The Duck River or the Deal: Commission Faces Crosswaters Vote on Former Monsanto Site

A rezoning request for 1,339 acres on the old Monsanto Chemical campus would bring 1,313 homes, a hotel, and a golf course to land that sits directly on the Duck River, Maury County's most contested environmental legacy.

COLUMBIA, On the evening of June 15, the Maury County Commission convened at the Tom Primm Meeting Room at 6 Courthouse Square and took up one of the most consequential land use decisions in the county's recent history. The item on the agenda was a rezoning request. What it actually represented, depending on who you asked, was either the county's best shot at economic revival or the most reckless gamble anyone has proposed with the Duck River since Monsanto itself left town.

Crosswaters Reserve LLC, represented by the engineering firm Barge Design Solutions, sought to rezone approximately 1,339 acres at 2200 New Highway 7 in Santa Fe, on the former Monsanto Chemical Company campus. The site sits five miles northwest of downtown Columbia, between the Duck River and Williamsport Highway, on land that most longtime Maury County residents know simply as the old Monsanto property. The proposed development would include 1,313 residential units, 975 single-family homes, 188 townhomes, and 150 multi-family units, along with 150,000 square feet of commercial space, a 36-hole golf course with a 25,000-square-foot clubhouse, and a 400-room hotel. The centerpiece of the entire concept would be Tailings Pond 15, a 325-acre body of water known locally as Monsanto Lake, rebranded in the development plans as a recreational reservoir.

The developer projected a 20-year economic impact of $5.1 billion, the creation of 1,500 jobs paying a combined $932 million in wages, and tens of millions in development fees and tax revenue for the county. Those are not small numbers in a county that has watched growth happen mostly to its neighbors. But the land itself carries a history that cannot be papered over with economic projections. The Monsanto Chemical Company operated on this site for decades, mining phosphorus, manufacturing fertilizer, and, for a period, producing chemical warfare agents for the federal government. The plant closed in 1989. Generations of Maury County families grew up with stories of what it left behind: dead fish floating downstream, livestock that would not drink from the Duck, a river so polluted it took decades to come back. When Monsanto departed, it left behind a federally designated Superfund site. The property remains subject to land use restrictions to this day.

The legislative backdrop adds another layer. In April 2026, the Tennessee General Assembly passed new legislation granting scenic river protections to most of the Duck and Buffalo Rivers. Every state legislator whose district touches the Duck River signed on as a co-sponsor. State Rep. Scott Cepicky of Culleoka, who represents part of Maury County, was a driving force behind the effort, having spearheaded the original 2023 scenic river classification specifically to protect the Duck from development on the former Monsanto property. The Duck River is not merely a local landmark. It is considered the most biodiverse river in North America, providing drinking water to more than 250,000 people across Middle Tennessee. The state legislature said so in April. The county commission answered in June.

It is worth noting that Barge Design Solutions, the same engineering firm representing Crosswaters Reserve, previously sought to put a landfill on this same property. Maury County rejected that proposal. Crosswaters is the third major attempt to develop the old Monsanto site in recent years. Each time, the community has shown up. The central unresolved question going into the vote was whether Tailings Pond 15, the proposed recreational reservoir at the heart of the entire development, had been sufficiently assessed for the hazardous materials Monsanto's decades of operation deposited on the land. That question did not get easier to answer the closer the commission looked. The Muletown Journal will continue reporting on the outcome and what it means for the river and the people who depend on it.

Columbia Puts $5.7 Million Into Streets, The Most Paving in a Single Year, Ever

A $1.2 million expansion of this fiscal year's paving plan pushes total road investment to a record level, with work beginning this month across all city wards.

COLUMBIA, The City of Columbia announced a $1.2 million expansion of its FY 2024-25 paving plan, bringing the total street investment for the fiscal year to $5.7 million. City Manager Tony Massey said the expansion was made possible after the city's contractor agreed to honor the 2025 bid price, allowing the city to stretch its dollars further than the original plan allowed.

When the work is complete, 6.7 miles of Columbia streets will have been paved in a single 12-month cycle. Massey described it as the most street paving the city has completed in any comparable period. The expanded project is being performed by Volunteer Paving on behalf of the city. Construction was scheduled to begin in June 2026, with completion anticipated by August 2026, weather permitting.

The paving list was built using field observations and the city's Street Database Program, a system that employs machine learning and high-resolution cameras to evaluate pavement conditions across the city. That data was then verified in the field by city staff. All wards were evaluated to ensure the investment was distributed where deterioration was most severe, not simply where it was most visible. Residents along scheduled routes will receive advance notice through orange door hangers outlining expected work dates and a preparation checklist. Temporary lane closures and brief driveway access restrictions are expected as work progresses.

Mayor Chaz Molder noted that well-maintained roads are a direct contributor to public safety and quality of life, not just a matter of convenience. For a city that has absorbed significant growth pressure from its neighbors in Williamson County and from Spring Hill's expansion to the south, keeping basic infrastructure ahead of demand is an ongoing challenge. This investment signals the city is paying attention. Residents can view the full paving map and street list at ColumbiaTN.gov, or call the Engineering Department at 931-560-1039.

