CHEEKWOOD HARVEST
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URBAN TERRAIN EXERCISE
AUGUST 17, 2023 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 32
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2023 High School Football Season Preview BY LOGAN BUTTS
Nashville Christian quarterback Jared Curtis PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS
House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison passes protestors calling for gun restrictions at the state Capitol, March 30, 2023. PHOTO BY MATT MASTERS
Governor calls special session BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT
Months after a shooting at Covenant School in Nashville left three children and three staff members dead, Gov. Bill Lee has formally called the special legislative session he promised in response to the killings. Lee, a Republican, has called the Tennessee General Assembly back to Nashville starting Aug. 21. The Republicans who control the legislature have already made it clear they do not plan to support Lee’s proposed extreme risk protection order legislation. (One key Republican, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, has expressed support for ERPOs, which allow courts to temporarily remove guns from people in crisis.) Three-fourths of Tennessee voters support
so-called “red flag” laws, according to recent Vanderbilt University polling. According to a release, Lee is not including ERPOs in his administration legislative package, but the call leaves open the possibility that a lawmaker could propose related legislation. Parents of Covenant students are among those urging the legislature to enact legislation that could help prevent future tragedies. Katy Dieckhaus, whose 9-year-old daughter Evelyn was killed at Covenant, recently recorded an advertisement in partnership with nonprofit Voices for a Safer Tennessee calling for “responsible firearm safety laws that will work towards protecting
our children and their right to life.” Lawmakers are limited in what they can consider in a special session. Lee’s proclamation includes the following possible areas of discussion: • mental health resources, providers, commitments or services • school safety plans or policies • health care providers’ duty to warn about potential violent offenses • offenses of committing acts of mass violence or threatening to commit acts of mass violence • reports from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation regarding human trafficking • identification of individuals >> PAGE 4
Believe it or not, the 2023 high school football season is here! Whether you are a parent of a player, an alum of a local program, or just a fan of the Friday night lights, this upcoming season should have plenty of excitement in store. The 2022 campaign was a memorable, and hugely successful, one for The News area schools. Lipscomb Academy capped off an undefeated season with back-to-back state championships in its final season in Division II-AA. Montgomery Bell Academy lost just one game en route to finishing as the Division II-AAA runner-up. Nashville Christian nearly won the Division II-A title. And teams from across Middle Tennessee, including East Nashville (Class 3A), Pearl Cohn (Class 4A), Page (Class 5A), and Beech (Class 6A), claimed state runner-up status, while Oakland remained dominant with a third consecutive Class 6A championship. This season projects more of the same for local some local powerhouses, while others will be fending off new opponents and challengers for the crown. In our football preview issue, we highlighted five area teams. Over at thenewstn.com, we also previewed the 2023 season for our neighbors in Williamson County. And you can expect plenty more content throughout the season!
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