Home Care In Arrington, TN

ARRINGTON, Tenn. (WKRN) – Crews expect to remain on the scene of a crash site for the next several days following a major crash that occurred in Arrington.

On Friday, Nov. 11, crews with Arrington Fire and Rescue were dispatched to a crash on Highway 96 after receiving a report that three to four vehicles were involved in a head-on collision with a dump truck.

Once on scene, crews found three vehicles that were involved in the crash. Officials say one of the vehicles was found in a ditch with its engine separated, a second vehicle had airbag deployment and an oil leak and a dump truck had a damaged saddle tank pouring fuel out of it.

Fortunately, rescue crews say there were no entrapments or critical patients due to the crash.

As patients were loaded into medic units, crews worked to contain the leaks that were coming from the engine separation and damaged fuel tank.

Williamson County Emergency Management responded to the crash scene due to the amount of material that leaked.

The roadway was closed but has since reopened. According to Arrington Fire and Rescue, crews will remain on scene for the next several days to complete the clean up, but roads will remain open.

No other information was immediately released.

(WJW) — Chick-fil-A has announced it is changing the chicken it serves at all of its restaurants this spring.

The plan is to switch up the requirements for the kind of chicken purchased from the current No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM).

“NAE means no antibiotics of any kind were used in raising the animal. NAIHM restricts the use of those antibiotics that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people, and allows use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick,” the restaurant said in a statement.

The company made clear that it continues to be dedicated to serving customers the highest quality food. An exact date for the change has not been announced.

In a statement to Reuters, Chick-fil-A explained it is making the move “due to challenges it foresees finding chicken supplies that ‘meets our rigid standards.'” This comes roughly a decade after Chick-fil-A committed to serving antibiotic-free chicken.

You can find out more about the restaurant’s approach here.

Chick-fil-A also introduced a new menu item it’s testing: pizza. In mid-March, the Atlanta-based company rolled out six new pizza options at its test kitchen, Little Blue Menu, in College Park, Maryland.

ARRINGTON, Tenn. – The two-tower Castle Gwynn in Arrington offers visitors a glimpse into medieval history, but for its creator, Mike Freeman, it represents both a childhood dream realized and a symbol of persistance.

Freeman, a photographer, began envisioning the castle as a high school student in Flat Rock, Tenn., inspired by the castles he saw in Charlton Heston’s “The War Lord” and Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo and Juliet.” So while other classmates daydreamed about cars, movies or professional sports, Freeman was preoccupied with a plan to build and live in a castle.

“After talking about it for 10 years, I either had to do it or become the biggest liar in Tennessee,” he said.

To give others an opportunity to see the castle being built, he launched the Tennessee Renaissance Festival in 1986, an annual event that now draws more than 70,000 visitors each year and showcases jousting tournaments, musical shows and food and arts celebrating the time period. During the four May weekends of the festival, visitors are invited to tour the castle grounds, where they can see the novelty architecture and some of Freeman’s most treasured artifacts.

Continuing today is Pirate Weekend, where the castle’s inland location is no discouragement to swashbucklers.

The castle’s seven stories include 60 brick arches and three spiral staircases, with rooms decorated with tapestries and knights’ armor dating back to as early as the 1400s. When it’s not hosting the festival, the site draws school field trips and wedding ceremonies. It made its biggest media appearance when Taylor Swift, channeling Juliet, filmed a music video for “Love Story” on the castle grounds in 2008.

Freeman’s vision came to fruition, not overnight, but piece-by-piece as he could afford to build each new part of the structure. In the late 1970s, he met John Covington, with whom he shared a love of history, and Covington helped him secure 40 acres.

With the help of master mason Kenneth Canaday, Freeman broke ground on the first tower in 1980 and began building the second tower in 1984, using the barter system to help pay for parts of the project. In exchange for Canaday’s two years worth of weekends spent building brick arches, Freeman took wedding photos for each of Canaday’s four children.

Freeman and his wife, Jackie, a retired teacher, moved in on their wedding day in 1988.

He also used his photography to help supplement his payment to tilemaker David Wright, who designed and built Castle Gwynn’s coat of arms in the floor with hand-made tiles. Masonry students from Glencliff High School built the steps for the spiral stair case as part of a school project, allowing him to save significant sums, he said.

