Looking back at 2023

Jan. 6—After taking a look back into the first nine months of the year in our three previous editions, we — the editorial staff of the Lebanon Democrat — conclude our glance back at some of the top happenings in Wilson County in 2023 by focusing on what took place from October through December.

OCTOBER

Books continue to be a point of contention at school board meetings

Two books were added to the Wilson County School District's growing mature reading list during its board of education meeting on Oct. 11.

"Identical" by Ellen Hopkins was the subject of debate amongst Wilson County School Board members after zone 4 board member Joseph Padilla motioned to have it removed from school libraries.

The second book that was discussed was "Breathless" by Jennifer Niven. Again, the motion was made to remove the book completely from Wilson County school libraries.

Both motions were denied.

The number of books on the district's mature reading list varies from school to school. As of October, there were 243 books that have been placed on the list at the middle-school level and 186 books that have been placed on the list at the high-school level.

Green Hill volleyball wins district, falls in first sectional appearance

The Green Hill High School volleyball squad enjoyed its best season in program history before suffering a four-game loss at Nolensville in a Class AAA sectional match, falling one win short of the state tournament.

The Lady Knights dominated Green Hill in three of the four games in a 25-11, 25-9, 18-25, 25-12 triumph, which sent them on to the state tournament.

Nolensville (31-16) finished as the state runner-up, falling to Cleveland twice in the state.

Green Hill, which reached the state's round of 16 for the first time, finished 26-10.

The Lady Hawks finished second in the District 12-AAA regular season before knocking off top-seed Gallatin to win their first district championship in their third finals appearance. Then, they reached the region final, where they finished second to Gallatin, forcing them to travel to Nolensville for its sectional match.

Mt. Juliet rallies from three-touchdown deficit to knock off Lebanon

In a game of two halves, the Lebanon and Mt. Juliet prep football squads played what is believed to be the first overtime in the 47-year history of the modern series.

In fact, they played two overtimes.

After just about everything went right for Lebanon in the first half, little went the Blue Devils' way after intermission as the host Golden Bears remained undefeated with a 38-31 win in front of a bi-partisan pack of frazzled fans at Roger Perry Field/Elzie Patton Stadium.

Mt. Juliet, ranked fifth in the Associated Press Class 5A poll, trailed 28-7 at halftime before forcing overtime at 28-28.

The Golden Bears broke a 31-31 deadlock in the second overtime on Tyler Travers' 3-yard bootleg.

Lebanon received the ball on the 10 yard line, needing seven points to continue the game or eight to win. But the Blue Devils got nothing as defensive end Atticus Fiorita forced a fumble that was recovered by free safety Tre Redmond, giving the Bears their eighth win in as many starts and improving their record to 5-0 in Region 4-6A.

Clark helps Aces to WNBA title

Former Mt. Juliet High standout Alysha Clark added her third WNBA championship to her resume as she helped make a key defensive stop on a former teammate as the Las Vegas Aces edged the host New York Liberty, 70-69.

Las Vegas, the defending champion with the league's best record, fell behind in the first half before rallying in the second.

With New York down a point, superstar Breanna Stewart had the ball on the perimeter and being guarded by Clark, her former Seattle teammate. They won two titles together with the Storm. Clark forced Stewart to pass the ball to Courtney Vandersloot, who missed a 3-pointer from the corner. An offensive putback came after the buzzer.

Stewart was held by Clark to 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting.

Clark — who was named the league's sixth man of the year before injuries forced her into the starting lineup — had 10 points and eight rebounds in the deciding game.

Three weeks later, Wilson County mayor Randall Hutto proclaimed it Alysha Clark Day during a ceremony held at the Fellowship Ministries.

Hawks hammer Mt. Juliet, claim mayor's cup

It was complete domination as the Green Hill High School football squad traveled 1.7 miles and dominated Mt. Juliet in a regular-season-ending 35-3 contest at Roger Perry Field/Elzie Patton Stadium, winning the mayor's cup.

The Hawks, who have won in both trips to Perry Field while losing at home last year, took it to the Golden Bears from the outset, scoring on both first-quarter possessions — an 8-yard quarterback draw by Kannon Burroughs and a 21-yard pass to Nick Owens Jr. — for a 14-0 lead.

The Golden Bears, playing without running back Jon'Mikael Crudup (who broke his ankle late in the game at Franklin the previous week) didn't get their initial first down until late in the first quarter when they drove to Daniel Echeverria's 36-yard field goal to trim the difference to 14-3.

Burroughs, who completed 11 of 17 passes for 199 yards, threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Jackson and a 39-yarder to Aaron Mattingly.

TDOT project brings upgrades to Hartsville Pike

An ongoing Tennessee Department of Transportation project brought major upgrades to Hartsville Pike in Lebanon this year.

