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Civic Center to hold Rook tourney Aug. 25
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McMinnville Civic Center is transforming into Rook central with its first multi-county tournament this coming Saturday, Aug. 25, at 9 a.m.

“Teams are guaranteed five games,” said Kyle Clyde, event coordinator for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Cost to enter is $10 per team. Members will be vying for a trophy and bragging rights. The 2018 Multi-County Rook Tournament winning team will have its picture taken and placed on a plaque to be hung on the wall of the facility.

For enthusiasts of the popular pastime, no description of the game is necessary. For everyone else, Rook is a trump-based, trick-taking game played with a deck of Rook playing cards. It was first sold in 1906 by Parker Brothers.

According to Clyde, the rules are junior Rook, a game time limit is set at 45 minutes, and games are played to 500 points or awarded to the team with the most points after 45 minutes.

Teams may register before or on the day of the event. The competition is open to the first 16 teams.

Lunch will be potluck and optional. For the potluck lunch, everyone can bring a dish to share.

For the rules of the game and more information, visit the McMinnville Civic Center website and “special events” or contact Clyde at kclyde@mcminnvilletn.gov or call 473-1212.

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