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Caregiver exploits elderly woman
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Lacy Garrison
Updated: Nov 24, 2017, 6:23 PM
Published: Nov 24, 2017, 6:25 PM

A caregiver has been sentenced to four months in jail and must list herself on the Elder Abuse Registry for ripping off an elderly woman who she was entrusted to care for.
The woman, Tonya Sue Newby, entered a guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to the charge of grand theft and was ordered to serve 120 days of a four-year sentence. She will also be required to make restitution to the victim and list herself with the Elder Abuse Registry which keeps track of people who take advantage of the elderly.
Newby was charged after the victim’s son contacted police saying the caregiver had taken his mother’s debit card and used it multiple times to make ATM withdrawals and make purchases from local merchants.
Investigators believe somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 was taken by Newby without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
“Ms. Newby controlled the mail so the victim did not even know she had a debit card or that a PIN number had been delivered,” prosecutors stated regarding the thefts, noting Newby would put enough money into the account to cover her thefts but would still fall into overdraft occasionally.
The thefts were discovered when Newby left to take another job. The victim’s new caregiver discovered the discrepancies while trying to balance the woman’s checkbook.
Tennessee in a mandatory reporting state when it comes to elder abuse. If you suspect it, call 1-888-APS-TENN.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

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