It was a year where many major stories commanded attention in Warren County, which served to split the vote among Standard employees for top story of 2018.
Five different stories received at least one first-place vote from the 10 newspaper staff members who participated in the poll. Only two stories received votes on all 10 ballots, those being the August county elections and the struggle for a deputy’s gun atop Harrison Ferry Mountain.
Stories just missing the top 10 included the school system’s push to spend $9.2 million on energy saving projects, Bill Brock’s resignation as McMinnville city administrator, and the paving problems on Smithville Highway that resulted in damage to dozens of vehicles from flying gravel.
#1 City approves $10M for Civic Center
McMinnville's Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a $10 million renovation and expansion of the Civic Center in 2018, a measure that brought about a referendum attempt.
Sain Construction Company was selected to renovate the existing facility and expand upon it with two additions along the south and east sides of the building. Its bid was $9.2 million. HFR Design was selected to provide the architectural services and oversee the project. Officials approved borrowing up to $10 million to cover both costs.
Financial appropriation prompted David Rutherford, a former city administrator who failed to obtain an aldermanic seat in the November election, to push for a referendum in an attempt to stop the project. A petition calling for one failed to secure the required number of voter signatures.
Rutherford called the project “too expansive and without an indoor pool” and accused officials of failing in their responsibility to city taxpayers by not overseeing the initial project plans and for allowing it to be bid without alternates, items bid separately so they can be added or removed based on cost.
Cost and lack of alternates was also an area of contention for some members of the board. Among those was Alderman Kate Alsbrook, who questioned why the project was bid as all-or-nothing to prevent items from being removed to reduce cost and voiced discontent for the lack of cost-saving efforts by the city.
“I do have an issue with the fact that it was put out in such a way that we cannot pull pieces off to save money,” she said. “We’re not even saying that we have to save money. We’ve got the sales tax money coming in and we’re going to go all in on one project. We’ve won the lottery and we’re going to spend it all on the first day. This project is a good project, but there are some issues with the cost and it not including a pool.”
Alsbrook’s stance against was joined by Alderman Mike Neal and Steve Harvey. The trio’s vote against securing the bonds for the project was outnumbered by Mayor Ben Newman, Vice Mayor Ryle Chastain and Aldermen Everett Brock and Rachel Kirby, who voted in favor.
The exact date of the center’s shutdown has yet to be announced. However, activities will continue to be offered at Three Star Mall. Officials rented six spots at the shopping center.
#2 Man shoots at two deputies, loses eye
The mental competence of a man who allegedly opened fire on two Sheriff’s Department deputies near Newtown is being evaluated as he remains held at Warren County Jail on four charges.
Charles Ray Bean, 66, lost his left eye in the gunfight that erupted Nov. 19 near Newtown. He faces charges of attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault.
His attorney, Brett Knight of Putnam County, says he has notified local prosecutors of his intent to have his client mentally evaluated.
“We need to find out why this issue occurred with a man who has no history of such issues,” said Knight. “Our suspicion is something is going on to change a man who has not been in trouble. He’s not a drug user so we need some clear understanding about what’s happening with him mentally.”
Bean’s legal trouble began Nov. 19 when he reportedly called the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department to say he was going to burn his home in Overton County and then drive to Warren County to kill his son-in-law.
Authorities began to take the second threat seriously when they arrived at his Overton County property and found a building was in fact on fire. Warren County law enforcement was alerted along with a description of the vehicle Bean was believed to be driving. That vehicle was spotted in Newtown.
Bean pulled onto C Rody Road from New Nashville Highway, positioned his car across the roadway for cover, then got out and opened fire on two deputies who were following him. Their vehicles suffered heavy gunfire damage as Bean fired at least 23 shots based on evidence markers at the scene.
Bean suffered a serious wound to his face in the shootout and was in a Chattanooga hospital for four days. Knight said Bean no longer has use of his left eye after it was hit with shrapnel.
Neither officer was hurt.
#3 Elections bring new leadership
The August elections brought wide-reaching change to Warren County government as Tommy Myers was elected to his first term as sheriff and Jimmy Haley began his first term as county executive.
Myers served as chief deputy at the Sheriff’s Department for more than a decade before claiming a narrow victory in a six-candidate field for sheriff. He becomes Warren County’s first new sheriff in 24 years, following Jackie Matheny, the longest serving sheriff in county history.
