Clarksville Now CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Last year, the future looked promising in Clarksville-Montgomery County. The county was named Tennessee’s youngest community and the city earned the title of the best place to live in the country, while the entire state also was enjoying a record low 3.3 percent unemployment rate. Then, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Within a month, Tennessee’s unemployment rate skyrocketed to 15.5 percent and by July, more than 1,100 businesses in the state reported they were closing permanently. The emergence of the coronavirus resulted in a once-in-a-lifetime disruptive event. On Feb. 11, Austin Peay State University will address these challenges during its third annual industry summit, “Leading in a Disruptive Environment.”