Local News
Williamson County is considering a ban on any new cell phone towers up close to schools and neighborhoods. A proposal would require towers to be at least 1,500 feet away. This comes after hundreds of neighbors petitioned for the removal of a tower that was placed just 615 feet away from an elementary school. Neighbors say they’re concerned over electromagnetic radiation. Officials say the tower in question is in compliance with FCC guidelines.
Multiple agencies were called to a deadly crash involving two vehicles early Tuesday morning on the interstate south of Murfreesboro. 19-year-old Bianca Benford was traveling east on I-24 in a Nissan Altima and crossed over the median. Her Altima entered the westbound side of the interstate and struck 50-year-old Joe Hale in a Nissan Rogue head-on. Benford, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died in the crash. Hale did have a seatbelt on at the time and sustained injuries the extent of which are unknown.
Hundreds of requests to fix potholes have been pouring into the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) following a winter storm that brought several inches of snow and ice to the area. State officials, the department received 523 reports regarding potholes on state-owned highways in Middle Tennessee between Monday, Jan. 22, and Friday, Jan. 26. Nearly as many people submitted maintenance requests notifying TDOT staff of problems on the state’s highways last week, with officials reporting having received 496 unique requests within 26 counties throughout Middle Tennessee.
Wildlife officials are now seeking to add federal protections for a species of bumble bee that researchers believe is “declining at an alarming rate.’ There are more than 250 species of bumble bee worldwide — more than 40 of which are found in North America. However, many species have reportedly shown signs of decline across the country, with the Southern Plains bumble bee now half as abundant as it was a few decades ago. Research has shown that the Southern Plains bumble bee’s decline has likely been the result of multiple threats, including ongoing habitat loss due to agriculture and development, pesticide exposure, pathogens from commercial bees, climate change, and small population size.