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Ten charged with selling drugs
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Ten people face arraignment after they were indicted on narcotics charges as a result of the ongoing undercover drug-buying operations conducted by local authorities.
The recent roundup of suspects includes four cases where drugs were allegedly obtained through TennCare and then sold for a profit.
Included in those charged with fraudulently obtaining TennCare benefits were Becky Renee Prater, who is also charged with two counts of delivery of Oxycodone; Andrea Denea Reeves Meeks, also charged with delivery of Oxycodone, Alprazolam and a counterfeit substance; Robin Chiffon Guzman Johnson and Martha Sue Lara, also charged with delivery of hydrocodone, and Sherry Lynn Clark, also charged with delivery of hydrocodone.
They are joined in the roundup by Amy Nicole Tibbetts, who was indicted for fraudulently obtaining drugs; Marty Ray Bouldin and Tommy Lynn Bouldin, indicted for delivery of hydrocodone; Tommy Lynn Bouldin and Kevin Lee Fralix, indicted for delivery of amphetamine, and Amanda Lanette Knowles, indicted for delivery of meth and a counterfeit substance.
The indictments come as part of ongoing operations conducted locally by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, McMinnville Police Department, and District Attorney’s office. As has become the custom, the suspects allegedly sold drugs to an undercover agent who was being monitored by law enforcement.
In the past, most drug charges brought by undercover buys here have ended in plea agreements due to the offenders being caught on tape selling the drugs. In the case of offenders selling drugs paid for by taxpayers through TennCare, those entering plea agreements are usually ordered to surrender their TennCare benefits while serving jail time and while on probation. However, rules do not prevent the offenders from re-applying for TennCare benefits after their probation is over.
The most recent roundup of suspects was a quiet operation carried out over several days instead of the normal one-day roundup where lawmen flood the area looking for those indicted hoping to catch them by surprise.

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