Front Porch Radio - Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price
Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 11-14-24
(upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Hello, welcome in to the November 13th edition of Southern Middle Tennessee Today. I'm Chris Yao, filling in for Tom Price, coming to you from the Debbie Matthews Nashville Realty Studio in downtown Columbia. Let's start with local news. Spring Hills Planning Commission recommended approving modifications to the plan development plan for the Spring Hill Commerce Center, including the addition of an airport district as part of the 706 Acre development. The city's board of Marin Alderman passed an ordinance creating the PDP in December of 2022. The Spring Hill Commerce Center site located off Jim Warren Road, it zoned I2, and is intended to house light industrial and commercial companies. The changes will have to go before the Bulma for approval as well. As submitted, the airport district would comprise roughly 189 acres of the PDP. What this airport is going to be is an economic engine to bring tremendous value to this community. The business that look for headquarters that have high paying jobs, one of their criteria is easy access to an airport. Said Mike Harris, co-founder of Hawkins Flight Academy, 45 minutes to an hour drive to fly is useless. What this is, is an opportunity for people to pursue high paying jobs. Harris also cited the opportunity a Spring Hill airport would provide young people to pursue flight training toward a future career. During public comment, John Lee of Spring Hill criticized what he called a lack of information about the proposed airport district in the packet provided regarding the Spring Hill Commerce Center. The community is full of rumors. We'd like more detail, Lee said. Other changes to the PDP include the addition of electric vehicle charging stations to the use table, removing private electric vehicle charging stations from onsite accessory uses, adding a table of native drought tolerant plant species and an updated district boundary exhibit. Ottoman Matt Fitterer noted that the city's industrial development board was working on a development agreement as well for the property. Fitterer said any adjustments required could be made by the BOMA rather than coming back to the planning commission. A site planned for 42 independent living cottages and nine duplexes along with an amenity center for Bell Spring on Reserve Boulevard received approval as well. Planners deferred a site plan for assisted and independent living facilities for Bell Springs North. Staff said it had not had time to review a new study regarding parking at the site. Final development approval was also granted for 109 lots at the Durango Place, formerly Caldwell Farms, on Buckner Lane. A preliminary plat and final plat approval will have to come later before any construction begins. An electrical substation will be added to the brandy wine industrial park on John Lennon Road. That received site plan approval and it is subject to the Duck River's authority closing on its acquisition of part of the property. Items approved at the consent agenda without debate were establishing maintenance bonds for Sawgrass Phase 4, Sawgrass West Phase 3, duplex road commercial development, duplex road commercial development sidewalk and turn lane and the enclave at Brandon Woods. Also, final plat approvals for 63 single family lots on beach crop as part of Harvest Point phases 17A and 17B and allowing a batch house and maintenance building to be added to an existing concrete plant on Old Port Royal Road. As the concrete plant is a non-conforming use of the property, but grandfathered in at the site, staff indicated that the board of zoning appeals would have to hear the matter after any action by the planning commission. Lee spoke against the expansion of the concrete plant during public comment saying that approval must be delayed until after improvements to Jim Warren Road. The planning commission's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 25th at 5.30 PM in Spring Hill. After a serious hiking injury on the challenging Camelback Mountain in Arizona, Bill Brown faced a long and difficult path to recovery. With injuries, including a broken shoulder, six cracked ribs and a punctured lung, his journey back to health required multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. Following initial treatment in Arizona, Brown turned to Murray Regional Physical Therapy in Spring Hill, where he began the intensive therapy program to regain strength and mobility in his shoulder. With three sessions each week under the guidance of therapist Joshua Lin, Tyler Clark, Amanda Kesterson and Lori Sapolowski, Brown made a remarkable progress over a grand total of 48 appointments. I'm very goal oriented and I'm driven when I set my mind to something, Sid Brown. A few months into physical therapy, my wife and I decided we'd travel back to Scottsdale, Arizona to visit our friends and I was