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Motorcycle rider found dead in woods
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A family returning from church Sunday afternoon discovered the body of a man who was killed when his motorcycle ran off the roadway – the victim lying in the woods for what lawmen believe was a couple days.
The victim, Roy Thomas Weddington, 52, likely died late Thursday night or Friday morning, investigators believe, when he crashed his motorcycle on a remote stretch of Jacksboro Road (Highway 287) about two miles from Morrison.
Evidence at the scene suggests Weddington was traveling north on Jacksboro Road when he lost control of his 2001 Yamaha while negotiating a curve. The motorcycle then hit a ditch and three trees, throwing the rider from the seat and into a wooded area about 15 feet off the road.
The motorcycle, which was in several pieces from the force of impact, was barely noticeable from the road. A family which was returning from church noticed a single wheel near the road and decided to stop to investigate. Upon looking into the weeds, one of the family members saw other parts of the motorcycle and then, following the debris trial, found the body of Weddington lying just inside the wooded area which had obstructed his body from view.
Weddington, who was wearing a helmet, is the second Warren County man to die on a motorcycle under similar circumstances in a matter of days. Since investigators don’t know an exact time for either crash, the two motorcycle accidents could have happened the same day.
William Dyle II, 41, was found dead Thursday by people out for a morning walk just outside Smithville city limits. Lawmen there believe Dyle may have crashed his motorcycle the night before and was not found until daylight.

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