OP-ED: On I-24 Somewhere North of Smyrna

By Mike Sparks

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

(Editor's Note: Mike Sparks, who represents Smyrna as a representative in the Tennessee State Legislature, earned his associate degree in Mass Communications on Motlow's Smyrna campus. He is the co-host of "Rutherford Issues" on WGNS-AM/FM.)

         SMYRNA, Tenn.- Interstate 24 from Rutherford County to Nashville, which goes through my district, might be consistently the most congested stretch of highway in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. With the exponential growth of middle Tennessee, drivers face increased traffic congestion daily. While stuck in traffic, many of us who commute to Nashville are asking ourselves the same question: What else can be done to help alleviate our traffic problems?

         Our government and our leaders need to learn to do more with less without increasing taxes. 

         We should continue to pursue options such as encouraging ridesharing, alternative work schedules, and an improved BRT Bus Rapid Transit system, HOV lane enforcement as a few options to reduce traffic. At the age of 19, I was working in the factory at Whirlpool in LaVergne, and I would pay a coworker $5 each week to carpool.

         As I drive from my home district to Nashville, I have watched how bad the traffic congestion is getting. I have continuously promoted ridesharing, which has encouraged my staff to carpool, many of whom are using the new mobile app Hytch Rewards, to carpool to the busy city of Nashville.

         As lawmakers, we are here to serve the public and seek good policy in a cost-effective manner. My resolution, HJR 0726, urges government officials and transit authorities to make efforts to study highway efficiency and to work in public-private partnerships before increasing taxes as a means of addressing heavy traffic congestion, to do and explore everything in its capacity to manage traffic problems. It will also seek private sector assistance. There are private sector services out there, like Uber, Lyft, Hytch Rewards, and even Amazon with its efficient delivery systems, stepping up in different ways to fill the lack of leadership and drought of direction in addressing congestion.

         Companies like these are great examples of how, with certain issues, the private sector gets it right while the government often gets it wrong. These companies are looking for and successfully finding solutions. The state should support and learn from the private sector. Unfortunately, we still have much to improve on.

         We can look to the private sector for innovative solutions. However, we can take a look at the tools we have now, and see they are not effective. Tennessee has a law in place making it illegal during a few hours at the busiest times of the day, to drive alone in the carpool, or HOV lane. TDOT estimates that up to 90 percent of drivers in the HOV lane during restricted hours are violating state law.

         The Tennessee Highway Patrol issued an all-time low of 162 tickets in 2016 statewide for violating our HOV laws. There are 147 miles of highway with HOV lane. Some 121 of those HOV miles are in the Middle Tennessee area, where traffic continues to worsen. Arizona has 190 miles of HOV lanes and issued 7,364 citations in 2015. Virginia, with 113 HOV miles, had more than 100 times the citations than Tennessee, with 18,194 in 2013, the most recently available number. In Dallas, alone, 5,369 HOV citations were issued in 2016. Furthermore, a fellow legislator has a bill that increases HOV fines, which is $50, the lowest allowed by Federal law.

         Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III gave me his opinion that HOV violation should be treated as a moving violation. This would significantly strengthen enforcement. House Speaker, Rep. Beth Harwell, 56th District, also understands the issues surrounding our existing HOV laws. In 2008, Harwell pioneered a change in HOV laws that made exceptions for drivers of low emission vehicles. She has lead on this issue, and she understands the importance of taking action.

         Davidson County may decide to spend billions of dollars on building a mass transit system in a few months, which would require a tax increase. Rutherford County will likely be next in line to build an expensive transit system, which again would require another tax increase.

         Let's explore, learn, be creative, and do everything we can to leverage the private sector, thus getting things right in the public sector. We are all tired of being stuck in I-24 traffic. Together, let's do something! 

Radio Pro Bryan Barrett to Kick Off Spring Famous Communicator Talks at Motlow Smyrna

         SMYRNA -- Bryan Barrett, the operations manager and afternoon drive personality for WGNS-AM/FM in Rutherford County, will visit the Motlow Smyrna campus on Feb. 22 (Thursday) as part of the Famous Communicators Speakers Series.

         Bryan's presentation will occur from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Room 205 of the MLA Building. He will share insights on the impact of radio in today's digital age. According to Learn.org, graduates of associate degrees in Mass Communications can land a host of entry-level jobs in broadcasting, publishing and public relations. The talk is open to everyone (with seating on a first-come, first-served basis).

         Bryan began his broadcasting career at WGNS while in high school. After hosting the morning news/sports for six-years, he left to become the morning news anchor on the Tennessee Radio Network. TRN has more than 80 radio affiliates across the state, including WGNS. He was promoted to TRN's associate news director in 2003, assistant news director in 2004, and news director in 2006. 

         In 2007, the radio professional was called back to WGNS in Rutherford County to become the station's operations manager and afternoon drive personality. He hosts "Rutherford Issues" (10 a.m. weekdays), a show about just that... issues that affect Rutherford County.

         All these years, Bryan continued to play an important role in WGNS programming, even while at TRN. He's been a part of the Primetime Sports team since 1993, has been doing play-by-play for high school football on WGNS since 2002, and has been doing play-by-play and color commentary for basketball since 1994. Bryan is also co-host of the Prentice Alsup Heating and Air Coaches Corner (8 a.m. Saturdays) with Jon and co-hosts the iDEAS Tees Primetime Sports Scene (6 p.m. Thursdays).

         In his free time, Bryan enjoys being with his family and working in his church. He has two children, Dalton and Bobbye Susanna. Bryan has been married to his wife, Heather, since 1998. Bryan and his family attend Holly Grove Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and music director.

         Other upcoming speakers for the Famous Communicator Series include professional songwriter-performer Lisa Aschmann (March 28) and digital marketing firm executive Suzie Schulenberg (April/TBA)

Motlow Dual Enrollment Program Experiences Rapid Growth

By Deidra Wheeler

Motlow Buzz Reporter

         SMYRNA, Tenn.—The Dual Enrollment program at Motlow State Community College will experience an unprecedented growth in fall 2017, providing numerous courses on a variety of subjects to high school students in the state of Tennessee.

Dual Enrollment allows high school students to gain college credits while still attending their own high school classes every day. By completing the program, students are one step ahead of regular students when they enter their first year of college. If a high school student is using the Dual Enrollment grant, then the program is completely paid for. 

MSCC’s Dual Enrollment students come from all Rutherford County schools, homeschool associations, and even surrounding areas. 

According to newly hired High School Representative for Rutherford County and the High School Programs & Digital Learning Coordinator at MSCC Mary Kay Bell, the college is expected to expand the program even more next fall. There will over 100 students attending classes on campus alone.

“Those taking Dual Enrollment classes throughout Rutherford County will be more than 300 students,” said Bell. 

Mary Kay Bell

Maggie Bollinger, 16, a junior who is homeschooled in Nolensville, Tennessee, enrolled in Motlow’s dual enrollment program in the fall of 2016. Bollinger took a sociology course in the fall. She is now finishing a psychology course. Bollinger plans to double major in psychology and physical therapy after finishing her homeschool classes in Nolensville.

Bollinger has one sister and two older brothers who have dual enrolled at MSCC, and she has a few friends who are planning to dual enroll in the future.

“Being in this program is a great opportunity of learning on the college level,” said Bollinger. “It helps to know what the classes are really like, and what it is like to have a college schedule.”

Jeremy Wright, 17, a senior at Riverdale High School, enrolled in a college dual enrollment program in the fall of 2016. The dual enrollment program offered an advanced class for Wright that was not available on the Riverdale campus. He wanted to get into the dual enrollment program to be ahead in college in the fall of 2017.

He is planning to major in Spanish after high school to become an interpreter. Wright appreciates the fact that the dual enrollment program offered an advanced Spanish class that was going to put college credits toward his college career.

            “Don’t hesitate,” said Jeremy. “Take the advantage of not having to wait until the time is necessary to take a college course.”

            Meagan Pack, 18, also a senior at Riverdale, was enrolled in a college dual enrollment program in the fall of 2016, taking an English 1010 course. She plans to take the advantage of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship in the fall of 2017 at Volunteer State Community College. With that said, Volunteer State only accepts dual enrollment credits through its campus.

            Pack wants to continue learning after high school in the veterinary science program with a goal to earn her doctorate in veterinary medicine. She plans to attend the University of Tennessee Knoxville after completing the Tennessee Promise program. Her goal is to open her own veterinary practice to help all kinds of animals.

“I was raised on the farm,” said Meagan. “This is what I wanted to do from the start.” 

Left to Right: Jeremy Wright, Meagan Pack

Bell explains that the dual enrollment program is a great benefit for anyone who is planning to further their education on a post-secondary level.

 “We have a strong enrollment with LaVergne High School, Oakland High School, and Smyrna High School,” said Bell.

A Dual Enrollment student can participate in any regular course that is offered through MSCC. As with any student, all prerequisites must be met. A student must have a 3.0 GPA; must have completed the 10^th grade; have a sub-score of 19 or greater on Math, 19 or greater on Reading, and 18 or greater on English on the ACT.

If a student does not meet the ACT requirements, they can challenge their scores by taking the COMPASS test at any MSCC campus. 

Another good factor about being a Dual Enrollment student is that there are three convenient options for someone to take a course. He or she can either take the course at you’re their zoned high school, online, or on a MSCC campus.