determined to play pickleball. I brought my racket to our PT sessions and they built it into my recovery program. The staff was wonderful to work with. Joshua Lin was very innovative with how to approach my treatment. Tyler and Amanda were phenomenal to work with and helped push me every visit. They matched my energy and fueled my drive. As a point of measurement, the shoulder's potential is a full 180 degree range from a resting position parallel with the torso to lifting into the air parallel with your head. However, this varies from person to person and can also sit in a range of 150 to 170 degrees and still be considered healthy depending on health conditions and age. After four months of continued improvement, Brown was able to have better range in his shoulder at 167 degrees of motion versus his uninjured arm, which had 164 degrees of motion. Bill was very determined, shared one. As a physical therapist, we are there to push our patients and help them succeed. But when our patients are motivated, it has a great impact on their recovery. Bill is a perfect example of that determination. Today, Brown continues to do at-home physical therapy exercises and set new goals. "The probability that I survived to fall on Camelback Mountain is incredible. I should have been dead," said Brown. "My advice to anyone looking to recover in physical therapy after an extreme shoulder injury is to take baby steps and stay driven. There will be some pain, but there's so much more to gain by sticking with the program provided by your physical therapists. Murray Regional Health offers physical therapy services to help you return to doing what you love across eight locations in Columbia, Spring Hill, Lewisburg, Chapel Hill, Pilaski, Hohenwald, Mount Pleasant, and Wainsboro. To learn more, visit murreregional.com/physicaltherapy. United Communications is set to shatter internet speed limits across Middle Tennessee by launching its new ultra-fast eight-gig internet service. This new eight-gig service offers outstanding reliability and unrivaled performance powered by the region's fastest and largest fiber broadband network. William Bradford, president of CEO and United Communications announced the new high-speed service at the Boys and Girls Club in nearby Bedford County, where the company is donating its first eight-gig-gig internet connection. Whether you're in a classroom, a comfort room, or your own living room, connectivity has a major impact on our daily lives, said Bradford. United's eight-gig internet service sets a new standard for internet speed in Middle Tennessee and will put our customers well ahead of the curve as multi-gig internet demand increases. The eight-gig service offers speeds 40 times faster than the average advertised U.S. download speed through a private fiber optic connection to each customer. With matching download and upload speeds in industry leading 99.99% network reliability, United's eight-gig fiber internet is backed by the company's 77-year history as a Middle Tennessee-based company dedicated to world-class customer service. United Communications has started initially activating eight-gig connections in a phased rollout that will eventually reach the company's entire coverage area by the summer of 2025, which includes Murray County. The company will directly notify local residents and small businesses when it is time to upgrade or sign up for service. For personal and household use, eight-gig fiber internet is the fastest broadband connection available anywhere in Middle Tennessee. For business and enterprise customers, upgrading to eight-gig service will significantly expand bandwidth capacity to accommodate critical applications, including virtual work environments, cloud-based information sharing, e-commerce transactions, media production, and real-time streaming. If you'd like to be notified as soon as eight-gig service has arrived in your neighborhood, check United's availability by your location, visiting united.net/service-map-page. Now let's take a listen as Clayton Harris was at the ice cream social held by Farm Bureau Insurance. - This is Clayton Harris from Portrait Radio today here at Farm Bureau, and we are with Leah Solitaski with Farm Bureau, and Leah, tell us what we're witnessing here today. - Today, we are having our annual kickoff for our United Way Giving Program. It's our employee giving program. We've been doing it for 40 years, and I think in 40 years, we have raised over $1.3 million, and that is from our employees giving money every year, and it represents the Farm Bureau Federation, the insurance company, and Farm Bureau health plans. - Now, we noticed that you guys are having a, it looks like an ice cream party of some sorts with a lot of different people from the community here, tell us about that. - Yes, we have our ice cream socials. So you come in, you get a scoop of ice cream, and you get to walk around to all the different representatives for United Way, all the different programs that your money supports. And at each