Montgomery County, TN — The first Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Promotion Ceremony of 2022 is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is the keynote speaker for the event. The Phase V promotion ceremony will take place in the County Commission Chambers at the County Historic Courthouse at 1 Millennium Plaza, Clarksville, TN 37040.

 VTC Recovery Court is a unique program for military veterans and active duty service members that provides needed treatment and services under judicial supervision in order to restore veterans and soldiers to their honored status after they find themselves involved in the criminal justice system. VTC has multiple graduations every year signifying participants’ achievement of meeting all treatment goals and court-ordered requirements. The Phase V Ceremony confirms the participant is prepared to reenter their community in recovery and independent of legal involvement.

“We are honored and thrilled to have Governor Lee join us for this meaningful occasion. His involvement in the ceremony is something we had hoped would happen for quite some time. Not only will the Governor’s presence make the graduates and VTC staff feel special, but Governor Lee’s heart will be touched when he hears the testimonies of the participants,” stated Montgomery County General Sessions Judge Kenneth R. Goble, Jr. 

The ceremony is open to the public and there is a Webex option for those who cannot attend in person. To view the meeting online go to Webex.com, type in 2456 552 9432 as the access code, and qVpyCyUf583 for the password.

Montgomery County Assessor of Property Erinne Hester has been elected to serve as President of the Tennessee Association of Assessing Officers for 2022. Debbie Byrd, the 2021 President, officially presented the gavel to Hester during the Tennessee Association of Assessing Officers’ Annual Winter Meeting. On hand at the gavel passing ceremony was Executive Director Will Denami. 

“Congratulations to Erinne Hester for receiving this high honor from her colleagues across the state. Serving as president of the TNAAO is a professional achievement and a reflection of the respect she has earned over the years in this profession. Erinne has accomplished many significant achievements in mass appraisal and leading the TNAAO for 2022 is another major milestone,” said Will Denami. 

“I am truly humbled that my fellow Assessors would allow me this honor. I believe the TNAAO serves a vital role for our profession and to serve as president is a great privilege. I plan to continue the progress we have made under so many dedicated presidents before me. There is plenty of work to be done and I plan to accomplish as much as we can do in 2022,” said Erinne Hester. 

Founded in 1960, the Tennessee Association of Assessing Officers (TNAAO) is a professional organization composed of elected officials serving as Assessors of Property in Tennessee. The TNAAO's purpose is to work on behalf of the people of our great state to ensure fairness and uniformity in statutes regarding the assessment of property, as well as, to promote excellence through best practices and professionalism amongst those charged with this vital task.

Montgomery County, TN – A green ribbon cutting was held on Tuesday, February 1st to welcome Clarksville High School (CHS) to the Green Certification Program. CHS becomes the first high school in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) to complete the Program. 

The Certification efforts were led by Zander Daigle, a junior at CHS, and Melissa Nolan, CHS’ AP Environmental teacher. In the fall of 2021, Mr. Daigle, with oversight by Ms. Nolan, created the CHS Environmental Club, the first club of its kind in CMCSS. The Club now has 74 students who participate in meetings and events such as community clean-ups. 

To complete the Certification process, Mr. Daigle researched and completed a baseline account of current CHS sustainability efforts such as LED lighting, low-flow water fixtures, paper usage and maintenance procedures. After reviewing current practices, the school was able to join the Program at the silver level. 

During the ceremony, Mr. Daigle gave a short speech and said “Whenever I first took it upon myself to found the first ever environment club for CHS, I did not realize that a small high school club would be able to accomplish so much in our first few months of existence. I symbolize this ribbon cutting ceremony to serve as inspiration to the younger generation not only surrounding me, but in the entire Clarksville-Montgomery County area. I hope that my actions will serve as inspiration; that even one student in a large high school can make such an immense change. I hope that this change has a domino effect in order to ensure the future generations with a safe environment to live in.”

In addition to their work at CHS, Mr. Daigle, and students from the Environmental Club, have been attending the City of Clarksville Sustainability Board Meetings and plan to assist the Board Members in the future as they promote sustainability initiatives throughout the City and County. 

The green ribbon cutting ceremony was also attended by: Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett; Interim Director of CMCSS Dr. Angela Huff; Chief Operating Officer of CMCSS Norm Brumblay; CHS Principal Bryan Feldman; Green Certification Program Manager Carlye Sommers; Green Certification Board Members Bill Harpel, Rose Melton and Sierra Allison; and Officers of the CHS Environmental Club Avery Dueker, Maia Skinner, Lydia Lewis, Betty Kilfe, Karmina Sidhom and Carly Surgeon. 

During the ceremony, both Mayor Durrett and Dr. Huff congratulated the students and thanked them for the work they have done not only for the school but also for the community. 

For more information about Clarksville High School and all of the other public schools within Montgomery County, visit www.cmcss.net.To learn more about the free Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program visit  http://mcgtn.org/green.

