Remember the Fallen: Memorial Day Comes to Maury County in America's 250th Year

The Maury County Veterans Services Office invites the community to a wreath-laying ceremony Monday morning as the nation marks 250 years of hard-won freedom.

COLUMBIA, There is a particular weight to Memorial Day in a place like Maury County. Walk through any of the old churchyard cemeteries along the back roads off Highway 43 or out past the Duck River bottoms, and you will find headstones marking men who answered the call in every conflict from the War Between the States through Afghanistan. This Monday, May 25, the Maury County Veterans Services Office is asking the community to gather at the John H. Willis Memorial, 100 Nashville Highway, Columbia, at 9:00 a.m. to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring those who gave their lives in service to the United States of America.

The ceremony will include a wreath laying, a live rendition of Taps, and words of remembrance from the Veterans Services staff. It is open to the public, and organizers are encouraging families, schoolchildren, and anyone who has ever loved a soldier to attend. In a post shared by the Maury County Veterans Services Office, the message was simple and direct: "We remember. We honor. We will never forget." Those words carry particular resonance this year, as the nation observes America 250, the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence and the launch of the War for Independence that made this republic possible.

Memorial Day itself has deep Tennessee roots. The holiday grew from the custom of decorating soldiers' graves that spread through the South and North alike in the years following the War Between the States, eventually becoming a federal observance in 1971. But the spirit of the day is older than any congressional act. It is the instinct of a people who understand that freedom is not free, that the liberty to raise a family, tend a farm, worship freely, and build a community in a place like Columbia, Tennessee, was purchased at an enormous price by ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things.

This year's observance carries added meaning. As the United States marks 250 years since the Continental Congress declared independence in Philadelphia, communities across the country are reflecting on the full sweep of that sacrifice, from the men who froze at Valley Forge to the veterans who came home from Iraq and Afghanistan and quietly went back to work on farms and in shops across Maury County. The John H. Willis Memorial stands as a permanent reminder that Columbia has always sent its sons and daughters forward when the nation called. Showing up Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. is the least the rest of us can do.

The Muletown Journal encourages every reader to attend, to bring their children, and to stand in the open air of a Middle Tennessee morning and let the sound of Taps remind them what this country cost. For more information, contact the Maury County Veterans Services Office.

Columbia's Next Generation Steps Up: 25 Students Complete Mayor's Youth Council

Mayor Chaz Molder's civic leadership program, now in its seventh year, graduates another class of young Columbians ready to serve.

COLUMBIA, Twenty-five Columbia students have completed the 2026 Columbia Mayor's Youth Council, a program that gives young people direct, hands-on exposure to how their city government actually works. The City of Columbia announced the graduates this week, recognizing each participant for their commitment to civic engagement and their willingness to invest time in understanding the community they will one day lead.

The program was established in 2019 by Mayor Chaz Molder and has since become one of the city's most meaningful investments in its own future. Participants work alongside City departments throughout the program, gaining firsthand insight into municipal operations and the daily decisions that shape life in Columbia. According to the city, students who complete the council leave with stronger leadership skills, a deeper appreciation for public service, and a real connection to the community they call home. Mayor Molder praised the 2026 cohort for their curiosity and genuine commitment to serving others, describing the program as one of the most important things the city does.

The 2026 graduates are: Brylie Blade, Gabrielle Booker, Ava Codling, Jay Coleman, Sarah Ann Crichton, Avery Daniels, Marilla Dale, Emily DuBose, Wyatt Duke, Jacey Dugger, Maci Dunn, Savannah Dunn, Callie Ervin, Aleia Fletcher, Sam Fuller, Amiya Gardenhire, Addelyn Harrison, Andrew Jefferson, Phynlee Keeling, Charlotte Recknagel, Emma Rhinehart, Tony Somsanith, Caleb Wallbrech, Lyli Whitfield, and Kylie Wood.

Columbia is a city navigating real pressures right now, growth, infrastructure, a changing economy, and programs like the Mayor's Youth Council matter precisely because they give the next generation something concrete: an understanding of how decisions get made, who makes them, and how ordinary citizens can be part of the process. These 25 graduates leave the program more equipped and more connected than when they started. That is a good thing for every one of the 40,000-plus people who call Columbia home.

Columbia State Pins 41 New EMTs and AEMTs, Sending First Responders Into the Field

The Fall 2025 EMS cohort achieved a 100% first-attempt national registry pass rate, adding trained emergency medical professionals to communities across Middle Tennessee.

