The Daily Herald
When COVID-19 sparked a shortage of beef in grocery stores across the county, Columbia residents, Ben and Lauren Neale, owners of a beef producing company, decided to take action.
The Neales, owners of Light Hill Meats, LLC, a cattle producer and meat processing operation in the neighboring Giles County community of Lynnville, opened a pop-up shop in Columbia during the height of the pandemic, offering a local alternative to the nation’s ailing supply chain.
With a major increase in demand spurred on by the crisis, the Neales expanded their operation by investing in new management software, bolstering infrastructure by purchasing additional coolers to store beef products and by hiring additional staff.
The Daily Herald
Spring is underway and that means the members of the Columbia Civitan Club are busy gathering Vidalia onions for a special fundraiser. Funds raised would help to enhance a neighborhood playground to accommodate children with special needs.
This month, the community group will host its annual sale of Vidalia onions as part of its ongoing effort to fund new playground equipment, specifically designed for children with disabilities.
An annual event, the drive is held in memory of Mt. Pleasant’s Jared Buckner the inspiration for an inclusive and accessible playground that now stands at Maury County Park.
The Daily Herald
As the Maury County Board of Education convened to review its tentative $107 million budget, the cost of the school district’s teacher salaries and proposed building projects remain top concerns for members of the board.
Last year, the county passed a bare-bones $103.9 million financial plan for the local public school district.
More than $90 million of the annual budget goes toward funding the salaries and benefits of the school district’s staff. I think we have our work cut out for us going forward, said Michael Fulbright, school board chair. “We have a long way to go. I think this is a very productive first step.
The Daily Herald
As Williamson County’s campus of Columbia State Community State College prepares for the construction of a new arts and sciences building, the institution’s Maury County grounds are next in line for a new building, according to the college’s leadership.
A proposed Southern Regional Technology Center will serve as a state-of-the-art facility, expanding the college’s footprint in health science and industrial technology.
“It lines up well with what the needs are,” Janet F. Smith, the president of Columbia State Community College told The Daily Herald. “Heath and industrial technology, the value and the need for those programs have become evident. It grew out of the need we have for better facilities that are more consistent with today’s technology and what needs to be available.
One fatality was identified by the state health department in Cheatham County and another in Hawkins County.
The storms also dropped more than 7 inches of rain on parts of southern Middle Tennessee, leading to dozens of rescues between Maury and Williamson County. .
As waters continued to rise following the storms on Sunday morning, off-duty firefighters with the Franklin Fire Department, Columbia Fire and Rescue and Maury County Fire Department rescued a driver stranded in the middle of the Duck River on top of his car.
Maury County Fire Chief Eric Hilemen said the team of volunteers used their own boat and equipment to quickly reach the stranded driver.