The Poke Sallet Foundation hosting a community meeting Thursday to recruit volunteers for its first event since taking over. Board Member Casey Jackson said the session will cover volunteer assignments as well as general community needs to host a successful Poke Sallet Festival. “We are looking for volunteers that maybe helped in the past with specific competitions such as the ... Read More »

State Representative Ryan Williams said his bill to reconstitute the boards of directors for sports authorities specific to Davidson County impacts more than the Nashville area. The bill would give the state majority control over the board that manages sport venues such as Nissan Stadium and Bridgestone Arena. Williams said as proposed, 10 out of the 13 members would be ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech had a successful test in a new alert system thanks to a partnership with Putnam County 911 and Emergency Management Agency. University Dispatch Operations Supervisor Elizabeth Clemons said the joint effort allows each entity to send out alerts if one group is facing communication issues. “For example if the county is not able to send a message due ... Read More »

The Highway 111 Cookeville Travel Center is set to open by the end of this month. Director of Operations David McCormick said major construction is complete as contractors finish minor details. “Hopefully by the end of the week, we will have our certificate of occupancy, so we can start bringing in merchandise and getting vendors in to set things up,” ... Read More »

Crossville will save approximately $112,000 by shutting down the Village Inn. The Crossville City Council met in a special called meeting Tuesday where Mayor RJ Crawford shared data about emergency calls to the location. Crawford said the city responded to over 1,000 calls since 2019 which was doubled compared to other similar housing developments. “I bring that up to say ... Read More »

Two coffee chains, a sandwich concept and a burger restaurant are reviewing sites to enter the Livingston market. The city hired a national retail consultant last year to identify areas of sales tax leakage and recruit businesses. Retail Coach Project Director Kyle Cofer said the company has sent potential locations to the interested companies. “We’ve sent them everything in the ... Read More »

The Livingston Board of Aldermen approved a three-year contract to ensure claims are fulfilled involving accidents with city property. The Georgia-based company Peachtree Recovery Services works to bring money to the city by pursuing insurance payments for property damage. Consultant Toad Rhoad said the service comes at no cost to the city since the company receives a percentage of the ... Read More »

Child poverty in the Upper Cumberland is declining but not at the same rate as other areas according to the state’s annual child report. The State of the Child is an annual data book that tracks the status of children by analyzing state indicators. Children and Youth Commission Regional Coordinator Kristi Paling said Overton County has experienced a 43 percent ... Read More »

The Livingston Board of Aldermen approved sending an automated reader meter project for TDEC’s consideration Monday. State approval is required as a formality in order to use federal COVID infrastructure money allocated to the city. Engineer Greg Davenport said the some $1.5 million project is possible through a partnership with Overton County. “The next steps are once TDEC approves the ... Read More »

One of three UCHRA day reporting centers are operational with the first inmates enrolled in the program. The agency received $4 million last year to create three locations to rehabilitate drug offenders instead of incarcaration. Executive Director Mark Farley said the Putnam County location has two participants. “We’re very excited, because it is a very structured, evidence-based program where we ... Read More »