. Battle Creek is the only high school in Murray County with fully-turfed football, baseball and softball fields. Not only does fully-turfing the fields cut out on maintenance, but the fields will be much better equipped to handle rain. Located behind the baseball and softball fields is a grass practice field with field goal posts installed, which is expected to be utilized by the football and soccer programs. The stadium field sits adjacent to baseball at the bottom of a hill overlooking the Battle Creek campus. The track surrounding the field has been striped. The stadium field features Battle Creek's Grizzly mascot scrawled sprawling across 20 yards at midfield, along with Battle Creek's navy blue in each end zone. The Grizzly's football team plays its first home game in the new stadium on August 26th at 6 p.m. against Columbia Academy. While the finishing touches are still being put on Battle Creek's weight room and locker rooms, the athletic facilities are ready to be broken in, and the Grizzly's athletic programs are eager to do so as the T-W-S-W-A fall seasons get underway. The Columbia Future Farmers of America chapter has been recognized in the 2024 National Chapter Award Program from the National FFA Organization. The program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters from throughout the country that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality FFA chapter standards and a program of activities that emphasizes growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership. Chapters that receive star ratings during judging this summer will be recognized at the 97th National FFA Convention and Expo from October 23rd through the 26th. All star rated FFA chapters receive honors made possible by corporate sponsor John Deere and New Holland. New Holland is proud to recognize and celebrate the exemplary FFA chapters that are part of the National Chapter Award Program said Mark Lowry, Director of Network Development at New Holland. They are successfully enriching their communities and preparing FFA members to be the future leaders of our company and industry, which is important work that we are honored to support, he said. The National FFA Organization is a school-based National Youth Leadership Development Organization of more than one million student members as part of 9,235 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Dr. Darshini Patel has joined the medical staff at Marie Regional Medical Center. She is associated with Vanderbilt Heart Columbia. Dr. Patel received her medical degree from New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Baylor, Scott & White Health in Temple, Texas. She completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine in Brandon, Florida. Dr. Patel is board-certified in internal medicine. Vanderbilt Heart Columbia is located in Suite 401 of the Marie Regional Medical Center Pavilion, located at 1220 Trotwood Avenue in Columbia. For more information, call 931-3888-622 or visit www.meriregional.com/heart. With the addition of Dr. Patel, the medical staff at Marie Regional Health includes 15 heart specialists with expertise in general cardiology, interventional cardiology, and electrophysiology. The Heart Center offers a vast array of cardiac services ranging from diagnostic and interventional procedures to pacemaker and defibrillator implants and recently invested $1.9 million in enhancing cardiac services, which include new state-of-the-art technology in its cardiac catheterization labs. The Medical Center has been recognized as a chest pain center with PCI by the American College of Cardiology and holds certification in the treatment of heart failure from the Joint Commission. In addition, US News and World Report has recognized the Medical Center as a high-performing hospital for heart attack treatment for 2023 and 2024. Marie County is in the midst of the largest athletic facility improvement project in the county school systems history. Last year, the Marie County School Board drew up a deal that would have the Marie County Commission borrow $28 million in funding for Marie County Public Schools for athletic facility improvements that the school district would then pay back. The proposal was approved by the county commission and the money immediately became available for use. Marie County Public Schools has 20 years to pay back the borrowed sum and it has become a regular item in the school district's budget. "When you think about our athletic programs, our athletic facilities, you know, that's our front porch to the world," Marie County Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Ventura said. "Upon approval of the funding last year, a list was created to address the most pressing needs of facilities across the county. So we created a list of priorities, ADA Title IX things that needed to be addressed first and then the things we could do easily, we went ahead and did," said Eric Perriman, Marie County Assistant Superintendent of Operations. "But we really started planning for the larger projects, which led to stadium renovations, which led to turf, which led to different types of things that have come along," he said. "Every Marie County high school has had its gym floor as redone, while all middle and high schools have also had storage facilities built for athletic equipment. There are plans to add artificial turf at every Marie County public high school baseball, softball and football field in the county. In addition to each school getting artificial turf, here is what else the money is paying for. Mount Pleasant Football had locker rooms renovated, the softball facility was renovated entirely. New basketball goals added to the gym and new dugouts