Front Porch Radio - Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price
Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 5-13-24
"This is Coach Traderes Dawg from Columbia Central High School Football. You are listening to 101.7 WKOM, the Columbia, Tennessee." Hi, I'm Robert Rogers at Parks Motor Sales Buick GMC. Parks Motor Sales was founded by my granddad Bobby Parks and my great granddad, Julian Mays in 1958. We've been family owned the whole time and being family owned, locally owned means you get to get your next vehicle or your existing vehicle service by the same people who stand in the grocery line with you, drop their kids off with the same school you do, and smile and are happy to see you when they do. So come see us at Parks Motor Sales in Columbia, Tennessee on 919 Nashville Highway or ParksMotorSales.com. 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 estimates and fence company 931-309-1644, 931-309-1644. Hi, I'm Steve, the garbage man. Are you new to Murray County? We want to welcome you and your family. We are a local residential garbage service and we want to be your garbage man. We've been around for over 30 years, so we have a reputation. Check us out at garbagemaninc.com or call Mike at 931-540-0919. You could also ask your neighbor, 931-540-0919. Hi, this is Terry Tillis from Tillis Jewelry. Here is what some of our customers are saying about us. Great people. The place to shop for fair prices and great craftsmanship, beautiful vintage and custom jewelry. Thank you, Beth. That is our goal. Bye, and see for yourself. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Tillis Jewelry, downtown Columbia, owned and operated by Rick, custom designer, and Terry, registered gemologist, assuring you the best jewelry value and expert services. Hey, this is Tripp Stoltz, owner of Columbia Ace Hardware. Spring is here and we are excited to announce that we have completely remodeled our store. We have expanded our selection in many brands including Milwaukee, Steel and Big Green Egg. We have new inventory arriving daily, so come see the changes for yourself at 1-1-2 East James Campbell Boulevard, Columbia, Tennessee. This is the place with the helpful hardware folks. Do you have trees that need trimming or removed? Do you have stumps that you want ground? A1 tree removal is a family owned and operated business local to Columbia and Lewisburg and servicing surrounding Middle Tennessee. They are licensed and insured and provide free estimates. No job is too big, no tree is too small. Give old Luca Call or text Luke at 931-359-3113 or you can check them out on Facebook until A1 tree removal that you heard this ad on the radio. If you love America, you will love A1 tree removal. American Standard heating and air conditioning is built to a higher standard so you can focus on the problems in your life that actually matter. With a stare that only creaks when everyone else in the house is asleep, 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 American Standard dealer and proudly serves the Murray County area. Find Davis Heating and Cooling online and on Facebook or call today, 388-2090. This is Delk County. Years ago, my wife Mary Sisson was repeatedly lifting babies. She ruptured a disc in her back. She had surgery but the chronic pain continued. Then she found the Dr. Gill Center for back, neck and chronic pain relief in Franklin, Tennessee. It changed her lives. She's had a relatively pain-free life. She sees Dr. Weddie-2e at the Dr. Gill Center regularly. You can too call 615-794-0800 that's 615-794-0800 or go to call me painfree.com. Hey, this is Seth Moss at Tennessee Valley Equipment, a premier FAA prime tech, bandit and Cheerix dealer. We are your dealer for all of your land clearing and forestry mulching needs. We sell equipment, provide repair service and parts along with a rental fleet of mulching equipment. We also offer mulching teeth, blades and sharpening. Our number one priority is getting you up and running as quickly and affordable as possible. Tennessee Valley is located at 300 Santa Fe Pike in wonderful Columbia, Tennessee. I buy or give us a call today at 931-981-9812. This is Debbie Matthews with the National Royalty 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 buy downs, and I'm a good agent. So call me, Debbie Matthews with the National Royalty Group, 615-476-3224. This is Tripp Stoltz with Columbia Ace Hardware. I love listening to 101.7 WKOM FM, Columbia, Tennessee. Hello, and welcome to Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOM and WKRM Radio. Our hometown news broadcasting from the Debbie Matthews National Royalty Newsroom in Columbia, Tennessee. I'm your host, Tom Price. We apologize for the late start this morning. Some technical delays. Today is Monday, of course, May 13th, and we start with local news. All Murray County public schools will be closed today, Monday, May 13th, as cleanup from the tragic storms continues. All graduations after school athletics and performances will occur unless you are notified by an individual school. The Boys and Girls Club will be open in the following school locations, Mount Pleasant Elementary and Marvin Wright Elementary. In addition, the Boys and Girls Club Wayne Street and Teen Center locations will be open. 12-month employees are asked to please report. The Murray County Office of Emergency Management has released the following statement regarding last week's storms. Murray County can confirm at this time that at least 245 homes have sustained damage from the storms that came through our county on May 8th. We thank citizens for cooperating