A Clarksville Jeep owner, pictured sitting in the front of the rescue raft, found himself without enough ducks to keep him afloat Tuesday afternoon. The road had been barricaded at Ashbury Road and Shanee Terrace, though the Jeep driver told authorities he was not the person who removed them. Clarksville Fire Rescue received the vehicle trapped in high water call just after 5 p.m. and dispatched two battalion crews from stations 6 and 10 and Squad 1. The driver remained in contact via phone with rescuers throughout the call, and there were no injuries.
Author: Jason Steen
One dead after shooting inside Smoove’s Grill & Bar overnight
One person is dead after a shooting at Smoove’s Grill & Bar overnight, according to Clarksville Police. A 911 call was received at 12:28 a.m., reporting a person shot inside the bar-turned-late-night event center at 2150 Fort Campbell Blvd. Officers located one person with a gunshot wound to the abdomen inside the venue. Officers provided medical aid until EMS units arrived and transported the victim to Tennova Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
Judge Adrienne Fry is now a defendant in an order of protection hearing against her
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Fry finds herself on the other side of the bench, as she was the subject of two orders of protection applications this week. Denny Lee Fry says his ex-wife, Judge Fry, appeared at his home on the morning of April 9 at 7:30 a.m. and repeatedly rang the doorbell. His current wife, Samantha, opened the door and asked how she could help. Judge Fry reportedly stepped up against the woman and tried to push her aside to enter the home. Samantha demanded that Adrienne not to touch her and to leave the property, but the Judge refused and continued to try to get around her and into the home. Denny reportedly witnessed Adrienne push her chest against his wife’s chest and attempt to enter the home. A neighbor witnessed the activity and came to the home to assist, causing Judge Fry to back down the steps and leave the property…
Attorney Joel Ragland embezzles $85,000 from Apex Title & Eric Yow
63-year-old Clarksville attorney Joel Ragland was jailed earlier this month after his business partner, Eric Yow, reported Ragland had been embezzling from the business for the past year. An audit showed over $85,000 worth of missing funds. An investigation was conducted and Ragland was recorded in a conversation in which he admitted to writing multiple checks to his personal bank account. A total of $60,000 was written from the trust of Apex Title to Ragland’s personal checking account. Two more checks were written to Moore Construction from the company’s account to pay back a personal loan owed by Ragland.
Attorney Joel Ragland suspended from practicing law
The Supreme Court of Tennessee temporarily suspended Joel David Ragland from the practice of law Friday, upon finding that Mr. Ragland misappropriated funds for his personal use and continues to pose a threat of substantial harm to the public, according to a release from the licensing board.
Mr. Ragland is immediately precluded from accepting new cases and must cease representing existing clients by May 12, 2024. After May 12, 2024, Mr. Ragland shall not engage in the practice of law; use any indicia of lawyer, legal assistant, or law clerk; or maintain a presence wherein the practice of law is conducted. Mr. Ragland must notify all clients represented in pending matters, co-counsel, and opposing counsel of the Supreme Court’s Order suspending his law license. He shall deliver to all clients any papers or property to which they are entitled.
Mr. Ragland must comply with the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Sections 28 and 12.3(d), regarding the obligations and responsibilities of temporarily suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.
Yada’s food permit in danger of being revoked, per state inspector
A state health inspector says the food service permit for Yada on Franklin is in danger of being revoked and has issued a warning letter and scheduled a revocation intervention meeting with stakeholders. During a routine inspection on Tuesday, it was noted the troubled downtown venue had third-consecutive violations on some categories, including three-week-old sauces and expired tomato soup — of which a combined twenty pounds was embargoed from public consumption. For the second consecutive inspection, Yada also had a contaminated surface violation, specifically a live insect crawling on ready-to-use lids and no chlorine in the dish machine. Other violations included meatballs and marinara sauce being held below the proper temperatures and improperly stored raw steak. See the full report below.
Female shot at car club meet-up in parking lot behind Kenwood / Basketball Courts
Clarksville Police say one female was shot at 6:50 p.m. Saturday at a car club meet-up in the parking lot area behind Kenwood Elementary School and the basketball court that is adjacent to that location (between the dog park and the baseball fields). At some point during the meet-up, unknown individuals who were at the basketball courts started randomly shooting, and a female was hit in the leg.
