Mold Remediation in Springfield, TN

Springfield High School has relieved head girls basketball coach Tara Koran after five seasons.

Springfield athletic director Dustin Wilson and Koran both confirmed the move in separate messages Monday to Main Street Preps.

Koran compiled a 55-86 record (.390) across her tenure with the Yellow Jackets, including a career-best 16-15 record last season. It was the program’s first winning season since 2019.

“Springfield High School is moving in a different direction with our girls basketball program,” Wilson said in a statement.

Koran holds the all-time wins mark for Springfield’s girls basketball program over the last 25 years. She broke Todd Babington’s 45-win mark on Dec. 18 against Kenwood and added her 50th career win Jan. 17 versus Northeast.

Springfield finished the regular season tied for third place in the District 13-4A standings and won its district play-in game against Northeast after losing a coin-flip to Kirkwood.

The Yellow Jackets lost their next two games in the district tournament, to Rossview and Kirkwood, by a combined seven points. They were eliminated in the Region 7-4A quarterfinals with a 59-44 loss to Henry County.

“I thank Springfield for giving me the opportunity to coach at SHS these past five years. I have some great memories with my athletes. I have enjoyed watching the program grow and be competitive in (Class) 4A,” Toran said.

“I had the pleasure of coaching some great athletes who I have built lasting relationships with. This season we won more games in a season than many coaches before me and I am proud that I was a part of that. I am looking forward to where God puts me next and that journey. I thank my husband, and my kids for tolerating my passion and wish my athletes good luck in the future.”

Springfield will transition to Class 3A beginning next season in both girls and boys basketball. The Yellow Jackets join Greenbrier, Liberty Creek, Portland, White House and Station Camp in a newly drawn District 9-3A.

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Following its recommendation for approval by the city’s planning commission earlier this month, the Springfield Board of Mayor and Alderman voted in favor on a first reading last week of Vesper Village, a planned development totaling 3,000 commercial and residential units.

At their monthly meeting on March 18, the Springfield BOMA gave a preliminary approval to a resolution annexing and zoning up to 600 acres of land between South Main Street, Lahr Road, and Hwy. 49 for the Vesper Village specific plan.

The resolution was approved in a 5-1 vote. After initially choosing to abstain, Alderman James Hubbard was the lone no vote. Alderman Bobby Trotter was absent from the meeting.

Prior to the board’s vote, a public comment period was held where local residents voiced their opinion of the project.

Among those that were against the resolution were Gina Head-Hieber, a Robertson County Commissioner representing the 11th district. Although not against development entirely, she stated her concern with the overall size of the project and the potential impact it could have on the city as a whole.

“There are plenty of issues. The storm water is one of the issues, the sewer is one, and the infrastructure. As a commissioner, I know that property taxes will have to be raised to take care of any schools with the amount of people and kids that will enter into the school system. That is just a given. EMS dispatchers will have to be hired, more ambulances. I’m sure you all will have to probably hire more firefighters for all this and that’s not just for this development.”

Lisa Arnold, a former Springfield alderman and founder of Small Town Startup, came out in favor of the development, stating her belief that the added growth will provide needed support to struggling small businesses.

“We’ve seen constant turnover on Main Street and without growth this cycle will continue,” Arnold said. “The approval of Vesper Village is the opportunity to change that. Over the next 15 to 20 years, the development will bring in new families, new customers, and new businesses, making our community more self-sustaining. It will allow local mom and pop shops to thrive instead of watching their customers take their spending to surrounding counties.”

Beyond business growth, Arnold said that Vesper Village will generate over $30 million in impact fees, a direct investment in the city’s infrastructure, police, and fire services. Additionally, she claimed the tax used from the development will help to fund new schools, ensuring that Springfield can provide for future generations as it grows.

“We cannot take the stance that our house is the last house built. If we do, we risk our own children leaving Robertson County because they have no opportunity to stay. This isn’t just about housing. It’s about building a strong, vibrant community where businesses can thrive, families can grow, and our future is secure.”

Jason Repsher with Barge Design Solutions, who is representing the developer for Vesper Village, answered questions at the board meeting. According to Repsher, a main road or boulevard will run through the center of the development connecting Hwy. 49 and Hwy. 431 to ease traffic flow. A third on each side is expected to be completed within a three-year time frame, which will be part of the project’s two initial phases, consisting of primarily commercial areas with some residential.

