The Year in Review: A Look Back at 2024, Part 2

May

*Following a three-day trial at the end of April 2024, John Arlie Rich was convicted on charges of Felony Murder, 2nd Degree Murder, and two counts of Aggravated Rape. The indictments against Rich were handed down in March of 2020 following the death of 25-year-old Brentlyn Hunt. Hunt’s death was initially labeled as “suspicious” after her lifeless body was discovered at John Rich’s Collinwood residence early on Saturday morning, February 1, 2020 following a 911 call that reported concern for Hunt’s well-being. During an investigation conducted by the Collinwood Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office, evidence was obtained that proved Hunt’s death was in fact a homicide. Following a four-year delay during which Rich was free on bond, the three-day trial ultimately took place and resulted in Rich’s conviction. In June 2024, Rich was sentenced to life plus thirty years in prison for the rape and murder of Brentlyn Hunt.

*The WMS Soccer program in 2024 was nothing less than spectacular. Going into the end of season, the ‘Cats were 7 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties. There were four teams in this District Tournament, the Sacred Heart Lions, South Lawrence Stallions, Lewis County Panthers, and the WMS Wildcats. The Wildcats defeated the Panthers in the championship game, 2-1, to give the ‘Cats their first championship trophy.

*In May of 2024, two suspects were arrested for the robbery of 4-Mile Market, which took place on April 13, 2024. Christopher Michael Ludington, age 20, of Pulaski, and Angela Breanne Sumners, age 21, also of Pulaski, were taken into custody at their residence following a thorough investigation by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. The Pulaski Police Department and the Giles County Sheriff’s Office assisted the WCSO in the investigation and arrests. Ludington and Sumners were allegedly wearing masks and were armed with a handgun when the robbery took place. The incident lasted approximately five to seven minutes as they came into the store and held the clerk at gunpoint. Sheriff Shane Fisher said that the subjects were able to get away with money and other things valued at less than $2,000. Sheriff Fisher confirmed that Ludington was a former resident of Hollis Academy in Waynesboro, and that this could potentially explain how Ludington became aware of 4-Mile Market and eventually targeted it for robbery.

*A 13-year brood of periodical cicadas, recognized for their loud chirping, emerged in Middle Tennessee and other nearby states in May 2024. Denoted as “Brood XIX,” the cicadas had been living 13 years underground while they developed. The cicadas were laid as eggs in 2011, which was considered a spectacular year for the species. Adult cicadas are about 1 inch to 1.5 inches long and mostly black with reddish-orange eyes, legs and wing veins. They are harmless to humans and pets, as they don’t sting or bite. Adult periodical cicadas live only for three to four weeks above ground. The young of Brood XIX will emerge in 2037. Wayne County seemed to have been spared a major onslaught of cicadas, while counties to our north, such as Maury County, experienced a real invasion of the insects for a few weeks.

*Governor Bill Lee announced in May the award of 24 major grants from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to expand broadband to unserved communities in every county in Senate District 26: Chester, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lawrence, McNairy and Wayne Counties. In total, these investments will provide broadband access and digital opportunity programs to

more than 236,000 Tennesseans across 92 counties. Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative received a total of $2,287,343.71 in Last Mile program funding. TVEC is still working to install TVEC Connect, which is said to be a faster broadband service for Wayne County customers. Wayne County was fortunate to receive $2,000,000 from the Connected Community Facilities (CCF) program grant, and $100,000 from the Broadband Ready Communities (BRC) program.

*The Waynesboro Middle School Wildcats were named Tennessee River Conference Champions on May 2, 2024. The WMS Wildcats baseball team defeated South Henderson by a score of 9-0 to take the Championship. The Wildcats ended a great season with a record of 18-2. The Conference All-Tournament team was made up of Graeme Polk, Jacan Floyd, Kace Bryant, Weston Todd, and Caysen Mosley. The Wildcats were coached by Head Coach Ryan Franks and Assistant Coaches Ben Gallian, Brilee Harris, Myles Prince, and Jason Quick.

*Seeing the aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a perennial bucket list for many. But few of us in the southern United States have the opportunity to travel to Alaska or Iceland to witness the spectacular dance of lights across the sky. Thanks to heightened solar activity, the aurora borealis appeared in the skies last May above a large portion of the United States, including Middle Tennessee. The colorful aurora forms when particles flowing from the sun get caught up in Earth's magnetic field.

