Clarksville Conversations with Charlie Koon

On this episode Charlie chats with Nicholas Nicoletta, owner of Nicoletta's Catering and Takeaway. Throughout the conversation, Nicoletta discusses the origins and growth of his business, including his popular "takeaway" program and the expansion into other locations like Sango Bakery and Pleasant View. He shares insights into the daily operations, his signature menu items like pimento cheese and meatballs, and the scale of events his company handles, such as catering large weddings and providing 1700 lunches for a single event. The interview also touches on broader community topics in Clarksville, including traffic, downtown development, the city's lack of a major festival, and the impact of growth on the community.

As a local Dentist, Kevin Kennedy Jr. knows a thing or two about Health Care in Clarksville. He joins Charlie to talk about why it is so important for the community to rally behind Tri-Star and Ascension St. Thomas in their efforts to build new hospitals in Clarksville, and how we can get our voices heard.

Govs Football Coach Jeff Faris stops by for a chat with Charlie about how the off season has gone for the Govs, and what fans can expect during his second season has Head Coach of Clarksville's Hometown Team.

David Whelan oversees planning, business development, network integration and more for HCA Healthcare's TriStar Division. He joins Charlie on this episode to talk about why TriStar wants to build a new Hospital in Clarksville, and what this new Hospital will bring to the community.

Author, Speaker, Teacher, Veteran, Adjunct Professor, and Montgomery County Commissioner. Get to know the incredible Dr. Rashidah Leverett on this episode.

Ascension Saint Thomas recently announced plans to build a new Hospital in Clarksville off of exit 11. Ascension Saint Thomas President and CEO Fahad Tahir joins Charlie to talk about why they want to build in Clarksville, how the community can help make that happen, and what Clarksville can expect from the new Hospital.

Jon Hunter joins Charlie to talk about his military experience at Fort Campbell, and how he got involved in the upcoming Tennessee Wings of Liberty Museum and why the new museum will attract visitors from all over the world.

Frank Lott and Channing Grimes from the Customs House Museum in Clarksville join Charlie to share details about an important event to raise money for the iconic museum. The Jammin' in June event features concerts focusing on the music of over 20 local legends who dominated the music scene and the charts.

Clarksville is getting a new movie theatre. Phoenix Theatres has taken over and completely renovated the Movie Theatre space at the Governor's Square Mall. From new screens and sound, to heated leather recliners, Phoenix is promising an excellent movie going experience with very reasonable ticket prices. Owner Cory Jacobson and Vice President of Business Development Jordan Hohman join Charlie to give him a look behind the curtain of the new Phoenix Theatres.

Replant Clarksville's mission is to return our community to an acceptable, healthy level of native tree canopy with the support of local businesses, local Governments, nonprofits, and citizens. Jeff Robinson, President and Chair of the Board of Directors, and Michelle Rogers, Vice President and Chari of Outreach and Education for Replant Clarksville, join Charlie to talk about an upcoming launch party, and how Clarksville can help their mission to plant more trees in our city.

Govs Baseball Coach Roland Fanning, and Pitchers Lyndon Glidewell and Jacob Weaver join Charlie on this episode to talk about Lyndon's incredible No-Hitter against North Alabama, the teams first since 1996. Just days later Jacob Weaver would also throw a No-Hitter against Eastern Kentucky, giving the Govs it's first 2 No-Hitter season since 1970.

Buck Dellinger, CEO of the EDC, and Janet Wilson, VP of Urban Development, join Charlie to talk about why growth is beneficial for Clarksville. They also talk about job creation, quality of life and housing, enhancing public services and infrastructure, and more.

Josh Ward, Executive Director of the IDB, and Chris Self, Director of Workforce Development, join Charlie to talk about incredible opportunities for future of Industry and Commerce for Montgomery County. From updates on the Industrial Park to what type of growth we might see in the next 5 years, find out what the future could look like.

Judge Jill Bartee Ayers joins Charlie to talk about growing up on the farm, her decision to practice law and how she became a Judge. She also talks about her transition from Civil to Criminal Court.

Get to know Clarksville's new Police Chief Ty Burdine on this episode.

Bill Hoy and Brandon Bridges join Charlie Koon to talk about the upcoming Kiwanis Rodeo, an fundraising event that has been taking place since 1985. Hear about the founding of the event, and what you can expect at this year's rodeo May 15th-17th.

