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Maury County Schools Receive Nearly $30K in Grants from Youth Education Foundation

Issue #598

October 29, 2025

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

🌤️ Columbia’s Thursday Weather - Partly cloudy w/ high of 57, low of 37

📰 Maury County Schools Receive Nearly $30K in Grants from Youth Education Foundation

📰 SNAP Funding Crisis Looms for Tennessee Families as Shutdown Stalemate Continues

🗓 List of Upcoming Events
 
🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Read Last Week’s Local Business Spotlight! 👇
From Army Boots to Circuit Breakers: The Story Behind Mr. Electric of Columbia 

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

Maury County Schools Receive Nearly $30K in Grants from Youth Education Foundation

Maury County Public Schools (MCPS) is excited to announce that the Youth Educational Foundation (YEF) has awarded $29,750 in grants that will fund 27 educational projects across the school district! MCPS educators who applied for the grants detailed how their project idea would help their students grow academically or emotionally, teaching them lifelong skills, or empower ownership and confidence. YEF reviewed all applications to determine winners and funding.

“We are deeply grateful for the generous financial support from the Youth Educational Foundation,” said Lisa Ventura, Superintendent of Maury County Public Schools. This funding will bring 27 creative, hands-on learning projects to life across our schools—directly benefiting students in every corner of our district. Investments like this empower our teachers to innovate and inspire, helping us provide every student with meaningful opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed.”

YEF, a local 501(c) (3) was established in 2013 to raise funds in support of better educational opportunities for students in Maury County. In the 2024-2025 academic school year, YEF awarded more than $72,000 to 42 projects and programs to 22 different schools and organizations in Maury County.

“YEF is proud to support Maury County Public Schools and thankful for our generous donors,” said Travis Groth, Youth Educational Foundation Board Chairman. “We hope these grants will provide enhanced opportunities for teachers to enrich the education of students across Maury County.

SNAP Funding Crisis Looms for Tennessee Families as Shutdown Stalemate Continues

With just days left before federal food assistance is halted for nearly 690,000 Tennesseans, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has joined a group of Senate Republicans backing an emergency effort to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funded during the ongoing federal shutdown.

Roughly one in ten Tennessee residents rely on SNAP benefits, which help low-income families afford groceries. Eligibility is capped at a monthly income of $3,483 or less for a family of four, with the average household receiving about $340 in aid each month.

The federal impasse centers on pandemic-era Medicaid tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. Senate Democrats have refused to advance a short-term Republican funding proposal that would reopen the government through November 21, insisting on broader negotiations over the tax credits.

As the standoff continues, the U.S. Department of Agriculture—the agency responsible for SNAP—posted a notice warning that the program will not be able to issue benefits on November 1 without congressional action. The agency attributed the lapse to repeated failures in the Senate to pass funding measures.

In response, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced legislation to use unallocated federal funds to cover November SNAP payments. The proposal, known as the Keep SNAP Funded Act, has gained support from several Senate Republicans, including Blackburn, and a companion bill has been filed in the U.S. House by Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks.

Blackburn said the goal of the bill is to ensure families in Tennessee don’t lose access to food assistance during what she characterized as a politically driven shutdown. Sen. Bill Hagerty has not yet commented on the legislation.

At the state level, Gov. Bill Lee has cautioned that Tennessee will not use its $2 billion in emergency reserves to fill the funding gap if the federal government fails to act. State Democrats have criticized that decision and are calling for a special legislative session to allocate emergency state funding for SNAP recipients.

Upcoming Local Events

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Thursday, October 30th

Friday, October 31st

Saturday, November 1st ⏰ SET CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR TONIGHT!

Sunday, November 2nd

👇 Click the Links to Learn About our Local Business Sponsors! 👇

🎵 This Week’s Live Music


Thursday, October 30th

Todd Ciprian – Tito’s Spring Hill, 6–9 PM
Maury County Community Band – EA Cox Middle School, 6:30 PM
Jordan Priest – Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM

Friday, October 31st

Brendan Gentry – Buck & Board, 5–8 PM
The Smithstons – Twisted Copper Brewing Co., 7 PM
South Bound Crows – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8–11 PM

Saturday, November 1st

Halloween Karaoke – McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 6–10 PM
Fall Series – The Bourbon Gospel, 7:30 PM
Ryan Stevenson – The Mulehouse, 8 PM
MFT – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8–11 PM

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