Front Porch Radio - Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price
Southern Middle TN Today News with Tom Price 6-6-24
(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 Thursday, June 6th, and we start with local news. I'm Murray County Judge has sentenced a man who is accused of distributing four Ku Klux Klan flyers in Columbia in July of last year. Daniel Lane Walls of Santa Fe pleaded guilty to four counts of civil rights intimidation and received a three year prison sentence followed by six years of probation. Previously identified as the suspect, Walls was apprehended for placing KKK flyers on multiple properties in Columbia. He also involved a 17 year old in the distribution of the posters according to authorities. The flyers contained racist and homophobic language along with threats attributed to the KKK. Murray County's ongoing efforts to provide relief from the May tornado, which left many families displaced and hundreds of homes damaged, continues with something a little unique, fun, and magical. Magic and melodies for Murray is a grassroots effort spearheaded by a couple of local entertainers in an effort to give back to those affected while also providing a fun night of music, magic, and more. The variety of show event will take place on Saturday, June 22nd at Rory Feaks Homestead Hall located at 4544 Highway 431. Tickets are $25 for VIP, $15 for general admission, and $10 for children. Tickets are available for purchase at the door or online at www.eventbrite.com. MCing the show will be event organizers and escape artists extraordinaire, Sherrill, and Samantha Knox. Pretty much the day after the tornado happened, I started working on this, started making calls for performers, Sherrill said. "This is my first time ever organizing a charity event, "and so this has been a very big learning curve, "but I am so grateful for everyone who has helped," she said. These modern-day Harry Houdini's said, "This event is particularly special to them, "not only as a way to show off their talents "to benefit their community, "but because like so many others, "they too were affected personally by the tornado." "Our aunt and uncle, their house was damaged, "and they have a daughter with Down syndrome "who is nonverbal," Sherrill said. "It broke the kitchen window and knocked glass everywhere." Proceeds from the June 22nd event will be donated to New Lacey at Church of Christ, located at 1570 Lacey Road, which has been a set-up spot for donations since the May tornado occurred. "They've been great," Sherrill said. "I think just about everybody has "some kind of personal investment in this "because we all know someone, somehow, that's been affected. "The magic and melodies lineup will also include "elevator to space, barbershop quartet, "fleture, formerly known as Kentucky lineman, "songwriter, Anachem Meyerhoff, "to, I'm sorry, us, to and him, "Bluegrass group and Columbia's own classic vinyl 931. "Former Murray County Commission chair, Don Morro, "who plays drums in classic vinyl 931, "recalls the aftermath of the tornado. "Though he wasn't personally affected by the damages, "he certainly knows many who were. "I knew several people who had been damaged "and it's funny how it hit one house, "but not the next," Morro said. "My son also lives in sunny, I'm sorry, riverside "with my new grandson and they were lucky "it didn't set down there because it started forming "over the courthouse," he said. Morro added that an event like this should be supported because while it isn't hammering nails and shoveling debris, it is a way for people to use what they have to give back. "We all want to donate our talents for this, "which is a no-brainer for all of us, "donating our talents for those in need," Morro said. "All of us can't trim trees and cut wood, "but we can do this," he said. Drake Pugh, who sings bass for Elevator to Space, said his group specializes in the traditional barbershop style, which he said is often missing in modern groups. "A lot of barbershop quartets these days "don't even sing barbershop, they are more of a do-op." Pugh said, "We sing real authentic barbershop arrangements, "real old school stuff, although we do an arrangement "of Billy Joel's for the longest time in our show "and as time goes by," he said. "While magic and melodies was the Knox's brainchild "that could have been accomplished, "could not have been accomplished without donations "in the efforts of many others, ranging from Feek, "donating his venue to the show's performers "and many sponsorships." It's been really awesome making all of the connections and everyone working together has just been great, Sharael said. So far, the event sponsors include Copycat's Printing, Patrick Sandow, Providential Broadcasting 1460, Homestead Hall, Dixon's Fine Jewelry, Catfish Campus, William C. Barnes, Attorney-at-Law, Nathan's Electrical and HVAC, Middle Tennessee, Homestavers LLC, and Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home. Individual and business sponsorships are still being accepted by calling 931-774-6951. The Murray County Commission approved by a 17 to five voter resolution, which would rezone, approximately 725 combined acres of property located on highway 431 and flat creek road in Spring Hill. The resolution would include a residential planned unit development overlay commonly known as firefly or Danner Farms. The development would include 395 single family lots and two condominium lots with five units each, totaling 407 total dwelling units. It would also include an open space for approximately 356.7 acres, including a golf course, golf club, family club, and racket club. The developer has agreed to pay to require payment to Murray County of $2 per gross foot for each residential structure built. The gross square footage is calculated as the current Murray County Adequate Facilities Tax Private Act. Commissioner Ray Jeter voiced his support