Sparta city employees’ purchasing limits have been increased to save on time and gas. City Administrator Brad Hennessee said employees used to be limited to $100. Hennessee said when a material or tool exceeds that amount, workers had to come to city hall for approval. “They don’t have to bring it to me the way they’ve had to in the ... Read More »

The Gainesboro Police Department wants the town’s Board of Aldermen to consider high-speed cameras. Assistant Chief Mickey Smith said the equipment would be able to identify plate numbers of vehicles. “They’re not the license plate readers that write tickets or logs them,” Smith said. “These are high-speed camera that recognize tags that I would like to put down here in ... Read More »

A missing Cumberland County woman found after reported missing since March 8th. Crystal Cooper was located during a traffic stop in Cumberland County this week. Cooper was safe with no further action taken by law enforcement, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Read More »

A DeKalb County juvenile will appear in court Monday for alleged aggravated arson and the first-degree murder of his father. 43-year-old Edward Lemons died when his house caught fire in December. Sheriff Patrick Ray said the department believes the fire was intentionally set. “It has been a tragic event for our county,” Ray said. “The victim of this here was ... Read More »

Trash pickup for Gainesboro residents could be a reality after the Board of Aldermen heard a proposal for trash services Thursday night. Chase Bishop of ALC Disposal said the company needs 75 customers to consider expanding to Gainesboro. Mayor Lloyd Williams said the town will send flyers gauging interest through this month’s utility billing. “The city we used to have ... Read More »

The Sparta Board of Aldermen voted Thursday to rebid two chemical supply contracts after the vendor did not honor its original price. City Administrator Brad Hennessee said the company indicated that availability and costs increased the unit price. “We went to the next lowest bidder and asked them if they would honor their bid and they said no,” Hennessee said. ... Read More »

White County E-911 has plans to continue improving its radio system next fiscal year. Director Suzi Haston said the department wants to install two new repeater sites at the Eastland and Central View Fire Departments. “We expect huge improvements especially around the Eastland area and Central View area,” Haston said. “We have some dead spots, because of hills, valleys and ... Read More »

Warren County plans to use some of its TDEC ARP money to prepare for industrial growth in the southwest portion of the county. County Executive Jimmy Haley said the county’s Industrial Development Board has a property it wants to develop. “IDB has purchased 200 acres right on the Coffee County/Warren County line that we’re working on doing a larger industrial ... Read More »

History was made Thursday as the US Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson into the Supreme Court. Cookeville-Putnam NAACP Branch President Tom Savage said the organization will hold a rally Friday celebrating the first black female Supreme Court Justice. “We celebrate to see that the court will represent Americans,” Savage said. “It will represent the city that we live in. ... Read More »

A flowering herb that only grows in four Tennessee counties including Fentress County and Pickett County has recovered as an endangered species. The Cumberland Sandwort is a small, delicate plant that grows in the sandy floors and sandstone ledges of the Cumberland Plateau. TDEC Natural Heritage Program Manager David Lincicome said the white/pinkish flower has been endangered since 1988. “It ... Read More »