“You don’t have to be a millionaire to do these kinds of things,” Freeman said. “You’ve got to have perseverance.”

Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 or on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.

Renaissance Fest

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today (Pirate Invasion Weekend), May 17-18 (Celtic Weekend), and May 24-26 (Royal Jousting Tournament Weekend)

Where: 2124 New Castle Road, Arrington, Tenn.

For more information, visit: www.tnrenfest.com

Born in 1937 in Newport, TN to Jim and Imogene Arrington, Bob was one of 4 brothers, Wayne, Jimmy and Gene Arrington. Bob graduated from Oak Ridge High, Oak Ridge, TN in 1955. After high school he followed work which lead him to Nashville, TN and then to Oklahoma City. Where in 1957 he met and married Joyce Martin and they had 2 beautiful daughters, Gina and Jill. During his career at the Oklahoman, he continued his education while working a full time position and graduated with a Engineering Degree from OSU, all the while being an avid OU fan. He went to most of the OU home games with his dear friend Mike Shannon who worked with Bob for many many years at The Oklahoman. Bob was a Christian and attended Council Road Baptist Church as well as the Baptist Church in Mustang and then Midway Baptist Church in Sulphur, OK. Bob was a gardener and could grow wonderful fruits and veggies to feed the neighborhood. He was “Papa” to Abby and Lanee, and loved spending time being a grandpa, fishing and “riddin the gator” with his “girls”.

He joined The Oklahoma Publishing Company October 31, 1955 and retired July 31, 1995, but continued to do consulting work until the passing of his wife in October 1996. He started out working with linotype typesetting machines, as an operator and mechanic in the newspaper’s composing room.

As The Daily Oklahoman evolved in the 1970s with changing technology, he did as well, studying electrical engineering. He helped install and maintain the paper’s early computer systems, and with every technological advance, he took on greater responsibility. He was greatly instrumental in the evolution of the newspaper’s production methods from analog processes to digital systems. At the end of his career, he directed the newspaper’s pre-press production department and was responsible for the news and advertising departments’ computer terminals, and the production department’s computer systems, typesetters and platemakers. Bob is preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Wayne and Jimmy. Survivors’ include his daughters Gina Starr, her husband David and Jill Centala, her husband John and their children Abby and Lanee Centala. His brother Gene Arrington, his wife Barbara and their son Darrell of Farragut TN. Nephews Eddie and Jeff Arrington, nieces Kim, Christy and Susan Arrington of Tennessee. Many cousins, neighbors, friends and co-works that he loved and cherished in his life. Funeral Services will be held 10:00 am, Wednesday, September 27th at Hahn, Cook, Street and Draper, 6600 N Broadway Ext., Oklahoma City, OK with Interment to follow at Rose Hill Burial Park.

Kix Brooks is many things — namely a best-selling country music superstar and half of the iconic musical duo Brooks & Dunn. He's been a part of the music scene in Nashville since the early '80s and still performs regularly. But did you know he's also passionate about wine? (Aren't we all?) He's passionate enough to get a couple of guys together and make his own vineyard.

It all started back in 2003 when Brooks decided to buy a 25-acre hog farm and transform it. He worked on revamping the property and planting grapevines. The following year he was even able to purchase the property next door that included a farmhouse...this would later become the wine tasting room.

While the grapes were growing, the original name for the vineyard was going to be Firefly Vineyards, but Brooks and his partners decided to change the name to support the Arrington community. In 2005, Brooks worked with local officials to set up zoning rights so that he was able to open a tasting room as well as a retail store on the property. It was finally time for Arrington Vineyards to show the world what it was made of in 2007.

And they started with a bang. Their 2004 Syrah won the "Best of Show" award at the Wines of the South Competition. They even sold out of their entire 2005 vintage within months. The vineyard's success is what attracted John Russell to the partnership the following year. He added some business expertise and started distributing the Arrington Vineyards products around the state.

