Baxter Officials: Hooters Sign A Joke
Baxter officials said the sign proclaiming the national restaurant chain Hooters coming to town is a joke. The sign on the Cumby Property across from the Dollar Store said “Hooters Coming 2025.” Mayor John Martin said he spoke to the property owner who said it would be coming down ASAP. Martin said he nor council […]
Baxter Citizens Concerned About Wheeler Street Activities
Multiple Baxter residents concerned about the activities they are seeing from certain people on Wheeler Street. Multiple citizens said they have seen people from a specific house on the street acting as if they are on drugs throughout the day and night. Residents also said there was recently a stabbing in the area. Lifelong Resident […]
Public Hearing Brings Pro & Con To Baxter One-Way Decision
Baxter residents and business owners shared differing opinions for the plan to turn Broad Street into a one-way street during a public hearing on Thursday. Veterans Barber Shop Owner Jonathan Williams said the change would provide much-needed parking and make the street safer. Williams said the decision should be made based off of facts and […]
Flash Flood Concern Remains, More Storms Til AM
Another round of tornado warnings Wednesday night produced scattered damage, but the biggest concern remains flooding heading into the latter part of the evening. A tornado warning issued for Dekalb, Smith and Putnam Counties around 6:45pm Wednesday night. Rotation concerns centered on Carthage. Aarons Branch Road in Jackson County reported impassable due to flooding. Trees […]
Baxter Looking At 3 Lighting Options
Baxter Planning Commission will consider three options to address lighting in town subdivisions going forward. The first option would be allowing the power company to install wooden poles. The second would be decorative poles from the power company at the contractor’s expense. The third option added Thursday night would be a private system installed by […]
Baxter Gets Grant For Broad St Improvements
Baxter plans to use a $15,000 State Downtown Grant to improve storefronts and increase parking on Broad Street. Baxter Mayor John Martin said the town has tasked a committee with overseeing its downtown revitalization plans. He said the first step will be passing an ordinance in May that will turn Broad Street into a one-way […]
Strawberry Season Ripening Around UC
It is Strawberry Season and Upper Cumberland farms are seeing the arrival of the fat, rich berries. The state had little strawberry production at the beginning of the 2000s, but that has changed in recent years. Harley Sherrell owns a farm in Baxter. “The process ain’t too awful hard,” Sherrell said. “You really just have […]
State Expert: Elected Boards Designed For Big Picture Focus
A Tennessee government expert said City Councils and Boards of Aldermen are designed to bring big-picture guidance to the cities and towns they lead, rather than day-to-day decision making. Honna Rogers is a MTAS Municipal Management Consultant at the University of Tennessee. Algood, Baxter, and Gainesboro have all dealt with multiple issues in recent weeks […]
Contractors Getting Sparta Generator Online
The new generator for the Sparta Water Department is in place and could be operational within days. Sparta Public Works Director Dillard Quick said a purchase order was signed Thursday for contractors to connect the wiring and conduit for the machine. He said all of the materials needed to make the generator compatible with facility […]
Baxter Calling On MTAS To Help Fill Police Chief Opening
The city of Baxter will lean on services from MTAS to fill the Baxter Police Chief position. Baxter Mayor John Martin said MTAS will recruit and interview candidates before ranking each one. He said that list will be handed over to Baxter City Council for further interviews and an eventual selection. Martin said he would […]
