Prioritize Immediate Alerts, Family Drills for Storm Safety
Emergency officials urging residents to secure immediate notification systems and practice family safety drills during this Severe Weather Awareness Week. Overton County Assistant EMA Director Eric Stephens said that relying solely on smartphone apps or social media can result in critical time gaps during a storm. He noted that Wi-Fi signals or third-party alert systems […]
Cookeville Provides Update On Annexation Plans Of Services
Cookeville Officials updated residents on plans to extend municipal services into annexed areas during the city’s annual progress report. Community Development Director Jon Ward said the report covered 12 areas annexed into the city between 2000 and 2018. Ward said all required municipal services are being provided in the annexed areas. “Across all areas, the […]
State: Cookeville Has One Of TN’s Biggest Housing Needs
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency reports Cookeville will need roughly 3,000 additional affordable housing units over the next decade. Highlands Residential Services Executive Director Chris Cassetty said THDA shared that information during a meeting earlier this week. Cassetty said that THDA did not clarify how they came up with that number of units, but he […]
DeKalb Reveals Schematic Design For New County Jail
As DeKalb County considers a $35 million plan for a new 182-bed jail, the project’s architect presented the schematic design to the county commission. Project Architect John Eisenlau said the firm met numerous times with the Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Corrections Institute to ensure the design meets all TCI standards. “I’m happy report today […]
Wright Leads Monterey Lady Wildcats Into Postseason
The Monterey Lady Wildcats are advancing to the region tournament, and senior Carlee Wright is determined to make sure the postseason push does not stop there. Wright said her impact goes beyond points on the scoreboard. It is about lifting teammates, setting the tone, and growing from the adversity she experienced early in her career. […]
New Sideline, New Standard: Bratten Leads DeKalb Cheer
For years, DeKalb County High School cheerleaders have energized fans across high school sports. This season, they have done so under new leadership. Mollie Bratten, a teacher at DeKalb West School, stepped into her first high school head coaching role this school year, taking over the DeKalb Tigers Cheer program just as football season approached. […]
Sparta Closes Bridge Over Safety Concerns, Plans Concrete
Sparta officials closed the city’s walking bridge Thursday night after deteriorating and vandalized timbers created safety concerns. Sparta Public Works Director Dillard Quick said the bridge was closed after multiple support timbers were found damaged or missing. Quick said the city replaced the timbers about seven years ago, but conditions have worsened in recent months. […]
Cookeville Will Not Move Forward With 12th/Willow Grant
The Cookeville City Council voted Thursday night to abandon an eight-year-old multimodal sidewalk grant from T-DOT originally intended to fund new sidewalks along Willow Avenue and West 12th Street. The grant is worth an estimated $907,000 that would have required the city to provide a five percent match, or an estimated $47,800 for the first […]
