A South Carolina man was arrested and a 13-year-old Cookeville girl has been kept from sexual exploitation following an investigation by TBI’s Cybercrime & Digital Evidence Unit. TBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Squad began investigating a troubling advertisement on the dark web, depicting a 13-year-old girl being solicited for sexual activity. The ad caught the attention of 39-year-old David ... Read More »
Author Archives: Betsy Scarisbrick
Avery Trace Middle School On Lockdown Thursday Morning
Avery Trace Middle School is on lockdown as of 8:40 Thursday morning after a report of a suspicious person was seen walking around the school with what appeared to be a gun. The School Resource Officer, city police, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office canvassed the area, and at this time there is no evidence found. Authorities have cleared the ... Read More »
Students Reps On Clay Economic And Community Development Board Bring Youthful Ideas
Clay County Economic and Community Development Board using student representatives to help young people have a voice in the future of community development. Board Executive Secretary Doug Young said the use of student representatives was started about a year ago. “These guys are adults now, they’re 16, 17, 18 years old,” Young said. “And they have opinions and they have ... Read More »
Smithville Launches Online Property Tax Payment Portal
Smithville residents will now be able to pay their property taxes online with a recently developed web tool. Property Tax Clerk Holly Anderson said the tool comes just in time for this year’s property taxes to be mailed out this Friday. “We had been looking into it for a while just to make it easier on the taxpayer and on ... Read More »
Overton Health Department Continuing Flu Shot Clinics At Schools
Overton County Health Department continuing its efforts to increase the opportunities to receive a flu shot ahead of flu season. The Department has been setting of vaccine clinics at Overton schools last week and will do so again next week. Nursing Supervisor Megan Reeder said the goal is to get more people vaccinated against the flu and make it easy ... Read More »
Tennessee Tech’s Kappa Sigma Fraternity Earns National Recognition
Tennessee Tech’s Kappa Sigma fraternity earned national recognition as one of the top chapters in North America. The Kappa-Mu chapter was awarded the Founders Award of Chapter Excellence (FACE), the benchmark award in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Chapter President Nolan Burgess said it recognizes outstanding chapter management, achievement, and program development in all areas of operation. “It just really means ... Read More »
Redevelopment Overlay Districts Entice Development In Areas That Need It
Cookeville Planning approved the rezoning of a property that would allow developers to get rid of dilapidated buildings and build new ones. The rezoning includes properties on North Hickory Avenue and Montgomery Avenue. This was made possible with the help of a Redevelopment Area Overlay (RAO) zoning. Community Development Director Jon Ward said the zone was first established in Cookeville’s ... Read More »
Livingston Academy Hires JROTC Officer
Livingston Academy taking the next step after hiring an officer for its incoming JROTC program. Director of Schools Donnie Holman said Lieutenant Colonel James Bryant will fill the position. Bryant is a retiring military science professor from Tennessee Tech. He said the school is on track to have the program begin with the next school year. “The next step is ... Read More »
Vertical Coffee Company Expansion Taking Next Step Following Rezoning
Vertical Coffee Company’s expansion taking the next step after a Cookeville Planning Commission approved a rezoning. Developer Lauren Metts said the tenants were having difficulty getting the signage they desired due to restrictions at its current zoning. She said now that the rezoning takes away those requirements, she said the goal is to get Vertical Coffee Company moved into the ... Read More »
Cumberland County Clerk’s Office Services On Pause After Leak Found In Old Courthouse
Old Cumberland Courthouse having to close its original 1905 portion due to a portion with hazardous structural integrity. Mayor Allen Foster said a leak discovery led to structural engineers recommending the closure of that part of the building which houses the County Clerk’s office. “We call ourselves lucky that we found it before anything major happened,” Foster said. “We got ... Read More »