In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

☀️ Columbia’s Wednesday Weather - Sunny w/ high of 51, low of 30

📰 How One Local Family’s Open Door Became a Lifeline for Women in Crisis

📰 New Tennessee DUI Law Adds Roadside Saliva Testing and Tougher Penalties

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

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

How One Local Family’s Open Door Became a Lifeline for Women in Crisis

Rachel and Justin Peck didn't set out to change lives in Middle Tennessee. They were farmers with full-time jobs in HR and marketing, living their ordinary lives in Spring Hill.

Then they heard one particular woman’s story.

"We didn't go into this thinking 'we want to start a ministry for women,'" Justin recalls. "It just started with one woman who came to us looking for help and we worked with her and one woman after another kept coming to us looking for help."

That first woman was a single mom facing homelessness in 2016. The Pecks invited her and her daughter to move in. For nine months, the four of them lived together in less than 700 square feet. In that cramped space, something transformative happened. The single mom gained practical skills, grew her confidence, and deepened her faith.

"God just kept bringing them to our doorstep, really," Rachel says.

And they kept answering the door until it became too much for the two of them to handle alone.

The Women No One Sees

The women who find their way to 431 Ministries aren't strangers to you and I. They're your child's teacher, trying to hold it together after an unexpected loss. Your best friend at the grocery store, newly single and struggling to stay on budget while her kids beg for the cereal they're used to. The woman recovering from an abusive relationship, wondering if anyone would notice if she simply disappeared.

"We've been told by more than one of the women that we've worked with that they felt, before coming to us, like no one cared if they lived or died," Rachel explains.

These are the women living quietly among us in Maury County, carrying burdens most of us never see. The statistics are sobering: approximately three out of every ten households in Maury County are headed by single women, without any partner-involvement. One in four women will experience physical abuse from a partner. Nearly half will face psychological aggression in a romantic relationship. And those experiencing major loss face additional risks—poverty, heart disease, even suicide.

But 431 Ministries sees them. And more importantly, they sit down with them and make an actual plan. 

A Different Kind of Help

"Every situation is unique and every individual that comes to us, our team sits down with them," Justin says. "It's not an interview of whether we're going to help them or not, but it's how we're going to help them."

That distinction matters. This isn't about deciding who deserves help. Instead, every woman is invited to participate in the unique services that 431 offers. So that initial conversation is about understanding what each woman actually needs. Sometimes that means referring them to another organization better equipped for their situation. But most of the time, it’s a personalized plan within the areas that 431 specializes in, from safety to finances, community to goal-setting, independence to self-worth.

“Most of  them just need connection," Justin says. "They need somebody that they can talk to. Somebody that can just be a wise counsel to them.”

“And today, our trained and vetted mentors and staff fill that role, expanding 431’s reach far beyond the two of us,” Rachel adds. 

Walking Side by Side

The women 431 Ministries serve face a range of hardships—widowhood, divorce, single motherhood, abuse, post-recovery, grief, abandonment, and uncertainty. Many have at least one point of stability—a car, a job, a home, or local family—but after that crisis hits, their options narrow fast as they try to rebuild the pieces of their lives. 

That's where 431's Side-by-Side Program comes in. It's a yearlong journey designed not just to help women survive their current hardships, but to build the skills and community they need to avoid similar situations in the future. The goal is independence—not just living on their own, but living confidently with an ongoing community to support them through whatever comes next.

The program is comprehensive and invitation-only for a reason: weekly meetings with financial and personal mentors, bi-weekly check-ins with a dedicated advocate, quarterly care team meetings, subsidized counseling sessions, staff support at court hearings, practical advisor sessions covering everything from career coaching to organization skills, and ongoing mentor trainings. It's about looking at the whole picture of a woman's life—her goals, challenges, past and current choices, and the beliefs that shape her decisions, and therefore her future. 

This holiday season, 431 Ministries is raising funds to support twelve women through the extensive Side-by-Side Program in 2026. The yearlong program offers life-changing transformation for the ladies, but the impact on the generations coming behind them is unmeasurable. For those interested in learning more about specific ways to contribute, details are available on their website.

