Unrecorded Lease Forces Partial Baxter Park Closure
Baxter working to finalize a new five-year lease agreement to reopen the old portion of Baxter Park after the city discovered the original 99-year lease was never recorded. Mayor Danny Holmes said the issue came to light approximately two weeks ago when an insurance agent notified the city that the property was no longer covered. […]
Glass Artist Hides Treasures Across Upper Cumberland
Glass artist Justin Hurst hiding three treasure chests containing handmade marbles across Baxter, Cookeville, and Livingston as part of the 10th anniversary of the World’s Biggest Marble Hunt. Hurst said he decided to celebrate his 15th year as a glass artist by splitting 15 marbles into three separate cases for local residents to find. Hurst […]
Severe Storms Cause Putnam Tree Damage, Power Outages
Severe storms moving through the region toppled power lines at the intersection of Cookeville’s Jefferson Avenue and Interstate Drive Friday. A storm moved through around 2:30pm. The downed lines forced the closure of the roadway in both directions as thousands of residents remain without power. UCEMC officials said at least 4,000 people are without power […]
Baxter Budget Funds Employee Raises Without Tax Increases
Baxter officials proposing a new budget that includes a $1 hourly raise for all full-time employees while maintaining the current tax rate for residents. Mayor Danny Holmes said the city prioritized the pay increase to help retain staff amidst rising cost of living. Holmes said aldermen would have to cut several departmental requests to balance […]
Ditty Road Closure, Remodel Nearing Final Completion
Baxter Engineer Tom Bennett said the relocation and expansion of Ditty Road moving forward. Bennett said the project is nearly finished, with crews now focusing on final connections. “All that work is complete,” Bennett said, “The relocation of the utilities. Of course Rogers Group and TDOT is in there doing all the work. They basically […]
Ledford Returns To Roots, Leader At Upperman Middle
Kimberly Ledford is returning to the Baxter community to serve as the new assistant principal for fifth and sixth grade students at Upperman Middle School. Ledford has nearly 20 years of experience in education including classroom teaching and mentoring other educators. Upperman Middle School said her background also includes providing instructional support to teachers. “This […]
Aldrich Targets Winning Culture For Upperman Lacrosse
Upperman High School boys lacrosse head coach Jonathan Aldrich is working to replicate the championship success of other Baxter athletic programs as he prepares the team for the upcoming season. Head Coach Jonathan Aldrich said the culture in Baxter is defined by winning championships across multiple sports. Aldrich said he wants the lacrosse program to […]
Putnam Cities Redefine Boundaries For Future Annexation
Putnam County began the final stages Tuesday of a long-term process to redefine the urban growth boundaries of the four municipalities. Putnam County Planning Director Kevin Rush said the county and each city had to appoint the Joint Economic Community Development Board as the Growth Coordinating Committee to oversee the changes. Rush said the county […]
Next Steps Approved For New Baxter Pediatric Office
A rezoning request moving forward in Baxter to allow a new medical facility on Main Street. Ascend Pediatrics presented the application to the Baxter Municipal Planning Commission. The rezoning will transition the property at 420 Main Street from low-density residential to a central commercial district. “We would like to construct a 3,500 to 4,000 square […]
Baxter Aldermen Approve Purchase Of New Sludge Truck
The Baxter Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved an $88,865 bid for a new sludge truck for the wastewater plant Thursday. Engineer Tom Bennett said the city will utilize leftover money from a previous wastewater project. Bennett reviewed the proposals to ensure the purchase aligned with federal funding requirements. “There’s sufficient funds in the project […]
