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Sen. Stewart works on paying taxes
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State Sen. Eric Stewart was hit with federal tax liens twice in the past decade for not paying his federal and personal business taxes on time.
The revelation comes as Stewart is fighting U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais for his seat in Congress. The 16-county race in the 4th Congressional District will be decided in November.
The first IRS lien against Stewart, which has been paid, was filed in 2002. It was for $9,541 for personal taxes in 2000 and 2001.
The second IRS lien, which remains on the books, was filed in 2011. It is for $15,227 for payroll taxes involving his insurance agency that reportedly took place in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.
Stewart says he is working to fulfill his tax obligation.
“The first one has been paid,” said Stewart. “The second one I am working to pay and I’m doing so in monthly installments. The taxes will be paid in full, along with all penalties and interest.”
Stewart says his financial problems show he is like many working families in the 4th District.
“I’m not immune to hard times like a lot of families in this district,” said Stewart. “I fell on hard times, but I’m making it right. If folks want to put a rich man in Congress, they are probably not going to elect me.”
Stewart, who is from Franklin County, is serving the final months of his first term in the Tennessee Senate. Instead of seeking re-election, he opted to run for Congress.
Stewart says his financial troubles are being used by the DesJarlais camp to sidestep the real issues of the campaign.
“This tactic only distracts voters from the issues that are most important to working families, which are Social Security, Medicare, jobs and the economy,” Stewart said.
The DesJarlais campaign responded by saying Stewart’s handling of his own finances shows he should not be making decisions regarding taxpayer dollars.

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