Putnam County School’s Special Education Director Sheri Roberson said she feels the first semester went as well as it could given the circumstances. Roberson said at this point in the school year a majority of her students have gone back to in-person learning. Roberson said her department was equipped for virtual learning, but the challenge was equipping parents. “In a ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech’s Spring Semester will look like it did in the Fall, with a few adjustments based on what the school’s learned navigating the pandemic. TTU Chief Communications Officer Karen Lykins said the school is going to have a bigger emphasis on safety during the pandemic because of holiday breaks. Lykins said the school has seen the effect that students ... Read More »

Cookeville’s Small Business Development Center said now is the time for small businesses looking to set up online sales. Director Tyler Asher said the center still has CARES Act money available and web designers on contract to help set up online retail for free. Asher said taking advantage of this opportunity can help avoid headaches with trying to setup online ... Read More »

A lot has changed for the Jackson County Rescue Squad since a fatal Macon County Flood spurred the squads creation in 1969. Jackson County Rescue Squad Captain Joey Denson said when the squad was chartered in 1970, it was made up of mostly county commissioners responding to drownings and lost persons. Fifty years later, Denson said the squad is down ... Read More »

The Baxter Fire Department is offering free smoke alarms and installation to anyone who wants one. Fire Chief Matthew White said residents can also request a fire safety check in their home and will test older smoke detectors that take batteries like 9 volts. White said these new detectors have a 10 year battery, so helping to install them in ... Read More »

Every second matters when responding to an emergency and that is why Clay County 911 is asking residents to make sure their house number is visible. 911 Director Beth Moulton said residents need to post their numbers on their mailbox, home or at the road so it can be seen from both directions. Moulton said they do run into homes ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech will need a $2.3 million chiller now that water chilling capacity has been reached with two new building additions. Vice President for Facilities and Business Services Chuck Roberts said the future Innovation Residence Hall will require a chiller for air conditioning after capacity is reached. Roberts said this need became apparent during a 2015 utility study. “We were ... Read More »

Tennessee will require dispatchers to be able to give directions on how to perform CPR over the phone starting in 2021. Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris said he agrees with the law and supports making this training mandatory. Farris said most of his dispatchers have already gone through this training, but there’s more to the training than just knowing CPR ... Read More »

Jackson County Schools will launch its dual-enrollment HVAC program in mid-January for Jackson County High School students. Director of Schools Kristy Brown said an instructor has been hired and the program is through Livingston-TCAT. Brown said workforce research shows how much local HVAC workers are needed. “They need workers, they need skilled people who can do that, not just from ... Read More »

The Upper Cumberland should not experience a hay shortage this year, thanks to a good rainfall and late frost. Overton County UT-Ag Extension Agent Jason Garrett said Summer droughts have pushed hay feeding earlier into October the past two years. However, he said things have lined up in 2020 to keep cattle in good shape through the winter. “I think ... Read More »