The Year in Review: A Look Back at 2025, Part 3

Our look back at 2025 continues this week with Part 3 – June, July, and August. Read on to see if you remember things that took place, both good and bad.

June

The month of June 2025 began with the Wayne County Grand Jury handing down indictments against Charles Fredrick Staggs in regard to a shooting incident that took place on May 27, 2025. Staggs was indicted on two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault on a First Responder, and one count each of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Firearm with Intent to go Armed, Aggravated Criminal Trespass, Aggravated Assault, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Weapon. Staggs reportedly pointed a handgun at Sgt. Bryant Burcham through the window of Sgt. Burcham’s patrol car. Sgt. Burcham exited the vehicle, and at that point, Staggs allegedly fired the gun toward Sgt. Burcham and fled on foot. Following an immediate and intensive search, Staggs was located near Highway 13 South in Collinwood when he allegedly fired shots toward Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Tommy Bayless. Trooper Bayless and two other officers at the scene returned Staggs’ fire, hitting Staggs and causing minor injuries. Staggs was taken into custody at that time, with the indictments handed down in the following weeks.

In early June of 2025, we reported that scammers were at it again. An illegal card skimmer was discovered at the Waynesboro Piggly Wiggly, following the illegal devices being found at the Savannah and Adamsville Piggly Wiggly locations. Card skimmers can be placed on a payment terminal in a mere matter of seconds, and they are not readily noticeable by customers or store employees. Scammers are able to get your information from the magnetic strip on the back of debit, credit, and EBT cards as your card is swiped through the machine. Customers paying with a card anywhere are encouraged to learn how to spot card skimmers. Pay attention to the card reader – is it loose, off-center, or do parts of it wiggle? If so, don’t put your card there. Report it to the store manager immediately.

It truly was a “Sweet 16” for the 16th Annual Butterfly 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, June 7th, 2025. The day began with the blessing of predicted rain holding off until everything was finished. There were 639 registered runners with 560 checking in to run. In the 5K, there were 409 finishers; the kids' Fun Run had 44 finishing the race. Participants came from several states, with many being annual runners. The sponsorships set a record this year, making contributions to The Butterfly Foundation totaling just over $121,000. Every sponsorship dollar goes to a family with a very sick child. As of May 1, 2025, the Foundation had given grants totaling $1,423,815 to the families of 442 children in Wayne and surrounding counties. Several of the Butterfly kids, some who are now grown teens and adults, came to support the Run on Saturday and to participate. The Butterfly Foundation - Ryleigh Remembered is a true blessing for our community, and Butterfly Foundation board members say the community is a true blessing to the Foundation.

The Wayne County News reported in June of 2025 that after months of whispers and speculation, Clifton City Manager Doug Kibbey had been fired from his position by the Clifton City Commission. A roll call vote was held at the May meeting of the Clifton City Commissioner, and City Manager Kibbey was officially voted out of his position by the board. Commissioners Jeff Letson and Michael Francis voted no on Kibbey’s termination, while Commissioners Mark Staggs, Tammy Prince, and Dwight Thompson voted in favor of the termination.

On Saturday, June 9, 2025, at approximately 5:15 p.m., a Loretto, TN man sustained fatal injuries in a one-vehicle crash on Iron City Road. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Charles Ferguson, age 78, was traveling westbound on Iron City Road near the Lawrence/Wayne County line. Ferguson, the driver and sole occupant of the 2017 Toyota Prius, was negotiating a right-hand curve in the roadway when he ran off the right side of the road, overcorrected, and exited the left side of the roadway. The vehicle hit a ditch, overturned, and then hit a tree. Mr. Ferguson was pronounced dead at the scene.

United States Representative Mark Green, the Republican chair of the U.S. House’s Homeland Security Committee, announced his retirement from Congress last June. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress,” said Green. “Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up. It was the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of Tennessee in Congress. They asked me to deliver on the conservative values and principles we all hold dear, and I did my level best to do so.”

