The Murfreesboro Pulse

10/12/2026

Local chef Alex Belew, season 21 winner of Hell’s Kitchen, announced that he plans to open his new restaurant, Chinwag Social, located at the Fountains at Gateway (1440 Medical Center Pkwy. in ) on Thursday, Oct. 22.

Reservations are not necessary but are highly recommended to guarantee a table. Walk-in service will be available for the bar/cocktail lounge and patio area dependent on the weather.

For reservations or to learn more, visit chinwagsocial.com.

More Local Business News 👇🏻

https://boropulse.com/2026/10/murfreesboro-business-buzz-bubbas-33-mi-bella-columbia-harveys-ny-bagels-daves-hot-chicken-metalmax-business-park-repiccis-and-more/

10/12/2026

One East College renovations have begun after 8 years of delays on the project, which led at one point to the City of issuing a notice of default just over two years ago.

Since then, developers have revised their proposal and expect to have the church’s renovations complete by early 2027. The historic sanctuary and bell tower will be preserved, with the space possibly re-purposed into a restaurant, entertainment, or a live music venue.

Original plans for a 110-room hotel have been revised, and will instead provide 40 condos, 167 multifamily residential units, commercial space, and potentially a new parking garage.

More Local Business News 👇🏻

https://boropulse.com/2026/10/murfreesboro-business-buzz-bubbas-33-mi-bella-columbia-harveys-ny-bagels-daves-hot-chicken-metalmax-business-park-repiccis-and-more/

10/12/2026

Oct. 15 – Tin Foil Hat Open Mic Night 🎙️🗯️

Reserve your spot for the Tin Foil Hat Open Mic Night on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 7–9 p.m. at Oflow Bakery (115 N. Maple St. in ). The most convincing theory shared in the Tin Foil Hat Open Mic Night wins a free individual size cheesecake. Ten percent of the event proceeds go towards feeding the homeless and needy in the community. For more information, visit overflowb.com/events.

More Community Events 👇🏻

https://boropulse.com/2026/10/october-2026-community-events/

10/12/2026

A indoor playground is preparing to close its doors months after a state tax mix-up left the small business without thousands of dollars, triggering what its owner describes as a financial crisis it could not recover from when more than $6,700 was taken from her business’s bank account through a levy connected to a state unemployment tax issue.

Kids Corner owner Cayla Poindexter said Oct. 29 will be the final day of business after nearly four years serving families in Rutherford County.

“We’re not closing because families don’t like Kids Corner. We’re not closing because we don’t have any customers,” Poindexter said. “We got stuck paying yesterday’s bills and today’s bills because of what happened to us.”

The problem began in January 2024 when a third-party payroll provider mistakenly used Kid’s Corner’s account number while filing for another employer.

The department said it corrected the initial errors, but additional incorrect filings and a lack of communication allowed the case to advance through the legal process. By the time the final correction was made, court collection actions had already begun.

Poindexter said the money was taken in early May, leaving her without the savings she relied on to cover expenses during slower months.

It wasn’t until late July that she received a refund of just under $6,000. By then, she said, the financial damage had already been done.

“I mean, I was relieved to get it back. I don’t want to discount that,” Poindexter said. “People think, ‘They got their money back, it’s all fine now,’ but it’s not fine because it started a snowball effect of irreparable financial damage to our business.”

Poindexter said she was forced to take out a cash advance to keep the business operating while waiting for the money to be returned.

More 👇🏻

A Murfreesboro indoor playground is preparing to close its doors months after a state tax mix-up left the small business without thousands of dollars, triggering what its owner describes as a finan…

10/11/2026

It’s Pumpkin Season 🍁🎃🍞🍂 and Pumpkin French Toast is back at Joanie's Murfreesboro. This scratch-made, pumpkin-infused French Toast is drizzled with house-made cream cheese pumpkin glaze and is available now through the end of November at both Joanie’s locations: 📍 1733 St. Andrews and 13 S. Public Square in

For a sip of something seasonal, try one of Joanie’s fall beverages:
🎃 Pumpkin Spice,
🍁 Maple Pecan,
🧣 Sweater Weather (cinnamon),
🍑 Peach Cobbler,
🍫 S’Mores and
☕️ Spiced Vanilla Chai

Although steeped in coffeeshop vibes, the Joanie’s menu covers everything from breakfast classics to some delicious, fresh salad combinations, breakfast burritos, French toast, beefy burgers and more, many items having a creative twist and name.

Named for owner Jason Day’s mother, Joanie, the establishment serves its entire menu during all business hours.

