April
*The first day of April 2023 shed daylight on the destruction caused by an EF tornado the night before. At around 11:30 p.m. on March 31st, tornado warnings were issued for McNairy and Hardin counties, where there was a confirmed tornado on the ground headed right for Wayne County. Tennessee Valley Weather turned their Waynesboro SkyCam westward, and meteorologist Ben Luna said, “What we saw was staggering, A large, wedge tornado more akin to what you’d see on the Great Plains in Kansas, illuminated by flashing power poles and lightning flashes.” The tornado that was spotted on the SkyCam west of Waynesboro came across Highway 641 in Clifton, damaging homes and property. The monster tornado continued its destructive path, traveling through the Beech Creek community and leaving devastation in its wake. After demolishing Beech Creek, the tornado continued on through the Topsy community before exiting Wayne County. Cleanup and rebuilding continued throughout the year.
*The Easter Bunny came early to the Waynesboro City Park on Saturday, April 1st for the annual City of Waynesboro Easter Egg Hunt. The terrible storms from the night before didn’t keep the Easter Bunny away! Lots of smiling faces descended onto the park, hoping to get a photo op with the Bunny, and filling their baskets with lots of eggs and prizes. The event was hosted by the Downtown Waynesboro Committee.
*Following our correspondence with CoreCivic in late March, in which they did not give any additional information on the prison in Clifton closing, they reached out on April 5th, 2023 with some good news for the county and prison employees. They stated that they had reached an agreement to continue operating the facility through June 30, 2025. “CoreCivic and the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) have reached an agreement for the continued operation of the South Central Correctional Facility (SCCF) through June 30, 2025,” said a representative from CoreCivic. “The new agreement, which takes effect July 1, 2023, ensures that SCCF will continue to provide needed capacity and reentry services for TDOC. This agreement was reached following ongoing discussions with TDOC officials as the Department considered its options for the continued operation of SCCF beyond the current contract term that was set to expire at the end of June. We greatly appreciate our longstanding partnership with TDOC and value the trust they’ve placed in us for more than three decades at SCCF.”
*A horrific accident on Wednesday, April 5th claimed the life of a well-known Wayne County Commissioner and community leader. Mr. Herbert Brewer, age 85, of Waynesboro, perished following a traffic accident with an 18-wheeler. The preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that a tractor trailer was hauling a load of logs and was traveling westbound toward Waynesboro on Highway 64 East at approximately 3:57 p.m. The truck reportedly stalled in the roadway while negotiating a steep hill and began to roll backwards downhill. This caused the log trailer to jackknife across the adjoining lane of traffic and onto the west shoulder of the road. As the trailer jackknifed, the Cadillac DTS driven by Mr. Brewer struck the trailer and the trailer overturned, coming to a final rest on top of Mr. Brewer’s vehicle across both westbound lanes. Torrential rainfall was falling at the time of the crash, making visibility almost non-existent. Mr. Brewer and his late wife Lillie operated the Wayne County Nursing Home for many years prior to its sale. The care that they showed their patients was unmatched, and they became like family members to the residents.
*Wayne County Road Superintendent Chuck Moser confirmed in mid-April that following the Tennessee Legislature’s passage of the Transportation Modernization Act, Wayne County was set to receive $3.3 million to be used for improvements on state aid roads. “Our roads are the vital arteries of our communities that connect Tennesseans to their jobs and schools, goods to our businesses, and first responders to the scene in emergencies,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth. Highway Superintendent Moser said that the plan would be to spread the $3.3 million across at least a three-year period, spending approximately $1 million per year on improvements to state aid roads. He stated that the roads approved to receive improvements from the grant will get new layers of chip and seal, and as many potholes as possible will be fixed. “We are very grateful to finally receive these funds once Governor Lee signs the act into law,” said Moser. “I can assure Wayne Countians that I will make vital improvements to all the state aid roads in our county that the funds allow.”
*It was overcast, but it was comfortable to walk around and enjoy the Spring Festival in Waynesboro on Saturday, April 29th, 2023. Vendors were set up all around the square, and the shops around the square were inviting people in. The kids got to meet superheroes, and had a great time while enjoying crafts, a bounce house, and even horseback riding. There was a great turnout for this year’s festival.
May
*The Wayne County School Board met in Special Session on Thursday, May 4, 2023, to select a new Director of Schools following the retirement of Marlon Davis. The School Board reviewed the two applications submitted and voted to select Dr. Ricky Inman for the position. “I am both honored and excited to lead Wayne County Schools as the next Director of Schools,” said Dr. Inman. “As an alum and lifelong employee of Wayne County Schools, I recognize the amazing work our faculty, staff, and students are doing, and I am excited to work beside them in the next chapter of our school district.”