Read More: Drink Wine in a Vintage Camper at This California Vineyard

Don't live in Tennessee or have any plans to visit soon? No problem! "Kix's Wine Club" was founded in 2009 and ships its products to 44 different states. The coolest part of the club? You can choose the type of wine you want. You like reds? Perfect! They have a Red Fan Club. They also have a White Fan Club, Sweet Fan Club or a Mixed Fan Club if you just like wine in general and want whatever they'll send you. Orders get sent out every March, May, September and November. Or if you're just curious about the product, ship yourself a box of a couple of bottles!

If you're looking for an especially high-end experience, consider the Wine Loft overlooking the vineyard. You'll get a guided tour of the Barrel House and Wine Production Facility and then enjoy some delicious wine in the private wine loft selected by Master Vintner, Kip Summers. Bites of food by Simply Living Life will also be provided. It's also only $50/person, which sounds like an incredible deal.

Until they reopen, check out their beautiful property on their Instagram page, and consider ordering some wine to try yourself at home!

This year is the 34th anniversary of the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. Over those years, a lot has happened in and around Castle Gwynn, where the event occurs. What began with a few thousand attendees, now welcomes tens of thousands. But the road has not been all smooth sailing. Still, fans of RenFest are loyal and they are who allow Mike Freeman, the owner of the castle and founder of the festival, to manifest his dream of living in a real castle.

Freeman greets all of his guests and invites them to look inside his unique home. And yes, he really lives there with his wife, Jackie. Here are a few things Freeman shared with us.

1Castle Gwynn is 50 years in the making

The castle is 50 years in the making. Freeman began visualizing his ideas in a high school architecture class where he was supposed to draw his dream home.

2The castle was not complete when RenFest began

When Freeman started the RenFest, there were only two towers and no roof on the castle. One he lived in, and one was basically an empty shell.

3One day, you can get married at Castle Gwynn

From the very start, he planned to have weddings on the grounds, but he is just now building his event hall. He has been working on the hall for two years, and it will probably take two more years to complete. It is modeled after the dining hall in a French hunting lodge (what they called small rural castles). The fireplace will be big enough to stand inside and there will be a working drawbridge.

4Taylor Swift made a music video at the castle

When Taylor Swift was in the process of making her video “Love Story,” the director thought they were going to have to fly to Europe to find a castle to film. Then he discovered Castle Gwynn. It was perfect. The art director painted the stones on the front staircase. The paint is still there, ten years later.

5Castle construction was halted due to I-840

I-840 runs right through the original fairgrounds. Freeman was lucky enough to be able to purchase the land across the street to have a place to continue the RenFest. However, the blasting did a lot of damage. The blasts were like mini earthquakes. He had to stop building for a number of years.

6Many of the tapestries are handmade

One woman, Imogene Stone, handmade most of the tapestries in the castle. They are displayed throughout, but many are in the first-floor passage between the two towers. She, sadly, passed away last year.

7Jousting is real

Jousting is for real. They really try to knock each other off their horses. Both horse and rider are highly trained in the medieval sport. It is very dangerous. Competitors have broken ribs, collarbones, and shoulders; punctured lungs; and had concussions. Jousting tournaments were started to keep knights and their steeds in top physical condition so they would be ready whenever a war happened. They did a lot of fighting in the Middle Ages.

8RenFest is a melting pot of visitors

Visitors to the RenFest come from all walks of life. It is a real melting pot. From those just wanting to have a good time; to those interested in history; to Game of Thrones fans; to fantasy lovers; to gamers; to actors; to those obsessed with comic books, Star Wars, superheroes, and/or Star Trek. All are accepted and welcome.

9A real viking sword is on display

Freeman has a real Viking sword, as well as a battle sword, on display. They are really cool in spite of their history.

10Turkey legs are a big attraction

While you can find a variety of food at RenFest, like sausage, ribs, fried pies, cotton candy and so much more; the biggest draw for food is the turkey legs.

This just scratches the surface of what there is to know about Castle Gwynn and the Tennessee Renaissance Festival. You can go every year and still never see and do everything. Whether you are interested in seeing the castle, buying a dragon egg, or playing an ancient game of chance – this is the place to come.

Tennessee Renaissance Festival Castle Gwynn 2124 Newcastle Road Arrington, TN 37014 615-395-9950 tnrenfest.com/index.htm Dates of Festival: May 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, plus Memorial Day May 27th, 2019