Putnam County Fire Department responded to a Monday evening call regarding a fully-involved RV fire. Chief Tom Brown said the fire occurred on Fitzpatrick Road in the westernmost part of the county. “It was plugged into a house, the shoreline was plugged into a house,” Brown said. “The owner said the power flashed a couple of times. When he started ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech basketball fans experienced highs and lows this weekend with the men’s team’s overtime loss and the women’s team’s OVC Tournament win. Athletic Director Mark Wilson said the men’s team losing after thinking they had a game-winning shot was “heartbreaking” for fans in Evansville. He said he had never had a locker room more silent than after that game ... Read More »

UT Medical Center excited to start providing the Fentress County community with quality care through the new standalone emergency department. Executive Vice President David Hall said the project came about after conversations with Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson about the need for emergency healthcare following the closing of Jamestown Regional Medical Center in June 2019. “We thought if you look ... Read More »

Pickett County Schools struggling to keep up with ESSER projects due to the slow reimbursement of funds from the state. Director of Schools Diane Elder had to approach the county commission to request for approval the transfer of some $75,000 from the general purpose fund to avoid overdrafts. “We are spending so many thousands of dollars that we did not ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation has implemented a new way for customers to report outages. IT Manager Wade Givens said before, customers had to call their local office and report the outage to a phone operator. Now, customers have several options to report an outage, including using a smart app, the company’s website, or by phone. “You could see that ... Read More »

The City of Smithville named the recipient of some $433,000 in grants to help fund a transitional housing program. Mayor Josh Miller said this comes after partnering with UCDD last year to search for grant dollars to meet this need in the city. “The way that we’re wanting to set this up is for women and children so yes I ... Read More »

Cumberland County Parks and Recreation partnering up with TWRA and Cumberland County Fire Department for its scheduled controlled burn at Obed River Park. The burn starts at 9 a.m. Monday. Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Moody said the burns occur semi-regularly as a way to better preserve the savannah area in the park. “We’ve got fire breaks all the way ... Read More »

A Baxter pet-grooming business is asking Baxter Mayor and Aldermen if there is a way to create stricter animal welfare rules. Baxter’s Dog House Owner Renee Crandall said the current state law only requires animals to have food, water, and shelter. She said after seeing many instances of neglect, including animals covered in urine, feces, and fleas, she hopes something ... Read More »

Fentress County Commission’s Fire Committee will continue efforts to create a full-time fire department despite not being able to meet this year’s grant deadline. Chair Kim Davidson said they had been working toward this for at least three years, with a lack of funds the main crux of the issue. She said despite having a solid and dedicated volunteer fire ... Read More »

The newly-established Friends of the Cordell Hull group has officially achieved its non-profit designation. Board Chair Natasha Deane said the goal of the group is to bring more recreation opportunities to the lake. Deane said hiking, fishing, and kayaking are all activities the group wants to bring through volunteering and fundraising and in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers. ... Read More »