*The Wayne County Special Olympics were held in May 2023 at Collinwood High School. All the athletes did a great job, and everyone enjoyed the day! The 2023 recipient of the James Harper Courage Award was Benjamin Keith Williams from Collinwood High School. Ben is a special young man who loves to sing and listen to gospel music. He also likes to collect Christmas snow globes and animated Santas or reindeer.
*Two shooting incidents in the county took place on Thursday, May 25th, leaving officers scrambling to clear both events. In the first incident, a deputy with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office encountered a male subject in the area of Dogwood Flats. Reports indicated the man fired at the deputy during that interaction and fled on foot. Troopers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol assisted in the search for the man, and when he was located on Highway 13S in Collinwood, he allegedly fired at a trooper, who returned fire. Two other law enforcement officers at the scene also fired at the subject. The man sustained a gunshot injury and was transported to a local medical center, where he was treated and released. The suspect, Charles Fred Staggs, was ultimately transferred to the Wayne County Jail and was booked on several charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.
While officers were still investigating the officer-involved shooting incident in Collinwood, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting call on Kilburn Hollow Road in Waynesboro. According to a statement from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the victim was transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. It is believed this was a targeted incident, and the suspects fled the area.
June
*On Thursday, June 1st, Waynesboro Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball held their annual Participation and All-Star Awards Ceremony. Two fields at the Sportsplex were also dedicated in a special ceremony that evening in memory of two men who donated many years of service to the Dixie Youth organization. Field #2 was dedicated in memory of the late Jason Brian Camfield. Jason donated over 25 years to coaching Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball and serving on the Dixie Youth Board of Directors. Field #4 was dedicated in memory of the late Taylor Lee Harris. Taylor contributed over 40 years to Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball, both coaching and serving in various capacities including League Director. Both of these fine men will long be remembered for their years of service to the game, and most importantly, to the children they loved so dearly.
*The 14th Annual Butterfly 5K Run/Walk was held on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023. The 5K is the major fundraiser event held each year to benefit The Butterfly Foundation. The Butterfly Foundation, a non-profit organization, raises money to assist families and children in Wayne and surrounding counties who have life-threatening or life-altering conditions. In the 2023 Butterfly 5K, 563 people registered, with 447 finishing. The One-Mile Fun Run had 76 registered, and 50 finishers. The Butterfly Foundation announced in September of 2022 that they had officially reached the million-dollar mark in money they have raised to help children with life-threatening or life-altering illnesses. The money for these gifts has come from a variety of sources: private donations in honor of and in memory of special people; the sale of t-shirts for Ryleigh’s Walk held each November; two books about the Foundation written and illustrated by local authors and artists; corporate donations; raffles; the Kiwanis Club Bar-B-Q dinner; and a host of other fundraisers. The greatest source of income has come from the sponsors and runners who participate in the 5K Run/Walk each year.
* In June of 2023, The Tennessean released its All-Midstate small class high school girls’ basketball team for 2023. Blair Baugus of the WCHS Lady Cats was named to The Tennessean’s First Team. Earlier in the year, Baugus was named the TSSAA Class 1A Miss Basketball after leading the Lady Cats with 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.0 blocks. She surpassed 1,000 points for her high school career. Wayne County High School Lady Cats Head Coach Molly Ashley was named by The Tennessean as Coach of the Year. The Tennessean said that Ashley was chosen for this award after the Lady Cats finished the 2022-2023 season at 36-1, losing to two-time defending Class 1A state champion McKenzie 71-54 in the championship game. It marked the second straight season Wayne County has reached the 1A championship game.
*State Senator Page Walley announced in June that $1.8 million in grant funding had been awarded by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) to improve water infrastructure in Wayne County. The $1,874,991.00 grant was allocated to the City of Clifton, and the city will use the ARP funds to construct a 1.5 MGD water treatment plant. The project will also include the construction of a new raw water intake to address hydraulic deficiencies.
*When June 2023 rolled around, we had all been seeing news reports of black bears roaming around suburban neighborhoods in Nashville. In what seems like a more suitable environment for bears, bear tracks were reportedly spotted in the Tie Camp Road area of Wayne County. Bears probably feel more at home in Wayne County than they do in Nashville, but it is quite unsettling to know that they are this close to home! The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) said there were two or possibly three bears moving throughout the Middle Tennessee area. That number seemed to be a bit low, considering the sightings in Davidson County and the fresh tracks in Wayne County, 100 miles to the south. Barry Cross of TWRA described what causes wandering bears in the area. “What happens is that the mother bear kicks the young out to find their own home. The young females may establish a home range near the mother’s range, but the young males cannot. The young males typically walk away from the established bear range in search of an area to call his own,” Cross said. “That is when we see young individual bears coming off the plateau or out of Kentucky and into Middle Tennessee. Usually, they wander around looking for the presence of other bears before circling back to where they came from. When they hit that leading edge of what is now a bear populated area, they will establish their home range.”
