The Jackson County Utility District is asking residents that have restored power to check their water meters for abnormal water usage. Field Supervisor Donnie Locke said with some people without power for five days, frozen and busted pipes are a concern. “A normal usage shouldn’t be 20 gallon a minute or something,” Locke said. “If you are over probably five ... Read More »

A 70-year-old Overton County man died Thursday while trying to seek help after being without power for multiple days. County Executive Ben Danner said fatalities from the cold have been a worry in Overton County with about 2,300 homes without power. “He had been out without power for a few days,” Danner said. “And, he was walking trying to get ... Read More »

The Upper Cumberland saw a mixed bag of road conditions with some counties roadways being slicker than Thursday. A majority of Putnam County roads had black ice, but Road Supervisor Randy Jones said as the day continued, roads have slowly thawed. Secondary roads remain slick. Jones said a decision on reopening Woodcliff Road will be made later on Friday. Roads ... Read More »

Local 9-1-1 Centers are asking residents to not call emergency lines for updates on road conditions. Cumberland County/Crossville EMA Director Travis Cole said the 9-1-1 center is having issues with busy lines and wants to remind people that it is specifically for emergency situations. “Here in Cumberland County we’ve got, I am not going to say a limited number of ... Read More »

Jackson County saw a mixed bag of improvements for power outages Thursday. While some power was restored, electric crews lost ground this morning and afternoon. Mayor Randy Heady said he understands the frustrations residents are going through. “They are aware,” Heady said. “I wanted to mention this, because I know if I was you that I would feel the same ... Read More »

The man responsible for an accident that killed three people in Cookeville had methamphetamine in his system. A TBI toxicology report revealed 25-year-old Michael Don Shepherd of Pegram had 1.9 ug/ml of meth in his blood at the time of the January accident. Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said that is a very high amount of drugs. “When the ... Read More »

The majority of Upper Cumberland Highway Departments are reporting that roadways are becoming more and more passable. Putnam County Road Supervisor Randy Jones said a slight temperature increase Thursday has improved conditions. Jones said the two to four inches of snow the county saw was wet and easily melted off main roadways without refreezing. Early Thursday morning, Jones said lots ... Read More »

In a survey of six Cookeville hotels, each one was at capacity for Tuesday night with rooms going fast for Wednesday. With an estimated 11,000 without power in Putnam County, many residents are seeking a place to stay. At this time, hotel staff  do not know the extent of each guest’s stay. As a result, Holiday Inn on Bunker Hill ... Read More »

Putnam County’s Woodcliff Road will stay closed for the remainder of Thursday. As of 2:30 p.m., the street is clear of all debris and snow, but that is not expected to stay true. Highway Superintendent Randy Jones said he anticipates more trees to fall on the roadway over the night. “There is so much ice on the trees over there,” ... Read More »

Some pet boarding centers are limiting clients due to concerns of losing power again. Bethany Mack is the owner of Cookeville’s Just Poochy Pet Grooming and Daycare. Mack said she is mainly offering day services since the location does not have a back-up generator. “We are very concerned with losing electricity,” Mack said. “We have had a couple of calls ... Read More »