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General Sessions 12-2
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Lacy Garrison
Updated: Dec 2, 2016, 12:32 AM
Published: Dec 2, 2016, 1:32 AM

Parents caught operating a meth lab with their two teen children in the house were called for arraignment on the felony charges this past week.
The mother, Karen Sue Conatser, was bound to the grand jury following hearing before General Sessions Judge Bill Locke on charges of manufacture and possession of meth and child endangerment. Her husband, Eric Dwayne Conatser, failed to appear for hearing and was ordered held under $100,000 bond once he is arrested.
The couple’s Laws Road home was raided last month. Lawmen found evidence the couple was making meth for resale. They also found a large amount of cash which has been seized and forfeited.
In other General Sessions Trial Court action:
Quentin James Tibbetts was ordered to serve 25 days of an 11-month, 29-day sentence and must undergo batterer intervention for domestic assault.
Billy Bowdoin was bound to the grand jury on charges of possession of meth and drug paraphernalia and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Ashley Nichole Arnold was directed to serve 30 days of an 11-29 sentence and pay $750 plus costs for possession of meth.
Danny R. Elrod was given an 11-29 probationary sentence and must pay $750 plus costs for simple possession of drugs.
Shayla Gail McCormick was bound to the grand jury on the charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Matthew Gerald Edwards was bound to the grand jury on the charge of domestic assault.
Robert D. Moore was placed on probation for an 11-29 period and must undergo batterer intervention for domestic assault.
Marissa F. Underwood was given an 11-29 probationary sentence and must pay $150 plus costs for criminal impersonation and possession of drug paraphernalia.
John T. Mason must serve 48 hours for violation of probation.
Tiffani McFarland must serve 90 days for violation of probation.
Tyren Douglas Boyd must serve 90 days for violation of probation.
Bailey Harris Briest was revoked to serve the balance of his sentence, but will be furloughed to the adult recovery program for violation of probation.
John Austin Curtis had his probation revoked and must serve the balance of his sentence. He was also given an 11-29 sentence to be served concurrently (at the same time) with his probation time for joyriding.
Jason R. Nunley must serve 180 days for violation of probation. He was bound to the grand jury on charges of possession of meth and drug paraphernalia.
Michael Wayne Pennington must serve 70 days and have his probation extended by one year for violation of probation.
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