MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Approximately 130 people attended the Montgomery County Highway Department’s groundbreaking event on May 20 to celebrate the official construction of the new administrative and maintenance buildings, expected to be complete by late spring of 2025 at 1213 Highway Drive.

Leading the ceremony was County Highway Supervisor Jeff Bryant who recognized the state delegates, elected officials, Highway Department employees, retirees, and all who came out to be a part of the occasion.

“This is a huge day for this department, it’s the beginning of something new and something to move forward in the future with. We have a big job maintaining and repairing all county-owned roads and bridges encompassing over 750 miles of road and almost 150 bridges. The new facilities will help us better take care of our equipment, not just for our department but for the County as we maintain a county-wide fleet program,” said Bryant.

“It’s been a journey getting to this day and it started with a conversation with former Mayor Jim Durrett. He was on board and I quickly reached out to Daniel Binkley with Rufus Johnson & Associates,” he added. 

Bryant explained that it took a lot of iterations and along with the architect came to the realization it was going to take more land to accomplish their objective. Due to collaboration with the City of Clarksville and Clarksville-Montgomery County School System leadership, the Highway Department obtained more land, providing a better layout and flow.

Bryant thanked Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and the County Commissioners for their continued support.
Mayor Golden spoke next, recognizing Senator Bill Powers and Representative Jeff Burkhart for attending and thanking all the local state delegates for the funding support of County Highway projects. 

“If anyone has ever toured that building it’s easy to understand why this is needed. We are going to try to bring these folks out of 1960 and put them in a present-day environment. It’s not just about the building, we are asking more out of the Highway Department than ever before. We’re growing at a fast rate and we’re trying our best to keep up. I appreciate our Highway Department employees,” said Mayor Golden

County Commissioner Ricky Ray who is also part of the Highway Committee said, “I can speak for a lot of the commissioners. When this came up we felt it was time and that something needed to be done. A lot of people don’t realize how much you (Highway Department employees) do on the roads. We’re thankful for you and we’re going to make this happen. 

The group walked to the groundbreaking site where they took the ceremonial shovels and moved the dirt as a symbol of the project getting underway.

The design team is led by Daniel Binkley, an architect with Rufus Johnson & Associates, and Alex Henry with TTL on civil design. Rock City is the general contractor out of Franklin, led by Mike Morgan.

For more information about the Montgomery County Highway Department visit https://mcgtn.org/highway and keep up with the latest news by connecting with them at https://www.facebook.com/mcgtn.net. To see the video of the Highway Department groundbreaking visit https://www.facebook.com/mcgtn/.

# # #

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. – Montgomery County Government hosted its annual Employee Service Awards Ceremony for 323 employees from 30 County departments over three different dates in May at the William O. Beach Civic Hall on May 9 and in the Sheriff’s Office at the Public Safety Complex on May 10 and May 17. 

Awards were given to individuals who have served Montgomery County ranging from one to 50 years of service. Except for employees who were recognized for their first year of service, employees are recognized at the ceremony in five-year increments.

At the May 9 presentation, County Mayor Wes Golden expressed his gratitude and stated that being surrounded by great people makes his job serving the community easier. During the presentations to the employees of the Sheriff’s Office, Mayor Golden, and Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson also shared their gratitude for the dedication of the employees who serve.

Montgomery County Government appreciates the employees' commitment to providing outstanding service to our residents. 

# # #

Link to the photos by department: https://bit.ly/3ysUJuQ 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TN – The University of Tennessee honored Montgomery County Register of Deeds Julie Chadwick Runyon and Montgomery County Register of Deeds Senior Deputy Tori Moore as Certified Public Administrators at a Capstone graduation event on May 3, 2024. 

To achieve the designation, a participant must complete up to 115 credit hours in the County Officials Certificate Training Program (COCTP). The program is administered by the UT County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) and is available to every county official and county employee in the state.

“This is a unique program that offers a broad continuum of training to county officials and employees to provide them with the knowledge to serve their citizens better,” said Jon Walden, executive director of CTAS. CTAS is an agency of the statewide UT Institute for Public Service.

Each course in the program is designed to aid county government officials in performing their jobs and efficiently administering county services. Classroom topics include ethics, fire insurance ratings, finance, records management, proactive leadership, and information technology proficiency.

“The program provides specialized, office-specific, technical, administrative, managerial, and leadership training to elected officials,” Walden said. “The entire program is designed for practicality and to build skills the officials need daily to serve their constituents better.”

“Tori and I found the classes through CTAS to be beneficial, empowering us with a deeper knowledge on topics that are relevant to our continued service to Montgomery County residents. We are grateful to have this resource and will use our training to improve service to our customers,” said Julie Chadwick Runyon.

For information on the services provided by the Montgomery County Register of Deeds Office visit https://mcgtn.org/deeds or call 931-648-5713.

