Topic: Child abuse

Mother Charged with Child Abuse/Neglect after 4 Year Found Taking a Stroll on Busy Rd

September 16, 2009 |

On September 15, 2009, around 5:30 p.m. a passerby found a four year old male child walking alone and barefoot on the heavily traveled Kraft Street.  Officers Rodney Lifsey and Dana Prins responded and took control of the child and began looking for the mother, Natalie Nicole Ballard. The four year old told the officers, he left the house after his mother fell asleep on the couch.  He said he was going to visit his “Nana and Papa”.  Officers went to the child’s address and made several attempts to contact Natalie Ballard by knocking on the door and calling on the phone.  They were unable to get any response from the mother.   Children told the officers that Natalie Ballard was home and had recently opened the door to let her dogs outside.  Officers were finally able to make contact with Natalie Ballard after a family member came to her apartment and opened the door.  Ballard was found inside of the residence and claimed she had been sleeping.

NATALIE NICOLE BALLARD (B/F, DOB: 5/12/85, Given Address:  500 Kraft Street, Clarksville, TN) was taken into custody and charged with CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT with a Bond of: $25,000.

The four year was turned over to a family member after Ballard was taken into custody.

Sections: News | No Comments

New Tennessee laws are in effect

July 7, 2009 |

Despite tight revenues, state finishes fiscal year on schedule, lawmakers save jobs, education programs. (See complete text below of newly published Public Chapters of the Tennessee Code Annotated.)

NASHVILLE – While several other states struggle to close out the fiscal year ending Wednesday, Tennessee has already published new laws passed during its recently completed legislative session.

“We didn’t have a $24 billion shortfall in revenue like the legislators in California are struggling with, but it was still a tight budget year in Tennessee,” Senator Lowe Finney of Jackson, incoming chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, said.

Still, we were able to protect our better schools program – pre-K in particular – and we can move ahead with projects that will put Tennesseans back to work.

That’s good for our families, our hometown economies and our state revenue. As more jobs begin to open up – thanks to projects like the West Tennessee industrial megasite – we can build a stable tomorrow for Tennesseans.

Among the laws now in effect:

• Increased energy efficiency is now required in state buildings and vehicles.
• Sex offenders are prohibited from being within 1,000 feet of certain places where children are likely to gather.
• Tennessee driver’s licenses now print birthdates larger to make them easier for retailers to read.
• Vending machines installed on state property after July 1 must use energy efficient lighting, and the new lighting must be installed on any that are repaired.

«Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Politics | No Comments

House Democrats lead bipartisan charge for tougher child abuse laws

By Tennessee Democrats | April 11, 2009 |

Legislation would strengthen current laws and increase penalties for offenders

“The most vulnerable Tennesseans are our children and they need to have every protection when it comes to our laws,” said State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville).

This week House Democrats and Republicans came together in support of legislation designed to toughen Tennessee’s current child abuse laws.

Rep. Joe Pitts, D-TN Hse, District 67

“People who would dare abuse a child deserve the harshest punishments possible and this new legislation helps strengthen our laws,” said Pitts. “These bills make it clear that, whether it’s a random stranger or a child’s own parents, if you abuse a child you will be brought to justice.” «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Politics | No Comments

County Legislative Delegation puts bills in play

By Turner McCullough Jr. | March 11, 2009 |

Montgomery County ’s Legislative Delegation has taken an active stance in the early round of the 106th General Assembly. The four members of the delegation group have added their names to legislation being considered in the Tennessee General Assembly. Thus far the bill summary looks like this:

Rep. Phillip Johnson, House District 78

Rep. Phillip Johnson co-sponsored sixteen House Joint Resolutions, including HJR00014: a Sports Memorial recognizing the Ooltewah Lady Owls; HJR0015: Recognition Memorial recognizing Ron Campbell, both signed by the governor on February 19th.

HJR0023: Death Memorial honoring Staff Sgt Timothy H. Walker, and HJR0043: Recognition Memorial for The Leaf Chronicle, both signed by the governor on February 20th.

HJR0063: Recognition Memorial recognizing Rep. Barbara Copper for serving as Chair of the TN Black Caucus for the 105th General Assembly. HJR0089: Professional Achievement Memorial recognizing Pat Head Summit for 1000th victory. HJR0136: Recognition Memorial for Oak Ridge’s Open Sesame 60th Anniversary . HJR0142: Sports Memorial honoring the Soddy-Daisy High School cheerleaders as NCA champions, and HJR0150: Government Officials Memorial – urging the governor to refuse certain funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News, Politics | No Comments

Legal Aid Society helps distressed woman regain Medicaid access

By Turner McCullough Jr. | April 26, 2008 |

Middle Tennessee family wrongfully terminated

Mrs. Monroe [not her real name], was already having difficulty when she lost her job and was supporting her family on unemployment insurance. Then she was notified the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) was terminating her family’s Medicaid benefits, the family’s only source of medical care. She called the Legal Aid Society office in Nashville. Attorney Russ Overby researched the situation and found that DHS was relying on a rescinded policy that made it unreasonably difficult for families with unemployment benefits to qualify for Medicaid, even when their income was below the eligibility limit. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News | No Comments

What children see, children do – Think!

By Bill Larson | December 13, 2006 |

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2635018612333643688

It’s true that a picture, or in this case a video, is worth a thousand words.

Sections: Opinion | No Comments

© 2009 Clarksville, TN Online is owned and operated by residents of Clarksville Tennessee.
» We are Hosted by Compu-Net Enterprises; In Partnership with Discover Clarksville and Discover Paris