Cookeville Consolidates West Side Commercial Garbage

Some 14 businesses on Cookeville’s West Side will now dispose of garbage in a newly-constructed dumpster enclosure to keep roadways looking cleaner. Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the individual trash carts cut off the view of storefronts and murals. She said the businesses helped the city pay for the structure and will pay […]
Small Businesses, Restaurants Shine As International Influencers Tour UC

The Upper Cumberland captivated a group of 17 influencers from five different countries who toured the community last weekend. That according to Cookeville Putnam County Director of Tourism Shan Stout. Stout said the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has been working to orchestrate this tour for some 20 years. Stout said the group spent Saturday […]
Restaurant Recovery Workshop Applications Open

The Biz Foundry and Cookeville’s Small Business Development Center are bringing in resources to help restaurants recover and navigate the pandemic. The Biz Foundry Vice President Tiffany Anton said free workshops will be provided by a Chattanooga company called Proof Incubator, who do food and beverage consulting. Anton said these workshops will help local restaurants […]
Business Numbers For UC Restaurants Returning To Normal

Restaurants across the Upper Cumberland are slowly returning to normal numbers since reopening in May. Cookeville’s 37 Cedar Restaurant is serving about the same amount of customers compared to before the pandemic. Co-Owner Kevin Maxwell said the restaurants outdoor seating helped keep customers returning. “You try to do the right thing,” Maxwell said. “You are […]
Restaurant Patrons Seek New Normal

Upper Cumberland restaurants began to welcome back customers on Monday morning. Elaine Heinz of Baxter said she hoped to find a sense of normalcy by going to lunch. “It feels really good,” Heinz said. “It’s a little bit more of a routine, and it’s nice to be out of the house. At some point, you […]
Social Distancing, Masks, Checking Temps Part Of Reopening Guidelines

Getting some of the 320,000 people employed in the restaurant and retail sector back to work….safely. That’s the goal of Governor Bill Lee in announcing specific guidelines for both sectors Friday to reopen next week. Restaurants can open Monday while retailers can reopen Wednesday. “Social distancing works and it absolutely must continue if we’re going […]
Local Restaurants Looking Forward to Reopening

Even if tight limitations remain in place, local restaurant owners said they need to reopen dining rooms to customers. Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday that restaurants can reopen beginning Monday if they meet requirements and stay under 50 percent capacity. Drew Blalock is the owner of Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill in Cookeville. “We have $34,800 […]









