Robertson Co. News

A Springfield man shot dead, and another man injured in Cottontown yesterday.  Deputies responding to a report of a shooting found a man shot in the face. He was taken from the scene by LifeFlight. Witnesses at the scene described and identified the shooter as 25-year-old Dontarius Long. He was later found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 24-year-old victim is at a Nashville hospital.

Robertson County equestrians will be happy to hear that tickets are on sale for this year’s Iroquois Steeplechase.  The annual event is returning to Percy Warner Park on Saturday, June 26th.  Last year’s event was cancelled over coronavirus concerns.  Organizers say they’ve been working with Metro Public Health and the Metro Parks Department to create a safe environment for fans to attend this year’s race.

Frontline workers now have a new way to reach out for help during the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Department of Mental Health has added a text feature to its regular Emotional Support Line for first responders, healthcare workers and anyone on the frontline of the pandemic.  Specially trained mental health professionals will answer calls or respond to text messages from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time daily.  They will offer support by listening and addressing basic needs, give people tools for managing stress as well as make a plan for self-care.

FedEx is honoring a supervisor who got his overnight crew to safety during last year’s tornadoes.  Jamie Raymond stopped dozens of employees who were sorting thousands of packages, guiding them to a small break room minutes before the tornado hit the FedEx Ground facility in Mt. Juliet.  The tornado ripped a hole in the roof and damaged several trailers in the yard closing the facility for six months.  Raymond will receive the FedEx Humanitarian Award tonight for going above and beyond the call of duty.

The Hancock Family Farm and Market, located at 7114 Highway 49 East in Springfield, will be reopening on Friday, April 16. The farm has been around since 1911. Originally it was a tobacco farm; however, in 2015, Mathew Hancock: the fourth generation and current farmer, began growing fruits and vegetables. As a result, in 2019, The Hancock Family Farm opened the Market.

Robertson County has had three fires so far today. The fires have prompted a fire warning alert from the Robertson County Emergency Management Agency.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has joined fellow Republicans nationwide to advocate against COVID-19 vaccine passports, which are being developed to let inoculated people travel, shop and dine more freely.