Front Porch Radio - Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price
Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 3-19-24
[Music] Hello and welcome to Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOM and WKRM Radio. Your hometown news broadcasting from the Demi Matthews Nashville Realty Newsroom in Columbia, Tennessee. I'm your host, Tom Price. Today is Tuesday, March 19th, and we start with local news. The Spring Hill Fire Department responded swiftly and effectively to a morning fire at a third floor apartment at Worthington Glen Apartments, where they rescued a dog in two cats. Thanks to the rapid response in the assistance of the sprinkler system, the fire was contained, preventing any casualties. The fire was dispatched at 11.21 a.m. on Monday morning, and fortunately broke out while no residents were present in the apartment. However, the presence of beloved pets left behind prompted firefighters to take immediate action to ensure their safety. Firefighters managed to locate and safely evacuate the pets much to the relief of the owners. The sprinkler system played a crucial role in containing the fire, minimizing its spread to neighboring units. While the third floor apartment sustained heavy damage from fire, the lower apartments experienced water damage as a result of the sprinkler system's activation. Damage to the building is estimated to be around $150,000. The fire marshal determined one of the cats possibly turned the stove on and started the fire. Worthington Glen is taking proactive measures to assist affected residents. Management is relocating residents to other available apartments within the complex to ensure their comfort and safety while the repairs are underway. Downtown Columbia is about to receive even more upgrades, thanks to a $50,000 grant to enhance and improve three of the squares for pedestrian crosswalks. The City Council began its Thursday regular meeting by voting to accept the grant, which is funded by General Motors to assist in downtown beautification and traffic calming measures. The improvements will include installing curb extensions at the crosswalks, while also upgrading landscaping and adding an information kiosk. Basically, we are designing the curb out into the white striped no parking area, Columbia Tourism and Marketing Director Kelly Murphy said. It extends the view for the pedestrians trying to cross the street. They will be able to go further out into that area and its traffic calming for the cars that are coming through the square as well. "We are thrilled to work with GM, our community partner on this, and it is administered through the National Main Street Center," she said. This project comes in the wake of many other recent downtown improvements, which have included two phases of upgrading many of the historic building facades, as well as the current renovations to the North Main Street parking garage that has been well underway since late January. Lori Fisher of South Central Tennessee Development District wrote the initial grant application and said this was a great opportunity for the district to partner with the city of Columbia. "We are always excited to work with the city of Columbia to help you with your community and economic development needs," Fisher said. "As a resident here, I'm especially excited when projects get funded in Columbia and this will be such a worthwhile, highly visible project. It will make a nice difference to the downtown," she said. Columbia Main Street Director Kelly Johnson said the city was also the only community in Tennessee to receive the grant. "I think there were only five U.S. cities that were able to receive the grant, and so for Columbia to receive the grant this year, that's exciting for us," Johnson said. "It's really going to make a difference, really make the square more cohesive, and it's really going to reflect what we already have coming up on 6th and North Main Street. Our downtown is about to be totally transformed in a great way. I'm excited to say we actually got it done, which is going to be happening this year. We'll see the results by the end of the year," she said. Murphy said that part of the project's estimated swiftness is due to using the city's public works department, which would cut down on time and cost. "Being able to draw on them to help us complete this project is a game-changer for us," Murphy said. Murray the Mule is lost in Murray County, and we need your help to find him. Find Murray the Mule hidden in businesses across Murray County for a chance to win $500 and other great prizes. Murray Alliance's annual "Where's Murray the Mule?" Shop Local Passport Adventure starts on Tuesday, March 26th. The rules are simple. Pick up a passport, find Murray the Mule hidden in as many businesses as possible, and turn your passport in at the Murray Alliance office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th. Share your adventure on social media using #MurrayTheMule so everyone can follow along. This year's event was made possible by the generosity of Harman Scrap Metal in Columbia. Harman Scrap Metal is a premier scrap metal recycling company and has been family owned and operated since 1985. You can learn more about them at www.harmanscrapmetal.com. Yesterday, Columbia Fire and Rescue partnered with Murray Regional Foundation and