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, the Waynesboro American Legion Post 130 hosted a bridge naming ceremony in honor of late 1st Sergeant James Coy Anderson. Sgt. Anderson was a former Commander of the Waynesboro American Legion Post, which has also been named in his honor. He was a true patriot, and a friend to many. “It is fitting that a bridge is being named in his honor,” said a leader at the ceremony. “A bridge connects communities, just as Sgt. Anderson connected people through his leadership, his loyalty, and his love for those around him. A bridge provides strength and support – much like the strength and support he gave his fellow soldiers, to his family, and to all who knew him.”

Last June saw the first vote by the Wayne County Commission to impose a tipping fee of any kind at the Wayne County Solid Waste Facility (transfer station) in Waynesboro. With the budget and finances of the Solid Waste Department in dire straits, the Solid Waste Committee suggested a tipping fee of five cents per pound for anyone dumping more than three 45-gallon bags of trash at the transfer station per day. With questions and opinions varying greatly, the commission failed to pass the tipping fee resolution at that time. It would be months before a decision was made on the tipping fee to be charged.

July

Waynesboro’s annual Independence Day Celebration, co-sponsored by the City of Waynesboro and Wayne Halfway House, was a huge success once again. Held on July 3, the 2025 Celebration drew the biggest crowd on record of over 4,000. Country music performers Drake White, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, and American Idol winner Chayce Beckham both put on great performances for the crowd. All 47 vendors set up around the park offered great food and other wares, and the fireworks extravaganza was great, as always.

Wayne Countians were shocked and saddened when a 17-year-old youth formerly of Collinwood was found dead in Mississippi on July 7, 2025. The body of Caden Cantrelle was reportedly found in a deep ditch on the side of a road in Jasper, County, Mississippi. At the time of his death, Cantrelle was in the custody of Tennessee Child Protective Services (CPS), but had been transported to Mississippi by his uncle, Jerry Carver III of Collinwood. Cantrelle had been released to Carver, a convicted felon, on a two-day pass. When Cantrelle didn’t check in with CPS in a timely manner, authorities contacted his father, who looked him up on Life 360 and saw a ping on Cantrelle’s phone. Jasper County, MS deputies searched the area where the phone pinged and discovered Cantrelle’s body in a deep ditch about five feet off the edge of the roadway. After leaving Cantrelle’s body in Mississippi and returning to Collinwood, Carver was ultimately apprehended by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Jasper County Jail in Mississippi where he is being held on charges of Child Endangerment, Culpable Negligence Homicide, and Fugitive from Justice. The capias from the Jasper County Grand Jury clearly states that Carver killed Caden Cantrelle by providing him with fentanyl and methamphetamine and allowing him to ingest the fatal drugs.

Drivers on Chisholm Road in southern Wayne County were surprised to encounter rushing flood waters blocking the roadway on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Part of Chisholm Road was closed until the water receded. Thankfully, no one was injured in the flash flood. Experts say it's easy to underestimate the force of moving water; just six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person off their feet. A foot of water can sweep away many vehicles, and 18-24 inches can carry away larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs. Anytime you see a flooded road, turn around and find an alternate route. If your car is caught in rising floodwater, abandon it and move to higher ground if it is safe to do so. Never attempt to drive or walk through floodwater.

Major paving projects on Highway 13 South, Highway 13 North, and in the City of Waynesboro all began last July. Although there were some minor traffic snarls and inconveniences, most drivers will agree that the inconveniences were worth the better roadways in the end.

The Wayne County News reported in July of 2025 that bear sightings were on the rise once again in Wayne County. Over the past few years, black bears have been captured on trail cams or spotted crossing roadways in Wayne County, with the most recent one (that we are aware of) posted on Facebook last July. The photo posted was reportedly taken on Highway 64 somewhere in Wayne County. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any human vs. bear contact – not yet, anyway.