for the development. "I think this is very good for Murray County "on many fronts," Jeter said. The self-imposed impact fee and the 1% transfer fee, the additional revenues and property taxes, it's going to change our penny rate significantly," he said. Commissioner Gabe Howard said the developer has laid out a plan better than the new law, which would allow counties that meet certain criteria to levy a tax at a rate not to exceed $1.50 per square foot on residential and commercial property. "They have voluntarily offered $2 a square foot "on gross square footage compared to our new law, "which is $1.50 unheated in cooled spaces," Howard said. Commissioner Danny Groom's praised the developers for their willingness to invest. "We have no other development in the county "that's willing to invest like these developers are. "Groom said, 'That's what we've been asking for. "I don't understand why there's even a debate about this,' "he said. "The developer has also agreed to construct southbound "and northbound left turn lanes on highway 431 "on the intersection of Flat Creek and JOP Road "and an east right turn lane at the project's "construction access. "The developer has also agreed to donate to a foundation "which would assist in community efforts in Murray County. "A traffic impact study was completed and outlined "the necessary improvements with the exception "of a northbound right turn lane at the entrance, "which is now shown on the plan and in agreement." Mount Pleasant High School's Hunch program is a partnership with NASA that explores students' interests and working with space and technology. Hunch, which stands for High School Students United with NASA to create hardware, has 511 classroom programs in 46 states, 21 organizational partners, over 3,000 items flown to the International Space Station and 2,575 students involved in the program. There are three schools in the state of Tennessee involved in the Hunch program, East Hickman High School, Franklin County High School, and Mount Pleasant High School. The program includes eight different categories, design and prototype, software, hardware, sewn flight articles, culinary, biomedical science, flight, configuration, and video and media. Mount Pleasant's Hunch program has been active at the high school since 2017. In this past April, the students involved in the program were invited to the Johnson Space Center in Houston as a part of the design and prototype engineering fair. It was a great opportunity for all involved with the program and several students were able to see sites they had never seen before and have experiences like no other. The students have been guided throughout the entire year by their teacher, Mr. Woodard, as well as coaching from NASA engineer Bob Zeke, who checks into their classes. Callaway Chaney, the daughter of teacher Bethany Chaney, spoke about her experiences on the trip, saying it was interesting to see all the NASA related things, especially all the areas named after NASA, she said. She plans to use the experience from the trip on future resumes. Mount Pleasant High School was the only high school from Tennessee represented at the event. This experience helped a lot of students connect with others from all across the United States. In regard to that part of the experience, Chaney said it's cool to see a bunch of different people from a bunch of different places. Woodard spoke highly of Chaney and her dedication to the Hunch program, saying it takes kids like Callaway who want to challenge themselves because not everybody can do it. It takes a certain amount of dedication to put the effort into it. Woodard also spoke about the impact this program can make on lower levels of school. So we need these kids in the middle schools and elementary schools to know there's an opportunity there and to take advantage of it, she said. The program, the bridge programs at Mount Pleasant Middle School include destination, imagination, and the robotics team. Woodard said it is important to keep these children interested in engineering throughout their form of educational years. They have a great STEM program at the middle school. They do destination imagination, they have a competition robotics team, so they do a really good job down there. And the biggest thing for us is when they get to high school is to keep them interested in STEM. That's what we get to work on each year, making sure we keep these students who are interested, he said. Savaya Morgan's name will long be remembered at Columbia Central in her four years with the Lady Lions, Morgan set single season records for batting average, hits, runs, and stolen bases. She also holds the program records for best career totals in each of those statistics. But this year, Morgan set the one record she'd had her eye on since her freshman year, the state single season stolen bases record. She stole 75 bases in 32 games, besting the previous mark of 73 set in 2012 by Beach graduate Heather Montgomery. Along with her state record, the Tennessee softball signee batted 641 this season with 25 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples, and a home run. Now, Morgan has been named Columbia Daily Herald's 2024 softball player of the year. I think she's definitely the greatest softball player to ever come through this area. Columbia Central coach John McDonald said, "And I'm not just talking about Central, "I'm talking about this entire area, "but I think she's one of the greatest athletes too. "She played basketball and she holds records "for that sport as well," he said. That's going to be the main thing with her is yes, she was a great softball player, but she was an even better athlete. You know, if you put her on a rugby field to play rugby, she's probably going to be the best player on the field. Despite three great seasons, Morgan entered her senior year with a goal of breaking the single season stolen base