*The Wayne County Special Olympics were held in May of 2024 at Frank Hughes School in Clifton. All the athletes did a great job, and everyone enjoyed the special day. The recipient of the 2024 James Harper Courage Award was Frankie Kautsky from Collinwood High School. According to Frankie’s family, he is a music enthusiast with a remarkable voice. The youngest of six children, he shares a special bond with his family and is adored by his five nieces and two nephews. Despite medical predictions, Frankie has overcome many challenges, embracing life with a radiant smile, and teaching the importance of love and acceptance to all he meets.

*Waynesboro schools were placed on “soft lockdown” twice in May 2024. “No children were ever in danger during either lockdown,” said Waynesboro Police Chief Walter Smith. “Soft lockdowns are strictly precautionary measures taken to ensure our children’s safety, which is our highest priority.” The first lockdown on May 10 was triggered by an unauthorized individual who was later determined to have no ill intent toward the school or any children. The individual had allegedly been walking in the heat and was looking for a drink of water. The second lockdown, on May 22, was issued when a suspect fled on foot from police in the Waynesboro school zone. The lockdown was lifted when it was determined that the suspect was no longer in the area. During a soft lockdown, classes and activities continue as scheduled within the school buildings. Chief Smith reiterated that students were not in any danger during the lockdowns, and they were issued out of an abundance of caution.

*On Monday, May 13, 2024, Waynesboro City Police arrested Christopher Blake Anderson, age 33, of Waynesboro on multiple charges related to the theft of a golf cart from the Waynesboro Municipal Golf Course. Waynesboro Police Chief Walter Smith was at the golf course investigating the reported theft of the cart when he received a photo of a male subject on the stolen golf cart that was captured on a game trail camera. The property owner who saw and reported the image from his trail camera picked up Chief Smith on his side-by-side ATV and they drove down to the area where the photo was captured. Chief Smith reported that when they first came upon the golf cart, Anderson was found lying on the ground about 25 yards away in an attempt to hide. Anderson was taken into custody at that time and transported to the Wayne County Jail. Anderson was arrested on charges of burglary, theft of property over $1,000, and trespassing. He was booked into the Wayne County Jail on $50,500.00 bond.

*The Collinwood High School Trojans Baseball Team ended a great season in May 2024, bringing home the District Championship Trophy and finishing as Runner-Up in the Region Tournament and Sub-State. They finished the season with an overall record of 15-10.

*The 2024 Lady Cats of Wayne County High School set the bar at a new level in softball in 2024. They traveled to Murfreesboro, TN in May to participate in the State Championship Tournament for the first time in school history. After taking the Region Championship, and then defeating Huntingdon in a sub-state match-up, the Lady Cats took on Wartburg Central on Tuesday, May 21. The team fell short by a score of 3-1 which sent them to the losers’ bracket. On Wednesday, May 22, in an early contest with Halls High School, history was again achieved as the Lady Cats defeated their opponent 3-2. To reach this level of competitive play was a milestone in itself. As the parents, fans, and community braced during a rematch with Wartburg Central later that afternoon, the skies opened up and unleashed a show-stopping storm in early innings. The Lady Cats would have to sleep on a 1-0 lead to resume a game that would begin early Thursday morning. In an absolute battle to the end, Wartburg Central took the victory over Wayne County, 5-4, bringing the WCHS Lady Cats’ season to an end.

*On May 21, 2024, the Wayne County Hospital Committee met to discuss the options offered by Maury Regional Health for the future of the Wayne County Ambulance Service. Maury Regional Health CEO Dr. Martin Chaney and CAO Charlie Brinkley presented three options for the county’s consideration, all of which would include a subsidy from the county to offset the financial losses of the ambulance service. The first option was to keep three fully equipped ambulances available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The county would be expected to subsidize this model in the amount of $750,000 per year. Option #2 was to have two 24-hour ambulances and one 12-hour ambulance available every day, which would come with an expected subsidy of $550,000. The last option would be to only operate two 24-hour ambulances. The Hospital Committee quickly took Option #3 off the list of choices after deciding that only two ambulances available would simply not be enough. The Hospital Committee then passed a motion to recommend Option #1, three 24-hour ambulances and a $750,000 subsidy, to the full County Commission. The recommendation was presented to the full commission the following evening, and it was approved.

