The Clarksville Rundown with Chris and Ryan

The Clarksville Rundown with Chris and Ryan

Join Ryan Ploeckelman and Clarksville Now Editor Chris Smith and as we break down the top news stories in Clarksville, TN, each week.

How 15-year-old saved his siblings, why Nicole Kidman loves Clarksville

A 15-year-old boy rescues his younger siblings as a tree crashes into their house. Plus, Austin Peay State University is planning a tuition increase, Ryan has advice for new Police Chief Ty Burdine, and new playgrounds are built around town. Also, as Holland premieres this weekend, Ryan reveals why a Nicole Kidman movie about Holland, Michigan, was filmed in Clarksville. 

03-28
34:06

What is DEI really about? (Also, new butcher shop, Nespresso and 'The Voice')

Is DEI all about lowering standards? Or is the push against it just racist hostility? Chris and Ryan do some explaining and try to find a reasonable middle ground. Also, a new butcher shop opens, the 101st Airborne is going back to Europe, and Ryan hopes Clarksville's Jay Ammo loses on "The Voice" (just like Morgan Wallen). 

03-21
40:29

Carnival ride rescue, demolishing old buildings, and R. Kelly's PlayStation

What would you do if you were trapped in a swing 65 feet up for four hours? It happened in Erin, and they had to be rescued by Montgomery County volunteer firefighters. Plus, Clarksville is starting demolition on a long list of abandoned buildings, Chris uncovers some forgotten civil rights history involving Wilma Rudolph, and Ryan explains why he once bought a PlayStation for R. Kelly. 

03-14
30:21

Big Lots is back, apartments are out, grocery hunt continues

After weeks of closeout sales, Big Lots dropped a big surprise this week: They'll reopen with new owners. Meanwhile, the planned five-story apartments next door failed to get rezoning. Here's what all of that means for plans to attract a grocery to Riverside Drive. Also, Clarksville gets a new coffee shop, you can help a 7-year-old girl get a service dog, and Ryan tries really hard not to say the word "crack." 

03-07
37:23

Why Woodstock keeps flooding, and what it will take to get grocery downtown

 The Woodstock subdivision once again took the brunt of Clarksville flooding during rains, and there's a reason. Also, with the loss of Big Lots and Sav-a-Lot, south Riverside Drive is already a food desert and getting worse. A proposed apartment complex there could be the key to attracting a grocery store and turning things around. Plus, Ryan attempts to explain the Dunlop House controversy, and Chris fails in his recap of basketball "matches." 

02-28
38:38

Should middle-schoolers be arrested for making school threats?

A middle-schooler is arrested and expelled for making a school violence threat, showing the county isn't playing games with this stuff. Meanwhile, the city has a plan to clean up or clean out houses and buildings that are falling apart, but who will run the bulldozer? Plus, Ryan gives his version of Hemlock history, and Chris defends the honor of Drew Barrymore. 

01-31
37:32

How Greenway would connect Fort Campbell to Ashland City, plus worst PB&J ever

Plans for greenway expansion could connect Fort Campbell to Ashland City, and with a bridge over the Red River. Also, plans are back for a five-story apartment building downtown, the Dunlop Mansion suit failed, and Ryan describes the worst peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever.

01-24
29:23

How we got Free Parking (garage) on First Street

Montgomery County just might get a free parking garage next to the arena, and we should name it "The Millan Center For Parking Excellence." Also, crime is actually down in Clarksville, veterans are taking a wild ride across the Pacific Ocean, and Chris tries his best to explain how "canball" works at Barksdale Elementary. 

01-17
35:21

How do we keep dog rescues from getting overwhelmed into neglect?

The dog shelter in Stewart County was working fine for years, but then they became overwhelmed and dogs ended up in "deplorable" conditions. It's better now to start looking for solutions than assigning blame. Also, a Clarksville City Council member pushes to fire a DEI officer and use the money to prepare for the end times, a parking garage closes, and Chris reviews the top 10 stories of 2024.