total after coming up five stolen bases short of the state record her freshman year. Morgan started this season with a bang, stealing eight bases in Columbia's first three games, and she hardly slowed the pace from there, finally securing the long sought after record in a TWS AA playoff game against Warren County in May. It feels great to have something left behind at my school so that people can always remember me. Even if I'm not here and at college, they still know that I played here and how good I did," Morgan said, "For the people coming up, "I hope that I've set a standard. "Like, if you work hard and can achieve your goal, "and you can achieve your goal, "and if you just put in the work, you'll be fine," she said. "Of course, you can't steal 75 bases in a season "without speed, something Morgan has plenty of." McDonald said he's never seen an athlete male or female with speed out of the gate like Morgan. That speed will come in handy in Knoxville next season where Morgan is signed to play softball at Tennessee. Earlier this month, Tennessee was eliminated by Alabama in the super regional round of the Women's College World Series. I feel like the thing that Tennessee is missing is speed, McDonald said, "They don't have any speed. "We've seen it, that's what killed them this year "in the postseason, they just didn't have speed." And I know that they're graduating a couple of outfielders. I mean, Morgan's ability to track a ball if it's right center or left center, she's getting it. "I feel like she should have a good chance to go there "and do just that," he said. The Murray County GOP invites you to celebrate Reagan Day and the birthday of Donald J. Trump at Puckett's Restaurant, Guitar, and Cadillac Hall. That's upstairs at Puckett's, located at 15 Publix Square in Columbia on June 14th at 6 p.m. Special guest speakers include Congressman Andy Ogles and Tim Burchin, as well as Tommy Lahren. Conservative commentator, host of Tommy Lahren is fearless on Outkick.com and Fox News Regular, who will share her views on many topics impacting the conservative movement, current political events, and more. Also joining the event will be Todd Starns, a conservative columnist, author, speaker, and radio host of the Todd Starns Show, who will address many of the challenges facing America and perhaps delve into some of the broader points made in his most recent book, "Twilight's Last Glaming, "Can America Be Saved?" Signed books will be available. Puckett's cuisine will be served at an exciting silent auction will be held featuring everything from condo stays to local crafts, collectibles, and much more. A limited number of individual tickets are still available for $100 each. Find yours by visiting www.meraytngop.com. Hundreds of music collectors and enthusiasts are expected to gather in Spring Hill on Saturday, July 13th for the inaugural Mid-Tennessee Record Fair. Did by Rock-A-Rolla Records of Spring Hill, the fair takes place at the 14,000 square foot UAW Local 1853 Union Hall on 125 Stephen P. Yokich Parkway, conveniently located right off Tennessee Route 396 in Spring Hill. "We're excited to finally bring a real record show "to Music City," says Matt Bad, the owner of Rock-A-Rolla Records. There will be several well-known established dealers from all parts of the South, as well as Kentucky and Ohio, who will be selling some rare and hard-to-find items. "If you're a music collector, this is the place to be," he said. "Music, memorabilia, vintage clothing and t-shirt, "stickers, pins, and more will be available. "In addition to door prizes and giveaways, "there will be food trucks, out front, "for hungry record collectors. "Early entry admission at 10 a.m. is $20, "while general admission is $5 between 11 a.m. "and 4 p.m. "There are still a few tables left as well, "so prospective dealers should call 615-302-8080, "or email midtenacyrecordfair@gmail.com "to reserve their table today. "The deadline for dealer registration is June 12th. "The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting "subride roadside safety checkpoints during the week "of June 7th on State Route 50 East, "point two miles east of the 19 mile marker "in Murray County starting at 10 p.m. "impaired driving is a serious crime "that kills more than 16,000 people "and injures 305,000 people every year in the United States. "Trupers will evaluate drivers for signs "of alcohol or drug impairment. "Trupers will target those who operate a vehicle "while impaired and take corrective actions "for other violations observed "while ensuring the protection of all motorists. "The Tennessee Highway Patrol recognizes "that sobriety checkpoints are highly visible "and effective tools in the battle against impaired driving. "And now your hometown memorials "sponsored by Oak Synicals Funeral Home. "Mrs. Joyce Ann Duckworth Parks 84, "a retired employee of Farm Bureau "and the widow of Douglas R. Parks Jr. "died Saturday, June 1st in Manchester, Tennessee "at the residence of her daughter, "where she had made her home for several years. "Funeral services for Mrs. Parks will be conducted "on Saturday, June 8th at 1 p.m. "at Oak Synicals Funeral Home. "Barryl will follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. "The family will visit with friends on Saturday "from 11 a.m. until the time of the services "at the Funeral Home. "Hometown memorials is sponsored by Oak Synicals 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 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 Seventh Street in Columbia, since 1856, people you can rely on. For your Southern Middle Tennessee weather, we will have partly cloudy skies today that will clear as the day progresses. The high will be 88 degrees, with winds out of the West at five to 10 miles per hour. Tonight, we can expect clear skies in a low of 59 degrees. 