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Warren County Joy, McMinnville, TN (2026)

08/06/2025

When a young mother named “Nancy” was forced to flee her home with her two children due to physical abuse, the safe haven where she turned for emergency shelter was Families in Crisis.

To help provide financial support for Families in Crisis, the famous Great Bodies Car Show & Swap Meet is this Saturday, Aug. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Champion Chevrolet.

“Last year we raised nearly $10,000 and we hope to do even better this year,” said show organizer Blaine Wilcher, a County Commissioner. Wilcher knows the value of Families in Crisis, which operates a 24-hour crisis hotline and has a shelter in McMinnville.

The car show will feature over 100 awards, 1980s music, concessions, and what’s expected to be hundreds of classic vehicles on display.

New this year is a Best Camper Award. As explained by Wilcher, “It has become popular to fix up old campers and we want to see them.”

Along with a Top 75, there will be over 25 class awards, including Best Vette, Camaro, Mustang, G Body, Truck, 4x4, Rat Rod, and more!

The car show is in its 14th year. Registration the day of the event is $25 for one entry, $40 for two, and $50 for three. The cost is $25 for a swap meet booth.

Call or text (931) 743-2461 for more information. Champion Chevrolet is located at 1600 Sparta Street.

08/01/2025

Free house ramps are coming to those in need.

McMinnville officials have approved a partnership that will allow for house ramps to be built for low-income, low-mobility residents inside the city limits.

According to program guidelines, McMinnville residents who would like a ramp built outside their home can fill out an application. Financial information will be requested.

During the approval process, the home will be inspected to make sure a ramp would work. If the property is deemed compatible, students from TCAT will build the ramp, giving them valuable job experience.

The ramp would then be inspected to ensure it abides by city codes.

Residents would not be charged for the ramp thanks to a city partnership with United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee, and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.

The plan is to build 10 ramps with the goal of increasing mobility for the ramp recipients.

Virtual applications will be available, along with paper applications at various locations such as the Senior Center, City Hall, and Milner Recreation Center. Flyers will also be distributed to Meals on Wheels recipients.

Be on the lookout! The free ramp program is expected to go live in September.

07/31/2025

As we prepare to start another school year on Tuesday, respect and admiration go out to Betty Clendenon, the longest serving teacher in the Warren County School System.

Betty has taught for 57 years!

She’s currently a second-grade teacher at Irving College School. So how much longer does she plan on teaching?

“I really don’t have a timeframe in mind,” said Betty. “It keeps me going and I enjoy it. There’s plenty to do around the farm, but I really like teaching school.”

In a day when many teachers are eyeing 30 years to gain full retirement, Betty is inching close to double that. Thankfully, she’s had the benefit of good health.

“I think I have 365 sick days built up,” she said.

Many thanks to Betty Clendenon for the positive impact she’s had on our students over the years, decades, and half century.

07/30/2025

A Caterpillar equipment dealer appears ready to plow its way into town as Stowers Machinery has purchased property in McMinnville.

Stowers is a Caterpillar equipment distributor with six Tennessee locations, including dealerships in Knoxville, Crossville, and Chattanooga.

Stowers has purchased 4.42 acres on Old Smithville Highway near the entrance to NHC. The property is located across the street from Fast Pace and is close to Walmart.

Property purchased includes the former location of Hutchins Auto at 958 Old Smithville Highway, and an older house that’s served as home to several small businesses at 936 Old Smithville Highway. The property is deep with plenty of room behind the road front and includes a second garage behind the house.

When contacted, a representative from Stowers confirmed the company has plans for McMinnville, but did not want to elaborate.

Speculation would suggest that Stowers plans to locate a dealership here. According to paperwork on file at our Property Assessor’s office, Stowers paid $950,000 for the property.

Stowers has been in business for 65 years. The company offers new and used Caterpillar equipment, along with equipment rentals and a service department.

Stowers has regularly displayed Caterpillar equipment at the Warren County Fair and holds the Caterpillar rights for our area.

07/29/2025

When the Health Department leaves its current location and moves to Three Star Mall, the building could become a halfway house.

County Executive Terry Bell recently mentioned the idea.

When asked what the county plans to do with the building when the Health Department leaves, Bell said preliminary talks involve using the building for Drug Court offices and as a halfway house.

Bell said the Drug Court program has outgrown its current space in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce building.

The idea of opening a halfway house in McMinnville has been presented by Upper Cumberland Development District executive director Mark Farley.

Halfway houses, because they provide shelter for people released from jail, are not wanted in most neighborhoods. Finding the right location, Farley says, can be challenging.

The Health Department building seems like an excellent option because it’s not close to other homes and it’s located in front of the Sheriff’s Department.

Bell says he understands the value of having a halfway house after a conversation with a jail inmate being released. This inmate, due to repeated jail stays, had lost support from family members due to her continual drug use.

Bell said the female inmate accepted responsibility for her actions and understood why her family members would no longer help her. But the fact remained she was being released from jail with no money, no job, and no place to stay.

It’s for that reason, halfway houses are viewed as an important piece to the puzzle of helping inmates lead productive lives when their jail time is over.

