January
*The freezing temperatures and sub-zero wind chills of Christmas weekend 2022 caused countless water lines and fixtures in Wayne County to freeze and burst, not the least of which was Boyd Cottages Assisted Living in Waynesboro. Repairs to water lines continued into the new year, and the first week of January saw employees and volunteers working to restore both cold and hot water to the residents at the assisted living facility.
*Waynesboro crews worked throughout the day on Wednesday, January 4th to clean up and repair damage caused by high winds the night before. Many Waynesboro residents had trees and limbs down on their property, and some were without internet and phone service for awhile. The visitors’ bleachers at Guy Buchanan Stadium were blown down into a twisted metal mess. Even when tornadoes are not present, wind is still wind, and Wayne County residents have learned the hard way that it can cause unbelievable damage.
*The new year of 2023 began with offices moved and events being held at the new Wayne County Agriculture Center, located in the county’s Industrial Park on Highway 13 South between Waynesboro and Collinwood. The vision for Wayne County’s first Agriculture Center began many years ago when UT Extension reached out to Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture and was awarded $150,000 through the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP). After years of planning, fundraising, and donations, the building was finally completed. Although the official ribbon cutting ceremony wasn’t held until November 20th, 2023, the Ag Center was in full use by January. The Wayne County UT Extension offices have all moved from the courthouse on the square to the new facility, which also houses a large assembly/classroom space that seats up to 125 people, a conference room, a fully equipped kitchen, and a livestock pavilion out back. “Best of all,” said Administrative Assistant Anita Butler, “there is plenty of outdoor space available around the facility for trailers to pull in and out, and for 4-H kiddos to have lots of room to be outside as well.”
*Questions and discussions surrounding Wayne Medical Center and its fate were already in full swing at the beginning of 2023. The county was aware that Maury Regional Health’s contract to operate the hospital would run out in June 2024, but they did not yet know that Maury was going to decline to renew the contract. In January, the county was led to believe that Maury wanted the county to agree to build a new hospital in a more central location in the county to meet the criteria of a Critical Access facility. New Medicare guidelines would make the current hospital ineligible for reimbursement as a Critical Access facility. No decision was made to build a new hospital; however, plans were introduced for what a new facility would look like and where it might be located.
*Multiple staff members at South Central Correctional Center in Clifton were reportedly transferred to area hospitals on January 19 after being exposed to an unknown and possibly dangerous substance. Ryan Gustin, spokesman for CoreCivic, released the following, saying in part, “On Thursday, January 19, at approximately 8:30 a.m. CST, several staff members at our South Central Correctional Center (SCCC) in Clifton, TN, were exposed to an unknown substance that came into the facility mail room. A medical emergency was called, and other facility staff immediately responded to provide medical attention. EMS arrived onsite and transported all the exposed staff to nearby hospitals for further evaluation and treatment. No further information was made available to the public regarding what the substance was, or the condition of the employees that may have been exposed.
*Maury Regional Health announced in January that Wayne Medical Center Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tyler Taylor would be leaving his post at the hospital in late February to serve as CEO at a hospital in Georgia. Taylor’s move came in the midst of a critical situation at Wayne Medical Center – Maury Regional Health had previously informed the Wayne County Commission that unless major changes were made at the facility, whether it be renovations at the existing facility or the construction of a new hospital, they would not be extending their contract to manage the hospital. Sources told The News that Taylor’s departure was not related to the situation with Wayne Medical Center.
*Madonna Thompson, former standout high school basketball player for the Collinwood Trojanettes, was honored on Friday night, January 27, with the retirement of her Collinwood Trojanette jersey. “Such a nice surprise!” said Thompson. “I had no idea this was going to happen! I am so honored to have my jersey retired from Collinwood High School!” Thompson received many honors during her basketball career at Collinwood; among those honors was scoring 1,841 points during her four-year high school career. She went on to play basketball at the University of Alabama after graduation and was a four-year starting guard. Thompson is currently continuing her coaching career as Head Coach of the Lady Buccaneers at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she began her coaching career many years ago. She and her Shelton State team have also received many honors for their accomplishments.