MSCC has 48 students from LaVergne High School who come to the Smyrna campus for either biology and chemistry each day. Another 50 or so come from a variety of other schools and homeschool programs around Rutherford County. The numbers will substantially increase in the fall of 2017.

Students who are interested in the Dual Enrollment program can apply online at http://www.mscc.edu/dualjoint/ or call Mary Kay Bell directly at (615)-220-7814. There is no fee to apply, and the process is quick and easy.

With the help of the dual enrollment program, these students are taking the advantage of getting the help they need to further their education. They see this program as a way that benefits them in the future to reach their personal goals.     

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Stewarts Creek High School Baseball Defeats La Vergne High School, 9-3

By Heath Pope

Motlow Buzz Reporter

SMYRNA, Tenn.-- Stewarts Creek High School Baseball defeated La Vergne High School on April 19 in La Vergne by a score of 9-3, propelling the Red Hawks to the number one spot in district play.

The Red Hawks played well on both sides of the plate, while on the road against the Wolverines. Pitcher Austin Steel earned the win against Anthony Norman, the pitcher for La Vergne, allowing eight hits and three runs but striking out nine on the night. The win improves the Red Hawks district record to 12-4, while being 18-7 overall on the season.

"I hope it takes some pressure off our hitters,” said Steel. “We feel like all we need is one run and take a lead and play solid defense.”

La Vergne couldn’t drive home runs against Steel, who has been phenomenal this season being 6-0 as a starter. Daniel Freeman’s two-run homerun opened up the flood gates for the Red Hawks’ scoring on the night.

This win for SCHS highlights the athletic success that the entire school has been seeing this year. Since the school opened in 2013, it seems like all of the athletic departments have improved significantly into a real threat in not only regional play, but competing for state honors as well.

“Our coaches never made excuses and have always strived for excellence,” said SCHS Principal Dr. Clark Harrell.

On March 8, SCHS women's basketball team made it all the way to state but fell just short to Dickson County in a game that took two overtimes. The Lady Red Hawks finished the season 23-7, second in the district and their best overall record as a program.

The SCHS football team made huge strides this past fall, making it into the Region

5-A playoffs for the first time in school history with a district record of 5-2. This is a huge deal for the team and Coach David Martin after struggling the first two seasons to earn a few wins. Last year, the Red Hawks barely missed the playoffs, and the team did not shy away this year, finally making it happen for the school.

SCHS has seen a steady incline of winning, experiencing success in every area of athletics. This has been a year they will never forget. With women's basketball making it to the state playoffs, men's basketball making it to regionals, football making the regional playoffs, and the success baseball and softball are having, SCHS is going to be a major threat for a while in district 5-A.

 "To be a part of this starting of a tradition is special for the parents, faculty and students involved,” said Harrell. “It’s just special.”

For more information about athletics at Stewarts Creek High School, visit http://www.dnj.com/search/stewarts%20creek/

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Thousands Attend Mile-Long Yard Sale

By Ashley Corbitt

MSCC Buzz Reporter

            WATERTOWN, Tenn. – Watertown held its bi-annual Mile-Long Yard Sale on West Main Street at 7 a.m. on April 16, with hundreds of booths and activities and thousands of shopping options lining a main thoroughfare.

            Watertown holds the yard sale around the square twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. The yard sale was located off of Exit 239A of Interstate 65, roughly 12 miles north of Nashville.

            The yard sale is sponsored by the Watertown/East Wilson Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also sponsors the “Community Easter Egg Hunt” and the “Big Hill Challenge” that happens in June.

            The event drew thousands of shoppers from around the area to buy items from hundreds of vendors. Booths featured everything from food to antiques to tools and more.

Shoppers on the street.
Photo from Watertown website

 

          While West Main Street is only a two-lane road, it’s difficult for traffic to flow smoothly with shoppers flooding the streets. Police eventually made it a one-way road and directed traffic out of the square, closing off certain roads.

            There are many houses on West Main Street, and homeowners took advantage of the opportunity to set up their own items for sale in their yards.

            Popular items included glass items such as plates and collectibles. There was a vast amount of baby items to choose from for expecting mothers or parents. There were also booths for face painting and snow cones for children.  

            Parking was a hassle for those who arrived later in the day. Individuals parked on the street or in the grass, or paid $5 to park in various lots at churches and Watertown Middle School.

            “This was my first year here,” said Ashley Key, a shopper at the yard sale. “I did not know what to expect but there is a lot here, and I could probably stay all day.”

 
              If the yard sale was not enough, the city offered discounted tickets online for the Tennessee Central Railway Museum train ride. Collectibles and souvenirs were sold on the train.

            For more information about the Mile-Long Yard Sale, visit http://www.watertowntn.com.

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