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Couple faces charges of child abuse
Neglect takes place for years, indictments say
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Terry Michael Hodges has been indicted on four criminal counts.

A former teacher and her husband have been charged with child abuse and neglect for allegedly mistreating their 4-year-old adopted daughter.
The teacher, Bernadette Elizabeth Hodges, and her husband, Terry Michael Hodges, have been indicted on four criminal counts, two of aggravated child abuse and two of aggravated child neglect. If convicted, they could face virtual life sentences since each is a Class A felony and carries 15 to 25 years in prison.
In the indictments, prosecutors contend the abuse happened between June 2012 and August 2015, meaning prosecutors believe the child had been systematically abused over a three-year period. The child was one of four children the couple adopted after first keeping them as foster children. There are no allegations in the indictments any of the other children were abused.
District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis would “neither confirm nor deny” reports the child had been malnourished to the point the Department of Children’s Services was called to investigate. She said she could also not comment on reports the child may have suffered mysterious injuries over the time period.
 The child has been removed from the custody of the Hodges. However, the other three chil-dren are reportedly still in their custody.
The clause under which the husband and wife are charged states, “The act of abuse, neglect or endangerment was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, or involved the infliction of torture to the victim,” and that “the act of abuse, neglect or endangerment resulted in serious bodily injury to the child.”
The pair will face arraignment before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley later this month. They are free on $75,000 bonds.
Mrs. Hodges is a former teacher at Dibrell School where she taught ESL classes from August 2010 until her resignation in March.

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