for baseball and softball. Columbia Central's back gym and locker rooms will be renovated while each sport will soon be getting its own locker room. Baseball received new dugouts and softball will be getting a new indoor facility. Santa Fe's weight room was renovated and new basketball goals were installed in the gym, which was renovated ahead of this project. Kalioka is planning a new indoor practice space for basketball and Hampshire will be getting a second outdoor practice space. New dugouts for baseball and softball at the schools are also being planned for the future. Spring Hill was able to finish renovations to its gym while bigger renovations are set to be underway soon. There's so many projects still in the works that our campuses are transforming. Marie County Schools Athletic Director Chris Pointer said and it's showing you that there's so much more to Marie County public schools. And it also shows how much our district cares about our communities and providing them with that quality space, place and an experience when they go to our campuses, he said. Not included in the facilities project is the new Battle Creek High School Facilities, which include baseball, football and softball fields all completed with artificial turf. Currently the most high profile projects this money is being used for are at Columbia Central, Mount Pleasant and Spring Hill. Columbia Central and Mount Pleasant will each be getting artificial turf for their high school football fields. The turf project at Mount Pleasant was completed just before the school years start while the turf project at Columbia is being planned for the off season. Along with those upgrades, Spring Hills Athletic Facilities are set to be totally revamped. Spring Hill already had its grandstands and lighting upgraded ahead of this project and the additional funding will allow for a handful of needed changes. Spring Hills Fields sit at the bottom of a hill below the school and water drainage has been a continual issue, primarily affecting the softball field. Part of the county's funding includes a massive draining improvement. The softball field at Spring Hill will also be relocated to further ensure it remains above water. Further renovations are planned for the football stadium field, including new restrooms and concession stands as well as new lights and turf, essentially creating a whole new facility. The renovations at Spring Hill are expected to be completed by next year. Murray County school officials say there is about $12 to $14 million left in the budget with bids open on two large projects. We still have a continuous running list of projects, but it all is predicated on the cost of the project before. And so it's kind of a domino effect, pointer said. The Murray County Fair will return on Thursday, August 29th and run until Monday, September 2nd. 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 Murray County Fair will take part at Murray County Park, located at 1018 Murray County Park Drive in Columbia. For more on the fair and updates, visit www.merrycountyfair.com. Join Murray Alliance on Wednesday, August 21st at 1130 a.m. for their annual education lunch featuring a state of public education and the 2024 education report. During this year's event, Murray Alliance president and CEO, Will Evans, will lead a panel discussion with representatives from Murray County Public Schools. They will discuss the current state of public education, career and technical education, and the inaugural 2024 education report, which will be released during the event. Panelists include Lisa Venture in Murray County Public Schools Superintendent, Amy Roberts, Murray County Public Schools, career and technical education supervisor, and Michelle Gilbert, Murray County Public Schools Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment. For more information and to register, visit www.merryalliance.com. Registration closes on Monday, August 19th at noon. And now your hometown memorials sponsored by Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home. Cheryl Lynn Powell Church, 71, retired clerk and master for Murray County and a resident of Columbia, died Wednesday, August 7th at Murray Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, August 17th at 2 p.m. at Riverside United Methodist Church. The family will visit with friends on Saturday, August 17th from 12 until 2 p.m. at Riverside United Methodist Church. R. E. Duncan Jr. 84, former resident of Duck River, Tennessee, passed away on August 14th at NHC Murray Transitional Care and after an extended illness. A memorial service will be conducted on Sunday, August 18th at 3 p.m. at Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home. The family will visit with friends beginning at 1 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. Henrietta Smith-Douley, 89, former owner and operator of Henry's on the square and resident of Columbia, died Wednesday, August 14th at NHC Columbia. A memorial service will be conducted on Friday, August 23rd at 11 a.m. at Greymere Church of Christ. The family will visit with friends on Friday, August 23rd from 10 until 11 a.m. at Greymere Church of Christ. Hometown memorials is sponsored by Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home, serving with dignity and consideration for over 150 years. As years go by, people may tend to forget just what a funeral is really all about. At Oakes and Nichols, we believe it's first and always a special remembrance of someone you love. We start by listening to your needs and desires. If you're unsure, we can help gently, professionally. At Oakes and Nichols Funeral Directors, we haven't lost sight of why we're here to serve Murray County families