General Motors to sponsor the "Survive to Arrive Safe Driving Program." WKRM's Delt Kennedy attended the event and spoke to Hannah Miller of Columbia Fire and Rescue and Brian Goats of Columbia Police Department to learn about what the program was all about. This is Delt Kennedy from Port radio. This morning, this chilly morning, I am out here at Columbia Central High School. I've got Hannah Miller with people at the Columbia Fire Department and Brian Goats here with me with the Columbia Police Department. Good morning, Hannah. Good morning, Doc. Good morning, Sergeant Goats. Hey, how are you? Good morning, folks. Okay, we're out at the parking lot. And y'all have just had all of the seniors from Central High out here this morning. I'm looking at two wrecked cars shoved together as if they were in a wreck. They are badly damaged. And this is all part of a safety program for high schools, juniors and seniors. And Hannah Miller, Columbia Fire Department, can you tell me about it? Yes, Delt. So Columbia Fire and Rescue partners with Murray Regional Health Care Foundation and General Motors to conduct the "Survive to Arrive Safe Driving Program." So what that program entails is warning students about the dangers of distracted driving, impaired driving, and not following the rules of the road, not wearing your seatbelt, eating while you're driving. There are multitude of distractions that we see out on our roads today that endanger the safety of students driving and those around them. So what this program aims to do is encourage safe driving best practices to be adopted by students and hopefully save lives. There we go. Sergeant Goats, what was your message to these central seniors this morning as they looked at these badly wrecked cars here in the parking lot? Well, like Hannah said, just to slow down, to pay attention to the road, don't text and drive, don't drink and drive. You know, we do this to help educate these young folks that way they can, you know, drive safer. How do you use these wrecked cars when you point to them and talk to students about them? How do you use them as a teaching point? So we just recently added the Mott Crash Scenario 2, "Our Survive to Arrive Safe Driving Program." And what we do is we run this scene like an actual emergency scene. In this particular scenario, we had a driver that was drunk and distracted, who wrecked into another vehicle. The driver had a passenger in one side that was ejected and passed away from his injuries. The other driver was severely injured and extricated by first responders and transported via a lifelite to a trauma center. So this really pairs well with our safe driving program where we discuss all of the things that we just talked about, distracted driving, speeding, not wearing your seatbelt, and shows them what the consequences are in real life. We think that for this age group, especially for them to see it, is to believe it. There we go. What a great program. And certainly, juniors and seniors. I've raised a couple of them myself. They need to get this message. Again, Delle Kennedy with Hannah Miller of the Columbia Fire Department, Brian Goats of the Columbia Police Department in there. Survive to Arrive, because we want to see all Murray County public schools, juniors and seniors survive to arrive to wherever the road of life leads. There we go. Thank you so much. Yesterday, a new chiropractic clinic opened in Spring Hill from Port Radio's Mary Susan Kennedy attended the ribbon cutting of the joint chiropractic and spoke to Dr. Jenny Lumpkins and a managing partner Antonio de Cristo to learn more about what the new clinic offers its patients. This is Mary Susan Kennedy with Front porch radio. And this afternoon, I am in Spring Hill at the grand opening of the joint chiropractic Spring Hill location. And I'm speaking with the medical director, also one of the doctors here, Jenny Lumpkins, as well as the managing partner Antonio de Cristo. Congratulations guys. This is so exciting. Thank you. Tell us about the services you offer. Who wants to take that one? Yeah, so I can talk about that. This is Antonio. We are a chiropractic clinic. We offer manual adjustments and we have very affordable rates for our patients. That's kind of our specialty area. And about 60% of our patients are first-time chiropractic users. So I'll let the doctor explain more about the specifics. Perfect. Great. Tell us more specifics. So we have a new patient special. For anyone who has never been to a joint location before, we offer a $29 special. It includes an exam, a consultation where we take a history. And it also includes your first adjustment. So it's a great deal to get you in the door. If you're just kind of curious about what chiropractic is like, one of the other great things about this location is that you don't have to have an appointment. We are 100% walk-in. So even as a new patient, you can just come on in. We have evening and weekend hours here. And so that makes it really accessible for most of our people in the area. And we love that fact because we have a lot of people that work really, really long hours during the day. And they just pop by here on their way home, five, six o'clock, get adjusted and head on out. That's absolutely amazing. What type of conditions might someone seek chiropractic care for? Some of the things that