location, you learn more about what the organization is, and you get some toppings for your ice cream. - You mentioned this has been a 40 year relationship with Farm Bureau in the United Way. I'm sure you can probably see this going another 40 years as well. - Oh, absolutely, our people are so generous with their giving. We're proud to support this organization 'cause we're local, and we have a lot of people, maybe who even benefit it. Even our own employees who may have family that benefits from it, so yes, we will continue this partnership for years to come. - Leah, thank you so much, and what a great event. We appreciate it. - Thank you so much. - Clayton here is from Port Radio today here at Farm Bureau for an ice cream social with United Way, and I'm here with United Way's Laura True Love. Good afternoon. - Good afternoon, thank you for being here. - And we also have with us Brent Allred with Farm Bureau, who's also works with United Way. Good afternoon, bro. - Good afternoon, thank you. - Tell us a little bit, Laura, about what's going on here. We just talked to Leah, and she talked about this 40-year relationship that Farm Bureau has had with United Way. - Yes, it's wonderful. I've actually been with United Way of Murray County for 13 years, and so usually when I'm asked about this partnership, I just say well forever, because they are an anchor, but the anchor. They have been with us, like Leah said, for 40 years. We've done this ice cream social for maybe the last four, three or four years, and before that, it was a different setup, but you know what? We found that it was a great thing to add ice cream into the mix. - Absolutely, nobody's gonna complain about that. - No, not at all. And the Farm Bureau employees are one of the strongest supporters in Murray County, and what they do, and what they give, and how they financially support. It's wonderful years ago, Brent, that sits on the board, who sits on the board, we decided we're just gonna track every penny, so make sure that 100% of their donations go out back to these agencies. So it's a wonderful partnership. - Brent, give us your thoughts on the Farm Bureau side of things, and the relationship that you guys have had with the United Way over the last 40 years. - Well, so I like to tell people, I think United Way is the best way to give back to the community as a whole, because there's so many agencies that it touches on a daily basis, and so many agencies that it provides funding for, and so as an employer here in town, it's a way for our employees to make sure that the money that they're giving back is giving back to the community that they live in. - Well, that's fantastic, and I got mentioned to Leah, I'm sure that this is a relationship that both of you can see lasting another 40 years. - Yes, most definitely, and hope that, and beyond. - No question about it. - Well, thank you both so very much for having us here today. It's a great event, tons of people, just a lot of smiles, and we really appreciate it. - Thank you for being here. - Thank you so much. - When we return, more news from around the state, as well as your local hometown memorials from Oaks and Nichols. Stick around here on Southern Middle Tennessee today. Once again, I'm Christia, I'm filling in for Tom Price. We'll be right back here on Frontport Radio, right after this. (upbeat music) - Keep listening 101.7, 103.7, WKOMW, WKRMW, WKMB. Owner, operator, great to have you with us. - This is Debbie Matthews with the National Relate Group, and if you've been paying attention, you know the housing market has been tough, but rates are beginning the thaw. So if you're thinking about selling, the time to jump in is getting better every day. But if you're thinking about buying, and those interest rates are still a little bit too high, a good agent knows how to negotiate interest rate by downs, and I'm a good agent. So call me, Debbie Matthews with National Relate Group, 615-476-3224. - Family first. (laughs) 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. 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. You're not just a homeowner. You're also a bug in the basement with a frightening number of legs owner. Fortunately, you've got heating and cooling built and tested to keep going. American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning built to a higher standard. - Call Davis Heating and Cooling at 931-388-2090 for all your home comfort needs. Davis Heating and Cooling is your local independent American Standard dealer and proudly serves the Murray County area. Find Davis Heating and Cooling online and on Facebook for Call Today, 388-290. - 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 hauling tractors from compacts to high horsepower. We have a full line of gravely mowing equipment. We also have new hauling 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. (upbeat music) - You're listening to your local radio. (upbeat music) - Now for a look at your hometown memorials brought to you by Oaks and Nichols funeral