Christy Batts from CDE Lightband stops by to talk about some great new features and products coming for customers of the broadband service, including faster speeds.

Kim Wiggins and Brad Averitt from Austin Peay State University stop by to have a chat with Charlie about the upcoming Candlelight Ball fundraiser for APSU.

Chris Lancia, Tom Mattingly, and Chris Lanier join Charlie Koon to talk about a special organization that helps families of fallen members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, The Night Stalkers Association. Learn about their upcoming Bass Tournament, and why so many Night Stalkers choose to stay in Clarksville, even after they retire.

Gary Linfoot was a pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell. He became paralyzed from the waist down after a helicopter crash in 2008. He and his wife Mari launched "The American Mobility Project" in 2019 with the desire to help those with mobility issues gain access to high tech wheelchairs. They have a yearly fundraiser coming up at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center on February 25th.

The Youth Academy’s goal is to meet the growing necessity for childcare in the community and advocate for the working family.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversations, Charlie Koon sits down Hope Patonis Owner, President and CEO of The Youth Academy to discuss her history in childcare and all the programs that the Youth Academy provides.

Clarksville Feeds the World is a new outreach initiative dedicated to packing 500,000 meals to send to those in need around the globe.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversations, Charlie Koon sits down with Pastor Mike Burnette to discuss who is involved in Clarksville Feeds the World and how someone can sign up to volunteer.

Mayor Golden gave a recap of the annual Mayors Power Breakfast that took place earlier this week which included a preview of the great projects happening in 2025. Projects including: The completion of the downtown parking garage, public / private partnerships that are making a difference in our community, Greenway expansion, the possibility of a new fairgrounds in the next few years and much more.

George Watson is the owner of A&G Diesel & Fleet Management that opened in Clarksville, TN in 2009 and has been serving the community ever since.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversations, Charlie Koon sits down George Watson to discuss not only the history of his business, but also how Clarksville’s growth over the years has had pros and cons.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Tood Sims had served in the military for nearly 36 years.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversations, Charlie Koon sits down Todd Sims to discuss how he got recruited into the military and what is it like to retire after a long career.

Tennova Healthcare provides treatment for all those in need in Clarksville and works with different hospitals in the surrounding area.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversations, Charlie Koon sits down with the CEO of Tennova Healthcare, Drew Emery, to discuss his history working in the medical field and the inner workings on how Tennova operates.

Manna Cafe serves the needy in Montgomery and Stewart Counties with food and shelter, but they do so much more. Manna Cafe Co-Founder Vicki York joins Charlie to share the story behind this incredible organization, and how they plan to grow and serve more in the future.

Paul Turner from AJAX Distributing and Pastor Mike Burnette of Life Point Church join Charlie and Ryan to talk about the 2024 Turkeys for Troops Event coming up Saturday November 23rd at AJAX Distributing on Warfield Blvd in Clarksville.

Dar Place is a retired veteran who has a great passion for both his family and the horses that he owns.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversations, Charlie Koon sits down with Dar Place to talk about his history in the military and also discuss the tragic reality that some veteran’s like him struggled with suicide and how his love and understanding of horses able to help him improve his mental health.

Clarksville residents Leo Millan and Jeff Truitt had quite the adventure in Florida recently, not only did they have to flee a Hurricane, the survived a plane crash. They share their incredible story with Charlie on this episode of the podcast.

Josh Romaker started brewing beer at home when he was in the 5th Special Forces Group. The hobby turned into a career when he retired and now his Star Spangled Brewing is growing. He joins Charlie Koon for a fun conversation about brewing beer, lessons learned in starting his own business, and what he is distilling for the future.

Sherry Nicholson with YaiPak Outreach joins Charlie Koon to share how Clarksville can help those affected by Hurricane Helene, and what she has witnessed while bringing hope to those who lost so much.

On this special episode Charlie grabs the mic and heads down to the F&M Bank Arena to chat with some very special guests. Barry Trotz, Predators General Manager, Retired General Clayton Hutmacher, and Preds Center Colton Sissons talk about the upcoming Predators Gold Star Showcase that benefits the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Anthony Daley is the pastor of Mosaic Church and Mike Burnette is the pastor of Life Point Church.In this week’s episode of Clarksville Conversion, Charlie Koon sits down with both Anthony and Mike to discuss their own personal relationship with Christianity, and how both of their churches provide support for the community.

