People seeking jobs in highway construction now have a one-stop place to find work. The Now Hiring Tennessee campaign launched a centralized website for job seekers to look for positions with multiple companies performing different aspects of building and maintaining roads. Kent Starwalt is the Executive Vice President of the Tennessee Road Builders Association. He said the goal is to ... Read More »

July is National Blueberry Month and Upper Cumberland farmers are ready with the blueberry harvest. Jeff Green owns Green Acres Farm with his family in Clarkrange. He said he believes picking blueberries is something families can enjoy doing together. “Some folks will come and bring their children,” Green said. “They picked blueberries when they were young and they want their ... Read More »

The Algood Fire Department is adding a new pumper truck to its fleet. Algood Fire Chief Victor Jones said the addition of the new truck will help the city in its goal to lower its ISO rating. “The truck that we have now is 20-years-old,” Jones said. “It’s still a good truck, but it’s got to its date that on ... Read More »

Putnam County will lose almost $250,000 in property tax revenue due to damages from the March tornado. That’s according to Putnam County Property Assessor Steve Pierce. He said property taxes are prorated to the day of the storm. “If it was 100-percent destroyed, it will be taken off the tax rolls starting that date,” Pierce said. “Say you had a ... Read More »

Jackson County will soon begin upgrades to the Roaring River Park. Jackson County Mayor Randy Heady said a $60,000 TDEC grant will help pay for planning and design. He said because of COVID shutdowns the county is about 2-months behind on the grant’s public feedback requirement. “It’s a 10-year plan,” Heady said. “So we find out over then next 10-years ... Read More »

The Pickett County Commission denied permission for a county group seeking a grant to restore Byrdstown’s Amonett House. The Pickett County Historical Society approached the commission to apply for a $75,000 Tennessee Tourism grant that included a 10-percent match. County Historian Richard Pierce said he is disappointed in the Commission’s decision, especially since a private citizen had agreed to cover ... Read More »

John Richards is retiring from Fentress County Emergency Medical Services after 44-years on the job. Richards serves as Fentress County EMS Assistant Director. He said he has mixed feelings about his retirement. “It’s just kind of bittersweet, I guess you would say,” Richards said. “I really enjoyed my job all the time, and I had some good people to work ... Read More »

Putnam County Schools will not check temperatures of students boarding school buses. Deputy Director of Schools Tim Martin said regardless of a student’s temperature, once they are left at a bus stop, the county is responsible for their safety. “The fact of the matter is,” Martin said, “If parents leave their kids at a bus stop, we can’t refuse to ... Read More »

If you are a new voter that has registered to vote by mail, you will still have to provide proof of identification at your local elections office before getting an absentee ballot. That after a federal judge announced Wednesday he will not reject three Tennessee absentee ballot regulations amid the COVID pandemic. Putnam County Administrator of Elections Michele Honeycutt said ... Read More »

A local director of the state’s teacher union said he believes the lack of direction from the state in COVID return plans is leaving some students and school staff vulnerable. Brent Estes is a Tennessee Education Association Board Director for district seven, which includes most Upper Cumberland counties. He said the state should invest more money in protecting those in ... Read More »