Tennessee Whiskers Cat Rescue, a volunteer and foster based organization focused on saving stray cats in our community, has formed in Murfreesboro.

Catfeine Cat Cafe (517 Cason Ln.) will host a fundraiser launch party for the new nonprofit cat rescue organization on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 6–8 p.m. This party will also be like a kitten shower where Tennessee Whiskers will share its wish list to help it get started.

Tennessee Whiskers has set a goal to save 100 local cats in its first year. It costs around $250 to fully vet and care for a healthy cat, according to the organization. This includes vaccines, spay or neuter services, testing, a microchip, flea meds, dewormer, food, litter and basic supplies. It will launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise the $25,000 needed to meet that goal. It has registered to be a 501c3 organization, so all donations will be tax deductible.

The five cat ladies behind Tennessee Whiskers Cat Rescue include Danielle Harrett, Lori Kean, Taura Byrd, Wanda Channell and Nicole Campanella, with cat daddy Chris Conro volunteering to serve as the organization’s treasurer

“There are countless requests every day for help with cats in need and limited support or resources available in our area,” Byrd said. “They need more help!”

While Byrd is also the founder and operator of Catfeine Cat Cafe, Catfeine will remain a separate entity from the rescue, but will serve as a foster home for Tennessee Whiskers.

“Our community has always been so supportive of Catfeine for the last six years,” Byrd said. “This felt like the right next step to further our reach in helping more cats in need.”

Additionally, Catfeine will continue to collaborate with other area rescue partners that align with its values and mission.

“We love and support our other local rescues and only strive to be an additional resource for our community.”

For more on Tennessee Whiskers Cat Rescue, including information on volunteering, fostering and donating, visit linktr.ee/tennesseewhiskers or tennesseewhiskers.com or come out to the Feb. 15 event.

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The White Monkey Market will open for regular hours on Feb. 12. Jeremy and Kellie Myers initially launched White Monkey to assist families with estate sales and have now opened a full-time market at 2859 Middle Tennessee Blvd. They have leased that house, owned by another local family and small business owner, and have held periodic estate sales there.

“We felt led to open the market full time to support the growing population of the Murfreesboro community and to better serve those individuals who enjoy shopping upcycled, vintage and estate items,” Jeremy Myers said. “This allows folks who enjoy shopping estate items to shop them in Murfreesboro even when there isn’t an estate sale available.”

The Market will feature an assortment of goods including vintage, primitives, locally sourced goods, baked goods, jewelry, clothing, gifts, records and other items from local family estate collections.

“Many have asked if we will continue doing our traditional estate sales out in private homes as well. The answer is a big fat yes,” Myers said. “We love assisting local families that are in difficult transition. There is more on the horizon from the White Monkey Brand. So be on the lookout for more.”

Hours for the White Monkey Market are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit facebook.com/whitemonkeyes for more information.

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Ken Strode’s recent choice to sell Hank’s Honky Tonk to Dale and Heather Clear signifies a shift from one side of the bar to the other. The Clears, who were regular patrons of the establishment, had developed a deep appreciation for the bar’s atmosphere and community.

“Ken and I are still really good friends. We’re working on things together,” Dale Clear said regarding the sale. “It’s been a very peaceful, nice transfer.”

The new owners are investing in upgrading the venue’s audio and video capabilities, as well as diversifying the entertainment programming to include both music and sports-related events and viewings.

Dale and Heather Clear are originally from Indiana, where they were born and raised and were high school sweethearts. The couple moved to Tennessee about 20 years ago for Dale to pursue a career in the music business, specifically playing guitar for various country artists. Some of the notable artists he has worked with include Kellie Pickler, Chris Young, Craig Campbell and Andy Griggs. This experience in the country music industry has fueled his aspiration to establish a music venue.

“I always had in my head that I wanted to have a little music venue,” Clear said. “We’ve had a couple of pizza restaurants in our past, so we have a little bit of a restaurant background, and we also have the music background . . . I’m going to have some fun in here.”

The new proprietors plan to continue Hank’s tradition of combining live music performances with good dining and maintaining a fun and inviting space. The Clears also plan to add more sports viewing to the format, with plans to host a Super Bowl party as well as events around the World Series, Masters golf tournament and NCAA Final Four.

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Tommy Dang and Christie Shedd expect to open their new establishment, High Society Food Bar and Lounge, in February. The new concept will come to 211 W. Main St. with hours from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. The building, which previously housed Murfreesboro Axe, will now feature a blend of Asian and Cajun cuisines, according to the restaurant owners.

High Society will serve shrimp and grits, fish, gumbo, curries and pho, with the possibility of a sushi menu in the future.

The front section of the 5,000-square-foot building will serve as the main restaurant space, including a bar and a small stage, with a VIP lounge in the middle section and the kitchen in the back.

“It’s a different concept,” said Shedd. “We’re going to be opening every morning at 6 a.m. and closing every day at 3 a.m.”

Dang has a history in restaurants on the Gulf Coast, while Shedd owns the two Mi Patria restaurants in Murfreesboro as well as Tax Leaders. Both have owned and operated nail salons and have been involved in multiple other small businesses.

For more information, find High Society on Facebook or call 629-295-3982.

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A nékter Juice Bar location has opened in Murfreesboro, offering smoothies, juices, acai bowls, wellness shots and detox drinks.

Find the new location of the juice franchise at 1306 Westlawn Blvd. B4, off of Veterans Parkway near I-840. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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First Baptist Church Murfreesboro, located at 738 E. Castle St., has recently acquired property around the area to create more parking space for the church as the congregation continues to grow.

