Cookeville City Council recognized the Cookeville Girls and Boys basketball teams Thursday night for outstanding seasons. “My husband, who played basketball for Cookeville High School, he said that they used to tell him ‘you’re a 2A athlete in a 4A division, and that Cookeville High School is never going to make it to the state tournament,'” Mayor Laurin Wheaton said. ... Read More »

Sparta Board of Aldermen authorized the accepting of bids to replace the roof at the Sewer Plant Facility during its Thursday meeting. City Administrator Tonya Tindle said the project was included in the city’s fiscal year budget. The city will begin soliciting bids for the project immediately. Aldermen also approved repairs to one of the city’s trash trucks. The $27,000 ... Read More »

Hertz has closed its Cookeville rental car office. Hertz Corporate confirmed the closing, citing its recent fourth quarter earnings. The company posted a net loss of $418 million. “We have been assessing the scope of our global facilities network, which has resulted in the closure of some rental locations,” A Hertz statement said. The statement said customers can use the ... Read More »

Johnny Crain resigned as Van Buren County Veterans Service Officer, effective at the end of the month. In a letter to County Commissioners, Crain informed leadership he planned to retire. His final day of service will be March 28. County Executive David Sullivan said Committee B of the commissioners will begin the process of replacing Crain. The Commission accepted the ... Read More »

A Rockwood man booked into the Cumberland County Jail early Friday morning as the investigation continues into a Monday shooting. 29-year-old Jonathan Duncan charged with one count of Attempted First Degree Murder and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Cumberland County Sheriffs Department S.W.A.T. team took Duncan into custody early Friday. The Rockwood man identified by ... Read More »

The US Census Bureau ranked Cookeville fourth nationally among US Micropolitan area growth over the last year. More than 2,700 residents moved into Cookeville Micropolitan Area between July, 2022 and July 2023, bringing the total population to 148,226. The micropolitan includes Putnam, Jackson, Overton and White Counties. The ranking released Thursday set by numeric growth. Seaford, Delaware had the largest ... Read More »

Putnam County Director Of Schools Corby King said frustration is the most common feeling among school administrators statewide, concerning vouchers and the job being done by educators. King met with directors and superintendents last week. He said the push toward an expanded voucher system for Tennessee students seems to be ignoring the voice of school leaders. “Lots of frustration,” King ... Read More »

The Putnam County School Board will begin narrowing the scope of a proposed remodel at Park View School as well as the purpose for the soon-to-be vacant school. The system entered into a performance-based contract with ESG of Johnson City to begin exploring the renovations and the price tag for the work. School Board Member Lynn McHenry said this is ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech students are considering a new fee to help create new parking options on campus. Student Trustee Addison Dorris said SGA wanted to explore real options for what has been a long-term campus problem. Students are currently analyzing data from a student survey to the proposed Transportation, Parking and Infrastructure Fee, or TPI. “This fee would end the current ... Read More »

Putnam County Schools has a new maintenance firm trying to fix a long-standing issue with custodial work across the system. The new $295,000 contract with ABM runs through June 30 after receiving approval from the School Board. Putnam County Schools Deputy Director Tim Martin said the new firm will employee workers 52 weeks per year, including all breaks. “I think ... Read More »