we see most often in the office are things like headaches, backaches, neck pain, patients that come in, they say they've thrown their back out, patients that come in that have a pinched nerve. We also deal with a lot of other things as well, just general health and well-being, making sure that the body's moving more. And so other conditions that we see, we work with babies, things like constipation, colic, ear infections, just general health and well-being. That's amazing. And what are your days and hours of operation? I know they're extensive. Yeah, so we are open six days a week, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m. and then on Saturdays from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. And tell everybody where you're located. So we are on Port Royal Road in Spring Hill behind the Washtopia. We are neighbors to rock and roll sushi and also massage M.B. Good, so they can get fixed up and then go eat. And I know you said people can come in without an appointment. Would you prefer people contact you for an appointment? Yeah, for new patients who have never visited a joint, we definitely recommend them to make an appointment. You know, we're famous for, you know, coming in, getting adjusted 15 minutes in and out. But for new patients, there is a little bit more paperwork that needs to be done and this sort of thing. So an appointment would be a good idea. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, under the joint chiropractic Spring Hill. Also, you can look us up on Google. We have some reviews already. So take a look at the joint chiropractic in Spring Hill under Google as well. Okay, great. And is there a number you'd like to share? Oh, yes. So the number would be 931-4515-06. One more time with that number. 931-4515-06. Well, that's just great. Well, I know y'all are going to be so helpful to the community. You're really needed. Thanks again. One more thing. So an interesting point for me that why I got into working with the joint. So I was a chiropractic user when I was younger 20 years ago. And I stopped using chiropractic because the cost was around $60 per visit. That was 20 years ago. One of the great features about our structure, our price structure, is that people can get on a plan with us that will get them at $20 per visit. So I don't think there's many things in this world that 20 years later is actually cheaper than it was. Wow, that is so helpful. Well, wonderful. Well, again, this is Miriam's Season Kennedy with Frontport Radio. The future of Bright Apple is even brighter with the help of Ford of Columbia and Hyundai of Columbia. Chris Alexander, dealer partner and general manager, and Patrick Robertson, assistant general manager, recently signed on to partner with Bright Apple to help provide healthy snacks for students in the community. I cannot thank Patrick enough for taking the time to meet with me last October to learn about what we do through Bright Apple, said Lisa Cislega, director of development for Bright Apple. He knew that our mission aligned with Chris's vision for the dealerships and got us connected. Their response to support Bright Apple was immediate and their contribution is making a huge impact in helping us serve the children in our community, she said. Brad Kimes, Charity Kimes, and Michael Baker co-founded Bright Apple in 2019 on the belief that no child should go without food, including a snack during the school day to help them stay focused and achieve academic success. Bright Apple currently serves more than 1500 students in Murray County Schools each school day. Since 2019, more than 750,000 snacks have been served through Bright Apple with the help of supporters and partners like Ford of Columbia and Hyundai of Columbia. Their greater goal is to bring Bright Apple to schools across the United States. Lisa presented us with this opportunity to make Bright Apple a focal point of our why and what we do every day, said Robertson. "We want to know that we can make a real impact in our community. It is amazing how far the dollars can go with Bright Apple to make a huge impact. Both of our families are committed to being financial supporters as well. It's personal to us. We believe in it," he said. The healthy snacks Bright Apple provides help close the achievement gap, allowing children to be able to focus on things other than necessities. Many students have lunch at school, but don't eat again until the next day. Hungry children cannot focus on learning during the school day. Studies show that if students are behind in reading by third grade, most never catch up and many will not graduate high school. Bright Apple's mission is to focus on feeding children so they can focus on learning. "My personal experience in school makes Bright Apple's mission even more near and dear to me," Alexander said. "I had a teacher in sixth grade, Mr. Strickland, who literally changed my life. I wasn't doing very well in school. My family is not an educated family. My dad has a third grade education and my mom is Japanese and doesn't speak English very well. Our work ethic is second to none, however. I don't remember ever hearing my parents complain about having to work seven days a week. Luckily for me, Mr. Strickland invested in me and had a major impact on me. I went from being in the 30th percentile in school to taking