Why This Matters Here

What makes 431 Ministries different is that it's ours. This isn't a distant organization parachuting in with one-size-fits-all solutions. It's neighbors helping neighbors. It's a couple who opened their home because they saw a need, and a community that's rallying around them.

The ministry thrives on volunteers from Williamson, Maury, Davidson, and Marshall counties who offer career guidance, provide childcare during classes, serve as mentors, prepare meals for events, or donate practical resources. These aren't grand gestures—they're simple moments that ripple outward. A conversation becomes encouragement. A shared meal becomes understanding. A mentoring session becomes a doorway to confidence, a new job, a new future.

The Pecks will tell you there's still much work to be done. The need is far beyond what their current team can handle, so they’re adding additional Client Advocate roles and Class Facilitators in 2026. They dream of having a dedicated building with multiple classrooms in the heart of Columbia. And they believe that with community support, even their loftiest dreams—lowering the percentage of single-mother led households—are possible.

And maybe that's not so lofty after all. Because it started with one woman. Then another. And another. God kept bringing them to the Pecks' doorstep, and they kept answering the door.

Now it's our turn to step up. Because somewhere in Maury County right now, there's a woman who feels like no one cares if she lives or dies. And she's wrong. We care. This community cares. We just need to show her.

To learn more about 431 Ministries, hear testimonials from women they've helped, or make a donation, visit www.431house.org

(sponsor)

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!

New Tennessee DUI Law Adds Roadside Saliva Testing and Tougher Penalties

Beginning January 1, Tennessee drivers will see significant changes to how impaired driving cases are handled during traffic stops, including the introduction of roadside saliva testing.

Under the updated implied consent law, officers may now use oral fluid test results as part of a DUI case in court. These tests are designed to detect the presence of drugs or alcohol more quickly at the scene and can be used to support the decision to seek a warrant for a blood draw, which remains the most precise method for determining impairment.

The new law also increases consequences for refusing roadside testing. Drivers suspected of misdemeanor DUI who decline a test now face a license suspension of 18 months, up from the previous one-year penalty. The statute further makes clear that refusal is still considered a violation, even if a blood sample is later obtained through other legal means.

Penalties tied to vehicular assault convictions are also being strengthened. A third conviction will now result in a six-year license revocation, double the previous term, while a fourth conviction will bring an eight-year revocation. Lawmakers said these changes are intended to ensure that more serious offenses carry more severe consequences than standard DUI cases.

As these updates take effect, police departments across the state are preparing for heightened DUI enforcement around New Year’s Eve and into the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Wednesday, December 31st

Kids Bootcamp at the Aquatics & Rec Center - 10:15 - 11:00 AM
Creative Writing Club - 2:00 - 5:00 PM
Rockin’ Country New Year’s Eve w/ The Reeves Brothers at Puckett’s - 8:00 PM
New Year’s Eve Bash at Fozzy’s - 8:00 PM
New Year’s Eve w/ The Landsharks Band at The Mulehouse - 9:00 PM
New Year’s Eve Mule Drop - 9:00 PM
Electric 80’s New Year’s Eve Bash at Tenn Pin Alley - 9:00 PM
NYE at The Rebel - 9:00 PM

Thursday, January 1st

New Year’s Day Good Luck Dinner at The Rebel - 4:30 - 6:30 PM

Friday, January 2nd

Winter Robotics Camp (Spring Hill) - 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Barber Shop Jam - 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Saturday, January 3rd

Hummingbird Hollow Farmers Market - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Columbia Farmers Market - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Hidden Gem Farmers Market (Spring Hill) - 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday Chess Club at Spring Hill Library - 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Sunday, January 4th

Silent Book Club - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

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

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Wednesday, December 31st
Acoustic NYE with Smith & Gone - Puckett’s, 6:30–8:30 PM.
Laura Drake Band - The Boondox, 8 PM.
A Rockin’ County NYE with The Reeves Brothers - Puckett’s, 8 PM–12:30 AM.
South Bound Crows - Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8 PM–12:30 AM.
The Landsharks Band - The Mulehouse, 9 PM.

Friday, January 2nd
Scott Southworth & Daryl - Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM.

Saturday, January 3rd
Twitty & Lynn - The Mulehouse, 7 PM.
Winter Series - The Bourbon Gospel, 7:30 PM.
Matt Marinchick - Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM.