Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) celebrated the completion of the Station 20 renovation project at 1610 Haynes Street with a tour and ribbon cutting on the afternoon of November 1. Station 20 is historically the first EMS station built in Montgomery County 44 years ago. 

EMS Director Bill Webb led the celebration by thanking the current and previous County leadership and County Commission for understanding the need for the renovation. He also thanked the County Engineering Department, Jon Clark with Clark Architecture & Design and Mike Boisseau with BR Miller and his team for their work on the project.

“This is where our emergency workers spend a great part of their lives, often working 24-hour shifts. There were no private rooms in the facility before the remodel, and these stations are their home away from home,” added Webb.

According to Chief Engineer Nick Powell, the footprint of the facility and garage did not change. Still, the building was gutted and reconfigured, bringing up-to-date codes, adding more efficiency and safety features, modernizing the look, and providing more effective use of space for EMS staff. The remodel also gives every team member their own space and offers better space for female members of the EMS crew.

“The exterior walls and the roof structure were the only components to the existing structure that were unmodified with this project.  This was a full floor to ceiling remodel of the facility with some exterior improvements and a new lift of asphalt.  The project took 11 months and $1.4 million to complete,” said Powell.

Director of Emergency Services, Jimmie Edwards provided some historical background on Station 20, saying that, “In April of 1967, the County and City agreed to contribute funds to develop an ambulance service. The original build-out was between the local funeral homes, Clarksville Memorial Hospital, and the City and County Governments. Montgomery County was six years ahead of the State of Tennessee in taking action to develop an ambulance service, and the State passed legislation for ambulance services in Tennessee in 1973. Before the construction of EMS Station 20 in 1978, the ambulances ran out of Clarksville Memorial Hospital.” 

“It is always a good feeling to construct something new, but it is just as important to keep up with the facilities that we already have. This is a good investment,” said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

For more information about Montgomery County Emergency Services and where other the other 12 stations are located, visit https://mcgtn.org/ems.

Public art is dedicated as a tribute to the 101st Airborne Division

Montgomery County, TN — On the morning of August 13, members of the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell Command Staff, Montgomery County, City of Clarksville, business sponsors, and representatives from the County Public Art Ad hoc Committee gathered to honor the 101st Airborne Division with the reveal of the Tip of the Spear statue.

Created by artist Mark Aeling and his team in Clearwater, Florida, the sculpture is made of 10,000 pounds of surgical-grade stainless steel. Base included, the Tip of the Spear is an impressive 27-foot symbol of the strength and resilience of the 101st. 

The Fort Campbell Honor Guard posted and retired the flags during the reveal ceremony. Director of Marketing for Roxy Theatre Donald Groves sang the National Anthem and City of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts offered the prayer. Comments were made by Artist Mark Aeling, Chief of Staff of the 101st Airborne Division Col. Jared Bordwell, and Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett. The event was emceed by Clarksville Now Reporter Lee Erwin. 

A project to honor Fort Campbell soldiers has been more than 10 years in the making. It began with Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett’s vision in 2012, while working in the private sector, to bring artwork near Fort Campbell that would be a lasting tribute to the men and women who served there. He shared his idea with friend Kem Hintom who was in Leadership Middle TN with him at the time and was also involved in the Wings of Liberty Museum project. Their original vision was 3-D laser steel artwork that looked like soldiers. 

“I actually have a picture dated February 2012 of me and my good friend Jeff Truitt, who’s out here today, at this location looking at the vision. That was a long time ago, but good things take time. A group that bought into that vision back in 2012 and 2013. They included Dex Imaging, James Corlew Chevrolet, Planters Bank, Valerie Hunter-Kelly, the City of Clarksville, Jenkins & Wynne, Montgomery County, F&M Bank, Clarksville Pediatric Dentistry, US Bank, The Settlement Day Care, Clarksville Rotary Club, Wyatt Johnson, Inc., Gannett Foundation (Leaf-Chronicle), Legends Bank, Cumberland Bank & Trust, and Campbell Crossing. We raised $100,000, and that money sat there for a long time. We weren’t where we needed to be yet and did not know exactly what we wanted to build, and along came this idea to run for County Mayor, so that kind of sidetracked the project, but the dream never died. It was something I could always see as I drove up and down 41A to honor and recognize the service of the men and women at Fort Campbell,” said Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett.

Shortly after he was elected, Mayor Durrett and then Chief of Staff Jeff Truitt requested and received approval from the County Commission to create a public art fund. They put a public art ad hoc committee in place in 2017. Based on Mayor Durrett’s idea to include art near Fort Campbell to pay tribute to the men and women who served, the committee conducted a nationwide search and received over 80 submissions. The Tip of the Spear, by artist Mark Aeling, was selected, and the County entered into a contract with Aeling to construct and install the sculpture in late 2020.

Aeling, a self-proclaimed Army brat, is a 3D sculptor who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has earned multiple awards for excellence in the visual arts. His artwork can be seen around the Florida Bay Area and throughout the United States. In 2012, he was the only American whose work was chosen to show at the Stone Sculpture Triennial in Takamatsu, Japan.

“When I was selected as a finalist and did some research into the area, I was incredibly relieved to discover the connection to the 101st Airborne Division and the Screaming Eagles because I am a lover of birds and particularly wings because the magic of nature is pretty spectacular. As an artist, you try to find a thread to connect what you’re interested in with the interest of the commissioning body. To discover the relationship with Fort Campbell and the history of the 101st Airborne, it was a no-brainer which direction I wanted to go. To date, this is one of my favorite pieces,” remarked Aeling.

“Thank you for allowing us to participate as we recognize this incredible piece of art and join in this momentous occasion as we dedicate Mark Aeling’s Tip of the Spear to the homage of the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. Without the unwavering support of our community leaders, our division mission would truly not be possible. This breathtaking artwork expands the Tip of the Spear phrase beyond the operational construct of the military. It is a trailblazing endeavor that spanned a decade of planning and development, a vision that embodies the voice and spirit of the community and the strength and courage of the 101st Airborne Division soldiers for over eight decades. Because of the vision of Mayor Durrett and his team, today, standing proudly at the gates of Fort Campbell stands the Tip of the Spear, greeting veterans, community, friends, and visitors from across the globe. This sculpture represents not only this community’s commitment to the men and women of the division but the resolve and dedication of community leaders to see this incredible vision through,” said Colonel Bordwell.

Mayor Durrett provided closing comments, “My family has a long history with Fort Campbell. My grandmother lived not even a quarter mile from this site, where she could go outside at night, walk all around her house, and not see a single light in any direction. Now to know that right across the street, you have the strongest, most lethal fighting force anywhere in the world is pretty special. We selected Mark almost a year and a half ago and were in constant contact with him throughout the project. Then all of a sudden, I get this email from Mark that says we’d like to come up and set it in August. I was like, whoa, I didn’t realize that was going to happen so quickly. But this is the great part about Clarksville, Montgomery County. When we found out Mark was ready to come to install the art, Chris Fielder with TTL laid it all out, but we didn’t have anybody to do anything more, so I reached out to a couple of friends and said, we’ve got this great big statue that we’re going to put up to honor Fort Campbell, and their response was what do I need to do. They all just jumped right in and didn’t ask any questions. I’ve lived here all my life and don’t want to live anywhere else. When you have something like this happen, and you make a phone call to a friend, and your friend says, hey, I’m all in without knowing what the consequences are, that’s what makes this community so great.”

Mayor Durrett offered special thanks to Josh Dennis with Dennis Concrete, Rex and Kendra Hawkins with Hawkins Homes, Phillip Hagewood with Moore Construction, Lance Morgan with Morgan Contractors, and Jeff Burkhart with Screaming Eagle Concrete. He shared his gratitude for David Smith, who took the time and effort to survey the property for the project at the beginning and work with TDOT for approval. Mayor Durrett also thanked the County Facilities and Maintenance Team for their hard work preparing the site.