Haley makes the move from city to county government after serving as McMinnville mayor for almost six years. Vice Mayor Ben Newman ascended to the role of McMinnville mayor when there was not an effort made to place the mayor’s race on the November ballot.
In addition to Haley and Myers, there were 11 new commissioners voted onto the Warren County Commission. Casi Cantrell began her first term as circuit court clerk, and Wes Williams began his tenure as register of deeds.
Several longtime county employees saw the change in leadership as an opportune time to retire. Among those, Donna Smith worked her last election in November after 42 years with the Election Commission. Linda Hillis retired as director of accounts.
#4 Two shot, killed by their roommates in one week
Two Warren County residents were shot and killed just days apart by their roommates in March with both alleged shooters eventually charged with murder.
The first shooting took place Tuesday, March 13, on a dead-end road atop Harrison Ferry Mountain. Greggory Allen Koller, 61, called 911 and said he had shot and killed his roommate after a drunken argument. Koller claimed Steven Pohl, 57, had pulled a gun on him and he was forced to shoot in self-defense.
However, law enforcement officials began to question this version of events and evidence at the scene did not support such a claim. A warrant for Koller’s arrest said he intentionally altered evidence in an attempt to alter the outcome of the investigation.
The shooting took place at 440 Lewis Road, a remote location atop the mountain.
The second shooting took place just days later around midnight on Friday, March 15. Joshua Dell Smith, 18, was shot and killed by roommate Dakota Basham in McMinnville at a duplex on Bybee Branch Road.
Basham told investigators he was cleaning his gun when it accidentally went off and shot Smith in the head. He was interviewed and released.
But Basham was indicted the following month by the Warren County grand jury on the charge of second-degree murder after additional evidence came to light.
Specifically a witness at the scene was told to leave before police arrived and not discuss the events of that night. However, that witness came forward a few days later.
When that happened, Basham reportedly changed his version of events. Drugs, a large amount of money, and several guns were reportedly found at the duplex, suggesting more of a criminal environment.
#5 Man dies of meth overdose while fighting officer for gun
A man reportedly wrestling with a Sheriff’s Department deputy in a fight for the officer’s gun died of a meth overdose, state toxicology reports revealed.
Alexander Webb, 30, died atop Harrison Ferry Mountain on Sept. 14.
The incident which led to Webb’s death occurred after he was spotted driving a stolen vehicle and led officers on a high-speed chase. He ran off Harrison Ferry Road and crashed next to the gun range atop the mountain, then fled on foot into a wooded area across the road and was chased by deputies.
“One of the deputies caught up to Webb and attempted to take him into custody,” the TBI says in its report. “Webb would not comply with verbal commands and at some point during the confrontation became unresponsive. Attempts by deputies to revive Webb were unsuccessful.”
The TBI said no shots were fired.
Later reports would reveal the deputy’s gun was knocked from its holster and was on the ground when both men began to fight over it. Webb suddenly became unresponsive during that struggle.
#6 Skeletal remains of murder victim discovered
A local man was handed a 15-year prison sentence in March after the skeletal remains of his former roommate were discovered in a cistern in the Mud Creek area of Rock Island.
Timmie Lee Bain escaped first-degree murder after the charge was reduced to voluntary manslaughter in the death of his roommate, Daniel Mayo. The plea deal was reached due to Bain’s cooperation in revealing where the remains were located.
Prosecutors say the shooting death took place nearly five years ago at a hog farm where Bain and Mayo worked and lived. Witnesses reported Bain and Mayo were cursing and yelling at one another and that Bain pulled a shotgun.
Instead of leaving, Mayo reportedly stood outside taunting Bain, saying he didn’t even know how to fire a gun. That is when Bain walked out and shot Mayo in the face. Two others were sentenced for helping to cover up the crime and hide the body.
Mayo’s remains, found in January, were in the vicinity of where several searches had been conducted. However, they were unable to be detected because they were in the cistern about 15 feet underground.
“There’s no good resolution when someone has been killed, but this is the best resolution we could have hoped for,” said District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis. “We got the victim recovered for the family and got three convictions for his death.”
#7 Bridgestone announces plans for $40M expansion
One of Warren County’s largest employers is inflating.
