COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — After a deadly EF-3 tornado tore through Columbia in 2024, E.A. Cox Middle School students are helping their community build resilience through a special project.
The tornado, which hit on May 8, 2024, carved a 12-mile path of destruction through the local landscape. It killed Cheryl Lovett. Lovett worked at Stan's Market and Restaurant for nearly 40 years and died on her first day of retirement.
In response to the tragedy, students in the school's art club were challenged midway through the year to create something uplifting for their community.
"There was a lot of damage. I know we didn't have school for a week," said Aubrey Baltzer, a middle school student.
They designed, built, and painted a Little Free Library that now stands outside the school to honor those affected by the storm.
"You just drive up and take whatever you need," Aubrey Baltzer explained.
The project features a meaningful message that resonates beyond just the tornado recovery.
"I just really enjoy the phrase we choose to put on the placard that says 'weather the storm,'" said David Goloversic, their teacher. "Each day, we encounter little storms. As we enter school, we might be in places where something bad happened, or we're revisiting something that happened the day before. It's all about resilience, getting back on your feet and taking charge of things that matter."
For the 30 students in grades five through eight who worked on the project, creating this resource for their hometown was deeply meaningful.
"It's good to inspire people," Autumn Baltzer said.
Goloversic noted that the project served multiple purposes and taught the children many lessons.
"I think a lot of times we look for ways to build up confidence, and the way that happens is through giving and having the opportunity to give back," Goloversic said.
While some physical reminders of the storm remain visible around Columbia, like snapped trees and trampled barns, the Little Free Library stands as a symbol of the community's ongoing recovery and resilience.
This same storm killed 10-year-old Asher Sullivan in Christiana. The boy was gravely injured when floodwaters swept him into a storm drain. Sullivan's family created a charity in his name and a GoFundMe for that memorial foundation.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
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