The Blue Star Memorial unveiling

On a fair and sunny November day, almost 100 people gathered together on the courthouse lawn to dedicate a new memorial honoring all those who have served, are serving, and will serve in Armed Forces of the United States.

The project was made possible by donations from the members of the Beachaven Garden Club, the Clarksville Garden Club, and the Les Candides Garden Club. “We want to show our deep support and appreciation of those who have defended our freedom in the past, those who are at great risk in defending us today, and those who may do so in the future.”

Sandra Watson, President Beachaven Garden Club; Edith Hudson, President Les Candides Garden Club; Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn; Annette Shrade, Chairwoman Blue Star Memorial Committee; Pat Arendt, President Clarksville Garden Club

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn addresses the crowd

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn spoke briefly acknowledging the sacrifice and dedication of America’s service members, and honoring both those currently serving, and past veterans.

The memorial was accepted on behalf of Montgomery County by Mayor Carolyn Bowers who assured those assembled, “This monument will be always be watched over and maintained under my watch!” She was followed by Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper who accepted the memorial on behalf of the City of Clarksville.

The Monument faces north and south along South Third Street, and is easily visible to traffic driving by.

A driver looks at the Blue Star Memorial as he drives by

The Blue Star Memorial Program of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., began in 1945 to honor the men and women serving in the Armed Forces during World War II. The name was chosen for the iconic Blue Star appearing on flags and banners displayed in homes, churches, and businesses to honor sons and daughters away at war. Garden clubs envisioned a ribbon of living memorial plantings traversing every state. The designation of Blue Star Highways was achieved through petitions to state legislatures and through cooperation with Departments of Transportation. A uniform Memorial Marker was designed to identify the highways.

The Blue Star Memorial Program has grown to extend thousands of miles across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Markers continue to be dedicated each year, not just on highways but at veterans’ facilities, National Cemeteries, parks, and civic historic sites. The Memorial Markers are a fitting tribute to show our appreciation for the men and women in our Armed Forces who fly our skies, sail our seas, and guard our shores, service members who stand ready at a moment’s notice to defend our country.

[Show as slideshow]

123►

Communities throughout Tennessee will receive financing to build or repair schools as a result of the Tennessee State School Bond Authority’s (TSSBA) action on Thursday.

The TSSBA finalized plans to sell up to $184 million worth of Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) as part of a program created by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bonds are tax credit bonds that provide a federal tax credit to the investor on a quarterly basis. The bonds may also pay a supplemental coupon to the bondholders on a quarterly basis.

Thursday the TSSBA selected a bond underwriting team, approved a final bond resolution and finalized documents needed to move forward with the bond sale. The TSSBA had preliminarily approved the loans in September and, after some revisions in loan amounts and the addition of the City of Kingsport as a new borrower, the revised list of project loans were approved by the TSSBA.

The TSSBA will invest the proceeds from the bond sale in the State Pooled Investment Fund (SPIF) and will disburse the funds to the communities to pay the expenses related to their school construction projects.

Montgomery Central High School after the renovations

The communities authorized to receive portions of the bond money will be required to spend the proceeds on qualified projects within three years of the bond sale and comply with federal Davis-Bacon regulations. The sale is expected to be completed with bond proceeds available for disbursement in early December. Additionally, the communities are required to enter into binding contracts for at least 10 percent of their allocation of the bond proceeds within six months after the bond sale.

The TSSBA members are: Comptroller Justin P. Wilson, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr., Governor Phil Bredesen, Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz, Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning and acting University of Tennessee President Jan Simek.

“I am very pleased that we have been able to finalize the details necessary to move forward these bonds,” said Comptroller Wilson. “These are worthy projects and they will provide much needed help to students and educators across the state.”

“Through enabling legislation the General Assembly has empowered us to extend this opportunity for substantive capital projects to local schools. We are delighted the communities availed themselves of this program.” Secretary Hargett said. “The QSCB program is an exciting direct-benefit use of stimulus funds impacting local communities and our children.”

“Education is a key to Tennessee moving forward economically,” Treasurer Lillard said. “Providing better facilities for our children should help their academic achievement over the long term.”

Of the total bond proceeds, Memphis City Schools will receive $42,960,000 and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools will receive $21,760,000 for various projects. Those two school systems received direct allocations from the federal government because they were among the nation’s top 100 local educational agencies with the largest numbers of school-age children from families living below the poverty level.