The Red River Spartans is a local hockey team that has recently relocated from Nolensville to Clarksville.In this week’s episode, Charlie Koon sits down with the owners, Jon Tuggle, Charlie Saunier and Marty Wilson about the history of The Red River Spartans and their decision to go from the Nashville Spartans to the Red River Spartans.

Bikers Who Care is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts in Clarksville, Tennessee who support children with special needs.In this week’s Clarksville Conversation, Charle Koon sits down with Billy Hughes and Keith Rogers to go over their history with Bikers Who Care, but also their relationship and continued support for organizations like Camp Rainbow.

Freddie D. Montgomery, Jr. is the Fire Chief of Clarksville Fire Rescue whose main mission is to provide the highest level of protection of life and property by investing in professional development and public education while providing customer service excellence to the community.This week on Clarksville Conversation, Mr. Montgomery sits down with Charlie Koon to discuss how he and Clarksville Fire Rescue helps and improves the community of Clarksville and also dive in to not only his growth as a fire fighter, but also how the department has grown over the years.

Roland Fanning is the head coach of the APSU baseball team who just recently agreed to a contract extension through 2028 for Austin Peay. This week on Clarksville Conversion, Roland Fanning sits down with Charlie Koon to discuss the recruiting process for the Austin Peay baseball ball team, his history as a coach and also the lessons and the highlights from the most recent baseball season.

VK Integrated Systems develops and manufactures cutting-edge situational awareness systems, weapon systems and energetics in Clarksville, TN. This week on Clarksville Conversations, the owners Vasili and Matt sat down with Charlie Koon to explain in detail how they first developed their technology for handheld weapons systems and how they started their business 10 years ago.

Johnny’s Big Burger has been a staple for Clarksville as one of Clarksville’s best local burger places that is independently owned.In this week’s episode, the former owner, Johnny Meeks and the current owner, Justin Meeks will sit down with Charle Koon and share how Johnny’s Big Burger first started in 1965. Also, the ins and outs of running a local restaurant and even go into the story of their famous honey bun with ice cream.

Charlie Koon had a chance to sit down with the head coach of Austin Peay basketball, Corey Gipson and assistant coach Jordan Harmon.In this week’s episode the coaches go over the process and the details of NIL for college basketball players and how those effects them when it comes to recruiting players. They will also go over the basketball program and all the benefits and opportunities that the players are presented with.

Jeff Vaughn, Terry Ray, and Michael Long are three golfers in Montgomery Country. This week on Clarksville Conversion, they will go into their own personal thoughts and feelings on the situation on turning Mason Rudolph golf course into a muti use park. Also, they will go over their own personal stories on how they got interested in golf and how it is not only important to Montgomery Country, but how golf is a great way for people to learn life lessons and form new relationships.

Bill Langford is the owner of the "hole in the wall" Poor Man's Country Club and a longtime leader with the Bikers Who Care. This week, he shares some stories about these Clarksville institutions and what has kept them going for all these years.

Divina Mims, the Regional Public Relations Manager for Amazon, and Josh Ward from the Clarksville Montgomery County Industrial Development Board, stop by to talk about the new Amazon Distribution center in Clarksville and their big plans for the future.

Jeff Tyndall is the Director of the Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission, he joins Charlie to talk about the new census numbers for Clarksville and Montgomery County, and what they mean for the future of the area.

Legendary NFL Coach Jeff Fisher chats with Charlie about his involvement with the new Arena Football League and the Nashville Kats. The Kats have an upcoming home game at the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville.

Wes Parsons joins Charlie to share his journey from playing baseball at Clarksville High School, to playing in the MLB. Wes is currently on roster for the Cleveland Guardian's Triple A team.

Janeen Lalik is the new Executive Vice President of SS&E. She joins Charlie to talk about her new role managing the day-to-day operations of SS&E including APSU athletics, the F&M Bank Arena, and the Ford Ice Centers around Middle Tennessee.

From Clarksville High School to American Idol, to Record deals and recording studios, Haven Madison has had a huge year! As she is getting ready to release new music she joins Charlie to catch up and provide and update on all of the new things she is working on.

The Fighting Pride of Clarksville Nate "The Train" Landwehr joins Charlie to talk about music, Fighting in the UFC and Fatherhood. This fun and far-reaching conversation will have you rooting for one of Clarksville's rising stars.