in the ways they prefer. And why your satisfaction is so important to Jeff Hargrove and Susie Sowell. There's a great deal of satisfaction in serving a family and serving them well. It's an eye for detail and thoughtfulness and taking the time to see that things are done right. We do have nice facilities and good people and we work hard to do things well, but we don't want that to intimidate people as to what they think it will cost. Taking care of you is our primary concern. Oakes and Nichols Funeral Directors, 320 West 7th Street in Columbia, since 1856, people you can rely on. For your southern middle Tennessee weather, we will have a mix of sun and clouds that will turn into scattered thunderstorms later in the day. Dusty winds and small hail are possible. The high will reach 94 degrees, so it winds out of the Southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour. The chance of rain today, 40%. Tonight we can expect a few clouds with a stray shower or a thunderstorm possible. The low will be 73 degrees with light and variable winds. For your weekend forecast, we will see a mix of sun and clouds, both Saturday and Sunday, with a high of 90 degrees for both days. Overnight temps will be in the upper 60s and low 70s. Cooler temps will be coming in at the start of next week. Let's take a break. When we come back, we'll cover state and national news that affect you. You are listening to Southern Middle Tennessee today. Debbie Matthews-Rilter and her husband Jason, who is a pro songwriter, also own a music publishing company. They live in historic downtown Columbia with their dogs. Dog rescue work is their passion project. They consider Middle Tennessee their backyard and their lives are full of all things Tennessee. Debbie says there is no greater honor than to help someone find a home. To be trusted with that job, there is no greater privilege to call Debbie at the Nashville Realty Group, 615-476-3224, 615-476-3224. Family first. My dad used to tell us that all the time. But family first wasn't just something he'd say to us. It was how he lived every day of his life. And it's how I try to live mine, too. At Shelter Insurance, our agents are dedicated to helping provide personalized auto home and life protection that put your family first. For Auto Home, Life, or Business Insurance, Sea Shelter Agent Tommy Hyde Jr. at 388-2009. Are you thinking about a new fence? Maybe you need a pole bar. Then you should give Sands Fence Company a call that's 931-309-1644. Will Sands has built his business based on the principles of honesty, quality, and integrity. Sands Fence Company has been in business for over 20 years, providing a community with farm, residential, and commercial fencing, as well as pole barns and buildings. Call today for a free estimate. Sands Fence Company 931-309-1644. 931-309-1644. For 40 years, the Jewelers bench has worked hard for their customers and provided the highest quality jewelry at the best price. They keep going back. Recent renovations have allowed them to expand their inventory. More high-quality jewelry, custom vintage and estate pieces, and professional jewelry and watch repairs. They also buy gold. The Jewelers bench, still here, still great service. 808, Trotwood Avenue, Columbia. This is Triadcock with Dixie Equipment. Sales and rental. We sell ASV and Wacker Nordstrom equipment. We also rent a wide variety of compact equipment in the Dixie area. Come see us. We are located in Columbia, Tennessee at 200 East 16th Street. You can call us at 615-969-0118 or visit our website at www.dixiediesel.com. We have been in business for over 42 years and we would love to help you turn your project into reality. Hi, I'm Matt Peralis, Manager of Murray County Equipment. We help you with all your agricultural and construction equipment needs. We carry a full line of new haul and tractors from compacts to high horsepower. We have a full line of gravely morn equipment. We also have new haul and construction equipment, attachments and accessories for your tractors and a complete parts department. We are locally owned and operated. Come see us at 1075 North James Campbell Boulevard or learn about us on Facebook. Our contact is at 931-490-8183. This is Bob Kessel with Pat Ryan. It's a beautiful day for digging. This beautiful operator has the engine running and is moving into position. He's heading for the ground. He's in there. Wait, there's a flag on the play. Let's get out of the field for the call from our official. A legal procedure on the digging team. Oh, that penalty could cause a costly accident. That's right, Bob. He needs to call before he digs. There's underground utility lines that could be hiding just below the surface. Water, sewer, electrical, communication lines, and even natural gas. Avoid a penalty by first calling 8-1-1 to have any underground public utility lines located at marked with flags or paint. It's free, it's easy, and it's the law. For more tips, visit pipesafety.org. This message brought to you by the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and the Tennessee Gas Association, funded in part by a grant from the Underground Utility Damage Enforcement Board. ♪♪ Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOM 101.7 and WKRM 103.7, your hometown source for news and information. I'm your host, Tom Price. And I'm news from around the state. Bitcoiners in Nashville will soon have access to a new workforce development grant from the state of Tennessee, aimed at cultivating workers with skill sets needed to thrive in the crypto industry. The Department of Economic and Community Development has confirmed it is in conversations with leadership at Nashville-based Bitcoin Park, an exclusive