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Staff Reports
comes down
One limb at a time, the locally famous leaning tree came down Sept. 3. For more than 150 years, the tree stood at a 30-degree angle about 3 miles south of Franklin in the 3500 block of Airport Road. The tree’s removal was initiated after a citizen submitted a formal complaint asking the highway department to look into the safety of it. On June 4, Airport Road, also known as Nineveh Road, was closed after an initial inspection determined the tree was unsafe to drive under. Then, in June, two master arborists determined the tree was at “extreme risk” of falling. So, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 to remove the tree. County officials and local artisans are still looking at ways to preserve the tree, such as a memorial.