Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..
Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen and Municipal Planning Commission discussed a development plan revision to The Factory at Franklin at a joint workshop Thursday night.
Nicole Thomas has been selected as the new assistant principal at Franklin Elementary School, Franklin Special School District announced Thursday.
The end of July is always an exciting time, but it also quickly turns “routine busy,” as I call it, and tends to become rather stressful.
Competing in the largest Junior and 16-and-under Wrestling National Championships, Summit High School’s Landon Desselle earned All-American status by placing fourth in his Greco-Roman bracket in Fargo, North Dakota last week.
Blood Assurance and the Williamson County-based Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation are teaming up to save the lives of cancer patients.
Palmetto Moon, a Southern lifestyle retailer, will open its newest store in Franklin on Aug. 13 at CoolSprings Galleria, Suite 1035.
The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen and Municipal Planning Commission discussed a development plan revision to The Factory at Franklin at a joint workshop Thursday night.
Palmetto Moon, a Southern lifestyle retailer, will open its newest store in Franklin on Aug. 13 at CoolSprings Galleria, Suite 1035.
On June 9, my column was about guns and all these shootings that happen all too frequently in our country. My basic position was that the common denominator in all of them is guns and that less guns would equate to less shootings.
Thought of the day: If you disagree, do so without being disagreeable. If you are angry, hold your tongue. If you are frustrated or tired, don’t argue. Instead, put yourself in time out until the anger subsides.
One of the illegally placed signs in downtown Franklin.
One of the illegally placed signs in downtown Franklin.
As the Aug. 4 general county and state primary elections draw closer, Williamson County residents have been showing support for their favorite candidates via yard signs. Yet, the practice has provoked surprisingly uncivil backlash from neighbors and others, including trespassing and vandalism.
Multiple Republican, Democrat and Independent candidates have reported that their campaign signs have been tampered with or physically ruined/trashed on constituent's private property. Often, signs that read "voted to mask your child,” "voted for CRT," etc., have been added next to standard signs supporting candidates.
Last week, a video circulated on social media which showed a man lifting a campaign sign for Bob Britton, a Democratic school board candidate, out of the lawn of a private residence, ringing the doorbell and then flinging the sign on the ground near the front door. Franklin police identified the man but did not release his name, since no charges have been filed.
"After conferring with prosecutors, criminal trespass could be a potential charge," a statement from the FPD read. "Criminal trespass is a Class-C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $50 and a sentence of not more than 30 days in jail.
"What happened here should not be the experience of anyone who chooses to support a candidate, and the department is saddened that this occurred. The homeowner advised officers that they do not want to prosecute. The department, however, stands ready to assist them with pursuing criminal action, should they decide to do so."
At least twice last week, unknown persons tampered with signs on private property supporting Independent school board candidate Nancy Garrett and added their own signs. Garrett is the incumbent in District 12 and also serves as the current school board chair.
“I have no idea who is doing this, but it is obviously someone who is anti-me,” she said. “Everybody has the right to be anti-me, but they don’t have the right to mess with my signs on other people’s private property.”
Republican school board candidate Eric Welch has experienced similar problems with his signs, with the exact number vandalized and/or tampered with unclear. He echoed Garrett’s sentiments and argued signs hadn’t been as much a problem in previous elections.
“I think it’s a cowardly action by people who are not willing to operate transparently, unwilling to follow the law and don’t respect the private property of individuals and businesses,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like this, at least not in Williamson County. Even when opponents disagreed and had very strong campaigns, there was still a level of respect.”
"We’ve had several Republican candidates fall victim to this issue,” Cheryl Brown, chair of the Williamson County Republican Party, wrote in a statement to the Herald. “Their yard signs and signs put up in legal rights-of-way have either been removed or vandalized. We want nothing more than constructive, positive campaigning, and as our candidates work hard to reach out to the community and earn support, it’s disappointing when individuals do not respect these efforts.”
Williamson County Democratic Party Vice Chair and county commission candidate Courtenay Rogers also commented on the sign issue.
“In Williamson County, we have a population of folks who are desperate for representation,” she said. “We have kids and families that are living in their cars. We have people who don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent. We have families who have been here for generations who can’t afford their house. These are the types of things that the WCDP is focused on, very specifically with the folks who are running for local election this year. Personally, I think [the signs being vandalized] is childish. I think it’s pathetic, and we have so much work to do in Williamson County that it’s a complete and utter waste of time.”
Early voting for the Aug. 4 election runs through July 30.
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Putting up a sign next to another sign isn’t vandalism. It’s kinda silly, but not vandalism.
And the people DID vote for masking kids over and over, right? So what’s the big deal?
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