Nashville-based membership business that offers training and community events for Bitcoiners. ECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter seized a partnership with Bitcoin Park during the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville last month, when he told a room full of hundreds of Bitcoiners that he's working closely with Governor Bill Lee and several lawmakers on a new grant incentive program focused on recruiting the crypto industry to Nashville. "We're a music city. We want to be Bitcoin City," McWhorter said, adding that more specifics on the new program would be rolled out in the coming months. McWhorter said the origin of the idea came from a visit to Bitcoin Park in Nashville a few months ago. "We're going to partner with Bitcoin Park focused on workforce. We're going to provide grants to really attract the talent that needs to be here," he said. "It's something that we're very excited about." In response to inquiries about the pending partnership, Department staff characterized McWhorter's comments as a general statement regarding ECD's mission to make Tennessee the best place to live and run a business. The Department also confirmed discussions of grants specifically involving Bitcoin Park. The company's co-founder Ron Rowdy indicated in a social media post that the partnership would support new meetups, nuclear development support, freedom tech adoption, and much more. Rowdy founded Bitcoin Park in 2022. The Department of Economic and Community Development has declined to provide any details about the forthcoming grant program, citing confidentiality laws that allow the agency to keep those discussions secret. Tennessee gas prices fell six cents on average over last week. All but four of Tennessee's metro areas now have metro averages below $3 per gallon. The Tennessee gas price average is now $3.01, which is 11 cents less expensive than one month ago and 42 cents less than one year ago. Tennessee drivers saw a slight break in the pump over last week with several areas of the state seeing pump prices below $3 a gallon, said Megan Cooper, Spokeswoman for AAA, the Auto Club Group. We're still seeing some uncertainty in the market, so fluctuations in our local gas prices cannot be ruled out this week. However, if market conditions persist, we could see our state average drop below $3 per gallon this week. Tennessee is currently the second-least expensive state in the nation for gas prices. Let's take one last break. When we come back, we'll cover the final story of the day. You're listening to Southern Middle Tennessee today. Turner and Osborne Tire Company 10-16 South Main Street in Columbia. Give me a call at 931-388-6822. If you do business since 1947 and in their current location since 1964, they provide the best tire and mechanical work at some of the best prices in middle Tennessee. Hey, they're official Michelin and Goodyear dealers, and they've got all kinds of brands as well. Stop by and see Walker Vining and his professional staff or check them out online at Turner in Osborne.com. That's Turner and Osborne.com. Living with a war and joint can be painful and frustrating. Leave your joint pain in the past with a joint replacement procedure at Murray Regional Health. Our joint replacement program has been recognized in the top 10 percent of the nation for medical excellence and patient safety thanks to our highly skilled and experienced surgical staff who perform progressive procedures for the knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and ankles. For more information, go to Murrayregional.com/jointreplacement Murray Regional Health, where clinical excellence meets compassionate care. This is Hal Landers, owner of Landers Insurance Agency. We are an independent agency representing the famous Erie Insurance Group. Landers Insurance Agency has been committed to providing great rates and great service since 2002. Whether it's home and auto or business or life insurance, we've got you covered. 24/7 in-house claim service, we've got that too. Visit Landers Insurance at 514. North Garden Street, Columbia. Call us at 931-380-2003. Our website is Landers Insurance Agency.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today and now our final story. As the summer season begins to wind down and the new school year gets back in session, Premier Kyra Practik in Spring Hill wants to throw one last bash. Premier Kyra Practik, located at 2040 Reserve Boulevard, will host a special Back to School bash starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The event will feature more than 15 different vendors, as well as food, coffee and dessert trucks on site. A kids' area will feature a balloon artist, bounce houses, a dunk tank, as well as a slip and slide and water balloons. Vendor booths and the kids' zone will be open from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. This weekend will also be a great opportunity to visit the Columbia Arts District, not only can you enjoy the District's latest public art installations along South Garden Street, but also pay a visit to one of the area's local businesses celebrating its first year. Bradley Mountain, located at 1202 South Garden Street, will host its one-year anniversary starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday. That's all for this edition of Southern Middle Tennessee today on Kennedy Broadcasting WKOM WKRM Radio. If you ever miss a part or all of this broadcast, you can listen to it any time or read the transcript online by visiting frontportradiotn.com. It's always there for you. I'll be back on Monday to update you with the latest news. I'm Tom Price. Thanks for listening. Be safe and have a great weekend. ♪