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Round 1
The City of Dunlap has issued what may be the most unnecessary—but apparently necessary—public service announcement of the year:
Please do not pee on the playground equipment.
A private social-media post claimed someone had been urinating on equipment at Harris Park.
City officials say nobody made an official report, and after looking into it, they could not confirm the alleged incident actually happened.
Still, out of what I can only imagine was an abundance of caution—and possibly gallons of hand sanitizer—the city inspected the playground.
Officials found no reason to close it or limit its use.
But they are reminding people that if you actually see vandalism, damage, or someone using the slide as a bathroom, call the City of Dunlap or Dunlap Police Department directly.
Because posting it on Facebook after the fact may get likes…
But it doesn't exactly help the city catch the person auditioning to become Dunlap's R. Kelly.
So, for now, the playground is open, the equipment is apparently fine, and if you feel nature calling, maybe don't use the monkey bars to test your distance.
Round 2
In new reporting from Crossville News First got us digging a little bit into the details.
Crossville voters will decide November 3 whether to authorize the City Council to continue pursuing a transfer of certain water-system property to the Cumberland Plateau Water Authority.
The ballot includes land around Meadow Park Lake, the treatment plant, and various parcels located at Holiday Lake.
And official City Council minutes from back in March 2024 show Mayor R. J. Crawford said he is one of five people who own the land beneath that lake.
The outstanding questions are which Holiday Lake parcels would transfer, whether any agreement involves the privately owned lakebed, and how the mayor’s disclosed ownership interest would be handled in future decisions.
Also worth noting that the Mayor has not included the property on any of his disclosure forms.
A "yes" vote on the referendum does not finalize a merger—it only lets the city keep negotiating.
And to be clear: No payment proposal has been established in our reporting. We haven't seen evidence of any *current* deal to pay the mayor, buy his interest, lease the land, or give him a usage fee.
But if Crossville authorizes a transfer involving Holiday Lake, and the mayor owns land beneath that reservoir, AND the Mayor would receive no money from the merger, do you think the mayor’s ownership interest still warrants recusal from votes directly affecting that property—or is public disclosure enough?
That's two rounds down and one to go we'd love to know which TN town you're watching from.
Round 3
Tennessee early voting starts tomorrow, October 14, and runs through October 29 for the upcoming November 3 election.
Before heading out, visit GoVoteTN.gov or use the GoVoteTN app to check your registration, voting locations, hours, and sample ballot.
Bring a Tennessee or federal photo ID—even an expired one.
Along with federal, state, and possibly local races, you’ll aslo be asked to vote on three constitutional amendments which you can find on the secretary of state's website.
Amendment 1, for example, would expand when judges can deny bail before trial and require them to explain bail decisions on the record.
Before voting, be sure check out Patriot Punkcast Episode 225 with Discovery Channel’s Jim Howe where we discuss Amendment 1 and its potential impact.
The voting booth is not the place to start studying. So read your ballot. Make a plan. Go vote… if y'an'too.
That was your TN news roundup.
For more deep dives into local stories, watch the Patriot Punkcast on Rumble every Sunday and Wednesday at 7pm CST.
Thanks for checking out our TODAY IN TENNESSEE SEGMENT