Jackson County Schools will return to class with a phased-in approach for the first week. Students with the last names A-L will report August 5. Students with the last names M-Z will report August 7. All in-person student will report to class on August 10th. Director of Schools Kristy Brown said on return, teachers will be required to wear face ... Read More »

The City of Cookeville added a $62,000 project to the Willow Avenue water and sewer line replacements. The city found a defective line while trying to connect the new Holiday Inn to the water grid. Cookeville Water and Sewer Director Ronnie Kelly said the project is too big for city workers to complete. “When it gets 18 to 20 feet ... Read More »

Cookeville’s Fall Fun Fest and Wine on the Westside have been cancelled. CityScape Executive Director Holly Freeman said cancelling two of the biggest Upper Cumberland events was not easy. The Board of Directors discussed the decision for the past month. “It was a very difficult simply because we know how important these events are to our community,” Freeman said. “We ... Read More »

Upperman High School must replace all four football stadium light poles after severe wind damage in May. Principal William Stepp said the wind completely pushed over the southeast pole while damaging the rest. “They x-rayed the poles and checked out the poles. There was another one with a crack in it, and each one had a flaw of some sort ... Read More »

The Clay County Chamber of Commerce has a new director. Dr. Doug Young will volunteer to permanently take over the position starting July 28th. Young is currently the director of Clay County’s three-star program and member of the chamber board for over 10 years. Read More »

The city of McMinnville will move its utility and business services to the first floor of city hall. Regions Bank departed the Main Street space. City Administrator Nolan Ming said the city is trying to create a single municipal building to meet all residents’ needs. “Everyone will be able to come in the front doors here right off of Main ... Read More »

Caney Fork Electric Cooperative will close all office lobbies to the public starting this Wednesday. General Manager Bill Rogers said lobbies are closing to try to reduce Covid infection rates. “This is not an action that we take lightly,” Rogers said. “We understand our responsibility to our membership, and this is our way to help ensure that we will be ... Read More »

Families in Tennessee eligible for the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program still have time to apply. The program provides families $5.70 for every missed school day during the pandemic to make up for lost meals. Tennessee Department of Human Services Press Secretary Sky Arnold said many families were unprepared to make up two meals a day. “Families across our ... Read More »

State Representative Cameron Sexton expects a date for a special called legislative session by the end of the month. While Governor Bill Lee has said the session would focus on COVID liability issues, Sexton said other issues might also be discussed. Protests and public property damage could be among them. “We are also talking about these monuments that are being ... Read More »

The Tennessee Tech football team and staff has 18 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Athletic Director Mark Wilson said the initial wave of cases was expected once the team returned to campus. “Our numbers are very similar to community numbers that you see throughout Tennessee or the Southeast,” Wilson said. “What we are seeing is expected. That is why we were ... Read More »