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GOP lawmaker calls Haslam traitor to party
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NASHVILLE (AP) — A Republican state lawmaker on Tuesday called Gov. Bill Haslam a "traitor to the party" over what he called efforts by a political action committee run by supporters to defeat opponents of Common Core education standards.
State Rep. Rick Womick of Murfreesboro said in a phone interview he stands by a letter sent to the governor's office last week taking issue with what he perceived as Haslam trying to do away with opponents in the Legislature and on the state Republican Party's executive committee.
"You had the head of our party targeting individual members because we don't agree with him 100 percent of the time, that's treason," Womick said. "That's a traitor to the party."
The Chattanooga Times Free Press first reported the Advance Tennessee PAC, which poured thousands into GOP primary races, involved key supporters of Haslam and state House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville. The PAC opposed lawmakers like Rep. Tony Shipley, R-Kingsport, who lost his race after calling it a "fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party."
One of the principals for the direct mail firm used by the PAC is Bryan Kaegi, a fundraiser for both Haslam and Harwell. Top contributors like Orrin Ingram and Scott Niswonger are also board members on the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE, which is closely allied with Haslam on education matters.
Haslam shrugged off Womick's letter when asked about it after an economic development announcement in Cookeville on Monday.
"I don't know why my supporters should be precluded from doing what everybody else is doing, in terms of being engaged and trying to make certain good people are elected," Haslam said. "Obviously we have folks who care about our agenda and helping make that happen."
Womick endorsed state Rep. Joe Carr's primary challenge against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, but said he sees that race differently than the governor's supporters getting involved in state legislative contest.
Womick said he was justified in getting involved in the Senate race because he's a constituent of the statewide officeholder, while the governor "funded those opponents in districts he doesn't vote in."
Womick said he expects lawmakers to respond with a harder line against Haslam when they come back into session in January.
"He's making a lot of enemies very quickly," he said.
Haslam drew no serious opposition in the GOP primary and faces a political unknown in the general election. He is expected to overwhelmingly win a second term in November.

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