It’s expected to be nearly a year before the Health Department relocates.

07/27/2025

Before the fountain was placed on Court Square, downtown McMinnville had an even more arresting feature.

McMinnville Police Department had a precinct on Court Square very close to where the fountain sits today.

McMinnville records show law enforcement officers were hired to patrol the city shortly after the Civil War. But McMinnville Police Department wasn’t officially formed until 1933. E.F. Chambers was the first Police Chief.

Back then, Police Chief was a part-time position, and Chambers earned just $85 a year. He did earn additional money performing tasks such as serving warrants.

Chambers had a staff of two officers, also part-time.

The Police Department was originally headquartered inside a small room at the jail when it was located downtown. The Police Department then moved to McMinnville Electric System, which was home to all city offices when it was built.

In the mid-1950s, a small Police Precinct was built on Court Square. It contained a holding cell.

When city offices began moving into the Blue Building in the late 1970s, the Police Precinct building was put up for sale.

An article in the Southern Standard indicated there was interest in keeping the building on Court Square and converting it into a hamburger stand. However, the building was sold and relocated in the early 1980s.

Special thanks to Carol Caldwell and the Brady-Hughes-Beasley Archives at Magness Library for providing photos for this post.

Also, special thanks to former Police Chief Bryan Denton for providing pictures and information.

For anyone interested in learning more about the history of McMinnville Police Department, Denton will be the featured speaker Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Warren County Genealogical and Historical Association meeting at 2 p.m. at 201 Locust Street.

07/26/2025

There were 1,072 people who came through the gym at Westwood Church of Christ this morning who were treated to free school supplies.

The gym was overflowing with paper and backpacks thanks to a $32,000 grant from the Steve and Kate Smith Trust. Every pencil, notebook, and binder given away was purchased with money from that grant.

Over the course of its 12-year existence, the Steve and Kate Smith Trust has awarded $4.7 million in grants for our community.

To make this good news ever better, the trust is set up to be never ending. This means the principal remains intact, while money from interest is what’s given away each year. It’s expected another $4.7 million will be given away over the next 12 years.

So, who were Steve and Kate Smith?

Steve’s family once owned the Powermatic factory on Morrison Street. Kate was a school teacher. They married later in life and never had children.

Since they both cared deeply about their community, and the children being raised here, they decided to use their wealth to establish the Steve and Kate Smith Trust. A stipulation of the trust is all money must be used to benefit children of Warren County.

The skate park constructed at the Civic Center received a huge chunk of funding from the Steve and Kate Smith Trust. Magness Library renovated its children’s room thanks to the trust.

Some other groups which have received money include Warren Arts, Park Theater Group, Hamilton Street Activity Center, Kids of the Community, Helping Hands, and My Father’s Closet.

Kate passed away in 2003, and Steve died in 2012 at the age of 95. Through their trust, their memory remains and thousands of children in Warren County continue to benefit.

07/25/2025

Hallelujah! Warren County Schools will be offering classes on the History of the Bible this fall.

The Warren County School Board unanimously approved a measure to move forward with the Bible history classes during its regular monthly meeting Thursday night.

Warren County High School and Warren Connect are the two schools which will offer the classes. As explained by Director of Schools Dr. Grant Swallows, the courses have been approved in Tennessee, follow state standards, and have been implemented in surrounding school districts such as Coffee County and White County.

Dr. Swallows said enough students have registered to fill four classes at WCHS.

The curriculum will be slightly different with Warren Connect offering a strictly online program through a partnership with BibLit. The in-person course at WCHS will use a textbook from the History of the Bible Museum in Washington, D.C.

Said Dr. Swallows, “We’re really excited about this. I think this will be good for our students and give them the opportunity to be involved in things that will better them for the rest of their lives.”

Added School Board member Tommy Culwell, “I think it says a lot you already have four classes full at Warren County High School. That shows you the interest in it.”

We’d like to give special thanks to our School Board for making this History of the Bible course available to our students who would like to take it!

07/24/2025

CATCHING UP WITH: Dale Potter

He sent Pamela Rogers and Doug Myers to prison as the prosecutor in two of the biggest court cases in Warren County history.

Nowadays, Dale Potter is more relaxed and focused on nature photography, hiking trails, and a possible move to Montana.

“The Smokies are great, but Montana is totally different than the Smokies,” said Dale. “The big sky at night is amazing.”

Potter retired from practicing law in January after serving as an Assistant Public Defender in the Knoxville area for 17 years. Before moving to East Tennessee, he was elected Public Defender and then District Attorney General for Warren and Van Buren counties from 1990 to 2006.

He’s remembered as our District Attorney when the Pamela Rogers case erupted. Rogers was a teacher at Centertown School when she had a sexual relationship with a student. The case attracted international attention.

“It was probably the most high-profile case to ever come out of Warren County,” said Dale, a member of the Warren County class of 1974. “We started keeping track and I had over 300 requests for interviews from newspapers, TV stations, and magazines from around the world. A representative from Oprah even contacted my office, but I didn’t do the interview.”