01-03
35:57

Step by step on video of man with Alzheimer's taken down, punched by Guthrie Police

A missing veteran with Alzheimer's is taken down and punched unconscious by a Kentucky police officer. Plus, Woodlawn will stop adding fluoride to its water, a resident who overpaid taxes can't get fully reimbursed, and Ryan is easily mistaken for President Ronald Reagan. 

12-20
38:12

Dunbar Cave's Swan Lake: Drain it or embrace it? And who eats the geese?

The state wants to drain Dunbar Cave State Park's Swan Lake, saying it's nasty and too expensive. But lots of locals love Swan Lake and its visiting geese. Also, Spring Creek Parkway is looking finished, but is it really? And Chris is doing a callout for your favorite Clarksville pizza styles.

12-13
25:11

Are school shooter drills really worth it? Also, a look inside the new downtown Hilton

After an announcement mistake led to an active-shooter panic at Richview Middle, it's worth asking: Are these drills really worth keeping our kids in constant fear? Also, a look inside the new DoubleTree by Hilton Riverview Clarksville, and Ryan admits to the legacy of his grandfather's angry letters to Washington.

12-06
42:01

Who picks up roadkill on highways? (And why it's kind of your fault.)

There's a lot of dead deer on the side of the road these days, so who is supposed to be taking care of that? (Hint, it's kind of your fault, too.) Plus, a business comes back from the tornado's destruction, another hotel is planned on Kennedy Lane, and Chris shares his romantic journey to the top of the new downtown parking garage.

11-22
28:19

Who's to blame for student hurt on bus, plus library book bans, Sunday morning movies

A student suffered severe injuries from a chokehold on a school bus, but will we ever know the consequences? Plus the latest on the list of banned books that was sent to local libraries, and Ryan shares the heart-warming tale of Kenny Rogers and the "Six Pack."

11-15
39:00

Mitch, please: Voting trends in Clarksville, flooding solutions, school tardy disputes

A deeper dive into voting trends in Montgomery County, which again went red, while a Democratic state rep won by the skin of his teeth. Also, flooding solutions may come with bad news, the bus driver shortage causes student tardies, and Chris realizes he accidentally gave former presidential candidate Mitt Romney a nickname.

11-08
32:41

What Jason Steen left behind and liquor store proposal backfires

Jason Steen, owner of Clarksville Today and Scoop Nashville, died at 44, leaving behind a legacy of damaged lives, lawsuits and restricted public records. Also, a proposal to limit the number of liquor stores in Clarksville backfired, opening the floodgates to double them. And Ryan explains why Ploeckelman's Southern Cooking is never gonna happen. 

10-25
35:31

Mall movie theater upgrade, Riverview hotel reborn, APSU pays prof to leave

The movie theater at the mall will be gutted and replaced with club seats, high-tech sound, and butter you can guzzle. Plus, the renovated Riverview hotel downtown is officially open, and APSU's payout to the embattled professor is revealed. Also, Chris considers turning Clarksville Now into either a right-wing or left-wing partisan rag, just to make his life easier.

10-04
28:02

Why Clarksville needs fairgrounds, professor breaks from APSU, what to do about bright LED signs

With the possible sale of the Clarksville Speedway, the BWC Toy Run Party and other events will be displaced again. What happens next? Also, the professor under fire over hate group accusations parted ways with APSU, planners are debating what to do about bright LED signs, and Chris considers pulling out his bolo tie.

09-27
26:25

Why Buc-ee's is back but not in Clarksville, APSU professor under fire, swimming pool turns skatepark

Buc-ee's is back with its brisket and dreamcatchers! Just not in Clarksville. Also, Austin Peay State University is under fire over accusations that a new hire is connected to a hate group website. And Ryan talks about his brief life as an Ocean Pacific skate punk.

09-20
33:37

Attacked by homeless man, plus tiny homes, flooding solution

During a trip to Denver, Chris was attacked by a homeless man, and it's changed his perspective on living on the streets. Plus, why a tiny home community would be good for Clarksville, a county official steps in to help residents with flooded homes, and why we should probably stop saying "MoCo."

09-13
34:48

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