Calvert Council Election
Roy McCoy roy@robconews.com Robertson County News CALVERT — Sometimes, it really does come down to just one. That was the case in Calvert’s Alderman I race, where Karen M. Blackwell finished with 83 votes, just one more than Jan Walston’s 82, according to unofficial results from Saturday’s election. Out of more than 160 votes cast in the race, the outcome hinged on a single ballot. The rest of the city races weren’t quite as tight. Glen Van Dyke took the Alderman III seat with 90 votes, ahead of Bobbyjean Alford’s 75. Diane Grimes, running unopposed for Alderman V, received 128 votes. On the school side, Calvert ISD voters filled three board seats. Suzi Johnson Elliott ran unopposed in Place 1 and received 145 votes. The only contested school board race came in Place 6, where Chris Peppe led with 105 votes to Edvana Evans’ 76. DeAngela Johnson ran unopposed for Place 7 and also received 145 votes. Like many recent elections, early voting made up most of the turnout across the ballot. The results remain unofficial and will be finalized once canvassed by city and school officials later this month.
Festival Reset, Progress Continues
Jada B. Terry news@robconews.com Robertson County News FRANKLIN — In a meeting reflecting both community challenges and forward planning, Franklin city leaders convened for a rescheduled city council session Monday, April 27, 2026. Mayor Molly Hedrick called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m., followed by an executive session at 5:50 p.m. The council returned to open session at 6:38 p.m. and adjourned shortly after at 6:40 p.m. Discussion opened with remarks from Franklin resident Emily Tucker, founder of the Scott Burgess Memorial Foundation, who addressed the future of the annual Scott Burgess Festival. Tucker outlined recent organizational setbacks, citing leadership changes and the need to restructure the foundation’s board. “We need to rebuild our board and regroup, and really give ourselves a year to reset,” Tucker said. “We’ve lost a couple of our crew in leadership, so we need to find new people and rebuild from there. Plans for the 2027 festival are underway.” Despite the pause in festival planning, Tucker confirmed the foundation will continue key initiatives, including awarding the Scott Burgess Memorial Scholarship to one male and one female student from Robertson County high schools. The foundation will also host the Scott Burgess Memorial 5K on May 30. “We still have plenty of funds to be able to move forward with scholarships this year,” Tucker said. Information regarding scholarship applications and 5K registration is available at scottburgessmemorial.org/aboutus. Council members then addressed additional agenda items, beginning with the resignation of Alderman Kelly Ellison. A motion to accept the resignation, made by Alderman Marcus Wade, passed unanimously. The city will begin the process of filling the vacant seat, with details expected at a later date. Public Works Director Brandon Roark presented a proposal to purchase a new commercial mower using 4B funds. The mower, priced at $16,000, features a 72-inch deck and a four-year warranty, accounting for approximately 3.2 percent of available funds. Roark also raised concerns about the strain on city resources caused by after-hours service calls related to residential water leaks. “We get called all the time, after hours and on the weekends, to go out to people who have leaks and want the city to cut the water off,” Roark said. “The problem with that is that it costs the city money.” To address the issue, Roark proposed a $25 disconnect fee for non-emergency situations involving repeated service calls. He emphasized the fee would be used sparingly. “The disconnect fee will only be assessed when people are abusing city resources,” he said. Roark encouraged residents to ensure their personal shut-off valves are functional and accessible to avoid unnecessary service calls. “I am trying to make sure I can save the city as much money as possible, which in turn keeps our water and wastewater rates down,” he said. Alderman Raymond Hawkins made a motion to approve the fee, which passed unanimously. In final business, Mike “Duba” Brewer requested $5,000 in hotel occupancy tax funds for the Little Dribblers National Tournament that just completed this year. Brewer described the recent tournament as the organization’s most expensive to date but noted its significant economic impact on the city. A motion to approve the funding, brought forward by Hawkins, passed unanimously. For more information, contact Franklin City Hall at 979-828-3257. Emily Tucker, founder of the Scott Burgess Memorial Foundation, speaks about plans for the festival, 5K and scholarship program.