and being patient during this difficult time. Starting at 6 p.m. Sunday evening, the county discontinued the past system, but law enforcement will continue to have a heavy presence within the area. We would like to urge the public to be mindful of suspicious activity, scammers, and unlicensed contractors. We would also like to specifically request that anyone driving through the area should drive cautiously, patiently, and slowly. As the impacted residents begin to pick up, they will be close to the roadways. There will be no tolerance for citizens driving through the area recklessly. If you are unsure of a contractor's licensure status, you can go to search.cloud.comers.tn.gov. Once again, search.cloud.comers.tn.gov or call the Murray County Sheriff's Office. If you need to report reckless driving or any of the aforementioned activity, please reach out to the Murray County Sheriff's Office at 931-388-5151. Beginning today, the Murray County Highway Office will begin picking up vegetative debris. Guidelines have been posted and published. These guidelines are extremely important and you are urged to become familiar with them in order to expedite the collection process. Please take note, if you hire a contractor, the contractors are fully responsible for disposing of their debris. They are not permitted to bring debris to the right of way. If you are a resident or a volunteer, we are requesting you place debris on the right of way. As the County Highway Department and other county government agencies begin debris pick up, there will be rolling road closures. Roads impacted will include but are not limited to Old Highway 99, Nicholson Schoolhouse Road, Blackburn Lane, Newt Hood Road, Hickory Ridge, Heather Lane, Tom Osborne Road and Coughron Road. Murray County Schools will be closed today. We would like to thank Murray County Public Schools for allowing the county to use Randolph Elementary School. We have a hotline for those needing assistance with clean up. You can call the home clean up hotline at 615-488-1875 and request for further assistance. Murray County would like to take a moment to reiterate how grateful we are for the abundance of assistance we have received from other government agencies as well as volunteers. We have been truly blown away by the commitment and love we have received from not only those in our counties, but from those all over the state and country. Mom of two boys, Amy Anderson, remembers quickly getting one last look at the sky and quickly rushing to the door before an EF3 tornado hit Columbia on Wednesday. She had experienced tornadoes before but never won in her own community. "I remember seeing those dark storm clouds and thinking this is going to be disastrous," Anderson said. "I was terrified but had to put on my mom face because I couldn't let my kids know how scared I truly was," she said. The Columbia native's house sustained minor damage, but she said that fear that she felt will last a lifetime. Led by Destiny Church in Columbia, Randolph Hall Elementary School is serving as the tornado relief hub in Columbia, which is located less than a mile from where the tornado touched down, roads like Lecia, Cranford Hollow, Blackburn, and Jill Brown sustained much damage, including destroyed homes. "I'm so thankful to Destiny Church because they're providing resources to help families feel some sort of normal," she said. "We're called to volunteer state for a reason because no matter the circumstance, we always come out to help." Since Wednesday, churches from all over including Destiny Church, C1, Belonging Coast, Connection Church, Cowboy Church, and Graceland Church in Franklin reached out with resources and volunteers. The tornado, the violent tornado, one of six twisters in Middle Tennessee, damaged over 200 structures in Murray County and destroyed 40 homes Wednesday evening as night fell, resulting in one fatality and a dozen injuries. Governor Bill Lee stepped through the rubble during a visit to Columbia on Thursday, spreading hope amid heartache by praising the community support being given to affected families. "Almost a dozen cars in a steady stream enter the parking lot of how elementary as residents shared stories about what they experienced, horrors they faced, and how they will continue to rebuild. Piles of necessity were neatly lined up as volunteers swiftly loaded materials and supplies into the cars of those affected. Towards the back of the parking lot, a Salvation Army food truck offered meals to those in need. Among the chaos, elementary school-aged volunteers used their imagination as they play with the discarded boxes that once held the tools to help Murray residents rebuild. Michael Baker, Executive Pastor of Destiny Church, serves as Director of the Make Shift Relief Center. "We usually have help for any type of relief effort or cause because it's planned. We have signs up and a lot of our church community comes out to help," Baker said. "However, this is the largest amount of volunteers I've seen for something like this. Yesterday we had over 100 volunteers. We've seen a steady stream of people come in all day and we are here and ready to help them however we can," he said. By the end of the day, Baker said almost 300 volunteers showed up to help. People have donated everything from food and water to sanitary products, suitcases, and cleaning supplies, he said. "We've had people from all over donate whatever they can to help. One man even drove from Delaware to donate supplies." Three meals a day are also being offered by the Salvation Army at the location out of a food truck. Shane Petty, Chief Operations