The other participating communities that were selected through a competitive application process to receive bond proceeds are as follows:

• Clarksville/Montgomery County – $20 million for renovation of Montgomery Central High School
• Cleveland City Schools – $4,160,000 for a new science wing at Cleveland High School
• Cumberland County Schools -$2,680,000 for infrastructure and energy-efficiency upgrades at Cumberland County High School
• Dyer County – $9 million for construction of a new elementary school
• Dyersburg City Schools – $2,960,000 for renovations to Dyersburg Intermediate School
• Hamblen County Schools – $11,280,000 for land acquisition and construction at Morristown-Hamblen High School East
• Hawkins County – $1,418,347 for renovations to Rogersville Middle School and $1,221,653 for renovations to Surgoinsville Middle School
• Henry County – $2.6 million for new construction and improvements to E.W. Grove School
• Johnson City Schools – $8,160,000 for renovations and new construction at Science Hill High School
• Kingsport – $1,240,000 for renovations at Dobyns-Bennett High School
• Maryville City Schools – $18,760,000 for construction of Coulter Grove Intermediate School
• Shelby County Schools – $13,760,000 to demolish and replace Elmore Park Middle School
• Sullivan County – $15,480,000 to renovate and expand Ketron Intermediate School
• Union County – $6,807,054 to build Paulette Middle School and $352,946 to renovate and expand Luttrell Elementary School

F&M Bank also maintained its number one deposit ranking for the entire Clarksville-Hopkinsville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Stewart County, Tenn., and Trigg County, Ky. In 2009, F&M’s deposit market share rose to 13.74%, up from 13.65% in 2008. Planters ranks number two with 11.12% and Regions rose to 10.24%, taking the number three spot away from BB&T. The FDIC issues deposit market share reports on all federally insured institutions annually.

Sammy Stuard

Sammy Stuard, F&M Bank’s president and CEO, credits the bank’s growth to the community’s confidence. “Even with the negative publicity that has surrounded many banks during these tough economic times, F&M’s solid reputation in Montgomery and Stewart County continues to attract new business,” Stuard remarked. “F&M Bank has strong history here and our employees have earned the trust and loyalty of our customers. Luckily for us, word-of-mouth support for F&M has made a huge difference in garnering new personal and business banking clients,” he said.

About F&M Bank

F&M Bank has grown from a small community bank in Bumpus Mills, Tenn., to one of the premier financial institutions in the Middle Tennessee. Since moving their headquarters to Clarksville in 1989, bank assets have grown from $22 to over $760 million, ranking them among the top 15 independent banks in the state. F&M Bank recently expanded their banking network into Cookeville and opened a mortgage office in Brentwood’s Maryland Farms. F&M Bank has 15 full-service banking locations, including their five Clarksville and two Stewart County offices. Additional information regarding F&M Bank can be found at www.myfmbank.com.

The first is for our community economic preparedness by the Department of Economic and Community Development, as a certified member of the Three-Star Program. This initiative, a Five-Year Asset-Based Strategic Plan, recognizes the importance of successful community development and its impact on sustaining economic growth. Montgomery County is certified as a Benchmark Level III recipient. This designation brings grant opportunities as well as reductions in the local match for the Fast Track Grants.

Two others awards received recently were from the Greater Nashville Regional Council. The first was an Economic Development Award for the County’s commitment and efforts that helped bring Hemlock Semiconductor, LLC to the County’s mega-site. This project will have significant economic impact and the County worked hard with many entities to make this project come to fruition. Second is a Public Facilities award for the creation of Civic Hall in Veterans’ Plaza. This multipurpose event space was much needed for Montgomery County and serves as a source of revenue for the County.

We are very proud of these recent accomplishments and continue to work hard for the citizens of Montgomery County!

Former District 18 Commissioner Mark Kelly

For those who may not already know, at the September County Commission meeting, commissioners appointed Glen Demorest to fill the District 18 seat. The seat was vacated by Mark Kelly, who is moving out of the district.

Demorest is a Principal Mission Planning Support Engineer at Fort Campbell and will serve in the District 18 seat until the election in August when he must run for reelection.