# # #

Offering free van rides to veterans since 1989

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TN – Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization (MCVSO) recently hosted its annual volunteer appreciation dinner for the dispatchers and drivers of the Montgomery County Veterans Transportation Service (MCVTS) at The Tanglewood House.

The service, formed in 1989 to fulfill transportation needs for veterans and their dependents, made the first trip to Nashville in September of 1991 and, has since transported over 38,000 veterans and family members. For more than 30 years, the all-volunteer transportation network has provided veterans and their eligible dependents free transportation every week of the year to and from VA and civilian medical facilities in the Nashville area traveling between 20k to 40k miles per year. Telehealth and Community Care Network have helped to reduce the number of trips but the need still exists. 

At the dinner, the drivers and dispatchers were recognized and honored for their service. Some were newer divers and some have been dispatching and driving for over 20 years.

Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden addressed the group. “It is an honor to be here and live in Montgomery County where we have more than 34,000 veterans. We have a community that understands what it means to serve and what it means to serve others. I believe we are supposed to love God and love people. Our veterans understand that and I’m so grateful for an organization like this and for all of you who take care of our veterans every day. I love it! Thank you so much!”

Director of the Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization, Hector Santos, said, “It is an honor to continue this tradition and recognize you all this evening. Those who wore the uniform and the military spouses know we serve our Nation for God, Country, and Old Glory. It is in here (pointing to his heart), engraved, and I thank you. When I see a veteran, they ask me how I get to my appointment in Nashville. I tell them to leave my office, take a left face, and keep walking until you hit a door, and they will take care of you. That is reassuring to them. I appreciate what you do daily and know our veterans appreciate it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Ed Mayers, Chairman of MCVTS, wrapped up the evening by sharing some memories, thanking the volunteers, and giving a call to action, “When I first started driving we carried some WWII Veterans, the greatest generation and we are losing them every day. I remember one WWII Veteran who lived off Highway 13 almost to the County line and he was a character. At 17, he joined the Navy in 1944, and some of the stories he could tell! It has been a privilege and honor to serve them over the years. Many of you have your own great stories and have been volunteering for years. We run the gamut with Vietnam Veterans, retired Special Forces, helicopter pilots, air police, and others who volunteer but we are getting older and need some younger volunteers to step in. I am proud of the work we’ve done to support our veterans.”

To continue providing this service, more drivers are necessary. Drivers can volunteer as many days or as few days a month as they choose. To qualify, a volunteer must be insurable, hold a valid driver’s license, pass a background check, be in good health, and enjoy helping veterans.

Anyone with a desire to volunteer is welcome. In addition to drivers, volunteer dispatchers also staff the MCVTS office from 9:30 am. to 2:30 pm. Monday through Friday, answering questions and scheduling rides at the three designated pick-up and drop-off locations. 

Though the service is free to veterans who need transportation, the MCVTS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that needs ongoing monetary donations to cover, gas, vehicle maintenance, insurance, and other operating costs such as office supplies. The cost to operate the service is over $6,000 yearly which includes gas and servicing the tires. Additionally, MCVTS replaces one van every three to five years as finances allow. 

Veterans and their family members needing transportation to hospitals in the Nashville area can call 931-553-5175 to schedule a seat on one of the two vans – one which is equipped to transport wheelchair riders. Without the help of those who have donated funds and the MCVTS, some veterans and family members would be unable to receive proper medical attention in Nashville. MCVTS is the only all-volunteer organization in Tennessee that transports wheelchair patients to the VA and civilian medical facilities. The veterans’ van runs Monday through Friday with three designated locations, except holidays. 

Veterans who use the service are grateful for the rides and the people who selflessly serve, stating that the transportation eases some of the burden of dealing with a disability or disease.

To learn more about volunteering with the Montgomery County Veterans Transportation Service, or to donate to offset transportation costs, contact the office at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 308, Clarksville, TN 37040, or call 931-553-5175.

# # #

Caption for the MCVTS Standing Group from left to right:  Phyllis Mayers, Mayor Golden, Marion Yarborough, Dennis Langlois, Tony Tidwell, Ed Mayers, Brian Prentice, Gene Gibson, Daisy Picket, Gary Chilcott, Henry Bock, Nancy Carter, Larry Hogan, Victor Garcia, Steve Ferrell, Gail Rutland, Andrew Kester, Sabrina Norris, Hector Santos

The Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization is hosting its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 10 a.m., May 27, at the William O. Beach Civic Hall, Clarksville.

City and county officials, as well as MCVSO staff, will give remarks, with the keynote address given by Colonel Samuel L. Preston III, Commander, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Ft Campbell, Kentucky. Musical selections will be presented by Stella McKnight and the Carnival and Encore Choirs from Clarksville High School, with the posting of the colors by the 101st Airborne Division Color Guard. Area Veterans Service Organizations will conduct a wreath-laying ceremony.

The William O. Beach Civic Hall is located in Veterans Plaza, 350 Pageant Lane, Clarksville.  

For more information, contact the Montgomery County Veterans Service Organization at 931-553-5173 or [email protected].