Pictured Back Row (left to right) – Jim Durrett, Avery Dueker, Bryan Feldman, Bill Harpel, Dr. Angela Huff, Carlye Sommers

Front Row (left to right) – Maia Skinner, Lydia Lewis, Zander Daigle, Melissa Nolan, Betty Kilfe, Karmina Sidhom, Carly Surgeon

Ribbon Holders/Cutters (left to right) – Rose Melton, Sierra Allison

Last Edited: January 27, 2022 @ 6:28 pm

A 10-year vision becomes a reality 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Today was a special occasion for Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Austin Peay State University’s (APSU) Continuing Education Program. The very first class of Emergency Medical Training (EMT) graduates received their certificates of completion this morning at an informal ceremony with the graduates, instructors and some family members.

Although this first class of nine trainees began their 14-week training journey in October 2021, the idea for the program to be held in Montgomery County began more than 10 years ago with a vision, followed by a lot of tenacity, discipline and planning from Emergency Services Director Jimmie Edwards and his staff.

“It’s fulfilling to see this group of graduates here today thanks to our partnership with APSU’s Continuing Education Program. This has been a long time coming and I’m very grateful we’ve finally gotten to this point. We appreciate APSU Continuing Education Director Jeff Walton for joining us today and a big thanks to APSU Distance Education Program Coordinator Loretia Duncan who worked to help us coordinate the program,” said Edwards.

The 14-week class, held in the EMS classroom at Dunlop Lane, was taught by Brian McNeeley, January Bukowitz, and Danielle Chester who are all valued members of the Montgomery County EMS team. The curriculum covers both book and hands-on modules on topics such as airway management, medical and trauma emergencies and operations. The training also includes ambulance ride-alongs with seasoned Montgomery County medical professionals.

EMS Director William Webb also congratulated the graduates on the accomplishment. “Congratulations on completing your certification. You’ve had three fantastic instructors and you’ve stuck with the course through all the obstacles that came your way. Remember, we’re hiring and we hope you will consider joining our team,” Webb added.

The next step in the process is for the nine participants to take their EMT test online and wait for their licensure before officially putting their training into practice.

Mayor Durrett stated, “Chief Edwards has been pushing for this since I began serving as Mayor. I am thrilled the EMT program is now underway in Montgomery County and hope to see many more participants in the future. We know there is a shortage of first responders in the medical field. The County Commissioners and I want to continue doing all we can to support the growth of this program in our community.”

Edwards also mentioned expanding the program in partnership with APSU for an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and a paramedic program. They hope to expand beyond continuing education and into a degree program in the future.

For information about the program visit apsu.edu.

Full group photo front row (left to right) Whitney Sensing, Samantha Gearing and Elysia Rivera 

Second row (left to right) Daniel Chester (Instructor), January Bukowitz (Instructor), Xander Gerakis, Justin Long, Robert Hutchinson, Grant Menard and Brian McNeeley (Instructor) 

(Graduates not photographed) Shay Cope and Samantha Owens

Last Edited: October 06, 2021 @ 8:06 am

Montgomery County, TN — Artwork for the Fort Campbell Railroad Bridge near Gate 2 above Fort Campbell Boulevard was completed on September 29, 2021. This was a project that began in January 2020 by the Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee with a call for artists to submit their ideas. 

“This has taken some time, between the submission, the selection, approval process, delays in materials, and waiting for several consecutive days of good weather before the material could be applied to the bridge. I am thrilled with the outcome! These types of projects are what the Public Art Committee and Montgomery County are all about, paying gratitude to the men and women who serve at Fort Campbell,” stated Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett. 

Going toward the Post, drivers will see images that represent Fort Campbell, and those driving towards Clarksville will see images that are representative of Clarksville, Montgomery County.

The chosen artist, Paul Jones, drew and painted the original artwork by hand and had it turned into a vector file for submission. Jones, originally from Upstate New York, came to Clarksville to visit friends in April 2014, fell in love with the community, and made the permanent move by July of that year.

“Painting is something I love to do when I’m not working at Trane or hanging out with family. My goal with this project was to tie in the most symbolic images from the community like the brickwork from the Historic Courthouse, Wilma Rudolph, and the Cumberland River. I’m honored to contribute to the community and Fort Campbell through my artwork. I solicited help with transitioning the art into computer format. It was a process, but worth it. My whole family came down to see it!” exclaimed Jones.

Gerald Printing won the bid on the project and used a vinyl wrap to bring the artwork to life on the bridge. 

"Our company was proud to participate in a project that provided us with an opportunity to help make our home look even better," said Gerald Printing Sales Representative Jacob Downey.

The Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee was established in 2017 and is comprised of community citizens who are interested in bringing public art to Clarksville, Montgomery County. Funding for the designated projects comes from a percentage of specific Montgomery County Government bonds.

“The committee is thrilled to see this project come to fruition! We are thankful for the investment from the County and the vision Mayor Durrett had to expand public art in this community. Mr. Jones has also been a pleasure to work with as we made changes throughout the process,” said Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee Chair Stacey Streetman.

Since the Montgomery County Public Art Ad Hoc Committee was established, funding has been designated towards completed projects such as the ornate iron sphere at Downtown Commons, the 19th Amendment Women’s Right to Vote statue at Public Square, and the Fort Campbell bridge project. Plans involve an installation art piece at Patriot’s Park and a Colored Troops bronze statue for Fort Defiance.