CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Three of Clarksville-Montgomery County’s largest civic organizations combined their resources Tuesday to welcome U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn to Clarksville.
The Clarksville Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club of Clarksville, and Clarksville Civitan Club gathered at First Baptist Church to hear Blackburn talk about the tragedy in Humphreys County, COVID-19, the situation in Afghanistan, and possible improvements to Interstate 24 between Clarksville and Nashville.
The senator joined Gov. Bill Lee in Waverly on Sunday, visiting with some of the families and business owners affected by the flooding. Blackburn described it as complete devastation and said other than a war zone, she had never seen a town that was just wiped out.
Blackburn also encouraged everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I encourage everybody to talk to your doctor, and if you are a candidate for the vaccine, get the vaccine,” Blackburn said.
On the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Blackburn said her office has been working hard for months on a list, and have more than 2,000 names that have been processed for immigrant visas to exit Afghanistan for those Afghans who served with the U.S. military.
That list includes those who served as guides, intelligence sources, interpreters and translators.
“I know our men and women in uniform are working their hardest, and God bless them for the job that they are doing. It is because of them we will save as many lives as is humanly possible,” Blackburn said.
The wheels are turning so to speak, on the possibility of more lanes being added to I-24 between Clarksville and Nashville. Blackburn said she has been in touch with local and state lawmakers about an assessment, and their efforts working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to add lanes to the interstate.
“We are trying to get this bumped up on the priority list,” Blackburn said.