🌱 Local Students Perform At CMA Fest + Teacher Of The Year Finalist

Hello, neighbors! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Franklin Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 86 Low: 63.
• Friday: Mostly cloudy. High: 90 Low: 64.

From our sponsor:

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Here are the top three stories today in Franklin:

1. Page High School's Theater Department was invited to perform at the Country Music Association (CMA) Fest this year. The Franklin students were invited after they were seen performing during the district's Fine Arts Showcase in early May; at CMA Fest, the students were able to perform two of their songs from the Spring Showcase. The students got the full experience, from the red carpet to meeting with "This Is Us" star Chrissy Metz in between performances. (Williamson Source)
2. Franklin Elementary's very own Sondra Wilson-Martin was named as one of the nine individuals who has been recognized for Tennessee's 2023-24 Teacher of the Year Award. Sondra is a fourth-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary School and is the only teacher in the Franklin Special School District that was selected as a finalist; her peers and members of the community have all spoken very highly of her and how much she deserves this recognition. The Teacher of the Year and three winners from each division will be selected and announced this fall during the Excellence in Education Tennessee Teacher of the Year Banquet. Finalists will all have an opportunity to serve the Tennessee Teacher Advisory Council through 2026. (williamsonherald.com)
3. Detective Chris Shoaps of Williamson County spoke with News 2 earlier this week about scammers, and how much money he believes is lost just in Williamson County yearly. Shoaps reached out after hearing the story of how a Nashville woman lost $30,000 to a scammer who claimed to be with border control and found an illegal package with her name; these scammers commonly gain the attention of victims with calls similar to this one. Financial scamming is one of the most common kinds Detective Shoaps encounters, as it takes up 95 percent of his caseload; one in every 100 scammers he investigates is located in Middle Tennessee, while the other 99 are out of state or the country. (WKRN News 2)

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Today and tomorrow in Franklin:

Thursday, June 15

• Best Reads Book Club At Main Franklin Library (1:00 PM)
• Entrepreneur Exchange: Monthly Meetup At The Franklin Innovation Center (4:00 PM)

Friday, June 16

• Preschool Story Time With Ms. Stephanie At Main Franklin Library (10:00 AM)
• All About The Libby App At Main Franklin Library (2:00 PM)
• 2023 Juneteenth Sneaker Gala At The Factory Franklin (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The city of Franklin wants to wish the community a Happy Flag Day as it was celebrated earlier this week. Flag Day commemorates the origins of the country's flag and what it means to the nation and should continue to be celebrated. (City of Franklin, TN - Municipal Government via Facebook)
• The city of Franklin is doing its job in making Main Street more appealing this sunny season with lovely flower and plant displays throughout downtown. Between now and Jun. 30, you can click on this link and even vote on your favorite display from participating merchants. (Downtown Franklin via Facebook)
• If you missed the FrankTalks event earlier this week, don't sweat it — you can check out the recording right here. For June's talk, Author Hay Sheridan and Photographer Robin Hood talked about their book "Historic Franklin: Along the Harpeth." (Franklin Tomorrow via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Wholesale Nursery Co — (Visit website)
• Franklin, Tennessee Tours — (Visit Website)

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (June 20)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday! See you all soon for another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.