Emergency Operations received a 911 call regarding a shooting that occurred at the Heritage Park basketball courts. A second 911 call came in approximately five minutes later, this time from Casey’s General Store, 1230 Peachers Mill Rd. A female victim was at Casey’s with a gunshot wound to her leg. Before police arrived on the scene, the victim was driven to Tennova Medical Center in a privately owned vehicle. She is reported to be in stable condition, and her wound does not appear to be life-threatening.
CPD is asking anyone in the immediate area of Heritage Park, Peachers Mill Rd., and Pine Mountain Rd. to review their doorbell or security camera footage to see if their system captured any vehicles fleeing the area around 6:50 p.m. and call 911.
Dream Wingz – Tiny Town scores 80 on health inspection; repeat violation notice
A state inspector conducted a routine health inspection Wednesday afternoon at Dream Wingz on Cainlo Drive in Clarksville. Upon arrival, the kitchen sink was not stocked with paper towels, and the automated three-compartment sick had no sanitizer. Temperature-controlled items in the reach-in cooler read 45 degrees, slightly over the acceptable level. They also found raw fish thawing in room-temperature 71-degree water when it should have temped at 41 degrees. PVC cement was stored above sauces and salts, while degreaser was stored on top of breading. The restaurant was issued a second-notice letter for having raw eggs stored directly over other food, an infraction they were also cited for in August.
DUI: Maratez Tramil drinks before swerving between lanes on Fort Campbell Boulevard
42-year-old Maratez Tramil, an employee of Jostens, was jailed after swerving between lanes on Fort Campbell Boulevard on January 1st. Officers observed this and conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle. Officers made contact with Tramil and immediately noticed he had bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcohol on his person. An open bottle of alcohol was also in the center console. When asked if he had consumed any alcohol before driving, he admitted he had. Tramil consented to sobriety tests and performed poorly. During a search of Tramil’s person, officers found a flask containing alcohol in his pocket. Tramil was taken into custody and consented to a breath sample for chemical testing. Tramil was charged with driving under the influence and open container.
DUI: Kiara Bell drinks 3 shots before driving on revoked license
30-year-old Kiara Bell was jailed after reports of a vehicle sitting at the stop sign on Reynolds Street on December 29th. Officers made contact with the car and observed Kiara Bell passed out in the driver’s seat. Bell had a strong odor of alcohol emitting from her person as officers questioned her. Bell admitted to drinking three shots earlier that evening before driving. Officers noted that Bell also had watery eyes and was unsteady on her feet. Bell consented to sobriety tests, which she performed poorly on. Officers found an open and empty container of “Clubtails Margarita” and a “Hennessey” bottle cap In a probable cause search of her vehicle. Bell was read implied consent and refused to provide a blood or breath sample. Officers quickly obtained a search warrant for a blood sample. Officers discovered via a search through NCIC that Bell also had her license revoked in May 2023 and a previous DUI charge from April 2022. Kiara Bell was taken into custody and charged with DUI, driving on a revoked license, and implied consent.
Ja’Tavious Starnes shoves baby-mama off porch during argument
23-year-old Ja’Tavious Starnes was jailed after assaulting the mother of his child, Diamond Tankard, at her Alexander Road residence on December 29th. Officers observed surveillance video of the incident occurring. The footage shows Starnes and Tankard arriving at Tankard’s home and walking to the front door. Within minutes of arriving at the front door, Starnes and Tankard can be heard arguing. Officers then observed Starnes forcefully grabbing Tankard’s phone and shoving her off the porch into the nearby bushes. A check through NCIC showed that Starnes has active conditions of release in Montgomery County, with Tankard being the protected party. Ja’Tavious Starnes was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault, contempt, out-of-county warrants, and fugitive hold.
Darrius Heard (La Dee) murdered outside Club Pressuh in Clarksville
Clarksville Police responded to a shooting in progress call at 3:30 a.m. Sunday at Club Pressuh at 2051 Ft. Campbell Blvd. Officers arrived and found evidence of shots being fired in the parking lot. While still investigating, a victim arrived at Tennova Emergency Room suffering from gunshot wounds. The investigation revealed that the victim had been shot outside of Club Pressuh. The victim was 23-year-old Darrius Heard of Clarksville, Tennessee. Mr. Heard succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at Tennova. Heard was a former employee of Clarksville Today & Steen Publishing, and was a musician, where he performed under the name “La Dee.”