COLUMBIA, Columbia State Community College celebrated 41 new emergency medical services graduates during its Fall 2025 EMS Pinning ceremony, held in the Cherry Theater on Hampshire Pike. The class included 13 emergency medical technicians and 28 advanced emergency medical technicians, each earning their certification after completing a rigorous program of classroom instruction, practical skills training, and clinical rotations. Among the Maury County AEMT graduates recognized were Craig Heimbold, Lulani Murphy, and Jacob Beard. Maury County EMT graduates included Miguel Ponce, Kevin Medina, Justin Hyde, Joshua Byers, Ethan Pitton, and Chandler Bachan.

The results speak for themselves. Fall 2025 EMT completers achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the national registry exam, a benchmark that reflects both the quality of instruction and the dedication of the students who showed up, put in the work, and earned their place in the profession. Students in the accelerated AEMT certificate track, which compresses training into a single semester and requires 144 hours of clinical rotations, also posted a 100% first-attempt pass rate. Greg Johnson, Columbia State's EMS Academy program director, said the cohort trained hard, stayed focused, and proved they are ready to serve.

An EMT provides basic life support at the scene of illnesses and injuries and assists with patient transport. Advanced EMTs add a higher level of pre-hospital care to that foundation, bridging the gap between basic life support and full paramedic-level intervention. In communities across Maury County and surrounding areas, these men and women will be the first faces a family sees in a crisis, the ones who show up when the call comes in at 2 a.m., or when a car goes off the road on a wet night outside Culleoka. Dr. Kae Fleming, Columbia State's dean of the Health Sciences Division, noted that EMS completers provide essential care at moments when every second counts, and called Columbia State's program the best EMS education available in Tennessee.

For those interested in following the path these graduates have taken, Columbia State's EMS program is open and accepting students. More information is available at ColumbiaState.edu/EMS or by contacting the EMS Academy directly. In a county growing as fast as Maury County, the need for trained first responders only increases, and Columbia State is doing its part to meet that need, one pinning ceremony at a time.

Columbia Student's Story Earns National First Place in Sigma Kappa Delta Journal

Olivia Ferrara's short fiction about a child with cerebral palsy won first place and a $500 award in a competition drawing submissions from community colleges nationwide.

COLUMBIA, Olivia Ferrara, a Columbia State Community College student and Columbia native, has earned national recognition for her short story "Ears to Hear, and Eyes to See," which took first place in the Short Fiction category of the Sigma Kappa Delta Honor Society's national journal, Hedera helix. The journal collects short stories, poetry, photography, essays, and other creative work submitted by community college students from across the country, making Ferrara's first-place finish a meaningful achievement in a competitive field. She also received a $500 award for her work.

The story centers on Emily, a caregiver for Elizabeth, a four-year-old with cerebral palsy who cannot move independently and does not speak. Written from Emily's first-person perspective, the story explores the daily reality of caring for a child whom others might overlook or pity, and Emily's determined effort to truly see and connect with her, communication barriers and all. Ferrara said her inspiration came directly from her own life: she works as a nanny for a nonspeaking girl with cerebral palsy, and the relationship she describes in the story reflects the bond she has built in real life. The story is fictionalized and dramatized, she noted, but its heart is genuine.

Dr. Jessica Evans, Columbia State associate professor of English and SKD faculty sponsor, said she was overjoyed when Ferrara came to her office to share the news of her first-place finish. Evans described Ferrara as an active and enthusiastic member of the chapter. Ferrara said her hope is simple: that readers come away understanding that real connection requires only patience and the willingness to truly see another person, not the ability to speak or move in a particular way.

It is a message worth hearing in any community. For Columbia and Maury County, it is also a reminder of the talent being developed right here on Hampshire Pike. Columbia State continues to produce students who compete, and win, at the national level, and Ferrara's recognition is the kind of achievement the whole county can take pride in. Her full story is available to read through the Columbia State website.

Faith, Family, and Fine Cuts: Southern Ridge Farm Brings Honest Agriculture to Maury County Tables

The Cannon family's multi-generational farm and The Ridge butcher shop offer pasture-raised beef and pork, and a reminder that knowing your farmer used to be common sense.

