Hardeman County leaders have formally recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, joining advocates from the Wo/Men’s Resource & Rape Assistance Program (WRAP) for a proclamation signing in Bolivar this past week. The Hardeman County domestic violence awareness push also included a walkathon around Courthouse Square, where an advocate shared local figures showing how often abuse touches families in the county just north and west of Middleton.
Proclamation Signed in Hardeman County
The proclamation was signed on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. WRAP advocate Tamiko Talley, who serves Hardeman and Chester counties, and WRAP program director Dylan Purvis met with mayors, law enforcement and local court officials for the event. Hardeman County General Sessions Judge Harriet Thompson and Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic read the proclamation together.
Judge Thompson said domestic violence cases come before her court every week, and she praised Talley for giving victims an advocate. Mayor McTizic credited Talley for staying in the role and following through, noting that previous advocates had not lasted long in the county. Purvis thanked the court officials and officers WRAP works alongside, saying the proclamation means far more than a piece of paper.
Talley and Purvis traveled to Chester County the next day, Thursday, October 8, for a similar signing there.
Walkathon at Courthouse Square in Bolivar
Earlier in the month, on Saturday, October 3, Talley organized a Domestic Violence Awareness Walkathon at Courthouse Square in Bolivar. Walkers repeated three phrases as they completed each lap around the courthouse: “End Violence,” “Changes Lives” and “Give Hope.”
The morning also included a Pouring of the Sand ceremony for survivors, and a local survivor, Christina Littlejohn, shared her story with those who attended.
Hardeman County Domestic Violence Awareness by the Numbers
Talley shared statistics compiled by WRAP for Hardeman County, as reported by The Magnolia Post:
244 domestic violence and sexual assault reports were made to law enforcement in Hardeman County in 2025.
About 32.4 percent of all crimes against persons reported to law enforcement in the county involved some form of domestic or sexual violence.
Eight people lost their lives to domestic violence in West Tennessee, according to WRAP.
Talley stressed that those figures only reflect cases that were reported. She said many victims never come forward because of distrust of law enforcement, not knowing where to find help, or shame. “There is no particular set of people it happens to, it happens to everybody,” she said.
Where to Find Help
WRAP’s stated mission is to prevent intimate partner violence, stop the transmission of violence to children and young people, and build healthy relationships across the lifespan. The nonprofit serves 15 counties in Tennessee, including Hardeman County, which takes in Middleton, Bolivar, Whiteville, Hornsby and Grand Junction.
Anyone in Hardeman or Chester County who needs help can contact WRAP and ask for the local advocate.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-799-7233.
In an emergency, call 911.
Residents on the Mississippi side of the state line in Tippah and Benton counties can also reach the national hotline around the clock.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