As part of its full plans, six homes and a barber shop are expected to be demolished to provide space along East Castle Street and South Bilbro Avenue. The new space will consist of 220 new parking spaces, as well as a quarter-mile walking track, a conference center that will house more classrooms, fellowship and conference rooms, a commercial kitchen, daycare center and multimedia creative suite. The project is expected to be completed by the end of June.

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Murfreesboro’s new Water Resources building has opened at 316 Robert Rose Dr., behind Home Depot and Walmart, at the corner of Gateway Blvd. The new building houses financing, customer service, engineering, storm water and GIS departments, providing more room for employees as the city continues to grow. It also features options for customers to pay water bills inside or via drive-thru. For additional information, visit murfreesborotn.gov/2635/Water-Resources.

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The Murfreesboro Planning Commission has recently approved plans for a new Fairfield Inn by Marriott. The new four-story, 65,000-square-foot hotel will be located on a 2.69-acre lot at Robert Rose Drive and Lothric Way and will offer 122 rooms.

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Titan Material Handling, which offers forklift sales, rentals and repairs, has announced plans to relocate from its current space at 651 Middle Tennessee Blvd. to a 3.14-acre site at 333 W. Rutherford Blvd. The site plan was approved for a 5,334-square-foot office space and 18,012 square feet of warehouse space in addition to 27 parking spaces.

Titan offers a variety of forklift types including industrial, electric and diesel as well as aerial lifts and platforms, telehandlers, pallet trucks, tow tractors and more. Visit titanmh.com for more information.

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CLOSINGS

Crazy C’s Liquidation, located at 1005 W. College St., recently suffered a fire that began within the building. Firefighters arrived on scene to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the warehouse-style building. The building was vacant at the time of the incident and MFRD crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control and extinguished it without any injuries. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

As a result, Crazy C’s will be closed for repairs, but will reopen soon, according to the business. Find Crazy C’s Liquidation on Facebook for updates.

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Murfreesboro’s historic City Cafe has officially closed after 125 years in operation. The cafe serves as Tennessee’s longest-operating restaurant, with an original opening date of Feb. 10, 1900.

The restaurant, which has seen multiple ownership changes over the years, has been a well-loved community gathering place, known for its Southern hospitality and comfort food.

“This economy has literally broke us. We have tried so hard to stay ahead but, when you have more going out than coming in it catches up with you,” according to a January social media post from current City Cafe owners Teresa and Rollin Kellogg. “We have been blessed to get to know our community in ways we could not have without this Cafe. We have been blessed to get to know our employees throughout the years and create family bonds with them. We have been blessed to feel family bonds with our customers.”

The post included the mysterious comment “We don’t know what is going to come of the Cafe from here,” leading to much local speculation, opinion, offers to buy, conjecture, and even a few GoFundMe pages to raise money to purchase the business (although those behind those pages evidently had no communication or agreement with the restaurant’s owners).

Shortly after City Cafe announced its closure, local business owner Austin Robinson (who operates CPR Cell Phone Repair) posted to Facebook with a cash offer of $10,000 to take over the lease and rights to the business name, assets and inventory with intent to keep all current staff onboard.

“I have reached out via a few different avenues to get in contact with the current owner, however, they have been unsuccessful. My wife and I have been business owners in the ’Boro for the past 10 years. I do not want to see a piece of history go under,” he said in his post. “Let’s keep this place alive and make a comeback better than ever!”

Numerous other local residents have expressed interest in purchasing the business and continuing the legacy, though Robinson, and the rest of the Murfreesboro public, are still awaiting a response from the restaurant’s owners regarding a potential sale.

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Bridgestone Americas, a subsidiary of Bridgestone, recently announced a decision to close its La Vergne Truck and Bus Radial Tire Plant effective July 31, 2025. According to a recent press release, the closure will help the company by optimizing its business footprint, strengthening its competitiveness and enhancing the quality of the company’s U.S. operations. Bridgestone also announced capacity and workforce reductions at its Des Moines agriculture tire plant, with additional workforce reductions in U.S. sales and operations.

“Closing this facility will impact the lives of 700 Bridgestone employees,” said Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr regarding the La Vergne announcement. “This decision will affect the community in a myriad of ways.”

This facility has provided employment for many in the La Vergne community for decades and it was the first Bridgestone plant in the United States.

Additional operations in its Latin America facilities are also expected to have cost optimization efforts, along with reductions in workforce and production capacity at its facilities and business operations in Argentina and Brazil. These initiatives are part of Bridgestone’s “business rebuilding 2nd stage” outlined in the Mid Term Business Plan (2024–2026).

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Southern Soul Cuisine, located at 535 NW Broad St., appears to have closed. An official closing has not been announced, although locals have reported that restaurant owners have not been responding to catering calls and doors have been locked.

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The Bojangles restaurant at 2263 Memorial Blvd. has closed. The building’s signs have been removed and passersby have observed crews painting the building blue.

The Church Street Bojangles location remains open.

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Quinn’s Mercantile remains closed. The Spring Street business that sold gifts, home goods, clothing and candles said it closed temporarily in September, but stayed closed through the holidays up to February. Some who know business owner Tracy Toy said this was due to health issues.

The store’s website has been disabled, and inquiries from customers regarding a possible reopening have gone unanswered. Those behind the Stones River Market, which used Quinn’s porch as a produce drop-off point, announced in January that they had to relocate due to the closing of Quinn’s.