Local News

Springfield officials are urging residents to use caution as temperatures reach into the high 90’s this week.  Conditions will be especially dangerous for those working outdoors.  Emergency management personnel are also asking people to check on elderly family members and neighbors. 

Toby Keith is revealing that he has been battling stomach cancer.  The country singer took to Facebook Sunday to share with friends and fans that he was diagnosed with the disease last fall.  Since then, he’s been receiving chemotherapy, and radiation and has undergone surgery.  He stated that he needed time to recover, but was looking forward to seeing fans “sooner than later.”  

Wilson County Schools are trying something new to curb vaping among students.  Administrators will begin requiring health courses for those caught using the devices next year.  Second-time offenders will attend an in-depth Saturday session developed by the American Lung Association.  School leaders say vaping was the top disciplinary problem last year, resulting in a combined 15-hundred days of student suspensions.

Tennessee residents will soon have a new way to show their support for Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary.  The Mount Juliet organization is partnering with the state to offer specialty vehicle license plates.  An online form to apply for the plates is available by visiting O-F-S-D-S-dot-org.  Old Friends is an animal rescue that specializes in caring for elderly dogs.

The Oak Ridge Boys will headline at the City of Springfield’s Freedom Fest, slated for July 3 at the Robertson County Fairgrounds.  Gates will open at 3 p.m. for the free event, featuring carnival rides, inflatables for the kids, plus around 20 vendors, as well as food options.  Live music, sponsored by Grace Baptist Church, will kick off soon after the gates open — with opening acts the High Road, a Grammy award-nominated gospel group, and local artists Stephen Hogan, the Wyatt Wood Band, Justin Tucker, and the Devon Williams Band.