Maury County Republican and Democratic Parties to Hold Caucuses

Issue #670

February 20, 2026

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

⛅️ Columbia’s Saturday Weather - More clouds than sun w/ high of 57, low of 28

📰 Maury County Republican and Democratic Parties to Hold Caucuses

🐘 Community Storm Cleanup Benefits Elephant Sanctuary

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

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

Maury County Republican and Democratic Parties to Hold Caucuses

Both major political parties in Maury County will hold nominating caucuses in late February to select their official candidates for the 2026 county elections.

The caucuses will determine party nominees for County Mayor, all 22 County Commission seats, County Trustee, Sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, 11 Constables and Board of Education seats in odd-numbered districts. Federal, state and municipal races are not included.

The Republican caucus will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, beginning at 9 a.m. at The Well Church, 1421 Trotwood Avenue in Columbia. On-site registration will remain open until voting begins at 10:30 a.m. The party recommends registering online in advance. Participation is limited to bona fide Republican voters — defined as those who voted in at least three of the last four statewide Republican primaries (August 2020, August 2022, March 2024 and August 2024). Voting will take place by district, with nominations made from the floor and winners announced during the caucus.

The Democratic caucus will be held Feb. 28 at the Ledbetter Auditorium in the Frank G. Clement Building at Columbia State Community College, 1665 Hampshire Pike. Doors open at noon, and participants must be in line by 1 p.m. Pre-registration is encouraged. Democratic voters must have been registered before Feb. 1 and meet bona fide requirements, though some flexibility may be allowed. Candidates must declare their intent to run by Feb. 22 through the party’s online form. Each candidate will have two minutes to address attendees before voting is conducted by show of hands.

For full details, visit Main Street Maury’s full article here.

Community Storm Cleanup Benefits Elephant Sanctuary

A recent photo from the Elephant Sanctuary.

The recent winter storm debris cleanup provided a boost for the residents of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

After ice brought down tree limbs across the region, sanctuary staff reached out to longtime community contacts to see whether storm debris could be repurposed. Instead of being discarded, branches and limbs were delivered to the sanctuary to be used as “browse” — fresh-cut vegetation that is a natural and important part of an elephant’s diet.

Browse supplies fiber and nutrients while also encouraging natural foraging behaviors. Elephants sort through the branches, break apart larger limbs, peel bark and carry favorite pieces to different areas of their habitat, turning storm debris into daily enrichment.

Community members responded by hauling trailer loads of limbs to the sanctuary or allowing staff to collect debris directly from their properties. Local partners, including a golf course, the Lewis County Public Library and courthouse, the local airport and Ross’s Family Tree Service, contributed to the effort. The largest single cleanup took place at the library, where damaged Bradford Pear trees generated multiple trailer loads of usable branches in a single day.

Sanctuary staff described the effort as a meaningful collaboration, noting that material that would otherwise have gone to waste is now benefiting the elephants on a daily basis.

Residents with downed limbs from untreated trees who would like to donate browse can contact the sanctuary through its website for approved tree species and drop-off instructions.

Upcoming Local Events

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

Friday, February 20th

Saturday, February 21st

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

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Friday, February 20
Music City Dueling Pianos – The Mulehouse, 7 PM
Tom Saffell & Robert Johnson – McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7–9 PM
Nick Bentley – Grinder’s Switch Winery, 7–9 PM
Troy Castellano – Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM
Madison McCoy – Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Bonus Track – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill (Spring Hill), 8–11 PM

Saturday, February 21
Johnny Jameson & The Empty Pints – McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7–9 PM
Winter Series: The Bourbon Gospel – 7:30 PM
Chad Cates – Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Grace West Band – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill (Spring Hill), 8–11 PM

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