honors classes. I eventually went on to get a four-year degree. I know just how someone caring can make a difference," he said. The simple act of caring is exactly what Bright Apple brings to life for children in the community each day. A snack is really a way of saying we care about you, your future, and your ability to learn and grow in a classroom setting. Charity Kaim said, "Partnering in this endeavor is a community, as a community, makes us all stronger. The children that we can serve because of this dealership's generosity will change lives by providing hope to those in need," she said. The team members of Fort of Columbia and Hyundai of Columbia are all aware of the partnership with Bright Apple and what it means. The mission gives their workdays even more meaning. Their families are part of the mission as well. "We are invested as a team," said Alexander. "We don't want to just say what we believe, we want to show it. It's about having a vision and a why, then having consistency in working toward those. We talk about our wins, but the numbers are just a byproduct of how we do business." Alexander teaches his team to focus on five fundamentals, faith, family, finance, fitness, and fulfillment. "These are the fundamentals of everything we do in life, and we need to make additions or deductions to these to live a full and balanced life," Alexander said. "Mindset is the toughest person in the room. If you have a strong mindset, you can keep pushing forward," he said. The partnership with Bright Apple is setting the stage for the dealerships to make education initiatives even more of a focus going forward. "This is still infantile as far as what we will be able to accomplish together, and what Bright Apple will be able to do," said Robertson. "This is our give-back moment. It's just a small piece of what we want to do, long-term," he said. And now your hometown memorials, sponsored by Oaks & Nichols Funeral Home. James Samuel Jim Voss Jr. 86, a retired employee of Monsanto Chemical Company and Lifelong Resident of Columbia, died Saturday, March 16th at NHC Marie Regional Transitional Care. Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday, March 20th at 2 p.m. at Oaks & Nichols Funeral Home. Barrio will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post-19. The family will visit with friends on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Oaks & Nichols Funeral Home. hometown memorials is sponsored by Oaks & 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 Oaks & Nichols, we believe it's first, at all ways, 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 Oaks & 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 Matt and Susie Sowell believe the way to honor tradition is with a specially personal service. We believe your traditions, your customs, your rights and passage are very important. But we also believe in taking care of your personal wishes as well. At Oaks & Nichols, we try to do more than just the expected things, so the service you receive honors your heritage and is uniquely yours. And we invite you to experience the difference. Oaks & 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 lots of sunshine today with a high of 58 degrees. Winds will be out of the Southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour. Tonight, we can expect clear skies and a low of 39 degrees. Winds will be out of the West Southwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Let's take a break. When we come back, we'll cover state and national news that affect you. You're listening to Southern Middle Tennessee today. Debbie Matthews grew up and lives in beautiful Coolumbia, Tennessee. As a realtor, she is well versed in homes, neighborhoods, development and schools. She wants to share her love of her home state with others to help them find just the right place to raise a family, open a business or develop a dream. The luxury listings to land, she can handle it all. She is the current leading producer, Nashville Realty Group contact Debbie Matthews Realtor at 615-476-3224. That's 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 puts your family first. For Auto Home, Life or Business Insurance, C 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. When you bank local, you get local expertise. Hi, this is Felicia Brown with First Farmers. We've supported families, individuals, and businesses of Middle Tennessee for over a century. You are more than an account number. You are our community, and we're committed to helping you thrive. Switch to First Farmers, visit MyFirstFarmers.com, or call 1-800-882-8378, Member FDIC. This is Triadcock with Dixie Equipment, Sales and Rental. We sell ASV and Waggart-Noising Equipment. We also rent a wide variety of compact equipment in the Middle Tennessee 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. [music] Deciding what your next home will look like, cost and construction, or timing can be intimidating. At the way-reality, our licensed general contractors help take the fear out of home building by walking you through the step-by-step process of estimating the cost and designing the look that you desire. You can even stay in your house until your new house is finished. Do you have a family farm or a piece of land you would like to build on? Our prices start at 195 a square foot and