A Tennessee Tech alumna has been named the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by the Computing Research Association. Lynne Parker graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1983 and currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor at UT-Knoxville’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She said the award recognizes her efforts to advance research, policy-making, and education over the last ... Read More »

Two members of the White County Commission spoke out at the White County School Board meeting Thursday asking for better communication between the board, the county commission, and constituents. 6th District Commissioner Derek Hutchings said he had been contacted by constituents feeling it difficult to get the chance to speak before the school board. He said it is frustrating to ... Read More »

Lasting effects from this year’s Christmas freeze could be showing up on your outdoor plants. Overton UT Extension Agent Jason Garrett said the immediate effects are some of the worst he’s ever seen for landscape plants. He said if you are a homeowner and have plants you want to check are still alive, there are steps you can take to ... Read More »

City of Baxter pursuing the potential to have local commercial driver’s license training for prospective city employees. Public Works Director John Ramsey said the city needs more drivers to operate various vehicles in several departments. “Most every truck we have, garbage truck, dump truck, brush truck, they require a CDL driver,” Ramsey said. “We are limited to what guys we ... Read More »

White Plains Academy celebrated the giveaway of its first hunting blind made entirely by construction program students Thursday. Instruction Program Supervisor Jason Holcomb said some 20 students spent an entire semester learning how to use power tools and proper construction techniques. He said it has been amazing seeing the students grow their skill set. “I came over there and watched ... Read More »

Putnam County high schools will use one of the district’s state-allotted virtual learning days Friday. The days were created as a response to the pandemic and severe weather events closing down schools. Director of Schools Corby King said the need for Friday’s virtual learning day comes from having a lack of substitute teachers. “So we looked at it and thought ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland Tourism Association working on rebuilding its website to better showcase social media and tourism opportunities. Executive Director Patti Purdy said the site has been down since the fall when it crashed. She said since she came into her role a year and a half ago, it has been a needed project. “It was time because we needed to ... Read More »

Clay County Commission has updated the language in its building permit rules to increase public awareness. County Mayor Dale Reagan said the county has had a building permit requirement since around 2009. He said there was an increased need to make sure potential developers know what is required before building. “We’ve had a lot of folks that are moving into ... Read More »

Jackson County’s flood hazard maps saw no major changes after receiving the latest updates from FEMA. EMA Spokesperson Derek Woolbright said the last time the county received new maps was around 2010. He said the map points out areas in the county most likely to have flood hazards. “Those kinds of maps allow us to figure out areas that we ... Read More »

Putnam County Parks and Recreation will now offer indoor pickleball courts at the Cookeville Community Center several days a week. Director John Ross Albertson said community members can play Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. He said knowing pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, they want to create more opportunities for folks ... Read More »