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Upchurch still in trouble 35 years after crash
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James Clark
Updated: Oct 4, 2013, 1:56 AM
Published: Oct 4, 2013, 1:57 AM

A man who caused one of the most horrific vehicle crashes in Warren County history has reportedly continued his life of crime into his 60s.
Donald Robert Upchurch, 63, was arrested this week by the TBI after a marijuana growing operation was discovered on his property. Upchurch is currently a Lebanon resident.
The growing operation at Upchurch’s residence contained approximately 24 plants and 1.5 pounds of finished marijuana.
Upchurch was charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession for resale of a schedule VI drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm during a commission of a felony, prohibitive weapons, being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon, and violating his probation.
While Upchurch allegedly continues his life of crime as he approaches senior citizen status, he was a young man in 1978 when he caused a fiery crash that killed a grandfather and three of his grandchildren in Campaign. Upchurch, a 28-year-old McMinnville resident at the time, was charged with four counts of second-degree murder for the crash.
According to crash reports in the July 26, 1978 edition of the Southern Standard, eyewitnesses reported Upchurch was driving erratically on Sparta Highway in the Campaign area. This was when the highway was a two-lane road.
Upchurch’s Jeepster crossed the yellow line and struck a Volkswagen Beetle driven by Manuel Isaac Goodson, 62. Also in the vehicle were his grandchildren Manuel Edward Hall, 15, Sandy Lyn Hall, 10, and Barbie Jo Hall, 9.
Both vehicles erupted in flames, but Upchurch was ejected from his vehicle and not seriously hurt. A passenger in his Jeepster was able to be pulled to safety.
All four occupants of the Volkswagen were not so fortunate as they were trapped in the vehicle as it was engulfed in flames.
According to Warren County court records, Upchurch was convicted following a jury trial of four counts of second-degree murder on Feb. 9, 1979. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for those charges, plus an additional 11 months, 29 days in the county jail for driving under the influence of intoxicating liquors and possession of marijuana.
It was the second fatal accident of Upchurch’s life as he was involved in a crash that killed two people nine years earlier. Upchurch was in a crash in Grundy County that killed Warren County residents Bobby Eller, 19, and Eddie Ware, 23.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community