Local News
Wilson County Schools are back in session with a record number of students. More than 20-thousands young people returned to class yesterday. The district says they are mostly staffed, but like many Middle Tennessee schools, some positions remain open. Public Information Officer Bart Barker says they are still in need of bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and some K through eight teachers.
As Tennessee students return to class, state officials are reminding residents of the SafeTN app. The system launched three years ago and allows users to report threats and potentially dangerous situations anonymously to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Department Director Greg Mays says the app has been improved with new drop-down menus, and can also connect students with support for substance abuse, mental health, and bullying. Mays says the most important thing is to report any threat or dangerous situation, whether it’s through the app or to a teacher or other official.
A Clarksville City Council member sees the removal of strict regulations in the community’s future. Trisha Butler has drafted a repeal for a set of rules for local fortune tellers. Passed in 1986, the ordinance requires anyone working as a fortune teller to have been a resident of Tennessee for ten years, of Clarksville for two, and to hold a college degree and clean bill of health from a Montgomery County doctor. The council will decide whether to repeal the regulations this week.
Singer-songwriter Amy Grant is recovering at home after a bicycle accident last week. She was initially hospitalized following the incident. A statement posted on her Twitter account says she hit a pothole while riding with a friend, leading to her injuries. Potholes have been a consistent issue in the area since last winter, with TDOT citing supply chain problems for delays in some road repairs.
A new hearing date of Oct. 28 has been set for the case of James Jackson Conn, the man charged in the murder of Robertson County Sheriff Deputy Savanna Puckett in January. At a status hearing in Robertson County Circuit Court last month, the new date was agreed upon between Conn’s attorney, the prosector and Judge Robert Bateman. Conn is facing up to six different charges, including aggravated arson and first-degree murder for his role in the death of Puckett.