🌱 Rock Quarry Blast Goes Awry + TN Trans Youth Treatment Ban Advances

Hi all. I'm back with your fresh edition of the Franklin Patch newsletter. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening locally.

Also, FYI: I wanted to let you know that Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Franklin Patch newsletter and make it their own. We want to pass the torch to someone truly local and in-the-know to write about Franklin long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

But first, today's weather:

Winds subsiding with sunshine. High: 63 Low: 37.

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Here are the top three stories in Franklin today:

1. On Wednesday, a scheduled blast at the Williamson County Highway Department's rock quarry went awry, causing damage to vehicles and leading Franklin Elementary School to shelter in place for five minutes. While school officials reported no one was injured, car windows shattered at the Williamson County Election Commission and the explosion was heard throughout Franklin. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office has been notified and will be investigating the incident. (News Channel 5 Nashville)
2. The Franklin Special School District has updated information and presentations for the 2023-2024 Honors Program for 4th-7th grade students online. The information includes three recorded presentations for rising 5th & 6th graders, rising 7th & 8th graders, and a Spanish presentation for grades 5-8. The presentations can be accessed through the Curriculum and Instruction page on the FSSD website by clicking on the Honors Program tab. Feedback and questions can be submitted through the Google Form embedded within the recordings and slideshows. For further inquiries, families can contact Dr. Pax Wiemers or the principal of the school their child will be attending in 2023-2024. (Press Release Desk)
3. A bill that would ban transgender minors in Tennessee from accessing puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and other health care procedures has passed a Senate committee and is headed to a floor vote in the coming weeks. The bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), would prohibit doctors from providing any health care to minors that would allow them to live as a gender identity inconsistent with their assigned birth sex. A recent amendment stripped language classifying the treatments as child abuse or neglect. (Columbia Daily Herald)

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Today in and around Franklin:

• Feel Good Chiropractic Ribbon Cutting At 1730 General George Patton Drive, Suite 202, Brentwood (4:00 PM)
• Crafter's Night Out At Leiper's Fork Public Library (4:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Williamson County Highway Commission will hold a special called meeting on Feb. 14 at 8:30 a.m. Among other matters, the meeting will convene to recommend appointments to the Northwest and Northeast Districts seats. (Williamson County, TN)
• The Middle Tennessee Showcase round of Tennessee Songwriters Week is happening on Feb. 23 at the Franklin Theatre! Tickets can be purchased online. (Visit Franklin)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (February 14)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you tomorrow morning 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.