KiDS
E D I S IN
CA, Spring Hill, Independence, Summit students chosen for All State basketball team, 5B
central
Making life better for parents in Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station
The Advertiser News
Spring Hill • Thompson’s Station advertisernews.biz
April 5, 2017
REGIONAL
Concern over upcoming Will. Co. schools rezoning draws crowds of parents By John Evosevic jevosevic@c-dh.net
Maury County
Volunteeers have cleaned archive records through 1900. A8
SPORTS
Williamson County Schools will be implementing a school rezoning plan for 201819 which will impact the Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station area. This plan will relocate some students from nearby schools to other schools, some yet to be constructed, in order to relieve overcrowding. Approximately 8 percent of the county’s students will be affected. Concerned parents turned out the evening of Tuesday, March 28, at Independence High JOHN EVOSEVIC School for the first Parents fill Independence High’s cafeteria to look over zoning plan and meet school of four informational board members.
meetings held by the school district. Williamson County has reported nine schools which are over capacity and six schools at stated building capacity. The school district’s current growth rate is 4 to 5 percent annually. Enrollment as of Feb. 20, 2017 is 38,358 students with 51,569 students projected for 2023-24. The meeting at Independence High was intended to explain the plan and to address the worries of families in the south Williamson area affected by rezoning changes in the 2018-19 school year.
SEE REZONE P 2A
Scenes from Mule Day Featured athlete
Spring Hill sophomore Jessie Hepp is this week’s honoree. B1
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Fire ant mounds sit atop a veritable underground city of fire ants and are best avoided.
Top teams
Local teams ranked among state’s best. B10
REAL ESTATE
A downside of spring: Insects and arachnids invading your home By John Evosevic jevosevic@c-dh.net
Spring planting
Riverbend nurseries owner shares tips planting now. B7
LOCAL
Boys & Girls Club
Local teen comes second in competition. A3
Volume 15, No. 14 2 Sections
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID SPRING HILL, TN PERMIT NO. 11 POSTAL PATRON
One of the surest signs of spring is one many might not first think: store shelves swept clean of wasp spray and other insecticides. Just as flowers bloom, migratory birds return and temperatures warm, so do unwanted guests take up residence in homes and even vehicles. Wasps will seek to make nests in any place convenient, including behind side-view mirrors and in the doors of vehicles left parked in a driveway. Black widow spiders, while preferring dark outdoor locations in which to move can find a mailbox a perfect location. Ants will invade kitchens. What’s worse, despite anyone’s best efforts, these pests can often return year after year to the same locations. A mild winter presages heavier insect infestations, but not for the reasons commonly believed: milder winters do not kill off fewer insects. Bryn Joynes of Elite Pest & Lawn Solutions explains: “If cold winters killed insects, then Canada would be the best place to live and there would be no
problem.” Anyone who has spent any time hunting or fishing in or near Canada knows well about the swarming and biting insects there. Milder winters frequently equal shorter winters which translates into longer breeding seasons. “Insects have their own circulatory system which is almost like an antifreeze. So they don’t really freeze as much,” Joynes said. Cat fleas by contrast, the most common type of flea to afflict pet cats and dogs, will die with exposure to temperatures lower than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. With the warmer weather, business is already picking up. “Take ants for instance. I would say ants are one of the number one calls and biggest nuisance. We’ve got a lot of phone calls right now for ant control. Once again, they grow depending on the resources and what’s available,” Joynes said. Fire ants have made their way into the Spring Hill area. “If you head down towards the movie theater, on that road, you will see some of the biggest fire ant mounds that you will
SEE INSECTS P 6A
MIKE CHRISTEN
Scott Werner of Spring Hill rests with his horse Rocket near the banks of Arrow Lake after a morning of riding Maury County’s rural roads with the Mule Day Wagon Train on Tuesday, March 28, 2017.
State increases penalties for texting while driving From Staff Reports
court costs not to exceed $10.00. In addition, first offense drivers must attend and complete a driver The full Senate approved education course. legislation, sponsored by Senate bill 658 would increase Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Tracy the criminal classification of the (R-Shelbyville), this week which offense of texting while driving increases the penalties for texting to a Class B misdemeanor if while driving. In Tennessee, cell the accident directly results in a phone use while driving has caused serious bodily injury and would 10 times the amount of fatalities make it a Class A misdemeanor than the national average. Despite if the accident directly results in a educating the public regarding fatality. the dangers, 77 percent of young “This bill increases the criminal adults are confident that they can classification for an accident safely text while driving, and 55 resulting in serious injury or percent of young adults claim that death where the act of texting it is a relatively easy task. and driving at the time of the Presently, the law states that incident is provable,” said Speaker the charge for transmitting or Tracy. “We are taking a small step reading text messages while driving forward in transforming the safety is a Class C misdemeanor with of Tennessee roadways and saving fines not to exceed $50.00 and the lives of our citizens.”