include brick and nice finishes. Come by your office and see what we can do for you. At 800 Hatcher Lane in Columbia, or call us at 931-580-4669. [music] [music] Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOM 101.7 and WKRM 103.7. This program is sponsored and powered by George Virilis and the great team at the way-reality. I'm Tom Price. And now news from around the state. Governor Bill Lee's proposal to expand a program offering taxpayer-funded vouchers for families to offset private schooling costs in Tennessee has some homeschoolers concerned over how it may affect them. Some members of the homeschool community have opposed the idea of vouchers including them, worrying that it would extend government control into their homes, even if they don't accept the vouchers. Others see no harm in including homeschools in the plan. The State House and Senate versions of the bills supporting Lee's plan are vastly different including when it comes to homeschools, which is added to some of the confusion and concern over vouchers. The House version specifically excludes all homeschools students from qualifying for vouchers under the proposed Education Freedom Scholarship Act. That includes those who attend church-related homeschools. Something added to the bill after an amendment was adopted last week. Homeschoolers are totally written out of this bill. Representative Mark White, a Republican from Memphis, who chairs the House Education Administration Committee said last month. But while the Senate version includes language that disqualifies students who are enrolled in homeschool from the voucher program, it does allow students enrolled in church-related schools. Since Tennessee allows homeschools to operate under church-related schools, that means some homeschool students could qualify for vouchers under the Senate bill. Conversation about that provision surfaced as the Senate advanced its version of the bill this month. Several homeschooling families were present during the Senate Education Committee hearing on March 6 to oppose the bill. They were concerned it would apply state testing requirements to their students. Senate Education Committee Chair John Lundberg of Bristol said homeschooling students would only be subject to testing requirements if they opt in for state funds. "If they don't want the funds, there is no change," Lundberg said. Tiffany Boyd, who founded the organization Free Your Children, spoke at a February 27th House K-12 subcommittee hearing on the bill. The organization's website lists Boyd as a homeschool advocate, former public school teacher, consultant, and speaker. Boyd said she worries the proposal would dictate what homeschools teach and how they test learning. She also worried the language would later be amended to apply requirements to all homeschoolers, even if they don't accept the vouchers. She said true private education can't exist in Tennessee if the government gets involved in it. "The public was told the bill would not come with strings. It does," she said. "We know and understand that what the government funds, it runs," she said. Candice Robertson said she appreciates both sides of the argument over including homeschools in the bill. She previously homeschooled her children while dividing her time working as a public school teacher and now teaches at a private school where her children also attend. "I think that speaking in general, homeschooled parents prefer less legislation in relation to homeschooling, not more," she said. However, in this case, I don't see the downside for homeschooled parents who choose not to participate. Let's take one last break. When we come back, we'll cover the final story of the day. If you're listening to Southern Middle Tennessee, today. Turner and Osborn Tire Company 1016 South Main Street in Columbia. Good McCall at 931-388-6822. They've been doing 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@osborn.com. That's Turner and Osborn.com. Living with a worn 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% 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. Have you ever wondered if your insurance needs can be personalized? This is Hunter Carey. Our team specializes in planning your insurance needs to get you the best possible solution. State Farm is the largest home and auto insurer in the country. I love bringing that to my hometown. Born and raised in Columbia, I'm grateful for our close community ties. We offer help with home, auto and life insurance for everyone in our community. Our office is located at 909 South Garden Street, across from the fire station. We're also in line at HunterCarry.com. That's HunterC-A-R-Y.com. Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today and now our final story. Baxter's Mercantile will host the Mule Day Queens Tea on Friday, March 29th from 3 to 7 p.m. Join past and present Mule Day Queens and enjoy tea, snacks, after hour shopping and some really fun surprises. That's the Mule Day Queens Tea on March 29th from 3 to 7 at Baxter's Mercantile located at 808 South Garden Street in Columbia. 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 at any time or read the transcript online by visiting front porch radio TN.com. I'll be back tomorrow to update you with the latest news. I'm Tom Price. Thanks for listening. Be safe and have a great day. ♪♪♪