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Standard bash pays tribute to veterans
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Before bands played and festivities got under way yesterday at the Standard’s second Back to the ’60s Bash at Warren County Fairgrounds, there was a fitting tribute to World War II and Korean War veterans.
Col. James A. Dillon served 12 months of active duty with the Army Engineers and told of the horrors he experienced in Korea.
“War is not good and you can’t erase the images imprinted in your mind,” said Dillon. “Those who survived appreciate the fact we’re still living. I think it’s appropriate for us to keep in our minds the boys we have in Afghanistan and Iraq and keep them in our prayers.”
Dillon said anyone who served in Korea will remember the stench that was overpowering until you got used to it. Upon first arriving, he said it was common for soldiers to vomit for about a week after meals the smell was so strong.
The overall filth, terrain, and harsh climate also presented challenges.
“There’s not a Korean War veteran who doesn’t remember how the mountains impeded everything you did,” said Dillon. “Then there was the winter with temperatures 20, 30, and 40 degrees below zero. As a Southern boy, I didn’t know sea water could freeze, but I saw it over there.”
Dillon said none of the Koreans, even the allies, could be trusted and that was something soldiers quickly learned.
“He might be your best friend, but he’d steal everything you had,” said Dillon.
Capt. Howard Locke spent over four years as an Air Force pilot during World War II. He flew planes throughout the European Theater dropping paratroopers and supplies.
Locke said he landed in places that barely had room for an airstrip and escaped some tight spots flying a plane that wasn’t equipped with weapons.
“We didn’t have guns so we’d have to hide behind some clouds,” said Locke when talking about his evasive tactics. “If you got shot down, the best place you could land was in a canal if you could get there. The Navy had PT boats that would rescue you in about 15 minutes.”
Locke said he was fortunate to have never been shot down, although his planes did get hit by enemy fire many times. He said during D-Day he dropped paratroopers into heavy machine gun fire in what were some tough battles.
Of the invasion of Normandy he said, “We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when.”
Once the ceremony was complete, visitors enjoyed food and craft vendors set up around Grandstand Arena. There was a car show, inflatables for the kids, a cornhole tournament, and even a firefighter’s competition.

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