we can do this better!

Four men standing together indoors with wood-paneled walls and deer heads mounted on the wall behind them. They are smiling and wearing casual clothing, including baseball caps.

The Warren County Way was born from that simple statement - This community is looking for a good news source, and Chris Sullens, the owner of C&S Brokerages and Media Company, believes he has assembled the right team to get the job done for ALL of Warren County. The focus is easy - let good people do a good job and let the reporting be the reporting. With trusted members of the community blanketed across the area in pursuit of the latest news, government, community, and sports coverage, the Warren County Way can get people the information they need at a price they can afford. 

Along with the website, Sullens, Jeff Simmons, and Trevor Evans will continue to grow the Warren County Sports Authority show, which airs weekly on Wednesday nights on social media. The group will also partner with the Upper Cumberland Reporter to broadcast Pioneer and Lady Pioneer games in the 2026-27 school year and beyond. The Warren County Way will also collaborate with Warren First and Warren County Joy to bring all the community's trusted voices to one site.

Thank you, Warren County! 

Our Team

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Jeffery Simmons

Jeffrey Simmons began covering local athletics in 2010 and has been recognized more than a dozen times by the Tennessee Press Association for writing, photography, and sports coverage, including being named the state’s sports writer of the year twice.

Simmons will also be a point of contact for advertisers looking to partner with the website. He will continue his work with the Warren County Sports Authority and serve as the play-by-play commentator for Pioneer and Lady Pioneer broadcasts in 2026-27, when WCSA partners with Upper Cumberland Reporter.

“Ever since I started my own website back in 2020 to cover local sports and news, I knew this was going to be the way to get the most information to the most people,” said Simmons. “This is going to be even better because we’re not restricting anybody from getting the news they want and need. It’ll do wonders to promote Warren County.”

general manager, sports editor
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Lisa Hobbs

Lisa Hobbs is an award-winning writer. She has 21 years of experience in newspaper journalism, including 17 years at a publication in Warren County. During that timeframe, she covered both city and county governments, education, wrecks, fires, crime, community events, and wrote a popular Sunday column named Just A Thought. “My desire at Warren County Way is to return ethical and dedicated news coverage to the community I served for almost two decades.”

News Editor and Public Relations Director
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James clark

lead contributor

James is an English teacher and track coach with Warren County Schools. While a teacher by trade, he has written professionally since 1992. His stories and photos have been published throughout Tennessee and as far away as Australia and Scotland. When not working, James enjoys gardening, exercising, and following the Tennessee Titans. He and his lovely wife Cupcake have two grown boys.

What People Are Saying

  • Top-notch. Trustworthy. Community-first. The Warren County Way gives McMinnville the reliable news source everyone should expect. If it’s news that matters, it’s covered on time and on point. Authentic, smart, consistent coverage that doesn’t cost a dime. This is local news done the right way — and a better way. -- online or on air. This is the only site I need to bookmark. The Warren County Way covers my hometown, from politician to Pioneer.

    — Johnathon Hutton, NewsChannel 5 Network Analyst

  • Sports writing, much of the time, is a recap of a contest, a bland summary of a game played between opponents. However, with Jeff Simmons, it’s often a richly developed story with interesting characters, conflict, and resolution. We know how the game turned out already ... Jeff makes you look forward to the story within and surrounding that contest, in colorful ways that you don’t find elsewhere. He helps you know the athletes, the coaches, and the 'family' surrounding them. He provides great storytelling that is an important part of the sports community and the full experience sports give us. He is a different kind of sports writer

    — Kelly Eckenrod, Centertown Coach & 1979 Lady Pioneer State Champion

  • When I got the news that Lisa Hobbs was coming back to Warren County to cover the news, I got excited. Lisa has been one of my favorite reporters - no offense to any current or past reporters from Warren County. She was with the Standard during my freshman year as a commissioner. Jimmy Haley had named me chairman of the County Corrections Partnership and, boy, was I green. To say we had issues in the jail was an understatement and I was determined to get to the bottom of it. So we started meeting every other week and had some long, interesting meetings. This is where I learned what kind of reporter Lisa was. Many times, we were discussing safety-sensitive stuff regarding what was working properly or not within the facilities. Lisa always knew how her reporting could impact the safety of the officers and inmates - and she handled it professionally. Professionalism and making sure she had the story was a trend: I have seen her take the time to understand the people she was writing about instead of chasing sensational headlines. She knows discretion and how to use it, yet still cover what needs to be covered so the folks from Warren County are informed. I personally feel that having her writing about Warren County is a great thing and look forward to reading and keeping up to date with our news from her.

    — Steven Helton, Owner, SHHH Farms & County Commissioner, District 9, Morrison/Viola Area