More 👇🏻

https://boropulse.com/2024/11/in-honor-of-joanie-find-much-more-than-coffee-at-pair-of-murfreesboro-shops-crepes-burgers-brunch-and-salads/

10/11/2026

For a place tucked into the middle of , Murfree Spring Wetlands can offer some surprisingly wild encounters. Among the wetlands’ abundance of wildlife, the river otters are a particular favorite, with visitors often hoping to catch a glimpse of the “river puppies” as they swim and hunt the waterways.

North American river otters are built for life in the water. They have long, streamlined bodies, webbed feet and thick, water-resistant fur that help them swim and stay warm. They spend much of their time in and around rivers, streams and wetlands, where they hunt for fish, crayfish, frogs and other small aquatic animals.

Their playful behavior is part of what makes them so fun to watch. Watching them is rarely a quiet affair; they splash, dive, chase one another, and enthusiastically go about the business of finding and eating their next meal. There’s something almost comical about watching them at work.

For the otters, Murfree Spring offers much of what they need: water to swim and hunt in, plenty of aquatic life to eat and areas where they can move between the water and surrounding vegetation. And while Murfreesboro may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of river otters, they seem quite at home in this little corner of the city.

📸 Ashleigh Newnes

More 👇🏻

https://boropulse.com/2026/10/murfree-spring-river-otters-swim-splash-and-hunt-for-fish-and-crayfish-in-murfreesboro/

10/10/2026

More and more cities across , and the country, are opting to remove, disable or cancel contracts regarding Flock license plate readers. officials, meanwhile, are reaffirming their support for them amidst growing public awareness of and pushback against the surveillance and vehicle tracking network, implemented and funded by municipal governments, built and maintained by a private company.

Murfreesboro has installed over 100 of these LPRs around town, constantly capturing images of passing vehicles, compiling and archiving license plate information.

Many local residents have directly expressed to the Murfreesboro City Council exactly what they think about the devices, some referring to the council members who approved the Flock cameras as a group of “tyrants.”

“We don’t like surveillance that we didn’t consent to,” Murfreesboro resident Pamela Jones told the city council at an August meeting. “We don’t like a city council who doesn’t seem to care what we think. You know this is wrong.”

While many are not comfortable with the fact that local law enforcement has access to vehicular travel data, some take particular issue with a private company—the Georgia-based Flock Safety, which has grown rapidly since its 2017 founding, now leasing its devices to thousands of cities and organizations across the country—gathering, and potentially selling, data on motorists.

“It’s $517,000 of taxpayer money so that a private company can track our movement,” said another local resident, Zoe McDowell. “It’s dystopian and it does not belong in Murfreesboro.”

Members of the city council, responsible for bringing the technology to Murfreesboro, stand by the data gathering and movement tracking that the license plate readers allow.

“I support Flock cameras because they are a valuable tool that helps our police solve crimes and keep our community safe,” said Murfreesboro City Councilman Austin Maxwell.

Many onlookers point out the irony that leaders such as Maxwell from the Republican Party—formerly the party of smaller government and individual rights—are the ones responsible for and supportive of the surveillance network.

More 👇🏻

https://boropulse.com/2026/10/surveillance-state-public-pushback-grows-against-murfreesboros-dystopian-flock-network/

10/10/2026

🍁🎃🌼🍂 Valley Growers has many, many beautiful mums to choose from, including tri-color mums, as well as pumpkins and a variety of fall decor.

🌼🌼 9” Mums are buy one get one FREE while supplies last! 🌼🌼

📸 Take the kids for DIY photos in front of their fall backdrop.

📍 Valley Growers Garden Center - Murfreesboro/Lascassas has 2 locations: 985 Middle Tennessee Blvd. in at the Rutherford Co-Op and 1641 E. Compton Rd.

⏰ Hours are Monday through Friday, 8–5 and Saturday, 8–4.

📝 Note, the Compton location is closed Saturday this weekend due to predicted weather but open Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

10/10/2026

Beautiful Friday Sunset Over Middle ❤️🧡🩷

📸 Jared Ambrose Photography

10/10/2026

Heaviest period of rain and wind for Middle from Hurricane Isaias is expected mid-morning Saturday into Saturday night. ⛈️💨

Impacts for Middle TN from Hurricane Isaias will be wind gusts up to 45 MPH and 1-3 inches of rain. Peak period for both impacts looks to be mid-morning Saturday into Saturday night. We currently have a wind advisory and a flood watch out for both hazards. Stay safe and dry weather peeps!