Hygrade Components to Add 30 Jobs and $1.6 Million in Mount Pleasant Expansion

The metal fabricator, a Tennessee employer for more than 30 years, is adding 100,000 square feet at its North Main Street facility as part of a long-term lease commitment.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Hygrade Components, a metal fabrication company with more than three decades of history in Tennessee, announced it will expand operations at its North Main Street location in Mount Pleasant, investing more than $1.6 million and creating more than 30 new jobs in Maury County. The expansion, confirmed by Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, includes approximately 100,000 square feet added to the company's existing plant, bringing total employment at the facility to 100 people upon completion.

Hygrade Components CEO Randall D. Gottlieb described the long-term lease commitment at 1319 North Main Street as a milestone that guarantees the company's presence in the Mount Pleasant community for years to come. Gottlieb said the expanded footprint will allow the company to innovate faster, scale services, and better serve a growing client base over the next decade. The announcement represents a vote of confidence in Mount Pleasant at a moment when much of the economic attention in Maury County has been focused on the northern end of the county near Spring Hill and the GM plant.

Mount Pleasant is the county's second city, and it has not always been the loudest voice in conversations about Maury County's economic future. This announcement changes that conversation, at least for the moment. The partnership involved the Mount Pleasant Power System, the Maury Alliance, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, and the Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association. Gov. Lee noted that Tennessee's highly skilled workforce and business-friendly climate were central factors in the company's decision to stay and grow in the state.

For working families in Mount Pleasant, 30 jobs at a stable manufacturing employer is real money in real households. Hygrade has been part of the Tennessee economy for more than 30 years, and this commitment extends that relationship well into the future. The Maury Alliance, which has been working to diversify the county's economic base beyond the automotive sector, listed the announcement as a win for the county's broader industrial portfolio.

43 New Nurses Pinned at Columbia State, Ready to Serve Maury County

Columbia State's spring 2026 nursing graduates completed 540 clinical hours each, and the program's 2025 NCLEX pass rate of 94.8% stands well above the national average.

COLUMBIA, Columbia State Community College honored 43 nursing graduates in a pinning ceremony held in the Webster Athletic Center, capping four semesters of classroom instruction and 540 clinical hours for each student who crossed the floor. The pinning ceremony is one of the oldest traditions in nursing education, a moment when faculty formally welcome new graduates into the profession, not just as credentialed technicians, but as caregivers entering a calling.

Dr. Loretta Bond, Columbia State's nursing program director, described the ceremony as a time-honored tradition that allows faculty to formally welcome graduates into the profession. Dr. Kae Fleming, dean of the Health Sciences Division, emphasized that what these graduates carry into the field goes beyond clinical knowledge. Fleming noted that nursing school is about more than mastering facts and completing checkoffs, it equips graduates with the ability to learn continuously, which she called a priceless skill for registered nurses, patients, and families alike.

The numbers behind the program are worth noting plainly. Columbia State nursing graduates posted a 94.8% first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination in 2025, compared to a national average of 87.5% for associate degree nursing graduates in the same year. In 2023, the program's in-field placement rate within six to 12 months of completion was 99%. Those are not soft statistics. They reflect a program that is producing nurses who are genuinely ready to practice. Maury County graduates in the spring 2026 class included Aletha Parton, Jayleah Burchell, Katherine McCraw, Alisha Jones, Kyla Polk, Kayle Hie, Jebediah Roberts, Arielle Mayes, Sarah Anye, McKinley Woodard, Timory Shaner, and Sariah Sanchez.

The graduates will now sit for the NCLEX exam to earn licensure as registered nurses. They will go to work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, schools, and home health settings across Maury County and Middle Tennessee. Maury Regional Medical Center, the anchor health institution for this region, depends on a steady pipeline of trained nurses. So do the smaller clinics, home health agencies, and rural practices that keep care accessible in communities that cannot always wait for a specialist. Columbia State, sitting right there on Hampshire Pike, is doing the unglamorous and essential work of building that pipeline one cohort at a time. These 43 graduates are proof it is working.

The Jumpin' Jacks Are Playing at Dave Hall Field, and You Should Be There

Columbia's first-ever collegiate summer baseball team opened with a win on June 4, and home games at Columbia State run through July for five to twelve dollars a ticket.

COLUMBIA, There is a baseball team playing at Dave Hall Field this summer. College players, wood bats, evening light on the Columbia State campus, and tickets that cost less than a pizza. The Columbia Jumpin' Jacks are in their first season, and if you have not been out to see them yet, you are missing something worth showing up for.

The Jacks are part of the Volunteer State League, a collegiate summer wood bat league that places college players in communities across Tennessee while they develop their game between seasons. The name is new. The field is not. Dave Hall Field has seen plenty of baseball over the years, and this summer it has a team again. They opened on June 4 with a 7-6 win, and home games run through the end of July. Tickets range from five to twelve dollars, and you can bring a blanket and your family without spending much more than that.