You may reach him at 931-647-3784 or by email at .

Please join me in welcoming Commissioner Demorest to the Commission and thank you for your interest in staying updated on the news of Montgomery County Government.

Sincerely,
Carolyn Bowers
County Mayor

About Carolyn Bowers

Montgomery County's Mayor Carolyn Bowers

Prior to becoming Mayor of Montgomery County, Mayor Bowers served two terms as County Trustee. As Trustee, she earned twenty million dollars through prudent investment of idle county funds. Mayor Bowers has utilized integrated accounting for all County departments by implementation of the MUNIS® system. MUNIS® integrates the mass of county accounting data making it possible to continuously monitor the budget and maximize efficiency for all users.

This year the parade theme is “Honoring all who served,” a tribute to veterans past and present. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of N. Eighth and College Streets, next to the Sundquist Science Building at Austin Peay State University, with the reviewing stand at Public Square in front of City Hall. The deadline for parade entries is Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Entry forms and maps of the parade route can be obtained from the Veterans Service Organization in Veterans Plaza, 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 308, Clarksville.

A Veterans Day breakfast, 7:30 a.m. at the Morgan University Center at APSU, will kick off the day’s celebration.

For more information, contact the Veterans Service Organization at 553-7173.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has identified 111 bridges across the state which will be either replaced, repaired or rehabilitated as part of a new initiative to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges in the state.

TDOT’s Better Bridges Program is a four-year program approved in the General Assembly’s 2009 session that will issue bonds to pay for the repair or replacement of more than 200 structurally deficient bridges in the state.

TDOT has presented its list of bridges targeted for inclusion in this first year of the program to Governor Phil Bredesen and leaders of the Tennessee General Assembly. This action is required of TDOT by Public Chapter 552. Governor Bredesen stated that the projects slated for this year of the program will improve safety and reliability on more than one hundred Tennessee bridges.

The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that steel and scrap prices fell nearly 57 percent from June 2008 to June 2009. Cement prices also declined 15 percent over the same period. Governor Bredesen further stated that undertaking these projects now, rather than later, allows the state to take advantage of today’s lower construction material costs.

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gearld Nicely

TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely stated that without this program, much of this critical structural repair work on deficient bridges would have to be deferred for many years. Future generations will reap lasting benefit from bridges rebuilt today with this investment. These bridges can be expected to serve the state for decades to come.

The 111 bridge projects selected for this first year of the bonding program are spread evenly across the state’s three grand divisions and include five projects costing $4 million each and one project that costs over $20 million separately.

Projects costing over $4 million include: rehabilitation of Cocke County’s E. Broadway bridge on SR-9 (over the French Broad River), originally built in 1928; replacement of a Perry County bridge built in 1952 that crosses the Buffalo River on SR-13; replacement of the Montgomery County bridge, built in 1931, over the Red River on SR-13/US-79 (Wilma Rudolph Blvd.); replacement of a Shelby County bridge, built in 1932 on SR-14 (S. Third St.) over the Illinois Central Railroad; and replacement of a bridge built in 1956 in Sevier County on SR-53 (Chapman Hwy) that crosses Gists Creek.

The $20 million project will replace a bridge in Union County built in 1936 on SR-33 (Maynardville Hwy) over the Clinch River (Norris Lake).

TDOT also today identified four large bridges that will be funded during the second year of the program.  They are: SR-33 (Henley Street) over the Tennessee River in Knoxville; SR-73 (US-321) over the Tennessee River in Loudon County; SR-109 over the Cumberland River in Sumner & Wilson Counties; and SR-57 (US-72) over SR-23 and the CSX & ICG railroads in Shelby County.

A complete listing of bridge projects in available pdf format:

• List of Tennessee bridges affected by this announcement

TDOT’s communications office issued a press release reporting Governor Bredesen and Transportation Department Commissioner Gerald Nicely announcing $17 million in transportation enhancement grants for projects in 39 Tennessee communities and one statewide grant. The grants will be used to assist local communities in developing a variety of projects designed to enhance the state’s transportation infrastructure.

“The Enhancement Grant Program provides an opportunity for the state to work with local agencies to fund projects that enrich Tennessee communities in a variety of ways,” said Bredesen. “Many will use these funds to build new sidewalks and bike trails that support healthier lifestyles, while others utilize the program to save historic structures for future generations. All of these are worthwhile projects that truly enhance the quality of life in local communities.”