Officer for Murray County's Emergency Management Office, helped to coordinate relief efforts. "The emergency shelter is working like a drive-through. Residents pull up to the entrance and community volunteers ask what they need and begin to fill their cars," Petty said. Volunteers fall into two categories, contractor and volunteer, he explained, who were given a special pass to enter affected areas. Murray's spans are given to everyone who enters affected residential areas to ensure looting doesn't occur. "We want to keep everyone safe while making sure those who want help can do so in a safe manner. Colored wristbands help us to know who we're letting in to aid with the clean-up efforts," he said. Murray County Mayor Sheila Butt visited the recovery area on Friday. "Murray County is strong, independent, and resilient community," she said. "We call ourselves Team Murray, and that's exactly what we are. Disaster brings out the worst for the best in people, and in Murray County, it brings out the best in people," she said. "We will rebuild together. We have things in place because we knew that this kind of day would come. We have an outstanding Office of Emergency Management and County offices, so within the next two weeks, we will be executing that plan, and we hope to rebuild quickly. But we want to rebuild well," she said. If it ran off Howell Elementary School at 653 Bear Creek Pike, we'll stay open as supplies keep coming," Baker said. More donations of water are needed at Randolph Howell as well as toilet paper, paper towels, big trash bags, and diapers. Tennessee Children's Home is accepting in-kind donations at its main campus at 2225 Dr. Robertson Road in Spring Hill, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 on Sunday. A shelter for displaced families will be at West 7th Street Church of Christ, located at 405 West 7th Street in Columbia. And now your hometown memorials, sponsored by Oakson Nichols Funeral Home. Mrs. Cheryl Denise Hickman, Nan and Lovett, 67, retired from Stan's Restaurant and a resident of Spring Hill, died Wednesday, May 8th in Murray County. Memorial services will be conducted on Wednesday, May 15th at 3 p.m. at Oakson Nichols Funeral Home. Bear Hill will follow in Jones Cemetery. The family will visit with friends on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Funeral Home. Kenneth P. Lord III, 81, a resident of Williamsport passed away on May 1st. A memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, May 18th at 2 p.m. at Williamsport United Methodist Church. Media will follow in Williamsport Cemetery with military honors provided by the United States Army. The family will visit with friends on Saturday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service at the church. Home Town Memorials is sponsored by Oakson 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 Oakson 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 Oakson 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. Oakson 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 considerable cloudiness today with occasional rain showers. The high will be 71 degrees with winds out of the south-south-east at 10-15 mph. There's a 40% chance of rain today. Tonight we can expect cloudy skies early, then on and off rain showers overnight. The low will be 63 degrees with winds continuing out of the south-south-east at 5-10 mph. The chance of overnight rain, 60%. Let's take a break. 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. From 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, see 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 Triacock with Dixie Equipment, Sales and Rental. We sell ASV and Wacker Nordstrom 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. 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 tractor from compacts to high horse power. 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 or contact us at 931-490-8183. Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOM 101.7 and WKRM 103.7, your hometown source for news and information. I'm Tom Price and I'm news from around the state. The rate of guns stolen from cars in the U.S. has tripled in the past decade with Memphis leading the nation a new report shows. Overall, the report released Thursday from gun safety group Everytown found that 112,000 guns were reported stolen in the United States in 2022 with just over half taken from cars. The rate is climbed nearly every year over the past decade with the increase driven largely by an increase in stolen guns from cars. Ten years ago, about 38% of guns were stolen in burglaries from homes or other structures, but today more than half are taken from cars with a sharp spike seen during the pandemic. The study, which analyzed FBI crime data from 337 cities across 44 states, noted that Memphis had the highest number of cases in 2022 with 2,210 gun theft from car incidents up from 329 in 2013. The city was followed by Atlanta and St. Louis. The study noted the problem has been especially acute in Tennessee over the past decade after a state law passed in 2013 that allowed people to keep guns in their cars if they're locked and secured. Nashville in 2022 saw a record 1,378 stolen guns from cars, but the numbers have improved so far this year according to Metro Nashville Police Department. As of Tuesday, 274 guns have been stolen from cars in Davidson County down 35% from the same time last year. While the state has an epidemic of stolen guns from cars, statistics show that perpetrators are rarely caught. Of 5,386 reported cases of guns stolen from cars statewide in 2022, less than 4% resulted