TRACY CITY, Tenn. (WTVF) — In Grundy County, a former high school is becoming a hub for community connection as residents work to rebuild trust and find common values across political divides.
The community center, housed in the old Grundy County High School that was built in 1937, hosted a gathering organized by Millions of Conversations, bringing together people from Nashville and rural counties to discuss issues that matter to them.
"If other people have wildly different views on subjects than me, that's fine, I respect that. We'll talk about it," said Bill Zechman, a McMinnville insurance agent from Warren County.
Emily Partin, who is pushing for the community center renovation, is seeking approximately $1 million in funding to complete the project and create a space for community college classes.
"When we began renovating, we decided we would sand them all down and then paint them!" Partin said, referring to the original high school lockers that remain in the building.
The evening's discussion focused on rebuilding belonging, common values and trust at the county level. Participants tackled tough issues, including voter participation.
"If there's not a local person running for sheriff or whatever, you go or you don't, I always do, but we don't have the masses coming to vote," Partin said.
Zechman echoed this concern: "They're just saying, 'I go vote, and what changes? What happens? What changes?'"
Rather than trying to solve all problems in one night, the gathering created a space for listening and connection.
"I feel comfortable around all of you, and I obviously love this place," Partin said.
As the evening concluded, participants expressed interest in staying connected. Zechman said, "I'm not selling insurance, it's past office hours -- I'm just saying let's stay in touch!"
Have you attended a community conversation in your area that got you thinking about different viewpoints? We'd love to hear about your experience and what topics matter most to your community. Watch the full video report and share your thoughts with me at Jason.Lamb@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Jason Lamb. When using this tool, both Jason and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
We all know AI technology is being used more and more every day. There can be a lot of useful benefits to this technology, especially in the medical field. This story shows how a local hospital is using to help save precious time when treating stroke patients.
- Lelan Statom
