Clarksville Conversations with Charlie Koon

Colonel Jeremy Bell is the Garrison Commander of Fort Campbell, he joins Charlie and Katie to talk about what exactly a Garrison Commander does. He also talks about how Fort Campbell is dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic, and the process of re-opening services and businesses on Post.

Seniors from all the High Schools in CMCSS join Charlie and Katie to share their thoughts on what the Pandemic has done to their final year of school, and their hopes for the future.

Did you know that the state of Tennessee recognizes Pharmacists as Healthcare Providers? On this episode Charlie and Katie chat with Catherine Meeks from Sango Pharmacy about how they can help you through the COVID 19 crisis, allergy season and more.

US Congressman Dr. Mark Green joins Charlie and Katie on this episode to talk about plans to re-open the economy and society during the pandemic. He also talks about how businesses should plan to re-open when the time comes and his idea to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States from China, and why the COVID 19 crisis has made that even more important.

Director of Clarksville Montgomery County Schools, Millard House joins Charlie and Katie to talk about the decision to close schools for the pandemic, and the process for re-opening the schools. He also shares a plan to help students lean and excel even with the time missed in class, and resources for students who need some extra help learning during the pandemic.

Joey Smith the Public Health Director for Montgomery County and Jimmy Edwards the Chief of the Montgomery County EMS join Charlie and Katie to talk about what life is like on the front lines of the COVID 19 pandemic in Clarksville Montgomery County, how the county is responding to the pandemic, reporting cases to the public and what you can do to help slow the spread.

Michael Wallace is an Accountant in Clarksville with Thurman Campbell, he joins Charlie and Katie to talk about the Stimulus Checks as part of the CARES act and when you should expect to see the money. He also talks about the process for Small Business to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Charlie and Katie chat with local experts covering different issues with COVID 19 and how it is affecting Clarksville/Montgomery County. Louneth Peters with the Small Business Administration talks about what small businesses can do to get help. John Watz from Workforce Essentials talks about what to do if you find yourself unemployed. And Valerie Guzman with the United Way talks about the role of charities during this crisis.

Retired General Scott Brower was recently appointed to Governor Bill Lee’s COVID 19 Unified Command where he will serve as the Chief of Staff for Operations. He joins Charlie and Katie on his phone from the task force headquarters to talk about what the job of the task force is, how Tennesseans are coming together to help each other during the crisis, and what Tennessean’s can do to stay safe.

Kaitlyn Bonds is the Creative Director for Cumberland Connect, CEMC’s high speed internet and digital TV service coming to rural Montgomery County. Kaitlyn joins Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon to talk about the roll out plans for Cumberland Connect and how soon customers can expect to have this service in their area.

Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett has declared a State of Local Emergency in the County in response to the COVID 19 Pandemic. He joins Charlie and Katie to talk about what exactly that means and how it affects employees of the county and citizens as well. He also talks about the state of testing for COVID 19 in Montgomery County.

Kelli Pendleton is the volunteer President of The Association of the United States Army, or AUSA. Kelli joins Charlie and Katie to share the mission of AUSA and two incredible events that support the organization, the Guardians Gala and Top Golf Tournament.

The Night Stalkers Association is an organization that helps and supports the families of fallen soldiers from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Every year they have a fishing tournament fundraiser that supports those families. Charlie and Katie talk with Brett Jackson and Tom Mattingly of the association about the story behind the Association and with Chris Lanier about the details for the upcoming fishing tournament.

Kendall Dunn is the President of the Fort Campbell Spouses Club, she joins Charlie and Katie to talk about the mission of the Spouses club, a scholarship opportunity for military children, and an incredible fund-raising event coming to the Wilma Rudolph Event Center in April. All on this episode of Clarksville’s Conversation.

Four Clarksville Academy Students recently went on the adventure of a lifetime, Mt. Everest. Ellyn Darke, Addy Means, Garrett Burger and Elvis Smith join Charlie and Katie to share the story of this amazing adventure.

