The Year in Review: A Look Back at 2024, Part 3

July

*Waynesboro’s annual Independence Day Celebration, held on July 3, 2024, brought approximately 3,000 visitors to City Park to enjoy the music, food, fireworks, and fun. Along with Wayne Countians, people from surrounding counties and even some from out of state came to enjoy the festivities. The heat was brutal, but it didn’t stop the good time had by all. Danny Davis, Ben Daniel, and L.D. Money started the music, followed by headliners LoCash. By the time the fireworks extravaganza began at 9:00 p.m., the sun was down for the night and temperatures became more bearable. The fireworks were once again spectacular, and there is no way to even count how many people enjoyed them from all around the city. Wayne Halfway House sponsored the musical entertainment, and the event was organized and co-sponsored by the City of Waynesboro.

*New road signs started popping up in southern Wayne County last summer that most aren’t used to seeing, at least in our area. The photo shows the horse and buggy sign on Piney Road in Cypress Inn, which was placed only a few yards from property purchased by a Mennonite family. The horse and buggy signs are used to alert motorists in advance of locations where there may be unexpected entries into the roadway or where shared use of the roadway by horse and buggy might occur. According to Wayne County Register of Deeds Tyler Strait, members of the Mennonite community have purchased 3,030 acres of land in Wayne County since November 2023. These tracts of land are located in the Cypress Inn and Lutts communities, and most of them are adjacent to other Mennonite properties. We have all heard about the tragic motor vehicle vs. horse and buggy accidents that have occurred in Lawrence County, our neighbors to the east. The Ethridge community is home to a large presence of the Amish, which are very similar to the Mennonites in the way they live and travel. Wayne Countians are strongly urged to slow down on county roads where the horse and buggy signs are posted, and to be aware of the possible presence of horses and buggies on the roadways. Slow down, pay attention, and make our new Mennonite friends feel welcome!

*Saturday, July 13, 2024, was a sad that will forever be remembered in American history. There was an attempt made to take a former President’s life while he was campaigning for re-election. Donald Trump barely missed an assassin’s bullets that that came within inches (or even centimeters) of ending his life. Trump, whose right ear was grazed by a bullet just minutes after he walked on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, told the New York Post and Washington Examiner in an interview the following day that if he hadn't tilted his head slightly to read a chart of notes, he would have been killed. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it's by God I'm still here,” he said, adding: “I'm supposed to be dead. I'm not supposed to be here.” While Trump escaped fatal injuries, one man in the crowd was killed by the assassin’s bullets.

*The Wayne County Diamond Youth 15U Girls’ Softball team competed in the World Series beginning on Friday, July 19, 2024. On Monday morning, July 22, they defeated host team Fairview by a score of 15-1 to bring home the Championship Trophy! This dynamic group of young ladies went undefeated throughout the series. On July 19, they defeated Team Georgia by a score of 4-1. They went on to defeat Team Louisiana on July 20 by a score of 8-4, and took down Team Texas on July 21 by a score of 17-10. The near blowout game on July 22 sealed the deal for Team Tennessee, making them World Series Champions! The members of Team Tennessee were Ava Kate Brison, Brinn Crews, Kyleigh Horton, Abby Smith, Claire Scott, Sarah Creecy, Avery Rowlett, Tevy Statom, Zaylee Allen, Aubrey Todd, Mylee Wright, and Belle Robinson. Coaches were Adam Todd, Brian Crews, and Shane Scott.

*The Diamond Youth Division II Boys’ 12U Baseball World Series was held in Bossier City, Louisiana beginning on June 25, 2024. The Wayne County boys’ team competed in the World Series as Team Tennessee after winning the State Tournament held in Clifton. Thursday, July 25, was a pool game against Team Mississippi. The Tennessee boys played hard but suffered a loss of 5-2. On July 26, Team Tennessee took on Team Alabama. After battling the weather and waiting through rain delays, the boys suffered a loss, 3-2. Saturday morning, July 27, saw Team Tennessee taking on the host team from Vivian, Louisiana. The Tennessee boys were fired up and won by a score 14-6 with Beckett Miller hitting a home run! That afternoon, the Team Tennessee boys faced off against the other team from Louisiana. It was a hard-fought game that went into an extra inning, but the Tennessee boys pulled out a 6-5 win with Dacota Solway hitting a home run in this game. Team Tennessee played against Team Georgia on July 28, and after laying it all out on the field and playing their hearts out, the Tennessee boys were defeated by a score of 5-3. This may have ended their season, but they had a great run! The Team Tennessee Boys’ 12U Team was made up of Beckett Miller, Jaxx Templeton, Grayson Crews, Myles Butler, Max-Parker Dixon, Casen Holt, Dacota Solway, Easton Eaves, Jase Martin, Myles Thompson, and Lucas Prater. Coaches were Barry Miller, Brandon Dixon, and Brandon Solway.

