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Landmark study
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There were 81 people in Warren County who registered Thursday to take part in a groundbreaking American Cancer Society study to be conducted over the next 30 years.
The goal is to help determine causes of cancers – and ways to prevent it – through analyzing lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors.
The study’s best-case scenario would be to eliminate cancer as a major health problem for this and future generations. This is the American Cancer Society’s third Cancer Prevention Study and is aptly named CPS-3.
Local resident Monika Hopkins is glad to be part of a study that might find a cure for cancer. Hopkins lost her mother to breast cancer at the age of 51.
“My mother passed away at such a young age. I am so thankful I can help to maybe find a cure for this disease,” she said.
Ashley Wright, lead volunteer for Warren County, said, “I’m excited to see this day is finally here. My heart is service and I love volunteering and fundraising for worthy causes. By participating in this study, we are not just supporting research, we are the research.”
Thursday was the only cancer prevention study enrollment day scheduled in Warren County, but visit www.cancer.org/cps3, to view more dates and times of enrollment scheduled in Tennessee and throughout the nation.
Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer and who are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study are encouraged to participate. Those who choose to enroll will fill out a comprehensive study packet about health history, provide a blood sample to be collected by a trained phlebotomist, and provide a waist measurement.
Participants will be sent surveys at home every few years for the next 20 to 30 years to keep their information updated. CPS-3 participants will also receive an annual study-related newsletter to update them on research results.
Cancer survivors are asked to tell friends and family members to participate so one day a cure might be found.
Previous cancer study participants helped determine the considerable effect of cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke on lung cancer, the link between larger waist size and increased death rates from cancer, and the significant impact of obesity on the risk of dying from cancer.
For more information, email cps3@cancer.org or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.

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