
What’s up, Franklin?
Franklin Home Page has a segment where local reporter, Brooke Wanser, discusses the last week’s headlines and upcoming news via Facebook Live.
We hope to hear from you while we are live. We encourage you to ask questions about the issues we are discussing and let us know what you want us to investigate.
If you can’t tune in while we are live, be sure to check it out later in the day. With the weekly Facebook Live, Home Page Media Group is aiming to give you the news in an interesting and accessible new format.
As a preview, this is a roundup of headlines you will hear about.
LAST WEEK’S HEADLINES
- FrankTalks features panel on opioid epidemic in Williamson County: According to Tennessee Department of Health data, in 2015, 1,451 people statewide died of overdoses. Twenty-five of those overdose deaths occurred in Williamson County, up from nine deaths in 2013. Franklin police say they are seeing more and more opioid abuse, and this is a topic we’ll be covering in the future.
- Pilgrimage Festival: After interviewing local bands Bishop Gunn and Colony House, we’ll continue to give you updates winding up to the third year of the music festival this weekend.
- Harpeth Square project to move forward this fall: After months in purgatory, developer Roderick Heller announces that his downtown Franklin project, which will include a boutique hotel and luxury apartments, is underway. Site leveling will begin this month and construction of the parking garage will begin in November.
- Williamson County Commission approves full $10.3 million in funding to Franklin High School: Franklin High students filled the auditorium at the county’s administrative complex to ask for upgrades to their school. In the resolution to recommend full funding to the school, 16 commissioners voted “yes,” four voted “no,” and two abstained from voting.
- Board of Mayor and Aldermen vote to widen Columbia Avenue to five lanes: The method in which Columbia Avenue will be expanded continues to be a source of grief for aldermen, who expressed a desire to improve safety while seeking to maintain the satisfaction of business owners along the corridor. The motion to select the corridor design concept for Columbia Avenue passed, with five aldermen voting for a five-lane, limited access option; three voted “no.”
UPCOMING STORIES
- Pilgrimage festival coverage
- Franklin will host the first-ever U.S. Music Tourism Convention on Sept. 21-22.
- Franklin Transit Authority will meet and report on the rise in vanpooling and larger numbers of transit riders.
- Home Page Media is partnering with Williamson, Inc. Chamber of Commerce to produce video interviews with each of the candidates running for alderman. Please send questions you would like us to ask the candidates to info@homepagemediagroup.com.
Brooke Wanser is the associate editor for the Franklin Home Page. You can reach her at brooke.wanser@homepagemediagroup.com or follow her on Twitter at @FranklinHomepg or @BWanser_writes.