On Thursday, April 27, the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, in partnership with Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization (MCVSO) and the Montgomery County Veterans Coalition, hosted a VA PACT Act Fair at William O. Beach Civic Hall to enlighten military Veterans on services and benefits related to toxic exposures. The word spread like wildfire, and the facility was full of Veterans who reside in Montgomery County and surrounding areas.

The PACT Act is a new law passed in August 2022 to expand VA health care and benefits for military Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. 

Veterans who attended the Fair could learn about VA services and programs, enroll in VA health care, file claims, complete toxic exposure screenings, and hear directly from leadership who serve VA. The goal was to reach as many local Veterans as possible to spread awareness about the benefits available to them.

"The Clarksville area, from a Veteran's perspective, is growing exponentially. Talking with Fort Campbell Garrison Commander Colonel Jordan confirms that 33% of veterans who separate from service at Fort Campbell stay in Montgomery County and surrounding areas," stated Daniel Dücker, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Executive Director.

According to VA.gov, the PACT Act may be the largest health care and benefits expansion in VA history, adding 20 new presumptive conditions related to burn pits and toxic exposures. 

Dücker added, "Tennessee Valley was approved for three new buildings equating to a 240,000 square foot outpatient clinic in Clarksville which is a big deal. Services for mental health, dental, primary care, specialty physicians, and surgeons are part of the expansion. In addition, with the PACT Act, our functions allow us to focus on women's health. Women Veterans are a fast-growing population in Clarksville. These changes will help eliminate the drive to Nashville."

"Our duty is to help veterans process claims associated with the PACT Act. The top five conditions granted through the act are hypertension, rhinitis, inflammation of the nasal cavity, asthma, and an assortment of cancers. We want to help you get paid," said Charles L. Moore Jr., the Veterans Benefits Administration Executive Director.

"We have 10 service officers in our office, which is the largest in the state of Tennessee. I attribute that to Montgomery County leadership over the last 79 years. They see the value our Veterans bring to the community," said Andrew Kester, MCVSO Director.

MCVSO looks forward to future events with the VA office to help educate and bring awareness to Veterans in Montgomery and surrounding counties. Kester stated he hopes to fill the F&M Bank Arena next year and asked the Veterans in attendance to help spread the word about the PACT Act.

For additional information and resources on the PACT Act, visit www.va.gov/pact  

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Montgomery County, TN – This week, Montgomery County Government added a program called USERWAY to its website to improve communication opportunities with residents who may benefit from improved accessibility due to physical, cognitive, or language challenges.

“We went with this program because our School System, this community’s largest organization and employer, uses the same service. It was important to us to be consistent for people visiting government sites for information. If there is a tool that can be easily used to remove a barrier for our residents, I’m all for it,” said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

The new tool is a blue and white circle on the lower left-hand corner of the County website found at  mcgtn.org. Clicking on the tool provides users with a variety of options such as but not limited to, switching to other languages and adapting the screens for those who may be color blind, have motor impairments or have Dyslexia. 

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Montgomery County, TN – On Monday, April 24, a 550-gallon aquarium, paid for by the Wade Bourne Nature Center (WBNC) Foundation, was delivered to the Nature Center and administrative building for the Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department. The aquarium was brought by Exotic Aquatic and installed by Craneworks. 

“It was pretty remarkable to watch them maneuver this enormous fish tank into the corner of the center. The WBNC Board, me and my staff are excited about finishing the tank and making it ready for the public to enjoy. We will need help from the community to keep moving forward,” stated Parks and Recreation Director Sally Burchett.

The public can assist in stocking the tank and future learning activities by buying tickets for the Stock the Tank Event on Thursday, May 11. Details can be found at https://bit.ly/3HlGFoB.

“Although the tank is in place, the aquarium is not expected to be fully ready until this summer. Balancing the pH levels of the water to prepare for the fish and introducing the species a few at a time is part of the process,” added Burchett.

The tank will be home to five species of native fish in the Cumberland River, including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Catfish, Bluegill, and Crappy. 

The WBNC Foundation, named in honor of Montgomery County outdoor sportswriter and conservationist Wade Bourne, works with Montgomery County Parks and Recreation to provide services at the WNBC that encourage learning and engagement opportunities for visitors of all ages to learn more about natural history and conservation. 

For more information about WBNC, call 931-648-5732.

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Last Edited: April 25, 2023 @ 1:11 pm

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Effective today, the Montgomery County Trustee's Office is moving into a temporary location on the Crossland Avenue side of Veterans Plaza, where the Tennessee Department of Human Services was formerly housed. The temporary address is 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 301. 

Services provided by the Trustee's Office will not be affected during the move. The relocation is due to flooring removal and installation, which may take two to three months based on suppliers and materials. 

"We will not skip a beat in serving our residents during this time and are grateful for this project. The floors have been in place since Veterans Plaza was remodeled in the 1990s and need replacement," said Montgomery County Trustee Kimberly Wiggins. 

For immediate or online services, you can visit their website at https://mcgtn.org/trustee.

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Clarksville, Montgomery County, TN — Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and City of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts signed a joint proclamation designating April as Distracted Driver Awareness Month at the request of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Safety Task Force. 

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the proclamation states there were 477 distracted driving crashes in 2022 and 10,446 crashes in Clarksville, Montgomery County, between 2011 to 2022. Talking on a mobile phone, even in hands-free mode, texting, and programming a dashboard infotainment system or GPS device diverts attention away from driving and results in physical or cognitive distraction. 

Cell phones are the leading cause of distracted driving, creating enormous potential for deaths and injuries on U.S. roads. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes reported to involve a distracted driver.

On average, whenever people look down at their phones, they travel the distance of an entire football field. According to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, distracted driving is driving while engaged in activities that divert the driver’s attention from the road. There are three forms of driving: cognitive, visual, and manual. Texting and driving is extremely dangerous because it involves all three forms of distracted driving. From a financial standpoint, motor vehicle crashes in Tennessee create an economic toll of $450 million annually. 

Data gathered by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security from February 2022 to January 2023 showed that a crash that involved a distracted driver occurred nearly every 25 minutes and 16 seconds. In 2019, the state of Tennessee established a law banning the use of handheld devices while driving. This law, known as the Hands-free law, prevents drivers from holding a cell phone or any other electronic device that can distract drivers.

“We lose too many people on our roads due to distracted driving. Focusing on the road and those around us is something that we can all improve on. One accident involving distracted driving is one too many, and far too many families have suffered a loss due to actions that can be controlled,” said Mayor Golden.

“Distracted driving results in accidents with other vehicles and pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and road workers. Not long after taking office, a man drove his truck through a work area on Riverside Drive, killing a valued member of our team who was out there just doing his job. To tell a family they had lost their loved one like that is tragic,” lamented Mayor Pitts.

Each week in April, Montgomery County Government and the City of Clarksville shares interviews on their social media pages with local and state law enforcement, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS), giving their views and experience with increasing driver safety and behavior incidents in the community.

“Our Traffic Safety Task Force appreciates the support from our County and City mayors to make our roads safer. We can improve by changing habits, like leaving earlier and practicing patience. These are simple practices our law enforcement friends preach repeatedly. We people to heed their advice for the safety of everyone on the roads,” said Montgomery County Driver Safety Administrator Lisa McClain.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Traffic Safety Task Force is made up of representatives from the Clarksville Police Department (CPD), Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), and Clarksville, Montgomery County (CMCSS) and Montgomery County Driver Safety Administrator Lisa McClain.

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