*The Wayne County Commission’s Budget Committee met on January 30th to discuss the fate of the Boyd Cottages Assisted Living facility. The topic of conversation focused mainly on how much money Boyd Cottages actually owed the county, and how the facility planned to continue operating. Wayne County financial advisor Lori Brashier stated that Boyd Cottages’ debt to the county was in fact a little over $2 million. She said that the 2020 county audit contained this information, which included old debt of $190,000 along with bonds that were never paid. After discussing the financial issues at the facility at great length, the committee came to the conclusion that Boyd Cottages would never be financially stable enough to repay the county what they owed, not to mention the fact that they would more than likely need help in the future to again cover payroll. Ultimately the decision was made by both the Budget Committee and then the full commission that the facility would be sold or leased, but everyone was dedicated to finding a way to keep it open.
February
*Wayne Countians woke up on the morning of February 1st to ice beginning to form on trees. The precipitation from the day before began turning to ice, and by Thursday, February 2nd, our county was a winter wonderland with sparkling frozen trees. Thankfully, the roads seemed to be clear with no driving issues, but the kids enjoyed three days off from school.
*The Wayne County Commission met in special session on Thursday, February 3rd. Aside from discussion of a Clifton water line, the only other item on the agenda was a discussion regarding Wayne Medical Center. The room was filled with staff members of the hospital and many other concerned citizens. Maury Regional Health representatives who were there to address the commission and answer questions were Dr. Martin Chaney, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Charlie Brinkley, Chief Administrative Officer. The two were introduced by outgoing Wayne Medical Center CEO Tyler Taylor. A bombshell was dropped on the commission, medical professionals, and others present at the meeting when Dr. Chaney stated that even if the commission voted to remodel the existing hospital or build a new facility, Maury would not be willing to extend their contract. According to Dr. Chaney and Mr. Brinkley, Maury Regional had been losing well over $1 million dollars every year at Wayne Medical Center and the ambulance service. Although commissioners were led to believe by Mr. Taylor that building a new hospital and making it a critical access facility would cut those losses and keep Maury interested in renewing their contract, it became very apparent at this special meeting that Maury Regional Health was not on the same page.
*The late Sgt. David H. Brown, a U.S. Marine who was born in Clifton, TN, was a true hero who sacrificed his own life in Vietnam so that his fellow soldiers had a chance to survive. According to his commanding officer, Maj. Frank McCarthy, Sgt. Brown was getting ready for his transfer back to the States and had already turned in his equipment and weapon. He learned that his battalion was in trouble, so he returned to supply and retrieved his equipment and weapon and went on to return to battle. Sgt. Brown was killed in action, giving his life for his country. His sister, Shellee Harrison, announced in February that she was starting a drive to have a bronze statue of her brother erected at the park in Clifton where a plaque was already installed. Others, including local veterans and state leaders, have also been writing letters and talking to people in an effort to have Sgt. Brown awarded posthumously with the Congressional Medal of Honor.
*Vicious straight-line winds tore through Wayne County on Thursday, February 16th, uprooting trees and damaging property. The National Weather Service assessed the damage and estimated that winds from the storm had reached speeds up to 70mph.
*On Thursday, February 16th, the Collinwood American Legion Post 254 Honor Guard was honored to present the colors at the Nashville Predators hockey game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Honor Guard members battled heavy rainfall and severe storms to make the trek to Nashville and carry out this special ceremony. Post 254 members include Harold Thompson, Steve Weismann, Larry Miller, Dale Inman, and Mike Skropka.
*For the first time in over 30 years, the Frank Hughes School boys’ basketball team celebrated a District Tournament Championship on Friday, February 17th by defeating the Perry County Vikings, 62-50. FHS then advanced to the Region 6A tournament. This FHS team also tied with Perry County for 1st place in the regular season, both having identical 7-1 district records. The WCHS Ladycats met up with the Lady Raiders of Richland in the championship game of the District 10 -1A tourney on February 17th as well, coming away with a 47-26 win and the District Tournament Championship.
March
*The Friends of the Wayne County Museum group began the month of March by approving and starting a remodeling project at the museum. The Friends of the Museum were delighted and appreciative when the building on the square was donated by Ms. Jenny Fielder for the museum, and everyone was anxious to make updates to make the museum better than ever. Grants and donations have funded the first phases of the project, including a new central heat and air system and high efficiency LED lighting. The museum will hopefully include an elevator in the future to connect all three levels of the museum for visitors’ convenience.
