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Circuit Court
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Sentences were handed down by Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley against several for drug trafficking and possession.
Included in drug sentencings:
• Ralph Edward Pease Jr., was ordered to serve 364 days of a 12-year sentence and pay $4,000 plus costs for initiating the process to manufacture meth and promoting the manufacture of meth.
• Troy Grant Craven was directed to serve 180 days of a six-year sentence and pay $2,000 plus costs for manufacture of meth. He will be accepted in the drug court which is an intensive 18-month rehabilitation program overseen by the local court.
• Eric Lee Rogers was ordered to serve 60 days of a three-year sentence, pay $2,000 plus costs and undergo a drug and alcohol assessment for promoting the manufacture of meth.
• Heather Brown was directed to serve 42 days of an eight-year sentence, pay $2,000 plus costs and enter the drug court program for initiating the process to manufacture meth.
• T.J. Jones was instructed to serve 90 days of a three-year sentence, pay $2,000 plus costs and was accepted into the drug court program for delivery of meth.
• Penny Sue Myers was ordered to serve 45 days of an 11-29 sentence and pay $750 plus costs for simple possession of Alprazolam and drug paraphernalia.
• Dana Lynn Crosley was granted a six-year judicial diversion and must pay $2,000 plus costs for initiating the process to manufacture meth. The diversion means she can have her criminal record erased if she completes her probation successfully. Diversions are available for first-time offenders.
• Charles Gary Pace Jr., was granted a four-year judicial diversion and must pay $2,000 plus costs for promoting the manufacture of meth.
• Jennifer Danelle Barnes was granted a two-year judicial diversion and must pay $2,000 plus costs for promoting the manufacture of meth.
• Brandon Ladane Robbins was placed on probation for an 11-29 period and must perform 80 hours public service work and pay $1,500 for promoting the manufacture of meth.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community