August

*Wayne County voters turned out in low numbers on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 to cast their votes in the Federal/State Primary, County General, and Waynesboro Municipal Election. All County and Waynesboro Municipal candidates ran unopposed, which could account for the low voter turnout. Of the 10,069 registered voters in Wayne County, only 941, or 9.35%, cast their votes in person, absentee, and early voting. In the County General Election, Property Assessor Dustin White ran unopposed and retained his seat. The only seat on the Wayne County School Board that changed was in District 1, where Andy Yarbrough declined to run again, and Drew Turman ran unopposed for the seat. Waynesboro City Commissioners Jeff Davis and Lynn Warren ran unopposed to retain their seats on the Waynesboro City Commission.

*Andy Yarbrough, former School Board Chairman, was recognized at the August 8, 2024 meeting of the Wayne County School Board for his 20 years of service. Yarbrough served District 1 as a school board member from 2004 to 2024 and served as chairman of the school board from 2018 to 2024. Charity Horton, formerly Vice President of the Board, was elected as the new School Board Chairman in September. Lynn Warren was elected by the Waynesboro City Commission as the new Mayor of Waynesboro in September, and Tony Creasy was elected by the commission to serve as Vice Mayor.

*During the school year, kids can rely on school meal programs like breakfast, lunch, and after-school meals. But when school is out, many of those meals disappear, making summer the hungriest time of the year for many kids and teens. This means kids miss out on a consistent source of nutrition, and families’ already tight budgets are stretched even further. The fact is that 1 in 6 kids in Tennessee faces hunger. In the summer of 2024, when Wayne County kids were out of school and very possibly in need of substantial and nutritious meals, the No Kid Hungry program (through Southwest Human Resource Agency) served the three cities in Wayne County 22,270 meals, which equates to 11,135 breakfast and 11,135 lunches to 2,227 children over the course of nine weeks. County Executive Jim Mangubat remarked how appreciative he was to everyone involved in the planning and execution of No Kid Hungry. “It truly took a community to bring the free summer food program to Wayne County.”

*In the month of July 2024, we were alerted that illegal card skimmers were being used right here in Wayne County to steal information from SNAP recipients’ EBT cards. Scammers sneak illegal card skimmers onto payment terminals in stores so they can grab data from a card’s magnetic stripe - all without the customer knowing a thing. These skimming devices can be placed on a payment terminal in a mere matter of seconds, and they are not readily noticeable by customers or store employees. EBT cards are the primary target for scammers because they must be swiped. They also require PINs, and scammers find ways to get those codes. Once they have your information, the scammers create duplicate cards and drain your benefits. They can even find out how much is stored in your account by calling the state’s benefit hotline. Even worse, you probably won’t know what’s happened until you’re at a register with a cart full of groceries and find your card nearly (or totally) empty. SNAP recipients are urged to check their EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges, and contact the local SNAP office if you notice anything suspicious.

*The Wayne County Bank in Collinwood underwent a complete facelift last year and gave The Wayne County News a tour of the renovated building in August of 2024. The building has been transformed into a more modern facility while still retaining a classic and timeless exterior. The Wayne County Bank in Waynesboro came into existence the year America entered World War I in 1914. The bank weathered the Great Depression of the 30s and emerged in good shape. Striving to serve more Wayne Countians, the Wayne County Bank opened a branch in Collinwood in 1974. Prior to this renovation, the bank underwent some updates and additions in the 1990s and in 2012, but this reno has been the largest expansion and update to the building so far.

*Wayne County school buses began loading and unloading both reluctant and excited students when the 2024-2025 school year began its new session on Thursday, August 8, 2024. “As our students begin the new school year, Wayne County teachers, principals, and staff are committed to making this a remarkable year,” said Wayne County Director of Schools, Dr. Ricky Inman. “We are excited to build on last year's accomplishments.” Dr. Inman shared that the enrollment number (not including Pre-K) at the beginning of the school year in Wayne County was 1,960 students.

*The annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes “Pray the School Year In” was on Sunday, August 11, 2024, at the CMS Cafeteria, and there was an awesome turnout from the community. The event opened with prayer from FCA members, and current Collinwood Middle School FCA members performed skits. Former (now graduated) FCA leaders spoke about letting your light shine for Jesus.