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. (upbeat music) This is Debbie Matthews with the National Realty 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 Realty Group, 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 the 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. [MUSIC PLAYING] 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 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 Parralis, Manager of Murray County Equipment. We help you with all your agricultural and construction equipment needs. We carry a full line of New Holland tractors from compacts to high horsepower. We have a full line of gravely mowing equipment. We also have New Holland construction equipment, attachments, and accessories for your tractors in 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. This is Bob Kesley with Pat Ryan. It's a beautiful day for digging. The backhoe 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. [MUSIC PLAYING] 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 Bryce. And I'm news from around the state. Nearly one month after a cyber attack devastated Ascension Hospitals and Clinics nationwide, the health care company announced that it restored electronic health records access at its Nashville's Ascension St. Thomas Hospitals on Wednesday, ahead of its projected timeline of June 14. However, while the systems are back in service in some areas, many hospitals nationwide are still on track for a June 14 return to full electronic health care records access. On June 5, an Ascension spokesperson said Nashville clinicians will now be able to access patient records as they did prior to the cybersecurity incident. The attack shut down significant operations in the Nashville Hospitals for 28 days, and it continues to interfere with other critical systems at the leading medical provider, which operates 140 hospitals in the United States. Thus far, access to the electronic health record system has been successfully restored in Florida, Alabama, and select Texas Ascension Hospitals. Meanwhile, others like St. Thomas remain on manual and paper-based systems. Also, as of June 4, Ascension RX retail, home delivery, and specialty pharmacy sites are reopened to fill prescriptions. As electronic health records access is restored across the entirety of our networks, clinicians will be able to access patient records as they did prior to this incident. While these are promising developments in our recovery efforts, our investigation into this incident remains ongoing, along with a remediation of additional systems, an Ascension spokesperson said in June 4 statement. This is a complex process, and it will take some time to complete. A spokesperson said the estimated recovery date is based on what Ascension has learned about this process to date. Throughout the last month, Ascension has reiterated that its emergency rooms, urgent care clinics, and other patient care facilities have been fully functional, even without the electronic systems. Still, the manual operations resulted in longer wait times, delays, and diverted ambulances from some national hospitals. The company initially contracted cybersecurity for Mandiant to investigate the root cause of the attack about a week later, Ascension also hired cybersecurity experts from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 and Cypher to help rebuild and restore the network. Gas prices across the state have now declined for the fourth straight week. Over last week, gas prices fell 9 cents on average. The Tennessee gas price average is now $3.08, which is $0.25 less expensive than one month ago, and $0.11 less than one year ago. We're now in our fourth straight week of gas price declines, and Tennessee has the fourth least expensive state gas price average in the country, said Megan Cooper, a spokeswoman for AAA, the Auto Club Group. Lower gasoline demand and falling crude oil prices are helping to push pump prices lower. It's likely that we'll see our state gas price average move lower again this week. The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1st and is expected to be very active. So moving forward, all eyes will be on the weather and its potential impact on gas prices. A storm impacting the Gulf Coast oil production and refinery centers could temporarily push prices higher, she said. 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. We call it 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@osburn.com. That's turner@osburn.com. - Looking for a physician? Choosing a healthcare provider for your family is one of the most important decisions you will make. Murray Regional Medical Group delivers primary care for individuals of all ages from newborns to adults and has an array of specialists ranging from endocrinologists to urologists. With locations in Murray, Lewis, Marshall, and Wayne Counties, our experienced team can provide you with quality care close to home. For more information, visit murriregionalmedicalgroup.com. Murray Regional Medical Group, your health is our primary care. - Have you ever wondered if your insurance needs can be personalized? - And 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 hunter@carry.com. Welcome back to Southern Middle Tennessee today and our final story. Salad Works, a fast casual entree salad franchise and fruitables, a restaurant concept structured around specialty Akai bowls will be opening. The official opening date will be Friday, June 7th at 5201 Port Royal Road. A grand opening event will welcome the community and 20% of the proceeds on opening day will go to support the well outreach food pantry. For more information, visit www.saladworks.com. That's all for this edition of Southern Middle Tennessee today on WKOMWKRM Radio. If you ever miss a part or all of this broadcast, you can listen to it anytime or read the transcript online by visiting frontportradiotn.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. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)