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Free seminar to aid veterans
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Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses could be entitled to government benefits they aren’t receiving.
It’s for that reason Webb House is holding a seminar next week to help veterans determine if they could be getting extra money each month. The seminar is being presented by RidgeBrooke Retirement Planning financial advisor Alan Kirby.
Wartime veterans could qualify for up to $2,085 per month, while surviving spouses may receive up to $1,130 per month.
“A requirement is you must have served in the military during a time of war,” said Webb House administrator Rick Webb. “It’s not necessary that you were active in the war, just that you served during a time of war. It depends on your situation how much money you may get.”
The free seminar is estimated to take 30 to 45 minutes. Webb said after Kirby is done with his presentation, he will be available for questions and appointments can be set up for a later time.
“There are all types of benefits that are out there,” said Webb. “People might not know about them because they aren’t always advertised very well. You have to know where to go.”
Webb said any type of government program is going to take time for approval. He said Kirby has been successful in getting people benefits in as little as three months, which is fast when the federal government is involved.
Webb House is located at 3877 Manchester Highway near Warren County High School. The seminar will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 24. Call 668-9322 to reserve seating.

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