Once completed, the project will have moved the entrance to Hartsville Pike further east on the bypass. The road itself will be widened from two lanes to five lanes, with bike lanes, curbs, gutters and a sidewalk.

The $31-million infrastructure improvement project will also extend Hartsville Pike north of Lovers Lane to East High Street.

The project is expected to be completed over the next three years.

NOVEMBER

High-school student arrested

A Lebanon High School student was arrested on Nov. 7 after law enforcement found a firearm in his car on school property.

A search of the 16-year-old male student's vehicle found a loaded 9-millimeter handgun underneath the driver's seat. A knife was also found in the car.

The sheriff's office ran a serial number on the gun and found that it was stolen out of Lebanon, and the student was taken into custody and transported to youth services.

Lebanon gains new townhome community

A developer began construction on a 101-residence townhome community in Lebanon this year.

After Meritage Homes broke ground on the property, construction of the townhomes will be ongoing through 2025, with the first model home in the development slated to open in late February or early March of next year.

Homes at the 104 Maybrook Drive property are up for sale through 2025.

Prior to beginning development, the project went through a rezoning process with the city to permit townhomes, which was approved by the city council.

Saints stun Watertown in overtime

The visiting Mt. Juliet Christian Academy boys basketball team captured an 81-76 victory over Watertown in a Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association Hall of Champions contest.

Evan Padilla — who scored eight of his nine points in overtime — banked home a 3-pointer from the top of the key to the Saints the lead for good at 71-69 midway through the overtime, and the Saints went on to sink 6 of 9 free throws to win the opener and equal their win total from all of last season.

Brendon Dunn drained three 3-pointers in leading Mt. Juliet Christian with 18 points. Jamie Edgerton fired in four 3-pointers and Christian Frewin two as each scored 16.

That was enough to overcome the 35 points by Watertown's J.J. Goodall, who threw in three triples and 14 of 18 free throws. Marcus Reynolds hit all 12 of his foul shots on his way to 17.

Mt. Juliet amends controversial food truck ordinance

Three food truck vendors sued the city of Mt. Juliet due to its proposed food truck ordinance in November.

The Beacon Center of Tennessee filed a complaint in federal court on behalf of Chivanada, Mikey's Pizza, and Funk Seoul Brother. The complaint claims that Mt. Juliet's food truck ordinance violates the U.S. and state constitutions by "depriving out-of-city food truck operators of their right to earn a living and their right to equality before the law."

In December, the Mt. Juliet City Commission voted 4-1 to have all food trucks pay only $100 per year to operate in residential and industrial districts within city limits. The city commission approved that by a 3-2 vote last July.

During the meeting, Mt. Juliet City Attorney Gino Marchetti stated that changing the food trucks' payment on the application fees to only $100 per year would be a quick and easy way to settle the complaint.

Wolcott sets record as Commanders return to BlueCross Bowl

Senior tailback Tyson Wolcott rushed for six touchdowns to set the TSSAA record, propelling the Friendship Christian School football program back into the Division II-Class A state championship game with a 56-14 victory over visiting Nashville Christian.

The two teams played in state championship game in 2022, with the Commanders winning 34-27.

Wolcott broke the record of 50 touchdowns set by Alcoa's Jaron Toney in 2009.

Wolcott rushed for 229 yards on 25 carries.

Lebanon city employees receive raise

In November, the Lebanon City Council approved a raise for city employees.

The 6% increase in pay was discussed in a Nov. 15 work session. That night, the town meeting hall was filled with city employees.

During the Nov. 15 work session, Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell said that the increase was something that the city had been discussing for a while.

"There are some jurisdictions near us (and) around us that in their budget process they jumped over us (in city employee salaries)," Bell said.

Mt. Juliet Commission laden with internal ethics complaints

Every member of the Mt. Juliet City Commission had ethics complaints filed against them in November.

In total, there were five ethics complaints filed by commissioners against other commissioners. Two complaints were lodged against commissioner Scott Hefner. Commissioners Bill Trivett, Jennifer Milele, Ray Justice and mayor James Maness all had a complaint filed against them.

Complaints filed against Hefner by Milele and Maness have both been dismissed by the Mt. Juliet Ethics Commission. The complaint filed against Maness and Milele by Hefner has also been dismissed.

Woman arrested for homicide of Wilson County man

Lindsay Harris, 39, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and was taken into custody for the death of her husband.

The victim — 40-year-old Jacob Harris — was discovered after Wilson County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a "shots fired" call. When deputies entered the home, they found Jacob Harris dead inside.

His cause of death has not been released.

Goodwill opens in Lebanon

On Nov. 30, Goodwill reopened its doors in Lebanon for the first time after closing its previous location in 2018.

