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Robbery suspects still loose
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Two robberies in two days. And two suspects still on the loose.
Or is it one suspect?
Law enforcement officials are trying to determine if the same person could be responsible for both crimes.
“It does seem odd, but right now we can’t find anything to link them together,” said McMinnville Police investigator Derwin Adcock. “That’s not saying they are not related, but right now we don’t see a link.”
Added McMinnville Police investigator Barry Powers, “Any time you have two robberies in a small town like ours where there are very few robberies, you have to give it some consideration the crimes may be related.”
A suspect described as a white male attempted to rob First National Bank in Morrison on Wednesday around 4 p.m. He was wearing a black hoodie, sunglasses and a scarf.
“He stuck a small bag on the counter, kind of like a shaving kit, and told the teller he wanted some money,” said Matheny. “The teller started joking with him at first until she realized what was happening.”
The suspect did not show a gun and quickly got nervous, according to Matheny.
“He asked the teller if she was going to push the button,” said Matheny. “She asked him, ‘Do I need to push the button?’ and that’s when he fled out of the bank.”
The suspect left without any money and jumped in a Chevy S-10 pickup with a short wheel base. He fled down Jacksboro Road at a high rate of speed. The pickup is described as being goldish in color.
“There was a witness who followed him for a little while on Jacksboro Road,” said Matheny, who indicated the Sheriff’s Department is forming a list of suspects.
The attempted robbery in Morrison came less than 24 hours after Northside Market was robbed Tuesday night around 7 p.m. Northside Market, located on Old Smithville Highway, is inside the city limits so McMinnville Police Department is handling the case.
“He showed a gun and demanded money,” said Adcock, who said the suspect was successful in leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The suspect reportedly entered the store wearing a ski mask. He pulled a handgun and demanded money. The man fled after getting an unspecified amount of cash.
The suspect is described as a white male around 5-foot-6 and in his mid-40s to early 50s. He is described as having a white beard. He is believed to have fled the scene in a small to mid-sized gray car.
The cashier at Northside Market was so upset by the robbery, he went to River Park Hospital complaining of heart trouble.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call McMinnville Police at 473-3386 or Warren County Sheriff’s Department at 473-7863.

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