Doctor Karen Meisch is the Interim Dean for the College of STEM at Austin Peay State University. She joins Charlie and Katie to talk about what exactly STEM is, and an exciting new community outreach program called “Science on Tap” that is trying to bring science to Clarksville. She also shares information about a new drone competition they are launching with area school children.

Jimmy Blackmon is a retired Army Colonel, speaker, author, and managing partner at Exactus Advisors. He joins Charlie and Katie to talk about his 30 years in the Army, including time at Fort Campbell, the stories behind his successful books and speaking in front of crowds of thousands.

Christian Black is the President Elect of the Clarksville Association of Realtors and a Realtor for Century 21 Platinum Properties. He joins Charlie and Katie to talk about the incredible real estate market in Clarksville and reasons why it is now a sellers market for the first time in decades.

Brian Hetland has been the coach of Clarksville High School’s Baseball team for 11 seasons and he has been coaching baseball in Clarksville for 32 years. He was recently inducted into the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. He joins Charlie and Katie to reflect on his incredible career coaching baseball in Clarksville.

Major General Brian Winski is the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell. He joins Charlie and Katie on this episode to give an update on all the incredible things going on at Fort Campbell and some very interesting things coming to post in the next couple of years.

What started out as a dream Jeff Robinson had in a tent while serving in the Gulf War turned into a staple of downtown Clarksville. Jeff and his wife Sherri chat with Charlie and Katie about the story behind The Blackhorse Pub and Brewery. Hear the great story behind the most popular item on their menu. How they survived the tornado that destroyed downtown in 1999 and what’s next for the Blackhorse in 2020.

Joe Maynard retired from the Army and moved to Clarksville to start a business using the skills he learned while in the service. That business, Echo Power Engineering, has grown and has clients and over the country. He joins Charlie and Katie on this episode to talk about why he chose to call Clarksville home, and why giving back to the community is so important.

Nikki Loos Peterson and Kathryn Minniehan join Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill to talk about one of the most glamorous evenings in the area, and one of the most talked about fundraising events, The Candlelight Ball. Learn the history of this incredible event and get all the details for this year's event.

Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett looks back on a big year for the County and looks ahead to an exciting 2020.

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts looks back on his first year in office and looks ahead to 2020 and what's in store for the "Best Place to Call Home".

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas himself stops by the studio to chat with Charlie and Katie with a special message for kids in Clarksville Montgomery County, and let's everyone know what time he plans on being in the area delivering toys.

Charlie and Katie look back on an amazing year in Clarksville Montgomery County with the CEO of the Economic Development Council Jeff Truitt, They also take some time to look forward to what is coming in 2020.

Brian Rives and Van Stokes are the Austin Peay Football broadcast teams for ESPN Clarksville. They join Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill to talk about the Governor's incredible rise from win less seasons to winning the Ohio Valley Conference, and the program's first two playoff games. Let's Go Peay!

Katherine Cannata and Sidney Johnson's Grandfather started a business selling flour out of the back of his car, he turned that into a company that would become one of the most successful Automotive groups in the South. They join Charlie and Katie to talk about growing up in the Wyatt Johnson business and why family is so important to their success.

The Head Football Coach of the Austin Peay Governors, Mark Hudspeth joins us to talk about winning the Ohio Valley Conference for the first time since 1977, and winning the OVC Coach of the Year. He also talks about the core values he and his staff instill in the players and how he is preparing them for the the first Play-off appearance in school history.

The Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health, Dr. Lisa Piercey joins us to talk about the issues the Department is tackling, including children dealing with abuse, the teen vaping crisis, and why it is important for you to get a flu shot.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill talk with Terry Pevehouse a retired solider from the 5th Special Forces Group on Fort Campbell. He now works with the Special Forces Association, and shares some of the many benefits Tennessee offers retiring soliders, and what the community can do to support the soldiers in 5th Group.

Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon chat with Pastor Mike Burnette and Sammy Stuard about an upcoming event in Clarksville called "Turkeys for Troops". The event gives out free turkeys to active duty soldiers and veterans before Thanksgiving, as a way of saying thanks for all they do.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill talk with Montgomery County Health Director Joey Smith about some of the incredible things the Health Department is doing. Joey also talks about "Language Nutrition", what it is, and why it is important for children.

Judge Jill Ayers joins Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill to give us an inside look into the process of becoming a Judge in the State of Tennessee. She also talks about being the chair of Leadership Middle Tennessee, an organization that brings leaders together from all over the area.

Antonio Murgas chats with Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill about his incredible success story of going from working at a Dominos Pizza, to owning Dominos all over Middle Tennessee.

Clarksville has a new Chief of the Fire Department, Freddie Montgomery. He joins Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill to talk about his move from Hopkinsville to Clarksville, his belief in the importance of being involved in the community, and some great events going on in the area for Fire Prevention Week.

Jack Turner joins Charlie and Katie to talk about his family's history in the Clarksville Beer business, and how he decided to go out on his own when he was young, and the path he forged. He also talks about how Clarksville and Montgomery County can benefit by coordinating and working with our neighboring communities.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill talk with Eric Yow a lawyer an entrepreneur in Clarksville and the brains behind Clarksville Zombie Hunters. Eric talks about what it takes to turn an idea into your own business and why you should look at defining success beyond dollars and cents.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill talk with Tia Suiter, the owner of Appleton's Harley Davidson. Tia shares the story behind how her family's dealership became one of the most successful Harley Davidson dealerships in the country.

On this special episode Charlie and Katie talk with Martha Hendricks and David Brockman about the History of the Montgomery County Library, what they hope for in the future, and some fun upcoming events.

Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon have a fascinating chat with Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson. The Sheriff discusses some recent security issues with the County Commission and goes in depth with what he faces day to day as the Sheriff of one of the fastest growing Counties in Tennessee.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill chat with Clarksville teenager Ava Ploeckelman about her experiences at the Think Global School. Think Global School is a High School made up of kids from all over the world, that spends each semester living and studying in a different country. Ava is also the daughter of Q108 morning show personality Ryan Ploeckelman.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill chat with Nate "The Train" Landwehr fresh of signing a contract with the UFC. Hear the amazing story of how Nate went from growing up in Clarksville to fighting all over the world!

Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon chat with Andrew Kester, the Director of the Montgomery County Veteran's Service Organization, about the services they provide and the alarming number of Veterans who are not taking advantage of their benefits. He also talks about an upcoming event in town he hopes will make more Veterans aware of the organization and what it can do for them.

Learn all about Clarksville's Veterans Treatment Court with Judge Ken Goble and Director Ed Moss. They explain the idea behind the court and share how it is helping Veterans in the area who have had issues with the law get their lives back on track.

Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill chat with Jennifer Hinote, the head of school for Clarksville Academy. Jennifer talks about why she moved to the area, why she got into education, the value of both Public and Independent schools, the Tennessee school voucher program, and how you can make sure your child is in the right learning environment.

Get to know Austin Peay State University President Alisa White as she chats with Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill about what it is like running one of the fastest growing Universities in the country. She also talks about the four Generals that work with APSU in different capacities and how they help make the University a better place.

Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon chat with Lorilee Rager from Thrive Creative Group about how branding can help small businesses owners in Clarksville turn their dreams into reality.

Caleb Slaughter is a Clarksville Firefighter that has lived most of his life on a baseball field. From Little League, High School, College, Minor League and Coaching, Caleb has seen the game from all sides. He chats with Charlie Koon and Katie Gambill about what parents can do to help their kids become better ball players, why parents need to check their behavior at games, and what Clarksville/Montgomery County can do to better support young ball players.