Pictured from left to right: (bottom row) Fred Mudge, TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely, Mayor Johnny Piper, Governor Phil Bredesen, County Mayor Carolyn Bowers, Ed Davis, David Moss (top row) Representative Curtis Johnson, Representative Joe Pitts, Senator Tim Barnes

Locally, the state will provide Montgomery County with an enhancement grant of $945,926 to assist with the development of the RJ Corman Railroad Bridge Rehabilitation Project – Phase I. The bridge is located on Riverside Drive in downtown Clarksville, near the historic Clarksville Welcome sign. The rehabilitation project will greatly enhance the aesthetic visual quality of the Clarksville River District, improve the bridge’s structural integrity and safety, and will further economic development and urban renewal efforts.

“This bridge is an important piece of Clarksville’s past and its future,” said Governor Bredesen. “I’m pleased we could provide the funds necessary to rehabilitate the bridge and transform it into a beautiful gateway into the city’s historic river district.”

Senator Tim Barnes added, “I’m pleased to support a project that will preserve an important piece of Clarksville’s history for generations to come.” “I’m pleased Governor Bredesen and TDOT are providing these funds for the continued improvement of Montgomery County,” said Representative Joe Pitts. “This project will encourage more people to visit and enjoy another of the historic sites our city has to offer.”

“Clarksville is committed to making the river district a wonderful area for residents and visitors,” said Representative Curtis Johnson. “I thank the state for making this investment in Montgomery County.” “This bridge is so unique and rich with history,” added Representative Phillip Johnson. “A project to preserve this structure for Montgomery County has my full support.”

“Through the Transportation Enhancement Grant Program, TDOT has helped fund approximately $205 million in transportation related projects,” said Nicely. “The program was established by Congress in the early 1990’s to fund activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s transportation system.”

A variety of activities such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects are eligible for grant funds under the federal program.

The Montgomery County project will include construction engineering, the sand blast cleaning and painting of the bridge’s steel components, and the rehabilitation of the swing span control building.

The grant is made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. For a list of grant recipients and detailed information on each grant please visit: www.tdot.state.tn.us//news/2009/enhancementgrants.htm. For more information, contact TDOT Communications Office, 615-741-2331.

Nashville – Business, governmental and community leaders including Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper and Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers will gather in Nashville on May 27^th for the annual “Convening the Region” Summit focusing on regional transportation system development in the ten-county Middle Tennessee area.

Cumberland Region Tomorrow (CRT), in partnership with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, the Nashville Area MPO and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, will co-host the event as leaders work to gain collaboration and consensus on the development, funding and operations of a Regional Transit System.

“Ask any citizen in the middle Tennessee area what our top challenges are and I can assure you that traffic, congestion and gridlock will be right at the top of their list,” said Pat Emery, co-chair of CRT. “But this issue is about more than inconvenience; it’s a matter of economic competitiveness, quality growth and development and working to maintain our quality of life here in middle Tennessee. The only way we’re going to solve it is by working together – all ten counties – in a collaborative manner to turn these challenges into opportunities.”

Organizers of the event pointed to a recent survey by Nashville-based Prince Market Research on regional thinking and issues that found overwhelming support for middle Tennessee communities and governments to work together (81%) on top quality of life and economic vitality concerns in the region over the next ten years. These include regional transportation and other infrastructure, land development, air quality and economic growth.

The survey also found that citizens and community leaders expect the top benefits of a Regional Transit System to include reduced traffic congestion, improved environmental health and more transportation options. The top barriers to such a system include lack of funding, lack of connectivity between transportation modes and lack of understanding of transit options.

In addition to the event organizers, U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN), and representatives from the cities of Austin, Charlotte and Denver will be on hand to discuss federal legislative activities with regard to national infrastructure improvement and case studies of regional transportation development.

“This really is an unprecedented time and opportunity for us to turn talk into action while preparing for the future growth and sustainability of this place we call home. But we can only do it if we all work together, to harness the ‘Power of Ten,’ and develop a regional system we can all be proud of. We hope this Summit will put us on that path,” added Emery.