“After those first three years are gone we’re going to continue on, so the connection of that center section will continue to be built. We do anticipate that being done in about five years, and that opens up the entire development on our end, but also that traffic flow pattern establishes that boulevard, that spine, to be the flow path for how we start building the residential so we’re not adding that traffic on South Main or to Lahr or Central.”

Repsher added that a construction bond will be in place for up to 10 years, ensuring the contractor fulfills all obligations. Once the main boulevard is completed within a five-year time frame, he estimates another five years before all of the development’s core area is built along the main corridor.

Before the board’s vote, Alderman Emily Holliman noted that the city is unable to keep much of the proposed area as undeveloped farmland, since a majority falls outside of the city limits.

“That’s just not something the city can control. If we did not allow them to do this development, it could still be developed in five acre lots per house,” she said. “So there’s really no scenario in which this land’s going to just remain undeveloped realistically. I think a lot of people have talked about responsible growth, and I think that’s what we’re striving for. People may disagree on how to do that.”

With approval, the resolution will come before the board again on a second reading during its April meeting, before the project can officially move forward.

“Is this a scary venture? Yes, very much so,” Alderman Tim Harris said. “I think it’s a very well put together structure. I don’t see a company or developer of this size coming into this area just saying hey, let’s try this. I agree with Emily that this land is going to be developed one way or the other, whether these folks do it or whether its sold off to different developers where you’ve got five or six different things happening out there that none of it matches or goes together.”

“The specific plan, in my opinion, is only as good as the Board of Mayor and Aldermen or the Planning Commission that sits here,” Harris added. If there’s a problem down the road in the future, and hopefully there would not be if it passes, then it’s going to be up to the board that sits here at that time to make sure that this specific plan is enforced. If it passes, I think this board that sits here today is very willing to enforce this specific plan that we have before us.”

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The City of Springfield is excited to announce the return of its annual 1st Fridays event series to downtown Springfield, with the first night just two weeks away on May 2.

1st Fridays will take place this year from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of May, June, August, September and October.

The community is invited to stroll through the Historic Downtown Springfield and enjoy an evening of shopping, dining, and live music.

This free, family-friendly event series includes food trucks, a kids’ zone and a specialty vehicle cruise-in.

More than 80 local vendors will also be on hand throughout the square for each night, and will include farmers, artists, makers, bakers, crafters, and boutiques, as well as other local businesses and downtown merchants.

“We’re so excited to partner with our local businesses, makers, crafters, farmers, nonprofits, and churches for 1st Fridays 2025,” said Madie McCormick, Tourism and Main Street Coordinator for the City of Springfield. “This season is going to be a great time for our community to come together, shop, enjoy live music and experience everything that makes our area special. Events like this not only bring people out to support local vendors but also help boost tourism, making Springfield a place visitors want to experience.”

Live music will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 8:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and their dancing shoes to enjoy the sounds of summer.

The Summer Concert Series lineup will begin on May 2 with longtime favorite Buzzy Poole and Friends, feature Springfield’s very own mayor Buzzy Poole.

On June 6, guests will be treated to Four on the Floor, a band based in Fayetteville, Tenn., that has been entertaining crowds across the Southeast for over 30 years.

The Band Entice will be making their return on Aug. 1, bringing their classic tunes of the 60s and 70s. They will followed the next month by The Bicho Brothers, a classic rock and Santana tribute band, on Sept. 5.

The concert series will conclude on Oct. 3 with Ten Year Town, a Nashville-based country trio.

No event will take place the first Friday of July to prepare for Freedom Fest, the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration, which is set to make its comeback on Thursday, July 3 at the Robertson County Fairgrounds. Festival performance and further details will be announced at a later date.

This year’s 1st Friday Night event series is made possible by a number of generous sponsors, which include United Community Bank, The Credit Union for Robertson County, Springfield Chick-fil-A, The Farmers Bank and Robertson County Family YMCA.

For more event and artist information, visit www.springfieldtn.gov or follow the City of Springfield on Facebook.

Visitors can also connect with RealSpringfield at www.realspringfieldtn.com/main-street/1st-fridays/ to learn more about sponsorship and vendor opportunities.

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