*A mystery that began on March 3rd involving the disappearance of a man fleeing from police in Clifton was eventually resolved with a charge of felony murder. Early on Thursday morning, March 2nd, a Clifton Police Officer allegedly heard what he thought was a possible burglary in process at Willoughby Drugs, a pharmacy located on Main Street in Clifton. When the officer arrived on the scene, he allegedly saw two men exit the building and run. The suspects ran toward the Tennessee River, and reportedly fell or jumped off a bluff into the river. A short while later, Lt. Timmy Harris of the Clifton Police Department was called to Country Girls Truck Stop to investigate a man walking down the highway wearing nothing but his underwear, a t-shirt, and socks. The man was soaking wet and had obvious bruises and knee injuries. Upon further investigation, officers stated that the suspect, Cortez Deon Amison, age 21, of Bessemer, AL, had broken the front window of the pharmacy and had stolen a large number of controlled medications. Amison was arrested at that time on charges of aggravated burglary, evading arrest, and indecent exposure. He was booked into the Wayne County Jail and released on $61,000.00 bond. The Clifton Police Department later released information confirming that the body of the suspect who had fallen into the Tennessee River was found washed up onto the riverbank in Decatur County, TN. A man walking along the riverbank looking for arrowheads came upon the body of a man later identified as Jermaine Groom, 33 years old, from Birmingham, AL. Groom was later confirmed to be the second man seen running away from Willoughby Drugs. It is believed that he fell into the river along with Cortez Amison, and is assumed to have drowned. Cortez Amison was charged in May with theft of property and felony murder, with the arrest warrant stating that Jermaine Groom died as a result of Groom and Amison fleeing from the burglary and theft, both traveling to Clifton from Birmingham, Alabama to commit the crime. Cortez Amison was booked back into the Wayne County Jail with no bond.
*Ferocious winds ripped through Wayne County once again on Friday, March 3, blowing down trees, damaging roofs, and turning trampolines into airborne objects. Thankfully, we were spared from any severe storms and tornadoes, even though straight-line winds can cause just as much or more damage, as we have seen many times.
*A busy week of basketball action in Murfreesboro the second week of March saw the Wayne County High School Lady Cats defeat Dresden and Hampton on their way to a repeat of last season’s championship game against McKenzie. The Lady Cats dropped the game last year, 46 – 42, and were seeking revenge for the loss and a Gold Ball this time around. It didn’t happen, as the Lady Rebels of McKenzie claimed a 17-point win in the championship game on Saturday, March 11th, and the State Championship title. The Lady Cats ended their season with a 36 – 1 record and a runner-up finish.
*The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce announced its new branding in March 2023 for the tourism industry, “Natchez Valley,” which identifies the Wayne County, Tennessee region as a place to spend valuable recreation time to visitors and residents alike. “For the last fifteen years, many people have tried to brand our area,” said Christine Chapman, Executive Director of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce. “It has been a struggle due to our cities being so diverse. Now, our vision has been realized. Nashville has ‘Music City,’ we have ‘Natchez Valley.’” Natchez Valley is a nod to both Nashville’s Big Back Yard and the Natchez Trace, which is a National Park that runs through the east and south part of our county. Both are valuable tourism resources.
*The top basketball players in six classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association were honored by being named the winners of the 2023 Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards in March 2023. After an outstanding season, and with two more years to go in her high school career, the winner of the 2023 Class 1A Miss Basketball award was Blair Baugus of Wayne County High School. Baugus, a sophomore at WCHS, averaged 18.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season. She is a premier forward in the state, and already holds college offers from Middle Tennessee State, Lipscomb, Chattanooga, and North Alabama. Blair is the daughter of Jerrod and Ginger Baugus.
*On March 16, 2023, First Sergeant Bobby Burns, affectionately known as “Pop,” was honored by the Nashville Predators during their Military Salute Week for his almost forty years of service to the United States. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserves and in the U.S. Army in the 1950s and was a Korea Conflict veteran. He then served 36 years in the Tennessee Army National Guard. In his years of service, he received a total of 31 military ribbons and commendations. Pop was totally unaware that his military story was going to be shown on the Jumbotron at the Predators game – he thought he was there representing the Collinwood American Legion and the Honor Guard, who have presented the colors at several Preds games. He wasn’t aware that his entire family was in the audience celebrating him along with 17,000 Preds fans! When his face appeared on the big screen, it lit up in surprise and joy at being honored. Bobby “Pop” Burns passed away on August 16, 2023.