home. Anita Jo Foster, 76, passed at Life Care Center of Columbia on November 9th. A memorial service will be conducted Sunday, November 17th at 1 p.m. at Oaks and Nichols funeral home with Reverend Rick Pointe's officiating. Internment will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends on Friday from 5 until 8 p.m. and Saturday from 4 until 8 p.m. at Oaks and Nichols funeral home. As years go by, people may tend to forget just what a funeral is really all about. At Oaks and Nichols, we believe it's first at 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 Oaks 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 the way you feel has always been so important to Susie and Tony Sowell. When people come here, I hope they feel like they're working with a person who's just like family. And by the time they leave here, I hope they feel like they're a part of our family. What I like most is when a family is leaving, they can say thanks. You made something we thought would be hard, easier than we thought it would be. Not that we made it easy, we made it easier. Oaks and Nichols funeral directors, 320 West 7th Street in Columbia, since 1856, people you can rely on. And now for news from around the state that affects you. The director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation warned a violent Venezuelan gang has resurfaced in Tennessee. Compared to the transnational gang MS-13, which is made up of mostly members of Central American descent, official said members of the Venezuelan gang are known to be involved in crimes ranging from trafficking women to committing murder in broad daylight. At Tuesday's budget meeting with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, TBI director David Roush opened his statement by saying, "I want to start off this morning with some concerning trends." According to Roush, a Venezuelan gang named Trinde Aragua has been spotted in metropolitan areas across the volunteer state. They are very violent. This is a group that was created in the prisons in Venezuela, and they are here, and they are in numbers here, explained Roush. Venezuelan gangs are reported on the rise across the country. This year, the Biden administration named it Trinde Aragua, a transnational criminal organization, and offered a $12 million reward for the arrest of its leaders. In fact, leaders in Texas directed its law enforcement to target the gang. Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the TBI said the gang disappeared two years ago and recently resurfaced. "Now what we're seeing is they are back," said Roush. "They are back in all of our major cities. They are running human trafficking operations. That's where they start, but we have learned, talking with our peers across the country, that they have a pathway to more violence." Trinde Aragua begins its criminal enterprise by abducting women from Venezuela and trafficking them to the United States, which eventually evolves into organized retail crime, drugs, and heinous violence, according to the TBI. Recently, there was a video that they shot, where they shot a cartel member 31 times in broad daylight on video and posted it to social media. "That's the type of organization they are," said Roush. In lighter news, literally, November skies will be beaming as Earth gets ready to welcome the Leonid meteor shower. The meteor shower has been active since November 3, but is projected to be at its brightest on November 18th. The Leonids peak annually during mid-November and are bright, colorful meteors, traveling at a speed of 44 miles per second. They are considered some of the fastest meteors, reports NASA. Leonids are also known for their Earth-Crazier meteors and fireballs, larger explosions of lights and color that can persist at an average meteor streak. Earth-Craziers are meteors that streak close to the horizon and are known for their long, colorful tails. These meteors originate from Comet 55P Temple Tuttle, discovered twice independently in 1865 and 1866 by Ernst Temple and Horst Tuttle respectively. According to NASA, it takes Temple Tuttle 33 years to orbit the sun once. The Leonids are active until December 2nd, but again peak during November 18th. According to Earth Sky, the morning and night of November 17th could also be worthwhile. Under a dark sky without a moon, you might see 10 to 15 meteors per hour. However, a waning gibbiest moon will interfere with the meteors in 2024. The best time to view them will be about midnight local time, away from city and street lights, and NASA recommends lying flat on your back with your feet toward the east, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient, the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse. [Music] When we come back, one final story from James Dickinson, right after this, on Southern Middle Tennessee Day, from Portraitino. [Music] Turner and Osborne Tire Company 1016 South Main Street in Columbia. Good Macaula 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 and Osborne.com. That's