in an arrest according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. In an effort to improve the arrest rates, Nashville Police in February launched a special initiative to fight car theft in related crimes. The effort of this month, as of this month, has led to more than 400 arrests and the recovery of 229 stolen vehicles in 92 guns the department said in an news release. Here are some stats related to stolen guns. A gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes on average in the United States. Thefs from vehicles overall have dropped 11% over the past decade, while gun theft specifically has skyrocketed 200%. Cars parked residents in driveways and outside homes are the most common source of stolen guns. Cities and states with high gun ownership and lax gun safety laws see nearly 18 times the rate of gun thefts from cars compared to states with stronger laws. Some cities in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island reported no gun thefts from cars. 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 1016 South Main Street in Columbia. Give a call 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 turnerinosburn.com. That's turnerandosburn.com. Minutes matter when you call 911 for a heart attack and Murray Regional Health is ready to care for you. Utilizing the state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab at Murray Regional Medical Center, our team of expert cardiologists and experienced clinical professionals are equipped to investigate heart conditions quickly and perform life-saving interventional procedures. Go to murreagional.com/heart to learn more and remember always dial 911 when you or someone near you is experiencing heart attack symptoms 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 Tree across from the fire station. We're also online at HunterCarry.com. That's HunterC-A-R-Y.com. Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today and our final story. The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating CMA fast with another star-studded lineup of shows featuring performances throughout the week by members including Carrie Underwood, Lauren Elena, Terry Clark, Laurie Morgan, Pam Tellis, Josh Turner, as well as Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Alexander Kay, and more. Performances will take place from June 4th through the 8th. Showtimes are 7pm and 930pm nightly. Tickets are on sale now for all Opry 2024 shows by calling 615-871-OPRY and by visiting www.opry.com. That's all for this edition of Southern Middle Tennessee today on Kennedy Broadcasting WKOMWKRM 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 fromportsradioTM.com. It's always there for you. I'll be back tomorrow to update you at the latest news. I'm Tom Price. Thanks for listening. Be safe and have a great day. Harman Scratman will empower people to recycle the past and impact the future by providing honest, fair and consistent business to every customer. We accept aluminum cans, car batteries, bicycles, steel, copper, appliances, old car parts and more. Open Monday through Friday 8-4 and Saturday 8-12 at 608 West 11th Street in Columbia. Call 931-292-2360 and online www.harmanscratmetal.com. Harman Scratmetal, your partner in the recycling industry. 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 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 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 things. He 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. A1 Tree removal is there for the community in times of need. If you have fallen trees or broken branches and limbs that you need removed contact A1 Tree removal. Licensed and insured A1 Tree removal is a family owned business that is locally owned and operated. If you have trees down and need help today call or text Luke at 931-359-3113. That's 931-359-3113. Give A1 Tree removal a call or check them out on Facebook today for all of your tree servicing needs. This is Delph Kennedy Frontport Radio. Today I'm in downtown Coolum, Tennessee. I'm at Foodland. The new floor is complete. The place looks spick and span. Gorgeous place to shop. It's bright. It's airy. It's stocked with everything you could possibly imagine wanting from a grocery store. I'm speaking with Miles Johnson. You're a hometown grocer. They have a new circular out today but specials run through Tuesday, May 14th. Miles what's on sale this week at Foodland? This week we have assorted pork chops a $1.59 a pound. Seamless Watermelons 5.88 each. Food club canned vegetables. 88 cents each. Duncan Hahn. Cake mix of frosting 4 for 5. And Sundrop 6 packs 3 for 11. And that's just a few of the specials that are in this circular. It's a chock full of things for you and your family. As always though folks, Foodland is the place where guys who grill go to get great meat. Best meat barber in Murray County. Alright Miles have a great week here at Foodland. Thank you you too. Are you tired of living with chronic pain, ready to regain control of your health and wellness? It's time to visit the experts at the Dr. Gill Center. Imagine waking up each morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to tackle the day without being held back by pain. With our holistic approach to care, we'll work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific needs and goals. Don't let the pain hold you back any longer. Take the first step towards a pain-free life today. Call the Dr. Gill Center at 615-794-0800. This is Jack Cobb with Murray County Public Schools in The Big Yellow School Bus. You're listening to Front Parts Radio on 101.7 WKOM in Columbia, Tennessee.