August

Wayne County’s first annual National Night Out was held at Waynesboro City Park on Tuesday, August 5. Kim Brown, founder of Wayne County Cares, worked hard to organize the event. National Night Out is just as the name describes - a night recognized as a community-building campaign to promote partnerships between communities and their law enforcement, firefighters, and medical first responders. The night provides a great opportunity to bring everyone together under positive circumstances. Officers from the Waynesboro Police Department, Collinwood Police Department, and Tennessee Highway Patrol provided both security and camaraderie at the event. Wayne County EMA Director Brian Smith attended the event and answered all the questions sent his way. The county’s Volunteer Fire Departments were represented by Fire Station 1, Holly Creek, Lutts, and Clifton. Kids at the event absolutely loved the fire trucks and were overjoyed to be given the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat. Wayne County EMS and AirEvac Lifeteam were at the event as well, not only to show off their helicopter, ambulance, and tools of the trade, but to speak with people one-on-one in a setting quite different from the ones where unfortunate people become patients. All these professionals are ready and willing to establish camaraderie, but when needed, they immediately shift to the mode in which they become medical heroes.

The old pressbox and bleachers at Guy H. Buchanan Stadium on the campus of Wayne County High School were completely replaced last year and unveiled in August. Waynesboro’s G&G Construction submitted the winning bid for the project. Both the pressbox and bleachers feature sturdy and durable materials that will hold up for years to come. The Wildcats and their fans were excited to show off the renovations when football season kicked off on August 7.

Barbara Victoria Ballantyne, age 51, formerly of Wayne County, was booked into the Wayne County Jail on Monday, August 11, 2025, and was subsequently released on $40,000.00 bond. Ballantyne was charged with Theft of Property Over $20,000. Sheriff Shane Fisher reported that Ballantyne came under investigation from his department after allegations from the Waynesboro Youth Football League regarding missing funds. Following their investigation, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office presented the case against Ballantyne to the Wayne County Grand Jury, who returned an indictment against her for Theft of Property Over $20,000. Ballantyne was reportedly a board member for the league at the time the funds went missing.

Wayne County celebrated a major milestone in August 2025 with the ribbon cutting of the Jim Mangubat Wayne County Head Start/Early Head Start facility, named in honor of County Executive and SCHRA Board Chairman Jim Mangubat. According to his counterparts and coworkers, Executive Mangubat played a pivotal role in bringing the vision to life. The new center replaces a single classroom housed in a 30-year-old portable building and now offers a preschool classroom, toddler classroom, gross motor room, parent engagement space, teacher workroom, kitchen, offices, and two playgrounds.

United States Senator Marsha Blackburn stopped for a short visit with Wayne Countians at the Wayne County Administrative Building on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Sen. Blackburn spoke about President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, specifically how it would provide more funding for rural healthcare, and how it would set new requirements for Medicaid and SNAP beneficiaries. “People are going to see a difference in who receives these benefits,” said Sen. Blackburn. “No more illegal aliens, freeloaders, or fraudsters will be allowed.”

According to members of the Collinwood Beautification Board, Old Timers’ Day 2025, which was held on August 30, was bigger and better than ever! The annual event, hosted by the Collinwood Beautification Board and the City of Collinwood, always draws a big crowd to Collinwood for the parade, music, and great food. Vendors were set up to offer a wide variety of food and other items to browse through while enjoying the gorgeous weather. Danny and Gina Sandusky received the title of “Mr. and Mrs. Old Timers’ Day 2025,” and served as Grand Marshals of the Old Timers’ Day Parade. Collinwood athletes, band members, and cheerleaders were proud to be a part of the parade as well. Of course, the parade wouldn’t have been complete without all the tractors, horses, and emergency vehicles, which were all cleaned up and ready to go before the parade began. The Collinwood Beautification Board and the City of Collinwood are to be commended for hosting this spectacular annual event that always draws a huge crowd made up of not only Wayne Countians but lots of out-of-towners as well.