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MES donates muffin sale money
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The men of McMinnville Electric System visually showed their support for No-Shave November, as well as the companys Mo-vember blueberry muffin fundraiser sales, by not shaving. The fundraiser sold 38 dozen giant muffins. Pictured, from left, are Logan Miller, Michael Jones, Craig Foster, Phillip Rowland, Corey Brown, Dwight Jones, Justin McGregor, Carlos Neal Smith, Dale Rogers, Thomas Stafford, Tony Foster, Ron Tallent, Tyler Young, Kevin Prater, Jonathan Womack and Waymon Hobbs.
Lisa Hobbs
Updated: Dec 6, 2016, 11:21 PM
Published: Dec 7, 2016, 12:21 AM

McMinnville Electric System sold 38 dozen giant blueberry muffins during Mo-vember. Proceeds go to Warren County Relay for Life and continued cancer research.
Debbie Sain, manager of marketing and communications, says while MES women baked for a good cause, MES men showed their support in other ways.
“MES gentlemen went all out, sporting facial hair and observing No-Shave November or Mo-vember,” said Sain.
No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting facial hair grow wild and free during the month.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, after skin cancer. It is estimated there were roughly 180,890 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2016. Nearly 1-in-7 men will develop prostate cancer. However, it is usually diagnosed after age 40.
“McMinnville Electric System general manager Rodney Boyd is now three years cancer free,” said Sain. “We know many suffer from this dreaded disease. Research is key to finding a cure. Thank you all for participating in our campaigns as well as the many other folks who fundraise throughout the year.”
Some common risk factors for prostate cancer include:
Race: Studies show African American men are approximately 60 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian or Hispanic men.
Age: The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age. While only 1-in-10,000 men under age 40 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, 1-in-15 men in their 60s will be diagnosed with the disease.
Family history: Men with an immediate blood relative, such as a father or brother, who has or had prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease. If there is another family member diagnosed with the disease, the chances of getting prostate cancer increase.
Diet: A diet high in saturated fat, as well as obesity, increases the risk of prostate cancer.
High testosterone levels: Men who use testosterone therapy are more likely to develop prostate cancer, as an increase in testosterone stimulates the growth of the prostate gland.
For more information about American Cancer Society, visit cancer.org. McMinnville Electric System can be reached at 473-3144.
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