Murfreesboro Post

Kenneth Barrett (center) is sworn in as Rutherford County sheriff on Aug. 31 JOEL COUNCE A new command team is set to lead the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department. Newly sworn-in Sheriff Kenneth Barrett selected Todd Sparks as deputy chief; David Hailey as deputy chief – law enforcement; Tony Hall as deputy chief – administration; Patrick McMurtray as deputy chief – legal counsel; and Bernard Salandy jail administrator.

Macon Days event respects all kinds of music JOEL COUNCE Murfreesboro Post Sam Rorex of Jake Leg Stompers practices on the square in downtown Murfreesboro in preparation for the upcoming Uncle Dave Macon Days: A Roots Rendezvous arts and music festival on Sept. 11-13. JOEL COUNCE Jake Leg Stompers began playing on the grounds of the Uncle Dave Macon Days festival in 2004. The goal was simple: to play music recorded before World War II.

JOEL COUNCE Murfreesboro Post Then-Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr gives credit to county commissioners he credited with having vision to turn the former Bank of America building in downtown Murfreesboro into administrative offices for the county.

MTSU’s football team will wear this commemorative jersey patch in Saturday’s season opener in honor of Dolly Parton.

Murfreesboro farmer Jeffrey Dismukes offered 86 acres to Rutherford County Schools for $8.5 million. The potential school site is less than one mile from Poplar Hill Middle School and Poplar Hill Elementary. JOEL COUNCE Jeffrey Dismukes wanted to sell his farmland so a school could be built. “At my age, I don’t have many wants anymore,” he said.

New Rutherford County Mayor Randy Allen (middle) talks with Matt Sensing and Whitney Sensing at the county courthouse last week. JOEL COUNCE New Rutherford County mayor Randy Allen describes himself as an optimist. Allen, who was scheduled to be sworn in Aug. 31, might need a lot of that optimism after mentioning challenges for the county mayor like solid waste disposal, traffic and taxes. He inherits a state Choice Lanes project that will establish toll lanes between Nashville and Murfreesboro.

JOEL COUNCE Murfreesboro Post Donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Rutherford County have increased since the Country Music Hall of Fame singer’s death on Aug. 25. “We have seen a significant uptick in the last couple of days,” United Way of South Central Tennessee Kristen Swann said last week. United Way serves as the affiliate for Imagination Library in Rutherford and Cannon counties.

Editor’s Note: The Murfreesboro Post runs one free announcement for all candidates appearing on our local election ballots. Candidates: Please email your announcement to news@murfreesboropost.com. Announcements should be no more than 600 words and please include a headshot. Longtime Smyrna resident Matt Ford has announced his candidacy for Smyrna Town Council. Ford is running on a simple principle: Smyrna First. “We have to keep property taxes as low as possible,” Ford said.

JOEL COUNCE Murfreesboro Post Candidates for the Nov. 3 elections in Eagleville, La Vergne and Smyrna have filed paperwork to be on the ballot in Rutherford County. The early voting period is Oct. 14-29. The deadline to qualify for the ballot was Aug. 20. The current mayor of each of the three cities has qualified. Elections for city council members are non-partisan with at-large seats. Eagleville mayor Chad Leeman seeks re-election unopposed.

Middle Tennessee State University senior Sidney Ware was one of six people who criticized the Murfreesboro City Council for its recent renewal of its contract with the Flock license plate camera systems at its Aug. 13 meeting. “I think there is a strong line between crime prevention and mass surveillance,” Ware said. “I understand the use of Flock cameras if they were only identifying stolen vehicles or for violent crimes.