“Clarksville, Montgomery County is a great place to live. It is my hope and my dream that this will be an everlasting legacy and monument to those who have served at Fort Campbell, those who are currently serving, and those who will serve,” added Mayor Durrett. 

The sculpture is located at 3176 Patriots Park, Fort Campbell Blvd., between Gates 2 and 3. To view the ceremony, visit the Montgomery County, Tennessee Facebook Page.

VSO Director shares data from the Veterans Affairs Office

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TN – At the July 6 informal County Commission meeting, Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization Director Andrew Kester presented his annual overview of the benefits and economic impact of military veterans in the community. The data he shared is from the latest information the Veterans Administration (VA) provided.

Montgomery County is in the top four percent of all military veteran populations in the U.S. and ranked 25 for their total known veteran population at slightly over 14%. Out of the 3,134 counties in the United States, Montgomery County ranks number 309 in the overall population and 127 in the total veteran population. 

“When you consider the number of military veterans in the community who may be voters along with the voters in their household, I believe they make up at least 25% of our community,” said Kester.

From an economic standpoint, in 2021, a total of $459,412,000 has come from veterans' disability benefits alone. Montgomery County leads in economic impact over every other county across the state.

“That is not seen directly in our office but in the community in economic impact dollars in education, entertainment, and housing,” said Kester.

The three main concerns identified to VA by the veteran community were healthcare, disability benefits, and transportation. The degree of concern varied with age and demographics. The MCVSO assists and directs those three areas but primarily helps veterans with disability benefits.

"We are fortunate to have a local VA Clinic for healthcare but, if our veterans need to visit the VA Medical Center in Nashville, we have a 501C3 non-profit veterans van service for transportation. We are one of the few VSOs in the state that offers rides. We also provide veterans van service with a computer and phone, which is part of a cross-collaborative effort of the non-profit and public sectors,” added Kester.

Between 2019 through 2021, MCVSO served more than 9,000 veterans each year with no significant difference in numbers through COVID-19. Eighty percent of the veterans they serve live in Montgomery County, 10% live outside Montgomery County, and 10% live out of state.

“We make the biggest impact at our VSO and have the largest staff because of the support we receive from County Commissioners, our VSO board, the Mayor and the community, allowing us to provide the best services for our veterans,” said Kester. 

To see the presentation, visit https://bit.ly/3OSot7z, and to find out more about MCVSO, visit https://mcgtn.org/vso. 

Montgomery County, TN — Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett has appointed Lee Harrell for the position of Montgomery County Government Chief of Staff. He will begin serving in the chief of staff position on June 22.

Harrell most recently served as Vice President of Advocacy for Tennesseans for Quality Early Education leading lobbying efforts, providing oversight and direction of contract lobbyists, and building coalitions.

Prior to his work with Tennesseans for Quality Early Education, Harrell worked as Vice President of State Policy for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce from Jan. 2016 through Dec. 2020. Before that, he served from Nov. 2009 through Nov. 2015 as the Director of Government Relations and Staff Attorney for the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA).

Harrell holds a JD from Nashville School of Law and became a licensed attorney in 2007. He also earned his Bachelors of Arts in History from Tennessee Technological University in 2002.

"I look forward to serving as Chief of Staff for Montgomery County Government. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Mayor Durrett and the exceptional team of County employees. Montgomery County is home for me and my family. I have spent many years working in Nashville and I’m eager about not only living in my community but now working here as well,” said Harrell.

“Lee is bringing a wealth of unique and important experiences and perspectives to the Chief’s

position,” said Mayor Durrett. “I believe his background will prove to be a great benefit to our staff and the community as we continue to grow and work to meet the challenges ahead,” he added.

The County chief of staff is under the supervision and authority of the Mayor and is the executive assistant and liaison officer for the County. This position is responsible for spearheading key planning, administrative, and organizational development efforts and typically makes recommendations to the Mayor and Commission for action and represents the County’s interests with other levels and agency governments.

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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.