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City to open search for administrator
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Lisa Hobbs
Published: Jun 15, 2018, 12:25 AM

A temporary position will be coming to an end for city administrator Bill Brock. However, it appears he will be given a chance to hold the job permanently.

McMinnville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to begin the search for a city administrator. Following that measure, members unanimously voted on first read to change city code to allow work experience or a college degree.

“Four years ago, the board allowed me to be acting city administrator,” said Brock. “Now they want to move to a permanent city administrator and the current board is willing to allow work experience to be added to the job description which will give me the opportunity to apply. So, yes, I will be applying.”

Mayor Jimmy Haley, Vice Mayor Ben Newman, and Aldermen Ryle Chastain, Kate Alsbrook and Steve Harvey voted in favor of beginning a hiring process. Aldermen Everett Brock and Mike Neal voted against it.

Brock, appointed interim city administrator by the board in August 2014, does not meet the college degree qualifications to be a candidate for the position. City code was changed so he could be appointed on an interim basis.

Chastain was among the majority of the board who voiced approval for Brock’s service and a desire to change city code so Brock could apply for the position permanently.

“I don’t know if there’s a person in this room that knows more about the functions and the goings on in the city as Bill,” said Chastain. “He should be allowed to apply for the position if he chooses.”

Harvey stated, “I agree with Ryle. I’m OK with changing the qualifications and having him be a candidate for the job.”
The measure to begin the hiring process required only one passing vote.

However, altering city code requires an ordinance and two passing readings before the change can be made. The next regular session is June 26.
Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) will facilitate the hiring process for the city. It will accept resumes, narrow the field of candidates to only those qualified, and act as a moderator during the interview process. However, city officials will make the final decision on whom to hire.
The position will be advertised once a final decision has been made on qualifications.
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