Fentress Reaches Compromise For Road Improvement Plan
A compromise was reached between Fentress County Commissioners and Highway Department on a road improvement loan. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said $800,000 was approved by the commission. Johnson said 44 roads will get improvements under the modified plan. “It’s going to be good to some folks who have lived on some rough roads so several […]
Fentress Co. Names New EMS Interim Director
Fentress County EMS Interim Director Jonathan Beaty has stepped down from his position. That is according to County Executive Jimmy Johnson. Johnson said Paramedic Steve Bradfield will be the new interim director. “He’s going to try it for around 30 days, and hopefully, we can figure out some things to get the ambulance service back […]
Fentress Co. EMS Director Wants Upgrades
Fentress County Interim EMS Director Jonathan Beaty’s temporary contract is set to expire Tuesday. Beaty told county commissioners Thursday night that if a new agreement for his salary can not be met, Tuesday will be his last day. “The $65,000 for my salary, I am not pending on that,” Beaty said. “If you don’t think […]
Fentress Agrees To Purchase Location For Stand-Alone ER
Fentress County Commissioners approved purchasing a building for a stand-alone UT Medical Center facility. Commissioners agreed to purchase the old Fentress Health Systems building for $655,707. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said a long-term commitment was needed for UT Medical to lobby the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for restriction changes. “Passing this right here, […]
Fentress Co. Officials Exploring Other Vaccination Locations
Fentress County officials are meeting with the state health department Tuesday to discuss options of moving vaccination locations. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said increasing turnout for the vaccine is creating long lines near the county’s health department. “I know today that where our health department is located here off of Main Street people are actually […]
Key: New RSCC Fentress Center Is The Heart Of County
“What makes this campus unique is it’s the heart of the community. It’s the heart of Fentress County.” That’s Roane State Community College Fentress Site Director Tinisha Key. Ket and President Chris Whaley joined county officials for a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house Friday at the new Clarkrange facility. Key said the main benefit […]
Fentress County Covid Testing And Cases Rise
Fentress County active Covid cases over the past month have increased from eight to 36. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said positive cases are always a concern, but was expected with more people being tested. “We were expecting it,” Johnson said. “We were talking with our local health department and state officials that it was going […]
Fentress County Census Rates Remain Under 50 Percent
Fentress County’s Census response rate remains under 50 percent. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said the county could miss out on much needed grant money if numbers do not increase. “You got 18,000. Right there is 1.8 million dollars,” Johnson said. “So, if this continues, we might not be eligible for a million dollars in grant […]
Fentress No Longer A Distressed County
Fentress County has officially moved off the Tennessee distressed county list to only at-risk. The Appalachian Regional Commission annually categorizes all counties in Tennessee as distressed, at-risk, transitional or competitive based on economic status. Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson said the economic improvement is due to the workers of Fentress. “The workforce that we have,” […]
