Cookeville Tornado Cleanup Continues Saturday After Over A Year
The effects of the 2020 March tornado are still present in Cookeville with cleanup continuing this Saturday. The Monterey Lions Club Disaster Response Team have been working at ground zero for over a year. Team Leader Ken Hall said about two weeks of work remain, so volunteers are welcome to join. “It is amazing what […]
DeKalb Putting Grant Money Towards Agriculture Center Interior
DeKalb County has been awarded $50,000 through Tennessee’s ThreeStar program to improve the county’s agriculture building. Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Suzanne Williams said the exterior of the building is complete, with work left to be done inside. Williams said the plan is to add a large commercial kitchen and meeting spaces. “We […]
TTU Awarded $4.4 Million Cybersecurity Grant For Students Scholarships
Tennessee Tech’s Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center has been awarded some $4.4 million from the National Science Foundation. The five-year grant will provide scholarships for students studying computer science with a cybersecurity concentration. Students can receive full coverage of tuition, $6,000 of reimbursements or stipends for undergraduate and graduate levels. The new award marks […]
Cookeville Planning Revising Zoning Codes To Comply With New State Law
The Cookeville Planning Commission has approved changes to city zoning codes that removes most uses of the word, “prohibited.” The ordinance was needed to comply with a recently passed state law. The legislation does not allow banning construction materials that are approved by national building codes or the state fire marshal. City Planning Director Jon […]
Putnam Schools Face Bus Driver Shortage Entering School Year
Putnam County’s need for more school bus driver’s remains an issue for the school system. Transportation Supervisor Kim Bradford said the district shortage has been affecting each school since the middle of last year. “We are nine routes down,” Bradford said. “We have been able to reroute routes. They are a lot longer than they […]
Fentress Road Supervisor Not Feeling Support From County
Fentress County Road Supervisor Joey Reagan said he will take another shot at securing funding for improvement work. Motions to approve a $1 million and $750,000 loan for the highway department both failed Monday night. Those numbers are both lower than the $1.5 million Reagan was requesting. Reagan said he wasn’t surprised by the commission’s […]
Cookeville Aiming For End Of Summer Opening Of Dogwood Park Fountain
Cookeville’s Dogwood Park Fountain remains in need of repairs as the city waits for parts to become available. Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said a time line of completion is unknown, but the goal remains getting the fountain open by summer’s end. “They’re behind, and we still don’t have a completed fountain yet,” Woods said. […]
Putnam Sheriff Says Jail Expansion Will Affect Offender Sentencing
Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris said Monday night’s commission vote to approve a $52.7 million jail expansion bond is a very important moment. Farris said the jail has been under a Tennessee Corrections Institute plan of action to address overcrowding since he became sheriff. Farris said the over 600 beds will affect sentencing for offenders […]
Backpack Assist Ministry To Host 10th Annual Back-To-School Drive
The Backpack Assist Ministry will host its 10th annual Back-to-School celebration. Coordinator Carleen Benson said that each year the organization takes donations and puts the money towards providing resources to students in White and Van Buren Counties. “It is an awesome event,” Benson said. “And it’s a community event where everybody gets together and we […]
Putnam Commissioners Approve $98 Million Bond For Jail Expansion, New School
By a 23-1 vote Monday night, Putnam County Commissioners approved a $98 million bond proposal to fund jail expansion and a new K-8 school. Commissioners spent very little time debating the proposals Monday night, which have been discussed for several years. Only District Four Commissioner Theresa Tayes voted no. Commissioner Cindy Adams cited a concern […]