Turner and Osborne.com. Don't let pain keep you out of the game. Murray Regional Physical Therapies, experienced team of therapists, can help you recover from surgery, injury, or illness by designing a plan that meets your unique needs. We utilize state-of-the-art equipment and proven techniques to help you get back to doing the things you love. Schedule a consultation at any of our convenient Southern Middle Tennessee locations by calling 931-380-4014. Murray Regional Health, where clinical excellence meets compassionate care. This is Howlanders, Owner of Landers Insurance Agency. We are 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. There we go. Hi, I'm James Dixon with WKOM, WKRM Radio Front porch radio. I'm out here at one of my favorite places with a good friend of the station, Derek Ransom. Give us up. They what's going on at 10-pin Belling Alley. Hey, thanks for coming in, James. So, yeah, a lot going on leading into the fall and winter season. We have all of our fallies going on right now. Just opened up, obviously, our new go-karts and miniature golf course doing really well, kicked it off middle of July. And so, trying to keep that thing going until the weather gets cooler and keep everything rolling. But, yeah, holiday parties booking those right now through our events center here and birthday parties, team building parties, one stop shop for family fun. Derek, I have to admit, this is one of the best kept secrets in middle Tennessee. This is fun for everybody. I got grandchildren that love to come out here. As a matter of fact, they have a birthday party out here December the 14th and plus our football guys are going to come out and have a big back with this year. And thank you for what you do in our county and our middle Tennessee area. Thank you, Derek. All right. Thank you guys so much. We always say we sell fun and we're a place to come and make memorable moments. So, come see us. Thanks, James. We do have time for one more story here on the southern middle Tennessee today. Once again, my name is Chris Yao, filling in for Tom Price. Be back with you tomorrow on Friday. It's been a fantastic day. And I'm so glad to be able to share it with you guys as we bring you some good news from here in Murray County, as Murray County High Schools announced that recently 92% of its seniors graduated in 2023-24. The highest rate ever. It was a 3% increase over the 89% graduation rate in 2223, which was a 3% improvement over 2122. That matches the state's overall high school graduation rate for 2023-24. The gains came mainly from Columbia Central's impressive 6% graduation boost over the last year under the leadership of Michael Steele. With the highest enrollment in the county at 1500 students, it influences the calculations much more than any other high school, except Spring Hill High School, which has 1200 students. The other schools reported about the same graduation rates as they had the previous year. Communications Director Jack Cobb presented the news to the county's Health and Environment Committee on November 4th. Just for reference, in 2122, we had an 86% rate, and in 2022-23, we had an 89% rate. So the numbers are moving up, Cobb said. We're very proud of everybody in Murray County Public Schools, the teachers, the community, the families that made this happen. The county commissioners received the news with applause and craned, graduated the administration. Commissioner Gabe Howard asked Cobb about the causes of the steady increase. Is it organizations that are partnering with a school system like the Boys and Girls Club that walk alongside the school system and help make kids graduate? Cobb credited the community, the parents, and the districts to guidance counselors. They do a phenomenal job getting everybody ready to graduate, he said. What I've also seen happen is more engagement from the community. The parents are also a big key. Education at home is a big deal. All these things combined have made a real big difference, added Cobb. Commissioner Scott Summers pointed out that overall graduation rate has increased by 3% each year under the watch of Superintendent Lisa Ventura, who took the job in 2022. A lot of people get mad and upset about things that go wrong, but I think you should applaud and cheer the leadership as well. Superintendent Ventura also presented the graduation rates to the school board in their meeting that night. Graduation rates are as follows. Columbia Central, 88.9% in 2024, Colleoka, 97.1%, Hampshire, 96.3%, Mount Pleasant, 87.6%, Santa Fe, 96.8%, and Spring Hill, 94.2%. That's going to do it for this edition of Southern Middle Tennessee today. Once again, I'm Chris Yaw filling in for Tom Price, looking forward to having more news to bring you from across Middle Tennessee, in Southern Middle Tennessee, here in Murray County, from front porch radio. Once again, we come to you from the Debbie Matthews, Nashville Realty Studio here in downtown Columbia. Come see us sometime. Until next time, have a great day. [Music] [Music]