COLUMBIA, Walk through the door of The Ridge butcher shop and something happens before you even reach the counter. The air is cool and clean, carrying just a hint of hickory smoke, and behind the glass case you'll find cuts of beef and pork arranged with the kind of care that only comes from people who raised the animals themselves. This is not a grocery store meat department. It is the retail face of Southern Ridge Farm, where the Cannon family has been working Maury County land for generations, building a business on principles that predate industrial agriculture and outlast every passing food trend.

Southern Ridge Farm operates on a foundation of rotational grazing, careful animal husbandry, and a conviction that stewardship of God's creation means doing things right even when shortcuts are available. Multiple generations of the Cannon family work the operation side by side, each one teaching the next not just the mechanics of raising livestock but the deeper purpose behind it. When the family opened The Ridge butcher shop, it was a natural extension of that mission: providing Maury County families with meat they could trust, processed transparently and sold by people who will answer every question about where it came from. That kind of traceability used to be ordinary. Today it is remarkable.

The Ridge offers custom butchering alongside a variety of cuts that rival anything available at specialty grocers in Nashville, and the staff brings the kind of personal attention that makes customers feel like neighbors rather than transactions. Whether you are picking up ground beef for a weeknight meal or a standing rib roast for a holiday table, you are buying from people who know what went into every pound, the pasture, the feed, the season, the care. Locals who have made the switch will tell you plainly that the difference in flavor is real and undeniable.

In a county where farming heritage runs deep but family farms grow scarcer with every decade of rapid growth, Southern Ridge Farm stands as proof that faith and agriculture make powerful partners. The Cannons are not simply selling meat. They are preserving a way of life, one rooted in the belief that loving your neighbor well can start with feeding them honestly. For Maury County residents who want to know their food came from good soil, good people, and good intentions, Southern Ridge Farm is worth every mile of the drive.

Know Your Sirens: Maury County OEM Clarifies How Warning System Works, and What Comes Next

Officials explain why outdoor sirens aren't meant to be heard inside your home, and announce a new routine testing schedule county-wide.

COLUMBIA, In the wake of a recent outdoor warning siren test that left many Maury County residents with questions, the Maury County Office of Emergency Management has issued a detailed public clarification, and announced a new, permanent testing schedule designed to keep the system sharp and residents informed. The post, shared May 12, addressed the most common concerns that flooded emergency management channels after the test activation and offered a frank explanation of how the siren network is intended to function.

The single most important clarification, officials said, is this: outdoor warning sirens have never been designed to be audible indoors. Their purpose is to alert people who are already outside to seek shelter and find additional information. Residents who were inside their homes during the test and heard nothing should not assume the system failed. That is the system working exactly as designed. Additionally, officials confirmed that the test volume was intentionally reduced from what would be used during an actual severe weather warning, because routine tests are meant to verify that equipment is functioning, not to replicate emergency conditions.

Going forward, Maury County residents can expect monthly "growl tests", low-level activations designed to confirm each siren unit is operational, along with an annual full-system test similar to the May 12 activation. Dates and times for both the monthly and annual tests will be publicly shared once the schedule is finalized. Officials also clarified how the system decides which sirens activate: the network uses a polygon-based model tied directly to warnings issued by the National Weather Service, meaning only sirens within the geographic boundary of an active warning polygon will sound. That precision, officials noted, allows for more targeted alerts and reduces unnecessary activations in areas not under threat.

The county's siren network covers a broad geographic footprint, from Maury County Park and Chickasaw Park in Columbia to rural locations including Hampshire Unit School, Culleoka Unit School, Santa Fe Unit School, Bear Creek Pike at the interstate, and as far out as The Farm at Golston Hill and Mt. Pleasant Police Department. In all, 20 siren locations are spread across the county, providing coverage from the urban core to the rural communities along the Duck River valley. Emergency management officials also took the opportunity to note that the recent siren test is completely unrelated to FEMA's presence at Maury County Park, which is tied to ongoing recovery efforts connected to Winter Storm Fern.

For a community that sits squarely in Middle Tennessee's severe weather corridor, a well-understood and properly maintained warning system is not a bureaucratic checkbox, it is a lifeline. Tornado warnings, flash flooding along the Duck River, and violent thunderstorms are facts of life in Maury County, and knowing how, when, and why those sirens sound could make all the difference. Residents are encouraged to follow the Maury County Office of Emergency Management on social media for updates on the finalized testing schedule and additional preparedness information.