The Doug Myers triple murder case was a more sobering tone – and especially tragic since it involved the deaths of a woman, her young daughter, and her daughter’s friend who was spending the night.

Potter is most proud of his work in freeing Paul House from prison while Assistant Public Defender in the Knoxville area. House served 22 years on Tennessee’s death row for a murder he did not commit, and it was thanks to Potter’s efforts he became a free man in 2009.

The job of District Attorney is not easy, and Potter remembers the constant challenges in Warren County.

“People want a tough DA, until it’s one of their friends, one of their family members, or one of their employees who is in trouble,” said Potter. “Then they want a break. They don’t want fairness.”

Potter has shifted his focus to nature. He’s made several trips out West for hiking and photography expeditions where he’s captured wildlife on camera.

“I’ve been as close as 3 to 5 feet from a black bear,” said Dale. “The trick is to keep your cool and a black bear will usually keep on going. Now a grizzly bear is a different story. That’s why you carry bear spray.”

07/23/2025

Pencils, paper, and gluesticks – oh my!

A mountain of school supplies is waiting to be given away this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Westwood Church of Christ. Anyone in need of supplies for the upcoming school year is welcome to attend.

There are over 700 backpacks available, along with just about any type of school supply a student could need. This includes scissors, crayons, markers, binders, composition notebooks, pencils, and much more.

Items will be available at Westwood Church of Christ, 511 Morrison Street, this Saturday on a first-come, first-serve basis. Last year, people started lining up hours in advance.

The first day of school in Warren County is Aug. 5.

The school supply giveaway is made possible by the Steve and Kate Smith Trust.

07/22/2025

A COMPLETE LOOK AT ISHA – Isha representatives addressed the Warren County Commission on Monday night to provide information and answer questions about the organization, which has built a massive development atop Harrison Ferry Mountain.

Here’s some of the information presented.

ABOUT ISHA – The organization got its start in Warren County in 2005. It sits on 1,700 acres in four counties. Plans are to develop about 30% of the total acreage and to preserve the remaining 70%.

NUMBER OF RESIDENTS – Isha currently has about 350 residents who live there full-time. They pledge to be drug and alcohol free and obey the community rules. Plans call for expanding the number of Isha residents to around 2,000 in the next 5 to 10 years.

CAMPUS – Among other buildings, Isha currently has its domed assembly hall, two dining halls, two 84-unit apartment buildings, two subdivisions of homes (one in Warren County and one in Van Buren County), cabins, and a school. The school serves 41 students in Grades 1-5. The residential subdivision in Warren County has 20 to 30 homes.

ECONOMIC BOOST – Since its arrival in 2005, Isha has made a direct investment of $120 million. It attracts approximately 100,000 visitors per year.

Isha has paid $15 million in tax revenue to Warren County since 2005. It is exempt from federal taxes as a 501(c)3 organization.
It is estimated Isha visitors have produced an economic boost of $111 million to Warren County over the past 20 years.

Economic growth is projected to be $200 million over the next 10 years. Isha employs about 300 contractors and subcontractors.

Isha representative Tim Ross, who provided most of the information to the County Commission, said Isha residents enjoy shopping and eating in McMinnville and Ross said he’s proud to call Warren County home. He’s lived at Isha three years.

QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS

Q: Ross was asked about the religious beliefs promoted at Isha.

A: Ross said Isha is not against any religion. He said the yoga instruction delivered at Isha has served to strengthen his own Christianity. He said Isha is open to prayer sessions, offering Bible study, even erecting a cross if that would ease some local concerns. He said the focus at Isha is on overall well-being.

Q: Do residents of Isha have to hand over all their possessions to Isha when they move there?

A: No.

Q: Why do Isha residents have to sign a non-disclosure agreement?

A: It was explained that much time and energy have been devoted to developing the Isha campus and the Isha programs. People who are allowed to live there are taken at their word that they want to enhance their own well-being. However, that doesn’t mean someone with bad intentions won’t slip in. The non-disclosure agreement is viewed as a safeguard to protect Isha from harm.

VISITORS WELCOME: Isha is open to visitors 365 days a year. Anyone is welcome to visit the campus from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Visitors are asked to abide by Isha’s rules of conduct and be drug and alcohol free. Isha is located off Highway 8.

07/22/2025

Congratulations to Ken Martin, who is back on the Warren County Commission! Martin was appointed last night during the monthly Warren County Commission meeting to fill the vacant 3rd District seat.

Martin received 12 votes from County Commissioners during the appointment process – the minimum number required to constitute a majority since the resignation of Kasey Owens last month left the commission with 23 members.

Martin was appointed over Stacey Hart, who received 6 votes.

Martin returns to a seat he knows well, having been elected four times to serve on the County Commission before moving out of the district and resigning. The seat was open because Owens moved out of the district and resigned.

Martin’s appointment will last until the next election. That comes in just over a year when the entire Warren County Commission is up for election in August 2026.

Warren County Joy

08/06/2025

08/01/2025

07/31/2025

07/30/2025

07/29/2025

07/27/2025

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