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Ready to rumble
PTG presents 'West Side Story' this weekend
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Seth Wright photo The cast of 'West Side Story,' including, from left, Brianna Philips, Colin Totherow, Colin Riley, Caroline McGee, Christian Weeter and Walker Beaty, are ready to present an energetic series of shows at the Park Theater this weekend.
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There's going to be a fight between two rival street gangs in downtown McMinnville this weekend, and the public is encouraged to come watch. There's no need to call the police, however. The Jets and the Sharks will be battling it out in the Park Theatre Group's production of "West Side Story" at the Park Theater.

The classic musical is being directed by Warren County native Christian Weeter, who has been in multiple local productions.

"It’s very humbling to be directing a show in the same theater where my creative journey started for me. Everything comes around full-circle, and I’m excited to come back more experienced than ever," Weeter said.

A cast of approximately 45 ranging from age 14 and up has put in weeks of hard work in preparation for four shows. The musical premieres Friday at 7 p.m., followed by performances Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. 

Weeter is eager for the public to witness the preparation he and his cast have put into bringing the acclaimed Broadway show to life in Warren County.

"I’m most excited to bring the vibrant world of 'West Side Story' to life in our community. There’s so much talent in this little town of ours, and I know we can make this show something this town has never seen before. This musical asks a lot of our actors with fast-paced dance numbers, fight sequences and subject matter. However, I’m ready to challenge our youth to create a Broadway-level experience at the Park Theater, and we will," Weeter said.

Park Theatre Group President Kristy Cook is also enthusiastic about the group's continuing efforts to promote the arts in Warren County. 

"I am incredibly proud of this cast and how hard they've worked on their summer break. The rehearsals have looked so outstanding and I can't wait for the show and to see it all come together. The Park Theatre Group is proud to bring this classic to McMinnville," Cook said.

All tickets are for reserved seats and are available for $20 online at mcminnvilleparktheater.com, at the Park Theater box office or by calling (931) 506-2787 during regular hours (Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.) and at the door before each show.

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