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Holton still at large after eluding officers on foot
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A man who was unable to outrun police in a stolen Porsche a couple weeks ago was able to accomplish the feat Wednesday afternoon, this time on foot as he gave officers the slip and remains at large.
The fugitive, Dalton Holton, 24, is wanted by police on charges of domestic assault, evading arrest and violation of a bond condition. He was last seen running in the area of Lance Street around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
The chase began at the corner of Locust Street and Spring Street early Wednesday afternoon. Police were called to the residence concerning a domestic dispute. When they arrived, they found Holton there along with his girlfriend. They learned he had been arrested following a domestic dispute a few weeks prior.
It was following that domestic dispute he allegedly stole his girlfriend’s Porsche and led police on a short chase that ended when he abandoned the sports car on Lance Street and took refuge in an abandoned house. He was caught and arrested on that occasion.
Police discovered part of Holton’s bond condition that had gotten him out of jail for that prior incident included staying away from his girlfriend. That’s why police went to pick him up Wednesday.
“I advised Mr. Holton I would be arresting him for violation of bond condition and he fled on foot behind the residence,” recalled Marty Cantrell of McMinnville Police Department.
The chase was soon joined by police and deputies as Holton ran toward Kirby Street, braving the bitterly cold temperatures. He was able to elude the pursuers who tried to box him in around the Lance Street area. Police looked around the abandoned house where he had taken refuge following his Porsche chase, but found no sign of him. They also tried finding him at his mother’s nearby house but again had no luck.
Police returned to where the chase began. This time Cantrell pointed out the woman (Holton’s girlfriend) had a bump on her head and marks on her arms. It was at that pointed she reportedly admitted Holton had assaulted her and she would be willing to take new charges on him.
Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Holton is asked to contact police at 668-7000 or call 911.

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