Be Kind to Animals Week This Week
Be Kind to Animals Week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of animal companionship during the pandemic shutdowns. Vicky Smith, President of the Animal Awareness Association of Overton County, said she has seen a recent increase in adoptions. “Cats and dogs are companions,” Smith said. “I’ve found out I’m adopting out more cats right […]
Overton Planning to End School Year
Overton County Schools will end its school year a week earlier than planned. Director of Schools Mark Winningham said that final week is used to complete tasks that won’t be necessary due to the shutdown. “The last day of student work is going to be May 15,” Winningham said. “The last day, I think, was […]
County Fairs Struggle with COVID Plans
School out. Memorial Day weekend. County fairs will be the next milestone on the Upper Cumberland calendar. But will they happen? Clay County has the first county fair every year in early June. Fair President Dean Walden said they have decided to postpone until this fall. “We’re going to try to have something later down […]
Overton Teacher Investigation Continues
The investigation of a Livingston Academy teacher accused of sexually harassing two students continues. District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway confirmed that the DA office’s investigation of LA teacher Mark Lee is ongoing. Allegations against Lee first surfaced in March when attorney Brent Knight, representing the families of the two female students, said they approached the […]
Nursing Homes Will Not Be Reopening Soon
Expect Tennessee nursing homes to remain closed for the foreseeable future. With the governor’s order lifting restrictions, Scott Stevens of Overton County Health and Rehab in Livingston said said staff at the facility began to notice social media posts about people looking forward to visiting loved ones at the nursing home. He said they wanted […]
March Unemployment Steady Or Down Slightly
March unemployment rates fell slightly across the Upper Cumberland as COVID-19 job losses did not show up. The heart of COVID-19 job losses did not begin until the final days of March as the government began shutting down parts of the economy. More than 16,000 unemployment claims have been filed across the Upper Cumberland over […]
Livingston Businesses Can Reopen Monday
Livingston businesses can reopen Monday according to Mayor Curtis Hayes. “Restaurants can reopen,” Hayes said, “Retail stores, hair salons, and barber shops can all reopen in Livingston.” Hayes said businesses should continue to maintain CDC guidelines for hygiene and social distancing. “Wash your hands with 70 percent alcohol for at least twenty seconds with hot […]
Comptrollers Office: UC Needs More Judges
The Upper Cumberland needs more judges. That’s according to a state comptroller’s report showing a growing deficit in the 13th Judicial District. The report showed the 13th district has a deficit of 1.3 full-time equivalent judges based on 2019 statistics. Chancellor Ronald Thurman serves the district as presiding judge. “Our numbers keep gradually going up, […]
Livingston Election To Be Decided In May
The Overton County Election Commission will take the Town of Livingston’s vote to hold June municipal elections under consideration at its next meeting. Election Administrator Craig Story said the commission will have input from a number of sources to help make a decision. “I think what will happen is the Election Commission, in light of […]
Livingston Looking to Move June Election
Due to concerns over COVID-19, the Town of Livingston is exploring ways to postpone its June 3 election. Overton County Election Administrator Craig Story said one option is to move the ballot to a later election. “Last week the Election Commission held a meeting, and we discussed that pretty extensively,” Story said. “The Election Commission […]
