Bra-vado
Lisa Hobbs|August 5, 2026|1 min readLISA HOBBS - News Editor
Work is underway to replace Sparta Street’s Dollar General. It was destroyed last year by a man who allegedly set fire to a bra out of anger.
Manchester resident Matthew Howell was charged with aggravated arson for the April 11, 2025, incident. He, according to reports from McMinnville Police Department, admitted to walking into the store, grabbing a torch lighter and using it to set a bra on fire. The catalyst for the incident was purportedly anger following a telephone call between Howell and his mother.
While Howell and all three employees escaped the building unharmed, the structure was deemed to be a total loss due to damage from fire, water and smoke.
Originally charged with three counts of aggravated arson, Howell now faces a single count after the case was bound over to the Warren County Grand Jury in August of 2025 and two counts were dropped.
Howell, being held on a $30,000 bond, will have his next court appearance on Sept. 2 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Larry B. Stanley, Jr.
About the reporter
Lisa Hobbs
News Editor
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.”
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