Fentress County has renewed its contract for housing state prisoners. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said that the state’s Department of Correction pays approximately $39 per prisoner per day to help counties offset costs. “We have to furnish the housing and such and pay for the bills of our own,” Johnson said. “And so when that gives us a little bit ... Read More »

Putnam County Solid Waste reminds community members that out-of-county waste is not permitted at any drop-off locations. Director Doug Ashburn said that with so many new people moving to the county, they wanted to make sure that people understand protocols. “What that does is the more trash, the more it costs to haul it out,” Ashburn said. “So we just ... Read More »

White County Heritage Museum seeking a grant to restore the old Everett Rowland Lumber Company Sawmill. Co-Director Brenda Templeton said that once the opportunity came about for a potential grant from T-Mobile, they wanted to do what they could to help its restoration. She said that the first step is to renovate the building where it’s stored. “The building right ... Read More »

Cookeville’s Leisure Services Department will move forward with the transition from the basement of City Hall to the old Police Headquarters. City Manager James Mills said that the city has budgeted money to make the transition for the offices. He said currently, they’re working on a new layout for the building. “When the police department was opened, there was no ... Read More »

Work on Fentress County’s standalone ER set to start back up next week. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said that the work was held up while waiting approval from the state. “When they demo’d everything inside and took out what was in there, they had a new floor plan going in,” Johnson said. “And of course it has to have consistency ... Read More »

The City of Smithville has approved its new fiscal year budget, including an 11 percent raise for all city employees. Smithville’s Board of Alderman approved the budget on the second and final reading Thursday night. The salary increases include the five aldermen, whose salaries are set to double. Mayor Josh Miller’s salary is also set to increase from $1,000 to ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland realtors say the biggest thing affecting the housing market right now is a lack of inventory. Realtor Darren Wilson said that the influx of people moving to Cookeville and almost 300 homes destroyed by the 2020 tornado have contributed to the issue. “And so the builders are having a hard time not only getting caught up with the ... Read More »

Cookeville Fire Department will not issue burn permits for the city until weather conditions improve. Chief Benton Young said that the department considers weather, hot temperatures, and wind speeds when it comes to issuing burn permits. “We’ve not had any rain for at least a couple of weeks and the combination of the high temps and low humidity really makes ... Read More »

Cookeville’s CityScape has been designated as a Main Street America™ Accredited program. Each year, Main Street America and its partners recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization. In 2021, CityScape reported some $1.3 million reinvested into Cookeville’s historic commercial districts through 17 building rehabilitation projects, six public improvement projects, and one new building construction. “Downtown Cookeville ... Read More »

One Cookeville organization is working to help those struggling with addiction and other issues in the Upper Cumberland find their purpose. Diane Roland is the Executive Director of NextStep For Life. Roland said that they provide a Christian-based, transitional living program that helps participants learn how to have healthy emotions, set boundaries, and gain a new mindset. “Because if we ... Read More »