Sebastian Shaw indicted after destroying computer files of former employer
30-year-old Sebastian Shaw, a former employee of Appleton Harley Davidson, has been indicted by the Montgomery County Grand Jury after reportedly deleting company files and withholding social media logins after he was terminated in July. Shaw was hired to do marketing for the business and was terminated in late July. Court records allege that in apparent retaliation, he destroyed and damaged their internal computer system, customer files, and company emails, causing over $10,000 in losses to the company. The Grand Jury met on November 7, and Shaw was taken into custody on two felony counts of computer fraud and vandalism the following week.
Joe’s Garage at Shelby’s Trio receives a scathing 65 on health inspection
State health inspectors spent nearly two hours inside Joe’s Garage at Shelby’s Trio Friday afternoon, leaving one of Clarksville’s newest restaurants with 11 pounds of embargoed food and a scathing score of 65. High on the long list of violations – the inspector says the restaurant “is not maintaining any managerial control over risk factors for foodborne illness. Raw salmon stored over ready-to-eat food, other food items being served past their expiration date, and running the dishwasher without any chlorine/sanitizer were some of the top violations found during the visit. Ready-to-serve milk inside the server station’s reach-in-cooler temped at 51 degrees, causing 4 pounds to be embargoed. The house-made ranch dressing and gorgonzola dressing were both in the prep cooler; both expired 2-3 days earlier, with all 5 pounds embargoed. An additional 2 pounds of pickled onions were also embargoed, as the restaurant was not operating under an approved plan for pickling preservation, which is required by the state. Smaller violations included an employee’s Theraflu was stored on top of utensils, an employee’s bag stored on food prep table, and another on top of potatoes.
APSU Campus Cafeteria scores 77 on state health inspection
The Campus Cafeteria inside the Student Center at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville scored a 77 on its test Wednesday, as a state health inspector conducted a routine inspection. Overall, there was not any proper handwashing; employees were touching themselves, handling cleaning bottles, and more without any hand washing. Everyone present had to stop and wash their hands during the inspection. Food was stored improperly in the cooler and freezer, putting items at risk for contamination from raw food items. A total of fifty pounds of food was embargoed – both from the cold food line, where it was held at over fifty degrees, and from a tub of alfredo sauce that was cooked the day prior and was just sitting unused on a prep table at nearly sixty degrees. More food was embargoed after it was found sitting on the omelette prep station at fifty-six degrees, too warm for standards. The inspector noted this was the third consecutive inspection where items were not held at proper temperatures, and has scheduled a priority follow-up on all critical violations.
Clarksville’s Top 50 OnlyFans creators: We reviewed them so you don’t have to
There’s a good chance you know an OnlyFans Creator in Clarksville… even if you don’t know that you know. OnlyFans quickly became popular in recent years for an easy extra income, and for some content creators, a full-time job. With an influx of college students and army spouses, combined with low-wage jobs, creating content has proven lucrative in the Queen City. There’s a good chance your hostess, store clerk, or even that construction worker downtown, has a link where you can view their naughty side… sometimes for free, and often for a price. Who is the most popular? Who is a catfish? Let’s take a deep dive into the world of Clarksville’s content creators.
Tennessee Valley Brewing Company joins growing list of shuttered downtown businesses
The Tennessee Valley Brewing Company, which currently occupies the space at 125 Franklin Street, has announced it will be permanently closing its doors on October 14. The downtown Clarksville building they currently lease has hosted a series of failed businesses in a short few years. Prior to TVBC taking over the space in April 2023, Mickey’s Downtown closed shortly after health inspectors found cockroaches crawling on kitchen walls & in coolers in November 2022. Before that, failed businessman Dar Place operated Kimo’s Hawaiian Grill. Just before Kimo’s, the building hosted Roux – a restaurant that was closed after the owner was indicted on child pornography charges.
The owners posted the announcement on Facebook Sunday afternoon, explaining their move to downtown was supposed to bring in more customers — and that never came to fruition. The business, which is just over six years old, will serve its last beer on October 14. Many downtown businesses have closed recently, including Tarboosh and 105 Social – both of which sought the college-aged crowd. Many locals have cited parking as the primary reason they no longer frequent downtown businesses – a problem that is only expected to get worse with the arena now open, without any additional parking currently available.
