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Political signs become targets
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This political sign on W. Main Street was cut in half.

Supporters of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump don’t agree on much, but they have found common ground on one fundamental issue – stolen election signs.
“They stole a Trump sign right out of my front yard with my wife watching,” said Ben Nixon, chairman of the Warren County Republican Party. “They didn’t even slow down. They just grabbed it and were gone.”
Nixon, along with Warren County Democratic Party chairman Lee Campbell, say there’s been a large number of presidential signs taken or vandalized in recent weeks as the country gears up for the Nov. 8 election. While there are several local and state races that will also be on the ballot that day, it appears the presidential signs are the favorite of thieves and vandals.
“They are taking the Clinton/Kaine signs and leaving the others,” Campbell said, noting he has seen several instances where signs for the mayor and aldermen races were left untouched while the Clinton sign by them was taken. “I have had several people come to our headquarters for another sign, saying theirs has disappeared.”
 Nixon said, “They are stealing Trump signs left and right.” He noted the thefts of the signs, which cost $3.40 apiece, have left the local GOP with a shortage. “The fair wiped us out but we hope to have new signs coming in soon.”
Nixon said people who want Trump yard signs can see him from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Warren County Republican Headquarters at 1039 Sparta Street on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Campbell said those wanting Clinton signs can visit Democratic headquarters downtown at 203 West Main Street near the library.
Sheriff Jackie Matheny and McMinnville Police Chief Bryan Denton said there have been no official reports made concerning sign thefts. Such thefts are a misdemeanor.
Some of the larger vinyl signs, similar to the Jimmy Haley for Mayor sign that was found cut in half this week, can cost $20 or higher.

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