The new store at 1414 West Main St. is across from the site of the previous Goodwill in Lebanon, which was located at 1031 W. Main St.

In addition to its merchandise and donation drop-off, the new location will also offer a career solution center inside the store.

Local partners for the center include Chewy's, Amazon, FedEx Ground and the Walmart Distribution Center.

Commanders fall in state title game

In a rematch from earlier in the season, the Friendship Christian School football squad couldn't repeat in its quest to repeat as the state champion, suffering a 28-13 loss to Middle Tennessee Christian School in the Division II-Class A championship game at Chattanooga's Finley Stadium.

The Commanders faced Nashville Christian in last year's state title tilt, claiming a 34-27 victory.

FCS played at MTCS in late September, falling 16-14.

In the rematch, the Cougars scored 21 unanswered points to turn a one-point lead into a 28-6 advantage.

MTCS senior Eli Wilson — who was a Division II-Class A Mr. Football Award semifinalist — was selected as the game's most valuable player, finishing with 197 yards rushing on 17 carries. In addition to a fumble recovery, Wilson also contributed on defense by ending the first half with an interception in the end zone.

Commander senior running back Tyson Wolcott — a Mr. Football finalist — rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark this season and concluded his final campaign with a state-record 54 touchdowns.

Friendship Christian was appearing in its seventh state championship game, having won titles in 2011, 2012, 2017 and 2022.

DECEMBER

Wolcott, Echeverria named Mr. Football finalists

Friendship Christian School's Tyson Wolcott and Mt. Juliet High's Daniel Echeverria were in a room with the best high-school football players in Tennessee during the annual Mr. Football awards ceremony at Nissan Stadium.

Both finished among the finalists in their respective classes, but neither was selected as the winner of the coveted award, leaving Wilson County still in search of its first Mr. Football award winner.

Wolcott, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards during the regular season and went over 3,000 in the BlueCross Bowl, saw Jackson Christian's Jay'Len Mosley take the Mr. Football award in Division II-A.

Echeverria, Mt. Juliet's punter/kicker, took home a finalist plaque after Knoxville Halls' Owen Taylor was named Kicker of the Year, an honor which covers both divisions.

Echeverria averaged 40.2 yards on 18 punts, placing eight inside the 20-yard line. The junior hit 10 of 12 field goals (with both misses coming outside of the 40-yard range), made all 30 extra points and placed 44 of 49 kickoffs into the end zone.

Vaughn to succeed Blum at Cumberland women's basketball helm

After six seasons as Cumberland University's women's basketball coach, Cumberland director of athletics Ron Pavan announced that women's basketball head coach Scott Blum will step down at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Entering 2024, Blum has compiled a 51-90 record. His 2021-22 and 2022-23 teams both finished with a 13-16 record, which were his best seasons at Cumberland.

Bethel University assistant coach Mark Vaughn was selected to lead the program beginning next season.

Over his first three seasons at Bethel, the Wildcats have made it to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Tournament one time (in 2022), making a run to the round of 16 at the final site in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Wildcats have gone 57-43 since Vaughn has been the assistant coach. They have had six players earn All-Mid-South Conference honors in his time, including two first-team selections.

New fire station approved for Mt. Juliet

A new fire station was approved by the Mt. Juliet City Commission in November and will replace an existing station.

The commission unanimously approved a measure to purchase 5.5 acres of land from Cynthia D. Law at 4370 Old Lebanon Dirt Road for $950,000.

Mt. Juliet's new fire station will replace fire station 3 on East Hill Drive, which is located behind Mt. Juliet City Hall. Fire station 3 is currently Mt. Juliet's oldest station.

City officials said that the current station does not meet the safety standards of modern fire stations and is not optimum for current and future response needs.

Logue to play in East-West Shrine Bowl

University of Georgia defensive tackle Zion Logue has accepted an invitation to play in the annual East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas.

Logue, a former standout at Lebanon High School (having graduated in 2019), played in all 13 games for Georgia this season, posting 16 tackles, including 3.5 for loss of yardage. He also broke up three passes this season.

For his career, he has 52 stops, including 5.5 for loss of yardage, and four pass break-ups.

The Bulldogs finished 13-1 after rolling to a 63-3 victory over Florida State University in the Orange Bowl.

TDOT improvements come to Wilson County

Two Wilson County road projects were greenlit by the Tennessee Transportation Modernization Act.

According to TDOT's 10-year project plan, the construction year for the interchange at Central Pike and Interstate 40 will be 2030. The estimated cost for the project is $45.2 million, with 92% of funding coming from traditional state and federal funding and 8% coming from the Transportation Modernization Act.

Mt. Juliet put $25 million towards the project in an effort to expedite its completion.

Widening I-40 further east in Lebanon was also included in the project plan.