Clarksville City Council asks to be exempted from state Sunshine laws
During Thursday night’s regular session of the Clarksville City Council, members voted to ask the state to make the Sunshine laws not apply to the body and city government, with multiple council members stating the law, which states all things done on behalf of the public must be done within the light of the public, gets in their way of being collaborative and having private conversations.
The amendment’s sponsor, Wallace Redd, says he feels the local council body should simply be following the same rules as the state legislature, which he says has less restrictive sunshine laws and more restrictions on public records and communications between council members on matters of public interest.
An amendment, proposed by controversial council member Wallace Redd, asks the state to “allow local governments to fall under the same ‘Sunshine laws’ and rules that the state legislature follows.” While council person Brian Zacharias noted that the amendment should be that the state legislature follows the more open rules that local governments follow, Redd did not change the direction the amendment flowed and opined that local governments should not have to follow the current state Sunshine laws, which requires all conversations, decisions, and communications to be open to the public.
No matter Redd’s original intention, other council members quickly opined their feelings on the current sunshine law. Outspoken Council Member Karen Reynolds says she believes the “sunshine law as written stifles communication and collaboration.” Council Member Wanda Smith inquired how this would impact the ethics codes, with Redd replying that if it became law, violations of it would no longer be unethical. Council Member Wanda Allen says she agreed with the amendment and reiterated that current ethics violations would no longer be against the law if this became the new law.
The amendment passed 8-4-0, and will be included on this year’s legislative agenda – which will be presented to the state legislature as a list of the top items impacting Clarksville that the city wants the state to assist with. Voting yes: Zacharias, McLaughlin, Little, Redd, Marquis, Allen, Reynolds, Shakeenab. Voting no: Smith, Holleman, Streetman, Lovato.
Tessa Luntz named City of Clarksville’s Human Resources Director
Tessa Luntz has been named Director of Human Resources for the City of Clarksville, effective immediately.
Having most recently served as the department’s Deputy Director and as Interim Director when the top position was vacated, Luntz now permanently ascends to the head of the department that is devoted to developing and supporting the City’s workforce in the areas of benefits and compensation, employee relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, Risk Management, safety, and workplace training.
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said Luntz is well-equipped to lead at the next level in HR for the City’s multi-faceted workforce. “Tessa brings a depth and breadth of experience in human resources to the city, and has a proven record of success in developing the talent to provide first-class service to our citizens.” Mayor Pitts said.
“Her thorough knowledge of the law and her problem-solving attitude make her the right choice to lead our city during these challenging days of recruiting and retaining top talent. I could not be more pleased that she has accepted the position of Director of Human Resources,” he said.
A Clarksville native with vast professional and educational experience in the field of human resources, Luntz said she is eager to serve the City as department Director. “I am honored to continue serving the City of Clarksville and the wonderful employees within this organization in a different capacity,” Luntz said.
“I look forward to this opportunity, and I am equipped with the knowledge, competencies, and experience to lead the City of Clarksville’s Human Resources department as we incorporate the components of Mayor Pitts’ strategic vision,” she said.
An Austin Peay State University graduate who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (2015) and a Master of Science Degree in Management (2018), Luntz is also certified through the Society for Human Resources Management.
She began working in the public sector at the state level, with the State of Tennessee Department of Human Resources, in 2016.
Luntz joined the City of Clarksville Human Resources department in January 2020.
She has been married to her husband, Austin Luntz, for four years, and they welcomed their first daughter, Amelia, in April 2023.
Harbor Cafe scores 75 on health inspection; 70 lbs of food embargoed
An inspector with the Tennessee Department of Health conducted a routine inspection Friday at Harbor Cafe on Loews Drive. Fifty pounds of prime rib was embargoed due to being cooked 17 hours prior and temping at 46 degrees. Noodles and ground beef were cooked the day prior but had no date markings. Inside the cooler, a pan of uncooked raw chicken was sitting inside an uncovered container of cooked chicken. Wet and soiled wiping cloths were lying on food prep tables throughout. Multiple other violations were noted, including a heavy buildup of grease in the hood over the fry station and sludge in the ice machine. Harbor Cafe received a 75 on the inspection.
