-2014 was a historic year for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. Major General Gary J. Volesky was named Commanding General of the Division, the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade was deactivated, and 101st troops deployed to Liberia to help contain the Ebola virus. Fort Campbell troops were among the first to answer the call against the deadly virus, which according to The World Health Organization has now killed more than 7,000 people worldwide.
-Voters re-elected Kim McMillan to a second term as Clarksville Mayor and county voters elected Jim Durrett to replace Carolyn Bowers as Montgomery County Mayor.
-The police killings of unarmed black people in Ferguson, Missouri and elsewhere — and the investigations and tumultuous protests they inspired — were among the top national news stories in 2014.
-Locally, the biggest story involving law enforcement was the loss of longtime Montgomery County Deputy David “Bubba” Johnson, who died in a car crash in January. Johnson spent 16 years with the Sheriff’s Office and before that served 11 years with the Clarksville Police Department. See photos from his funeral here.
-Local wounded warrior Heath Calhoun participated on the Winter Paralympics in Sochi, where he won the silver medal in alpine skiing. Later in the year, Calhoun was welcomed home by the community during a special event at Appleton’s Harley Davidson.
See photos from the event here.
-Austin Peay State University celebrated a year of firsts with the introduction of a new president, Alisa White. On the athletics side, construction of the new Governors Stadium was completed, despite a large sinkhole that opened on the field prior to the grand opening. Govs Athletics also unveiled a new logo and design.
-Fort Campbell and the surrounding community became entangled in controversy when a Halloween display on the post was removed by officials. The set-up depicted what appeared to be a black family hanging from a tree. The story and photo quickly spread, with news organizations across the country taking notice.
-A Northeast High School basketball coach resigned this year following an investigation by local police. Al Cooper, longtime coach and teacher at the school, resigned in late October, but no details from the investigation were released by authorities.
-One of Clarksville’s most talked about court cases in 2014 was the Hulbig case, which involved a husband and wife who were charged with animal cruelty after several dead animals were discovered on their property. Animal rights groups were outraged by the incident, and legal proceedings are ongoing.
-Twenty-six people were arrested in April in one of Clarksville’s largest prostitution stings. The investigation focused on ads placed on a popular social media site. Officers with the Clarksville Police Department conducted the operation from March 1 through April 1.
-After reaching out to the community through social media, a Good Samaritan was able to help a family save their precious memories by returning their lost camera. A worker at a local retail store sent a message to ClarksvilleNow.com in order to locate the owner of the camera, and the story was widely shared by the community to help the woman recover her property.
-A local church was rocked by a hate crime this year when a member of the congregation discovered a burned cross on the lawn of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksville. The suspects were never identified or found, but the community later came together during a Unity Rally attended by hundreds. See photos from the Unity Rally here.
-Dozens of soldiers and their family members acted as “extras” for the filming of an episode of the TV series “Nashville” on March 26 at Fort Campbell’s Sabre Army Airfield. Country star Kellie Pickler was present along with cast members including Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere and Charles Esten. See photos from the filming here.
-The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed during a press conference on September 8 that a human skull found in the woods in Decatur County was that of missing nursing student Holly Bobo. She disappeared from her home in Parsons, Tennessee in April of 2011.
-Austin Peay State University (APSU) and the Clarksville community lost a dear friend and mentor when Mr. John Moseley lost his battle with cancer the morning of Sunday, Feb. 9. He was an associate professor at APSU and was involved in sports broadcasting and audio/video production.
-Hundreds of kids enjoyed splashing around at the brand new Splash Pad located at Edith Pettus Park when it opened Friday, May 23. It is the largest and newest splash pad to open for the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department. See photos from the Splash Pad here.
-The first ever Liberty Live! show took place in Liberty Park on the afternoon of June 21. The open-air concert kicked off a series of summer concerts organized by the City of Clarksville. See photos from the first Liberty Live! concert here.
-A student was arrested after posting a series of Twitter threats directed at West Creek High School on Oct. 8. After an investigation, Sheriff Fuson stated that the creator of the “West Creek Killer” profile did not have weapons to carry out the threats.