June

*The 15th Annual Butterfly 5K Run/Walk was held on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Despite the rain, 569 participated in the race, and 346 finished. 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. Approximately $100,000 was raised in sponsorships alone in 2024 to be used for grants for families in need. In the first year of its existence, 2007-2008, The Butterfly Foundation gave grants totaling about three thousand dollars to local families who had children with life-threatening conditions to help with the financial costs of travel and hospital stays.

*Another beautiful mural was created in Collinwood last June. The mural, which was painted on the west side of the MyTeam Insurance building next to the Wayne County Veterans’ Park, is another artistic tribute to our veterans. The artist responsible for the murals on either side of Veterans’ Park is Victor Moore. Victor was hired by Collinwood City Manager Gary Victory to paint the murals after grants were awarded to the city from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

*Independent Stave Company, formerly Brown-Forman Cooperage, dealt with a fire on June 2 that caused damage to machinery and a warehouse at the facility in Clifton. Fire departments from Clifton, Eagle Creek, Ovilla, and Topsy responded to the call at approximately 7:15 a.m. on June 2. According to Clifton Fire Chief Randy Burns and Assistant Chief Mike Chilcott, the fire originated when some machinery with worn out parts got hot, going unnoticed until it fully ignited just before the call to 911. The last shift at the mill/warehouse had left at 1:00 a.m., but security guards at the facility fortunately noticed smoke coming from the building and made the emergency call. The fire was contained at approximately 9:40 a.m.

*Wayne Countians were shattered to learn on Wednesday morning, June 5, 2024, that two young men who grew up, went to school, and resided in Waynesboro and Collinwood had been killed in a one-vehicle accident on Middle Butler Road. The report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that Kyler Haddock, age 22, and Noah Haddock, age 19, were killed when their northbound vehicle left the roadway on Middle Butler Road in Collinwood, overturned multiple times, and came to a rest on its side. Many Wayne Countians came together in prayer for the families and loved ones of these two young men after this tragic accident.

*The CHS Bass Teams wrapped up the 2023-24 season on Saturday, June 8, 2024, with their annual pool party. Xander Daniel and Matthew Milford received the Anglers of the Year awards. Matthew Milford also won Lunker with a 4.84lb largemouth for the high school. Carson Rumbaugh won Lunker for the Jr. High team with a 5.48lb largemouth. The 2024 Citizenship Award went to Patch Craig for his thoughtfulness and caring of others, putting the needs of others above his own. Most improved for the year went to Tim Chapman.

*A fire broke out at C&B Linen, located on Andrew Jackson Drive in Waynesboro, early on Friday morning, July 21, 2023. The call came in shortly after midnight, just as a fierce lightning storm was moving through the area. That building, which the company had just moved into in November of 2022, was declared a total loss. All the contents were destroyed as well. Owner Jason Crews said at the time, “When we built this new building last year, we tried to include everything possible to mitigate fire damage if the building were to catch on fire. Unfortunately, a direct lightning strike is something that cannot be predicted or stopped.” On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the new “bigger and better” C&B Linen facility, constructed on the original site of the burned building, was celebrated with a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Local citizens, business owners, and county officials, along with State Senator Page Walley and State Representative Kip Capley, joined Mr. Crews, his family, and C&B employees to celebrate and tour the new facility. In just under a year, C&B Linen truly “rose from the ashes” to improve their industrial linen business in Wayne County.

*The Wayne County Commission met on Monday, June 17, and voted to pass a property tax increase for Wayne Countians. The 2024-25 Property Tax Levy Resolution was recommended by the Budget Committee to be raised from the former rate of $1.91 to $2.1673. County Executive Mangubat explained that the property tax increase was needed for many things, but specifically for the county employees’ health insurance and the EMS subsidy that Maury Regional would require beginning July 1. The resolution passed on roll call vote with Commissioners Mathis, Colby McDonald, Tyler McDonald, Butler, Shull, Pevahouse, Petty, Powers, Kelley and Creecy voting yes, and Commissioners Heard, Hanback, and Staggs voting no. At Commissioner Kelley’s request, County Financial Advisor Lori Brasher explained that the new property tax levy would be distributed among the budget funds in the following way: General Fund, $1.314, Solid Waste, $0.23, Highway Department, $0.0533, and General Purpose School Fund, $0.57.