Convening the Region Summit

WHAT: Cumberland Region Tomorrow Convening the Region Summit
WHEN: Wednesday, May 27, 12:30-5:30 p.m.
WHO: Business, governmental and community leaders from ten-county region
WHERE: War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn.

For more information or to register, visit www.10power.org.

About Cumberland Region Tomorrow

Cumberland Region Tomorrow is a private-sector regional 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization working with the public sector to support and encourage growth planning, with an emphasis on land use, transportation, and preservation of the rural landscape and character of the region’s communities.

NASHVILLE

“Taking simple steps in our daily lives can make a dramatic impact on our air quality,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.  “We hope this educational program will lead motorists to make positive changes in daily driving habits.”

TDOT recommends these SIMPLE steps to help Clear the Air in Tennessee:

S – Watch your Speed

• The faster you drive, the more fuel you burn, and that means you’re polluting more without going any further.

I – Idle less

• Idling is a major contributor to harmful air pollution. When parked, it’s more fuel-efficient and better for the air to restart your vehicle rather than to idle for 10 seconds or more.

M – Maintain your vehicle

• A well-maintained vehicle gets better gas mileage and emits fewer pollutants. A routine tune-up can increase your mileage by an average of 4%, and a new air filter can improve your mileage by up to 10%.

P – Plan your trips

• Plan ahead to combine trips in the same area of town, or make adjustments to accomplish your to-do list closer to home or in fewer stops.

L – Leave your car at home

• Carpooling, biking, walking and using public transportation are all excellent ways to reduce vehicle emissions. Using these alternatives even a few days a week can save 1,500 pounds of air pollution a year.

E – Educate Others

• Become a “Clear the Air” advocate and help other Tennesseans change their driving habits to reduce air pollution.

“These steps are easy to do, but can have a large impact on the air we all breathe,” said TDOT Environment and Planning Chief Ed Cole.  “In addition to concerns about public health, our state could lose the ability to spend federal dollars on highway projects if we don’t take steps to Clear the Air. That means less money for road and highway repairs and projects, and more traffic congestion.”

Tennesseans in nonattainment counties will soon notice “Clear the Air” messages on billboards, banners, print ads and on TV and will hear informational spots on the radio.  Tennesseans can also learn more about air quality in Tennessee by visiting www.cleartheairtn.org.  The new web site provides information on the causes of air pollution, ways to reduce individual impact on air quality and helpful links to local clean air groups.

“Breathing polluted air can have serious impact on your health, including aggravated allergies, heart disease, eye and respiratory irritation, decreases in lung capacity, permanent scarring of the lungs, asthma and bronchitis and can even lead to death,” said TDOT’s environmental outreach coordinator Joan Barnfield.

Children are especially at risk from the negative effects of air pollution because they breathe one and a half times more air per pound of body weight than adults.  Almost half of all asthma cases in the U.S. occur in children, a problem exacerbated by poor air quality.  More than half of all Tennesseans live in areas where air pollution poses a health risk.

Nonattainment and maintenance counties in Tennessee are: Anderson, Blount, Cocke, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Montgomery, Roane, Rutherford, Shelby, Sevier, Sumner, Wilson and Williamson counties.  For more information on Clear the Air Tennessee and how you can help, visit www.cleartheairtn.org.

About TDOT

TDOT is a multimodal agency with responsibilities in aviation, public transit, waterways and railways.  TDOT maintains 14,150 miles of highway in Tennessee including 1,104 miles of interstate.  The Department of Transportation has approximately 4,200 employees with four statewide region facilities in Jackson, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.  TDOT headquarters is located in downtown Nashville.

Please join us for an outdoor picnic honoring Kim McMillan for Tennessee Committee for Governor. Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at Harvey & Silvus Law Firm 310 Franklin Street Clarksville, TN 5:00p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

RSVP to Lauren Bell by Friday, May 1st at 615-585-9678 or

*Contributions will be accepted at the event or can be made at www.kimmcmillan.com

The City of Clarksville and Montgomery County intend to submit a joint application for the 2009 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $486,980, with the funds to be shared $219,141 to the County and $267,839 to the City to be used for traditional law enforcement and crime prevention activities. Any person wishing to make a comment regarding use of funds is invited to attend a public comment period April 30th, 2009 at 1:00 pm.  This session will be held downstairs in the patrol briefing room at The Clarksville Police Department, 135 Commerce St., Clarksville, Tennessee.

