By JOSH NELSON
The Gallatin News

For the ninth time, the annual Squarefest is expected to draw thousands of visitors from Gallatin and other communities this Saturday.

The ninth annual Squarefest, put on by Greater Gallatin, will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is sponsored this year by Wilson Bank & Trust.

Donna Belote, Executive Director of Greater Gallatin, said this year's event will include 180 vendors, up from 142 last year.

“There seems to be a lot of energy about the event this year,” she said.

It was a sentiment with which Paige Brown Strong, Executive Director of the Greater Gallatin Chamber of Commerce, agreed.

“There's positive energy about the event every year, but there just seems to be a lot more this year for some reason,” she said.

“In fact, we're going to have our own booth for the first time ever,” she added. “We just didn't think we could miss an opportunity to utilize that crowd to get out our message and promote our events.”

Squarefest has normally drawn 15,000 to 20,000 people each year and offers a wide variety of booths and vendors.

By CODI KIRK
The Gallatin News

Neighbors caring for neighbors restored the gift of independence, turned a young man’s tragedy into a happy ending and received the attention, commendation and praise from the Gallatin Police Department.

According to GPD Information Officer Sergeant Bill Storment, a 26” adult tricycle was stolen in the evening hours on Tuesday, April 9 from the home of a disabled young adult on West Woodrow Street.

Danny Jones, 18, who has ‘high functioning autism’, uses the bike as his main source of transportation to Information Systems classes that he attends as part of the Trio Program at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin.

“It just stole his independence by taking that tricycle,” said Storment.

He has classes four days per week and rides the bike 4-1/2 miles each way, 45 minutes to an hour travel time.

“We were doing follow-up, working on leads, but we couldn’t find it,” added Storment.

By JOSH NELSON
The Gallatin News

Property maintenance inspections will now be done by the Gallatin Police Department rather than the Codes Department, after a vote Tuesday night by the city council.

The inspector would handle things such as junk and litter in yards, tall grass, and other related matters, which City Attorney Joe Thompson referred to as “nuisance” issues at Tuesday night's city council meeting.

Chief of Police Don Bandy said Wednesday he was for the move.

“Yeah, I asked for (the move),” he said. “A lot of times the complaints end up coming to us, and – nothing against codes – but we have that many more eyes out on the streets. They're a smaller department, and I see it as just another way to serve the public.”

“It's more responsibility, but we were already having to look into some of these things, anyway,” he added.

Thompson echoed those thoughts to the city council Tuesday night and said that by the time issues got to the police, complainants had become “pretty ripe” and the move would streamline the process.

“Before, the process was more reactive than proactive,” Bandy said Wednesday. “Now, instead of a letter, people can actually talk to someone.”

By CODI KIRK
The Gallatin News

A mid-morning, 4-car crash on Highway 31E and Martin Lane in Gallatin Tuesday, sent two victims to Sumner Regional Medical Center and one via LifeFlight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Two other drivers involved were not injured, according to Gallatin Police.

Sumner County Emergency Medical Services Public Information Officer Mike Cook stated that the call came in at approximately 10:08 a.m. EMS units were dispatched with Gallatin Police responding immediately following.

According to GPD Information Officer, Bill Storment, upon arrival at the scene, officers were able to determine that a white Mercedes traveling southbound on Hwy 31E crossed the center line, striking a green Altima that caused a chain reaction accident involving a total of four vehicles.

Storment said that Emily Bryant of Westmoreland, the driver of a Chevrolet pickup and Shayn Dobbs of Bethpage, driving a Jeep, were the last two vehicles to collide.

The report states that the Chevy sustained the most damage which sent Bryant in critical condition to Vanderbilt.

By COREY CONLEY
The Gallatin News

Sumner County Board of Education whipped through a night of unanimously-approved measures, along with renaming a Guild Elementary Playground and recognizing the Robert E. Ellis Middle School girls’ basketball team, as well as approving a request for more buses, and a change to bus routes and school zoning.

The board approved changes to bus routes designed to reduce the number of railroad track crossings. The changes affect bus routes for elementary and middle school students in the Clearview and Hunters Trace areas in Hendersonville.

A handful of students from George Whitten Elementary and Knox Doss at Drakes Creek Middle would be rezoned to Nannie Berry Elementary and Robert E. Ellis Middle School. Students affected by the rezoning will be able to stay at their current school if they choose.

A request was also approved to purchase 14 new buses to replace Sumner’s aging fleet. Sumner school transportation is playing catch-up because of two years when very few buses were purchased.

During the meeting, the Robert Ellis Middle girls’ basketball team was recognized for winning 74-straight games and being the reigning Tops ‘N  Tennessee 4A State Champions.