Volunteer State League CEO Alec Allred has said the league looks for communities that value baseball, support local events, and take pride in their hometown identity. Columbia fit that description. It usually does. The setup is exactly what summer baseball is supposed to be: young men far from home, playing for the love of the game, in a town that has agreed to root for them. Hampshire Pike runs right past that campus, the Duck River is just down the road, and on a June evening with the sun going down behind the outfield, there are worse places to spend a few hours.

This is a first season, which means there are still legends to be written and traditions to be started. The bleachers need a crowd to give this team something to play for, and the community needs something like this as much as the players do. Maury County has always been a place that shows up for its own. The Jumpin' Jacks are counting on it. Tickets and the full home schedule are available at columbiajumpinjacks.com.

Spring Hill Father to Receive Carnegie Medal for Rescuing Son from House Fire

A Spring Hill man who pulled his son from a burning home in 2025 is being recognized with one of the highest civilian honors for heroism in North America.

SPRING HILL, A Spring Hill father is set to receive the Carnegie Medal, one of the most prestigious civilian honors for heroism in North America, after rescuing his son from a house fire at their Spring Hill home in 2025. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission awards the medal to individuals who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others. It is not given lightly.

According to a report by WKRN Nashville, the father ran into the burning structure to pull his child to safety during the blaze last summer. The details of the fire and the rescue, as reported by WKRN, describe the kind of moment that defies calculation: a parent who did not weigh the odds, but simply acted. The Carnegie Medal has recognized that kind of courage since 1904, the same year the Maury County Courthouse that anchors Columbia's downtown square was completed.

Spring Hill has grown faster than almost any city in Tennessee over the past two decades, and much of the conversation about the city has focused on traffic, infrastructure, and the pressures that come with rapid growth. Stories like this one are a reminder of what actually holds a community together. It is not the road capacity or the zoning maps. It is the people who live there, and what they are willing to do for one another when it matters most.

The family's name and the full circumstances of the rescue were reported by WKRN Nashville. The Muletown Journal extends its congratulations to the father and its gratitude to every first responder and ordinary citizen in this county who has ever run toward danger instead of away from it. That instinct is the backbone of every community worth living in.

Columbia to Unveil Historical Marker for 1977 Maury County Jail Fire on Friday

The marker, to be dedicated June 26 on the courthouse square, honors those affected by one of the darkest chapters in Columbia's modern history.

COLUMBIA, The City of Columbia will unveil a historical marker on Friday, June 26, commemorating the Maury County Jail Fire of 1977. The community is invited to attend the ceremony and join in honoring those affected by the tragedy, which stands as one of the most painful chapters in the city's modern history. The marker will preserve that chapter in permanent, public form.

The 1904 Maury County Courthouse on the downtown square has been the anchor of Columbia's civic life for more than a century. The square has seen celebrations and sorrows, and the placement of a historical marker there is a statement that a community is willing to remember honestly, not only selectively. That willingness is a mark of character. The 1977 jail fire claimed lives and left a wound in this community that deserves to be acknowledged in stone and in public.

Historical markers serve a purpose beyond tourism. They are a community's promise to itself that it will not forget. They are also an invitation to younger generations, the children and grandchildren who were not there, to ask the questions that keep history alive and keep institutions accountable. The City of Columbia deserves credit for moving forward with this dedication.

The ceremony is open to the public. Residents who remember 1977, and those who are learning about it for the first time, are encouraged to attend. The courthouse square has held this city's history for 122 years. On Friday, it will hold a little more of it.

MCFD Crews Respond to Rollover Ejection, Head-On Collisions in Back-to-Back Calls

Maury County Fire Department units worked a rollover with ejection on Mooresville Pike and two separate head-on crashes within days of each other, including one that required hydraulic rescue tools.

COLUMBIA, Maury County Fire Department crews faced a demanding stretch of calls in mid-June, responding to a rollover with ejection on Mooresville Pike on Sunday, June 21, and two separate head-on collisions within days of each other, including one on Iron Bridge Road on the morning of June 16.

In the June 21 Mooresville Pike incident, District 23 personnel heard the accident from home and were on scene before the formal dispatch was complete. Rescue 21 assisted EMS and Engine 21, while OPS 20 established a landing zone for Air Evac 09, the regional air medical helicopter. A vehicle rollover with ejection is among the most serious call types first responders handle, and the speed of the District 23 response reflects the kind of readiness that saves lives in rural parts of the county where response times can be measured in minutes that matter.

The June 16 Iron Bridge Road call presented a different challenge. When MCFD was dispatched to the head-on collision at 9:05 a.m., other units were already committed to a separate head-on collision on Highway 431. Units arriving at Iron Bridge Road found one occupant trapped inside a vehicle and used hydraulic tools to remove the door and free the person. Two serious collisions handled simultaneously by a department that has to cover a large and growing county is a reminder of the demands placed on Maury County's fire and rescue personnel every week.

The Maury County Fire Department posted updates on both incidents on its official Facebook page, noting simply: "We are proud to serve Maury County." That sentiment is earned. These men and women do difficult work in difficult circumstances, and Maury County is better for having them.