An investigation by Detective Demone Chestnut revealed that Jennifer and Jeremy Seadler provided alcoholic beverages to a 16 year old female juvenile, a former Northeast High School student, while playing a card game.  Jennifer Seadler was at one time the math teacher of the juvenile; this supports the fact that both adults knew the age of the juvenile.  The investigation uncovered there were  two other adults that the juvenile had never met who were also playing the game.  The juvenile did not play well during the game, therefore she had to take shots of Ciroc Vodka.  Shortly after consuming the alcohol, the juvenile became very sick and vomited.  The juvenile was sent home without being provided any medical attention.

Also, during the investigation, it was discovered that while Jennifer Seadler was employed as a teacher, she placed herself in questionable situations known as “Grooming” when dealing with students by providing gifts (i.e. cell phones, puppies, and legal assistance) that should be handled by parents.

The suspects have been booked into Montgomery County Jail.

Jennifer Seadler

Jeremy Seadler

MCDP officers, front row from left, Rene Poindexter, Kate Ravels, Kim Smith, Barbara Brown; back row from left, Gene Lewis, Keith Jackson and Robert Lewis

Gene Lewis was unanimously re-elected MCDP  chairman, with Kim Smith as 1st vice-chair, Keith Jackson as 2nd vice-chair, Robert Lewis as 3rd vice chair, and Kate Ravels as 4th vice-chair.

Barbara Brown was voted treasurer for the group, with Rene Poindexter as secretary. Thirty-eight party members were appointed to the executive committee and by-laws for the organization were approved in a unanimous vote.

The MCDP meets monthly at 7 p.m.  at the Smith-Trahern Mansion on McClure Street. The Democratic Women’s group meets that same evening at 6 p.m., prior to the MCDP session.

Rep. Curtis Johnson, House District 68

State Representative Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville) has been appointed as Chairman of the House Republican Caucus Task Force on Budget and Economic Development.  The appointment was announced today by House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada.

“Representative Johnson was an ideal choice for this group,” said Rep. Casada.  “Being from Clarksville, he understands the importance of economic development, as evidenced through his role in the Hemlock project. I am confident that he will lead the group effectively and assist in crafting solutions.”
The House Republican Caucus leadership appointed and announced the formation of their Caucus Task Forces this week. The task forces are charged with developing policy ideas and legislation around conservative ideals, and to assist all caucus members with information on specific issues.

“I am very honored to serve on this committee because I believe economic development has one of the greatest impacts on the lives of everyday Tennesseans,” stated Rep. Johnson.  “I was very honored to be a part of bringing Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation to Clarksville, and I am already seeing the positive things that are happening because of that project. I look forward to crafting more policy with this group that will achieve similar ends for the rest of the state.”

Representative Johnson serves the 68th District in the Tennessee House of Representatives.  His district includes part of Montgomery County, and is serving his third term in the legislature.

Ronald William Bartlett Jr.

On March 9,  officers responded to an armed robbery of Regions Bank on Riverside Drive.  The suspect, later identified as Ronald William Bartlett Jr. (W/M), 33, listed as homeless, entered the bank, walked up to the teller, and passed her a note demanding money.  The teller said that Bartlett made a motion toward his pocket, making the teller believe that he was armed.  Bartlett took the money and fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.  A witness followed Bartlett and saw him get into a car parked at a nearby business. 

The witness relayed the vehicle and tag description to officers on the scene who had the information disseminated over the Police radio.   The vehicle was initially spotted by Deputy Austion and a city officer on the parking lot of the Quick Stop in the Greenwood Avenue area.  Bartlett was refueling his 1993 Mercury at the time.  When officers attempted to approach Bartlett, he entered his vehicle and fled.  Bartlett lead several, Clarksville, Montgomery County, and Cheatham County officers on a vehicle chase which finally ended in Cheatham county on Chapmansboro Road, when Bartlett’s vehicle went off the road into the dirt. Bartlett was taken in custody by Clarksville officers without incident or injury.

Bartlett admitted to taking the money from the bank.  All the bank’s money was recovered and returned except for the money Bartlett used to refuel his vehicle.

Ronald William Bartlett Jr. has a long history of criminal activity.