Bridgestone announced Nov. 15 that it’s expanding our Warren County plant to increase tire production. The company says it will invest $40 million to add 32,000 square feet of manufacturing space and new equipment that will increase plant capacity by 275 tires per day.
The expansion will address greater market demand for the commercial truck and bus radial tires manufactured locally. Billed as a three-year project, the expansion will add 30 jobs. The current workforce is approximately 1,100 on site.
Warren County plant manager Tamara Martensen said, “Our investment in updated equipment and improved manufacturing processes reflect our focus on maintaining our global competitiveness, our confidence in what our team can deliver, as well as our commitment to the Warren County community.”
Bridgestone continues to make upgrades to the Warren County plant to increase production. In 1993, three years after the plant opened, tire production was 2,500 a day. Thanks to many improvements, production has climbed to 9,125 tires a day. The announced expansion will bring daily production to 9,400 tires per day.
Our Bridgestone plant is a 28-year-old, nationally recognized facility. It has earned numerous awards for its sustainability initiatives and workplace safety programs.
#8 Ground broken on $5.5M Robotics Training Center
A facility billed as a game-changer for Warren County got off the ground in June and is barreling toward its first classes this coming May.
An estimated $5.5 million Automation and Robotics Training Center is being constructed next to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology on Vo Tech Drive.
The facility is courtesy of a state grant approved by Gov. Bill Haslam to enhance workforce training.
A dozen people spoke at a June groundbreaking ceremony to put a voice to the momentum that’s building.
“Our training here will be second to none,” said Larry Flatt, executive director of the robotics center. “Where we are today started with a need that was followed by a vision.”
The robotics center will serve two purposes. It will be used by students as they learn advanced skills for future employment, and it will be used by industry workers already on the job to update their training.
Flatt said the three largest robot manufacturers in the world provided input on the equipment to use inside the facility.
He said training on such equipment has traditionally been done up north in Michigan or Ohio and our new facility will boost the entire region.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, state Sen. Janice Bowling noted representatives from Nissan and Infinity were in attendance, proof that regional industries are very much interested in a training center for Middle Tennessee.
#9 County OKs $6.5M for jail expansion
In February, Warren County government approved borrowing up to $6.5 million for a proposed jail expansion. That project was placed on lockdown after the lowest bid came in nearly $2 million over budget.
Merit Construction submitted the low bid and was one of four bids received. The other three bids were for $8.75 million, $8.88 million and $9.09 million.
Upland Design Group architect Allen Hill unsuccessfully urged county commissioners to accept the low bid.
“Although the overall cost is disappointing in that it exceeds the bid target, we believe this is a reasonable cost for the work in the current bid market,” said Hill. “Our recommendation is Warren County accept the base bid plus alternate No. 2 if at all possible.”
The project would have added approximately 145 beds, depending on how certain medical isolation cells are classified. Currently, the jail has a capacity of 251.
Warren County has been under the watchful eye of the state due to long-standing jail overcrowding. If the jail’s population reaches 351, the state has warned it will step in and force change. At times, population has exceeded 330.
To avoid jail expansion, commissioners are considering alternative ways to ease overcrowding, such as removal of state inmates, use of ankle monitors for house arrest, work programs to allow trustees to reduce their sentences, alternatives to incarceration for individuals with mental health issues, and expansion of the Adult Recovery Court Program, which is an alternative to incarceration for individuals with drug addictions.
#10 Driver testing center doesn't take exit
The Tennessee General Assembly restored funding to Warren County’s Driver Testing Center in May, a decision that came after nearly two years of forcing the city and county to pay rent to keep the facility open.
Placed within the state’s budget was $48,000 for Driver Testing Center rent on Vervilla Road in its 2018-19 fiscal year budget as a recurring expense.
The state closed the facility on May 31, 2016 as part of a cost-saving measure and moved its local employees to other testing centers. The controversial closure left Warren countians with long drives to either Cookeville or Tullahoma, the two closest testing stations, to get licenses or certain types of renewals.
It reopened almost five months later on Oct. 17, once Warren County and McMinnville taxpayers took on that financial burden. Both local governments agreed to split $4,000 a month, $48,000 a year, in rent on the building, a stipulation by the state in order to prevent its closure until funding could be revisited.
When the state failed to restore funding in 2017, a second agreement was signed that continued local taxpayers footing the $4,000 monthly bill through June 30, 2018.