*A horrific motorcycle accident took the life of a young Waynesboro man on Monday, August 19, 2024. The Tennessee Highway Patrol confirmed that Elijah Mayberry, age 23, of Waynesboro, was operating a motorcycle traveling southbound on Highway 13 South. Just past 4 Mile Market, Mayberry came over a brief rise in the roadway and struck the rear of a Fed Ex truck that was stopped in the roadway waiting to make a left turn into a residential driveway. The THP confirmed that Mayberry was pronounced DOA at the scene of the accident. Elijah Mayberry was a graduate of Wayne County High School and worked as an EMT.

*At the August 19, 2024 meeting of the Wayne County Commission, the commission approved the transfer of the Fairview School property to the Southgate Volunteer Fire Department. The VFD has since demolished the old school building, which was in terrible shape, and has applied for a grant to construct a firefighter training facility at the rear of the property and a helipad near the highway.

*The annual Old Timers’ Day in Collinwood did not disappoint! On the last Saturday of the month, August 31, hundreds of locals and out-of-towners crowded the city streets and Ralph Hughes Park for the event. The annual Old Timers’ Day parade kicked things off, followed by live music, a car show, and vendors selling food and lots of other merchandise. Collinwood residents in particular look forward to this event every year.

September

*Pullin’ in the Wood was another big success in Collinwood in 2024. Pullers from Tennessee and surrounding states traveled to the city of Collinwood for the annual event, which was held this year on Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9. The arena that was prepared for the pull was packed to capacity at the Dixie Youth Park, with spectators there to watch pullers from all around show their stuff with their tractors and jacked-up trucks. The tractor trolley ran each night of the pull, shuttling spectators from their parking spots to take them to the arena. The sounds of truck and tractor engines were in the Collinwood air for a few action-packed hours each night.

*Wayne County Community Outreach, Inc. hosted their annual fundraiser on Saturday, September 7 in Clifton, Tennessee. There was a great turnout for the Car & Bike Show, the BBQ Cookoff between participating fire halls, awesome vendors, and musical entertainment by Crooked Creek, Cameron Blackburn, and Derrick Brantley. The money raised at the event goes to help families in need during times of disaster, which is the main goal of the Community Outreach organization.

*September 8-14, 2024, was National Assisted Living Week. Here in Waynesboro, we are very fortunate to have Loving Care Assisted Living Facility – a “home away from home” for those who are no longer able to live at home by themselves but are not yet ready for a nursing home facility. The residents at Loving Care Assisted Living are an interesting bunch, coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, yet having at least one thing in common – they now call Loving Care “home.” Administrator Wesley McClain allowed us to tour the facility and meet some of the residents who were enjoying chocolate milkshakes in the dining room (that day was “Chocolate Milkshake Day” on the Assisted Living Week calendar). One of the residents, Mrs. Jean Floyd, turned 100 years old in December. She spoke about how she ended up in Wayne County after meeting her future husband on a bus trip from southern Illinois. All the residents of Loving Care seem to share the same opinion - that the facility is now their home, and they truly love the caregivers there.

*Plans for the Collinwood City Pool site were on the agenda for the Collinwood City Commission meeting on September 9, 2024. The commission decided that the pool site will be turned into a picnic area, the restrooms will be repaired and updated, and the chain-link fence around the pool will be taken down. The site will essentially merge into the adjacent RV park, but will be available for all citizens to use.

*Parents of Collinwood Middle School students were alerted on September 11 via a telephone message from Director of Schools Dr. Ricky Inman and a Facebook post from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office that an alleged threat to the school had been briefly posted on social media. According to Sheriff Fisher, the social media post referring to Collinwood Middle School was not a specific threat but contained disturbing language and was taken very seriously by school officials and law enforcement. The sheriff confirmed that the post was made by a juvenile, and once identified, the juvenile and their parents were spoken with at length to explain the seriousness of the situation. “Wayne County Schools and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office are following safety protocols to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” said Sheriff Fisher. “We consider the safety of our schools, both students and staff, as the highest priority, and will investigate any incident with all vigor possible.”

*Football season for Wayne County High School and Collinwood Middle School kicked into high gear in September 2024. Both middle school teams were playing football as well. High school and middle school football in Wayne County is taken very seriously, and enjoyed by not only parents and family members of the players, but lots of others who enjoy the games and support the teams.

*A celebration was held in Clifton on Saturday, September 21, 2024 that many attended, but many more undoubtedly would have and should have attended had they known the full story surrounding Sgt. David Brown. The “Barefoot Warrior from Tennessee” depicted in the new bronze statue at Riverfront Park in Clifton was a remarkable man and soldier who was born in a tent where the park now stands, and gave his life for his country and his fellow soldiers in the Vietnam War. The statue depicts Sgt. Brown barefoot, carrying a box of rations on his shoulder and a bag of grenades in his hand. Country music star Darryl Worley performed at the event, and gave heartfelt remarks about veterans and Sgt. Brown in particular.