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City gives initial approval to sell lots
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A minimum bid was submitted by realtor Bobby Kirby.
Lisa Hobbs
Updated: Oct 17, 2017, 10:29 PM
Published: Oct 17, 2017, 11:30 PM

Investment Partners LLC is one vote away from owning two lots on Main Street.
A minimum bid of $25,000 was considered by McMinnville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen. It was submitted by realtor Bobby Kirby, one of the stakeholders in Investment Partners, to purchase 207 and 209 E. Main Street.
“Do you have an idea what your partners are considering doing with that property?” asked Vice Mayor Ben Newman.
Kirby replied, “We are going to build a two-story building that would look historic. It will have a historical façade, brick, and it would be approximately 40 by 80. We would have two store fronts with a stairwell, that’s most likely in the center, which would go up to one, two, three or four apartments or condos.”
When Newman asked if the group will work with McMinnville’s Historic Zoning Commission to ensure the materials chosen meet all guidelines for construction, Kirby replied, “I can do that. I’m familiar with that committee.”
The statement brought laughter. Kirby is a current and longstanding member of McMinnville’s Historic Zoning Commission.
“We would build it to where there’s two store fronts or it could be combined into one,” said Kirby.
Kirby said construction would likely begin next year, given Historic Zoning Commission approval of construction plans and approval of the project into the McMinnville Downtown Revenue Finance Corporation’s PILOT program.
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