Next-Door Neighbor: Lawrence County Lumber Firm Announces $1.3 Million Expansion, 20 New Jobs

Old South Wood Preserving in Summertown will grow from a five-person startup to more than 60 employees following its first expansion since opening in 2021.

SUMMERTOWN, Just across the county line in Lawrence County, a Tennessee-grown lumber company is making a significant bet on Southern Middle Tennessee's economic future. Old South Wood Preserving, based in Summertown, announced this week that it will invest $1.3 million to expand its operations and create 20 new jobs, the company's first major expansion since it opened in 2021 with just five employees. The announcement was made jointly by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Deputy Gov. and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, and company officials.

Old South Wood Preserving operates a full-service production campus in Summertown that includes office space, a treatment plant, a planer mill, a post mill, a kiln, and lumber storage barns. The expansion builds on that existing infrastructure, positioning the company for increased production capacity in a region where the timber and wood products industry has deep historical roots. With more than 60 employees following the announcement, the company has grown more than twelvefold since its founding, a trajectory that reflects both strong management and a favorable business environment in rural Tennessee.

General Manager Mark Jent credited the support of the State of Tennessee, Gov. Lee, and local and state representatives with making the investment possible. He described the expansion as a commitment not just to the company's growth, but to the people and communities of the region. Gov. Lee called Old South Wood Preserving an example of the strength of Tennessee's homegrown businesses, while Commissioner McWhorter noted that state leaders were proud to support the company when it launched and are equally proud to back its continued growth.

Lawrence County borders Maury County to the south and west, and economic activity there has direct ripple effects on the broader regional workforce and supply chain. For families in communities like Summertown, Lawrenceburg, and the rural stretches in between, 20 quality manufacturing jobs represent real opportunity. Companies like Old South Wood Preserving, Tennessee-founded, community-rooted, and growing on their own terms, are exactly the kind of economic anchors that strengthen the rural Middle Tennessee counties that surround Maury County.

Two Centuries of Fellowship: Tennessee Church Marks 200 Years of Unbroken Worship

The Bagdad Church of Christ in Pleasant Shade celebrated its bicentennial with a homecoming service, a former minister's return to the pulpit, and a flatbed trailer full of home-cooked food.

PLEASANT SHADE, On a warm Sunday morning in Smith County, the Bagdad Church of Christ marked something genuinely rare in American religious life: 200 years of continuous worship by the same congregation, in the same community, under the same name. The bicentennial homecoming brought together generations of Christians, tripling the congregation's typical Sunday attendance to 155 people and filling every pew in the small wooden church. Outside, a church elder had parked a 32-foot farm trailer in front of the building, draped with tablecloths and loaded with home-cooked food: cakes, barbecue, and everything in between. The sounds of laughter and children playing drifted through the sanctuary. According to the Christian Chronicle, it was the kind of gathering the Bagdad congregation has been holding for generations, only bigger.

Edward Anderson, who served as minister for the church in the 1960s, returned to deliver the bicentennial sermon and led a gospel meeting that ran from Sunday through Wednesday. Longtime member and elder Tim Agee recalled homecomings past, when the congregation would stretch wire between posts outside and lay tablecloths across it to hold the overflow of food that members brought from miles around. "There would be so much food," Agee told the Christian Chronicle. Founded in 1825, the church has seen its building change, a fire required construction of a new structure at one point, and a fellowship hall was added over the years, but the congregation itself has remained a continuous thread through two full centuries of American history, from the early days of the republic through the War Between the States, two world wars, and into the present day.

The surrounding community of Pleasant Shade has shrunk considerably as younger generations moved toward urban centers in search of work, a story familiar to rural communities across Middle Tennessee. But the Bagdad congregation has held on, hosting a healthy and age-diverse crowd on typical Sundays, from longtime gray-haired members to infants in arms. Connie Dyer, a longtime member, described the church's defining quality to the Christian Chronicle simply: "There is love, honest, we love you here. People see it and they feel it."

The story of Bagdad Church of Christ resonates far beyond Smith County. In communities like those across Maury County, where churches from Mt. Pleasant to Hampshire to Columbia itself have anchored neighborhoods and shaped generations, the 200-year witness of a small country congregation is a reminder of what endures when faith is lived out faithfully, week after week, decade after decade, without fanfare. Two hundred years is a long time to keep the doors open and the pews filled. Bagdad has done it, and that is worth celebrating.